Chapter 478: The Final Battle - Part 1
Clang!
The blade of the younger Thanos collided with Thor's axe, sending violent sparks flying into the air.
"You people deserve to die," the young Thanos growled, using both hands to exert crushing force, pinning Thor beneath him.
Thor resisted with every fiber of his being, teeth gritted. "The only one who deserves to die is you!"
"I agree with that!"
From a distance, a beam of light tore across the battlefield, bisecting every enemy in its path. Sensing the danger, the young Thanos kicked Thor away and spun his blade to deflect the incoming energy.
"Are you alright, brother?" Loki appeared at Thor's side and helped him up.
"Loki~" Thor's right hand trembled as he reached out to touch Loki. His brother was truly back.
Loki brushed the hand away with a smirk. "Don't worry, it's not an illusion this time. It's real."
"It's good to have you back." Thor pulled Loki into a fierce hug. This time, he would not let Thanos take his family away.
Thump!
Just then, Tony Stark skidded across the ground and crashed into a stone pillar at their feet. He opened his faceplate to gasp for air. "Could you two finish your chat after the fight?"
Thor gave an embarrassed smile, gripped Stormbreaker, and let his battle intent surge to its peak. Loki flicked his wrists, and two daggers appeared in his hands.
"Kill!" The two brothers charged forward together.
"Has he considered that he's actually a Sorcerer of the Nine Realms?" Doctor Strange muttered, waving a hand to banish an enemy as he looked at Loki's brawling style.
"How should I know?" Wong replied grumpily.
Elsewhere on the Field
"I am Groot!" Groot's elongated wooden arms skewered a row of enemies, lifting them high into the air.
Rocket immediately landed beside him, a long-awaited grin breaking across his face. "Damn it, you're finally back."
"Groot!" Groot slammed the enemies into the ground with a sickening crunch.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll let you play video games for seven days straight," Rocket said with a sigh.
"Wait, what happened while we were gone?" Peter Quill asked, clicking his mask open in confusion. In the blink of an eye, Thanos seemed to have gained a twin brother.
"Five years have passed, and you're still just as out of shape. You need to lose weight," Rocket quipped before turning his gun back on the horde.
The Two Silas's Brothers
Thanos was currently locked in a struggle with Silas's brother, Peter Parker.
"Hah!"
With "Instant Kill" mode active and eight mechanical spider-legs working in tandem, Peter's combination attacks were making it difficult for Thanos to find an opening. Thanos let out a roar of frustration and suddenly grabbed one of the spider-legs.
Snap!
The leg shattered. Thanos gripped the broken limb, intending to impale Peter through the abdomen.
Fwoosh!
At the critical second, a burst of red Chaos Magic intercepted the strike.
"Argh!" Thanos struggled to break free, but the Chaos Magic was incredibly oppressive. Peter took the chance to land a spinning kick to Thanos's jaw, followed by another spider-leg stabbing deep into the Titan's shoulder.
Squelch!
Purple blood sprayed from the wound. Peter felt a surge of hope, only to be sent flying a moment later by a vengeful punch from Thanos. Wanda Maximoff quickly redirected her magic to catch the falling Peter.
"Thanks," Peter gasped as he landed.
"Where is Silas?" Wanda asked immediately, her first priority being the man she loved.
Peter shook his head painfully, his lip trembling. "I don't know. For some reason, Silas didn't come back with us."
Wanda's pupils constricted. In an instant, a tidal wave of Chaos Magic erupted from her body.
"ARGH!"
The magic within her went berserk. Endless crimson energy snared Thanos's limbs, pinning him to the ground with terrifying force. Thanos roared, trying to use his raw strength to break free, but the magic felt like a vast, surging ocean.
"Give him back!"
Dozens of rebar rods from the wreckage rose behind Wanda, aiming to turn Thanos into a pincushion. Thanos, seeing the incoming volley, kicked his fallen blade. The sword spun like a buzzsaw toward Wanda.
"Watch out, Wanda!" Peter didn't hesitate. He shot a web and pulled her out of the way just in time.
With Wanda's focus broken, Thanos broke free of the magic just as the rods arrived. He punched and kicked, snapping the steel bars mid-air. The remaining rods clattered against his armor, bouncing off. A few grazed his skin, but caused no real damage.
"Nice trick," Thanos said, picking up his blade. Peter's seven remaining spider-legs unfolded—one still stained with the Titan's blood.
The Mirror Dimension
The younger Thanos was engaged with Doctor Strange. Strange threw out dozens of Eldritch Whips to restrain him, but this Thanos was in his physical prime. He tore through the spells with ease, his armor and blade deflecting every offensive blast.
"You are too weak." The young Thanos closed the distance, forcing Strange from a ranged caster into a melee brawler.
"Is that so? If I had five more years of study, you'd be flat on your back," Strange retorted. He formed magical shields on his fists and struck at Thanos's head. Thanos caught both of Strange's hands in one of his own, lifting the sorcerer off the ground.
"What else do you have, wizard?" The edge of the Titan's blade was now pressed against Strange's chin.
"Sorcerer Supreme, save him!" Wong cried out from the sidelines. Strange nearly rolled his eyes. How am I supposed to save myself?
However, the next second, Strange realized who Wong was actually calling for.
Sizzle!
A rope of sparking magical energy snared the Titan's blade, halting its progress.
"Who?" The young Thanos looked back in confusion. A woman in yellow sorcerer robes stood behind him, gripping the magical tether.
"Ancient One? No... you have hair." Strange thought it was his mentor, but then he saw the long strands falling from the hood.
Misty lifted her head, revealing her delicate features.
"Thanos!" She threw out her hands, and the world began to fold and twist. The surrounding combatants found themselves falling as the environment shifted.
"The Mirror Dimension?!" Strange's eyes widened. Misty had dragged the local area into a pocket reality.
The younger Thanos looked at the kaleidoscopic space; he understood the basics of Mirror Magic.
Poof!
Strange's Cloak of Levitation wrapped around Thanos's arm, allowing Stephen to break free. Once clear, he summoned the cloak back to himself.
"Leave him to me. Go get the Infinity Stones, or at least secure the Time Stone," Misty said, landing in front of Strange. She held out her hand, and a shard of a broken mirror appeared in her palm.
"I have to ask... how did you become the Sorcerer Supreme?" Strange asked, bewildered.
Wong pulled Strange away. "Do as the Sorcerer Supreme says!"
"Excuse me, I was the last one!" Strange argued as he was dragged off.
"I know, emphasis on was," Wong replied.
With the others gone, the space was left to Misty and the young Thanos.
"The Sorcerer Supreme of Earth? Hmph~ It seems the Ancient One is dead," the young Thanos mocked.
Misty twisted the glass shard in her hand. "I wonder, have you ever seen yourself sliced into ribbons?"
"Ribbons?" Thanos frowned.
"Don't know? Don't worry. You'll find out in a moment." Misty tossed the shard into the air where it levitated.
CRACK!
The sound of a thousand mirrors shattering echoed around them. Shimmering, blooming glass flowers manifested in the air, reflecting the twisted reality around them.
"Go home and look in the mirror. See how ugly you really are." Misty pushed her hands forward.
BOOM!
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