The flood of outriders was somehow overwhelming, but that was only in numbers. Thanos had more quantity, but we had better quality. The heroes and soldiers of Wakanda were each surrounded, getting ganged on by these mindless beasts.
I was also surrounded by around twenty outriders, but I didn't care. I was only fighting them to reduce the numbers for the heroes, for once I entered the real fight. The outriders attacked at the same time. I jumped up at the last second, killing the one that came from above, using its body as a springboard, and I launched myself even higher. Twisting my waist mid-air, I infused some soul-flux in my arm, elbow down, and punched the air above the outriders. The punch caused the air to be launched like a bullet. A large bullet.
The outriders below me were shredded in a span of seconds. I landed with grace and scanned the battlefield.
Nozomi was dashing from place to place, leaving outride corpses everywhere she passed. I sighed, realizing that she wasn't even saving her soul-flux for when Thanos' generals arrived.
I activated my soul-flux again, forming it as a sword. This technique was as basic as the more soul-flux I infused, the stronger it got, but these aliens didn't deserve any more than a handful. I focused on where the soldiers were getting outnumbered. With my heightened senses, it was simple to find them. I rushed over to one of the Wakandan soldiers who was blocking an outrider's claws with his spear, but he had failed to notice that one of the was about to attack from the back.
Just as its claw was about to hit his back, I appeared next to it, slashing in a downward arc. A sizzling sound was heard as its arm hit the ground with a wet thud. The outrider let out a roar of pain, but its head was sent rolling the next second. The Wakandan soldier turned in shock at the sound, and that second of hesitation was all the outrider needed. It tried to slice his chest, but I immediately sliced it off, giving him the time to stab it in his heart, killing him.
"I thank you," The man said with a slight bow. I nodded back and kept going. More soldiers and a few heroes were getting outnumbered. I was weaving through the battlefield, saving as many as I could. But I just wasn't fast enough to get to them all. Some of them were getting massacred.
I scowled as another scream entered my ear, but I was busy with other outriders that were starting to attack me in masses. I sliced through three at the same time while dodging another claw attack. In that moment, I sensed something causing me to look up with a smile on my face.
The outriders took the chance when I wasn't attacking to attack. I released my soul-flux, causing the outriders to explode, but I was no longer focusing on them. A new prey had found its way on the battlefield.
"About damn time," I shouted as I made my way to the open side of the barrier. "I was starting to think you ran away."
***
[3rd Pov]
Somewhere in the open side of the battlefield. Two figures stood, watching the battlefield. One had a frown on her face, while the other just looked like he was ready to kill anything in sight. Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian.
Cull Obsidian reeled his arm back, getting ready to throw his chain hammer in the field. Just as his hammer left his hand. A large gust of wind was kicked up in front of him. Both Cull Obsidian and Proxima Midnight raised their hands, covering their faces.
"I would rather you don't kill these people, I am starting to like them," Nozomi said as the dust cleared, displaying her figure standing in a small crater, holding Cull Obsidian's chain hammer.
Cull Obsidian roared, trying to pull back his hammer. Nozomi smiled at the attempt. "Cute." With a pull, Cull Obsidian's body rocketed forward. But just before he could reach Nozomi, another figure descended from above him, smashing his head into the ground. Before the dust could clear, the figure shot towards Proxima Midnight, who was staring at the display of raw power in a mix of confusion, rage, and hesitation. Before she could react, Hiro was already behind her, but before his kick could connect, she spun at the last second, crossing her swords in front of her.
Her body was sent flying due to the force behind the blow and the fact that the untimely twist left her unbalanced. She flipped mid-air and stuck her knives in the ground. She looked up at Hiro with a scowl. "You won't get away with that."
Hiro smirked. "I think I already did."
[Hiro's POV]
Proxima moved first.
She vanished from where she stood, her footwork sharp and disciplined—not the wild lunges I expected. Her blade flashed toward my throat, angle tight, economy of motion near perfect.
Oh?
I tilted my head just enough for the edge to skim past my cheek, feeling the pressure split the air. I countered with a horizontal slash of my soul-flux blade. She blocked—blocked—and the impact cracked the ground beneath her feet.
She slid back several meters, boots carving trenches into the earth, but she didn't fall.
My smile widened.
"You're stronger than you're supposed to be," I said casually, rolling my shoulder. "Someone buff you, or did you start hitting the gym?"
She snarled and came at me again, this time mixing her strikes—high feint, low sweep, sudden elbow aimed at my ribs. Martial arts. Actual technique. Her knee caught my side and sent me skidding back a step.
Didn't hurt. But it was impressive.
I laughed. "Yeah, definitely stronger than the show."
That earned me a scream of rage.
She pressed harder now, chaining attacks, forcing me to block instead of advance. Her blades moved like extensions of her arms, cutting off angles, her footwork constantly trying to circle me toward the open field.
I let her.
Then I stepped in.
Soul-flux surged through my legs, and I vanished, reappearing inside her guard. My knee slammed into her stomach, followed by a palm strike to her chest that detonated mid-impact. She flew backward, skipping across the ground before slamming into a pile of outrider corpses.
She didn't get up immediately.
I exhaled, rolling my neck—then felt someone snap into place behind me.
Metallic scent. Familiar stance.
"Back-to-back?" Natasha said.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," I replied, settling in.
Outriders rushed us, but they never reached striking distance.
I cut down two while Natasha dropped another with a precise shot. I then twisted and added, almost absently, "I liked your hair earlier when it was red."
She snorted, flipping a blade into an alien's skull. "And I liked you better when you had no tails."
I glanced over my shoulder, smirking as one of my tails flicked. "You'll get used to them."
"So will you," she shot back.
Proxima groaned behind us, dragging herself upright.
I felt her presence snap back into focus.
"Show's over," I said. "Tag—you're it."
Natasha peeled away instantly, and I turned just in time to catch Proxima's returning strike. This time, she didn't hold back.
She raised her hands—and the air screamed.
Massive spinning saw-blades of energy tore into existence around her, ripping through the battlefield, shredding outriders and Wakandan structures alike as they spiraled outward.
"Now that's cheating," I muttered, tails slumping.
Before I could move, scarlet energy wrapped around two of the saws mid-flight, crushing them like soda cans.
Wanda descended nearby, eyes glowing, jaw tight. "You're not doing that."
Proxima hissed, fury burning in her eyes. "Another witch."
"Focus on me," I said, stepping forward.
She charged—full commitment now. Our blades clashed again and again, shockwaves rippling outward. She was fast. Strong. Skilled.
But she was reacting.
I wasn't.
I slipped past her guard, struck her wrist, shattered one blade, spun, and drove my elbow into her jaw. She tried to counter—too slow. My knee folded her midsection, and my soul-flux blade dissolved as I grabbed her by the throat.
"Strong," I admitted, lifting her off the ground. "Skilled. Dangerous."
My eyes hardened.
"Still not enough."
I slammed her into the ground with enough force to crater it, followed by a downward soul-flux strike that pinned her there, energy locking her limbs in place. The ground cracked outward like shattered glass.
She screamed once—then went still.
I straightened, exhaling slowly.
***
[3rd Pov]
Cull Obsidian laughed as he rose from the crater.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't theatrical. It was deep, rumbling—like stone grinding against stone. Nozomi landed lightly several meters away, already moving, already attacking.
She struck first.
A flash of soul-flux erupted around her leg as she spun, her kick detonating against Cull's chest with enough force to flatten an outrider wave behind him. The ground cracked. Dust exploded outward.
Cull didn't move.
His boots dug in half a meter, earth screaming under the pressure—but he stayed upright.
Nozomi's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah," she muttered. "You're not normal."
Cull answered by swinging his free arm.
The blow missed her by centimeters—barely—but the shockwave alone sent her skidding backward, carving trenches into the soil. She flipped, landed, and immediately dashed back in, soul-flux flaring brighter.
She didn't give him space.
Punch. Kick. Elbow. Aerial strike.
Her blows came in relentless succession, each one enhanced, precise, explosive. Cull staggered under the assault, forced back step by step, his armor cracking, chunks of black metal flying off his body.
But he kept coming.
He grabbed her mid-combo.
Fingers like hydraulic presses closed around her arm and slammed her into the ground hard enough to leave a crater. Nozomi coughed, rolled, barely avoiding his foot as it came down where her head had been.
She leapt back, chest heaving.
Damn it…
Her soul-flux flickered—just slightly.
Cull let out a roar.
He charged.
No finesse. No technique. Just raw, overwhelming force. Each step shook the battlefield. Nozomi dodged, redirected, struck weak points—joints, neck, exposed fractures—but it was like fighting a mountain that refused to fall.
Another punch clipped her side.
Pain flared. She was sent flying, crashing through a tree before skidding to a stop.
She pushed herself up, breathing harder now.
Her reserves were running low.
She'd burned too much on the outriders.
Cull raised his hammer, energy crackling along its chain.
Nozomi clenched her fists, soul-flux surging dangerously. "Fine," she growled. "Let's end this."
The sky split.
Blue-white lightning tore open reality itself as the Bifrost slammed into the battlefield like a divine spear. The impact obliterated everything within its radius—outriders vaporized, earth scorched, air screaming.
Three figures stepped out of the storm.
A raccoon with a gun.
A walking tree.
And a god.
Thor lifted Stormbreaker—and the battlefield answered.
He charged with a shout. "Bring me Thanos!"
Lightning cascaded from the sky as he charged, carving a path through the outriders like a living natural disaster. Each swing erased dozens. Each step thundered.
Cull turned—too late.
Stormbreaker slammed into his side, sending him crashing across the field. He rolled, roared, and stood again—bloodied, furious, unbroken.
Thor grinned. "Ah. A challenge."
Nozomi appeared beside him in a blur.
"Tag team?" she asked, eyes burning.
Thor looked at her and then laughed. "Gladly!"
They moved together.
Thor struck high, forcing Cull to block. Nozomi slipped underneath, driving a soul-flux-charged punch into Cull's knee. Bone cracked. Cull roared and swung wildly.
Stormbreaker came down like judgment.
Nozomi leapt, channeling the last of her soul-flux into a single, focused strike. Thor hurled Stormbreaker forward at the same instant.
Lightning and soul-flux collided.
Cull Obsidian didn't scream.
He exploded.
The shockwave flattened everything nearby. When the dust settled, nothing remained of him but a scorched crater and fragments of shattered armor.
Nozomi dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
Thor turned to her, nodding with respect. "You fought well."
She smirked weakly. "Yeah… next time I'll save my energy."
***
Vormir was silent again.
The red sky hung low, unmoving, as Thanos stepped away from the cliff. The Soul Stone glowed faintly in his gauntlet, its orange light pulsing like a second heartbeat. For the first time since arriving on the planet, his expression wasn't triumphant.
It was… heavy.
He took one step—
And the ground shifted.
Purple energy snapped around his legs as metal slammed shut, magnetic clamps locking him in place. Blasters fired from three directions at once, forcing him to raise the gauntlet defensively.
"NOW!" Quill shouted.
Mantis dropped onto Thanos' back, wrapping her arms around his head. Her antennae glowed softly as she pressed her forehead against his skull.
"I—I can feel him," she gasped. "He's… grieving."
Thanos' body slackened.
His knees buckled.
The Mad Titan dropped to one knee.
"Whoa," Peter Parker wasn't there to say it—so Rocket's voice echoed in Quill's memory instead—but Quill barely noticed. He rushed forward, hands grabbing at the Infinity Gauntlet.
"Nebula! Drax! Help me pull!"
Drax slammed his weight into Thanos' arm, muscles straining. Nebula locked her mechanical fingers around the gauntlet, servos whining as she pulled with everything she had.
Thanos groaned—not in pain, but in resistance.
Inside his mind, he was standing on the cliff again.
Gamora's scream echoed endlessly.
"Stay with me!" Mantis cried. "He's almost asleep—he's fighting it—"
The gauntlet shifted.
Just an inch.
Quill's breath hitched. "We got him. We actually got him."
Then—
"What… did you do with her?"
Quill froze.
Mantis' eyes snapped open. "Don't—don't think—!"
Thanos' voice was calm. Too calm.
"I had to," Thanos murmured, still trapped in her hold. "It was the only way."
Quill's hands trembled.
"You killed her?"
Silence.
Then Thanos nodded.
Something inside Quill shattered.
"You—" His blasters came up. "YOU SON OF A—"
The first shot hit Thanos square in the face.
Mantis screamed as the psychic connection snapped.
Thanos' eyes flew open.
And the universe ended.
He surged to his feet, power erupting outward in a shockwave that sent everyone flying. Drax was hurled into a rock wall hard enough to crater it. Nebula crashed across the stone ground, systems flickering.
Quill barely rolled in time as Thanos' fist slammed down where his head had been.
"You let your emotions cost you the universe," Thanos said coldly.
He raised the Reality Stone.
Drax and Mantis suddenly froze—unraveling, their bodies twisting into stone and ribbons, their forms folding into impossible shapes. Mantis' scream cut off mid-note.
Nebula lunged, blade flashing.
Thanos didn't look at her.
The Mind Stone flared.
Her body locked mid-air, eyes wide as invisible force crushed her to the ground.
Quill fired wildly, flying backward, trying to gain distance.
Thanos closed the gap instantly—space folding around him as he used the Space Stone, appearing directly in front of Quill. He grabbed Peter by the throat and slammed him into the ground.
"You loved her," Thanos said quietly. "So did I."
The Power Stone ignited.
One punch.
Quill flew, skidding across Vormir's dead soil until he stopped moving.
Only Thanos stood.
He waved his hand, releasing the Reality Stone's effect. Drax and Mantis collapsed to the ground, gasping, alive—but broken.
Thanos looked down at them, eyes hard.
"I hope they remember you."
He clenched his fist.
Space twisted.
A blue portal tore open behind him, revealing Wakanda—fire, lightning, war.
Thanos stepped through without another word.
Vormir fell silent once more.
***
[Hiro Pov]
I walked over to where Nozomi was lying, Groot protecting her from the incoming outriders. I summoned light spears and killed all the outriders in the area, which were few compared to the wave that had entered. Having Wanda and Thor on the same team was a cheat. They were wiping out dozens of outriders in one motion.
When I reached in front of her, she looked at me with a pout. "Don't say anything."
"You should have conserved your energy, you fool," I ignored her and scolded her. I had saved most of my soul-flux, but with our connection, it was being taken away to replenish hers, albeit slowly.
"I said I don't want to hear anything," She protested as her ears slumped on her hair.
"I am Groot," Groot said.
"I am Hiro," I replied before lifting her and putting her on my back. "Thanks for covering for my dumb sister, Groot."
"Oi."
"I am Groot."
"I'll be going now," I then turned back to Nozomi. "Hold on tight."
"A piggyback from my brother. It has been ages since we did that," Nozomi said with a smile, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly. I just smiled and tilted forward, but just as I was about to sprint. A dark, ominous aura hit me. Nozomi must have sensed it too, as I felt her body tense.
"What foul aura," Nozomi commented, her earlier playfulness having disappeared. "Hiro, you have to make it to the palace before him."
I clicked my tongue in annoyance as I prepared to use a lot of soul-flux.
'This is going to be a tough battle.'
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Here is today's chapter, and I am sorry for not uploading yesterday. These festival days have been hard on me. Sorry for not updating.
So all of Thanos' black order are dead, but at the cost of their soul-flux. As it was mentioned in the earlier chapters, they are connected by soul, and soul-flux comes from the soul. So one of them cannot run out of soul-flux while the other has it. Like how Nozomi's body is now trying to sustain her using Hiro's soul-flux.
Now Hiro has to fight while his soul-flux is being slowly drained by Nozomi until she stable. And as you have seen, Thanos is much stronger than in the movies. He also has more knowledge.
The next chapter will be a fight with Thanos, where something will be revealed.
Anyway, good day!
Leave a review to help me write my book better, and don't forget to drop the power stones.
Peace out.