"Target spotted." Thanos was the first to notice Garus. He could sense the aura emanating from him, a power akin to that of the Goddess of Death—a fact that filled him with envy.
"Surround those two ships."
Under his command, the fleet moved swiftly, enclosing their prey with no room for escape.
"That accursed human!" Mephisto gritted his teeth. He recalled past encounters where Garus had humiliated him twice. However, with both Thanos and Dormammu present, neither showed any inclination to mock him now.
Dormammu observed Garus with great interest. He himself had once been human, and for the first time, he felt a desire to take a subordinate under his wing—not just a tool to be discarded after use.
Both Mephisto and Dormammu shrank their forms and floated alongside Thanos, drawing near Garus's ship.
"Hey, don't do anything rash!" Behind them, Star-Lord struggled to restrain Drax, who had become frenzied at the sight of Thanos. But his strength alone wasn't enough. "Help me hold him down!"
They were in deep space, where even with spacesuits, free movement was nearly impossible.
Thanos and his allies paid no attention to the Milano; their focus was solely on Garus, who now stood atop his ship.
"Human, you have the Infinity Stones," Thanos noted, his gaze locking onto Frostmourne in Garus's grip. Several Infinity Stones were embedded in the blade. Thanos extended his hand. "Hand it over."
"Surrendering Frostmourne is not an option," Garus replied coolly. "I must say, you all have quite the high regard for me—an Eternal, the Lord of Hell, and the Ruler of the Dark Dimension, all ganging up on me."
Two Elder Gods and a near-Elder God. Garus knew he was outmatched.
With a single motion, he grabbed Howard the Duck, encased in his bulky spacesuit, and sent him into the nascent world forming within Frostmourne. It was still incomplete, its laws imperfect, but it could certainly accommodate a single duck.
Then, with a swing of his sword, he opened a Death Gate. "If you want the Infinity Stones, follow me."
He couldn't afford to battle here. The very presence of their conflict could spell disaster for Earth. The Moon had already suffered catastrophic damage, triggering tsunamis that ravaged coastlines and left countless dead or displaced.
"Lord Thanos, should we follow?"
Thanos clenched his Infinity Gauntlet—still devoid of stones. "Yes. I can sense all six stones on him. As long as we seize his weapon, this mission will be a success."
He had originally assumed Garus held only five stones, yet even the elusive Soul Stone was in his possession.
Each of the three great entities had their own agendas, but for now, Dormammu and Mephisto chose to go along with Thanos. Mephisto, an opportunistic demon, and Dormammu, a former human sorcerer, were both willing to make temporary sacrifices for their ultimate goals.
Thanos turned to the remaining Black Order members. "The defensive systems here are nearly depleted. Continue attacking Earth. Secure the Time Stone for me."
"As you command, Lord Thanos."
Mephisto and Dormammu tore open a rift in space. They had already marked Garus with a psychic imprint, allowing them to track him effortlessly through the void, arriving at Titan.
Meanwhile, aboard the Milano, Star-Lord cursed as he executed evasive maneuvers, dodging the onslaught from Thanos's fleet.
"I'm going after Thanos! Keep up!" Drax growled, unable to contain his rage as the warship carrying Thanos receded into the distance.
"And what then? You think you can take him down? Damn it, we have nowhere to run!" After a prolonged chase, they found themselves cornered. Their enemies were simply too numerous.
Behind them loomed Earth. They had witnessed countless ships and demons crashing against an impenetrable barrier, convinced that it would reject all intruders.
Just as despair set in, the barrier shimmered and vanished before their eyes.
Without a second thought, Star-Lord and Rocket piloted the Milano straight toward Earth.
On the surface, people looked up as the sky opened. Swarms of demons and massive warships broke through the atmosphere.
The President of the United States bellowed, "Dr. Wim, what the hell is happening? The barrier is gone!"
Dr. Wim, monitoring from the last remaining satellite, relayed his findings. "I have good news and bad news."
Pietro snapped, "Spit it out, Wim!"
"Good news: Garus has returned and lured away our primary threats. Bad news: The barrier has collapsed due to energy depletion."
"No more talking. Prepare the defenses!"
War was inevitable. Tony Stark activated his Iron Man armor, flying out to meet the invaders. His child with Pepper was about to be born. He wanted to secure a safe world for them—but these aliens had other plans.
The flying heroes surged ahead, with Thor leading the charge. Mjolnir crackled with divine lightning, reducing scores of demons to ashes and sending enemy warships crashing in fiery explosions.
A golden portal flickered open among the Avengers.
A bald figure in flowing white robes emerged. Steve Rogers turned to Doctor Strange and Mordo. "Who is this?"
"Our mentor," Strange answered. "The Ancient One."
"We've long prepared for Dormammu's invasion," the Ancient One said. "But thanks to Thanos, he has arrived directly. I will face him myself."
She had no illusions of victory. Facing both Dormammu and Mephisto, she was ready to sacrifice herself.
On the ruined surface of Titan, Thanos struck first the moment they landed.
A blast of purple cosmic energy erupted from his palms, carving a massive crater in the ground.
Thanos was not as fast as Pietro, but he still moved beyond supersonic speeds.
A sudden gust signaled his approach. Garus barely had time to react before a massive fist bore down upon him. He raised his own in defiance.
Boom! The ground cracked beneath their feet, shockwaves clearing the surrounding debris.
Garus held back from using the Infinity Stones. Two other titanic foes were watching, waiting for their chance.
Watching them exchange blows, Dormammu scoffed. "Thanos, you're too weak. Step aside."
His form expanded, and without hesitation, he unleashed a torrent of violet energy directly at the dueling figures.
Thanos barely dodged, but Garus was engulfed.
"Impressive."
Within the energy storm, Garus's armor disintegrated, followed by the magical runes etched into his flesh. His muscles withered away, leaving only a skeletal frame.
Dormammu smirked. He knew this attack hadn't truly harmed Garus. The soul within those bones burned with growing intensity.
And on that sword—Dormammu sensed a power alien to this universe.
He had to claim it.
To reshape infinite worlds.
To reign supreme.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON