The instant the terrifying wave of energy erupted, Wanda poured every ounce of her power into a protective barrier.
Even though they had already retreated a considerable distance, she knew that without her shield, very few of them would survive.
The overwhelming force slammed into the barrier.
It nearly shattered in an instant.
Fortunately, Wanda immediately poured more of her energy into it, barely managing to keep the shield intact.
Finally...
The smoke cleared.
The raging energy dissipated.
Light gradually returned to everyone's eyes.
With hope burning in their hearts, they looked toward where Thanos had been standing.
They desperately wished to see him erased by the massive explosion.
Instead, what they saw caused every face to darken.
A lone figure still stood at the center of the blast.
Steady.
Unmoving.
As if the explosion had never happened.
"Damn it!"
Tony Stark cursed under his breath.
That explosion had possessed destructive power comparable to, perhaps even greater than, a nuclear weapon.
Yet it had done almost nothing to Thanos.
Just how powerful was that monster?
"Everyone, we're pulling back."
Tony made the decision without hesitation.
If victory were still possible, he would gladly stay and fight to stop Thanos here once and for all.
But reality had proven otherwise.
Continuing this battle would accomplish nothing except getting everyone killed.
Retreating was the smarter choice.
Earth still had Nolan.
It still had Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme who possessed the Time Stone and the ability to glimpse possible futures.
They had not reached the end.
Now was not the time for a hopeless last stand.
Although no one wanted to retreat...
They all understood.
Defeating Thanos now was impossible.
Only by regrouping could they hope for another chance.
Without another word, everyone began falling back.
...
Thanos remained standing within the heart of the explosion.
The violent energy had washed over his body.
Even for him, the impact had not been pleasant.
Proxima Midnight had fled far enough away to avoid the center of the blast, yet the energy released by three Infinity Stones was simply too overwhelming.
She had still suffered serious injuries.
Neither of them had the strength to pursue the escaping heroes.
They could only watch as Tony Stark and the others boarded their ship and fled.
The spacecraft disappeared into the stars.
Thanos watched it leave without blinking.
At first...
He had not intended to kill them all.
But now...
His expression grew colder.
"Find them."
"And kill them."
His voice was calm.
Yet it carried unmistakable killing intent.
Originally, he had promised Gamora he would spare them if they stayed out of his way.
But now...
They had actually wounded him.
Mercy?
If he still showed mercy after this...
He would not be Thanos.
Proxima Midnight immediately nodded despite the pain wracking her body.
Ignoring her injuries, she hurried back toward the flagship to issue the order.
She knew her master's mood was worse than ever.
This was not the time for hesitation.
...
Meanwhile, Tony Stark's ship had already entered deep space.
Peter Quill lay sprawled across the floor.
He had no desire to stand.
It was as if his soul had been torn away.
Rocket Raccoon kicked him.
"Hey."
"If you keep lying there, I swear I'll blow your brains out."
Quill didn't even react.
Rocket immediately raised his oversized blaster and aimed it directly at Quill's head.
"You think I'm joking?"
"Get up."
"Or I'm pulling the trigger."
Even Rocket's anger failed to move him.
Mantis quietly walked over.
She gently placed a hand on Quill's head.
"He's grieving."
"We should give him some time."
"Gamora is gone."
"That hurts all of us."
Her own voice trembled with sadness.
The entire Guardians of the Galaxy fell silent.
They had spent countless adventures together.
Perhaps none of them had been as close as Peter and Gamora...
But they were family.
Her death hurt every one of them.
Rocket muttered under his breath before finally speaking aloud.
"Well..."
"Thanos has the Soul Stone now."
"He already had the Power Stone."
"And the Space Stone."
"Now all he has to do is head to Earth and collect the last three."
"Then..."
"One snap."
"And half of us disappear."
He paused before continuing.
"So here's my suggestion."
"Forget fighting him."
"Let's spend every last credit we've got."
"Live however we've always wanted."
"Because pretty soon money won't matter anymore."
"It'll just become worthless paper."
No one agreed with him.
Drax strode over, grabbed Rocket by the scruff of the neck, and lifted him into the air.
"Damn you!"
"I'll kill Thanos!"
"I swear I will!"
He roared with all his strength.
But even that roar sounded powerless.
Rocket merely shrugged.
He honestly couldn't imagine any way to defeat Thanos anymore.
If they were all doomed anyway...
Why not enjoy the time they had left?
Unfortunately...
The beautiful planet they had visited earlier had already been devastated by war.
Otherwise, it might have been a nice place to spend their remaining days.
Now...
All they could do was wait for Thanos to collect the remaining Infinity Stones...
Snap his fingers...
And pray fate chose someone else.
Despair had settled over the Guardians.
Tony Stark and the others quietly watched them.
Just then...
Thor walked out from the ship's galley carrying a plate of fruit.
Seeing everyone's gloomy expressions, he laughed.
"What's with those faces?"
"You all look like you've already lost."
Rocket sighed.
"Didn't we?"
"We attacked together."
"We couldn't even scratch Thanos."
"In fact, we nearly killed ourselves."
"Gamora's dead."
"Thanos is one step away from achieving his goal."
"So tell me..."
"Where exactly is our miracle?"
Thor burst into laughter.
"Lost?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
"The battle has only just begun."
He casually tossed a cherry into his mouth.
"Hmm."
"That's sweet."
"Asgard doesn't have fruit like this."
"Maybe I should bring some back and grow them there."
Only after finishing his snack did he continue.
"Stop acting like it's over."
"Yes."
"Thanos has three Infinity Stones."
"But that doesn't mean he's won."
"Our final battlefield was never out here."
Tony Stark stepped forward.
"Thor's right."
"We lost badly today."
"But we still have our greatest trump card."
"So what if it's Thanos?"
Rocket narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"I understand trying to stay optimistic."
"But lying to your teammates isn't exactly a good quality."
Tony chuckled.
"Lying?"
"No."
"Not at all."
"We're from Earth."
"But we're far from Earth's strongest heroes."
"There are people stronger than I am."
"And now..."
"We're going home."
"We're gathering every superhero Earth has."
"And there..."
"We'll fight the final battle against Thanos."
The final battle.
Those words made Peter Quill slowly raise his head.
"So..."
"We still have a chance?"
Tony smiled.
"See what I'm holding?"
Rocket looked over.
"A stupid cup?"
"What?"
"Does it secretly transform into a weapon or something?"
He jumped up, trying to snatch it away.
Tony slapped his paw aside.
"No."
"The cup itself isn't important."
"You should pay attention to something else."
Rocket looked again.
"...The Lock Technology logo?"
"So?"
"That's normal."
"Lock Technology products are sold all across the universe."
Then he muttered,
"Though..."
"This is the first time I've seen them making household items."
Halfway through speaking...
Rocket suddenly froze.
His eyes widened as he stared at Tony.
Tony nodded.
"That's right."
"It's Lock Technology."
"And this particular cup..."
"Exists in only one place."
"Earth."
Tony sighed inwardly.
No one understood Thanos' strength better than he did.
Even Nolan himself had admitted he wasn't certain he could defeat Thanos.
But Tony had no choice.
Right now...
He needed to use Nolan's name.
Otherwise, these people would completely lose the will to fight.
Peter Quill shot to his feet.
"Nolan Lock..."
"He's from Earth?"
His voice was filled with shock...
And hope.
Of course he knew Nolan.
They had even worked together before.
No one understood Nolan's capabilities better than he did.
Nor the unimaginable industrial power of Lock Technology.
If anyone in the universe still had a chance to defeat Thanos...
Nolan was certainly one of them.
Yes...
Nolan had lost to Thanos once.
But that battle had also proven something else.
He possessed the power to stand against the Mad Titan.
And if Nolan fought alongside all of them...
Perhaps...
The outcome could still be changed.
Peter wasn't the only one thinking that.
Everyone else reached the same conclusion.
"Damn..."
Rocket muttered.
"Now I really want to visit Peter's home planet."
"I'd like to see what kind of air produces someone like Nolan."
As an obsessive firearms enthusiast...
Rocket practically worshipped every weapon manufactured by Lock Technology.
For the first time since the battle...
His fear of Thanos faded.
Peter clenched his fists.
"Thanos..."
"I will kill you."
Everyone's spirits gradually returned.
They still had one final card to play.
"I can't wait anymore."
"If there's nothing else to do..."
"Let's head for Earth."
"Agreed."
"We need to prepare for the final battle."
Just then...
A communication request appeared.
The caller was Yondu.
The moment he saw everyone's exhausted expressions, he already knew the answer.
They had lost.
Still, he didn't mention it.
Instead, he grinned.
"Hey, boys."
"The Ravagers are ready for Round Two."
"What about you?"
The reason he hadn't joined the battle earlier...
Was because he had returned to rally the Ravagers.
Now that he knew Thanos' true goal...
There was no way he could stand aside.
This was no longer just their problem.
Nor was it merely the Ravagers' problem.
The entire universe faced the same threat.
So he intended to drag the whole universe into the fight.
Most people might not believe them.
But some would.
That was enough.
He had already gathered those willing to fight.
Unfortunately...
He had arrived too late.
Peter Quill answered in a heavy voice.
"Gamora is dead."
"Thanos has the Soul Stone."
"He now possesses three Infinity Stones."
"His next destination..."
"Is Earth."
"He'll come for the remaining three."
He paused before continuing.
"We're ready to fight."
"But not here."
"And not now."
Tony Stark took over.
"The final battlefield..."
"Will be Earth."
"And there..."
"We'll defeat Thanos."
"We'll make sure his plan never succeeds."
"Earth..."
Yondu nodded thoughtfully.
He didn't fully understand the plan.
But he trusted their judgment.
Besides...
He wanted to see Peter Quill's home with his own eyes.
If he died there...
Then perhaps...
For a Ravager with no true home...
Falling on Earth, Peter's homeworld...
Wouldn't be such a bad ending.
The time had come.
The final battlefield awaited them.
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