The shadow of Sanctuary II choked the crimson sky of Vormir.
A majestic sense of oppression made the entire Planet tremble.
Atop the mountain peak altar, the atmosphere of the final battle was tense and volatile.
Before Thanos descended, Lin Huai made a subtle movement.
He waved his hand seemingly casually toward the nervous Peter Quill and the others beside him.
"Alright, irrelevant Spectators, it's time to exit."
The red light of the Reality Stone flashed at an imperceptible frequency.
The figures of Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Drax immediately became transparent like air.
Not long after, four figures radiating a terrifying aura descended with a crash.
The purple giant, Thanos, stood like a mountain, his face expressionless.
He was merely scrutinizing a group of insects destined for extinction.
Behind him stood the tall and slender Supergiant.
There was also the haughty Ebony Maw, and the massive Black Dwarf with a giant axe on his shoulder.
The Great War was on the verge of breaking out!
Lin Huai was the first to strike.
He raised his left hand, and the Time Stone erupted with an emerald light.
The light swallowed both him and Thanos simultaneously.
"Let's talk somewhere else."
As the light dissipated, the two had already disappeared from the bridge.
They were forcibly dragged into a rift composed of countless time fragments.
At the same time the two disappeared, Thanos's command echoed in the minds of the three Obsidian Generals.
"Kill them all, then wait for me at the altar with Gamora."
"As you command, Master."
Ebony Maw bowed in salutation.
Then, the three generals of the Black Order turned into streaks of light and descended from the sky, charging straight for the altar.
"Everyone, attack!"
Steve let out a roar, and the Avengers, who had long been ready, surged forward to meet them.
Two battlefields ignited simultaneously!
...
"Hulk!! Smash!!"
Dr. Banner roared as he transformed.
He was still wearing the claws of rage forged by Tony, looking like a green meteorite.
He was the first to collide with the massive Black Dwarf.
"Boom!"
The giant claws collided with the battle-axe, erupting in a massive boom.
The resulting airwave scraped a layer off the altar's floor.
Black Dwarf was shaken by the immense force, staggering back repeatedly.
Meanwhile, Hulk fought with increasing ferocity, his claws swinging with sonic booms; the clash of power made the earth tremble.
At the same time, Tony's iron man armor jetted blue light as it took to the sky.
Hundreds of micro-missiles, like a swarm of bees, blanketed the area toward the levitating Supergiant.
But Supergiant merely raised a finger contemptuously, blocking all attacks with an invisible barrier.
Next, her eyes lit up with an eerie blue light.
"Your thoughts shall become your cage."
Alarms blared loudly inside Tony's armor.
The World before his eyes distorted instantly, as if he had returned to the skies over New York.
Facing the endless Chitauri army alone, coldness and despair submerged him.
The armor lost control, firing wildly before finally plunging toward the ground trailing black smoke.
Below, Ebony Maw elegantly waved his fingers, engaging Steve and Loki.
He was like an orchestral conductor; the surrounding rubble and scrap metal became lethal weapons.
Countless spikes shot toward the two from all directions, forcing Steve to swing his shield and struggle to hold his ground.
Loki's illusions were also easily seen through before Ebony Maw's powerful mental strength.
On the other side,
"Is this your trump card?"
Thanos looked around at the rapidly flowing time fragments, somewhat surprised.
"A decent little trick."
"It's enough to deal with you."
Lin Huai wasted no more words.
The powers of the Reality and Space Stones intertwined, and the space around him began to warp.
Countless energy spears condensed out of thin air, raining down on Thanos like a storm.
"Toying with energy in front of me?"
Thanos disdainfully raised his right hand, the Power Stone flashing purple as he threw a punch.
The purple destruction energy formed a violent Impact.
It effortlessly erased all the energy spears and time fragments.
Everything was reduced back to the most primitive void.
"Your will is full of holes!"
Thanos immediately activated the power of the Mind Stone.
An invisible wave of will surged toward Lin Huai like a tsunami, attempting to destroy his mind.
Amidst this Impact was mixed an ancient will from the depths of the Universe.
It was the mad whispering belonging to the Celestial.
However, Lin Huai merely closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, countless historical fragments flashed before him.
Scholar of Yore!
"I see a very interesting piece of history..."
He chanted in a low voice.
Before him, a towering figure stepped slowly out of the river of history.
It was the one-eyed God King, wearing golden battle armor and holding the Eternal Spear.
Odin at his peak!
Immediately after, another mage dressed in yellow monk robes slowly condensed.
It was none other than the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One.
The two supreme powerhouses from historical projections struck simultaneously, attacking Thanos from left and right.
"This move again!"
Thanos was forced to divide his attention to deal with them, the power of the Mind Stone being tied down.
"And this segment!"
Lin Huai's gaze sharpened as he reached into the gaps of history once more.
This time, what he summoned was no longer a projection from this World!
Behind Odin and the Ancient One, a blurry figure flashed by.
He wore a crystal monocle and a classic black formal suit; He only appeared for that single instant.
That figure merely gave a mischievous smile in Thanos's direction.
Just this smile caused Thanos's attack to instantly fall into disorder.
He felt as if a part of his thinking had disappeared.
His control over his power experienced a brief stagnation.
This was... the historical projection of the Angel of Time, Amon!
Though it was just a smile, just an instant, for this battle, it was a fatal flaw!
"Now's the time!"
Lin Huai's true body had already appeared behind Thanos via Flame Leap.
Countless Spirit Threads shot out, ruthlessly entangling Thanos's soul.
Boom!
The attacks from Odin and the Ancient One also landed solidly on Thanos's body!
However, Thanos was Thanos after all!
He let out a heaven-shaking roar, and relying on his powerful physical body...
...he forced his way through the projection attacks of the two supreme beings.
He simultaneously broke free from the shackles of the Spirit Threads.
"You're looking for death!"
Thanos ignored the injuries on his chest, turned, and threw a punch.
That giant fist, capable of crushing Planets, slammed solidly into Lin Huai's chest.
"Crack!"
Lin Huai's body flew backward, his sternum shattered into pieces.
"How is it possible... your soul actually no longer belongs to you."
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his consciousness blurring for an instant.
"It's over."
No emotion could be heard in Thanos's voice.
"Sorry, but I'm invincible; do as you please."
Fallen among the time fragments, Lin Huai raised his left hand.
The Time Stone's green light surged.
Rings of green light spiraled back with him at the center.
The collapse of his chest restored at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his shattered bones mended.
In the blink of an eye, he stood up again, completely unharmed.
...
Rumble!
The time rift collapsed with a bang, and the figures of Lin Huai and Thanos reappeared on the mess of the altar.
Before the two could even steady themselves, they saw a scene that made them both freeze.
Steve and Loki were pinned to the ground by Ebony Maw's telekinesis, unable to move; Tony's armor lay nearby, trailing black smoke, he was already unconscious.
Only the furious Hulk, after paying a heavy price, had used the claws of rage to tear off one of Black Dwarf's arms.
Black Dwarf had completely lost his combat capability.
But Hulk himself was covered in wounds, suppressed by the combined efforts of the arriving Supergiant and Ebony Maw.
In the sky, a battered orange spaceship was desperately starting its engines.
It flew toward the depths of the Universe in a panic; it was the Guardians of the Galaxy's ship, the Milano.
"Hmm?"
Thanos noticed the ship too, but he didn't care.
However, something caused a crack to appear for the first time on that normally calm purple face.
His fist suddenly clenched tight, his expression turning from bewilderment to sky-high rage.
He whipped his head around, glaring death at Lin Huai.
That look seemed like he wanted to skin him alive and swallow him whole.
"Master! Gamora... Gamora is gone!"
"You—!"
Thanos let out an unwilling roar.
He realized he had fallen into the other's trap from the very beginning.
The person before him never intended to have a final showdown; he was just a decoy to buy time.
The real plan was to have another group steal Gamora while they were fighting!
Lin Huai looked at the enraged Thanos and gave a weary smile.
"I told you."
He slowly raised his hand and gave a light wave toward the ship receding into the sky.
"Gamora and the Soul Stone—I'm taking them both."
As soon as he finished speaking, several spatial portals appeared beneath Lin Huai and the Avengers, and they disappeared from the altar.