"A conflict of ideologies is meaningless."
Thanos's voice was like the foghorn of a ten-thousand-ton ship, dull and majestic.
"In the end, only power can determine the course of the Universe."
He spoke no more.
As he clenched his left hand, the purple Power Stone blazed with light.
Terrifying energy converged into a compressing singularity, emitting ripples powerful enough to tear apart a Planet.
"Then I shall show you what true power really is."
Lin Huai let out a soft chuckle.
On his left gauntlet, four stones lit up simultaneously.
The green Time Stone reflected countless afterimages of the future in his eyes.
Every tightening of Thanos's muscles, every mobilization of energy, turned into a clear trajectory, etched into his mind.
When that purple Destruction Singularity whistled toward him with the force to tear through space, Lin Huai's figure had already vanished from the spot.
He appeared to Thanos's right, the red light of the Reality Stone coiling around his fingertips as he gave a gentle flick.
The solid ground beneath Thanos's feet instantly transformed into a bubbling tar swamp.
His massive body sank uncontrollably.
At the same time, an invisible Soul Shock pierced fiercely into Thanos's indestructible consciousness.
Thanos's offensive came to an abrupt halt, as Gamora's disappointed eyes appeared before him.
This was a duel between two paths, and even more so, a hunt of four stones against two!
"Roar!"
Thanos let out a roar, forcibly breaking free from the soul's shackles with his iron will.
Exerting force with his feet, his violent power sent the entire swamp, along with the underground piping layers, flying!
He completely abandoned technique, like an infuriated Beast, pushing the energy of the Power Stone to its absolute limit.
Purple flames of light soared into the sky, forming waves of destructive Impact that swept in all directions indiscriminately.
He intended to use the purest power to level everything in this area, including that annoying opponent.
However, in the face of the Time Stone's foresight and the Space Stone's jumping, this indiscriminate bombardment was meaningless.
Lin Huai's figure moved through the waves of destruction, elusive and unpredictable.
Every flash was accompanied by a bizarre attack from the Reality Stone.
Sometimes it was acid rain falling from the sky, corroding Thanos's armor; sometimes it was spatial rifts appearing out of thin air, slicing through his tough skin.
Thanos's attacks couldn't even touch the corner of Lin Huai's clothes.
Though Lin Huai's harassment wasn't fatal, it made the mad Titan increasingly frustrated.
His dignity was being trampled upon like never before.
"It's over."
Through repeated cycles of reading, Lin Huai finally captured the one and only future that could end this battle.
He stopped his playful dodging and actively met Thanos's right fist, which was infused with the divine power of the Power Stone.
At the very moment that fist, capable of shattering stars, was about to touch him.
The Space Stone on Lin Huai's left index finger burst forth with an unprecedented deep blue light.
"Now!"
Thanos's right fist, along with his entire arm, eerily vanished into a blue Portal that appeared out of thin air.
Immediately after, another Portal opened beside his own left arm.
That fist, burning with purple destructive power, whistled out from it and slammed squarely into his own left shoulder!
Boom—!!!
This was Thanos's own full-strength strike.
This was the Power Stone's unreserved outpouring of rage.
A terrifying force capable of tearing through Uru metal instantly acted upon his own body.
Thanos's indestructible left arm, along with half of his body, was blasted into a mist of blood amidst a shrill scream!
The intense pain and the backlash of power left him unable to move; this momentary opening was fatal.
Lin Huai did not waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Thanos, do you know? I've personally witnessed the fall of gods!"
He raised his left hand high, and an ancient, grand power surged from him.
This power did not belong to this Universe.
It was the authority belonging to a Sequence 3 Scholar of Yore!
In Thanos's vision, distorted by agony, he saw an incomprehensible scene.
Upon a boundless wheat field stood a Goddess radiating maternal brilliance.
She brandished the scepter in her hand and struck the strong Warrior before her, who fell wounded to the ground.
Before the Warrior, a Lady in a Black Classical Long Dress swung the scythe in her hand, severing the Warrior's life.
That scythe continued its swing, crossing the boundaries of time and space.
Finally, the blade sank into his own right arm.
Rip!
Under Thanos's horrified gaze, his remaining right arm was severed at the shoulder.
The arm slid down silently.
Thus, the mad Titan had both his arms completely severed!
...
Meanwhile, on the ground battlefield.
With the arrival of the Wakanda elite forces, the scales of victory had already tipped.
The Black Order was surrounded by the Avengers and the Dora Milaje, falling into their final frenzy.
Black Dwarf, covered in blood, let out an unwilling roar and hurled the shattered giant hammer in his hand toward Rocket Raccoon and Star-Lord.
"I am Groot!"
At this critical moment, a tall treant let out his final cry.
Groot's body erupted with emerald light as countless vines grew frantically.
The vines wove into a massive, heavy wooden shield, firmly protecting his friends behind him.
The giant hammer and the wooden shield collided with a crash.
After a deafening explosion, Black Dwarf's body collapsed limply.
And that massive wooden shield shattered inch by inch, turning into wood chips that danced in the air.
"Groot..."
Rocket Raccoon rushed toward the ruins, digging frantically.
In the end, he only found a solitary small twig that still held a hint of green.
...
At the center of the ruins.
Lin Huai walked slowly toward Thanos, who lay in a pool of blood, having completely lost both arms.
He prepared to seize the final two Infinity Stones and completely end the life of this Lunatic.
However, just then.
The entire World suddenly fell into absolute stillness.
The whistling wind froze, the burning Fire stopped flickering, and the cries from afar came to a sudden halt.
Time seemed to be completely stripped away at this moment.
An entity clad in a black cloak appeared silently on the battlefield.
His face was shrouded in Shadow.
He emitted no aura, but His very presence made the rules of the entire Universe tremble.
He did not look at the heroes, who were as still as statues.
He took a deep look at Lin Huai, who wore the Infinity Gauntlet.
Then, this entity slowly turned and walked toward the dying Thanos.
He reached out a skeletal finger and lightly touched Thanos's forehead.
There was no light, nor any sound.
The massive body of the mad Titan Thanos, along with that mysterious entity.
Together they turned into the finest black dust, dissipating silently into the frozen air.
It was as if they had never existed.
A moment later, the World's paused state was lifted.
The wind continued to howl, the Fire continued to burn, and the cries rang out once more.
Everything returned to normal.
On the battlefield, only those two arms remained, severed at the shoulder and still tightly clenched.
And the two Infinity Stones, still firmly embedded in the palms of those arms.
"Primordial Death? You took Thanos away; are you trying to tell me he'll return?"
Lin Huai shook his head and pried the two Infinity Stones from the palms.