Strange: Something's Not Right!

"Fleet, open fire!"

At Thanos's command, Sanctuary II unleashed its full firepower, bombarding Lin Xu and Mephisto with energy blasts and heat bombs.

Mephisto paid the attacks no mind and remained seated elegantly on his throne. Although leaving the Hell Dimension had weakened him, these physical attacks still couldn't hurt him.

Lin Xu wasn't so fortunate. His body was tough enough to withstand a Barrett shot at best, but dodging would undermine his bearing as an expert.

So...

He opened a giant Mystic Portal above his head, sending every attack through it. And at the other end... was Thanos.

Lin Xu even thoughtfully made the portal at Thanos's end a little smaller, creating a concentrated physical bombardment with a little magical assistance~

Boom~ Crash~

The concentrated firepower blasted a huge crater where Thanos had been standing, but he still didn't make a sound.

When the dust settled, Thanos was kneeling on one knee in the crater. His breastplate had cracked, and he had a few cuts on his face—minor wounds that would heal if the ambulance arrived too late.

The Titans race truly had the strongest physiques of all the divine races!

"Boy, although you pose no threat to me, you lack respect for a god."

At that moment, Mephisto rose to his feet, dusted himself off, and slowly walked up to Thanos.

Mephisto was in a very bad mood.

He had deliberately given Lin Xu the Flame of Vengeance, and he had added something to it. Once the other half of the universe's living beings returned and Lin Xu activated the Flame of Vengeance, he would be transported to Lin Xu's side.

He had originally planned to capture Lin Xu and take him back to work for him, but he hadn't expected the boy to have pocketed the Time Stone.

If it were just the Eye of Agamotto, he naturally wouldn't have been afraid. After all, the boy couldn't bring out its full power. But with the Time Stone added to the mix, things were different.

He still remembered what had happened to that old fellow Dormammu over six years ago. More than fifteen million years of looping was frightening even to think about. He didn't dare bet on whether Lin Xu could pull off the same trick.

His scheme had backfired, and he had practically given away the Flame of Vengeance for nothing!

Now he could only vent his frustration on the youngster Thanos. After all, he was already here...

Thanos stood up and looked at the unscathed Mephisto, his expression grave. "Who are you?"

"I've always heard that Kronos has an unfilial grandson who likes killing people whenever he has nothing better to do. I actually used to be quite fond of you. You killed people, and I got their souls—a win-win. But of all the things you shouldn't have done, you used the Infinity Stones to kill!"

"Who are you?"

"The Hell Lord, Mephis... You fucking attacked me by surprise!"

Mephisto had played the gentleman for so long that he thought he really was one. He had even intended to give a gentlemanly bow while introducing himself, and Thanos seized the opportunity to attack!

"Shameless youngster!"

Mephisto's power had dropped considerably after leaving the Hell Dimension. Although he wasn't hurt, Thanos's blow still forced him back several steps.

He felt that he had lost face in front of Lin Xu.

He curled his right hand into a claw and reached behind himself. The gates of hell opened instantly, and a tremendous suction came from the other side, aimed solely at Thanos.

Powerful as Thanos was, he couldn't resist the power of an entire dimension. In the blink of an eye, he was sucked through the gates.

Mephisto planned to take his time dealing with him back home.

"Boy, what I said just now still stands. If things ever get unpleasant working under them, you can come find me."

With that, Mephisto turned and entered the gates of hell.

But the moment the gates closed, a roar of fury came from the other side!

"Kamar-Taj, I swear I will never coexist with you!!!"

Lin Xu: Huh, what the fuck? What the hell happened?

Ten minutes earlier, on Titan

Strange flexed his hand and smiled at the sight of Spider-Man, Star-Lord, and the others returning.

Everything was under control!

It was just a pity about that Super Agent he had never met.

They were a long way from Earth, and a portal over such a distance required an enormous amount of energy. He was still a little short of what he needed, so he could only borrow power from another dimension for the time being.

Dormammu was out of the question; he was probably still holding a grudge. Cyttorak was too sinister, so Mephisto it was. He was the closest to reality.

With that thought, Strange hesitated no longer. He immediately chanted a spell and cast his Mystic Arts.

At once, an endless stream of hell's power flowed into his Sub-Dimension.

"Huh? Why isn't Mephisto stopping me? Could he be away from home? What a chance!!!"

Five minutes later, Spider-Man finally grew impatient and asked, "Doctor, didn't you say we were going to help Tony? Why haven't we left yet?"

"Wait a little longer!"

Strange didn't stop. He continued drawing power from the Hell Dimension, and even wondered whether Stark might not have to die if he drew enough.

Another five minutes passed, and he couldn't draw any more!

"Why did he go back so soon?"

"Doctor, what did you say?"

"Ahem, it's nothing. Let's go help Tony!"

Next, Strange performed a mystic art unique to the Sorcerer Supreme: Dimensional Transmission.

"Wong, assemble everyone in Wakanda, Kamar-Taj, and New Asgard at once. The Endgame is coming!"

Wong's voice came from the Sling Ring. "But..."

"No buts. The survival of Earth and the universe depends on this battle. Wong, you're the Sorcerer Supreme. You should understand how serious this is!"

"Strange, listen to me..."

"Say no more. We're running out of time, hurry!" Strange cut him off directly. They had already delayed a little, and if they wasted more time talking, what if something went wrong?

Wong, far away in Kamar-Taj: I'm the Sorcerer Supreme!!

Sensing the abundant power in his Sub-Dimension, Strange became somewhat lost in thought. This wasn't one of those fourteen million futures. Perhaps this time, Stark really didn't have to die.

As he chanted the spell, a Mystic Gate opened across the greatest distance in history, and the other side led straight to the Avengers Compound... or its ruins.

But as Strange looked around, the sight before him left him speechless~~

High in the sky, two figures crackling with the power of lightning were pummeling Sanctuary II.

Lower down, two suits of Iron Man Armor, one blue and one gold, were blanketing the ground with firepower and clearing out the grunts.

Not far away, a black-and-red giant was holding an enormous slab of concrete and laying into a Leviathan.

And a young man wearing the standard robes of Kamar-Taj was sitting amid the ruins... drinking cola. In front of him, Ebony Maw stood respectfully, holding three heads.

This isn't how the script goes. Where's the desperate situation?

Where's Steve Rogers, the lone hero? Oh, he's up in the sky.

Where's Thanos???

Meanwhile, several other portals opened one after another.

"I see the security guard! You're whiter than me!"

"Captain, can you hear me, Captain? I'm on your left... below you on your left..."