She flew toward the energy sphere, both hands extended as golden energy poured from her palms, trying to envelop the purple sun that was devouring everything.
Her energy touched the surface of the sphere, and the two forces clashed violently at their boundary.
Golden light and purple light savagely tore at each other, unleashing a series of deafening explosions.
The air ionized, and the smell of ozone spread across the battlefield.
Carol gritted her teeth.
Her arms trembled, her shoulders trembled, and her entire body trembled.
The Power Stone's energy was stronger than hers—far stronger.
She was not fighting Thanos. She was fighting an Infinity Stone.
The Infinity Stones had once granted her power, and now that same power, wielded through Thanos's hand, was trying to destroy everything she protected.
"Your efforts are meaningless!"
Thanos's voice came from behind her, without mockery or anger, carrying only a cold, almost scientific objectivity.
"That isn't for you to decide." Carol's expression was resolute.
Her body began to glow—not gold, but white, a blinding white like a Stellar Core.
She was burning her life away, extracting every last trace of energy from her body and turning it into strength to resist the Power Stone.
Her hair was turning white, not because the gold was fading, but because it was becoming gray-white from the roots outward.
Her cells were aging at an accelerated rate, her life was draining away faster, and the energy sphere's expansion slowed.
But the cracks in the ground continued to spread, the shockwaves continued to expand, and death continued.
Tony rose from the ruins, the left hand of his Mark LII armor already shattered.
Exposing the wiring and sparks within, though the Palm Cannons in his right hand still worked.
He flew to Carol's side and turned his Palm Cannons