Thanos's hand wearing the Infinity Gauntlet began to tremble slightly.
Not from fear, but because he was pushing the energy of all six stones to its limit, trying to find a way to harm Loren.
The Power Stone's output had already reached the Gauntlet's limit, and fine cracks began to appear across its surface.
The Soul Stone's energy field surged violently within his consciousness, and he could feel his own soul being eroded.
The Reality Stone continuously rewrote the space around him, trying to create an environment unfavorable to Loren.
But every alteration was instantly smoothed away by the energy field surrounding Loren's body, like writing on flowing water.
Loren looked into Thanos's eyes, those six-colored vortexes frantically searching for a way out.
"Now, it's time to return the Infinity Stones to me."
Thanos clenched his fist.
"Impossible." Thanos's voice was low, like rocks rolling down a mountainside.
"The Infinity Stones belong to no one. They don't belong to you, to me, or to anyone.
They are merely tools. And I need them to fulfill my mission.
My mission is already half complete. I still have to ensure it is not reversed. I will not hand the stones over to anyone."
He raised his left hand. The six stones on the Gauntlet blazed fiercely, and the cracks on its surface widened.
Energy burst from his body, and shockwaves spread outward, blowing away every stone fragment and speck of ash in the ruins.
His body swelled under the flood of energy, the contours of his muscles becoming more distinct.
Six colors of light flowed through the veins beneath his skin, and his eyes became pure six-colored sources of light, with no distinction between sclera and iris.
"I will kill you," Thanos said, his voice no longer human.
It became a layering