Killed with a Single Palm Strike

Floating in space, Thanos watched the Warriors Three charge toward him with cold eyes.

Black Order warriors and Interstellar Behemoths had tried to stop them, but the three had killed them all.

They clearly had some strength. To him, though, they were just slightly bigger ants.

He had no idea why Odin had sent these three to their deaths, but if they wanted to die sooner, he would oblige.

With that thought, he slung the Tyrant's Blade across his back and folded his arms.

Before long, the Warriors Three had fought their way to him in a triangular formation.

Volstagg, the biggest of them, flew in front, with Fandral and Hogun on either side.

At the sight of the Purple Big Guy ahead, excitement surged through Volstagg.

If they killed the enemy commander, the invasion would be all but over.

He would be Asgard's hero. He might even rise in rank and become a member of Asgard's council.

The thought made his energy surge, and he flew faster.

"Die, Purple Potato!"

He raised his battle axe as he shouted and brought it down with all his might.

Thanos could barely be bothered to look at him. He merely shook his head in contempt.

"You talk too much."

Then he raised a hand and swatted downward.

Seeing that Thanos had not even drawn his weapon, Volstagg rejoiced at being so underestimated.

The Double-Bladed Battle Axe in his hands was a renowned Asgardian artifact. He had once used it to destroy a Satellite a thousand kilometers across.

With his opponent acting so carelessly, he might kill him in a single blow.

He could almost see glory and military honors beckoning to him.

"Repent in Hell!"

With a roar, he brought the artifact he had pinned all his hopes on down against his enemy's palm.

The next instant, he felt immense resistance through his hands.

What happened next made his eyes widen in disbelief.

The Double-Bladed Battle Axe crumbled like tofu. Even its head shattered beneath that palm.

Impossible!

This axe could split a planet! Was Thanos's body harder than a planet?

Before he could think further, that purple palm filled his vision.

His head burst beneath it like tofu.

Red and white matter scattered through space.

Thanos did not stop. His palm kept going.

Volstagg's body was reduced to minced flesh that flew out into the cosmos.

"No!"

Fandral and Hogun roared at the sight.

Volstagg was the eldest of the three. To them, he had been not only a brother but something of a mentor.

When they had first met, Volstagg had been the strongest. But he had devoted himself to training them and gradually fallen behind.

Of course, age had played a part, and he had begun to put on weight.

None of that diminished what he had done for them, the guidance he had given them, or their deep friendship.

Ignoring the gulf in strength, they poured all their energy into their weapons and swung at Thanos.

"Don't!"

In the distance, Thor cried out in grief and fury.

He was furious over Volstagg's death, but he also wanted Fandral and Hogun to come back.

If Thanos could kill Volstagg with one palm strike, how could they fare any better?

Consumed by rage, Fandral and Hogun attacked without hesitation.

The outcome was just as Thor feared. Thanos killed them both with one palm strike, as easily as swatting two mosquitoes.

In the vacuum of space, flesh, blood, and bone scattered in every direction.

The sight was gruesome.

Odin, however, felt little at the deaths of the Warriors Three.

The only pity was that they had died without revealing Thanos's true strength.

That made him even more cautious.

He was not confident he could defeat Thanos.

If he lost too, Asgard might be finished.

Seeing his father make no move, Thor felt a flicker of disappointment.

But he immediately tightened his grip on Mjolnir and flew toward Thanos.

"Thanos! You're dead!"

His bond with the Warriors Three ran deep.

He had often taken them to put down rebellions, fighting shoulder to shoulder with them. They were comrades through and through.

When Loki had plotted to kill him, the Warriors Three had been the first to stand up for him and had gone to Blue Star to find him.

Lightning crackled across his body, and more coiled around Mjolnir.

As he flew, every Black Order warrior and Interstellar Behemoth touched by the lightning was instantly charred.

No one could stand in his way or stop him from taking revenge.

"Don't go! Come back!"

Odin could no longer sit still when he saw his son charge in so recklessly.

Even at Skyfather Level, he was unsure he could defeat Thanos. Thor, who was only at Sub-Skyfather level, stood no chance.

Charging in now was suicide.

When Thor showed no sign of stopping, Odin gripped Gungnir in frustration and raced after him.

He could not let his son die. Who else would inherit his empire and everything he had built?

Seeing Thor and Odin flying toward him one after the other, Thanos finally abandoned his casual stance and drew the Tyrant's Blade from his back.

He could dismiss the so-called Warriors Three, but he did not dare underestimate Thor, much less Odin.

As the Ruler of the Milky Way, Odin stood among the strongest at Skyfather Level.

Gungnir was said to possess an unerring strike, and together with Zeus's weapon, Thunderbolt, it was hailed as one of the two mightiest artifacts of the gods.

As for Thor, he was still weak now, but one day he would be strong enough to fight Thanos when he held all six Infinity Stones.

Stormbreaker had even come close to ending the third Avengers battle.