Ebony Maw's gaze slowly swept over Thor as telekinetic power quietly gathered in the air. The yellow sand swirling around them was pressed firmly against the ground, and the raindrops gradually hung motionless in the air before dissipating.
His tone was even, his voice deep and tinged with a languid indifference. Every word landed clearly in their ears, carrying no hostility, yet radiating an unquestionable pressure:
"You stand against the supreme will of His Majesty, the Titan Thanos. Your crime is enough to scatter your soul into oblivion."
"Give me your name, and I can grant you a swift end. That is the last mercy I will show you."
Corvus Glaive withdrew his peerless blade, its edge still glinting coldly, and walked slowly back to Ebony Maw's side. He gripped his weapon tightly, ready to strike.
"Who am I?" Thor looked at the Squidward before him and sneered, then gave his name.
"I am Thor, the God of Thunder! King of Asgard! And the man who buried your master Thanos with his own hands!"
At some point, Betsy and Classic Loki had taken their places beside Thor, fully armed and gathering energy throughout their bodies, ready to act at any moment.
Groot flew beside Rocket Raccoon, controlling the bamboo dragonfly on his head.
"I am Groot!"
(Thank goodness you're all right!)
"So, Groot, not only did you survive, you brought us backup? And it's Thor of Asgard, the blond hunk we met before?!"
Rocket Raccoon looked at Groot, who was only as big as his palm, and the sorrow in his heart faded. He reached out a little paw and gently poked Groot's branchlike body.
"I am Groot! I am Groot!"
"What do you mean? He's not the Thor from our universe? You mean the multiverse? That thing actually exists?!"
Rocket Raccoon's voice rose an octave without him realizing it as he shook Groot wildly in his palm.
"I am Groot..."
(If you keep shaking me, I'm going to pass out. I met Thor in a junkyard...)
"What..."
"Buried my master?" Ebony Maw slowly repeated the words, then suddenly chuckled. The sound was faint, but filled with undisguised contempt and mockery. "Thor of Asgard, such bold words."
"His Majesty the Titan's power has never been something an ant like you could fathom. Those arrogant words of yours will only make your coming fate all the more miserable."
Before he finished speaking, he looked up at Thor and his companions and gave a light wave of his left hand. With no wasted movement, an immensely concentrated telekinetic shock wave, infused with the aura of destruction, roared toward them. It was so fast that even the air was compressed into a piercing shriek.
Seeing this, Betsy drew the two long blades from her back and instantly activated her psychic power. Pale purple psionic energy covered the weapons in an instant.
Sensing the terrifying telekinetic shock wave, she took a deep breath and stepped forward first. She raised both blades high, their psionic glow flaring brightly, and, summoning all her strength, slashed down at it in an X!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Betsy effortlessly split the terrifying telekinetic shock wave into four. The scattered waves passed perfectly around Thor and the others, blasting into the ground on either side and kicking up clouds of dust.
"Still resisting? Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, take that woman down."
"Yes, esteemed Lord Ebony Maw!"
Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight answered, exchanged a glance, and shot toward Betsy.
"Come on, then! I haven't had anyone to spar with for days. You two will do nicely!"
Seeing the husband-and-wife duo charging at her with such ferocity, Betsy advanced instead of retreating. Her psionic blades skimmed close to the ground as she rushed at them.
Clang!
She swung both blades up, precisely blocking their combined attack. Her body arched slightly, and she used the force to spin 360 degrees in the air before driving both feet hard into Proxima Midnight's and Corvus Glaive's chests.
Boom!
Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight hurriedly held their weapons across their chests, but the move did nothing to withstand Betsy's terrifying strength. In the next instant, both of them shot backward like cannonballs.
"Whew... The new body Thor gave me really is good!"
Seeing that her strength had allowed her to overwhelm both opponents in a single exchange, Betsy laughed to herself. Pale blue spatial mist flashed, and she vanished from the spot, pressing her advantage.
"Useless! You can't even take down one woman! Cull Obsidian! Don't disappoint me again!"
Watching his teammates get blasted away in a single exchange once more, Ebony Maw was uncharacteristically annoyed. He raised both hands, rapidly gathering a surge of telekinetic energy powerful enough to make hearts tremble.
Cull Obsidian said nothing. Carrying his axe, he strode forward, charging ahead like an unstoppable tank.
"I am Groot!"
"Groot! What are you doing?! You're no match for him! Come back!"
Seeing Baby Groot fly out of his palm straight toward Cull Obsidian, Rocket Raccoon felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of panic and hurriedly shouted.
"I am Groot!"
(Rocket, I'm going to avenge you all!)
Groot's palm-sized body rapidly expanded, turning him into a giant ten meters tall in the blink of an eye. At the same time, he twisted his body and swung his right fist down at the rampaging Cull Obsidian's head!
Cull Obsidian's expression did not change, and he showed no fear. He raised his weapon, his muscles bulging, and smashed it toward the enormous fist descending on him.
Bang!
Cull Obsidian's body flew backward like a kite with its string cut. In just one second, he vanished from sight.
"Holy shit! Groot, what mutant feed have you been eating?! How did you get so strong?!!"
Rocket Raccoon clutched his little head in both paws, his eyes nearly popping out as he stared at the scene in disbelief.
Had Groot been able to change size whenever he wanted before?
He remembered that he hadn't, right?!
Thor glanced at Star-Lord Peter Quill, the man who had saved the galaxy through an awkward dance-off, lying on the ground and wailing. He raised a hand and sent out a strand of the Law of Life, healing his injuries.
"Thanks, Thor. Did you find a weapon that can kill Thanos?"
Peter brushed the dust off himself and stood up.
"I'm not the Thor from your universe. Ask Rocket what's going on. I'm afraid you won't understand if I tell you."
Damn it! Whether or not he was the Thor Peter knew, he was just as irritating!
Seeing that the people Thor had brought with him currently had the upper hand, Peter turned to Rocket beside him and was about to ask when he caught sight of Groot sending Black Heart flying with a punch.
"Holy shit! Groot, are you using cheats?!"
Ebony Maw finally realized that the people before him were no ordinary troublesome opponents, and unleashed all his telekinetic power.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hum-!
The earth began to tremble, rain flowed backward, and flying sand and stones floated uncontrollably in the air.
The air began to warp beyond control. An immense telekinetic field enveloped the entire planet in an instant, crashing down on Thor below with a weight comparable to that of a planet.
Even the space around them began to wail incessantly.
Snap!
"Betsy, watch closely. I'll give you a flower."
Without any flashy moves, Thor snapped his fingers with complete nonchalance, as though he hadn't noticed the terrifying force at all. He even flirted with Betsy, who was beating up Corvus Glaive and his wife nearby.
The red Law of Reality spread out, and the planetary-level telekinetic field vanished. A huge, almost solid-looking deep purple moth orchid quietly bloomed in the air, its faint fragrance spreading across the entire planet.
But in the next instant, the fragrance filling the world was crushed by an aura of deathly silence and crushing weight, one that made even the laws themselves draw back.
There was no light, no deafening roar, only a silence that spread from the depths of the universe and chilled them to the marrow.
Thanos came through the air, seated alone on a floating throne. His purple face was expressionless as he gazed silently at Thor.
He paid no attention to the defeated Black Order, keeping his eyes fixed on the God of Thunder who had casually snapped his fingers.
His voice was low, slow, and calm, with no anger, only an anticipation that bordered on indifference:
"So that's how it is.
No wonder my people couldn't withstand even a single move from you."
He raised his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the remnants of the Law of Reality around Thor. His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible:
"You are the first god who has dared to squander the rules so freely in front of me."
After a pause, he slowly raised his hand. On his golden gauntlet, three Infinity Stones shimmered with a faint glow belonging to Eternity and Oblivion.
"Very good.
It's been a long time since I... acted personally."