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*****
"Lord, the pulling force is coming from the armor. He must have some kind of metal-controlling ability!"
Proxima Midnight forcibly stabbed her weapon into a nearby ship to anchor herself, shouting toward Thanos.
In response, Thanos reached up and tore off his own armor, flinging it aside.
"Then let's fight him without armor!"
Freed from the metallic restraints, Thanos once again charged at George, wielding his tyrant double-blade.
Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, following Thanos's lead, also removed their armor and pursued him closely.
"No more armor—but what about your weapons?"
Seeing this, George smirked and focused his ability on their weapons.
Immediately, the weapons in the trio's hands began to struggle violently against their control, forcing them to stop again.
Thanos's physical strength was tremendous—he managed to suppress his weapon's resistance with brute force. But Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive weren't so lucky.
No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't keep their weapons from breaking free. Helplessly, they watched as their weapons wrenched themselves loose—then turned and began attacking their former wielders.
"Sleep well, little darlings. The blue night sky is so beautiful…"
As Thanos pressed forward, struggling to keep control of his weapon, and Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive dodged frantically to avoid being skewered by their own blades, George suddenly began to hum a lullaby.
The soft melody drifted into the trio's ears, and their eyelids immediately began to droop.
This was a magical technique he had learned from the elf Lúthien—one capable of hypnotizing even Morgoth. Although George hadn't yet reached Lúthien's level, the spell was clearly effective enough.
"Shhk! Shhk!"
Two sharp, slicing sounds echoed out.
Due to the lull of the hypnotic magic, Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive froze for just a moment—long enough for their own weapons to pierce straight through their bodies.
Meanwhile, Thanos also hesitated for a split second. His grip on the tyrant blades faltered, nearly causing him to drop them.
But just then, Thanos pulled out a small yellow gem. It radiated a unique energy pulse that immediately dispelled the hypnotic magic George had cast.
It was the Mind Stone, a manifestation of cosmic consciousness.
"AAAH!"
With a furious roar, Thanos slammed the Mind Stone into the center of his tyrant blade. Empowered by its energy, he forcibly broke George's control over the weapon and charged at him once more.
"The Mind Stone can be used like that?"
George's eyes lit up with genuine surprise.
He could understand the Mind Stone dispelling his hypnotic spell—but the fact that it could prevent him from manipulating metal as well was unexpected.
It was probably because of the Mind Stone's high-level energy, or maybe because George's metal manipulation required him to attach a portion of his spiritual force to the metal—once that mental tether was dispersed, his control naturally broke as well.
But it didn't matter.
"Disarm!"
With a flick of his hand, George cast a spell that struck the oncoming Thanos. The tyrant blade, embedded with the Mind Stone, was instantly flung from his hand, leaving Thanos momentarily stunned.
It was the Disarming Charm—a rule-based magic. As long as the target was hit, their weapon would be forcefully removed, no exceptions.
That's the advantage of being a mage—endless tools, ready for any situation.
"Plasma Electromagnetic Cannon!"
Bringing his hands together, George unleashed a terrifying burst of plasma energy that blasted the stunned Thanos straight off his feet.
George picked up the tyrant blade, pried the Mind Stone out, and stored it in his equipment space. Then he flew over to where Thanos was just getting back on his feet.
"You really are thick-skinned, huh?"
Looking at Thanos—who had taken a direct hit from a plasma electromagnetic cannon powerful enough to shatter mountains and was only mildly singed in the chest—George couldn't help but marvel at his opponent's durability.
His own body was already quite strong, but compared to Thanos's, the gap wasn't just noticeable—it was massive.
To be honest, George had to admit—Thanos's physical durability might not be any weaker than his own in dragon form. The only real issue was that Thanos's abilities were too one-dimensional, making him easy to counter.
Still, considering Thanos was fundamentally a scientist, it was understandable.
"You fool! You don't understand my greatness at all!"
Even without the Tyrant Blades, Thanos showed no sign of surrender.
He stood up from the ground, patted the dust off his body, and looked ahead with unwavering resolve in his eyes. His belief had never wavered, for he had always considered himself the embodiment of justice.
Even if he died here today, it would be as a martyr for his ideals.
"I don't need to understand your greatness. It's enough that I'm stronger than you."
Looking at the now-standing Thanos, George shook his head.
What kind of person is the most terrifying?
Someone like Thanos. Because they're like the fanatical believers of a cult—you simply can't communicate with them using the logic of normal people.
For enemies like that, there's only one solution: be stronger than them. Use raw, overwhelming power to deliver judgment.
That had always been George's creed.
The strong devour the weak. Survival belongs to the fittest. Only when your power is absolute does your version of truth have any place in the world.
As the saying goes:
"Dignity exists only at the edge of a blade. Truth lies only within the range of a cannon."
And another:
"I practice martial arts so idiots can speak to me calmly."
He studied magic and pursued power so that when he encountered lunatics like Thanos in the multiverse, he could calmly smash their heads in.
Of course, he had to admit—he also thoroughly enjoyed the process of learning magic and the thrill of watching his strength grow.
"Die!"
Just then, a blue figure suddenly burst from the swamp, transforming her left hand into a sharp spike aimed straight for Thanos's heart from behind.
It was none other than Thanos's other adopted daughter—Nebula.
The spike struck true, hitting Thanos directly—but sadly, it failed to pierce even his skin. It didn't leave a single scratch.
"Why…? Why have even you betrayed me?"
Thanos turned around and grabbed Nebula by the throat, lifting her into the air before his face. His expression was filled with fury.
Gamora's betrayal had wounded him deeply. But Nebula's betrayal… this enraged him.
This pitiful little creature, who had always cowered before him—she dared to betray him too?
"Why?" Nebula glared at him, her face twisted with hatred. "You destroyed my planet. You slaughtered my people. You punished me again and again—tore my body apart, rebuilt me into some half-machine thing. And you still expect me to be grateful?"
"I want nothing more than to carve every last piece of flesh from your body!"
Thanos's cruelty, his power, his terrifying presence—they had been etched into her soul since childhood. Even as her hatred grew, she had never dared to show it.
All she could do was grovel and cling to survival, desperately trying to gain his attention.
But today—when she saw Thanos fleeing like a dog under George's relentless assault, powerless to strike back, stripped of his weapon and even the Mind Stone…
That's when she realized Thanos wasn't as invincible as she had always feared. He wasn't unbeatable.
In that moment, all her years of hatred surged to the surface, and she struck.
(End of Chapter)