"You've finally arrived." Stardust's body dissolved into a streak of light, narrowly evading several attacks as he swiftly maneuvered in front of Garus.
"So you're the one wielding several Infinity Stones. Hand them over." Stardust extended his hand toward Garus.
"That's impossible." Not only had the Infinity Stones already fused with Frostmourne, but there was no way he would surrender what rightfully belonged to him so easily.
"Thanos is on his way. You won't be able to protect these cosmic artifacts. None of you are capable of facing an Eternal of his power. He also commands the Black Order." Stardust was attempting to avoid conflict, surprised by the number of formidable beings on this seemingly insignificant planet. "If you give me the Infinity Stones, I can help you fend off Thanos."
Garus had no intention of placing his hopes in someone else.
He scrutinized Stardust, whose body resembled Algalon the Observer from Azeroth—pure energy, but with a singular eye.
"Norrin's weapon should be drawing Galactus' avatar here by now. If you hand over the Infinity Stones, none of this will be a problem." Stardust persisted, sensing that resorting to force might not guarantee success.
"Galactus? I already dealt with him. A mere avatar isn't enough to force me to surrender. As for Norrin's weapon—destroyed."
"Impossible." Stardust's expression twisted into disbelief. "Even an avatar of Lord Galactus isn't something you Earthlings could contend with. The weapon bestowed by Lord Galactus is indestructible."
Stardust was a devout follower of Galactus, seeking the Infinity Stones to curry favor with his master.
Garus offered no explanation—battle was inevitable.
"Garus, be careful. His energy attacks are lethal, and physical attacks are useless against him," warned Dr. Reed Richards, his body nearly charred, with only tattered shorts remaining. His remarkable regeneration was the only reason he was still alive. Knowing Galactus was dealt with lightened his mood considerably.
Johnny Storm snickered nearby. "Reed, if your underwear gets any more burnt, my sister's gonna get jealous."
"No worries, it's just men here." Reed tugged at his shredded shorts.
"You two—seriously?" Susan Storm sighed, exasperated. With all the chaos around them, they still found time to joke.
Stardust's premature arrival caught them off guard. Only this small group had made it to the scene, while Doom, who had been with them earlier, mysteriously vanished—likely plotting something in the shadows.
"Support Mr. Garus when you can." Susan steadied herself, fatigue setting in from prolonged energy shield usage.
On the battlefield, Garus squared off against Stardust.
Even before Galactus empowered him, Stardust was a cosmic powerhouse—his race rivaled the Eternals in strength.
His body resembled a black hole, absorbing every ounce of death magic Garus unleashed.
"It's futile. My body is pure energy. Physical attacks are meaningless, and I can absorb energy assaults. I only held back earlier to lure you here. This planet has too many anomalies—staying longer is unwise."
But Garus wasn't fooled. Aliens could bluff too. He noticed Stardust's glow dim slightly after absorbing his death magic.
White points of light flickered in the air, converging toward Stardust's body.
For some reason, Garus' memories of his past life had become increasingly vivid. This technique reminded him of the Rage of Stars spell from an ancient game he'd played—MU Online.
The ability required time to charge, and Garus noticed an unknown energy shielding Stardust during the buildup.
"Attack now! Don't let him finish!" Mordo shouted, his face pale as the Mirror Dimension's energy drained.
Without waiting, Garus unleashed Death Coil, Johnny hurled searing fireballs, and Susan's force field blasts rained down—but none pierced Stardust's barrier.
The light around Stardust intensified until it was blinding. The gathered radiance coalesced into a searing white sphere in his palm.
Danger prickled at Garus' senses. He hastily cast an upgraded Anti-Magic Zone, green energy encircling him in a five-meter radius.
Sweat poured down Mordo's face as he struggled to stabilize the dimension—the sheer power threatened to collapse it.
Stardust hurled the sphere. The unstable Mirror Dimension shattered along its path.
Outside, police stationed near Azeroth Tower looked up to see cracks spiderwebbing across the sky, like a fractured mirror.
Garus braced himself. Even his defensive field wouldn't hold.
"Bone Shield!"
"Icebound Fortitude!"
Despite the layered defenses, the sphere smashed through each barrier. Desperate, Garus opened a spatial rift using the Space Stone, swallowing the attack.
No one had anticipated such raw power from Stardust. A few more blasts like that, and they'd be finished.
Yet Stardust was equally unsettled—Garus had neutralized his trump card.
Feigning calm, Stardust sneered, "Now you've seen what I can do. Thanos and Lord Galactus are far stronger."
Silence gripped the battlefield.
Mordo struggled to repair the Mirror Dimension, mindful of the Ancient One's mandate to protect New York.
Garus answered Stardust's threat not with words, but action.
"So be it." Stardust conjured a swirling mass of energy, hurling it skyward to form a ravenous black hole.
Everyone scrambled to anchor themselves, unwilling to discover what lay on the other side.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON