— — — — — —
"This is more like it!"
"Sacrifices, rituals—bah, that's all just heresy! That bad habit shouldn't be indulged."
Renzo was very pleased with how the Soul Stone knew when to bow its head. With a wave of his hand, he sent it into the core of Takamagahara's world, reuniting it with the five genuine Infinity Stones. Together, they would fuel its growth and evolution.
After securing the Soul Stone, Renzo glanced at the three counterfeit gems still sitting in Thanos's gauntlet. Rubbing his chin for a moment, he decided to put them away too.
Even if they were fakes, he had made them himself. Their strength wasn't inferior—just finite, not boundless. Leaving them in someone else's hands would definitely cause trouble sooner or later. Better they stay with the "official distributor."
"Huh? This gauntlet looks like a divine artifact too. Fine, I'll keep it. Might as well study it later."
He didn't particularly care for the Infinity Gauntlet, but he certainly wasn't against having another artifact—or another forging method—to add to his repertoire.
Once that was done, Renzo ignored the hatred burning in Thanos's eyes. He patted the titan's shoulder with a cheerful grin. "Thanks, buddy! You really went above and beyond, traveling all this way across the universe just to deliver me the Soul Stone."
Thanos: "…"
If he could move—and if he weren't so badly outmatched—he would have gladly killed this smug, grinning Earthling right now.
So this was a trap?
No wonder everything had felt too smooth. Damn it all!
His dream was slipping through his fingers.
"What's that? You've got something to say?"
Renzo noticed Thanos's mouth twitching, his eyes signaling desperately. Stroking his chin with interest, he said, "Oh? Let's hear it then."
He released the control on Thanos's face.
At once, Thanos drew a deep breath, looked Renzo in the eye, and said calmly, "Grant me a quick death."
Closing his eyes, he awaited the inevitable. Against an opponent like this, there was nothing more to say, no point in asking for mercy.
"…Fair enough."
Renzo nodded slightly. With a single gesture, he unraveled Thanos's body. The massive titan dissolved like crumbling stone, scattering into the wind.
"Hmm?"
In some mysterious corner of the Marvel cosmos, a beautiful skeleton lifted her head and turned her gaze toward Earth. She murmured with surprise, "Interesting. Thanos, dead just like that? Seems something's happened that I didn't foresee. Perhaps I should take a look."
Her form dissolved like smoke, vanishing from her domain as she made her way toward Earth.
— — —
"It's over already?"
When Renzo dispelled Takamagahara, Tony and the others realized Thanos was gone.
They all looked at Renzo, stunned. That easy?
They'd been bracing for a desperate battle—ready to spill blood and make sacrifices. And yet… the big bad boss had been one-shotted by Renzo.
"We really did underestimate him," Tony muttered, shaking his head helplessly. Still, maybe this wasn't so bad. With an invincible guardian on Earth, he could finally relax a little.
Yeah… first thing he'd do back home was crack open a drink. After that, he'd take Pepper on a long trip around the world. He'd promised her ages ago, and this time, no excuses.
"I should've asked you to help with Asgard."
Thor stepped forward, his expression heavy as he looked at Renzo. Regret weighed on his voice.
If only he'd known Renzo was this strong—he would have called him in when Hela attacked. But it was too late now. Asgard was gone, and he had to look forward.
"The battle's done. Everyone can finally rest," said Steve, wiping blood off his shield and breathing heavily.
"Yeah," Hawkeye agreed, nodding. "I think it's about time I retire. My kids deserve more of me."
Age wasn't the issue—thanks to Renzo Corporation's gene serums, his body was still in its prime. No, this was a matter of the heart. But he was tired. It was time to take care of his family.
"That's actually a great idea," Tony said, giving Clint a thumbs up. "Speaking of which—two months from now, Pepper and I are getting married. You all better be there."
"Oh?" Thor blinked in surprise. "You're settling down? Congratulations! I'll be there for sure."
"The playboy finally returns home, huh? Not bad. I'm sure Howard's smiling down from heaven, proud of you," Natasha teased with a grin.
Steve opened his mouth but only sighed softly. He didn't say more, just offered a simple, "Congrats. Wishing you happiness."
The rift between him and Tony—the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark at Bucky's hands—still hung between them. They weren't strangers, not yet, but they weren't close friends anymore either. That was Steve's choice, and no one else's fault.
The others quickly followed, offering their blessings and promising to attend.
"Thanks, everyone," Tony said with a broad smile, before turning to Renzo. "And you—don't even think about skipping. Got it?"
Renzo smirked. "Better stock up on your finest wine. I plan on drinking you dry."
"Hah!" Tony laughed. "Not a chance. Even if you drank top-shelf booze every day for the rest of your life, I'd still be fine. Your plan's doomed from the start."
The two of them burst out laughing.
— — —
Inside the Consciousness Space
"Yo, morning everyone! Looks like we've got new faces here?"
After a good night's rest, Marvel Renzo entered the shared space early the next day—only to find Uchiha Renzo, Aizen, Superman, and the others already gathered.
"You must be Marvel Renzo," one of the newcomers said with a friendly smile. "I'm Sung Jinwoo. First time meeting—please take care of me."
He stepped forward, shook Marvel Renzo's hand, and the connection was made.
"Oh? You've already collected all six Infinity Stones—and even killed Thanos? Impressive!" Jinwoo's eyes widened.
"Though honestly," he added, curious, "with all six stones, aren't you worried someone will come looking for trouble?"
"Maybe," Marvel Renzo said with a shrug. "But I don't really care. With my strength and the stones, even if Eternity or Death themselves show up, I'm sure I wouldn't lose."
"…Fair point." Jinwoo nodded in agreement.
"Ahem... now that all 36 of us are here, it's time to uncover the truth."
.
.
.