"Me… dead? Killed by that bald man?"
Dormammu's vast, shadowy face twisted in disbelief. He was the ruler of the Dark Dimension—how could he possibly die at the hands of some unknown "Boros," and a name he'd never even heard of—Saitama?
Yet the vision Thanos had shown him throbbed with a dread too real to deny. Every instinct screamed that it wasn't a lie.
"Of course. In a future timeline, you're finished," Thanos said mildly. "But you're fortunate—you met me. And I can save you."
He lifted the Infinity Gauntlet. Five and a half Infinity Stones pulsed across its back, their lights flickering like the heartbeat of the cosmos.
"Save me? You?" Dormammu's maw curled into a jagged grin. "I am lord of the Dark Dimension!"
"Ignorance."
Thanos's fingers tightened.
The heavens seemed to cave. Old chaos cracked; a tidal wave of annihilating pressure rolled out from him. He threw a casual punch at Dormammu.
"Raaaah—!"
Dormammu summoned a cataract of absolute night, a deluge charged with soul-rending force.
KRAK—KOOOOOM—
There was no contest. The two powers met—and the dark flood shattered like brittle glass. The impact engulfed Dormammu; the firmament groaned.
Dormammu stared, horror dawning, as his own colossal body began to crumble.
Impossible.
He was king of the Dark Dimension—yet he couldn't weather a single punch?
"Save me! I'll accept any terms—Thanos! Save me—!"
He shrieked. Thanos now carried five and a half Stones—and one of those was the Soul Stone. Even a dimension lord could not outfight a primal gem of souls. With the others added in, he had no chance at all.
"Good."
Green radiance from the Time Stone washed over Dormammu. The collapse reversed—matter reknit, fractures sealed.
In a few seconds, he stood whole again—stunned, looking down at the body that had just been in pieces.
"L… Lord Thanos…"
The Dark Dimension's ruler bowed his head at last.
On the Sanctum's shattered grounds, the Ancient One and Mordo could only stare, color draining from their faces.
"Calamity has come," the Ancient One murmured. Mordo's pallor turned to paper.
"Master… I'll stand with you. To the end."
Mordo gritted his teeth.
The Ancient One only shook her head, a small, tranquil smile touching her lips. Her eyes were clear as she faced Thanos.
"Hand me the Time Stone," Thanos said, extending his palm. "I will execute the plan to save the universe. Be honored—your sacrifice will serve all."
"The world will not bend to your design," the Ancient One replied softly. "Even with all six Stones, I see no light in your future—only darkness. The Time Stone is the charge of the Sorcerer Supreme. I will not give it to you."
"Then die."
Thanos vanished—reappeared before her—and clamped his hand around her head.
"Master!"
Mordo hurled sigils, lattices of light slamming toward Thanos.
CRACK—
A gesture from Thanos froze Mordo in place. He looked down in numb disbelief as his body began to flake away, inch by inch.
"This power… why—"
His words broke as he drifted into dust.
"Mordo, the light will rise again. Darkness never reigns forever," the Ancient One said, serene to the last.
Thanos squeezed. The Ancient One's form dissolved into powder. Left behind, the Eye of Agamotto tumbled into his palm. He crushed the housing; a green gem floated free.
The Gauntlet lifted.
The Time Stone slid into its socket and locked.
All six primal Stones—complete.
Perfection.
Beside him, Dormammu stared, dumbstruck. The weight of power pressed on him until he felt like an ant, one breath away from annihilation. This was might that dimmed heaven and earth, stilled sun and moon, and set the cosmos to trembling.
"…At last," Thanos breathed, relief and fierce joy flickering in his eyes. With the Time Stone, he had seized a path to reversal. Slay them here, in this branch of time, and the future flow would reset around his victory. His design for universal "balance" would stand.
"Oh? Where's the Ancient One?"
A new voice drifted in.
A yellow tracksuit. White cape. Red gloves. A bald head and blank, fishlike eyes.
Saitama hovered over the ruins, looking puzzled.
In this timeline, he had been invited to the Sanctum by the Ancient One. But all that remained was rubble.
"We meet again, Saitama," Thanos said, blinking—and then grinned wide. "Unfortunately for you, this time I win. Forever."
So Saitama had already appeared in this flow. No matter. Thanos clenched his six-gemmed fist. His strength now eclipsed the Skyfather tier. A single snap—half the universe erased. Before the bald man could so much as throw a Serious Punch, he would die.
"Huh? Thanos, weren't you dead? And—Dormammu? You're alive too? This looks like… a few years ago. How'd I get here?"
Saitama glanced around, honestly perplexed.
Thanos went rigid, a tremor running through him. Dormammu froze like a statue.
What…?
If this wasn't this timeline's Saitama, how did he know their names—and that Thanos had died?
A cold certainty crawled up Thanos's spine.
This Saitama… was the one who killed him in the future.
(End of Chapter)
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