"Oh?"
Thanos probed, eyes narrowing.
"You're Thanos, right? Weren't you already dead? Oh… Time Stone, huh?"
Saitama muttered, his gaze dropping to the six gleaming gems on the Gauntlet.
"Heh… so I've actually run into an existence that slips outside the timestream. And what of it?" Thanos flexed the Infinity Gauntlet, a savage grin splitting his face. "I now wield all six Infinity Stones. One snap, and half the universe is gone."
"You're Saitama?" Dormammu snarled, fixing the bald man with killing intent. "So you're the one who killed me. Then die first!"
With a sky-rending roar, a black tide of darkness surged from every direction, swallowing space as it crashed down upon Saitama.
Space shattered in layers; soul-deep terror pulsed in the void.
Vmmm—
From the dimensional slot within Saitama's "system," the cube of space flickered—
and Boros, the cosmic overlord, stepped out.
KRAK—!
Boros's blast met Dormammu's deluge head-on. Energy sheared, darkness broke, and light returned to the starfield.
"M-my attack?!"
Dormammu stared, shaken.
Boros rose, entering battle form—crimson, glowing tracery crawling across his body.
Why did the mere sight of this creature drag hatred out of him like a hooked nerve?
Dormammu felt it in his core—as if Boros were a sworn enemy.
"Saitama-dono, this small fry is mine."
Boros's voice was cold.
Small… fry?
The lord of the Dark Dimension—reduced to a "small fry"?
"Who is he?" Boros's gaze snapped to Thanos. Even the proud tyrant who acknowledged no one but Saitama felt a chill. "From him… I sense a great danger."
"So he's yours, then?" Thanos clicked his tongue appreciatively. "Tch tch… befitting of Saitama. Compared to my Black Order, your 'man' is far stronger."
"'Man'? Boros is my friend."
Saitama scratched his head.
They'd had their misunderstandings, sure—but after that fight, the air had cleared. Friends—that sounded about right.
Boros's heart stirred with respect. To possess such strength and still be this humble… he doubted he could do the same.
"Friends? Hahaha. Only the weak need friends. Weak friends are nothing but ballast."
Thanos sneered.
"Hōkō Hoshi Kuzushi-hō (Roaring Star-Crushing Cannon)!"
Boros's eyes hardened. No one in the cosmos was allowed to belittle him—no one but Saitama. A searing lance of power ripped through the void; layers of space vaporized.
The dark veil buckled. Dormammu's face twisted. Just that single shot—he could not withstand it. Impossible! How could he be this strong—this was only the other man's "subordinate!"
"Heh. Not bad."
Thanos's smile thinned. The Gauntlet tightened; six stones pulsed once.
He flicked his hand.
The planet-breaking beam veered like a swatted arrow and vanished into the dark.
"The weak should accept their station. This isn't your battlefield."
Another wave of his hand—
RRRMMM—
Pressure beyond worlds crushed outward. Stars trembled, ready to collapse under the weight.
Boros crossed both arms—
and was swatted from sight, pinwheeling across light-years in an instant.
"There. The ant is dealt with."
Thanos lowered his hand, composure restored. He could feel it—six Stones singing through his veins, the life and death of creation cupped in his palm. It felt… exquisite.
"Saitama, swear yourself to me and I will spare you. I admire you. Follow me, and we'll accomplish far more—together."
He offered his hand.
"Follow you? Get more?"
Saitama tilted his head, looking at him like he'd grown a second chin.
"Yes. Eternal life. Greater power. Is that not everyone's pursuit?"
Thanos coaxed.
Saitama: "…"
Are you kidding me?
Get stronger?
Do I look like someone who needs to get stronger?
"With six Stones—and with you—we can craft a new universe. Ours."
Thanos's eyes shone.
"Not interested."
The words hit like a bucket of cold water—dream doused, fantasy snuffed.
"I don't care about 'getting stronger,' and I don't care about 'living forever.' Life's already boring enough. Why would I want even more power?"
Saitama murmured.
"Then you understand nothing of power."
Thanos chuckled, Gauntlet closing. For blockheads like this, talk was useless. Fists convinced faster.
"So—witness true power, Saitama. I have six Infinity Stones. I am not the me you killed in the future."
Prismatic energy coursed under his skin. Space turned thin and unreal, rules going soft around the edges. Beyond time, beyond place—Thanos with the complete Gauntlet was the undisputed tyrant of this cosmos.
BOOOOM—
A universe-killing punch came down at Saitama's skull.
(End of Chapter)
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