On the battlefield where weapons never ceased.
Thanos, whose limbs were twisted into a pretzel shape by the rampaging Wanda, lay beside her, struggling hard.
Wanda was embraced with Hawk.
Just moments ago.
As the Crimson Chaos Power went on a rampage, Wanda instinctively embraced Hawk, who was holding her wrist, as memories of two universes converged.
But soon.
Wanda realized what was happening, and almost a split second after hugging Hawk, she left his embrace.
"Sorry!"
"...It's okay."
Hawk smiled slightly, retracting his hand which had naturally reached out moments ago, and his gaze fell on Thanos not far away.
The next moment.
He appeared directly in front of Thanos, and with a thought, the downed Thanos levitated off the ground, suspended in the air before him.
Thanos' expression twisted as he looked at Hawk in front of him.
"Who the heck are you?"
"Phoenix!"
Hawk looked calmly at Thanos, and then an image from his past instantly immersed into Thanos' mind.
Thanos instinctively closed his eyes.
He saw how he tore the Mind Gemstone from the forehead of the person in front of him with his bare hands, and then crushed this person like a dead dog using the Power Gemstone.
But there was a problem.
When Thanos reopened his bloodshot eyes, he stared at Hawk in front of him.
"He's not you."
"That's right."
Hawk nodded: "But I am him."
Once again.
This universe's Hawk was not him.
But he was this universe's Hawk.
So...
Listening to Hawk's words, Thanos seemed to sense something, his eyes quickly narrowed.
But before his eyes could complete the motion, he saw the world around him begin to spin rapidly, but soon it stopped abruptly.
Wait.
It wasn't the world spinning, it was his head spinning.
As Thanos' severed head hit the ground, he saw Hawk standing not far away, along with the headless corpse with twisted limbs, missing a head, and he realized what had happened.
The next moment.
Life vanished, and the soul emerged.
Hawk had a thought, unfolding the Hell Dimension that accompanied him as his powers fully bloomed.
But just as he was about to claim Thanos' soul, the signature chilling yet lazy voice of Death reached his ears.
"So, even while eating and taking, you're snatching my soul right in front of me, that's inappropriate."
"...Sorry."
Hawk's Hell Dimension faded away, his lips curled upward, responding to Death: "I'm used to it, since you never came to my universe."
Thinking carefully, it's fortunate Death isn't in that universe.
The reason is simple.
Don't be fooled by Death speaking like a friend now, into thinking Death would also be a friend in that universe.
It's not the case.
The only reason Hawk and Death could chat peacefully now is because Hawk had reached a level where he was qualified to converse with Death.
But before that, before he turned the World Tree into a sycamore tree.
To put it bluntly.
Just him snatching souls from Mephisto was enough to make Death slap him dead the moment he appeared.
Thinking of being on equal terms with Death?
That's nonsense.
However...
Thoughts aside, words aside.
Death's voice remained cold with a touch of laziness.
"I really want to visit your universe, but your universe is too low-end, so low-end that I haven't even located where you came from."
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"Blame me, it's my fault?"
"No, blame Infinity."
Death explained with a hint of amusement: "Infinity represents the concretization of all space across the Multiverse, blame him. Next time you see him, give him a good beating, for making your universe so low-end. If not, I would've known you sooner, and maybe I'd have, like I did with Thanos, tempted you to wipe out half of life in the universe to... propose to me."
Upon speaking of a proposal.
Death's voice again carried a sensation that would make any soul who heard it tremble involuntarily.
Hawk was no exception.
But...
Hawk's smile grew brighter, his gaze remained calm as ever.
"Had you met me earlier, you'd probably be quite disappointed."
"Oh."
"I am loyal to one love."
"Hehe."
Death laughed, the laughter lazily carrying a hint of allure: "Is that so, then why does your soul give a different answer than you?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so, what did my soul say?"
"Your soul..."
Death's voice seductively began, but paused: "If you want to know, come to Vormir to find me, have a drink with me, and I'll tell you, how about that."
Hawk's smile was radiant.
"You say that, but now I'm afraid to go."
"Your loss."
Death's tone was casual.
Hawk's heart moved.
Just as he was about to speak, Death had already left.
Along with him, the fresh and still warm soul of Thanos also departed.
Hawk looked at the headless Thanos in front of him and withdrew his gaze.
Thud!
Thanos's body hit the ground, and immediately, under the effect of gravity, his knees buckled, as if kneeling before Hawk.
From a distance.
It looked like a headless corpse bowing before Hawk.
At the same time.
Due to Hawk's arrival, Natasha's eyes had been tracking Hawk, and upon seeing Thanos's headless corpse kneeling in front of Hawk, she was jolted and shouted loudly at the ongoing battle with Thanos's minions, "Thanos is dead!!"
Nearby, Hawkeye Clinton and Star-Lord heard this and instinctively looked in the direction of Natasha's gaze.
Then...
"Thanos is dead!"
"Thanos died!"
Following Hawkeye Clinton and Star-Lord's confirmation, more eyes fell upon the headless corpse of Thanos kneeling not far away.
Immediately, the news of Thanos's death spread across the battlefield.
Blackwood Throat, who was chasing Spider-Man to snatch the Infinity Gauntlet from him, heard the news and instinctively turned his head. Seeing the headless corpse of Thanos at that moment, he suddenly lost focus.
Then he died.
The explosive arrow shot by Hawkeye pierced through space and directly stuck in Blackwood Throat's throat when he was dazed, then exploded with a boom, taking his head with it.
Not surprising for Thanos's most loyal minion.
Even the way he died mirrored Thanos.
With the death of Thanos's most powerful mage, Blackwood Throat, only the small fry remained on the field.
After receiving the Infinity Gauntlet from Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man guarded it closely.
As for the other Avengers, they went all out with their firepower.
Crack!
Accompanied by the thunderous explosion of Thunder Power, the rotund Thor swung the Storm Battleaxe and transformed into Fat Thor, joining the battle against the alien invaders.
Thunder Power completed a range kill like a chain arc in an instant.
Yet...
Wanda looked from afar at the severely out-of-shape Thor, somewhat confused, and glanced at Hawk.
"Why is Thor so fat now?"
"He gave up,"
Hawk glanced aside: "Remember, outside Wakanda, he didn't chop off Thanos's head, letting Thanos snap his fingers."
In that moment when Thor missed Thanos's head and only hit his shoulder, Thanos grinned and snapped his fingers.
Since then, a thought lingered in Thor's mind.
He felt everything was his fault.
If he had chopped off Thanos's head then, the annihilation wouldn't have occurred.
Unfortunately, time doesn't rewind.
Thus, Thor gave up, indulging in alcohol and video games to numb himself, attempting not to stay sober.
Only when he was not sober would he not dwell on that day's events.
At present?
Thor is sober, and angry too, traversing the battlefield in various corners, harvesting the remaining alien soldiers.
Like he was on a rampage.
Listening to Hawk's explanation, Wanda recalled, her expression suddenly clearer, then changed the topic: "Thor in our universe probably didn't give up, did he."
Hawk laughed.
"He did want to give up and date Jane on Earth."
"But?"
"I scolded him. I took out Vanaheim to build a new home for him, and before it was finished, he thought of going back to Earth for drinks and romance, dreaming on."
Hawk sneered repeatedly.
Once again.
To save the World Tree, he ended up separating from his wife across numerous Multiverses.
Even though the World Tree became a parasol tree, benefitting him the most.
Apart from that, the greatest beneficiaries were truly the Aesir Race, who staged a family reunion, didn't they?
Is this right?
In the end, was he the only one hurt?
How can this be allowed?
So...
He made Odin transition to the God of Light and Frigga to the Dark Goddess.
Until Gwen returns, the Parasol Tree's God of Light and Dark Goddess can never reunite.
Thor is the same.
Still thinking of returning to Earth for a drink and spending time with his girlfriend Jane?
Dream on.
Allowing Thor the occasional secret call to his girlfriend Jane with a space telephone is a leniency that Hawk overlooked.
If Hawk were a little more petty.
Haha!
Hawk's mind flashed with countless thoughts of 'I'm miserable, so I don't want anyone else happy.'
At this moment.
He had a sudden thought, awakened, and raised his head. Within his pupils, the golden heavy pupils pierced through the atmosphere, stars, and finally focused on the new arrival at the edge of the Solar System, who suddenly appeared a moment ago, stepping into the Solar System.
A familiar face!
Celestial God Team, Celestial God.
Griss!
...