718
Chapter [Return of Thanos]
"It's impossible! I am the master here! You mortals are nothing to me, do you hear? Nothing!!"
Nefarian's unwilling roar reverberated through the sky above Blackrock Spire, followed by the colossal descent of the Black Dragon Prince.
Forseti sheathed his weapon, having defeated Nefarian single-handedly.
The spoils from the battle were considerable, including "Ashkandi, Greatsword of the Brotherhood," which he had contemplated over for ten minutes.
However, Forseti's focus was now on the Divine Shield spell fragments, vital for him since he possessed only one fragment of Divine Shield.
Nefarian had left several Divine Shield spell fragments to Forseti, finally pushing his inventory to one hundred fragments.
One hundred fragments were enough to exchange for the Tome of Divine Shield spells.
But it still wasn't sufficient.
To master Divine Shield, Forseti needed to fulfill another condition: obtain the Ashbringer.
After mastering the Defender of the Ancient Kings, he was informed that only paladins wielding the Ashbringer could unlock the seventh level of spells.
Forging the Ashbringer was no simple task; the crystal of eternal holy light was nearing completion, yet the replacement for the high-quality ingot source remained elusive.
This heightened Forseti's sense of urgency.
His intuition warned him that the crisis Odin and the Ancient One had foreseen was imminent...
---
Dark Quadrant.
Once ruled by Thanos, it now belonged to General Deathblade.
Like many mighty empires, Thanos' empire had been dismantled, leaving its remnants to fight among themselves for dominance.
Including General Deathblade, these successors emerged from the empire's ruins, vying fiercely for legitimacy.
But when true authority returned, these fragments of the past were often unwilling to relinquish power.
"What did you say?" General Deathblade sat upon his less grandiose throne, staring incredulously at the subordinate delivering the news. "Thanos has returned? Are you certain?"
"Yes, he has indeed returned!" The subordinate bowed his head, his voice tinged with fear.
General Deathblade instinctively gripped his peerless blade, muttering to himself, "Impossible, he should be dead..."
At that moment, a deep voice resonated from outside, "Do you consider me dead, Corvus Glaive?"
General Deathblade's expression shifted as he gazed up to behold the figure who once commanded his fealty, now standing before the shadowy palace.
Thanos had returned.
"You..." He hesitated for a brief moment, but his resolve hardened. Instead of bowing as before, he rose from his throne, peerless blade in hand.
"So, you're still alive. That truly surprises me." General Deathblade brandished his blade, directing its edge towards Thanos, his former master. "But as far as I know, you're as feeble as a corpse!"
Thanos sneered, "It appears you've forgotten that I am your master."
"You have never been my master!" General Deathblade gritted his teeth.
Indeed, he had never sworn allegiance to Thanos. Initially in awe of him, General Deathblade had chosen defiance after Proxima Midnight death and he received no retribution.
Before he could finish, General Deathblade materialized before Thanos in an instant, raising the peerless blade and unleashing a ferocious strike!
"Perish!"
Yet, in the next moment, an unimaginable scene unfolded before his eyes.
Thanos caught the peerless blade with his bare hand, as though it were a child's toy, effortlessly unharmed.
"Impossible!" General Deathblade questioned reality, wondering if he were dreaming.
The peerless blade, capable of cleaving atoms, was supremely sharp. When Thanos previously faced its edge, even he suffered injury.
Now, however, Thanos not only showed no signs of weakness but appeared ten times more powerful.
Thanos remained composed, forcefully crushing the peerless blade held in his grasp with a resounding snap!
"No..." Gazing upon the shattered blade, General Deathblade's eyes filled with despair.
That blade was his foundation.
With the peerless blade broken, his mortal body became like a tree without roots, water without a source, destined to soon perish.
"Deathblade, do you understand what must be done?" Thanos inquired calmly.
General Deathblade resigned himself to fate.
He knelt in anguish and desperation, driving the broken blade into his heart, bringing his life to a premature end...
Observing the tragic demise of General Deathblade, Thanos' former subordinates reaffirmed their loyalty.
"Master of the Dark Quadrant, welcome back." They knelt in reverence.
But Thanos no longer required their allegiance.
After billions of years, few had successfully unearthed the gods' legacy from the God Quarry. Thanos had accomplished it, transcending into a true immortal god.
"Half of you shall perish," Thanos declared solemnly, announcing the fate of all beings, "as will all life in the universe."
"Where is the Mind Scepter?" he inquired.
"It's on Earth..."
---
Several days later.
Asgard.
Thor and Jane Foster leaned against a balcony in the Golden Palace, sharing laughter and conversation like any couple in love.
"...Marry me, Jane," Thor's voice softened, a hint of nervousness in his unshaven countenance.
"What?" Jane Foster froze momentarily, as if she hadn't heard correctly, perhaps wishing for Thor to repeat himself.
"Jane, you..." Thor hesitated, about to speak again.
Suddenly, faint blue energies materialized beside them, coalescing into a purple giant who stepped forth.
"Another one," Thanos remarked, his gaze fixed upon Jane Foster, his colossal hand adorned with a gauntlet set with three gems.
"Them!" Thor's expression turned grave as he summoned the Bloodroar axe to confront Thanos.
"Boom!"
Yet, before a deafening roar, a torrent of energy erupted from Thanos' hands, tearing through the Golden Palace and hurtling Thor away like a comet!
After incapacitating Thor, Thanos approached Jane Foster, the three Infinity Stones on his gauntlet shimmering.
The Reality Stone within Jane Foster resonated, faintly beginning to emerge from her.
At that moment, Forseti's figure, like a reflected light, arrived instantaneously from a distance, positioning himself before Thanos.
"Forseti?" Thanos recognized him instantly, his expression grave.
"I didn't expect you to be alive," Forseti said.
"Yes, initially, neither did I," Thanos replied calmly, "but now I see."
"What have you realized?"
"I see that I am inevitable," Thanos declared.