Ficool

Chapter 435 - 435 The Power of Countless Worlds

Above the vast desert, fire and smoke filled the skies—war erupting in every direction.

Even though she stood alone, Kagura, unleashing the full potential of the Reality Stone, could summon firepower powerful enough to level an entire city in an instant.

And now, all of that fury—every blast, beam, and barrage—was aimed at one man: Thanos.

It was as if fire rained from the heavens and the earth itself split open.

Though shielded by the Power Stone, Thanos found himself bombarded by an endless stream of weapons conjured through the Void Archive—each strike pressing him down, forcing him to lower his head beneath the unrelenting hailstorm.

"Hmph… cheap parlor tricks," Thanos muttered coolly, the faintest smirk curling at the edge of his lips. "You think this is enough to defeat me?"

Even without the boost from the Power Stone, Thanos's physical strength and durability alone placed him at the top of the universe.

Only beings like Odin or Hela could stand on equal ground.

'Vmmm—!'

Amid the scorching onslaught, a purple glow lit up. The Power Stone's energy surged rapidly to Thanos's fist.

'BOOM—!!'

Enduring the brunt of the Void Archive's simulated firepower, Thanos lunged forward with a mighty punch—

'CRACK—!'

A blinding purple beam burst into the sky, vaporizing the flames and dust around him.

The energy quickly coalesced into a massive, roaring fireball, charging straight at Kagura.

It was an apocalyptic-level attack.

The kind that shattered worlds.

A pure manifestation of the Power Stone's brute-force dominance.

No tricks, no nuance.

The Power Stone embodied absolute offense and invincible defense—amplifying the user's power to cosmic extremes.

That was its entire purpose.

Thanos clenched the Infinity Gauntlet tightly, grinning with savage pride.

"It doesn't matter how many Infinity Stones you wield. The Power Stone alone is enough to obliterate even the Stones themselves!"

Faced with that devastating strike, Kagura simply narrowed her eyes and raised one hand.

The Divine Key, Void Archive, dissolved into golden dust, fading into the ether.

Her face remained cold and resolute. Her voice, like sharpened ice.

"Is that so? You're relying on nothing more than brute force, Titan. Don't get cocky. The Void Archive's barrage… was just the opening act."

She took a step forward, her golden eyes glowing with determination.

"Because behind me… stands the power of countless worlds."

The Infinite Concept Skill System— A simulated power born from the Soul Stone fusing with Kagura's memories.

Using the Soul and Reality Stones in tandem, she could now faithfully recreate any power, skill, or artifact from any fictional universe she had ever known—rendered with near-perfect accuracy.

In the infinite worlds of anime, comics, and games, among the sea of abilities and ultimate weapons, there were surely those capable of challenging even Thanos.

[Reality Rewrite]

[Simulated Armament: Snowflake Shield of Camelot]

A flash of red.

The Soul Stone plucked a buried image from her memory and brought it to life.

Scarlet light surged as the Reality Stone forged it into existence—a deep violet, cross-shaped shield appeared before her.

"The strongest attack in the cosmos?" She narrowed her eyes. "Then let me show you what it means to block it."

The silver-haired girl planted the shield firmly before her. Then she closed her eyes, concentrating. The Reality Stone shimmered again—

[Reality Rewrite]

[Simulated Noble Phantasm: The Distant, Ideal City]

Snowflake-like radiance flowed from the shield's surface.

This was the concept of Absolute Protection—a legendary defense from another world, said to withstand even planet-destroying attacks.

"That which heals all wounds and grudges…"

"Our glorious homeland.."

"Manifest yourself… Lord Camelot!"

In an instant, blinding light erupted across the battlefield.

From around Kagura, colossal walls began to form—an illusion of the eternal citadel from Arthurian legend, the unbreakable fortress of Camelot.

Born from a will to protect, this Noble Phantasm manifested as a barrier of light. As long as the defender's spirit did not waver, the walls would never fall.

'CRASH—!'

Thanos's purple fireball struck.

The explosion was instantaneous, cataclysmic.

A shockwave blasted across the desert, ripping the Sahara apart like a sea caught in a storm.

Entire sections of the city and throne platform were vaporized into rubble and debris.

But— The blast could not breach the white walls of Camelot.

Within the barrier, not even a single gust of wind stirred.

The Noble Phantasm created a division, isolating the space inside and out as though they belonged to separate dimensions.

No overlap.

No interference.

Suddenly, the expanding flames and shockwave froze midair.

A green glow shimmered.

Time itself had stopped.

Time Control: Time Stasis!

Thanos's brow twitched.

A chill ran through his heart.

Other than Kagura—who stood outside the bounds of logic—no one in the Marvel Universe understood the Infinity Stones better than Thanos.

He knew very well: though the Stones couldn't directly interfere with each other, indirect manipulation was still possible.

Kagura couldn't freeze him with the Time Stone.

She couldn't sever his body using the Space Stone.

But his attacks?

They weren't protected the same way.

Space Control

Blue light radiated from Kagura's palm. The Space Stone's power surged.

The space around the frozen energy began to compress—

Thanos's own massive fireball, halted by the Time Stone, was now folding inward.

"Thanos," Kagura said calmly, "how about a taste of your own medicine?"

The power of the Space Stone twisted the air, forming a deep blue vortex.

Thanos's energy blast was drawn in, condensed, redirected—re-formed into a glowing purple sphere aimed straight back at him!

'WMMM—!'

Space twisted violently, then rapidly expanded like a spinning drill.

Divine energy erupted, launching the redirected fireball right back at its source.

'BOOM—!'

The earth split open. The sky itself shook.

A searing beam of purple light pierced upward, painting the heavens in hues of violet and crimson.

A massive mushroom cloud rose from the center of the mechanical city.

The shockwave—like a tsunami of force—swept outward, carving a crater hundreds of meters wide into the desert.

After a long moment… the dust began to settle.

From the pit's center, Thanos climbed out slowly.

He wiped his forehead— A streak of purple blood stained his fingers.

He stared at it briefly… then crushed it between his fingers, unfazed.

"So that's it? All this effort… just to make me bleed a single drop?"

He raised his eyes again, smirking coldly.

"Did you really think it would end like that?"

Hovering in the sky with radiant wings unfurled behind her, Kagura looked like a celestial angel descending upon the battlefield.

Suspended above Thanos, she called down to him with a smirk:

"I've prepared many gifts for you, straight from other worlds. Hope you enjoy them."

[Reality Override]

[Pseudo Armament: Brahmastra – The Undying Flame]

The Reality Stone pulsed once more.

A sleek, black spear glowing faintly with crimson light materialized in Kagura's hand.

With the spear raised high, she glared down at Thanos, who was crouched below, using the Power Stone at full force to shield himself.

It seemed he had narrowly survived her last counterattack by diverting all of the gem's power into raw defense.

"That's right, Thanos. Stay inside your little 'Power Stone' shell and wait. I'll make sure you're completely annihilated."

[Reality Override]

[Pseudo Noble Phantasm: O Sun, Heed the Call of Death!]

Suddenly, the sky ignited.

A sea of flame erupted across the heavens as the spear transformed into a blinding lance of pure radiance—brighter and hotter than a thousand suns.

For the first time, Thanos felt uneasy.

Even though the weapon was a replica, not the genuine article, it carried a staggering presence.

The aura of destruction pressed in from all sides, threatening to overwhelm even him.

Above him, a second sun burned in the sky.

The searing heat licked at Kagura's armor, threatening to consume it.

Fortunately, her "White Moon" battle suit, with its high energy reserves and heat resistance, held strong—saving her from the risk of a sudden wardrobe malfunction mid-battle.

This was Karna's ultimate Noble Phantasm, from another world—a god-slaying weapon forged in myth.

Its concept: Absolute Annihilation.

It could destroy not just life, but matter, magic, concepts, and even divine beings. Nothing could escape its wrath. Even gods would be reduced to ash in its flames.

While the real version of the weapon couldn't pierce through an entire world, Thanos didn't know that.

He had no way of understanding the powers and logic from outside the Marvel Universe.

So, all he could do was hunker down and hope that the Power Stone, the mightiest of the Infinity Stones, would be enough to withstand the blow from this blazing divine weapon.

With her silver hair rippling in the heat and her golden eyes glowing with determination, Kagura gave the command:

"O sun, now obey death itself!"

'BOOM!!!'

A column of flame plummeted from the heavens, scorching the battlefield into black crystal.

In a flash, the world turned white.

Everything—sight, sound, and sensation—was swallowed by an all-consuming blaze.

In the language of ancient myth: Only the radiance of a thousand suns could rival this light.

When the smoke finally cleared, Thanos was still standing—barely.

He stumbled to his feet from the bottom of the scorched crater.

His armor was shattered, his clothes in tatters, and even his precious Infinity Gauntlet had been charred black by the overwhelming heat.

But he had survived.

He had endured the assault of a god-slaying weapon by sheer force of will—and the raw power of the Power Stone.

"Heh... So that's the strength of your otherworldly tricks?" Thanos sneered, despite the blood running down his temple.

"That's all? Show me everything you've got, Kagura. I know the toll these tricks take on you. How long can you keep this up?"

He wasn't wrong.

Though she paid no permanent price to use the Infinity Stones, the strain on her stamina was immense.

Since the battle began, she had been unleashing one god-tier ability after another—and it was wearing her down.

But Kagura clenched her fists.

Her mission wasn't over.

Thanos was still standing.

If she charged in recklessly now, he could easily turn the tide in a single instant using his close-quarters combat enhanced by the Power Stone.

And then, her ultimate weapon—the Heartless Blade—would lose its window to strike.

"No… not yet… it's not enough!" Kagura growled. "He's not at full power either. My firepower is still working… I just have to keep pushing—don't give him time to breathe!"

This next moment would decide everything.

'O countless worlds I have known— grant me the power to reshape fate and forge a new future!'

[Time Manipulation]

[Self-Acceleration]

Kagura rarely used time control on herself.

The Infinity Stones didn't drain energy the way traditional magic might—but the toll on her stamina and mental focus was steep.

Still, this was the final battle.

There was no need to hold anything back.

If stamina and fatigue were like a fuel gauge, then sheer willpower would be the spark that let her keep going.

'BZZZZZT—!'

She blurred forward—so fast even Thanos couldn't react.

[Time Control: Self-Acceleration]

It was far more powerful than any maneuver gear.

Combined with the Space Stone, Kagura could bend physical limitations and teleport through time and space with total freedom.

She appeared behind Thanos without warning.

A red glow ignited in her palm.

[Reality Override]

[Pseudo Armament: Graviton Beam Emitter]

A compact, unassuming handgun appeared in her hand.

It didn't look like much—but it wasn't from this world.

This weapon came from the dark techno-future of BLAME!—and also appeared in Knights of Sidonia.

The Graviton Beam was the pinnacle of that universe's destructive power, capable of vaporizing matter and space itself.

In that world, it was the equivalent of Kagura's "Heartless Blade"—a weapon that annihilated anything it touched.

'Click.'

Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.

'VRRRRRMMMMM—!!!'

A crimson beam erupted from the barrel.

Thanos reflexively raised the Gauntlet to block it.

But then—the unthinkable happened.

The violet glow of the Power Stone—the strongest defense in the universe—was pierced.

"What—?!"

Thanos's eyes widened in disbelief as the beam shot straight through his body.

'FWOOOOOOSH!!'

The Graviton Beam carved a path of destruction, vaporizing everything in its trajectory.

Buildings. Roads. Air. Earth.

A perfectly circular trench was etched through the heart of the mechanical city, stretching skyward until the beam finally vanished into the clouds above.

It was as if the beam carved a hole through the world itself.

"Looks like you've finally reached your limit, Thanos."

Kagura slowly lowered the Gravition Ray Generator from her hand. "The Power Stone was supposed to block any and all attacks—but your stamina and willpower can no longer sustain its power."

"...Is that so?"

Thanos glanced down at his wounds.

The Infinity Gauntlet had been pierced straight through.

His right elbow was scorched away, and a gaping hole now burned through his torso just below the shoulder—his body had been completely ravaged by the graviton beam.

"Mm. So that's it, huh?"

With a defiant grunt, Thanos clenched his mangled right fist, the Infinity Gauntlet groaning and crackling from the strain.

"But compared to the sacrifices I've made for my grand mission... this pain is nothing."

In the next instant, he surged upward with explosive force, charging straight at Kagura with all the power left in his battered body.

"Little girl, this game ends now. The moment you recklessly came close to me... your defeat was sealed! It's time I ended this!"

The Power Stone erupted with blinding purple light, channeling its entire authority into pure, unrelenting attack.

At that moment, Thanos transformed into an avatar of annihilation—cosmic energy coiled around him like armor, turning him into an unstoppable god of war.

The pressure he exuded was enough to make the very air tremble.

This strike—backed by the full might of the Power Stone—was an ultimate blow, capable of ripping the heavens asunder. Nothing could survive it.

"Tch. So you're betting everything on this?"

Kagura immediately grasped what he was doing.

After enduring her relentless bombardments, Thanos was nearly out of stamina.

If things continued, even with the Power Stone, he would eventually fall to her attacks.

So, he chose the only option left: use his last remaining strength to launch one final, all-out strike.

No more holding back.

No more defense.

Just a single, decisive blow—to crush her utterly.

But...

"I've been waiting for this moment, Thanos!"

As the mad titan barreled toward her, Kagura's golden eyes gleamed.

"Reality Overwrite—Simulated Armament: Chains of Heaven!"

[Reality Overwrite]

[Simulated Armament – Enkidu, Chains of Heaven]

With a brilliant flash, golden chains burst forth from the void, snapping around Thanos like divine restraints.

They latched onto his limbs, locking his body in place.

Even the Infinity Gauntlet was bound, preventing him from clenching his fist—rendering him unable to activate the Power Stone again.

These were no ordinary chains.

The Chains of Heaven operated on the conceptual power of "god-binding"—the more divine the target, the stronger the seal.

And Thanos, a self-proclaimed messianic Titan with cosmic aspirations, was classified as a being of extremely high divinity.

Which meant... for him, escape was impossible.

He thought he had seized the upper hand. But in reality, it was his overconfidence that exposed the opening Kagura had been waiting for all along.

A seasoned warrior like Thanos had never imagined that his final attack—his desperate last stand—would be precisely what sealed his fate.

The Power Stone's defense was near-unbreakable.

As long as Thanos kept it in defense mode, Kagura would never get close enough to land a finishing blow.

But if he turned that power fully into offense... then his defenses would collapse, and that was when she would strike.

"You're right about one thing, Thanos," she said coldly, raising her hand. "It's time to end this."

With a swift motion, she summoned her blade—the god-killing weapon known as The Heartless Blade—and in the blink of an eye, she was upon him.

"Only... the one who dies—"

Her golden eyes flared like twin suns.

"—is you."

Her voice rang out like a divine decree.

"The Heartless Blade – Second From: Sever… the World!"

———————————————————————

Daily Uploads!

Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!

Go to p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more completed advanced chapters.

More Chapters