The starry sky once again returned to silence, as if the great Chitauri fleet had never come at all. On Nidavellir, Lucci's figure suddenly vanished from the dwarves' shield. In that instant, Eitri and all the dwarves felt their hearts clench in panic!
"Where is Prince Lucci?"
"Where did Prince Lucci go?"
The dwarves, who had just been comforted by the strength of the magical barrier, grew tense again. In their eyes, to leave the shield and rush into the enemy fleet was like striking a stone with an egg. But before their hearts could swell with fear, they saw Lucci's silhouette suddenly appear high above the fleet—raising his sword.
That sword—they knew it well!
"That's the Path Flame Sword!" Eitri cried, his eyes shining with unrivaled brilliance. "It's the ultimate artifact, crafted by Prince Lucci himself!"
The surrounding dwarf masters also recognized the sword that seemed to pierce the very sky, their beards quivering with excitement. Then, they saw Lucci move. A gray, inconspicuous sword energy slashed out from the Path Flame Sword, spreading outward like ripples.
The next moment, the terrifying Chitauri fleet that had suffocated all of Nidavellir was swept away as if by the wind—disintegrating before their eyes like sand paintings, the ground beneath rotting and collapsing, turning into cosmic dust.
The entire process was enveloped in silence, but at the same time, it radiated an irresistible, ultimate beauty and terror from the end of time itself.
For a while, all sound disappeared. The dwarves stared blankly at the empty starfield on the screen, like puppets who'd had their souls stolen. The only figure left floating in the starry sky was the solitary silhouette gripping the divine sword.
After a long pause, a dwarf murmured dreamily, "It's all... all gone?"
"It's over..." Eitri's lips trembled, his large hands—calloused from a lifetime of forging—clutching the console so tightly his knuckles turned white. He wasn't shocked at the fleet's destruction—he was shocked at the way it was destroyed!
"That sword... that sword energy..." a dwarven craftsman stammered. "When Prince Lucci tested the Sword last time, the sword energy he unleashed contained the power of causality. But this time... it's completely different! This is the power to rot and end all things in an instant... Yes... Time! It's the supreme power of time!"
The moment those words left his mouth, all the dwarves gasped!
Only now did they truly understand what the unbelievable spectacle they had just witnessed meant.
"My god! Can Prince Lucci wield the power of time with his sword?"
"Everything turns to ash beneath his blade... What a divine power!"
"Indeed, as expected of Prince Lucci! This is worthy of being the ultimate magic weapon forged in Nidavellir!"
In that instant, a thunderous cheer erupted from within the stellar ring! Every dwarf was brimming with pride at the strength of the Path Flame Sword, and even more so, with awe and reverence for Lucci's unfathomable divine power. They gazed at the godlike figure on the screen, hearts filled with unprecedented reassurance and pride.
As expected of Prince Lucci—every strike was earth-shattering! Each time, he redefined their concept of "strength"!
…
Meanwhile, in Asgard, in the Hall.
The moment Lucci vanished from the magical barrier, Odin's face changed dramatically. "Heimdall, where is Lucci?" Odin asked urgently.
"I see him, All-Father!" Heimdall's golden eyes instantly locked onto the coordinates. "He... has gone straight into the enemy flagship!"
In the next instant, the three-dimensional projection at the center of the hall switched. The scene now showed the bridge of the "Deathscythe."
Odin, Thor, and Heimdall watched Lucci's confrontation with Corvus Glaive, heard Lucci's disappointed assessment, and witnessed the general's furious attack.
And then they saw it—the Super Ray that cleaved everything.
They saw Corvus Glaive collapse, a gaping hole in his chest.
The entire process took less than a second.
A chilling silence fell over the Hall.
Thor's expression was exquisite. First stunned, then perplexed, and finally morphing into a strange look as if he wanted to laugh but dared not. He turned to his father and said teasingly, "Uh... All-Father... Is this really the one you said could go toe to toe with Thanos himself? The leader of the Black Order—Corvus Glaive?"
Odin's mouth twitched, his aged face flushed red for once. He had solemnly introduced Corvus Glaive's power and terror to Thor—yet in an instant, this "strongest in the cosmos" was slain by Lucci. The slap to his face had arrived far too quickly.
Before he could recover, the projection switched again, now showing the starfield outside the flagship. Odin, Thor, and Heimdall saw Lucci swing his sword—and everything turned to ash.
A miracle.
They stared at the massive fleet that had moments ago seemed so daunting, now vanishing like sand sculptures swept away by the long river of time.
The three gods in the hall were utterly speechless. Even Thor's mocking smile disappeared, replaced by the same deep shock and awe as his father and Heimdall.
A long, long silence.
At last, Odin spoke slowly, almost in a whisper. "It seems... it's not that Corvus Glaive was useless... Rather... Lucci... is simply... too strong."
Too strong—beyond their comprehension. Even someone as powerful as Corvus Glaive was no different from an ant on the roadside.
Thor and Heimdall nodded heavily.
"Indeed... To face such overwhelming might... Corvus Glaive died an undeserved death!"
…
On the other side of the universe, the planet Xandar was now shrouded in a giant shadow. The ring-shaped warship, as massive as a mountain and brimming with savagery, hovered quietly in synchronous orbit above the world. This was Thanos's flagship, the symbol of death and conquest—the Sanctuary.
On the bridge, only Proxima Midnight, the last strong member of the Black Order present, remained. Thanos, Ebony Maw, and Black Dwarf had all descended to Xandar to search for the Power Stone.
"General!" Suddenly, a Chitauri communications officer rushed over, interrupting her thoughts. "We've received a top-priority message from General Corvus Glaive's fleet!"
Proxima Midnight paused. A bright smile instantly appeared on her cold face, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Oh? So soon?" She stood up, her tone full of pride. "I knew those little iron-forging dwarves couldn't stop Corvus. He must have taken Nidavellir and sent us good news."
She commanded, "Play the message! Let's watch as he turns the dwarves' forge into ruins."
"Yes!" The officer immediately complied.
But the moment the top-secret message was opened, Proxima Midnight's smile completely froze.
There was no victorious news, no familiar, ruthless face of Corvus Glaive. Instead, chaos and static filled the screen, as if a signal from the depths of hell!
The first thing that caught her eye was the horrified, unwilling face of Corvus Glaive and the gaping, annihilated hole in his chest. The screen then switched to his perspective, showing Proxima Midnight—what she saw next chilled her to the bone: Lucci outside the warship's porthole, unleashing sword energy.
Countless warships that once symbolized the glory of her beloved crumbled silently, like sand paintings cursed by time, turning to dust in the dead silence of the universe...
At the end of the footage, Corvus Glaive used his last breath to utter a guess: "Space... Time... Stones... He..."
The video cut off abruptly.
The bridge fell so silent a pin could drop. The communications officer, who had just been excited, collapsed to the floor in terror.
And Proxima Midnight stood motionless, her face expressionless. In her icy blue eyes, all joy and hope had vanished, leaving only a glacial chill that would linger for ten thousand years.
After a moment, a volcano of anger and grief erupted from deep within her!
"Aaah—!" Her wail was filled with endless murderous intent, shaking the alloy walls of the entire bridge. She suddenly swung her trident, the energy blade slicing a nearby console in half in an instant as sparks flew everywhere.
"Who is he? Who dares kill Corvus?!"
Her body trembled with rage, tears streaming uncontrollably from her cold eyes. She wanted to mobilize the entire Sanctuary at once, rush to Nidavellir, find the killer, and tear him to pieces in the cruelest way to avenge her husband!
But reason told her she could not. The killer was someone who could destroy an entire fleet with a single sword. More than that, the information Corvus left before dying was too shocking!
The Infinity Stones! The Time Stone, the Space Stone!
She had to report this to her master immediately—this was now the top priority!
Proxima Midnight desperately suppressed her burning rage and grief, took a deep breath, and, her voice hoarse, commanded the trembling communications officer, "Immediately... send this information... to the master!"
…
On Xandar...
Thanos stood tall and purple amidst the chaos, surrounded by the corpses of countless Nova Corps soldiers. Before him, the battered and dying Nova Prime lay on the ground.
With a casual motion, Thanos snatched the cosmic orb radiating purple light from Nova Prime's hand.
Click. He gently squeezed it, and the shell cracked open—revealing the Power Stone, brimming with infinite destructive force.
"At last... it's mine." Thanos wore a satisfied smile.
Ebony Maw and Black Dwarf immediately stepped forward and saluted. "Congratulations, Master! The balance of the universe is about to be shaped by your own hand!" Ebony Maw said enchantingly.
"All is within the master's plan," Black Dwarf rumbled.
Thanos nodded slightly, preparing to order their return to the Sanctuary. At that moment, his wrist communicator suddenly emitted a shrill alarm—top-priority information from Proxima Midnight.
Thanos frowned. Why would Proxima Midnight contact him now? A sense of foreboding rose in his heart. He raised his hand and opened the message.
The video filled with death and decay appeared, and at the sight of the gaping hole in Corvus Glaive's chest, all excitement and satisfaction vanished from Thanos's face in an instant. A terrifying, icy killing intent erupted from his body, chilling the air around him.
After a long pause, Thanos said in a low voice, "Corvus Glaive... is dead."
"What?!" Ebony Maw and Black Dwarf were shocked!
"How is that possible?" Black Dwarf said in disbelief. "He was only dealing with a group of defenseless dwarves! How could Corvus be dead?!"
Ebony Maw's face grew grave, realizing the situation was far from simple.
Thanos's face was so dark it seemed to drip water. He said little, but projected the footage of Corvus's last moments before them.
Ebony Maw and Black Dwarf were utterly shocked by the power of the time-space sword!
Black Dwarf's massive body trembled. Ebony Maw's sly eyes flashed with both calculation and shock. He listened to Corvus's final speculation, then said thoughtfully, "Master, if not for a reason, to wield the supreme laws of space and time together so terrifyingly... it's almost impossible."
He looked up at Thanos. "The Time Stone and Space Stone must be in the hands of this Asgardian!"
Thanos's eyes flashed coldly. He thought so, too!
He sneered coldly, and without hesitation, sent this message and new orders across the stars to another General of the Black Order—the Supergiant.
"Supergiant, drop whatever you're doing right now! Use all our resources and abilities to investigate this Asgardian's identity—I want to know everything about him!"
…
At the same time, on Earth. Supreme Court, central hall.
The atmosphere was heavy. Henry Allen, suffering from years in prison and the loss of his wife, sat expressionless in his prison uniform, awaiting his fate.
In the front row, Barry watched the proceedings anxiously. The heavy oak doors of the courtroom loomed over him.
Where is Prince Lucci? he shouted in his heart.
Today was the last chance to overturn his father's case, thanks to Bruce Wayne's help. But the so-called "new evidence" was not in his hands, but in those of the godlike man.
"Order! Order!" The judge knocked the gavel, restoring order. The last whispers in the courtroom faded away.
The judge's sharp eyes scrutinized the case file, then looked at Barry. "Barry Allen," his voice was serious and calm, "you claim to have new, revolutionary evidence proving your father, Henry Allen, did not kill your mother, Nora Allen. Please, in respect for the law, present your evidence to the jury."
All eyes turned to Barry. His face flushed red, standing up in embarrassment, sweat beading on his forehead.
…