"No. Absolutely not."
Within the shattered Crystal Hall, the elder wielding twin silver hammers shook his head firmly, eyes locked onto the formidable "guest" who had traveled across the stars to stand before him. His tone left no room for negotiation.
"To guard the Infinity Stones is the sacred duty entrusted to our kind by the cosmos itself."
"No. That so-called duty is nothing more than a shackle—forced upon your people by your ancestors. While the Infinity Stones may have granted you power, they are also slowly destroying you."
Thanos, the Mad Titan, drove his massive blade into the crystalline floor beneath him. His voice was calm, almost regretful. He had no desire to massacre a race that hadn't yet upset the universal balance. His goal was singular—the Infinity Stones.
"Perhaps. But that alone is no reason to hand them over to you."
The white-haired elder didn't deny Thanos's claim. In truth, the toll the Infinity Stones had taken on their people had been evident to him for decades. Since his ascension to the throne, he had poured vast resources into researching alternatives to the Stones' power—desperate to prevent the catastrophic consequences their absence would bring: rapid biological decay of his kind, and the freezing over of their homeworld.
But now, with his own life nearing its end, he had achieved nothing.
In pursuit of answers, unwilling to experiment on his own people, the elder had once made an exception. Disguised as Pitt, he left Planet B48 and rescued a dying young man in deep space—Astlon.
Unbeknownst to Astlon, the elder secretly infused a fragment of Infinity Stone energy into his body. Faking his death, the elder returned to B48 and monitored Astlon from afar.
Over the course of a century, the elder—under the name Shafrin—witnessed firsthand the evolution of the energy within Astlon. The data Astlon provided to the planet's science division became the only known comprehensive report in the galaxy on the behavior of Infinity Stone energy inside a living organism.
But then, tragically, the energy within Shafrin peaked—and vanished. The science corps concluded the runaway energy had overwhelmed Astlon's body, leading to a violent internal collapse.
"You'll regret this." Thanos shook his head and pulled his blade from the crystalline floor. His gaze toward the elder turned cold.
Any species that stood in his way would be eradicated. The title of Warlord of Annihilation wasn't earned through diplomacy—it was forged in fire and blood.
"No... you're the one who will regret it."
Energy surged across the elder's twin hammers, crimson sparks glinting at his temples. Behind him, a towering phantom of energy erupted into existence, growing exponentially in an instant!
A colossal spectral giant loomed, cloak billowing like a thundercloud. Crossing its arms before its chest, it released a massive X-shaped energy beam that roared toward Thanos, tearing through the center of the hall!
"That figure..."
Outside the Crystal Hall, amidst the battle between Planet B48's warriors and the intruder, Lothar carved through a dozen foes with a single beam of energy. Glancing skyward, he caught sight of the spectral giant and was reminded of Shafrin on Planet U40.
Back then, as Shafrin burned his life force, a red-hued giant appeared behind him too.
"Coincidence?"
Effortlessly dodging a barrage of attacks, Lothar narrowed his eyes. A flash of blinding white cleaved across the sky—a blade of pure energy splitting the red titan in half.
"Impossible?!"
The elder dropped to his knees, unable to support himself. The shockwave from Thanos's power had shattered the energy conduits within his body.
"Now. Tell me."
Thanos stepped forward, blade in hand. An oppressive aura radiated from him like a tidal wave.
"Never."
Despite the internal destruction of his energy pathways, the elder's answer did not change.
"Even at the cost of your people's extinction?"
Thanos gestured toward the battlefield beyond the hall. Overhead, his warships descended like harbingers of doom. Under Ebony Maw's control, a stellar annihilation weapon rose, its barrel aimed squarely at the royal capital of B48.
"Of course. That is our destiny." Blood still on his lips, the elder closed his eyes with dignity.
When their ancestors built this sanctuary, they foresaw such desperate moments. A final protocol had been encoded into the sacred site:
If the royal capital were destroyed, the Infinity Stone Energy Conduction Tower would automatically retreat into the planetary core, sealing itself away.
Thanos said nothing. He raised his massive blade.
"I know where that power is!"
A voice rang out, halting Thanos mid-swing. He turned to see a scruffy Astra, arms bound in chains, eyes gleaming with excitement.
He had arrived just in time.
"Thanos, I know where the damn stone is," Astra declared without hesitation, recalling his two ventures into the sacred site of the Oro clan.
"You?! He sent you?!"
The elder's eyes flew open. Rage ignited in his gaze the moment he recognized the voice.
"No. We're just... partners. But I'm a man of my word. And when I commit, I go all the way. Oh, and by the way, your little prison routine? That hurt. A lot."
Crouching down, Astra locked eyes with the elder, who was paralyzed beneath Thanos's grip. Raising his chained hands, Astra's tone turned viciously playful.
"You can't do this!"
"The Infinity Stones are the core energy source of this planet. Without them, not just the Oro clan—but every species on this world will face annihilation!"
"Once severed from the Stones, the planet will fall into a glacial stasis. Every living thing will be frozen. B48 will become a dead world!"
The elder's voice trembled with deadly seriousness. Astra's expression faltered.
A whole... planet?
He'd killed before—many times. But every target he chose had ties to the Skrulls who destroyed Planet L77.
This was different...
"Kree..." the elder pleaded. "I beg you, on behalf of all life on B48..."
But his plea was cut short.
Thanos's blade pierced his chest.
A torrent of crimson spilled across the floor as Astra's eyes widened in horror. He swallowed hard.
"Thanos—"
"This is a difficult choice, Astra."
Thanos withdrew his blade from the elder's chest. His voice was calm. Empty.
"But I trust you won't disappoint me."
Astra's face darkened. He knew well—the blood on this man's hands wasn't from hesitation or mercy.
"You are a scientist with unwavering resolve," Thanos continued.
"And the hardest choices often require the strongest will."
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