Marvel : Mutant God

Compared to Thanos's massive double-edged sword, Masamune appeared almost delicate in Richard's grip.

The katana measured a mere three centimeters in width with a thickness of only a few millimeters. In stark contrast, Thanos's weapon spanned 20 to 30 centimeters across with a thickness of two to three centimeters. Though both weapons stretched beyond two meters in length, Masamune appeared impossibly slender beside the Titan's brutal implement.

Yet the seemingly fragile Masamune didn't merely withstand the direct collision—it carved a visible notch into the blade of Thanos's double-edged sword.

This guy is quite powerful!

Richard had anticipated surpassing zombie Thanos in raw strength, but now realized he'd been overconfident. Despite possessing Super Strength, Enhanced Durability, and a 5% fusion with the Superboy-Prime template, he failed to secure an absolute advantage in their confrontation.

Though surprising, this development didn't trouble him excessively. The cinematic version of Thanos, while formidable, never seemed truly unstoppable. The comics, however, portrayed a far more terrifying entity.

By official power ratings alone, Thanos's attributes were staggering—intelligence, strength, endurance, energy projection, and combat skills all ranked at the maximum level 7. Only his speed fell short of perfection.

While this universe's Thanos likely didn't match his comic counterpart's full might, he still outclassed most superheroes by a considerable margin. Even the supposedly "weakened" MCU Thanos had effortlessly dismantled the Hulk with his bare hands.

After discovering his lack of overwhelming physical superiority, Richard abandoned the direct strength contest. He twisted his wrist to withdraw Masamune while simultaneously shifting position—moving from directly in front of zombie Thanos to the infected Titan's right flank.

Octoslash!

Without hesitation, Richard executed Octoslash, unleashing eight devastating strikes against zombie Thanos in rapid succession.

Though deprived of his living intelligence, zombie Thanos retained his combat instincts. As Richard initiated Octoslash, the infected Titan swung his massive weapon in response.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Masamune and the double-edged sword collided repeatedly, generating a cascade of metallic impacts. With astonishing precision, zombie Thanos deflected all eight slashes in a single fluid sequence.

Truly worthy of being called Thanos! Even zombified, he cannot be underestimated!

Richard acknowledged this reality with grudging respect. Though Octoslash wasn't an unbeatable technique, zombie Thanos was the first opponent to neutralize it entirely. More impressively, the infected Titan hadn't relied on his superhuman durability—he'd countered the attack through pure martial skill.

Rather than disappointment, Richard's expression shifted toward excitement. After dispatching Sebastian Shaw and Magneto's clones, combat had lost its thrill. Neither the conflict at the Department of Mutant Affairs nor his encounter with Dark Phoenix had rekindled that spark.

Yet facing zombie Thanos, the exhilaration returned.

Gravesong!

Without retreating, Richard unleashed Gravesong—four consecutive earth-shaking slashes delivered with devastating precision. Just as with Octoslash, zombie Thanos intercepted each strike with his double-edged sword.

Though he failed to wound the infected Titan, Richard remained undiscouraged. If Octoslash at Super Speed couldn't penetrate Thanos's defense, Gravesong faced similar odds.

After completing Gravesong, Richard teleported backward more than ten meters.

Swift Slash!

The moment he materialized on the street, Richard activated Swift Slash, vanishing instantly from normal perception.

Clang!

Masamune's edge, targeted at zombie Thanos's neck, met the unyielding resistance of the double-edged sword once again.

Recognizing that Super Speed wouldn't secure a swift victory, Richard teleported again, reappearing over twenty meters from the infected Titan.

Though he could employ other abilities—Matter Manipulation, Transmutation, Hellfire, Heat Vision, and more—to overwhelm zombie Thanos, Richard chose to restrain himself. It was rare to encounter an opponent who matched him in swordsmanship while possessing comparable physical attributes. Such an opportunity demanded proper appreciation.

Unlike Richard's enthusiastic approach to zombie Thanos, Susan Storm and Peter Parker harbored no desire for extended combat. While Richard engaged the infected Titan, the Invisible Woman and Spider-Man initiated their assault against the zombie Chitauri and Vanguard forces.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

War Machine and Falcon, leveraging their aerial mobility, led the offensive with a barrage of gunfire and explosives. As they engaged from above, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Thing, and others split into tactical teams, striking from multiple vectors simultaneously.

Neither Richard nor zombie Thanos paid attention to the distant combat sounds. They charged toward each other once more.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Masamune and the double-edged sword collided repeatedly as Richard and zombie Thanos battled like legendary duelists.

Octoslash, Gravesong, Skyshatter, Swift Slash, Zanshin, Hell Gate, Heartless Angel...

Overhead chop, horizontal slash, diagonal cut, forward thrust, rising strike...

The massive double-edged sword appeared weightless in zombie Thanos's grip as he wielded it with devastating force and momentum. Masamune answered each attack relentlessly, as if determined to eventually shatter the Titan's weapon through sheer persistence.

Compared to the surrounding conflicts, their duel transcended mere combat—it was simultaneously more visually spectacular and more lethally intense. Despite possessing a Kryptonian physique and Accelerated Healing, Richard had no intention of testing his durability against the double-edged sword's edge.

That thing could slice through a vibranium shield! Even if it doesn't kill me, being cut would certainly hurt!

Time passed gradually. Before either combatant realized, several minutes had elapsed in continuous battle.

Throughout this period, neither Spider-Man, Susan Storm, and their allies, nor the zombie Chitauri and Vanguard forces, interfered with the central duel between Richard and zombie Thanos.

After these minutes of intense combat, Richard grudgingly acknowledged that techniques like Octoslash and Gravesong alone wouldn't overcome zombie Thanos. Despite his infected state, Thanos's combat prowess remained undiminished. In terms of battle experience, the Mad Titan's centuries of warfare far exceeded Richard's own.

When zombie Thanos blocked yet another Octoslash sequence, Richard teleported to the street twenty meters distant.

"You're good, really good!" Richard called out, admiration evident in his voice. "If circumstances were different and you weren't... like this... I'd genuinely enjoy sharing a drink with you." His expression shifted to one of resigned determination. "What a pity!"

Richard regarded Thanos with a complex mixture of respect and resignation.

From a personal perspective, his impression of Thanos wasn't entirely negative. Though the Mad Titan could never be considered a good person—his methods were undeniably extreme and his worldview fundamentally warped—he wasn't without admirable qualities. At minimum, Thanos possessed formidable determination and unshakable resolve in pursuing his objectives.

Zombie Thanos offered no verbal response to Richard's sentiment. Instead, he raised his left hand and aimed his gauntleted fist directly at his opponent.

Energy Projection!

Without hesitation, zombie Thanos unleashed another devastating energy attack.

Facing the laser-like beam, Richard didn't counter with Octoslash as before. This time, he activated his X-gene mutant ability.

Energy Absorption!

As the blue-white energy beam approached Richard, it abruptly vanished. Though the Space Stone's energy differed significantly from conventional forms like thermal, nuclear, or electrical power, it still fell within the absorption range of his Energy Absorption ability.

During idle moments in the past, Richard had frequently used the Cosmic Cube as a personal "power bank." This fierce energy attack not only failed to harm him but actually enriched his internal energy reserves.

After absorbing the Space Stone's power, Richard immediately mounted his counteroffensive.

Matter Manipulation!

Rather than employing other mutant abilities, Richard channeled his Omega-level Matter Manipulation. Under his precise control, a shockwave invisible to the naked eye surged toward zombie Thanos with lightning speed.

Unlike conventional shockwaves, this projection carried matter-decomposing properties. In an instant, the destructive wave reached zombie Thanos.

Just as the decomposition wave was about to impact the infected Titan, a spherical blue-white protective shield materialized, completely enveloping zombie Thanos. Superficially, this barrier resembled other energy shields, but its defensive capabilities vastly exceeded conventional protections. The difference was fundamental—this shield drew its power directly from the Space Stone.

Richard's decomposition wave collided violently with the blue-white barrier, attempting to break down its structure. However, even after expending its full energy, the wave failed to penetrate the shield generated by zombie Thanos.

This outcome didn't particularly surprise Richard. The Space Stone was, after all, an Infinity Stone. If a barrier generated by such a cosmic artifact could be easily overcome, it would dishonor the very status of Infinity Stones within the Marvel universe.

After confirming his decomposition wave couldn't breach the protective shield surrounding zombie Thanos, Richard immediately shifted tactics.

You want to challenge me with the Space Stone? I possess one too!

If you wish to engage me with Space Stone abilities, I'll gladly reciprocate!

Under zombie Thanos's watchful gaze, Richard extracted the Cosmic Cube from his system space.

As Richard produced the artifact, zombie Thanos displayed an unmistakably human expression of astonishment from within his protective barrier. Though the infected Titan had lost his original rationality and intellect, one imperative remained encoded in his being—collecting all six Infinity Stones to fulfill his universe-cleansing plan.

Zombie Thanos first regarded the Cosmic Cube in Richard's hand with visible surprise. Then, he examined the Space Stone embedded in his Infinity Gauntlet with equal bewilderment.

Had he retained his living intelligence, Thanos would have quickly deduced that Richard originated from another universe, as did the Cosmic Cube he wielded. Unfortunately, the Titan's once-formidable intellect had severely degraded. While his mind contained more than just the primal hunger driving ordinary zombies, he still couldn't comprehend how two Space Stones could simultaneously exist.

Recognizing the confusion evident in zombie Thanos's expression, Richard understood the Titan's dilemma. However, he had no intention of providing explanations. Instead, he channeled the Space Stone's energy contained within the Cosmic Cube.

Instantaneous Projection!

Under Richard's control, the Cosmic Cube levitated slowly, hovering beside him. In the next moment, it aligned with zombie Thanos and discharged a laser-like blue-white beam.

The Cosmic Cube's energy projection wasn't particularly massive—approximately the diameter of an adult's arm. Despite its modest size, the beam's power was anything but insignificant.

Within a heartbeat, the concentrated energy struck the protective shield surrounding zombie Thanos.

BOOM!

The moment the blue-white beam collided with the barrier, a cataclysmic explosion resembling a nuclear detonation erupted with zombie Thanos at its epicenter. A blue-white mushroom cloud hundreds of meters tall surged skyward.

The resulting shockwave radiated outward like a tsunami, obliterating every structure within a one-kilometer radius. The devastating blast reverberated throughout New York, generating seismic tremors as if the city had been struck by an earthquake.

Zombie Chitauri soldiers and Vanguards within the explosion's range either perished instantly under the shockwave or were hurled skyward like leaves in a hurricane. War Machine, Falcon, and other defenders caught within the blast radius fared little better—they were either thrown violently backward or sustained injuries from the indiscriminate shockwave.

Richard recognized that such an immense explosion might harm War Machine, Falcon, and other allies, but this concern didn't particularly trouble him. Even if they were killed rather than merely injured by the blast, he wouldn't consider it a significant loss. With the exception of Black Widow, Sharon Carter, and the Invisible Woman, the fate of the others held little importance to him.

The blue-white mushroom cloud and devastating shockwave dissipated relatively quickly. Within ten seconds, the towering cloud and expanding pressure wave had vanished, and the disturbed air currents and dust began settling.

As conditions normalized, zombie Thanos reappeared in Richard's field of vision.

The infected Titan appeared completely unharmed, indistinguishable from his pre-explosion state. However, the blue-white protective shield that had completely surrounded him had disappeared. Now he stood at the center of a crater five to six meters deep, gazing upward at Richard, whose silver hair danced in the wind as he hovered above.

At the moment of detonation, Richard had teleported beyond the city limits to avoid the explosion's shockwave. Only after the mushroom cloud and pressure wave dissipated did he teleport back to the battlefield.

Though he could have remained in place and employed Energy Absorption to neutralize the approaching shockwave, he'd chosen teleportation instead. He had already absorbed sufficient energy and saw no need to specifically harvest the shockwave's power.

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Marvel x Star Wars: Avengers in the Clone Wars

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