"Roar!" Galactus let out a displeased growl, clearly angered by the continuous attacks. But before he could counter, Robert's relentless assault rained down once more, like a violent storm battering the cosmic entity's massive head.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
"Damn, so hard!" Robert muttered under his breath after landing a flurry of blows. Though his attacks were powerful enough to force Galactus's head to tilt back repeatedly, they were barely scratching the surface of the cosmic being. Galactus's metaphorical "health bar" seemed so vast it was almost laughable—Robert couldn't even see its end.
Nearby, the Ancient One continued weaving intricate magical hand signs, her spells rippling through the distorted space. However, Galactus's enormous form remained unchanged, and Robert couldn't feel any noticeable difference in the impact of his punches.
Confused, Robert shot a questioning glance at the Ancient One. The message in his eyes was clear: "Supreme Sorcerer, are you even doing anything?!"
In previous battles on Earth, Robert had no issue with the Ancient One simply watching from the sidelines, given her preference for using the Mirror Dimension to contain threats. But this was a different kind of enemy. Against an adversary like Galactus, one that was almost impossible to deal with alone, Robert needed all the help he could get.
While Robert usually enjoyed taking down opponents by himself, he wasn't foolish enough to insist on soloing a foe of this caliber. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fused with Clark to face Dormammu back in the Dark Dimension. With Galactus, fusion wasn't an option, so the Ancient One's support was critical. Yet her magic didn't seem to be having any noticeable effect.
"Is Galactus just too strong, or has the Ancient One lost some of her power after being meddled with by the Earth's dimensional consciousness?" Robert mused internally, his doubt growing.
"Cosmic gods truly are terrifying…" The Ancient One sighed, her aura beginning to shift. Suddenly, a sinister energy started emanating from her, wrapping around her form like a shroud. Her appearance changed drastically—she now looked like a malevolent entity from beyond the dimensions.
"A dimensional demon?" Galactus seemed to sense the change immediately. He swung a massive fist toward Robert while simultaneously stomping at the Ancient One with his colossal foot. His movements were so fast and unexpected that even the Ancient One, caught off guard, couldn't react in time.
Judging by Galactus's sheer size, one might expect him to be slow and lumbering. That was clearly not the case. Until now, Robert's unrelenting attacks had made it seem like Galactus lacked the speed to respond effectively. But the reality was far from that. Galactus's strikes were lightning-fast—his fist targeting Robert while his foot crushed the Ancient One's body into a bloody pulp.
As for Robert, he fared better. Having activated his Raging Combat Fist mode earlier, he was prepared for Galactus's attack. Galactus's punch failed to send Robert flying, stopping mid-air upon contact with his indestructible defense. Still, the impact was powerful enough to leave Robert coughing up a small trickle of blood.
While the injury wasn't severe, Robert's mood darkened. Glancing at the Ancient One's remains, he sensed her life force had completely vanished.
"Is the Ancient One… dead?" Robert's brows furrowed deeply. A mix of frustration and disbelief churned in his heart. The Supreme Sorcerer, Earth's former protector, had seemingly met her end after a single attack? It was almost absurd to think about. Was this even the real Ancient One? Could the Earth's dimensional consciousness have sent out a fake?
Buzz!
Before Robert could dwell further on his frustrations, the distorted space around them shimmered with green, blue, and red light. Time itself seemed to rewind, the fabric of reality folding backward as events began to reverse.
In the blink of an eye, Robert's injuries vanished—not healed, but erased as if they had never occurred. Similarly, the Ancient One's pulverized body reformed, brought back to life by the time reversal. Once again, Galactus's attacks lashed out toward the two of them, but this time, both Robert and the Ancient One evaded the strikes with ease.
"Time reversal? No… this is the entire spacetime being rewound." Galactus halted his attacks momentarily, his deep voice rumbling through the distorted dimension. "To manipulate three Infinity Stones to this extent… you are impressive."
"Given your might, Cosmic God, wouldn't it be better to cease your attack on Earth?" The Ancient One's calm voice echoed as three glowing magic circles revolved around her wrists. "I've established an anchor point within this spacetime. No matter how many times you kill us, everything will reset to the original state. Unless you can surpass the combined power of these three Infinity Stones in one strike, you'll remain trapped here indefinitely."
The Ancient One's mastery of this technique was unparalleled. Before Robert and Clark had risen to prominence, she had used similar methods to build her reputation across various dimensions, wielding the Time Stone to reset battles endlessly.
However, Galactus was no ordinary dimensional foe. His power far exceeded that of most dimension rulers. The Ancient One knew that merely using the Time Stone wouldn't be enough to contain him, so she relied on the combined might of three Infinity Stones: Time, Space, and Reality.
"I am Galactus, as you say, a cosmic god," Galactus replied, his voice steady and indifferent. "But three Infinity Stones? That is far from enough to stop me… Hmm?"
Whoosh!
Before Galactus could finish speaking, a blinding energy beam struck his colossal form. It was a fully charged Kamehameha blast from Robert, who had used the brief moment of distraction to unleash his ultimate attack.
Boom!
The energy wave smashed into Galactus, forcing his massive form to stagger backward. For the first time since the battle began, Galactus's body showed visible damage—a small fissure formed on his surface.
Though the wound was minuscule compared to Galactus's immense size, it was significant. This was the first time he had been injured during the confrontation, and it made him reevaluate Robert's capabilities.
Galactus had initially disregarded Robert as little more than an annoyance. Even during Robert's earlier relentless attacks, Galactus didn't see him as a threat. His focus had been on the Ancient One, whom he perceived as the greater danger. But now, things were different.
"You can leave this spacetime?" Both Galactus and the Ancient One were visibly surprised. Despite creating this domain herself, even the Ancient One couldn't escape without withdrawing the power of the Infinity Stones. Yet Robert had managed to leave and return with ease.
"Just a little trick," Robert said casually, though a hint of regret laced his voice. "It's a shame… I couldn't deal more damage."
The fissure on Galactus's body was minor, and the energy of the Kamehameha had dissipated before it could penetrate deeply. This suggested that Galactus's internal defenses were even stronger than his external ones—a daunting realization.
"You annoying insect!" Galactus's voice boomed as he swung another massive fist at Robert. Unlike before, his attention was now fully on the Saiyan. Having identified Robert as a genuine threat, Galactus ignored the Ancient One entirely, leaving her to maintain the spacetime domain.
Robert, however, wasn't foolish enough to meet Galactus's attack head-on. Using his Instant Transmission, he blinked out of harm's way, reappearing at a safe distance. Taking full advantage of Galactus's massive size, Robert flitted around him, launching hit-and-run attacks at different points.
"Damn pest!" Galactus roared, his frustration mounting. Realizing his enormous form was a liability, he began to shrink himself, reducing his size to match Robert's.
This shift was both a blessing and a curse. While Galactus's smaller form eliminated the advantage Robert had been exploiting, it also made the battle more evenly matched in terms of mobility and precision.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The fight escalated into an intense melee. Robert, now facing an opponent closer to his own size, engaged Galactus in brutal close-quarters combat. This was the kind of fight Robert excelled at, yet despite his skill and experience, he found himself unable to gain the upper hand.
Galactus's strength, speed, and durability were far beyond Robert's current limits. Only his vast combat experience and adaptive techniques kept him from being overwhelmed.
Buzz!
Fortunately, the Ancient One wasn't idle. After a period of preparation, she unleashed a surge of dark, otherworldly energy. However, instead of targeting Galactus, she directed the power toward Robert.
"What?!" Robert's aura flared as the dark energy enveloped him. The golden glow of his Super Saiyan form mixed with the crimson-black energy, amplifying his strength and speed.
The Ancient One had made a calculated decision. Recognizing that her own spells couldn't weaken Galactus, she focused on enhancing Robert instead. She trusted in his unparalleled control over his body and energy, confident he could harness the additional power without losing himself.
Feeling the surge of new strength coursing through him, Robert smirked. His attacks grew faster, harder, and more precise as he continued his relentless assault on Galactus. The battle between the Saiyan warrior and the cosmic god raged on, shaking the very fabric of the distorted dimension.
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