"What is this?"
Everyone looked around, watching as the space suddenly changed.
The newly arrived members of the Eternals immediately assumed battle stances.
Thena summoned an energy spear and shield, ready to strike.
Gilgamesh also raised his hands, which gleamed with golden light, preparing to attack with full force.
"This is like a separate space."
"I've never seen technology like this. There are no records of this in our database."
Phastos pulled out a scanner, but he couldn't read any data.
"Because it's magic, genius." Tony flew into the air and aimed his repulsor at the Eternals below.
"Kill them!"
"These people killed Ajak!"
With the support of his allies, Ikaris, who had earlier thought of fleeing, now regained his confidence and dared to launch a direct attack.
Golden beams shot out of his eyes and flew toward Aron.
But something incredible happened soon after.
The beams slowed down!
Yes, the light shooting from his eyes began to lose speed.
Ikaris's face was filled with shock.
He discovered that his beams, after traveling just a few meters, grew slower and slower, almost completely halting in midair.
A buzzing echoed through the space.
"Superman doesn't exist, and I don't want anyone here pretending to be Superman." Aron clenched his left fist.
Between his fingers shone blue light, the power of the Space Stone.
He used its power to infinitely stretch the space and distance before Ikaris.
The result was clear.
It looked as though Ikaris's beams had stopped.
"Interesting." Aron smiled. Now he understood why Thanos had been obsessed with collecting the Infinity Stones. Snapping fingers was one thing, but the power of the stones themselves, that was the true treasure.
Developed to its fullest, it could create all kinds of miracles.
"It's a pity only I can find this fun."
After amusing himself, Aron put away the Stone and instantly vanished.
"Where did he go?!" Ikaris frantically turned his head. His powers were almost identical to Superman's - flight, super strength, laser vision, speed, durable body...
But what he lacked was Superman's quick reaction.
The only one who could keep up with Aron was Makkari.
Though she couldn't speak, she frantically gestured with her hands.
(Behind you!)
Too late.
Aron appeared behind Ikaris.
In the Mirror Dimension, he could relax.
One heavy strike!
Ikaris flew off like a shooting star and smashed into the ground.
Boom!
The entire ground of the Mirror Dimension trembled.
Ikaris's body tore through layers of rock and was buried deep beneath the surface.
In the mirrors all around them, the scene looked like endless shattering and falling through glass.
Above, the image of Earth remained untouched.
"Ikaris!"
The other Eternals had no time for despair.
They had to fight.
Phastos raised his war hammer, designed to fire laser beams, and opened fire on Aron.
"Are you playing the hero?" Aron looked at him coldly.
His pupils shone with a powerful purple light.
A buzzing ripped through space.
The annihilation beam, the force capable of destroying worlds, pierced through the Mirror Dimension, almost touching reality.
Fortunately, Aron reduced the energy in time, but even weakened, the attack was terrifying.
Phastos desperately raised layer after layer of energy shields.
But it was useless.
The destruction beam struck him.
His hammer split apart along with his body.
His dead body fell to the ground in two pieces.
"Phastos!"
Gilgamesh saw his comrade fall and growled.
Furious, he leapt forward and swung his massive fist at Aron.
But he didn't even finish the attack.
Boom!
Aron's gaze flashed again.
The annihilation beam sliced through space.
"Ah!!"
Gilgamesh screamed as his right arm was severed from his shoulder.
Blood spilled, but it stayed within the boundaries of the Mirror Dimension.
"I must control him!" Druig clenched his fists, frowning.
His invisible spiritual power spread toward Aron, trying to penetrate his mind.
But in the very next moment, he struck an unyielding wall.
Aron's will was like a sacred flame, untouchable, incorruptible.
In an instant, on the spiritual level, light exploded brighter than ten thousand suns.
That light was invisible to others... for it existed only on the mental plane.
"Ahhhhh!"
Druig collapsed, clutching his head.
Blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as he screamed in agony.
"Aba Aba!"
Makkari, who had stayed on the sidelines until now, could no longer watch her comrades fall one after another. Her heart wouldn't allow her to remain passive.
In the next moment, her entire body turned into golden light as she dashed across the shattered ground of the Mirror Dimension.
She was incredibly fast. Her movements were nearly invisible.
"Makkari... I don't know if that kid Quicksilver ever fully awakened his powers, but this is the first time I've fought a Speedster." Aron raised his eyebrows.
As he spoke, his will activated power.
Purple energy spread like a living wave.
It transformed into thousands of tendrils that descended and wrapped around the ground of the Mirror Dimension.
"Ahhh!!"
Makkari hadn't even taken a few steps before a tendril suddenly coiled around her ankle. She lost her balance and was trapped in an instant, as though speed itself had betrayed her.
"Makkari!"
Kingo shouted and instinctively rushed forward to help her.
But before he could move, python-like tendrils coiled tightly around his arms and legs.
Aron spread his fingers, and the tendrils suddenly tightened!
The sound of tearing flesh and bone filled the space.
In just a second, Kingo was ripped into several bloody pieces, like a victim of an ancient execution where the body was torn apart.
He died without even a chance to fight back.
By that point, the battle had already taken clear shape.
From the very beginning until now, in just a few moments, the Eternals had suffered horrific losses.
To Aron's eyes, non-human races were nothing but obstacles.
If he decided to act, it meant total annihilation.
Boom——!
At that moment, the rocks burst open.
Ikaris, whom Aron had earlier slammed deep underground, shot out.
His body was covered in bloody wounds, clothes torn, and his once-proud appearance was now filthy and distorted.
"I'll kill you!!" he roared.
But in the very next second, his voice abruptly went silent.
"What did you say?"
Aron stood in the air, holding Thena, the last surviving member of the Eternals.
Her body was limp, and he carried her like a mere doll, gripping her by the neck.
Without hesitation, he tossed her at Ikaris's feet.
"...!"
Ikaris's rage vanished in an instant.
The expression on his face shifted from fury to pure fear.
"You just said you'd kill me, didn't you?" Aron didn't even lift his eyes toward him. He waved his hand, and the Mirror Dimension collapsed.
Everything returned to the real world, but the sight was horrifying, Kingo and Phastos torn apart, Gilgamesh missing an arm, Makkari gravely injured, Thena unconscious and covered in blood.
Ikaris opened his mouth, but no words came out.
What remained of his pride vanished before the obvious reality.
The rage was gone, leaving only the unbearable weight of fear.
"Don't be afraid." Aron spoke coldly. "Death is an experience you will all taste."
His pupils once again gleamed with deep purple light.
Ikaris tried to flee, but he couldn't move. The space around him was locked by the power of the Space Stone.
"Don't worry," said Aron, "under my attack, there's still a chance you'll survive."
A smile crossed his face.
"Only that chance is... very, very, very, very small."
The purple light in his eyes grew stronger, ready to erupt into an annihilation beam.
Just then, a voice rang out.
A woman's voice.
"Please, stop!"
But Aron didn't stop.
Buzz——!
The destruction beam shot forward.
Aron had already made his choice. The voice was unfamiliar, and that wasn't enough to stop his hand.
–––
Support me on Patreon:
patreon.com/_BlackRose
Enjoy 30+ advanced chapters for just $3.
Your support would mean a lot to me. ❤️