When Arthur decided to hunt, he had already considered countless possibilities.
Especially when hunting those close to Thanos, he meticulously accounted for every conceivable reaction.
Though he possessed unwavering confidence in his current power, he was far from arrogant enough to believe himself the strongest being in the universe.
Thus, even when hunting a rabbit, a lion uses its full strength!
Lying in wait was merely the beginning. During the process of seeking an opportunity, when Ebony Maw was ordered to leave, would Thanos truly fail to consider that Arthur might hunt him?
And if he did consider it... what would he do?
First, we must understand that Thanos is utterly devoid of humanity!
Though he cherished certain individuals in this world, and though the Disassembler had once disassembled Thanos's helmet, believing him to be orderly at his core...
And though countless others believed that Thanos sought to annihilate half of all life in the universe precisely to safeguard it...
It was undeniable: if Thanos could extinguish his most cherished emotions, then discarding less significant things would come as naturally as breathing.
With that realization, many things became remarkably clear.
Thanos would inevitably take action!
Arthur didn't know exactly how Thanos would act, but he knew how to prepare, how to lure him in, how to manipulate him, and how to counter his moves!
In the serene cosmos, ripples spread like water patterns, expanding in concentric waves. One by one, spacecraft emerged, their menacing forms slicing through the void.
Lights blinked, engines roared, and a colossal dreadnought followed closely behind, like a monstrous demon dredged from the deepest reaches of the universe. It descended upon this region of space, radiating immeasurable terror and majesty.
But their welcome was light!
In the distance, a gargantuan structure shimmered with metallic luster, its massive cannon occupying a third of its entire frame.
Light pulsed within the barrel, its timing calculated down to the second.
Without the slightest delay, a pristine white beam, like a jade pillar, tore through the fabric of space, obliterating every disturbance in its path.
Instantly!
Silently!
Anything that dared stand before this 'jade pillar' vanished the instant it made contact, as if it had never existed.
…
Arthur stood on the bridge, watching the scene unfold. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "That single shot just set back Camp Lehigh Future's development by at least ten years."
"If a single shot could solve the problem, it would be an acceptable price to pay," Natasha replied, frowning as she studied the console. "But I detected spatial distortions during that moment."
Arthur focused his gaze, eventually drawing the Eye of Horus. He sighed heavily. "It's still... there..."
A cloud of cosmic dust drifted through space.
Yet the true target, the colossal, demon-like Spaceship carrying the protagonist, had somehow survived annihilation.
Natasha quickly spotted the target.
It appeared heavily damaged.
At least two-thirds of the warship had been annihilated, but at the last moment, it had narrowly avoided a critical hit, allowing Thanos to escape unscathed.
"The Moonship has a communication request," Natasha suddenly announced.
Arthur paused, taken aback. "The Moonship?"
"Uh... what's wrong?" Natasha asked.
"Who named it that?" Arthur demanded.
"Tony thought that if you were really you, you'd definitely choose a name like that."
"Then he should at least know that there's something in this world called... progress!" Arthur's face darkened. "Why wouldn't I have named it Selene? Or Pandia? Even Artemis, worn-out as it is, would have been better!"
"...Let's not dwell on 'worn-out' names," Natasha said. "What about the communication request?"
"Connect it," Arthur replied, then added, "Deploy the Šumer Legion."
Natasha nodded, and in the next moment, Thanos's massive purple face loomed before Arthur.
Though his skin was purple, making it difficult to discern subtle changes in expression, Arthur couldn't shake the feeling that the Titan looked troubled.
Is this just psychological? Arthur wondered, a hint of skepticism in his mind. He smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Thanos."
"I admit, I underestimated you," Thanos said, his expression grave. The usual lively glint had vanished from his purple face.
Arthur nodded. "I confess, I overestimated you as well."
He spoke with genuine sincerity.
Thanos's face visibly darkened further.
Meanwhile, from Arthur's other perspective, a new group of visitors had boarded Thanos's battle-scarred Spaceship.
Clad in combat suits identical to Arthur's, some stood tall and burly, their skin tinged green.
Some wore full Iron Man armor, soaring freely through the void.
Others moved with agile precision, their bodies augmented with black technology.
Still others could launch sticky, black, unidentified objects that crawled across every surface...
This group was numerous, having infiltrated Thanos' Warship through various breaches.
In the void, Šumer had already spread across the cosmos while the two were talking.
The initial blast had been devastating. Thanos' fleet, except for his own Spaceship, had been completely annihilated by the first strike.
Even his own Spaceship had lost a third of its combat capabilities.
Its remaining firepower was severely limited.
Yet Thanos seemed unfazed. "I don't understand," he said. "Why must we wage war against each other?"
"When you conquered planet after planet, did you ever give them a reason?"
Arthur exhaled softly, found a seat, and rubbed his slightly weary face. "I know what you're trying to do, but I absolutely won't let you."
"You know?" Thanos frowned. "There's no reason you should know..."
"The fate that befell Planet Titan won't occur in every corner of the universe," Arthur said. "Your ideas are far too extreme. And everything you've done over the years has been a mistake upon a mistake."
Thanos gave Arthur a deep, penetrating look. "Then if you were in my place, what would you do?"
"I would do nothing," Arthur said with a wave of his hand. "The universe has its own laws, and life within it must naturally abide by those laws. No one can act on behalf of the universe to enforce its rules. So, all we need to do is take care of ourselves."
(End of Chapter)
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