"If we choose Earth as the battlefield, then we'll truly have no way out. Either we defeat Thanos, or... all of us die together."
Steve was the first to speak.
In truth, everyone understood the cost of fighting Thanos on Earth.
Behind them stood billions of human lives.
If they lost, it wouldn't just be Earth that fell. Half the population of the entire universe would be wiped out.
There was no retreat.
Only a fight to the death.
"I want to know how you plan to lure Thanos out."
T'Challa looked at Karl.
He didn't think Karl was lying. In fact, he knew Karl well enough to trust that if he said he had a way, then he truly did.
What T'Challa wanted to know was whether there were any flaws in the plan.
"I have something Thanos wants."
"The final Infinity Stone."
Karl's words stunned several people.
Some already knew that the Mind Stone was in Karl's possession.
Others, such as T'Challa, had no idea.
When Karl destroyed the Regeneration Cradle, he had secretly obtained the Mind Stone.
No one had known at the time.
He had used it once during the Sokovia incident, though the System had absorbed its energy for him back then.
Later, he had even shown the Stone in front of the Avengers, but with everything happening, no one had thought much about it.
Only now did everyone suddenly remember.
"That's right. Karl has always been the owner of the Mind Stone."
"And that's exactly what Thanos is after."
"Get Tony and the others here immediately. This isn't the time to be studying spaceships."
"And contact Nick Fury. It's time for him to get moving too."
Steve made the decision on the spot.
Since a confrontation with Thanos was inevitable, they might as well take the initiative.
---
Far out in the depths of space, a streak of light raced toward a distant destination.
At the center of that light was a woman.
Her long golden hair streamed behind her as she flew.
It was Carol Danvers.
Captain Marvel.
After receiving Nick Fury's message, she had immediately set course for Earth.
Now, she could already see the Solar System ahead.
Worried about Fury's safety, she accelerated even further.
---
Earth — Wakanda
Coulson and Nick Fury had arrived in Wakanda.
The heroes were currently discussing the location of the final battle.
"Karl, are you certain Thanos won't be able to take the Mind Stone?"
Nick Fury's expression was grave.
His lone eye fixed on Karl.
Thanos already possessed five Infinity Stones.
If he obtained the sixth, half the life in the universe would vanish forever.
Whether any of the Avengers would survive was impossible to say.
"Don't worry."
"The Stone has always been on me."
"When Thanos's servants came to Earth before, didn't they search the wrong place?"
"I can guarantee they won't be able to take it."
Karl spoke with absolute confidence.
His System Inventory existed independently from all known dimensions.
Unless he deliberately revealed the Stone, nobody in the universe could find it.
Seeing Karl so certain, Fury relaxed slightly.
He knew Karl wasn't the type to make reckless claims.
If he said he was sure, then he must have a plan.
With the Mind Stone issue settled, the discussion shifted to the final battlefield.
Titan was no longer an option.
That left only Earth.
The first task was deciding where the battle would take place.
"It should be somewhere far from civilization."
"That way we won't have to hold back."
Steve studied the holographic world map before him.
His gaze settled on Antarctica.
"What about Antarctica?"
"It's sparsely populated, basically an entire continent of ice and snow."
However, the suggestion was immediately rejected by Fury.
"Not Antarctica."
"It houses the world's seed vaults, facilities belonging to numerous nations, and scientific personnel."
"Most importantly, there are things stored there that must remain secret from the rest of the world."
"Hm?"
Everyone turned toward Fury.
His final statement had piqued their curiosity.
What could possibly still be classified after the Battle of New York?
The existence of aliens was already public knowledge.
What secret could be important enough to hide from the entire world?
Fury waved a hand.
"Let's move on."
In short, Antarctica was off the table.
"Besides the poles, that leaves large deserts and glaciers."
Steve continued.
Several red markers appeared across the holographic globe.
They highlighted some of Earth's largest uninhabited deserts as well as several famous mountain ranges.
All of them shared one common characteristic:
Very few people lived there.
"The mountains aren't ideal."
"The terrain is too restrictive and could create unnecessary problems."
"Deserts are actually the best battlefield."
Tony dismissed the mountain options immediately.
Mountains collapsed when subjected to heavy bombardment.
The last thing they needed was for Thanos to bury them under an avalanche before they even reached him.
"There are several possibilities."
"The Sahara."
"The Taklamakan."
"The Arabian Desert."
"All of them fit our requirements."
"No permanent populations."
"Harsh environments."
"And most importantly, they're flat."
Tony enlarged the maps.
As he said, simple terrain had advantages.
Thanos wouldn't be able to exploit the environment against them.
They had already experienced firsthand how dangerous the Infinity Stones were.
Additionally, deserts stretched for thousands of kilometers.
The next time Thanos arrived on Earth, he wouldn't come alone.
His entire fleet would likely invade.
The desert was large enough to accommodate that scale of warfare.
"How about here?"
Nick Fury finally pointed at a specific location.
It was completely isolated from the rest of the world's major landmasses.
Even if the entire area were flattened—or outright destroyed—it wouldn't significantly affect human civilization.
The map zoomed in.
It was a massive island continent separated from every other continent on Earth.
Its southwestern region contained vast stretches of desert.
Virtually nobody lived there.
The Australian Desert.
More specifically, the interconnected desert regions of southwestern Australia.
Fury's choice was remarkably strategic.
Australia was geographically isolated from the rest of the world.
Although it contained numerous nations and territories, it stood apart from the other continents.
No one objected.
It truly was the most suitable battlefield available.
The primary advantage was simple:
It was surrounded by ocean on all sides.
Nothing important was nearby.
---
RUMBLE—!
Suddenly, a pillar of seven-colored light descended from the heavens.
Everyone could see it clearly through the windows.
The cylindrical beam was instantly recognizable.
The Rainbow Bridge.
Aside from Bruce and the Guardians, none of the others knew what had happened to Thor.
Asgard had been destroyed.
The Rainbow Bridge should no longer exist.
Even Karl wasn't entirely sure what was happening.
Ever since his arrival in this world, too many events had changed from the original timeline.
Many things no longer unfolded as he remembered.
Among those present, Bruce understood the situation best.
After all, he had personally witnessed the destruction of Asgard.
He had also seen Thanos slaughter half of the surviving Asgardians.
The windows of the conference hall slid open.
Everyone quickly stepped out into the palace gardens.
At that moment, the seven-colored light faded away.
All that remained was a complex circular pattern burned into the ground.
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