When Belasco's blade pierced Thor's ribs, Steve Rogers didn't hesitate.
"Avengers, hit him!" Captain America roared.
He raised his vibranium shield, absorbing a stray bolt of dark magic. "Only Thor and Illyana can bypass his magical wards! Cover them! Stay out of close combat!"
Cyclops stepped forward, unleashing a maximum-yield ruby-quartz optic blast. Logan lunged right behind the beam.
Belasco didn't even blink. He raised a hand, suspending a magical shield in mid-air. He snapped his fingers. The shield instantly crystallized into a multi-faceted prism. Cyclops's beam slammed into the magical glass, fracturing into dozens of lethal lasers that ricocheted wildly across the battlefield.
The depressed, alternate-universe Strange threw his hands wide. He tore open a massive spatial portal, catching the scattered lasers mid-air and redirecting them straight into the face of a giant demon currently wrestling the Hulk.
Logan closed the distance. He plunged his adamantium claws directly into Belasco's spine.
Belasco sighed. He didn't bleed. Without even turning around, he caught an incoming steel punch from Colossus. Belasco casually twisted his wrist, cleanly snapping Piotr's arm.
Belasco glanced over his shoulder at Wolverine. "You fractured your soul to forge a magical blade once, didn't you, mutant? You really should have brought it." He grabbed Logan's wrist. "And filling your skeleton with highly conductive metal? A terrible idea."
Hellfire surged from Belasco's grip. The demonic heat bypassed Logan's flesh and instantly superheated his adamantium skeleton. Logan erupted into flames from the inside out, screaming as he collapsed.
Belasco kicked Colossus away. He stomped his cloven hoof against the stone floor.
The marble cracked. Countless jagged rock spikes violently erupted from the ground beneath Cyclops. Emma Frost stepped in front of Scott. Her skin instantly hardened into flawless, indestructible diamond, shattering the spikes on impact.
Belasco tilted his head, his glowing crimson eyes locking onto Emma. Her brilliant diamond form suddenly dulled. The magic transmuted her body into fragile, crumbling limestone. The depressed Strange frantically cast a counter-spell, forcing her back to her organic form before she shattered into dust.
Bobby Drake slid forward on a ramp of ice. He unleashed a localized blizzard directly at the demon lord's chest.
Belasco simply waved his hand. The ice instantly transmuted into a tidal wave of roaring hellfire.
Storm dropped from the blood-red sky. She summoned a hyper-compressed hurricane, violently blowing the hellfire back. Belasco swung his Soulsword, launching a dark energy arc at her. Ororo dodged cleanly, but Belasco snapped his fingers, summoning a winged demon directly into her flight path. The creature clotheslined Storm out of the air.
Black Panther sprinted through the chaos. T'Challa hurled a spread of vibranium daggers. They exploded against Belasco's wards, creating a dense smokescreen. T'Challa slid into the smoke, executing a flawless, momentum-heavy sweeping kick against Belasco's newly regenerated legs.
It was like kicking a mountain. Belasco didn't budge an inch.
The demon lord waited patiently for the smoke to clear. He looked down at T'Challa, then kicked the Black Panther squarely in the chest, launching him backward until he shattered a marble pillar.
A golden Sling Ring portal sparked open above the dais. Illyana dropped out, swinging her heavy broadsword in a vicious downward arc.
Belasco vanished. He materialized directly behind Illyana without a sound. He thrust his own weapon straight through her back. Illyana tumbled down the steps. The Bloodstone Amulet, now holding only four glowing stones, slipped from her weakened grasp.
Belasco bent down to retrieve the amulet.
Thwip. Peter dropped directly onto Belasco's back. The Venom symbiote surged outward, wrapping thick, black tendrils around the demon lord's arms and neck.
Peter didn't waste time on a spatial tear. He knew the wards were up. Instead, he channeled the ambient electricity crackling through the air from Thor's hammer directly into his suit's web.
"Let's see how you handle divine voltage!" Peter yelled, discharging a massive, Thor-infused bio-electric shock point-blank into Belasco's nervous system.
Belasco snarled in genuine pain. His entire body erupted in blinding, white-hot hellfire.
The symbiote wailed in agony, instantly retreating into Peter's suit. Belasco reached back, grabbed Peter by the throat, and violently slammed him into the exact same broken pillar T'Challa had just hit.
Peter hit the floor hard. He gasped for air, his ribs screaming.
Spider-Man. Stand by. Stephen Strange's voice echoed sharply in Peter's mind. Peter coughed, forcing himself up on one knee. He gave a sharp nod.
Across the room, Janet van Dyne buzzed toward Belasco's face. The demon swatted her out of the air, tearing one of her mechanical wings off in the process. Hank Pym roared, growing to sixty feet tall. He slammed both massive hands over Belasco, pinning him to the floor. Strange's magical runes glowed brightly on Giant-Man's gloves.
Belasco simply grew. He expanded rapidly, his demonic muscles swelling until he dwarfed even Giant-Man. He grabbed Hank's helmet, preparing to crush the scientist's skull.
A massive green blur intercepted him. The Hulk vaulted off a balcony and delivered a devastating uppercut to Belasco's chin. The demon lord staggered backward, instantly shrinking back to his normal size. He pointed a claw at the Hulk, casting a stasis spell that froze the behemoth entirely mid-leap.
Tony Stark hit the thrusters. The Silver Centurion armor barreled forward, delivering a rocket-powered punch to Belasco's jaw.
Belasco caught Tony's metal fist. He sent a wave of thermal magic through the suit. Alarms blared as the Silver Centurion armor rapidly overheated.
Steve Rogers vaulted off Tony's shoulder. He slammed the edge of his vibranium shield into the back of Belasco's skull, dropped his weight, and locked the demon in a brutal rear-naked choke.
Belasco didn't speak. He released Tony's melting armor. He grabbed Steve by the uniform and violently slammed him face-first into the marble floor. Belasco raised his Soulsword and drove it straight down through the vibranium shield.
The Soulsword carried no physical properties. It passed harmlessly through the indestructible metal and stabbed directly into Steve's soul.
Cap gritted his teeth, refusing to scream. He reached up, locking his hands around Belasco's wrist to hold the demon in place.
Belasco sneered, preparing to end the Captain's life.
Blade slammed into Belasco shoulder-first, knocking the demon lord two steps back and pulling the sword free.
At the back of the hall, 616-Strange turned to his depressed counterpart. "If I drop my half of the defensive wards to go on the offensive, how long can you hold the roof alone?"
The depressed Strange stared at him. "Are you insane?!"
"How long?"
"Thirty seconds! Tops!"
"That's all I need."
Thor stepped forward. The God of Thunder raised Mjolnir, pouring every ounce of his remaining divine power into the Uru metal. The air crackled with blinding ozone. Thor brought the hammer down with catastrophic force.
Belasco abandoned Cap and raised his Soulsword, catching the head of the hammer. A massive shockwave of lightning and dark magic leveled the remaining pillars in the hall.
Dozens of golden Sling Ring portals sparked open in a sphere around Belasco. The demon lord sneered, instantly projecting a wave of hellfire that incinerated the portals before anyone could step through.
It was a distraction.
Stephen Strange floated high above the dais. He thrust his hands forward. "Crimson Bands of Cyttorak!" Thick, indestructible red chains erupted from the floor, wrapping tightly around Belasco's arms and legs, locking him in place.
A final golden portal opened directly above Belasco. Illyana dropped through, swinging her glowing Soulsword in a lethal decapitation strike.
Belasco broke his right arm free from the crimson bands. He reached up and caught Illyana's Soulsword completely bare-handed. The blade sizzled against his palm, but he held it firm. He smiled.
Then, Belasco froze.
A horrific, piercing pain erupted in the center of his chest. It wasn't physical pain. It was the distinct, agonizing sensation of his soul being shredded.
Belasco looked down. A beautifully crafted, indestructible blade had just burst through his sternum from behind.
"Dragonfang...?" Belasco gasped, recognizing the legendary weapon.
Peter stood directly behind him, gripping the hilt of sword. He had quietly stepped through a portal behind the throne while Thor provided the light show.
Peter twisted the blade. "You really need to keep better track of our inventory, Belasco."