"I once thought destroying you would be a gift, but I discovered that as long as the roots remain, those seeking revenge will grow wildly like weeds in the wind. I also wanted to give you a chance to become my subordinates and witness the birth of a new universe together.
"But what we get in return is endless resistance!
"I'm tired. Tired, tired, tired..."
Sif's lips were stained with blood, and she clutched her shattered right shoulder. Blood spurted through her fingers. The entire right side of her body was burned, and Mjolnir lay shattered on the ground. The goddess's blue pupils flashed with indescribable horror.
Frank's head exploded, and his headless body collapsed to the ground. A Spirit of Vengeance who had signed a contract with Mephisto could not truly die. Unless that was his own wish, no one could kill someone who had already become a devil of Hell.
Robbie Reyes had also accepted his death calmly after giving up his identity as Ghost Rider. His lifespan had originally been short, but the Spirit of Vengeance had extended it. Frank was different. He could still live normally even without the Spirit of Vengeance.
Even if his head was shattered, his heart ripped out, and his body ground into powder, as long as Frank was given enough time, he would walk out of Hell again! He would drive the Ghost Chariot and shoulder the mantle of the Ghost Rider.
Jack Lockley lay on the ground. Mark was unconscious from his severe injuries, and now only Jack could control this body.
Wanda glanced at him in disgust. More than a dozen thorns shot out from the ground, piercing the man's body and pinning him there, leaving him unable to move.
This man was obviously so weak, yet he possessed the inexplicable power to hurt her. Wanda remained extremely vigilant. Chaos Magic transformed into chains that bound him, constantly absorbing the power of the Moon God Khonshu. Once it reached a certain threshold, Khonshu would undoubtedly reclaim his identity as Moon Knight, leaving him completely ordinary.
"I've changed my mind. You are not worthy of witnessing the birth of the new world. I want you to become nutrients for that new world and merge with the new universe!"
"The Earth is only the first step. There are even greater threats in the universe!"
Wanda felt it. She sensed the pressure of the Five Gods at the edge of the universe, as well as several powerful auras on the Moon that made her uneasy.
In the vast universe, there were at least six or seven beings whose power was no weaker than hers. Like the Sword of Damocles, they always hung over the witch's head.
"Hand over your Phoenix Power, too."
The enormous dark tower stood upon the shattered earth, its summit blooming with black-and-red light. An evil aura enveloped the United States, making the survivors struggle to breathe.
Hope dragged her broken body forward, blood covering her face. Her pupils were confused, then briefly became clear, while black flames wrapped around her broken limbs, holding them together.
The witch crooked a finger, and the girl's slender body flew toward her uncontrollably. Purple blood marks appeared around her pale neck, her face reddening as she struggled to breathe.
An intoxicated expression appeared on Wanda's face. It truly deserved to be called the Phoenix Power, one of the great cosmic forces alongside the Chaos Power. Even one-fifth of its power could nearly overwhelm her. If she hadn't absorbed Chthon's divine power, she might not even have been able to defeat one-tenth of the Phoenix Power.
It was difficult to imagine how these weak X-Men had defeated the complete Dark Phoenix. It was said that woman had nearly ruled that era.
Wanda couldn't even imagine that Jean had actually been killed by Logan's claws.
Where was Logan now?
Oh...
Now he was probably rooted in the ground, with that iron tree about to bloom.
"Suck it dry!"
The girl cried out in pain as red smoke continuously poured from her seven orifices, twisting like flexible snakes as they raced through her mind.
Gradually, a phoenix slowly emerged behind Wanda, its wings faintly spreading as it let out a mournful cry. It seemed to sense that its host was about to die and couldn't help but grieve.
Unlike the Chaos Power, which had only one host, the Phoenix Force had two hosts: the Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey, and the White Phoenix, Hope Summers. Both had reached the peak of the Phoenix Force through different paths!
It was like a waterfall pouring into her body, cool and unrestrained, filled with the breath of freedom.
Darkness and evil were practically the perfect nourishment for the Chaos Witch. The Phoenix Power happened to satisfy all of Wanda's requirements. Chaos plus Phoenix—the combination of two forces capable of destroying worlds was not simply a matter of one plus one equaling two.
It might even allow her to surpass the God of Creation and reach a level comparable to Chthon.
Whoosh!
Swish!
A purple beam pierced Wanda's bulging chest. Blood sprayed from her mouth, and Hope collapsed to the ground, her eyes blank.
The energy of the Power Stone tore through her, and the witch's fragile body was compressed until it was as thin as paper.
"Wanda! Do you miss your fiancé?"
Renzo gently landed on the ground with a smile.
"Isn't the scarlet sky a curtain prepared for our wedding? The color is just too heavy. I think pink would be better. If we have children in the future, especially a daughter, she'll definitely like pink decorations."
Wanda instantly broke free of the Power Stone's suppression, shock filling her eyes.
"Who are you? No... you're Renzo! Why have you changed your appearance?"
Wanda's expression darkened. He was the only Avenger capable of wielding three Infinity Stones. She clearly remembered shattering this man's body and cutting off his core device. If the Mind Stone hadn't continued providing energy, he would have died on the battlefield long ago.
Something was wrong!
Wanda's red pupils seemed to boil like lava as she saw through the man's true nature at a glance.
"Human?! How can you be human?!"
Wanda's eyes widened. An hour ago, he had clearly been a cyborg covered in circuit boards. His hard vibranium body had been heavily damaged, leaving almost nothing recognizable as human.
But how could a cyborg become a real human being?!
Wanda scanned Renzo from head to toe, seeing through his entire body. His heart, liver, spleen, lungs, brain, muscles, blood vessels, nerves... every part was exactly like a human's, down to the smallest detail.
Reality Gem!
Wanda's mind suddenly cleared. Renzo's right hand emitted a faint red glow, seemingly sharing the same source of power as the golden light on his forehead.
Wanda was certain.
This was another Infinity Stone.
Renzo's fourth Infinity Stone!
"I feel like my new body is pretty good. I finally have all the functions humans have. Hunger, pain, cold, excitement, itching..."
Renzo looked satisfied as he touched the rough bark of a nearby tree, enjoying the sensation against his palm.
Three years! More than three years!
He had finally regained his human body, and...
Renzo looked at his reflection in the blood.
It wasn't Paul's face.
It was his original face—the appearance of the time-traveler Renzo.
However, although this body's appearance was exactly the same as his original appearance, there were subtle differences. The skin, facial features... everything was the same as before, yet somehow different.
All in all, his appearance had improved. He was more handsome than before, and his height had also increased by more than ten centimeters, reaching 1.9 meters.
"It's surprising, isn't it? It's like a dream. I still feel as though I'm dreaming and can't wake up..."
Renzo widened his eyes in confusion and raised his hand—
Chap!
A flash of blood!
Renzo's arm was severed with a snap, the wound as smooth as if it had been cut by a machine.
Pain!
It hurt so much!
Renzo's expression twisted in agony, but he smiled maniacally. His expression looked as though he was both crying and laughing, like a madman.
"It hurts! It hurts!"
Renzo shouted in pain, his voice trembling, but his face continued to smile. Feeling pain proved that he had truly become flesh and blood. Having a limb severed and actually feeling the pain was almost unbearable!
In an instant, the severed arm regenerated.
Renzo chuckled, savoring the sensation.
He had missed it so much.
Wanda snorted coldly, released scarlet energy from her hands, and slowly floated upward. Suspended in midair, the witch looked down at the man. His appearance had become ordinary, and the overwhelming pressure he had once possessed had almost disappeared.
But because of that, Wanda became even more vigilant.
Her eyes never left the man for even a moment.
"Don't worry. I've already taken off that ring."
Renzo raised his arm and shook it, an innocent smile on his face.
"And the power of Anubis. I also destroyed the contract just now. There's nothing left on me. No god has blessed or cursed me anymore, so I'll use the Infinity Stones to fight you!"
"Uh..."
Wanda was speechless.
Even without the blessing of those external powers, the energy of four Infinity Stones was terrifying!
And herself...
Wanda looked at her hands. During the prolonged battle of attrition, her physical strength had been almost exhausted by this group of Avengers. She looked toward the black tower and the statue of Chthon in the distance, where her two sons were being held. Even the hardness of vibranium couldn't compare to the Black Tower...
Hey!!!
Wanda's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
I have such a huge black tower!!!
...
"Run, run, run! Blue Barry! Wow, oh, oh, oh, oh! This feels so good!!!"
"Damn it!"
Pietro was sweating profusely as he dragged Deadpool along, turning into a blue-and-silver blur that raced across the ground, almost leaving only an afterimage.
"Ho, ho, ho! You must be the fastest man in the world! Your girlfriend is so pitiful..."
"If you say one more word, I'll throw you down!"
Pietro snapped.
"Heh, heh, heh! The little boy's angry. Don't worry. Even though I'm older than you, I won't discriminate against you."
Deadpool spoke with complete confidence as he climbed obscenely around Pietro's waist with both hands...
A faint blue gemstone was embedded in the chest of the man in red, shining brightly.
...
Wanda was absolutely furious!
Someone had actually dared to pull out the Black Tower right under her nose, while her sons were still inside!
"For the sake of fairness, it's only reasonable for us to unplug you. After all, a phone can easily explode if it's left plugged in too long. I'm just here to help."
Renzo smiled harmlessly. He felt as though his condition had returned to what it had been before he traveled through time: carefree, relaxed, and mischievous.
Maybe this was the real him.
He had spent so long playing other people's roles that he was constantly anxious, looking at someone else's face in the mirror, and had almost forgotten what he truly looked like.
Renzo felt that his mental state had reached its peak!
He had never felt so comfortable—not even before traveling through time, when staying up late and living an irregular lifestyle had left him constantly exhausted...
And, of course, there had been certain activities that were necessary for a man.
People were always in high spirits when they were happy.
Renzo strode forward proudly, head held high and chest out. He almost pointed at Wanda's head and shouted:
"Be my woman!"
Wanda remained speechless.
What was wrong with this man? Why did he laugh so obscenely one moment and act even more shamelessly the next?
Wrong!
Wanda tilted her head and looked behind Renzo.
"Where did everyone go?!"
Wanda finally couldn't hold back and roared.
Renzo whistled, pretending he knew nothing, and slowly moved away.
And the crippled "New Fantastic Four"—Frank, Hope, Mark, and Sif—were completely gone.
...
Deadpool touched his stomach.
"It's over! I'm going to give birth! Run! I'm going to the hospital first!"
"Fuck off!!!"
...
"I'm going to kill you!"
The scarlet Chaos Magic transformed into tens of thousands of flying swords and descended toward Renzo in an overwhelming barrage, blocking every direction he could possibly evade.
There was no choice but to resist!
"Wow! King's Treasure! You watch Fate too? By the way, there should be a Gilgamesh in this universe as well. Even if he's an Eternal, he's still different from the anime."
Renzo shouted excitedly, spouting words Wanda couldn't understand.
It was strange.
"Explosion! Banishment this world!"
Black-purple light violently erupted from Renzo's body, instantly clearing away all the flying swords constructed from black magic.
"What the hell?!"
Wanda covered her eyes. She couldn't see clearly what had happened at the center of the explosion.
Then she suddenly felt someone tap her shoulder.
"今日は...風が騒がしいな."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The woman threw a backhand punch, but it was like striking steel. The bones in her hand instantly broke.
Renzo gently caught the woman's fair arm, his expression gentle.
"Servant Saber, you've answered the summons. Excuse me, are you my Master?"
"It's you!"
Wanda punched the man in the face, knocking him from the sky to the ground.
The woman was horrified, her heart filled with shock.
When had this man gotten behind her?
She hadn't sensed him at all.
Renzo landed face-first and slid across the ground for more than ten meters. His head was buried in the earth, and it took considerable effort to pull himself free.
The man shook his head, scattering the dirt from his hair, exposed two rows of white teeth, and gave a thumbs-up.
"This is youth!"
What the hell?!
Wanda's face was covered in black lines.
What had happened to this man? Why had his entire style changed after resurrecting?
"It's a matter of setting."
Renzo suddenly spoke in a deep voice.
"Have you heard of Druby? Or Bugs Bunny, Arale, Squirrel Girl..."
"Fuck off!"
"No matter how powerful a character is, they can never defeat a gag character!"
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