- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 423
“How is this possible?”
Ebony Maw, who was frantically floating backward, stood alongside Thanos, holding his double-edged blade, while the Avengers, who lay defeated on the ground, were all filled with disbelief.
They had assumed Leo was a mage, much like Doctor Strange. After all, everything he had shown—the six-armed Susanoo, the clones, the killing curses, the massive waterfalls, and freezing abilities—gave off the impression that he was a sorcerer.
But they never expected that his close-combat abilities would be even more terrifying than his magical powers. He had just obliterated three of the Black Order in seconds, causing Ebony Maw to retreat in fear.
Only Bruce Banner wasn’t as shocked because he remembered all too clearly how, before his injury, Leo had effortlessly caught one of his full-force punches with just one hand.
“Do you think you can escape?”
Leo clasped his hands into a lotus seal, his eyes locked onto the fleeing Ebony Maw.
“Buddha’s Palm World!”
A towering Buddha phantom suddenly appeared behind Leo, and Ebony Maw was instantly caught in the giant palm.
No matter how fast Ebony Maw tried to fly away, he kept being pulled back into the Buddha’s hand, unable to escape its grasp.
“Sword of the Saint!”
Leo appeared in front of Ebony Maw in an instant, slashing downward with his hand. Ebony Maw was cleaved in two, blood splattering everywhere.
The move he used was the Capricorn Gold Saint’s ultimate technique, the Excalibur. It was said that, when mastered, this sword strike could even slice a planet in half.
From the moment the Black Order launched their attack to Leo cutting Ebony Maw in half, only two seconds had passed.
In truth, only a few minutes had gone by since the Sanctuary II began its missile assault. Not even the resurrected Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, or the others had arrived yet. Leo had already reduced Thanos’ forces to just the Mad Titan himself.
“Once I kill you, my main quest will be complete, and I can achieve the highest completion rate,” Leo said, licking his lips as he turned toward Thanos, looking like a hungry wolf eyeing Little Red Riding Hood.
Even the Avengers, who were struggling to their feet, couldn’t help but shiver at the sight.
“Is it just me, or does Leo seem more like the villain than Thanos?” Ant-Man, who had just regained consciousness, muttered.
Rhodey, helping him up, nodded in agreement. “Well, I gotta say, it feels kinda comforting. I mean, with a vibe like that, no one’s ever gonna mess with his wife.”
“It seems I’ve underestimated humanity,” Thanos mused, his eyes narrowing. “I never expected such a powerful individual to exist on such a primitive planet.”
Thanos’ voice grew colder as he continued, “Things have gone too smoothly for me all these years. No one has ever posed a real threat or offered true resistance. I suppose today will be different. Killing you will only make my victory more rewarding.”
Thanos didn’t care at all about the deaths of Ebony Maw or the rest of the Black Order. After all, once he obtained the Infinity Stones, he would wipe out the entire universe and create a new one, with new lifeforms. His loyal subordinates would die then anyway; they just died a few minutes earlier than planned.
“Then let’s see who kills who!”
Leo vanished and reappeared behind Thanos, slashing down with his Excalibur, aiming to finish him off as easily as he had with Ebony Maw.
But Thanos, the mightiest warrior of Titan and one of the most feared beings in the universe, wasn’t so easily defeated. His battle-honed instincts and reflexes sensed danger the moment Leo disappeared. With a quick motion, he spun his double-edged sword behind him, blocking Leo’s strike.
However, he had underestimated the sheer force of Leo’s Saint Sword. Though Thanos managed to block the attack, the force still sent him stumbling forward.
But for Thanos, this was nothing. He quickly twisted his body, neutralizing the impact, and countered with a sweeping slash that forced Leo to retreat.
“Phantom Demon Emperor Fist!”
Simultaneously, Leo retaliated with an attack aimed directly at Thanos’ mind—a mental assault using the Gemini technique.
“That kind of attack is useless against me!” Thanos growled, shaking off the mental blow almost immediately, before launching another fierce assault at Leo.
“It seems only pure physical attacks will work,” Leo thought. Realizing that Thanos was nearly immune to spiritual and energy-based assaults, he burned his Cosmos and threw a punch.
“Lightning Speed Punch!”
This was the ultimate physical technique—the upgraded version of the Lion Saint’s Light Speed Punch. The original Light Speed Punch could unleash a billion punches per second, but not every punch had its full power. Only a few of them actually reached the speed and impact of a true light-speed blow.
The Lightning Speed Punch was different. With this technique, nearly half of the punches thrown had the full devastating power of a Light Speed Punch.
At first, Thanos managed to fend off the flurry of punches with his double-edged blade. But soon, the relentless force of the punches overwhelmed him, and his weapon was sent flying.
Without his blade, Thanos was left open and was hurled backward by the onslaught.
“What a body—truly powerful!” Leo remarked, watching as Thanos, who had been knocked back by the Lightning Speed Punch, immediately rose to his feet.
Honestly, even with his enhanced physical form, if Leo had taken his own Lightning Speed Punch without his Gold Cloth, he would have been severely injured. Though he could heal quickly, the raw strength of Thanos’ body was still beyond him in terms of raw durability.
“This is the first time anyone’s made me bleed,” Thanos grunted, wiping blood from his mouth. His muscles bulged, his skin tightening as his purple body swelled with power. With a furious roar, he suddenly appeared in front of Leo, launching a heavy punch.
It was clear that Thanos had been holding back against the other Avengers.
“Time to finish this!” Leo laughed coldly, transforming into his second form as he activated Sage Mode and opened the Eight Gates.
Thanos hadn’t been fighting at full strength, but neither had Leo. He had merely been testing the waters, trying out his newly awakened Seventh Sense Cosmos.
(End of Chapter)