Chapter 251 252: Hela Arrives

Taking advantage of the moment Thanos was distracted by the Mind Stone being repelled, Mavuika slashed out with Thousand Blazing Suns.

That golden arc of light was faster and fiercer than before, heading straight for Thanos's chest.

Thanos raised his sword to block, but was knocked back over a hundred meters, his feet carving two long purple light trails through the air.

On the gauntlet on his left hand, the light of the four stones flickered, as if disturbed for an instant by some force.

Thanos halted his retreat and looked down at the scorch mark on his chest armor—the mark left by that last strike. Although not deep, it was undeniably there.

He looked up at Mavuika, and for the first time, a trace of genuine gravity appeared in his dark eyes.

"As expected of the renowned sun goddess. I thought I had given you enough consideration, but it seems that was not enough."

Mavuika panted slightly, but his back remained straight, and the sword in his hand shone brightly.

He charged up again. This time his speed was faster, the flames brighter, and he transformed into a pure pillar of golden light, like a Sun falling straight toward Thanos.

Thousand Blazing Suns constantly shifted angles in his hands—sometimes a frontal slash, sometimes a lateral cut, sometimes a swirling thrust, sometimes a two-handed piercing jab.

Every one of his attacks carried the interweaving of three forces, and every change in maneuver forced Thanos to readjust his defense.

Thanos's greatsword kept retreating under his continuous assault. Thanos had to simultaneously use the Power Stone to enhance the strength of his blocks, the Space Stone to distort the direction of Mavuika's attacks, and the Mind Stone to disrupt his attack rhythm.

The light of the four stones flickered on his gauntlet, lighting up in turns like a precision instrument operating at high speed.

Their figures constantly intersected, collided, and separated within the clouds, each clash leaving dazzling light in the sky.

From a distance, it looked like two meteors chasing, colliding, and consuming each other, turning the entire sky into their battlefield.

Mavuika thrust his sword toward Thanos's throat, flames condensing into a point of extremely bright light at the tip of the blade.

Thanos tilted his head to dodge, his greatsword swinging upward with the purple energy of the Power Stone, the speed astonishingly fast.

Mavuika stepped on a burst of flame in the void, using the force to spring backward. The greatsword grazed the soles of his feet, the resulting wind blowing his long hair backward.

He landed on a remnant cloud, holding Thousand Blazing Suns horizontally before him, his breathing slightly rapid.

Although the wound on his shoulder had healed, the impact from that last strike still left him feeling a hint of numbness.

He looked at Thanos. There were several scorch marks on his armor, the armor on his left arm was still smoking, and blood dripped from between the fingers of his right hand, which held the sword—cracked open after being burned by the high temperature of that last strike.

Thanos also stopped. He looked at Mavuika, his breathing a fraction heavier than before.

"You are strong," Thanos said, his voice lower than before.

"If not for the Infinity Stones, I likely wouldn't be your match at all."

"But now, I am stronger!"

Thanos raised his left hand, and the stones on the gauntlet lit up simultaneously, the four-colored light weaving into a brilliant Nebula condensing in his hand.

Mavuika gripped Thousand Blazing Suns tightly, and flames erupted from the blade once more, painting the entire sky gold and red.

Just as their powers were about to collide again, the light of the Bifrost Bridge descended from the horizon, and the sky of Kamar-Taj was torn open, creating a colorful wound.

That light was even more dazzling than the rift when Thanos's warship arrived, like a waterfall woven from pure sunlight, pouring down from the depths of the clouds and enveloping the entire battlefield.

The mages on the ground looked up and saw a figure slowly emerging from that light.

Hela.

Her descent was more composed than any warrior's. Her black-green armor reflected tiny specks of light amidst the colorful glow, and her long, raven-black hair floated slightly, buoyed by the Death Energy surrounding her like a black flag.

She held no weapon in her hands; her weapon was herself, the vast amount of Death Energy continuously surging from within her.

A mass of dark red energy coiled around her arm like liquid fire, flowing slowly as if it were a living thing.

The Aether Particle, the Reality Stone.

Her gaze did not look at the mages and Eternals currently fighting, nor at Thor and Loki who were struggling in battle, nor at Strange who was locked in combat with Ebony Maw.

Her gaze locked straight onto that purple figure in the sky, then swept quickly across the battlefield and landed on Mavuika.

Mavuika hovered in mid-air, golden-red flames Burning around him, the light of Thousand Blazing Suns still bright. However, his breathing was slightly rapid; although the wound on his ribs had healed under the protection of the Ode of Resurrection, the lingering pain reminded him of the intensity of the battle just now.

He saw Hela land beside him, and the two exchanged a glance in the air for a brief moment.

Mavuika nodded slightly, and Hela nodded slightly in return.

No further communication was needed; as siblings of thousands of years, words were unnecessary.

Thanos hovered a hundred meters away, his greatsword resting on his shoulder, the four stones on his left gauntlet lighting up in sequence.

His gaze fell upon Hela, his dark eyes as calm as the windless deep sea, without even a ripple.

"It seems Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight have sacrificed themselves." Thanos's tone was flat, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

Hela crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at him from above.

"It seems I have been underestimated."

Thanos shook his head, his expression still calm, even carrying a faint, almost appreciative nuance.

"That they could hold you off until now means they have already fulfilled their mission."

His gaze fell upon the mass of dark red energy coiling around Hela's arm.

"And they also brought me a stone; they completed their final task perfectly."

Hela scoffed, the sound cold and sharp.

"It sounds like you are very confident in taking the stone from our hands."

Thanos lowered his head, looking at the Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand.

The light of the four stones wove into a brilliant Nebula in his palm, the light reflecting on his deep purple skin, making him look like a statue carved from stars and stone.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Hela's eyes narrowed, and something was Burning within those deep green pupils—not rage, not hatred, but battle intent, the pure instinct of the Goddess of Death.

"Then come and try!"

Her voice exploded in the sky like a thunderclap. At the same time, she raised her hands abruptly, and black-green Death Energy surged from within her, condensing into dozens of massive black swords in the sky.