Thanos now cut a forlorn figure, starkly contrasting his usual imposing presence.
Despite Thanos's sad state, Tony Stark and the others guarding Li Yue as he donned the gauntlet remained vigilant. They knew the stakes of this battle: the fate of every life in the universe hinged on it. No one could afford to let their guard down.
Even as Li Yue finished putting on the gauntlet, Thanos made no move. He simply sat on a stone, his broken blade resting against him, gazing blankly at the sky as if he could see beyond the clouds to the ends of the universe.
...
As Li Yue fitted the gauntlet onto his hand, that familiar sensation spread from his arm throughout his entire body. The multicoloured glow made the veins in his arm glisten, the energy visibly coursing through him.
Those still fighting began to notice what was happening, drawing closer to Li Yue. They saw the struggle he seemed to endure while wearing the gauntlet, and even those who had just met him felt immense respect for this stranger. To them, Li Yue was risking his life to wield the stones and end the war.
Unbeknownst to them, Li Yue felt no pain while wearing the gauntlet. This was his second time using it today, and after the unexpected benefits from the first snap, his body was even stronger. He barely felt the energy coursing through him this time, only the increasing power within himself.
The immense power of the stones flowed into him, making him feel nearly omnipotent. He truly felt capable of anything—raising his hand to extinguish suns, wiping out stars with a wave.
But despite this overwhelming power, Li Yue remained grounded. He didn't let the power consume him. This strength wasn't truly his own, and while he had no rule against using external power, he didn't want to abuse it. He only intended to use it in crucial moments, like when he brought back the vanished half of life earlier and now, to end this brutal war.
Continuing the battle against Thanos's army, even with the addition of Carol and himself, would result in severe losses. Some heroes might die who shouldn't. Even if they won, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
Therefore, Li Yue used the Infinity Stones to end the war swiftly.
He prepared to snap his fingers once fully adapted to the power coursing through him.
"Erase Thanos and his army from this universe," he thought, curling his fingers.
Snap!
The crisp sound echoed, sending a peculiar energy wave from Li Yue, expanding outwards to the ends of the universe...
Thanos, sitting on the stone, was drawn by the snap. He turned his gaze towards Li Yue, encircled by the Avengers. His eyes reflected a mix of reluctance and relief. His expression was serene, not what one would expect from someone facing imminent death. Perhaps he had long come to terms with his demise. Few could face their death so calmly, except for Thanos.
...
But as Li Yue snapped his fingers, he was abruptly transported to a strange place. He had no idea where he was or why he was there.
Surrounding him was nothing but void—no objects, no life signs. It was eerily silent, devoid of any sound. The complete darkness rendered his eyesight useless, making him feel more blind than a person without sight.
Even attempting to summon light with his powers was futile. His heat vision failed to activate.
After several attempts, Li Yue reluctantly accepted his situation. He closed his eyes, unable to rely on sight, and unleashed his mental energy to explore his surroundings.
To his surprise, his mental energy worked where his other abilities failed. Yet, even with his mental probing, the area seemed devoid of anything, like he was in a realm of pure void.
...
"What is this place? I only snapped fingers; why am I in this lonely void?" Li Yue thought, growing anxious.
"Am I going to be trapped here forever?"
Desperation began to creep in. "Wait, I haven't tried using my dimension-crossing ability. Maybe it can get me out of here," he recalled.
Li Yue sought to escape this void by reaching into his mind to activate his world-travelling power. However, the expected sensation of his soul being tugged never came. It was as if his power was rendered useless in this strange place.
"Damn, even the ability to breach the dimensional barrier doesn't work here? What is this place?" Li Yue wondered, feeling increasingly trapped.
"Wait, is that... a wormhole?"