That's right—the Avengers hadn't seen it wrong.
Thanos had just been stabbed in the back by his own subordinate, in what could only be described as the "Stab of Justice."
And it happened at Thanos' most vulnerable, most helpless, and most unexpected moment.
The superheroes surrounding Thanos widened their eyes in shock, unable to comprehend the scene before them.
"Friday, do you think they're just putting on a show?"
Tony Stark even began questioning his AI, Friday.
"Based on the computer analysis, the location where Thanos was hit is directly in the heart. Judging by the wound, the likelihood of him faking it is very low."
Friday's answer left Tony with more questions than answers.
What on Earth was happening?
Was it like those movies, where Ebony Maw had been oppressed by Thanos all along?
Or had Thanos killed his family?
Had Ebony Maw been waiting for the right moment to exact his revenge?
Had that moment finally come?
Tony was running through every cliché revenge plot he'd ever seen.
And it wasn't just Tony who was confused—Thanos himself, one of the main players in this drama, couldn't understand it either.
Why would Ebony Maw betray him?
How could he dare betray him?
There was no reason for it!
Thanos was completely baffled!
For that matter, a certain white-haired, crazed laughing man from the ninja world would have a lot to say about this.
"ARGHHHHHH!!!!"
Despite being confused, Thanos let out a thunderous roar.
In a fit of rage, he turned sharply and used his Infinity Gauntlet-wielding right hand to grab Ebony Maw's head.
The Power Stone embedded in the Gauntlet began to glow.
BANG!
A sickening crack echoed as Thanos crushed Ebony Maw's head like a fragile egg.
"Ha... ha..."
As Ebony Maw's hand, still embedded in Thanos' chest, dropped lifelessly, Thanos began wheezing, his breathing labored and ragged.
It seemed Thanos was at death's door.
The others stood frozen, unsure whether to finish him off—after all, the Infinity Gauntlet was still on his hand.
Meanwhile, Ronan's legs buckled, nearly sending him collapsing to the ground.
If not for Peter Parker catching him in time, Ronan would have face-planted.
"You okay?"
Peter asked, glancing at Ronan's pale face.
With Ronan looking so drained and ghostly pale, someone unfamiliar with the situation might have assumed he was suffering from something much more embarrassing.
"I'm fine,"
Ronan said through gritted teeth, unable to believe what had just happened.
The moment Ebony Maw died, Ronan felt like a hammer had struck him—not physically, but mentally.
The small part of Ebony Maw's mind Ronan had controlled was crushed along with Ebony Maw, causing a wave of excruciating mental pain that made Ronan curse under his breath.
He mentally cursed the system's relatives too.
It also finally made sense why the system had said, "Please explore further."
There was a price to pay for this!
With Peter's help, Ronan shakily got to his feet, trembling as if he had fought a battle that lasted all night.
The pain had been intense but brief, and Ronan was already beginning to recover.
But the part of his mental strength he'd lost wasn't coming back.
He would remember this experience well.
Who knew if too many incidents like this would leave him mentally crippled?
"Stop him!"
Just as Ronan regained his footing, Captain Marvel's shout rang out across the battlefield.
She had sensed that Thanos was drawing on a massive amount of energy from the Infinity Stones.
Unfortunately, she realized it too late.
"It's too late... too late for all of you..."
Thanos struggled to his feet, completely ignoring the gaping wound in his chest, and raised his right hand high.
The Infinity Gauntlet glowed brightly as the Infinity Stones unleashed their full power.
Even Tony Stark, who wasn't particularly sensitive to these kinds of energies, could feel the overwhelming suffocation in the air.
Just like last time...
Last time...
The memories of death suddenly flooded Tony's mind.
On Titan, he had watched helplessly as Peter Parker and others turned to dust, vanishing from existence.
Then, by sheer luck, Captain Marvel had found him, and he returned to Earth.
But this time...
"Last time you stopped me, but this time... you won't have a chance!"
"Even if I can't fulfill my wish, at the very least, you will receive my final promise on this planet."
Thanos glared at the heroes surrounding him, his mental state clearly unraveling.
If before, Thanos was a visionary with a grand dream...
His dream of collecting the Infinity Stones and wiping out half the universe...
That dream was now shattered.
For reasons he didn't understand, the snap had failed.
So, he "snapped" in a different way.
"Stop him!"
Steve Rogers shouted, charging forward with his half-shattered shield.
The scene was almost tragically heroic.
Everyone unleashed their ultimate moves, pouring their strength into one last desperate assault against Thanos.
But Thanos wasn't even trying to dodge anymore; he only laughed maniacally.
That laugh... Ronan thought it sounded eerily familiar.
Was Thanos, after being betrayed, now channeling the infamous "Uchiha Cackle" from the shinobi world?
Ka-ka-ka-ka?!
Ronan shuddered involuntarily.
At the height of Thanos' crazed laughter, an enormous surge of energy erupted from his left hand.
Colors swirled and merged in a brilliant display as the energy from the Infinity Stones combined into one.
A rainbow-colored beam shot straight into the sky!
In an instant, the beam pierced through the dark clouds overhead, leaving what looked like a black hole in the sky.
It was the power of the Infinity Stones!
The immense shockwave sent all their attacks flying back.
Even the surrounding Avengers were knocked off their feet by the sheer force of it.
Of course, Thanos, who had first absorbed the energy, was in excruciating pain.
The tremendous power was tearing his body apart. He could feel the savage energy rampaging through every inch of his being.
At this point, he didn't care if the Infinity Stones clashing might kill him too.
Because in his current state, death was inevitable.
But before that happened, he would fulfill his final "promise."
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the earth.
Centered around Thanos' right hand, a world-ending force erupted in all directions!
At that moment, it seemed as if the world itself would end.
"This planet..."
"You will vanish with me!"