Something isn't right here!
Prompted by urgent glances from the other four members of the Black Order, Ebony Maw nervously mustered his courage to address Thanos.
"Master," he stammered, "what exactly... Is it perhaps..." Maw vividly remembered Thanos fixing his own decapitated head, reversing the petrification, and the look Thanos had given him afterward—especially once the full story came out. If Maw hadn't served Thanos loyally for countless years, he'd likely have been on Thanos's death snap list.
Seeing Maw hemming and hawing indecisively, the others wore expressions of sheer exasperation—like hating iron for refusing to become steel. Corvus Glaive couldn't stand it anymore and interjected.
"Master, what Ebony Maw means to ask is, perhaps you are unable to fully unleash the maximum power of the Infinity Stones?"
Ebony Maw: "..."
Proxima Midnight chimed in, "Indeed. After all, they are merely copies, not the original stones. Fakes are surely less effective than the genuine articles. Oh, that is also what Ebony Maw meant."
Ebony Maw: "???"
Supergiant was even more direct. "Master, Ebony Maw means he thinks you are useless."
Ebony Maw: "???" Hey, hey, this is going too far!
Finally, Cull Obsidian began lumbering forward to offer his interpretation: "Ebony Maw, he..."
"You shut up!" Ebony Maw shrieked, cutting him off.
Cull Obsidian, utterly bewildered as to why he was yelled at, blinked, mumbled a meek "Oh," and obediently closed his mouth.
Thanos paid no heed to the bizarre, passive-aggressive drama unfolding amongst his generals. His gaze fixed on a seemingly empty corner of the battlefield. A cold sneer touched his lips.
"Not going to come out for a chat? Kid."
As he spoke, Saiki Kusuo, who had been using his invisibility, slowly materialized. Only then did Thanos's forces realize that an unassuming young man had been hidden nearby all along. He looked frail, almost delicate, certainly thinner than one of Thanos's arms, yet the members of the Black Order instantly tensed, their expressions shifting to alarm. They vividly recalled their Master's recent 'dark history' involving this very boy and couldn't help but dart nervous glances towards Thanos.
Thanos, however, displayed no lingering anger about the petrification incident. His mind was currently consumed by a single thought: how to eliminate Saiki Kusuo. Dragging this out was not a viable option. Even with her assistance, his body and the Infinity Gauntlet itself were nearing their limits; they couldn't continue to withstand the immense strain of wielding the Infinity Stones indefinitely.
Saiki walked calmly towards Thanos, speaking before the Titan could. "I don't believe there's anything constructive to discuss," Saiki stated flatly. "I possess six Infinity Stones, and so do you. However, I can utilize them without any cost or consequence. If we continue this standoff, drawing it out indefinitely, I think you know perfectly well who will ultimately emerge victorious."
"Yes," Thanos conceded with surprising frankness, showing no shame in potentially losing to a mere teenager. He glanced down at the Infinity Gauntlet, noticing the cracks spreading across its surface from the repeated snaps. "But I have reasons that compel me to do this. So, even if you stand in my way, I will not yield."
He talks as if I'm the villain here, Saiki thought, exasperated. Dealing with these chuunibyou types is truly exhausting.
"While your starting point might be well-intentioned," Saiki couldn't help but argue, "don't you think your current plan merely treats the symptoms, rather than addressing the root cause?" Thanos's goal was simple, if brutal: reduce the population to conserve limited resources. But that was only a temporary measure, a delaying tactic. Resources would inevitably run out one day.
"Resources will eventually be depleted," Saiki pointed out logically. "The universe will still face destruction then."
"It is better than doing nothing and simply awaiting oblivion," Thanos countered grimly. "Sacrificing the few so that the many may live remains the optimal outcome."
Brother, Saiki thought internally, incredulous, you hold six Infinity Stones, the most powerful artifacts in the entire cosmos, capable of reshaping reality itself, and this pathetic, destructive plan is the best solution you could devise? Are you just monumentally bored?
"Why must the ending inevitably involve death?" Saiki challenged aloud. "Why don't you attempt to use the stones as templates, as blueprints, to create more resources? Or perhaps generate alternative, sustainable energy sources to replace the current ones? Or utilize the stones' reality-warping powers to explore other parallel universes, seeking out new worlds with abundant, untapped resources? You possess the ultimate power of the Infinity Stones, and this is how you recklessly waste their potential?" Saiki frowned, unable to contain his critique. He conveniently ignored the fact that he himself, wielding immense psychic power and now multiple Infinity Stones, could arguably be accused of similar 'wastefulness' by some standards.
"..." Thanos's formidable mind processed Saiki's words. A flicker of understanding, then sudden, startling clarity, like a door thrown open in a dark room. He's right. Why didn't I consider that?
(Official plot-induced stupidity is, indeed, the deadliest narrative device.)
But Thanos still had reservations. "You make it sound remarkably simple," he retorted. "Can resources truly be created from nothing? Or do you genuinely believe the Infinity Stones are truly omnipotent, without limitation?"
"Can they or can't they? Don't you have any clue yourself?" Saiki shot back, his tone laced with dry sarcasm. A single snap can wipe out half the universe; rewriting reality to create resources seems well within their capabilities. He knew, of course, that truly understanding and harnessing the stones' power could revolutionize existence, but it also carried immense risk. Such power, if comprehended, would undoubtedly ignite catastrophic wars driven by greed.
Thanos seemed to share this very concern. "Such unfathomable, mystical power... if it were truly understood, truly harnessed... it could destroy the world should control be lost," he mused darkly, his voice low. "And even if such a disaster were averted, mortal greed would inevitably ignite endless, devastating wars." He clenched his gauntleted fist, seemingly picturing the future horrors, his expression grim.
"But you would be here, wouldn't you?" Saiki countered smoothly. "As long as you exist, wielding that power, none of that would happen."
In Saiki's assessment, Thanos wasn't inherently evil, merely operating from a different, albeit flawed, standpoint. Their conflict stemmed from opposing methods, not fundamental malice. That was why, even though Thanos clearly intended to kill him, Saiki felt no reciprocal desire to end Thanos's life. Partly, this stemmed from his own moral code – he didn't kill. But it was also deeply pragmatic. With Thanos around—given his immense power, his apparent boredom, and his tendency towards meddling on a cosmic scale—he would inevitably act as a universal regulator. He wouldn't tolerate widespread chaos or flagrant abuses of power. He'd surely crack down hard on criminals and warmongers, enforcing a kind of 'great harmony' across the universe. And that would allow Saiki to finally relax and live his desired quiet, lazy life as an unnoticed 'salted fish'.
Saiki pressed his advantage, continuing his persuasion. "Besides, with your resources and influence, compelling others to research the Infinity Stones and develop alternative resources would be trivially easy, wouldn't it? You could even strategically leak the stones—or copies—to certain... less scrupulous parties. Let them conduct the dangerous, cutting-edge research; those types are always remarkably enthusiastic about such things. Then, afterward, simply swoop in and confiscate their findings. If they dare resist," Saiki added with a chillingly casual shrug, "heh, just beat them into submission. Or to death."
Thanos stared at Saiki. "..." Why does it feel less like this boy is persuading me towards righteousness and more like he's actively inciting me to commit further atrocities?
Whether his brain had short-circuited or Saiki's bizarre logic had simply scrambled his reasoning, Thanos found himself... nodding. Despite the glaring flaws and morally dubious suggestions in Saiki's arguments, he couldn't refute the core point. He found himself agreeing.
Saiki delivered his closing statement. "There are clearly better methods, aren't there? Why must lives be sacrificed for this? No one will ever remember you as a hero. They will only see you as a monster, a devil who destroyed everything and deserves eternal damnation in hell. Of course," Saiki conceded, "perhaps that means nothing to you, someone who claims to be beyond concerns of life and death. But... do you know who survived your snap?"
Thanos frowned, perplexed. "???"
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