Heisenberg smiled, resting his right leg on his left, hands casually draped on the armrests, and addressed Thanos:
"As a cosmic emperor, you achieved the glory you sought, wielded the power you desired, and even after foreseeing the future, you knew you had attained the victory you always pursued!"
As the words fell, Thanos nodded weakly, a bloody smile spreading across his face.
"You mean my goal of using the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life in the universe?
Indeed, I saw my future, and I succeeded!
In terms of my goal, I've already achieved it, and that is my victory.
Even if I've lost it now, I once possessed it.
I… should have no regrets!"
Though he spoke these words, his eyes were filled with loneliness and unwillingness.
"But in reality, my success was utterly wrong!
I thought that by killing half their population, the survivors would remember the reason for their kin's demise and strive to live better!
But as long as people cling to the past and harbor hatred, they'll never attain the peace and prosperity I envisioned for them!
So, the moment I obtained the stones, I should have utterly destroyed this world and created a new race—one without conflict, war, or hatred, knowing only gratitude!"
"Heh…"
Hearing this, Heisenberg suddenly laughed.
"Thanos!"
He abruptly declared.
"Your ambition is utterly unrealistic, because every intelligent being will have the same goals and ambitions as you!
Everyone wants more but loses less.
Everyone strives to be first and is ashamed to fall behind!
Life, from birth, is a competition, and this competition will last a lifetime!
If you truly want a race that knows only gratitude, then you must ensure they never intellectually advance!"
Heisenberg smiled, pointing to his own head.
"But would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with a race of fools you created?"
"I…"
Thanos fell silent.
Moments later, he shook his head in despair.
"No matter what!" he declared, "the loss of some lives will always allow the remaining lives to develop better!
The universe's resources are constant, unchanging.
With fewer lives to share them, the survivors will have more.
This is my destiny, and my gift to them!
But sadly, no one cherishes it. Foolish intelligent beings prefer to cling to memories and hatred, placing them above future gains.
They refuse to accept reality, trying to reclaim the past!
I've shown them the path, yet none follow, choosing instead to reverse time and regress at warp speed with their race!"
Speaking, Thanos sighed in resignation, then raised his blood-soaked right hand slightly toward Heisenberg.
"Kill me. Though I face my end, I've seen you.
Our methods may differ, but through battle, I've understood you as I understand myself!
Our means and ideals may vary, but only we stand at the same height, facing the same direction, bearing the weight of our journey.
I'll never be wrong—only you and I are the ones shaping the universe's destiny!
And we are willing to change their fate!"
"Ha, so I admire you, Thanos.
But precisely because of this admiration, I'll never allow you to survive under my hand.
After all, one of us is enough!"
Heisenberg spoke, raising his right hand slightly.
Meanwhile, high above, Scarlet Witch, who had been observing nearby, swooped directly toward Thanos!
Moments later, Heisenberg abruptly restrained Wanda, who was intent on killing Thanos.
He held back the restless Wanda, whispering to her:
"I only allow you to witness his death, Wanda!"
"But he…!"
Wanda tried to object, but Heisenberg quickly silenced her.
Heisenberg sternly told Wanda:
"He was once a king, a god who shaped your destiny, a great idealist who fought for six millennia for a goal you cannot comprehend!
For such an idealist, I must grant him the respect he deserves!"
Saying this, Heisenberg tossed Wanda aside and barked at her:
"The Thanos you hate is the one who killed your loved ones, not this Thanos who hasn't had the chance to do so yet.
Stay there and watch quietly!"
As his words fell, he slowly approached the prostrate, unmoving Thanos.
Meanwhile, countless Avengers hiding in the Mirror Dimension began to emerge.
Their previous battlefield had been completely transformed into a crater, and their enemies, along with Thanos' portal, had vanished with the crater's formation.
Thus, the Avengers, now without foes, almost unanimously turned their gaze to the center of the crater!
There, Heisenberg stood before Thanos, hovering above, looking down at this great failure.
Their eyes met, and in Thanos' final gaze, Heisenberg saw endless recognition and expectation.
"To die by your hand may be my most glorious end, far better than being beheaded by those opportunistic cowards after I destroyed the stones!"
As his words fell, nearly every Avenger who had participated in the battle against Thanos grit their teeth in resentment.
But after the recent battle, people had developed a basic respect for Heisenberg.
So, before he spoke, no one contradicted Thanos.
Heisenberg nodded at Thanos, then shook his head.
"You once possessed all the power you could wield, but your only mistake was using that power to change their destiny without using it to maintain the changes you made!
No transformation bears fruit overnight.
So don't blame them for seizing the opportunity—it's all your own doing.
They may have lost to you once, but you laid down your arms afterward, so you never kept winning!
But no matter what, you are my most worthy opponent!"