To be honest, this was the first time Ronan had experienced what it felt like to suffer a backlash from overusing his mental energy.
The last time he used the Space Stone, he had also experienced something similar, but he was knocked out by the Ancient One before he could fully feel it.
This time, however, he truly understood what it meant to suffer a backlash!
It felt like ten thousand needles were rhythmically stabbing every part of his brain.
The intense pain wasn't even the worst part.
The worst part was that Ronan could feel his connection to the Infinity Stones weakening.
This meant that in the upcoming battle, he might only be able to use the Infinity Stones once, or at most twice.
So, even if Ronan was on the verge of collapse, he had to hold on.
Buzz.
Just as Ronan and the Scarlet Witch were locked in a standoff, familiar portals began to appear behind Ronan.
Wong was the first to step through, followed by a group of faces Ronan knew all too well.
Without exception, they were all sorcerers from Kamar-Taj.
"Ronan, you wanted to play the hero alone, but I would never..."
Before Wong could finish his sentence, he saw Ronan's battered state.
The blood on Ronan's face left Wong speechless.
Ronan looked at Wong with a mix of emotions, unsure of how to express the turmoil in his heart.
Wong coming to his aid, not abandoning him, truly moved Ronan.
But the consequence of Wong bringing so many people with him was obvious—it would likely end in a total wipeout.
These two conflicting emotions left Ronan at a loss for words.
"Uh..."
"Don't worry, the other sanctums still have sorcerers guarding them."
"Mordu is holding down the fort at Kamar-Taj. He wanted to come too, but I beat him to it."
Wong whispered to Ronan.
Ronan took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.
Was this about leaving people to guard the sanctums?
Was this about who got here first?
That wasn't the point at all!
"Wong, you're really a stumbling block on my path in life."
Ronan sighed, his thousands of thoughts condensed into this single sentence.
"Of course, I'm—huh?"
Wong was about to boast, but suddenly felt something was off.
But Ronan no longer had the energy to figure out what was wrong.
Since the sorcerers from Kamar-Taj had arrived, Ronan had to ensure their safety.
More importantly, Ronan had to make sure the secrets of Kamar-Taj wouldn't be exposed.
"Tony, can you still move?"
Ronan whispered into his earpiece.
"A man can't say he can't do it. That's what you taught me."
"But that woman... I'm really not up to it."
Tony Stark admitted defeat, which was rare.
It was unclear how powerful the Scarlet Witch was, but she had made Tony back down.
"You don't need to face her. Just make sure no one else discovers this battle."
"Get the police to back off and block all signals in this area."
Ronan had considered using the Mirror Dimension, but in the end, he decided against it.
Others might cooperate with Ronan, but the Scarlet Witch likely wouldn't play along.
The Mirror Dimension, a tool for crushing weaker opponents, was practically useless against someone like the Scarlet Witch.
So, Ronan had to resort to the most basic methods.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Without hesitation, Tony flew off to deal with the situation.
Ronan wasn't concerned about the sky, as the crimson curtain of Chaos Magic had already covered it.
His only worry was the police constantly arriving.
This place was starting to resemble the town the Scarlet Witch had created.
If it fully formed, Ronan and the others might end up trapped in the Scarlet Witch's "illusionary" world.
"Is this your plan?"
"If you dare do anything to her..."
"I can just as easily kill all of them."
The Scarlet Witch looked at Ronan, her voice icy cold.
The "her" she referred to was America, and "them" were the sorcerers from Kamar-Taj.
In the Scarlet Witch's eyes, she might not be able to deal with Ronan.
But as long as there were people Ronan cared about in this world, she could threaten him.
Ronan narrowed his eyes and used the energy whip to toss America to Wong.
Wong hurriedly caught her.
"If I die, kill her immediately."
With that, Ronan charged forward again.
The Scarlet Witch raised her head, crimson energy gathering in her hands once more.
Clang!
Ronan's Sword of Vishanti, gripped tightly in both hands, cleaved through an energy blast.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The next three energy blasts were equally ineffective against Ronan.
However, the trembling blade of the Sword of Vishanti seemed to be telling Ronan that it was reaching its limit.
But in these few brief exchanges, Ronan had closed the distance to the Scarlet Witch.
Ronan moved swiftly through the air, as if stepping on invisible stairs.
The Sword of Vishanti was held horizontally, and with a focused breath, Ronan slashed a sharp cross-shaped blade through the air.
The golden blade cut through the air, forcing the Scarlet Witch to abandon her attack.
Boom!
Crimson energy blocked Ronan's blade.
The Sword of Vishanti let out a grating sound, as if in pain, and Ronan could clearly see a small crack forming on the blade.
Though small, it was the beginning of the end.
Seeing this, Ronan didn't hesitate. He discarded the Sword of Vishanti and formed a new one with a twist of his hands.
As the new sword appeared in his grasp, Ronan's eyes narrowed, and with both hands on the hilt, he confidently thrust it toward the Scarlet Witch's chest.
The Scarlet Witch reacted quickly. As Ronan summoned the second Sword of Vishanti, she had already gathered energy in her hands.
Her target wasn't Ronan's blade, but Ronan himself!
She knew that even if she was injured, she wouldn't die.
But if Ronan was hit by Chaos Magic, he would be done for.
Once Ronan was dead, none of the others would be a match for her!
However, Ronan had already seen through her plan.
Just as the Scarlet Witch was about to unleash her energy, two red chains appeared out of nowhere, binding her wrists.
Two more Ronans, identical to the original, appeared behind him!
Ronan's lips curled into a slight smile as he poured all his strength into the thrust.
"This move... if you remember, it might feel familiar."
As Ronan whispered, the Scarlet Witch's eyes widened, and a terrifying energy burst from within her.
The energy radiated outward in all directions, aiming to block Ronan's strike.
Seeing this familiar scene, Ronan's smile grew wider.
"As expected..."
"Even though the soul has changed, the subconscious remains the same."
Ronan narrowed his eyes, and the Space Stone on his left hand glowed brightly.
The Scarlet Witch didn't hear his muttering, but even if she had, she wouldn't have cared.
Because she clearly saw the blade that made her uneasy pierce through her energy shield!
Thud.
Boom!
Two sounds rang out simultaneously.
The first was the Sword of Vishanti piercing the Scarlet Witch's chest.
The second was Ronan being repelled by the massive energy and slamming into the ground.
Thud.
Ronan spat out a mouthful of blood, his body crumpling like a ragdoll and sending up a cloud of dust.
The first half of the battle was identical to Ronan's previous fight with the Scarlet Witch, but the outcome was completely different.
This time, it was Ronan who was sent crashing to the ground.
Lying in the rubble, Ronan watched as the Scarlet Witch fell from the sky, a faint smile on his lips.
But the smile was tinged with bitterness.
Blood soaked his chest, and his ribs, sternum, and even his right arm were fractured in multiple places.
His vision was beginning to blur.
His mental energy was no longer enough to allow both the sword and himself to evade the Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic.
Evading Chaos Magic required a tremendous amount of mental energy, and the cost grew exponentially.
So, between the sword and himself, Ronan had to make a choice.
And Ronan chose the sword.
Because he knew this was his only chance.
"Ronan!"
Thor was the first to land beside Ronan.
Ronan had saved him earlier, and now Thor stood by his side to protect him.
Next came the sorcerers from Kamar-Taj, who quickly formed a protective circle around Ronan.
"Ronan, are you okay?"
Wong also rushed over.
He hadn't forgotten Ronan's instructions and brought America with him.
Strange followed closely behind.
"I can use the Bifrost to take you away. She wouldn't dare go to Asgard."
Thor crouched down and made the suggestion.
But Ronan shook his head.
He gave Wong a meaningful look, and Wong immediately understood, directing the sorcerers to step aside.
The blocked line of sight was restored.
Ronan turned his head slightly, and even that small movement took all his strength.
He saw the Scarlet Witch, now kneeling on the ground.
The Sword of Vishanti embedded in her chest was glowing faintly, as if resisting something.
Ronan forced a weak smile. This was his goal.
The Sword of Vishanti.
To many, this move seemed like a useless gimmick.
Aside from being named after the supreme deity Vishanti, the move didn't seem much different from ordinary swords.
It was just a bit harder and lasted a bit longer.
Many who had seen the movies thought this move couldn't even scratch Thanos.
It was even caught by Thanos bare-handed.
But in reality, that wasn't the case.
The reason this move was named after Vishanti was because it had the power to seal.
Yes, seal.
It could seal away all evil and dark entities, making it extremely effective against demons and creatures from the Dark Dimension.
And for the Scarlet Witch, who had used the Darkhold, this move was equally effective against her.
As Ronan's gaze shifted, the others also turned to look at the Scarlet Witch.
Among them, Strange was particularly shocked.
He had never realized just how wide the gap between him and Ronan was.
From the brief exchange between Ronan and the Scarlet Witch, Strange knew that with his current abilities, he wouldn't even be able to escape, let alone fight head-on.
If it weren't for America, Strange would already be a pile of bones.
"Did you handle it?"
At that moment, Tony also landed.
But as soon as he asked the question, he saw Ronan's condition.
He quickly crouched down and placed his right hand near Ronan.
"Jarvis, scan his injuries."
Beep beep beep.
A red light scanned Ronan from head to toe.
"Severe sternum fracture, five rib fractures with risk of bone fragments piercing internal organs."
"Right forearm near-complete fracture, multiple internal organs impacted with risk of rupture."
"Low blood volume, accompanied by other unidentified conditions."
"Recommend immediate medical attention."
"Shall I call for medical services?"
With each injury Jarvis reported, Tony's jaw dropped further.
Was... was this even human?
If a normal person suffered these injuries, they wouldn't just be unconscious—they'd be lucky to survive.
But Ronan seemed... still conscious?
"No... no need."
Ronan shook his head. He had regained a bit of strength.
What he cared about most now was the Scarlet Witch.
He was even doubting whether this "fake" Sword of Vishanti could actually seal her...
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Just as Ronan was thinking, the Scarlet Witch, who had been kneeling on the ground, let out a furious roar.
As Chaos Magic erupted from her, the Sword of Vishanti embedded in her chest shattered into pieces.
Boom!
The Scarlet Witch rose into the air once more, and that terrifying aura washed over everyone again.
But this time, it didn't feel as suffocating.
At the very least, it didn't feel as hopeless.
"Ronan..."
"I underestimated you."
"But this time, I've won."
The Scarlet Witch looked down at Ronan, who was severely injured, her voice cold once more.
Of course, she wasn't in great shape either.
Even though Chaos Magic could continuously heal her injuries, the damage from the Sword of Vishanti to her darkness was real.
Like Ronan earlier, she was now just a shell of her former self.
But while Ronan's weakened state had gone unnoticed by the Scarlet Witch, her current state was equally hidden from the others.
The Scarlet Witch gathered crimson Chaos Magic in her hands, as if the final battle was about to begin.
But Ronan spoke up.
"Give it up. You're just putting on a brave face."
"America is still in our hands. If you make a move, Wong will kill her."
"Heh... heh heh..."
The last few sounds weren't Ronan mocking the Scarlet Witch, but rather him gasping for breath after speaking so much.
At the same time, he raised his left hand.
The two gems on the Infinity Gauntlet glowed in response, as if ready to deliver a final blow to the Scarlet Witch.
But only Ronan knew that he was just bluffing.
Because he knew that if he passed out, the Scarlet Witch's only concern would disappear.
The others wouldn't be able to stop her, and they wouldn't even have a chance to kill America.
So, Ronan had to keep up the act.
"Then I'll just kill all of them."
The Scarlet Witch's expression darkened.
Ronan smiled weakly.
"But in this... universe, at this... point in time, your brother Quicksilver..."
"He's still alive."
"If... if you kill them, someone will... kill Quicksilver."
"You're abandoning your brother... again... for your children."
"Don't you think..."
Ronan didn't finish his sentence.
Not because he was done, but because a mouthful of blood had risen to his throat.
But Ronan forced himself to swallow it.
"Pietro..."
When she heard Quicksilver's name, the Scarlet Witch froze.
Because in the town she had created, not only were her two children and her husband Vision present, but also her brother Quicksilver.
Now, she had lost her husband and was searching for her children.
But she had forgotten about her brother.
Ronan glanced at her, and a wave of dizziness hit him.
He bit his tongue, forcing himself to stay conscious.
"So, I have a proposal."
Ronan took a deep breath, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"You let them leave this universe. Where you go next and what you do, I won't interfere."
"And you leave as well."
"My promise is that Quicksilver in this universe will survive this disaster."
"As for his future, that's up to him."
This was Ronan's final trump card.
If the Scarlet Witch refused, Ronan had no other options.
He might have to wait for the Ancient One to avenge him.
The Scarlet Witch looked at Ronan, her lips pressed together.
After a long moment, just as Ronan was about to lose consciousness, she gave a barely perceptible nod.
Ronan glanced at Wong and signaled with his eyes.
Wong nodded and released America, who had been under his control.
America quickly returned to Strange's side, while Strange looked at Ronan with a complicated expression.
"Go, Strange."
"I hope... no, I hope we never meet again."
Ronan used the last of his strength to look at Strange, whose expression was a mix of emotions, and at the pentagram-shaped portal behind them.
As their figures disappeared, Ronan's vision went dark, and he lost all consciousness.