To truly eliminate the threat of the Celestials, Robert knew he had to track down their entire race and eliminate their hiding places. If left unchecked, there was always a risk of them returning at full strength—a scenario that would spell disaster for those he wanted to protect. This was why he had relentlessly pursued Thanos: leaving potential threats unresolved was never an option.
Simply communicating with the Celestials wouldn't suffice. They had long since proven themselves untrustworthy. Robert remembered how the Exterminator had lied to his face, denying any connection between the Celestials and Earth's living dimensional consciousness. Every interaction with them had been a performance—an elaborate ruse to mislead and manipulate him while testing his limits.
But they had underestimated Robert's rapid growth. Their hand was forced when he located their void-based refuge. With few options left, the majority of the Celestials had fled to another universe.
Now, facing a newly revived Celestial, Robert offered a chilling ultimatum. The Celestial seemed to grasp the gravity of his situation. Understanding that refusal meant certain death, the being reluctantly agreed to attempt contact with his comrades.
"Hummmm..."
An invisible force radiated from the Celestial, signaling his effort to reach out across the cosmic barrier. Robert focused intently, monitoring every shift in the Celestial's energy signature. He couldn't afford to let his target slip away. If the Celestial tried to escape, Robert was prepared to follow using instant transmission, even through the dimensional divide.
But to his surprise, nothing happened. The Celestial stood frozen, his confusion evident even through his imposing armor.
"What's going on?" Robert demanded, his tone sharp.
"I… I can't reach Arishem the Judge," the Celestial responded, his voice tinged with disbelief. "This shouldn't be possible. Our communication transcends universal boundaries. But I'm completely cut off—not just from Arishem, but from the others as well!"
Robert's eyes narrowed. The Celestial's failure to establish contact was an unexpected twist. He studied the being's reaction carefully, noting the underlying fear. Without backup, the Celestial was effectively cornered.
"Interesting," Robert muttered. "If you can't reach the ones who left this universe, what about those who might still be here?"
The Celestial's eyes widened briefly, though his armored face betrayed nothing. "There are no others," he said hastily. "Everyone has already left."
Robert chuckled coldly. "You're still trying to deceive me? You seem well-informed about my activities, yet you claim ignorance of the Celestial buried beneath Earth's surface? Are your reports incomplete, or are you just bad at lying?"
The Celestial hesitated, realizing too late that his instinctive evasion had backfired. Robert's energy flared as he prepared a powerful energy blast in his hand. The threat was unmistakable.
"Wait!" the Celestial blurted out, desperation creeping into his voice. "I… I can try contacting the one on Earth!"
"And what would that accomplish?" Robert's voice dripped with disdain. "If you can't reach those beyond the cosmic barrier, why would this other one fare any better?"
"Perhaps… perhaps the issue lies in my recent revival," the Celestial stammered. "There might have been an error in the information relay. I'm sincere in my desire to mediate peace between us."
"Peace? Don't kid yourself," Robert snapped. "I'm not here to negotiate. Now tell me—how do you Celestials communicate with each other?"
The Celestial hesitated, then reluctantly explained, "It's a unique ability inherent to our race. No outsider can replicate it, not even those we deem 'defective.'"
"Defective Celestials, huh? Like Ego?" Robert's interest piqued. "He claimed to be one of you. Was he not simply a failed resurrection?"
"Not quite," the Celestial replied, his tone cautious. "Some, like him, were experimental offshoots. Others were born through controlled processes designed to create new members of our kind."
The revelation struck a nerve with Knull, who had been silently listening. "So… you can reproduce now? You're telling me that there are more of you now than when we first fought?"
The implications of this were dire. Knull remembered how he had struggled against the Celestials in their original numbers. If they had since expanded their ranks, his odds of revenge were slim to none.
Despite the gravity of Knull's concerns, the Celestial paid him no heed. His focus remained entirely on Robert, whose presence posed the far greater threat. The Celestial activated his mental link, silently transmitting a coded warning to the Earth's dimensional consciousness.
On Earth, the dimensional consciousness stirred as it received the message.
"Robert has found one of our hidden members?" The entity's thoughts raced. "How did he manage that? And why can't I contact Arishem either?"
The lack of response from the main Celestial force was unprecedented. Communication had been reliable until now, with occasional updates on Robert's movements. Something had clearly gone wrong.
"I can't reach them either," the consciousness finally admitted. "Your best chance is to escape. We have no means of countering the Saiyan right now."
Back at the scene, the Celestial's confidence wavered. His comrades had confirmed the worst. With no reinforcements on the horizon, his survival hinged on drastic action.
"I won't die here," he vowed silently. Outwardly, he addressed Robert. "Earth's guardian also failed to reach Arishem. However, I still have one last option..."
"By all means," Robert said, folding his arms. "Show me what you've got."
"HUMMMM...!"
A surge of cosmic energy erupted from the Celestial as he vanished into thin air. The space around him shimmered ominously, as if reality itself had been torn open.
"He's retreating to the Void," Robert murmured, his eyes narrowing. Without hesitation, both he and Knull disappeared in pursuit.
"Wait… where did everyone go?" Gorr muttered, left adrift in the silent expanse of space. The rapid escalation of events had left him bewildered. One moment, he had been absorbing a flood of incomprehensible information; the next, Robert, Knull, and the Celestial had all vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, Robert's focus remained locked on the fleeing Celestial. He sensed a massive spatial disturbance ahead—a crack in the cosmic fabric. From beyond the rift, unfamiliar energies seeped through, heralding the gateway to another universe.
"Found you," Robert muttered, activating instant transmission once more. He wasn't going to let this Celestial escape so easily.
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