Crossing the veil of space, Noah arrived in Asgard with his group.
At the moment, Asgard's movement was restricted. Soldiers and mages were everywhere, clearly mobilizing, and the situation was tense.
Noah's arrival caused a stir. When the Asgardian soldiers and mages recognized him, they straightened, saluted, then returned to their duties. Human soldiers didn't salute, but their admiration was obvious.
Having spent five years in Asgard, they were well-acquainted with the magical world. Names like Kamar-Taj and Noah Fenrir carried weight.
Noah, however, wasn't in the mood for ceremony. A simple nod, and he led the group toward Thor's palace.
He knew this wasn't the time for formalities. The group he brought was substantial. After a one-minute consultation between Wong, Mordo, and other Master Mages, they decided three would remain on Earth to monitor the overall situation; the rest followed Noah to Asgard.
Noah didn't object-the more powerful sorcerers, the better. They entered the palace, which had been transformed into a combat command center. Personnel moved about, and Noah even spotted a few Skrulls near Fury.
"Long time no see, Noah. Sorry to call you here so early," Thor said, hugging him. "Believe me, I wouldn't have bothered you if things weren't serious."
"I believe you. Tell me what's going on." Noah patted Thor's shoulder, then turned to Loki and Fat Thor. "Hey guys, long time no see."
"It's only been five years; stop acting like a mortal," Loki smirked. Fat Thor walked over and hugged Noah as well. "Don't listen to him; he's always like that."
"I know," Noah laughed. "Actually, I'm curious. What's making you worry? Thanos hasn't found outside help, right? Tenth-tier beings from other galaxies?"
Logically, Asgard's current lineup could handle the galaxy slowly. Tenth-tier beings were rare, not numerous enough to pose a serious threat. The number of Demi-Gods in a galaxy couldn't be high, or the universe would collapse.
"I suspect Thanos has found a way to travel to parallel universes, just like us," Thor said. "Look at the front-line data-you'll see why I'm concerned."
"Parallel universes?" Noah frowned. "How? Where's Tony? I thought he was here long ago."
"He's at the front. He brought this theory to us."
Noah examined the files Loki handed him. Photographs of Thanos' ships confirmed Tony's assessment: nine identical vessels. Ships of that scale, design, and technology could only belong to Thanos.
It seemed Thanos had discovered a method-through the Quantum Realm or otherwise-to access parallel universes, bringing alternate versions of himself into this one.
This was a problem.
Some might even have Infinity Stones, which could dilute their power. A disaster in the making.
At least King Odin and Noah's mentor hadn't appeared yet. No "Ultimate Universe" Thanos had arrived, or retreat might have been the only option.
Noah sighed, frustrated. How did Thanos figure out parallel universes too? But now there was no choice. He could only hope these Thanoses were flawed like those in the parallel universe he'd visited.
"How's the situation now? The Kree offensive?" Noah asked.
"Not terrible, but not ideal," Loki replied. "Since discovering Thanos' ships, conflict has escalated. Previously, they might have retreated at a critical moment-they probably won't now. Fortunately, Hela is holding the front lines. That lets Thor and me focus here."
Noah understood. With Hela leading, the front was secure. Her strength was unquestionable. Without her, Thor or Loki would have needed to stay at the front to prevent Thanos from suddenly appearing or dealing with his subordinates.
Several of Thanos' powerful lieutenants had appeared recently. The most troublesome was Ebony Maw-telekinetic, cunning, and far more dangerous than the others. His sudden reappearance confirmed to Thor and the others that Thanos had accessed parallel universes.
Noah stood, ready to head to the front.
A soldier rushed in. "King Thor, emergency report from the front!"
"Emergency?" Thor stood, tense. He read the report; his brow furrowed. Thanos was no longer waiting.
The Kree had fully mobilized, and Thanos' troops were moving. An all-out attack was underway.
Noah sighed. This time, they'd face the Thanoses head-on.
He closed his eyes, then reopened them. So what if it was Thanos? He had fought countless versions in the System Space. He wasn't worried.
As long as his friends could hold the Thanoses long enough, Noah could pick them off one by one.
He looked at his teammates. He didn't need to worry too much. If things went wrong, he could set an infinite time loop or resurrect them after the war-a last resort.
"Let's go. To the front. I want to see what kind of mess Thanos is cooking," Noah said calmly.
"Alright, Noah. I believe we won't have problems," Thor replied, noticing Noah's expression.
"No, I'm not worried about Thanos. I'm worried about you." Noah smiled slightly. "Killing Thanos isn't hard-I did it at Ninth-tier, let alone now. My concern is whether you can hold off the other Thanoses."
"You underestimate us too much!" Loki frowned.
"If you can do it, I can too. I've fully restored my strength. Why do you think we can't?" Fat Thor added confidently.
I hope you can, so I can save some worry, Noah thought silently.
He glanced at Thor, Loki, Strange, and Wanda following closely, then at the ships moving toward the battlefield. With a wave of his hand, he opened a portal.
"Fine, I believe in you. Let's move. Let's finish that damn Thanos!"
"Let's take him down!"