The mirror dimension suddenly collapsed, fading back into the void.
The Angel of Vengeance, Ragul, descended from the sky, landing on one knee before Russell. She bowed her head devoutly and asked,
"My Lord… do you require me to continue?"
Russell's gaze was fixed far ahead, as if piercing through the layers of space itself to witness some distant existence.
After a brief pause, he shook his head.
"No. That is not an enemy you can defeat. Rise."
Without hesitation, the Angel of Vengeance stood behind Russell, her form once again hidden beneath a white robe, concealing her features from view.
But among the crowd in the void, a wave of unease spread.
What kind of being was coming?
If even the angel who crushed the Grandmaster could not win… how terrifying must this opponent be?
Russell raised his eyebrows slightly as a deep, echoing roar rolled through the air.
The colossal head of the Celestial seemed to come alive, slowly opening its jaw to reveal the vast, star-strewn universe beyond.
Bolts of electricity arced through space. In an instant, multiple hexagonal jump gates formed—only to warp and twist as something enormous forced its way through.
A massive mothership squeezed out of the dimensional channel, its design feral and predatory, radiating an aura of ruthless power.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Many recognized it instantly.
Holy Sanctuary No. 1—the mightiest warship of the Dark Legion. Ten kilometers in length, a true mobile interstellar fortress.
And its master… was none other than the Dark Titan feared across the galaxy—Thanos.
Inside the command deck, Thanos stood before the viewport, gazing down at the Celestial's severed head. His eyes naturally fixed on the figure in the distance—the one casually holding the defeated Grandmaster like a beaten dog.
There was no doubt. This man was the new master of Knowhere—the one Gamora had spoken of—and the current holder of an Infinity Stone.
Ronan the Accuser had been useless.
If it weren't for his most favored daughter bringing him this information, the gem might have already slipped through his grasp.
A cold sneer tugged at Thanos's lips. He had already decided—seize the stone, wipe out this place.
He raised his hand, ready to give the order to attack.
But then… he froze.
It struck him that, from the very beginning, the man below hadn't even looked at him once. His gaze was fixed… far deeper into the starry void.
Standing beside him, Ebony Maw noticed the hesitation and frowned. Why was his master delaying? Did he intend to recruit these scavengers as cannon fodder for the Legion?
Bowing slightly, he offered in a sycophantic tone,
"Master, shall we adjust the battle plan? If we strike with a decapitation assault, we could claim many of them as fresh soldiers."
Thanos shook his head slowly.
Something felt wrong—deeply wrong—but he couldn't quite place it.
After a moment's thought, he finally said,
"Forget it. Kill them all. Drain the last cerebrospinal fluid from this head… then burn this place to ash."
"Yes, my lord."
Ebony Maw lowered his head, preparing to relay the command. But before he could channel his psychic link to the ship's systems, the warship's active defense protocols engaged on their own.
The Star Destroyer main cannon came online, and every weapon on the vessel turned—not toward Knowhere—but toward the rear.
A piercing alarm blared through the bridge.
[Warning! A high-energy field exceeding detection thresholds is approaching. Strong life signatures detected. Immediate evacuation is advised!]
[Estimated arrival time: 18… 17… 16…]
[Repeat! Immediate evacuation is advised!]
Ebony Maw's face paled. Without waiting for Thanos to speak, he said sharply,
"Master! The ship's readings are accurate—something is coming. Something far beyond even the Legion's ability to confront!"
This… was absurd. Such a presence shouldn't even exist in this sector.
Thanos's eyes widened in sudden realization.
The master of Knowhere… had opened the Celestial's head not to fight him.
No—the man had been watching for something else.
[Estimated arrival time: 9… 8… 7…]
The alarm repeated, louder, almost desperate.
Ebony Maw's composure began to crack. If they didn't leave now, it would be too late. Still, he masked his panic, speaking cautiously:
"Master, the Legion's strength is concentrated here. We cannot waste the lives of so many soldiers."
But inwardly, he thought—Not just the soldiers. If we don't leave now… none of us will survive.
Thanos was not one to hesitate.
"Initiate jump. Evacuate—immediately!"
Ebony Maw had been waiting for that order. His mind was already linked to the ship's controls, and the instant Thanos spoke, he activated the jump sequence without a second's delay.
But just as the deafening roar of the engines filled the air, the hexagonal jump gates—crackling with arcs of energy—barely formed their outlines before collapsing into nothingness the next second.
The ship's system blared a warning:
[Unknown energy interference detected. Space parameters abnormal. Jump failed!]
[Immediate evacuation recommended…]
Ebony Maw froze in disbelief.
Evacuate?
How?
Sanctuary I was far too massive—long-distance escape was only possible through a space jump. Its sublight flight speed was painfully slow. There was no way they could outrun whatever was coming.
"…."
His voice was hoarse, almost pleading, as he waited for the Dark Titan to give orders.
But deep down, he knew the chances were slim.
Thanos himself felt a brief surge of panic. But in the next instant, his instincts kicked in, and he barked sharply:
"No! Shut down all weapons—now!"
"That thing isn't here for us—it's here for Knowhere! Its target is the void!"
A chilling laugh cut through the air.
Even with his soul gripped tightly in Russell's hand, the Grandmaster still managed to sneer:
"So… you've finally figured it out."
"Yes. Did you really think I came here unprepared?"
"I came ready to lose. Whether I won or lost today, Knowhere was always going to become history. No matter how strong you are—you'll all become food!"
"You're all going to die! Hahahaha!!"
His hysterical laughter was like the curse of a vengeful spirit, sending shivers through everyone who heard it.
No one mistook that for Thanos's voice.
And now, as the ship's weapons swiveled away from the void and aimed behind them, the truth began to take shape in the minds of those quick enough to guess it.
Something worse was coming.
Sanctuary I slowly shifted position, revealing the starry expanse beyond Knowhere.
Only… the stars were gone.
In their place loomed an incomprehensibly massive shadow—an outline so vast that, even while still outside the local star system, it nearly filled the entire field of vision.
It was a ship.
A ship so colossal it defied reason.
The air seemed to freeze—deathly silent.
The Grandmaster stared at the man before him, desperate to see fear in his eyes.
But what he saw instead… was excitement.
"Impossible!" The Grandmaster's expression twisted in disbelief before he roared:
"Why aren't you afraid! You should be afraid!"
"I get it—you don't know what that is! That must be it! Once you do, you'll be so terrified you'll tremble and beg for mercy!"
Russell tilted his head slightly, his eyes briefly sweeping over the Grandmaster's battered form. His voice was calm—almost dismissive.
"So… a planet-devouring glutton is your final trump card?"
"You're like a frog at the bottom of a well."
"Too weak."
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