"I have been observing the outer sectors," the Astronomer, one of the Cosmic Elders said calmly, though his voice carried a gravity that immediately drew every gaze. "And I witnessed a battle… one so terrifying even I doubted my own readings."
"One combatant was Soren. The other…" He paused, letting the tension coil. "You will not believe it."
The silhouettes around him leaned forward.
"It was Galactus." the Astronomer said quietly. "A duplication, yes, but still Galactus. And since Soren is alive right now… You can deduce what became of it."
Shock rippled through the chamber.
Even the strongest Elder, the one who previously declared none could face Soren, shifted slightly at the news.
But the Astronomer lifted a hand. "I am not finished."
A hush fell again.
"A battle took place in the starfield that housed Ego's planet," He continued. "And shortly after Soren emerged again, Ego's Star… exploded. The entire starfield collapsed into darkness."
A collective hiss swept through the Elders.
If someone other than the Astronomer had said it, no one would have believed a word.
But facts were facts… Soren had slain a Galactus duplication… and destroyed Ego himself.
"So then, Grandmaster," the Astronomer said with a faint, almost mocking smile, "Do you still intend to make yourself Soren's enemy?"
"Or have you begun to think you're stronger than Galactus and Ego combined?"
"Hmph!" Grandmaster's face darkened, anger roiling in him.
"Astronomer," he growled, "If one day Soren tears apart your home, will you still praise his strength with such calm?"
The Astronomer merely smiled. There was no malice in it, only indifference.
"My hobby is observing planetary evolution, not kidnapping champions for bloodsport," He replied lightly. "I have no reason to provoke Soren."
The implication struck Grandmaster. These so-called brothers… these Elders were finally showing their true faces.
He felt the last threads of loyalty snap.
"Enough," Grandmaster said coldly. "I will handle my own matters."
"From this moment on, I am no longer part of the Elder Council. I stand alone." His filled with venom and certainty. "As for Soren… I have already found someone capable of dealing with him."
"You will see for yourselves soon enough."
A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. Soren had awakened the killing intent he had long buried.
The Collector's expression tightened with worry. Grandmaster's recklessness was spiraling out of control.
"Grandmaster," The Collector pleaded, "Stop this before it's too late."
"Soren is not someone you can simply 'find help' to defeat. In this universe, he may already stand above all gods. Do not let your pride destroy you."
"Silence!" Grandmaster snapped, glaring at him with icy contempt. "You may choose to befriend a monster like him, but I am not you."
"And do not worry…" His lips curled. "I am not foolish enough to send someone to their death."
"I will kill Soren. That humiliation will be paid back in blood."
It wasn't the threat that unsettled the Elders, it was the confidence dripping from every word.
Soren had slain Ego. He had torn apart a Galactus duplication. That level of power left only one question…
Who in the universe could Grandmaster possibly recruit?
The Elders exchanged uneasy glances. Grandmaster was arrogant, but he wasn't delusional.
If he spoke so boldly, he must have someone in mind.
Grandmaster noticed their attention and straightened his back, vanity flaring like a peacock's tail.
"In this universe," He declared, "Beyond the Supreme God and us who approach that level… there remain other immortal beings. To defeat Soren, all I need is to offer the right price."
Collector went still. "…You mean~"
"Thanos?!"
A ripple of shock ran through the council. Of course. The cursed eternal.
The Mad Titan who even cosmic gods preferred not to provoke.
"How could you possibly find him?" One Elder demanded, anger drowned by fear.
"Thanos vanished from our reach ages ago!"
Grandmaster sneered. The resentful fire in his eyes only grew.
"Do not compare your incompetence to my resolve. If you will not help me, then do not presume to judge."
"We are Elders of the Universe," Another warned. "We cannot simply interfere~"
"I am not one of you anymore!" Grandmaster snapped, cutting him off. "I renounced that title minutes ago."
"I owe none of you anything."
"You have forgotten a truth about the cosmos…. power speaks loudest… but benefit speaks even louder. Offer a strong enough reward, and even a monster like Thanos will listen."
"You fool," A formless Elder hissed, breaking his silence at last.
"What could you possibly offer Thanos that wouldn't get you annihilated the moment you open your mouth?"
Grandmaster lifted his chin. "You need not concern yourselves. Thanos and I have already reached an agreement."
That statement silenced the room like a blade to the throat.
"You will hear of Soren's death soon enough," Grandmaster continued, voice dripping contempt.
"And when that day comes, you will realize how weak… how rotten… the Elders of the Universe have become."
With that, his projection fractured into starlight and vanished, severing the connection.
The chamber fell into a suffocating silence.
No one spoke.
Even the strongest Elder flexed his presence uneasily, troubled by Grandmaster's arrogance and the terrifying possibility that he truly had contacted Thanos.
Finally, one of them exhaled heavily.
"Disperse. Grandmaster has chosen to leave us. His actions are his own. Interfere, and you invite destruction upon yourself."
Collector opened his mouth, wanting… needing…to protest.
But the cold indifference staring back at him from the other Elders killed the words on his tongue.
"…" He let out a long, weary sigh.
His image dissolved, and he faded back into his lonely corner of the universe dreading what would come next.