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"Team Rocket traveling through the galaxy?" The light in Rocket Raccoon's eyes seemed to materialize. "That name is really kickass!"
"I am Groot!" Groot also expressed his agreement from the side.
"It's the Guardians of the Galaxy!!" Quill corrected in exasperation. "Why can't any of you remember the name?!"
Under Captain America's call, everyone's morale soared, and they shouted as they launched a counter-charge against the energy beasts!
"For Homelander!!"
A young Vought City hero activated a self-destruct superpower and charged into the monster swarm without looking back, attempting to use his self-detonation to stall the monsters' advance.
"Don't do anything stupid! Kid!"
A figure clad in silver armor descended from the sky, grabbed the young man, and threw him back to the rear.
It was Thunder God Thor.
He was now clad in battle-armor, and what he held in his hand was no longer that large wrench, but a black battle-axe radiating a cold gleam.
Battle-axe—Iron Bear.
That was the weapon he used while campaigning across the Nine Realms in his youth, before he had ever lifted Mjolnir.
Although it lacked the divine power to call upon thunder like Mjolnir, this axe was incredibly sharp and had once severed the heads of countless giants.
"Leave the charging to the strongest Avenger!"
Thor laughed heartily, swinging the battle-axe in a wide arc.
"Squelch—!"
A massive energy monster was sliced directly in half, blue energy fluid splashing everywhere.
"For Midgard! For Jane!"
With Thor's roar...
Behind him, the light of a Bifrost Bridge dissipated.
A silver giant over three meters tall, forged entirely from Asgardian Uru steel, stepped out with heavy strides.
The Destroyer Armor.
This was the ultimate weapon in Odin's vault; although its power was greatly diminished without Odin's control, it was still a terrifying killing machine.
"Buzz—!!"
The Destroyer's entire body lit up with golden energy, and an orange-yellow Destruction Ray from its head swept across the battlefield.
In an instant, it cleared a large area of monsters.
"Is that... Thor?" Steve climbed up from the ground, looking at that awe-inspiring figure, a flash of pleasant surprise in his eyes.
"Whoa..." Tony Stark, who was providing support from the air, saw this scene and his eyes went wide. "What's that tin can?"
"What kind of metal is that? How is that energy output structure achieved?"
"That is the Asgardian Destroyer," a familiar voice sounded behind Tony.
"A few years ago, it appeared in a small town in New Mexico and nearly razed it to the ground."
Tony turned back to see a man in a purple combat suit nocking an arrow and aiming; his bowstring twanged repeatedly, each arrow precisely blowing up the head of an alien beast.
"Clint?" Tony was somewhat surprised. "Aren't you retired? Gone to drive your tractor?"
"I was supposed to be," Clint Barton shrugged, firing another explosive arrow.
"But I saw on TV that Earth was ending again. I figured my farm probably wouldn't be spared."
"By the way..." He glanced at Tony. "I heard you disbanded the Avengers?"
"Haha... my head wasn't very clear back then," Tony explained somewhat awkwardly.
"It's fine," Barton smiled. "I'm not an Avenger anymore anyway; I've self-proclaimed myself as the Guardian of the Barton Farm."
Tony looked at his old comrade-in-arms, and the corner of his mouth curled into an arc.
"Welcome back, Farm Guardian."
"Then let's give them hell again."
"Jarvis! Fire all the Sidewinder Missiles! Clear a path for our archer!"
With the addition of this fresh force, the originally precarious defensive line finally stabilized.
"Advance!! Push the line back!!"
Steve seized the opportunity and gave the order loudly.
Everyone went into a frenzy.
Whether it was the superheroes, the ordinary Agents, or even those ordinary soldiers holding guns.
Everyone bore wounds, and everyone's physical strength was overextended.
But they disregarded life and death, disregarded pain.
They had only one thought in their minds—
Attack! Attack! We must be worthy of his sacrifice!
...Finally.
They fought their way to the edge of that massive deep pit.
However, the sight before them shocked everyone.
It was no longer a seed, but had already grown into a giant flower composed of blue energy crystals.
It was rooted deep in the Earth, with countless roots spreading out in all directions, its petals open like a greedy, gaping maw.
With every wriggle, it would spew out hundreds of newborn energy beasts from its heart.
"Destroy it!!"
Tony shouted, his chest Unibeam blasting at full power.
However, when the Unibeam hit that celestial flower, it only stirred up ripples and failed to damage it in the slightest.
"Let me try!"
Thor raised the Iron Bear battle-axe, leaped high into the air, and struck down fiercely.
"Swish—!!"
The indestructible battle-axe struck the flower's stem and passed directly through it.
It was as if there were no resistance at all.
Yet the celestial flower still stood tall upon the Earth, with not even a mark where the battle-axe had passed.
"What the hell is this thing?!" Thor looked at the undamaged stem in shock.
"This thing is continuously producing an army. If we don't destroy it, we'll be worn down to death!" Steve said, his brow furrowed as he watched more and more monsters surround them.
"Then let's blow it up!" Rocket, refusing to believe it, pulled out the batteries stolen from the Sovereign, preparing to hand-craft a high-explosive bomb.
At that moment, Peter Quill, who had remained silent, reached out and stopped Rocket.
He looked at that celestial flower, which was emitting familiar fluctuations.
That was an aura connected to his bloodline.
That was... the Light.
"Quill? What are you trying to do? Stay back!" Gamora shouted nervously.
Quill didn't look back; he reached out, took off the Walkman at his waist, and carefully placed it on a rock.
Then, he gave Gamora a smile that was a bit roguish yet somewhat relieved.
"That old bastard said I'm the only person in this Universe who inherited his power."
"He said this power belongs to us."
Quill looked at his hands, where a faint blue light was beginning to emerge.
"Since this thing is also a part of him..."
"Then I think... maybe I have the right to take it over."
"Peter!" Gamora called out in worry.
"Trust me." Quill glanced back at her, flashing a confident smile.
"This is the inheritance that 'bastard dad' left for me, isn't it?"
"Since it's an inheritance... then I'll help myself to it!!"
In the next moment, his hand pressed down hard upon it.
Just as Ego had once used him as a battery.
But now the situation was reversed; he had become the one doing the siphoning.
"Hum—!!"
The massive celestial flower suddenly trembled violently.
The blue energy that had been gushing outward suddenly flowed backward!
Following Quill's arm, it surged frantically into his body.
His eyes were stained black, and within them, starlight seemed to swirl.
"Aaaaaah!!"
Quill roared toward the sky, his body beginning to glow as blue divine power surged through his veins.
Meanwhile, the celestial flower withered visibly to the naked eye.
As the last trace of energy was absorbed into his body...
The celestial flower completely turned to a pile of ashes and scattered in the wind.
The monsters that had lost their energy source also crumbled and disintegrated one after another.
"Phew..."