Hearing Ethan's casual words, Drax the Destroyer suddenly fell silent.
For a long time, he stood there trembling before finally bursting into tears.
Moved by the unexpected kindness, he raised his head and said loudly, "For such a simple and noble reason, how could I refuse? I will step out of the shadows and begin my life anew."
Without another word, the massive warrior strode forward.
Before anyone could react, he grabbed Peter Quill and the others nearby in each hand and started marching toward the escape pods.
"Hey! What does this have to do with me?" Star-Lord shouted in shock.
Rocket was equally stunned.
"Wait! I caught that guy," the raccoon protested. "He's my bounty!"
Groot tilted his head slightly, confused by the sudden development.
"I am Groot."
Only Gamora remained calm as the chaotic group was dragged away.
And just like that, almost by accident, the prototype of the Guardians of the Galaxy had formed once again.
Ethan shook his head and laughed quietly.
He had only spoken half-jokingly. He never expected the situation to unfold exactly like this.
Perhaps the flow of time had its own inertia. Even when events were disrupted, the future still tried to guide certain people toward their destined paths.
Around them, the Kyln prison had completely collapsed.
With the guards dead and the defenses destroyed, prisoners were escaping in every direction. One stolen ship after another launched into space, fleeing the ruined facility.
Among the escaping figures was Corvus Glaive.
The Black Order general clutched his wounds as he boarded an escape craft.
"You cannot defeat him," Gamora warned coldly. "Leave while you still can."
She had personally witnessed Ethan tear apart warships with his bare hands. Even one of Thanos's generals stood no chance against that terrifying Kryptonian.
Corvus Glaive gritted his teeth.
"It's a shame to retreat like this," he muttered bitterly.
But in the end, he still withdrew.
Boom!
Suddenly, several escape ships exploded in the distance.
A golden fleet had arrived.
The Nova Corps.
At long last, the military forces of Xandar had reached the battlefield.
The Kyln prison was under their jurisdiction. To see it destroyed and occupied by outside forces was a humiliation they could not ignore.
Ronan had carefully arranged his fleet earlier, deliberately delaying the Nova Corps' arrival by blocking their approach routes.
His plan had been meticulous.
Unfortunately for him, everything had ultimately been taken by Ethan.
"You're finished," a Nova officer shouted.
At that moment, the World Engine's engines roared.
Massive energy streams ignited behind the colossal warship as the vessel prepared to depart.
Ethan had already secured the Power Stone.
There was no reason to remain.
The enormous fortress-like ship accelerated instantly, leaving the battlefield behind.
The Nova Corps patrol craft quickly noticed the massive vessel attempting to escape. Dozens of golden ships launched in pursuit, attempting to intercept the retreating warship.
But the difference in speed was overwhelming.
Within moments, the World Engine had already widened the gap.
The Nova ships struggled to keep up.
"Damn it!" the commanding officer shouted.
Queen Nova of Xandar stood aboard her flagship, her expression dark.
"What kind of ship is that?"
Seeing the distance growing wider, she finally shifted her focus to the remaining chaos.
"Execute all prisoners attempting to escape," she ordered coldly. "And eliminate the remaining Kree fleet as well."
Her anger was obvious.
"No criminal responsible for this disaster is allowed to escape."
She raised her hand decisively.
"Centurions Geoffrey and Edgar—step forward."
The two Nova Corps commanders immediately saluted.
"You are granted access to fifty percent of the Nova Force," Queen Nova declared. "Intercept that black battleship."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The two Centurions exchanged glances.
A moment later—
Their bodies erupted with golden light.
The Nova Force surged into them like a raging ocean. Within seconds, their power increased dramatically, reaching levels they had never experienced before.
This was the true strength of the Nova Corps.
The Nova Force originated from a super-intelligent cosmic computer, capable of distributing energy among every member of the Corps.
Now half of that power had been concentrated into two warriors.
Their strength skyrocketed instantly.
Without hesitation, the two Centurions launched themselves into space.
Their bodies became blazing meteors as they shot toward the fleeing World Engine.
Far ahead, the massive Kryptonian warship continued gliding through the starry void.
Every ship attempting to intercept it had already fallen far behind.
Inside the cockpit, Lilith monitored the situation carefully.
Her brow suddenly furrowed.
"Warning," she said sharply. "Unknown lifeforms approaching at extreme speed."
She studied the sensor readings.
"They're moving much faster than the pursuing ships. Energy levels are extremely high, far beyond our usual measurement range."
Lilith looked toward Ethan.
"They are likely Nova Corps members."
Her voice carried a hint of concern.
"Your Majesty…"
Ethan had just stepped back aboard the ship and was preparing to remove his black battle suit.
When he heard the report, he paused slightly.
Then he smiled faintly.
"I understand," he said calmly. "There's nothing to worry about."
To the Kryptonian people, Ethan was more than their emperor.
He was their pillar of strength.
As long as he stood, no challenge was impossible.
Carol Danvers stepped closer.
She had originally intended to assist in the coming battle, but the moment she sensed the change in Ethan's aura, she froze.
"You've gotten stronger," she said in disbelief.
Before, Ethan had felt like an insurmountable mountain.
Now he felt like an endless abyss.
An ocean of power flowed through him.
It was as if an entire universe had been compressed inside his body.
"How is that possible?" she murmured.
She finally understood why Ethan had pursued the Orb so relentlessly.
"If you keep growing like this," Carol said quietly, "who could possibly stand against you?"
Meanwhile, the two Nova Centurions continued accelerating.
Empowered by half the Nova Force, they felt stronger than ever before.
With a final burst of speed, their bodies caught up to the massive World Engine.
But just as they prepared to attack—
A familiar figure appeared in front of them.
"It's you."
Centurion Geoffrey's eyes widened.
The man floating before them was the same one who had caused chaos on Xandar earlier.
He snorted coldly.
"Perfect," Geoffrey said. "Now we can settle this."
With the Nova Force coursing through his body, he felt ten times stronger than before. And he was not alone.
Another Centurion stood beside him.
They were confident.
Unfortunately—
They had completely misjudged their opponent.
In the next instant, Ethan vanished.
Geoffrey's vision blurred.
The figure that had been standing in front of him disappeared completely.
Then it reappeared.
Directly before his eyes.
"So fast—"
The thought never finished.
A devastating force struck his abdomen.
Geoffrey's body curled instantly like a shrimp as the blow lifted him into the air.
"Geoffrey!"
Centurion Edgar roared and rushed forward.
But Ethan was faster.
His body moved again like teleportation.
He appeared before Edgar before the man could even attack.
Then he punched.
Boom!
The explosion of force sent Edgar flying like a cannonball. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was hurled far across the void.
"Damn you!"
Geoffrey tried to recover.
He drew in a deep breath, gathering the Nova Force again.
But before he could unleash it—
Another punch arrived.
Bang.
The concentrated Nova energy shattered instantly.
Geoffrey spat blood.
His body collapsed as the impact shattered his spine.
Confusion filled his fading mind.
Why?
He had become more than ten times stronger than before.
Yet he still couldn't survive a single punch.
He remembered their previous encounter on Xandar. Back then, he had at least managed to resist.
So why—
Now that he had grown stronger—
He had become even more helpless?
As darkness swallowed his vision, Centurion Geoffrey died without ever understanding the answer.
....
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