Andromeda Galaxy, at the edge of the star system where the Divine Empress Order and the Black Order clashed—a vast asteroid belt.

"It’s that terrorist Thanos! His flagship, Sanctuary II—I recognize it!"

The voice was thick with clenched teeth.

"Calm down. We are diplomatic envoys, not a legion or a fleet. Rushing into battle would gain us nothing."

"Are we just supposed to stand here and watch?!"

Among enormous shattered celestial bodies riddled with craters and fractures, a group of Xandarians bearing the iconic crimson eight-pointed star of Xandar upon their visors were engaged in heated argument.

Integrated golden helmets, dark bodysuits beneath finely crafted semi-enclosed armor, limbs plated in gold. On their breastplates, two above and three below, luminous plates shimmered with the light of Nova—declaring their identity unmistakably.

The pride of the Nova Empire—the Nova Corps.

"We’re not just watching. At the very least, we’ve confirmed that the Divine Empress Order’s transmission was not a lie. At this scale of fighting, they clearly aren’t some subordinate branch or ally of that mad dog Thanos."

The leading Nova silenced his subordinates’ pointless quarrel.

He understood the fury and hatred ignited within his soldiers the instant they encountered the Black Order—especially when they saw Thanos’ flagship. How could he not feel the same?

Thanos’ slaughter of Xandar when he seized the Power Stone was still vivid in memory. The ruins and bones of Xandar had yet to be fully cleared. As Nova Corps members, who among them did not have friends and family spread across that world?

"Contact the Centurion Prime. Relay the message to Lady Adora. The proposed alliance is no trap. We have positively identified the main force of the Black Order and one of Thanos’ flagships, Sanctuary II. The Divine Empress Order, vouched for by Lord Star-Lord, is not our enemy. They are at war with Thanos’ army."

Drawing upon the Nova Force generated by the super-living computer Worldmind, and aided by the communications systems embedded within his specialized armor, the Nova leader transmitted everything unfolding in the Andromeda Galaxy—the Skrull home system included—back to Xandar.

Peering out from a gap in the asteroid belt, his super-vision granted by the Nova Force allowed him to observe the vast space naval engagement from angles impossible for ordinary beings.

In the blazing inferno of battle, the exchange of fire was as brutal as a storm of wind and rain. One side resembled reefs formed from castles and celestial fortresses. The other was like a tidal wave of grotesque, deformed insects sweeping down in overwhelming numbers.

Their clash had already turned this region of space into a smoking ruin.

Explosions blossomed throughout the deep void. Twisted metal plates and shredded organic fragments drifted together with one charred, half-vaporized corpse after another.

Their features were nearly indistinguishable upon the burned bones. Many of the blackened remains were hurled away by subsequent detonations, pushed by fresh waves of destruction and drifting irregularly toward neighboring star systems.

One could foresee that once this battle ended, the surrounding deep space would become a dead zone.

And it would soon welcome an endless stream of interstellar scavengers and marauders—hyenas drawn to a battlefield of this magnitude, a natural gold mine in their eyes.

"Control your emotions. Look over there..." the Nova leader warned, pointing toward where the Divine Empress Order fleet’s lance batteries and heavy plasma cannons collided with those of the Black Order, igniting bursts of brilliance like miniature suns. "I don’t want to be collecting your bodies. No—there won’t even be ashes left to find."

"Vengeance will come. The time has not yet arrived..."

Bzz—

As the Nova leader lectured the younger warriors struggling to suppress their hatred, the roar of engines and the shockwaves they expelled against the asteroid belt caught his attention.

"Who’s there?!"

"Oh? The Nova Corps of Xandar. So they contacted you as well?"

A questioning greeting accompanied several sleek micro-shuttle cruisers adorned with crested plumage and avian motifs as they roared into view.

Clang!

The ships braked sharply against a nearby asteroid, kicking up clouds of dust as several armored figures leapt down.

"...That makes sense. To wage war against the mad Dark Titan and exterminate him, one must gather enough allies. And your capital of Xandar was caught off guard by Thanos’ raid, suffering heavy casualties."

Walking and hovering effortlessly within the vacuum, they removed their triangular helmets, revealing facial features not unlike those of Earth humans. From their vantage point, they observed the distant battlefield.

"The Shi’ar Empire?"

The Nova leader sounded astonished. "What are you doing here?"

Their armor bore an ancient style—full and half suits adorned with delicate feathered patterns. Their hair rose in triangular crests reminiscent of plumage, a near-universal trait among pureblood Shi’ar.

"Thanos is our fugitive. I trust the Nova Corps are well aware of that."

The leading Shi’ar warrior gestured toward the central formation of the Black Order fleet.

"Majestrix Lilandra was furious when she heard that the Mad Titan massacred Xandar. We should have sentenced him to death back then. The Shi’ar also received the Divine Empress Order’s proposal. The Imperial Guard commander sent me to confirm the details." He added this openly, as there was little need for secrecy at such a moment.

The Nova Corps often played the role of cosmic vigilantes, and thus had long maintained dealings with the Shi’ar Empire.

"You should’ve executed that deformed bastard when you had the chance."

A younger Nova could not help but interject.

The Shi’ar warrior merely smiled without responding. As the foremost of the three great cosmic empires, the fact that the Shi’ar Imperial Guard had once apprehended the universe’s most notorious terrorist filled him with undisguised pride.

"Are the Kree planning to stick their hands into this as well?"

Receiving no answer, the leading Shi’ar simply turned his gaze toward several other nearby asteroids.

"The Andromeda Galaxy has always been within our grasp. The Skrull scum have already been suppressed. Why do you think we Kree are here?"

Clad in black armor etched with green patterns and Corinthian-style helmets, blue-skinned Kree super soldiers disengaged their cloaking fields. Led by several Kree Accusers, they piloted their shuttlecraft onto the asteroid now hosting representatives of three major interstellar powers.

"Shi’ar. You who pride yourselves on tolerance and peace—are you here to claim a share as well?"

The Kree Accuser’s expression was sour.

Though he disliked admitting it, the steady Kree officer knew he had to.

"And why not?" the Shi’ar warrior countered.

"Ahem. Very well then. Why not form an alliance between our two empires and eradicate the cosmic ’cancer cell’ known as the Skrulls once and for all?"

"We’ll pass on that. Our topic should be the Mad Titan’s Black Order. Their existence is a grave threat to the peace of the universe..."

"Good. Sending troops would be excellent. The Black Order must be destroyed at any time, under any circumstances. Where is your fleet?"

...

The Xandarians: ... 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

At eighteen, standing there like nobodies.

Was that really something they could respond to?

They did not have that kind of power, understood?

If the Shi’ar and the Kree truly came to blows, then leaving everything else aside, the Skrulls would certainly be wiped out. The Nova Empire might well be dragged into it too.

Boom—!

Just as both sides were exchanging heated words, a violent explosion shook the entire asteroid belt. A savage wave of repulsive force swept over them like collapsing mountains and overturning seas, while blinding violet radiance filled every corner of the frontline battlefield.

"This is bad. The Divine Empress Order is about to lose!"

"That power... the Orb of the Universe. Thanos stole it from your Xandar!"

The Shi’ar and Kree simultaneously turned toward the Nova Corps. The meaning in their eyes was obvious: Little Nova, treasures like that are beyond your grasp and only attract thieves. Better let us adults keep them safe for you.

Then the three sides exchanged glances.

"Retreat!"

Return home and request reinforcements. There was no need for the few of them to fight to the death here.

The Black Order had to be exterminated, and conveniently, no single side needed to bear the burden alone. Better to have several wronged friends contributing together. Besides, having a lunatic bomb like Thanos around was no small issue. And if the Divine Empress Order lost... they probably would not be annihilated completely, right? Should they apply to send a little aid?

At that very moment—Bzzzzzzzz—!

A soft emerald radiance illuminated the entire star system.

Immediately afterward, one especially violent explosion after another shook the void. Rising steadily, the golden cosmic deity unleashed a tide of destruction that halted the three factions just as they were preparing to withdraw.

Like an angel cleansing the world, the apostle of god was sweeping away the ’sins’ of the mortal realm.

The Kree Accuser widened his violet eyes. "Lady Gorgon?" As a representative of the Divine Empress Order, she was a key figure in the intelligence dossiers of the Kree Empire. Since he had been sent here to observe the situation, he naturally knew of her.

"Thanos!"

Ignoring whatever grand speech was being exchanged, the Nova warriors from Xandar simply stared with bloodshot eyes at the enormous projected image rising from the center of the Black Order fleet formation—the unmistakable figure of Thanos.

Thanos stood amidst shrieking darkness and demonic winds, broad and brutal, thick-necked and vicious-faced. Across the sea of stars, he faced the radiant, dazzlingly spectacular ’Gorgon.’ One dark, one bright—the contrast was absolute.

The Shi’ar and Kree exchanged a glance, then hurriedly activated the recording and transmission systems built into their armor.

Thanos was evil.

That was beyond dispute.

And the Divine Empress Order had to receive support. The universe might be filthy in countless ways, but Thanos the madman truly was the greatest terrorist in existence. Anyone fighting Thanos automatically stood on the side of political correctness in galactic public opinion.

...

First visual impressions could be quite important sometimes.

Selene firmly believed this.

Leaving everything else aside, if under equal conditions one side looked like a born villain while the other was pleasing to behold and uplifting to the spirit—which would you choose?

She had tossed the Mind Stone to Master Chief John as a portable charger to ease the strain of being drained dry by her. Temporarily deprived of her telepathic senses, Selene did not know exactly how effective her PUA plan had been. But the livestream had already begun, so she had to keep acting her part.

Bzz—

Golden torrents of power carrying suffocating magic began to gleam from Selene’s eyes. Merely being gazed upon by that magnificent crimson light, like blood flowing from the human heart, countless Black Order vanguards in space found it hard to breathe. Their bodies stiffened. Their thoughts froze.

Mystic Eyes of Petrification.

"Petrification is worthless before the might of reality."

Thanos clenched his left fist. The red Gemstone upon the Infinity Gauntlet’s ring finger flashed, streams of dark crimson particles spiraling outward. In an instant, they expanded, diverting and altering the invisible petrifying rays released by Selene. Their effect was rewritten—nullified.

That was exactly what she had been waiting for.

Without the final Mind Stone set into the Gauntlet, even borrowing its power, he could not simultaneously activate the laws of two Gemstones at once.

Wearing a bright smile, Selene contacted Karna.

Move.

Activate the teleport beacon the Guardians of the Galaxy brought onto Sanctuary II. Blow up Thanos’ flagship for me. Did you think the equipment gifted to Star-Lord and the others had been free?

"Hm?" At the instant the teleport beacon activated, Thanos sensed the spatial disturbance around his flagship.

As an Eternal Titan capable of unleashing many forms of energy even before using the Infinity Stones, he was keenly sensitive to all forms of power.

"Those weapons?"

The red light dimmed. Blue light rose.

"Then be lost within endless dimensions."

"Did I say you could leave?"

With a snap of her fingers, Selene unleashed a vast flood of scarlet energy that swallowed the Black Order fleet before her. As serpent-headed tendrils hissed, it was as if ten thousand lance batteries ignited at once. The Beast Goddess’ gaze was as sharp as a polished blade, and a streak of emerald flashed past.

Thanos’ movement paused visibly, as though a segment of time had been cut away.

The next instant—Boom!—a world-shaking explosion erupted beneath the throne hall of Sanctuary II. The terrifying wave of fire instantly roasted the corpses of the guards upon the deck. Flames spiraled upward, and the entire upper deck of Sanctuary II was drowned in a crimson symphony.

Molten metal danced through the air. Beneath that dazzling golden brilliance, the throne hall collapsed with a thunderous crash. Thanos’ Void Throne was smashed to pieces, leaving only ruined fragments.

"The authority of time... truly an irritating thing."

Blasting away the rubble pinning him down, he spoke coldly.

At the same moment, the projected image of Thanos upon the battlefield flickered chaotically before vanishing on its own.

"Time is supreme. Space is king. When fate does not emerge, causality reigns emperor. Little Titan... how exactly do you plan to seize the Gemstone of Time from my hands?"

Thanos quickly locked onto the source of the voice.

At some unknown moment, Selene’s colossal manifestation above the Divine Empress Order fleet had also disappeared. She now stood within his flagship.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at the peerlessly graceful figure before him. Even by his exacting standards, she was a beautiful female... energy lifeform.

"You know me well. The Infinity Gauntlet’s inherent flaw... Odin’s son told you."

"This is the mystery of time."

Selene neither confirmed nor denied it. Her voice was soft, rhythmic, exquisitely elegant.

She could hardly say that her true self simply knew him already.

"Come then, provisional apostle of [Death]. Let me personally measure your worth."

Thanos Potential Awakening Assault Crash Course—begins now!

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