With a soft sigh, Firelord prepared to leave a marker here to guide the Devourer of Worlds, although even without it, the Devourer would only arrive on Earth slightly later.
"Another planet targeted by the master. Poor creatures... I hope you can understand your situation as soon as possible and leave this planet."
Although Firelord saw that Earth's technology had only just begun stepping into the universe, making large-scale migration impossible, there was still hope if a few seeds were preserved.
A brilliant light rose from him just as he was about to leave coordinates on the ground for his master. Suddenly, a steel figure struck him, knocking him off his feet. The energy he released to mark the coordinates swept outward in an arc. With a thunderous crash, it slashed through a skyscraper, bringing the entire building down in an instant.
Chaos erupted across New York. Screams echoed through the sky as residents fled for their lives.
"Tony Stark, look at what you've done!" Invisible Woman shouted, flying through the air supported by a force field.
Originally, Firelord's action would've only created a massive hole in the street, with limited casualties. But Stark's collision caused high-temperature cosmic energy to sweep across the entire street, instantly multiplying damage and casualties a hundredfold.
"Well, my mistake. I didn't think he was just leaving a mark. I thought he was going to blow up half of New York," Tony Stark said, raising his arm. Even with such brief contact, the outer shell of his armor had already begun to melt.
And this wasn't even a real battle, just a brush with Firelord. In a true clash, Iron Man's armor might've completely liquefied in seconds.
"An enhanced individual from this planet?" Firelord flew forward. "Your resistance is meaningless. You'd be better off finding a way to escape this planet."
"It's you who should leave!" Two angry voices cried out as the twin Phoenix shot into the sky.
On the ground, Wanda had just finished teleporting a large crowd to safety and let out a breath. Although chaos magic was vast, her physical endurance was still limited. She hadn't yet reached the level where she could unleash it fully. After moving such a large group, she was already somewhat fatigued.
Still, seeing her Phoenix counterpart rushing ahead, Wanda didn't hesitate. She soared upward.
Storm followed another 'flyer' among the heroes. Then came Shin, capable of flight through either ninjutsu or his Devil Fruits.
Jessica Jones looked around. Seeing that most others couldn't fly, she reluctantly launched herself into the air.
Even Iron Man's armor had begun to melt after just one clash with Firelord. Jessica didn't believe her own durability could match Stark's gold-titanium alloy suit.
Her physique might compare to high-strength rubber, moderately bulletproof, but hardly resistant to extreme heat.
Still, all flight-capable heroes had taken to the sky, and she couldn't just watch from the ground.
Other mutants and heroes could only observe. Those with long-range powers like Cyclops and Iceman prepared to engage from a distance.
Others, like Wolverine, could only stare helplessly at the battle above.
"No matter how much you resist, the outcome is already decided," said Firelord, having just recovered from Stark's attack. Hovering above, he looked down coldly. "You'd be better off organizing an evacuation."
Though his tone was icy, his words weren't cruel. In his view, planets targeted by Galactus never survived.
Earth was no Shi'ar Empire, it's not a galactic powerhouse. It had barely entered the interstellar era, and even basic long-range spaceflight was beyond its reach. Saving a few with alien tech was the best-case scenario.
"Don't worry your half-naked self about us. We live just fine on this planet. Anyone who comes here, we'll make them lose a few teeth," Tony Stark snapped.
Among Galactus's four heralds, three rarely wore much. Firelord especially since his intense body heat could incinerate anything he wore.
Firelord didn't respond. He extended his hand, releasing a stream of golden high-temperature energy. Iron Man fired back with dual laser cannons.
The moment the beams met, Stark's lasers vanished like butter against a white-hot blade. If Jean hadn't pulled him back, he'd have been vaporized on the spot.
His armor simply wasn't designed for cosmic-level combat. And Firelord's strength wasn't far from Thanos-level.
"Next time I'm building heat-proof armor!" Stark muttered. Several micro-missiles launched from his suit and streaked toward Firelord.
A series of explosions followed, but this time, Firelord didn't budge. Not a scratch marked his body.
Iron Man, however, was no longer Firelord's concern. His eyes were fixed on Phoenix Girl and Scarlet Witch. Whether it was the Phoenix Force or Chaos Magic, both surpassed even his own cosmic energy in purity.
To him, these three women were the true threats.
Firelord raised his scepter, cosmic fire blazing at its tip. With a casual wave, he unleashed a tide of flames toward the surrounding heroes. Only Phoenix Girl and Scarlet Witch were able to block it. The others scrambled to evade.
Against flames nearing the temperature of a star's core, few could stand their ground.
Shin, who had been hiding and suppressing his aura, joined the retreating crowd.
But deep down, simply being near Firelord made Shin feel stronger. The walking sun's attributes seemed to perfectly resonate with his own. He even suspected that if they fought, his power would rise dramatically.
'Still, not yet. These messengers of Galactus are incredibly fast, even in Earth's atmosphere… We need to wait for the perfect moment. Then strike with a single, fatal blow!'
*******************************
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion
90+ Advance Chapters Now Available!