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*****
"It seems some guests have arrived."
A deep, majestic, and utterly domineering voice resonated. The woman gazed in the direction from which the sounds of battle were emanating, her heroic brows knitting together slightly. She whispered, "How noisy."
A chilling glint flashed deep within the woman's eyes.
She had been exiled from her homeland by her own father, imprisoned in this desolate, forgotten place, and now these... mortals... dared to trespass into her domain.
Hopefully, these intruders could provide her with at least some small measure of entertainment.
At this thought, the woman's pale lips curved into a subtle, cold smile. She strode out of the lonely, cold palace, stepping directly into the thin, veil-like mist of snow, and vanished completely from sight.
On the other side of the battlefield, Erik's fight was growing increasingly more intense.
Starhawk was completely unable to breach Erik's force field defense, so Erik simply stopped paying any significant attention to him. He allowed Starhawk to continue gathering large amounts of energy to launch futile attacks against him.
He could clearly sense that the strength of Starhawk's attacks was continuously diminishing. It appeared that his opponent's energy reserves were not, in fact, infinite.
Although Starhawk's dazzling and splendid attacks had been quite stunning when he first appeared, they were no longer capable of capturing much of Erik's attention.
Erik's attention right now was focused entirely on the Ravagers' ships and the Ravagers themselves.
Those ships he had blasted apart were like scattered dandelions; their metal components flowed into his metallic ocean. Meanwhile, those Ravagers he had outfitted with metal collars were like ripe fruits that had fallen to the ground, just waiting for Erik to come and harvest them.
In the end, every single one of these Ravagers could be exchanged for money. The Ravagers currently scattered all over the ground had already transformed, in Erik's eyes, into towering stacks upon stacks of currency.
"Heh!"
He couldn't help but let out a short laugh, his gaze fixed on the remaining ships, literal symbols of money flashing in his eyes.
"Those ships should be trying to retreat by now," Star-Lord muttered to himself.
Continuing this fight was completely and utterly meaningless for them.
This grand trap, originally designed to capture Erik, had instead turned into Erik's one-man show, a performance that was about to net Erik a massive amount of money.
Thinking about the impending payday, Star-Lord couldn't stop himself from swallowing hard.
On the other side, aboard Stakar Vaughn's flagship, the faces of all the leaders present had turned an ashen, iron-gray.
The current situation gave them the distinct feeling that they were nothing but common weeds, and Erik was the weed whacker.
They were weak, utterly powerless, and toppled with a single push.
"Damn it all! Did we come all this way just to deliver him our money?" one Ravager leader lamented. He watched as his own ship was blasted, then completely disassembled by Erik, and all the Ravagers inside were taken captive. His eye twitched violently, and he couldn't help but let out a long, mournful sigh.
"Why don't we... try to negotiate with him?" another Ravager leader proposed. "We have to find a way to get our crew members back. Besides, if we continue to fight now, we're still going to lose, and even more ships will be destroyed. It would be far better to preserve the ships we have left and try to negotiate with him."
Another Ravager leader had offered a suggestion, and several of the other leaders nodded their heads, their expressions thoughtful. This truly did seem like a viable solution, but...
"It's just too humiliating! The entire Ravager coalition will become a complete laughing stock."
A massive group of them had ganged up to set a trap, only to be beaten so badly they were fleeing in a panic. If word of this ever got out, how could they, the Ravagers, ever hold their heads high and roam the universe again?
It was just too disgraceful.
"We're Ravagers. We do dirty work for a living anyway. Since when do we need to worry about 'face'..." someone muttered under their breath.
The other Ravagers fell silent. What that person said... actually seemed to make a lot of sense.
Gray-tongue watched these people, utterly speechless, his eyes filled with nothing but pure disgust.
This trash. They don't have a single shred of honor.
Suddenly, he seemed to sense something. His expression shifted slightly, revealing a dark, sinister smile.
That person has arrived.
Asgard's Goddess of Death, Hela!
For those who invade her domain, there is only one possible outcome!
Death!
Therefore, the people here are bound to clash with Hela. And as long as Hela kills Magneto, given that fiercely protective nature of Magneto's father, he will absolutely come seeking trouble with Hela, and he will try to kill her.
But... as long as Asgard itself exists, Hela cannot truly die.
So then, in order to kill Hela, what will that Mike Kent—the man whom even the great 'Lord' fears—do about Asgard?
Heh. Hehehe!
Let them fight! A great war is about to erupt!
Either Kent Star will be destroyed, or Asgard will be destroyed!
Just the very thought that this was all part of his grand plan made Gray-tongue want to laugh maniacally! He felt so smug, so pleased with himself, that a feeling of immense satisfaction washed over his entire body.
His entire body was trembling. He swept one last cold, sinister glance over these pathetic Ravagers.
For the balance of the universe... for the great 'Lord's' wish... all of you can just turn into cosmic dust and die!
He silently recited this oath in his heart and then began to slip away, quietly making his way out.
He had to leave this place immediately. He certainly did not want to get caught up in what was about to happen.
Back on the battlefield, Starhawk saw that Erik was completely ignoring his attacks, and he felt both helpless and enraged.
First, we must retreat. Then, we negotiate.
Based on Magneto's previous style of conduct, as long as one had enough money, the captives could be ransomed back.
But... this was just too humiliating.
Starhawk let out an exasperated, angry cry and began to fly back toward his flagship.
Seeing Starhawk's movement, Erik turned his gaze to the other ships. He saw that they were not just retreating, but were also beginning to slowly ascend. He asked, a note of surprise in his voice, "What, leaving already?"
"Have a heart, man," Rocket mumbled. The others all nodded frantically in agreement.
Good grief, they thought, you single-handedly defeated an entire Ravager coalition, and you've already captured this many spoils of war, and now you're not even going to let those pitiful Ravagers leave?
Of course they can't go!
Erik had no intention of just watching all that cash, floating right in front of his eyes, simply fly away.
He stretched his hand out toward the fleeing ships. While simultaneously using his power to pull at them, the vast metallic ocean that floated around his steel fortress, like a single, gigantic monster, let out a roar and surged toward the vessels.
But just at that very moment...
Sssshh!
Accompanied by a piercing, tearing sound, one massive black blade after another, each one a full hundred meters in length, descended from the heavens. They fiercely pierced ship after ship, pinning them violently to the ground below.
This sudden, unexpected scene startled every single person present.
The Ravagers immediately assumed this was Erik's doing, but Erik himself just frowned and said to the Guardians of the Galaxy, "This has nothing to do with me."
"Look! There's a person up there!" Nebula pointed toward the very tip of one of the giant blades.
The rest of the crew quickly followed her gesture.
They saw only a slender, tall figure standing atop the giant blade, their gaze sweeping contemptuously over all the surrounding ships.
It was... a woman?
A flash of sheer amazement passed through Erik's eyes.
A black robe, intricately outlined with glowing green patterns, covered the woman's body. The robe fluttered gently in the wind and snow, revealing the faint, tantalizing glimpse of a long, pale leg.
Her cold, stunningly beautiful face was even colder than the wind and snow itself; so cold that it made him unable to tear his gaze away, so cold that it inspired a deep, primal fear.
She was like a queen who had just discovered some insignificant little insects invading her domain, and she was now calmly deciding how to dispose of them in a way that would bring her the most pleasure.
"Kneel! Mortals!"
A majestic, commanding voice boomed down from high above.
Hela looked down at those ships that had not been pierced by her giant blades and were still attempting to slip away. A flash of profound displeasure crossed her features.
She waved her hand. A single, sharp blade instantly emerged from the ground and, following the motion of her arm, shot straight up into the sky, piercing one of the fleeing ships clean through.
Boom!
A violent explosion rang out as the ship burst apart. The resulting shockwave and fireball blew away a massive cloud of snow, momentarily clearing the air.
Afterward, Hela's voice rang out once more, seeming to echo directly inside every person's mind.
"Whoever dares to move again, that ship is your example."
Those remaining ships, however, showed absolutely no sign of stopping. From their perspective, continuing to stay here was the only certain path to death.
Ssshh! Ssshh!
Accompanied by the harsh, scraping sound of countless blades, one spike-like black blade after another erupted from the ground, as if, in an instant, an entire mountain formed of black blades had risen from the earth.
In the very next instant, that mountain shattered, and those innumerable blades soared into the sky, flying toward one ship after another.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions detonated continuously, one after another. The sky looked as if it were experiencing a rain of fireworks made entirely of metal and flames.
Hela watched this scene with distinct pleasure.
This was the feeling. The feeling of utter destruction and complete conquest.
The corner of Hela's mouth curved up slightly, and her cold, imperious voice rang out once again: "I am Asgard's Goddess of Death, Hela!"
Asgard? Goddess of Death? Hela?
When everyone heard this, their expressions were somewhat blank and confused. Asgard, they knew of. But what in the nine hells was a 'Goddess of Death, Hela'?
But before they had any time to figure it out, Hela's voice rang out yet again.
"Submission... or death?"
Hela's gaze swept over the ships, the Ravagers on the ground being controlled by Erik, and Erik's own metal fortress. Her eyes were indifferent, yet upon closer inspection, one could detect a faint trace of nostalgia within them.
Back in the day, she had conquered all Nine Realms. Conquest and death were her true callings. But ever since she had been sealed away in this desolate place by her hypocritical father, she had not been able to experience the pure, simple pleasure of conquest for a long, long time.
The entire scene fell deathly silent. Everyone stared at the sharp, black blades that had impaled the ships, and at the debris that was still, even now, slowly falling from the sky. They all felt as if their hearts were being squeezed in a vise, unable to breathe under the terrifying, oppressive pressure.
The Ravagers' faces were masks of pure terror, their skin pale and bloodless.
They now felt that this entire trap, from start to finish, had been a complete and utter, damn mistake.
First, it was Magneto, and then, immediately afterward, some 'Goddess of Death, Hela'...
Magneto had been manageable. He just wanted to capture them, and he had caused very few casualties. But this Goddess of Death, in her very first appearance, had already blasted more than ten ships into oblivion.
Those were spaceships, not cheap cigarette lighters!
What in the world was wrong with the universe these days? How had it become so terrifying?
Mommy! I don't want to be a Ravager anymore!
On the other side, Erik stared at Hela, his brows knitted tightly together.
It's true, you are very beautiful, but submit to you?
What kind of joke is that!
He had just gone through all this difficulty to capture so many Ravagers, and he was on the verge of receiving a massive sum of money. Submit to her now? If he did that, who would give him his money?
That money was all earmarked for Kent Star, for buying necessary supplies for Charles!
Just as the scene fell into a tense stalemate, and a clear trace of impatience began to appear in Hela's eyes, one of the Ravager ships actually fired a series of attacks directly at Hela.
The energy rays landed squarely on Hela's body, causing her to sway just slightly, but they failed to inflict any real damage. This situation, however, was without a doubt a blatant provocation against Hela.
"I applaud your ignorant courage," Hela whispered.
One blade after another, looking as if they were growing directly from the earth, shot toward the remaining ships and toward Erik's metal fortress. At the same time, she scattered a volley of smaller black death-blades toward the captives on the ground.
"Who was it that just attacked!" Stakar Vaughn, having already reverted from his combined state, roared in anger. His eyes were filled with a mixture of shock, fury, and terror as he watched the new wave of blades.
From Hela's demeanor, it was clear she intended to kill every single one of them!
This was a completely insane realization, but given the abilities this woman had already displayed, it was certainly not an impossible feat.
Boom! Boom!
Some of the unlucky ships were directly impaled and subsequently exploded, while the ships that were slightly luckier were merely pierced clean through.
When those blades began to descend upon Erik's metal fortress, Erik's eyes focused intently. The metallic ocean surged into motion, coalescing under his power into gigantic metal hands. These hands grabbed the black blades from the air and then hurled them back directly at Hela.
The blades flew toward Hela with a high-pitched, piercing whistle. Hela looked slightly surprised. She simply pointed a finger, and the blades she had created instantly shattered, dissolving into black magical energy and disappearing completely.
These things were of her own creation; she possessed absolute dominion over them. The very idea of using her own weapons to attack her was, quite simply, a joke.
However...
The person inside that fortress seemed quite interesting, to actually be able to block her attack.
She had originally assumed that thing was just some ugly, modified spaceship, but she had not expected it to be the product of someone's special ability.
"Interesting."
Hela smiled faintly, and even more blades flew out, shooting toward Erik's metal fortress, toward the remaining ships, and toward the captured Ravagers on the ground.
Since these people refused to submit, then they could only die.
On the other side, Erik was growing equally furious.
He had expended a considerable amount of effort to capture all those Ravagers, and now they were being slaughtered in large numbers by this Hela...
This was unacceptable! This was all money! If she killed them all, where was he supposed to get his money? From Asgard?
Erik's eyes flickered as he quickly made a decision. He continued to block the incoming giant blades and turned his head to the Guardians of the Galaxy. "I'm going to send all those captured Ravagers into the ships that are still usable. If I don't, this crazy... this beautiful woman is really going to kill every single one of them."
The members of the Guardians of the Galaxy all nodded in agreement.
"I am going to block this woman. You all must take this opportunity to leave!"
The Guardians of the Galaxy all nodded again.
"All of you will go to those Ravager ships together, and you will help me watch over my money."
The Guardians of the Galaxy all nodded once more.
Wait a minute, something about that seems wrong...
What in the world does he mean, 'watch over HIS money'?
He wants US to go into the Ravagers' own ships and 'watch over' a bunch of captured Ravagers?
Is he completely insane!
But before they could even voice their objections, Erik just nodded firmly. "It's decided then."
Decided, my ass! they all thought. We haven't even had a chance to say anything!
The group was complaining loudly in their hearts, but in the very next instant, the metal fortress that had been protecting them completely disassembled. Immediately afterward, Erik flew out of the Milano. Star-Lord quickly stabilized the Milano, keeping it airborne, and began to fly toward Stakar Vaughn's flagship.
Erik gave them a quick wave, then turned his gaze toward Hela in the distance. He clenched his fist, and the entire ocean of metal surged into motion, forming into a giant, roaring steel dragon that charged directly at Hela.
Hela's eyes narrowed, her gaze fixing intently on Erik's flying form.
So, it's him?
Interesting!
Watching the onrushing metallic ocean, Hela spread her arms wide, and a veritable waterfall of black blades flew out from her, meeting the steel dragon head-on without the slightest sign of weakness.
Instantly, a deafening, thunderous roar erupted across the battlefield.
And Erik, even while controlling the immense steel dragon, also stretched out his other hand toward the ground below. With his palm held flat, he gave a gentle lift. All of those Ravagers he had previously fitted with metal collars were suddenly lifted into the air, carried by those very collars, and began flying toward the ships that had been pierced by blades but were, for the most part, still usable.
Seeing this, Hela raised an eyebrow. Just as she was about to intervene and stop this, a barrage of magnetic cannonballs suddenly blasted toward her from Erik's position, striking her and knocking her backward through the air.
Taking advantage of this brief opportunity, after the Ravagers had scrambled into the damaged ships, Erik gave a powerful push with his hand. He helped those ships break free from the giant blades that impaled them, and then he, himself, flew directly toward Hela, who was at that moment just getting back to her feet.
(End of this chapter)