As Robert watched in confusion, the Kree Empire's warships began to change course, turning toward another direction. The Supreme Intelligence had stopped directing its anger at him entirely, now focused on addressing what seemed to be an even greater threat than Robert, the destroyer of Hala.
"Interesting," Robert muttered, sensing the events from afar. In an instant, the life force of an entire planet had disappeared, and the planet itself remained unscathed. "Could this be Thanos... or someone like him? But this time, there's no sparing half the life."
Robert quickly dismissed the idea that it was Thanos, though. Based on the Supreme Intelligence's frantic behavior, it was likely an even more powerful entity, one that only the upper echelons of cosmic civilization would recognize. It was clear that even if the Supreme Intelligence knew who it was, it had no solution to counter them.
"Who exactly is he?" Robert mused aloud from within a Kree warship, his curiosity growing. "To wipe out life across Kree planets so swiftly, yet leave the planets themselves unharmed. Impressive." His voice echoed within the ship, drawing hostile glares from the Kree, yet they refrained from detonating the vessel this time. It seemed the Kree Empire had no intention of wasting resources on him now, focusing all efforts on this new adversary.
"Not going to answer?" Robert threatened, forming an energy wave in his hand. "Fine, I'll continue where I left off."
For Robert, the Kree Empire was already his enemy, and if not for the appearance of this mysterious figure, he would have continued his campaign against them. Now, he saw no issue in pressuring them while they dealt with this unexpected threat.
"Damn you, Saiyan! Don't push your luck!" the Supreme Intelligence's hologram finally reappeared, seething with anger. It hadn't anticipated Robert's opportunistic harassment, particularly now when the Kree Empire had little hope against either foe.
"Give me information on this 'mysterious figure,'" Robert offered, unfazed, "and I won't interfere until you've dealt with him. If you don't, I'll simply keep destroying your forces and see if we can wipe the Kree out together."
"You intend to confront him?" The Supreme Intelligence's tone shifted to a mocking disdain. "You're powerful, true, but beings like you are not as rare as you might think. The Kree Empire doesn't specialize in personal strength; that's the only reason you've gone unchallenged."
He continued, "That being you're so eager to face is beyond anything you could imagine. They are the true gods of the universe, the end and beginning of all civilizations."
"True gods, you say?" Robert's eyes gleamed with interest. "But he doesn't have that godly aura—at least, not the kind I'd expect."
By "godly aura," Robert meant the unique energy of entities like Odin, or even figures like the Destroyer from his own world. This was a form of presence that transcended normal beings, reserved for those truly god-like.
"What you call 'gods' are merely idols worshipped by planetary civilizations," the Supreme Intelligence scoffed, dismissive of Robert's words. Before it could continue, however, a massive explosion engulfed the warship, erasing the Supreme Intelligence's image.
"You seem to be forgetting something," Robert said, appearing within another Kree vessel. "I'm not the one asking for help. If you want me to hold back and let you fight for survival, then you need to start talking."
The Supreme Intelligence's image returned, glaring at Robert. Its vast database and processing power were momentarily silent; it knew Robert wasn't wrong. Even without Robert's interference, the Kree Empire might not survive this ordeal.
"He is called the Extinguisher," the Supreme Intelligence finally admitted. "A member of the Celestial Host."
It explained, "The Celestials are some of the earliest beings in the universe. They're high-order entities responsible for seeding and observing the development of life and civilizations across galaxies. But as impartial as they are, they do interfere, altering civilizations or even eliminating them entirely if they see fit."
"Though the Kree Empire stands among the three great cosmic empires, our rise in the grand timeline of the universe is brief. Long ago, we encountered a Celestial tasked with 'Judgment Day.' When the Celestial Arishem decides a civilization must perish, he sends the Extinguisher, who eradicates it, leaving no trace behind."
The Supreme Intelligence's voice grew grim as it continued. "When the Kree discovered this, they created me to gather data and devise strategies for the day Arishem's judgment would fall upon us. I was meant to help the Kree escape his decree, should that day ever come."
"And yet, here you are," Robert replied, unimpressed.
"No! Based on my calculations, it's not yet time for Judgment Day. Arishem hasn't even appeared in our system, so why would the Extinguisher act on his own?" The Supreme Intelligence's voice rose, its calm broken. Though a supreme artificial intelligence, even it feared oblivion, just as any sentient being would.
"You could always ask him," Robert suggested dryly. "You have projections; he hasn't destroyed the planets themselves, so why not try communicating? He's bound to answer, right?"
"I tried," the Supreme Intelligence admitted, its tone hollow. "He simply ignored me, as though I weren't even worth acknowledging." A rare note of despair crept into its voice. Even with its vast computing power, the Supreme Intelligence couldn't see a path to survival.
"The Celestial Host… Interesting," Robert mused. "I've heard of them from both Odin and Carol." He realized there was little else the Supreme Intelligence could provide; despite its knowledge of the universe, its understanding of the Celestials was shallow. They were entities from an altogether higher tier.
The idea of ancient beings was not new to Robert; he'd previously encountered Dark Elves, among the oldest life forms in the universe. Longevity wasn't the threat—absolute power combined with such longevity was.
"I'm rather curious to see how the Extinguisher handles Kree," Robert muttered as he sensed the Extinguisher's energy. In an instant, he teleported to a Kree planet in the Large Magellanic Galaxy.
"Whoa!" Robert exclaimed as he arrived. The Extinguisher's towering form was truly intimidating.
Robert had seen plenty of giants, including his own Great Ape form and towering creatures on wild, forgotten islands, but nothing compared to the Extinguisher's six-thousand-meter height. Standing taller than most mountains, the Extinguisher didn't seem like a lifeform at all; the term "god" fit perfectly.
"Hm? He's noticed me?" The Extinguisher's colossal head turned slowly toward Robert, who immediately tensed.
Yet, the Extinguisher merely glanced at him before dismissing him as an unrelated being, turning back toward the Kree. His eyes glowed with a strange, eerie light that washed over the planet below. Under its glare, every Kree vanished instantly, their bodies turned to dust, drifting away on the wind. The speed and ruthlessness left Robert momentarily speechless.
"This isn't the same as destructive energy," Robert observed, analyzing the Extinguisher's power. "It's precise, almost selective."
But as quickly as he'd arrived, the Extinguisher vanished, reappearing on another Kree planet in an instant.
"This guy is more thorough than I am," Robert muttered, watching from afar as one Kree world after another was stripped of life. "Just what did the Kree do to provoke this kind of judgment from the Celestials?"
The Extinguisher worked with eerie efficiency. Planet after planet was emptied of Kree, with no harm done to the environment. The ecosystems, landscapes, even entire biospheres were untouched, as if waiting to be inherited by some new lifeform, perhaps intelligent beings who would build civilizations of their own.
"Maybe the Kree Empire itself was built this way, occupying a world once inhabited by another species," Robert thought, piecing together clues from the Supreme Intelligence's earlier statements. "If they found some dead world, once destroyed by the Celestials…"
"You're not wrong, Saiyan," came the Supreme Intelligence's voice, its hologram projected nearby. "And I have an...unwanted request."
"Unwanted request?" Robert chuckled. "Then don't ask."
"Humans and Saiyans alike, it's impossible to contend with gods. No matter how powerful we become, true gods can't be overcome by mortals," the Supreme Intelligence responded, a hint of resignation in its tone. "I don't ask for sanctuary for the Kree. Our fate is sealed. But don't you wonder… why has the Extinguisher struck us without Arishem's judgment? Or do you believe your own people won't face the same fate someday?"
"And if the Kree are meant to fall, does that mean you'll be destroyed, too?" Robert asked pointedly. "I didn't quite get what you are at first, but you're not exactly a living being, are you?"
The Supreme Intelligence fell silent, but Robert knew the answer well. It was doubtful that a self-aware artificial intelligence like the Supreme Intelligence would be entirely erased; its essence could potentially persist beyond the Kree's demise.
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