Not far away.
Spider-Man, Peter Parker, who had just been fighting Black Cat Felicia, was now frozen in place like a wooden dummy.
The red and blue mask on his face was half-torn, revealing a young, tear-streaked face.
Thud.
The web-shooter on his wrist fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
"Mr. Stark..."
Peter's voice trembled, thick with tears.
"My Spidey-Sense... it stopped."
"It's not ringing anymore."
"Because it thinks... we're already dead, doesn't it?"
Peter looked at the sky. The massive void where the moon used to be filled him with an unprecedented sense of suffocation.
Uncle Ben had said, "With great power comes great responsibility."
For that responsibility, he dared to face the Rhino, dared to save people in a hail of bullets.
But now, this responsibility was too heavy.
It was so heavy that even a planet couldn't bear it, let alone a little spider like him.
"I can't save everyone... I can't even save myself..."
Peter's legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the rubble, burying his head in his arms and crying like a helpless child.
Opposite him.
Black Cat Felicia, clad in tight black leather, also had her sexy red lips parted wide, unable to close them for a long time.
She looked up at the figure high in the sky.
The man in the white suit, elegant as a noble prince.
Although she had long known of Frieza's power, and had even experienced his conquest in bed.
But until this moment, witnessing a celestial body vanish into dust at the tip of that man's finger...
Only now did Felicia truly understand just what kind of terrifying existence she had attached herself to.
"Is this... a Galactic Emperor?"
Felicia murmured to herself, the fear in her eyes gradually replaced by a twisted fanaticism.
She subconsciously pressed her legs together.
Not just to suppress the tremors of fear, but because of a biological instinct—submission and worship toward an absolute powerhouse.
"It seems my choice was right..."
"Being a pet to a monster like this, even if it's just a cat, is ten thousand times better than being one of these humans facing extinction!"
---
In a corner of the battlefield, within the camp of the Frieza Legion.
Magneto, Erik Lehnsherr, hovered in mid-air, watching the meteor shower filling the sky. The expression on his face was nothing short of spectacular.
It was shock, lingering fear, and a gloating, ecstatic joy.
"Charles! My old friend!"
Magneto spun around abruptly, screaming frantically into the mind of his wheelchair-bound friend via telepathy.
"Did you see that?! Did you see that?!"
"That is the Lord's power! That is the god you once tried to resist?!"
Magneto pointed at the sky. Even though Charles couldn't see his movements, he could feel the madness in his emotions.
"I ask you, was my decision wrong?!"
"Was I wrong to lead our brothers to surrender, to be dogs for the Lord?!"
"If I hadn't been smart, if I hadn't led you fools to kneel early..."
"The things turning to ash right now wouldn't just be that moon, but all of us! The entire Earth!"
"Charles! You should thank me! You should kneel and kiss my boots! I saved mutantkind!"
Magneto grew more agitated as he spoke, the twisted pride born of fear contorting his aged face.
Behind a pile of rubble nearby.
Professor X, Charles Xavier, gripped the armrests of his wheelchair tightly, his nails piercing the leather surface.
He looked up at the sky, now completely devoid of the moon.
Although Magneto's words were harsh, even full of servility.
Charles had to admit...
Erik was right.
Even with a hundred more X-Men, even with a thousand more Avengers.
In front of this demon who could squeeze a planet like a balloon, they were nothing but a joke.
"Phew..."
Charles let out a long breath of murky air, as if expelling a lifetime of pride and persistence.
"You were right, Erik."
He responded in his mind, his voice old and weary.
"Survival is more important than dignity."
"Fortunately, we already knelt."
In this moment, the old man who had fought for the mutant cause his entire life thoroughly bowed his head.
Beside him.
Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic, known for his supreme intellect, was staring at the portable analyzer in his hand, his eyes glazed over like a fool.
On the screen, the value representing the energy outburst was an "∞".
Infinity.
This had exceeded the measurement range of Earth's instruments.
"Conservation of mass... conservation of energy... in front of this man, physics is just a joke."
Reed laughed miserably, casually tossing the priceless analyzer onto the ground.
"Calculations? Deductions? What's the point anymore?"
"Compressing energy massive enough to destroy a star system into a human-sized shell..."
"That's not science."
"That's a miracle!"
Reed turned his head to look at his wife, Susan, who was shivering while holding their two children tightly.
He was incredibly grateful for his earlier decision.
Surrender.
What a wise, what a great decision that was.
If they hadn't surrendered, his wife and children would likely have turned into cosmic dust just like the unfortunate Captain Marvel.
"It's okay now, Sue."
Reed walked over and hugged his trembling family, his voice low.
"As long as we listen... as long as we obey obediently... we can survive."
---
High in the sky.
Frieza enjoyed the tranquility of the moment.
It was a silence caused by countless living beings losing their voices in extreme terror.
[Ding! Detected the Avengers have completely lost their will to fight!]
[Fear Points +100 Billion!]
[Ding! Detected global surviving humans developing a slave mentality!]
[Fear Points +200 Billion!]
The numbers on the System panel surged once again.
Although there was still some distance to the 1 trillion needed for the Final Form, this display of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys was clearly effective.
"Ohohoho..."
Frieza slowly descended until the tips of his toes touched a protruding piece of ruin.
He straightened his tie and looked around elegantly.
Looking at the superheroes limp on the ground, their eyes hollow.
"It seems everyone has gained a preliminary, objective understanding of my power."
Frieza smiled, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze, yet it sent shivers down everyone's spine.
"So, the situation is quite clear now."
Frieza spread his hands, ready to deliver the final verdict.
But at this most critical moment.
Captain America's voice rang out, clear and forceful.
"Keep dreaming! We will absolutely never submit to you!"
The next moment, in the corner, the man who had been slumped on the ground stood up.