Thousands of light-years away, on Sovereign.
Inside the resplendent golden throne hall, the High Priestess Ayesha stared unblinkingly at the screen.
"The most primitive form of human communication…"
She slowly repeated the phrase, her golden fingers absentmindedly stroking the armrest of her throne.
The Sovereign reproduced through gene cocoons.
They had eliminated every unstable genetic variable in pursuit of absolute perfection and order.
Yet that man…
That man had destroyed an entire fleet she was proud of—
with nothing but his own body.
"A perfect organism…" Ayesha whispered, her lips slightly parted, her voice trembling faintly with excitement.
"What is that man's name?"
A subordinate quickly checked the intercepted relay signals.
"According to the captured transmissions… they call him Homelander."
"Homelander…"
Ayesha softly repeated the name, a flicker of desire flashing deep in her golden eyes.
"High Priestess?" another subordinate asked cautiously. "We still have two reconnaissance drones left. Should we withdraw them?"
"No."
Ayesha lifted her chin, her cold regal composure returning.
"Activate silent stealth mode."
"Follow him."
"I want to know everything about him."
"Yes, High Priestess!"
…
High Above Ego's Planet
"Bzzzz—"
The air trembled faintly.
Two surviving stealth reconnaissance drones silently trailed behind Homelander.
His ear twitched slightly.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
But he ignored the tails.
With a turn of his body, he transformed into a red-and-blue meteor streaking straight toward the temple.
BOOM!!
The massive doors of Ego's temple exploded inward.
They crashed across the marble floor with a thunderous impact, sending dust everywhere.
At the center of the temple—
Ego stood with his arms spread wide, eyes closed in bliss as he bathed in brilliant blue divine light.
It was the energy essence flowing back from countless planets where Celestial seeds were devouring worlds.
Above him—
Peter Quill hung suspended in midair in a crucifix shape.
Glowing energy tendrils pierced his body and pinned him in place.
Star-Lord's face was twisted in agony, his eyes rolled back as unbearable pain wracked his body.
"QUILL!!"
Gamora shouted.
Her voice shattered Ego's quiet "dining time."
He slowly opened his eyes.
Seeing the intruders, he looked mildly annoyed—
Like someone finding flies in their meal.
"I don't recall sending out invitations."
Ego shook his head, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"Especially not to you, Yondu."
"You lowlife who sells your soul for money."
"And yet you dare enter a god's temple?"
Yondu didn't reply.
His eyes were locked on Quill.
The boy he had raised.
The troublesome kid who always caused headaches.
But who he had always treated like his own son.
Now—
He was hanging there, being drained like a battery.
"Lowlife…"
Yondu grinned, revealing crooked rotten teeth.
His coat fluttered.
The Yaka Arrow slowly rose from his belt, glowing with a murderous red light.
"WHIIIIIIST—!!!"
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
The arrow exploded into motion.
Red streaks filled the temple like lightning.
It zipped around Ego's body at impossible speed.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Hundreds of punctures appeared in less than a second—
Chest.
Abdomen.
Limbs.
Neck.
"Nice one, Blue Daddy!"
Rocket shouted excitedly.
His heavy particle cannon was already fully charged.
"Have a taste of my particle buffet!"
BOOOOM—!!!
A massive beam blasted straight into Ego's chest.
The already shredded body was blown backward.
"AAAHHH—!"
Ego screamed as his body became a mangled ruin.
But he was still a Celestial.
Under the glow of blue divine energy—
The wounds rapidly wriggled and healed.
"Keep going! Don't stop!!"
Gamora shouted.
She leapt like a hunting cheetah, sword slicing toward Ego's neck.
Nebula's mechanical arm transformed into a high-voltage pulse weapon and followed immediately.
Under the relentless assault—
Ego didn't even get the chance to deliver a proper villain monologue.
His human avatar collapsed completely—
Disintegrating into countless blue particles that scattered into the air.
The moment his body vanished—
The energy tendrils holding Star-Lord disappeared.
Quill fell.
"Quill!"
Gamora slid across the floor and caught him before he hit the ground.
-----
Meanwhile — Earth, Missouri
The Celestial seed that had been growing wildly suddenly lost its power source.
All the blue matter froze.
The energy flood that had been about to break through the magic seals suddenly died.
It hardened into crystalline blue structures embedded in the ground.
"…Did we do it?"
Wanda, who had been struggling to hold the barrier, suddenly felt the pressure vanish.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead.
-----
Back in Ego's Temple
Gamora helped Quill sit up.
"You alright, idiot?"
Her voice remained cold, but her movements were gentle.
"Hey… Gamora."
Quill groaned.
"I knew you'd come."
"I knew that old bastard was suspicious," Gamora said, glaring at him. "I told you from the beginning he wasn't your real dad."
Quill laughed weakly, rubbing his aching chest.
"'I told you so'…"
"That's the phrase I hate hearing the most."
"Even worse than 'we need to talk.'"
"Well, I came to save you, didn't I?"
"Yeah…"
Quill grinned.
"…That just proves fate tied us together with a red string."
"On Earth we call that destiny."
"Bullshit! That's not a thing!" Gamora snapped.
"Ugh…"
Rocket gagged loudly.
"Can you two stop flirting for five seconds?"
"I'm about to throw up! Seriously, my stomach acid is coming up!"
Jessica, still professionally holding the camera, looked around the now quiet hall with a puzzled frown.
"…Is it over?"
"That Ego guy… a Celestial?"
"He just died like that?"
"That was way too easy."
Jessica looked disappointed.
"I was expecting like… three transformation phases or some giant final attack."
"But he just got beaten to death by a group beating?"
"Easy?" Rocket puffed out his chest proudly.
"That's because I was here!"
He turned toward the camera and struck what he believed was his coolest pose.
"This was all part of Rocket's master plan!"
"It's called a lightning strike!"
"Catch him off guard, concentrate fire, and wipe him out in one wave!"
-----
Meanwhile, back on Earth.
The livestream chat exploded with confusion.
[Wait… that's it?]
[I went to the bathroom and the boss was already dead when I came back.]
[That was way too fast. I just got my popcorn ready.]
[A Celestial? That's all?]
[Honestly the street gang fights in New York looked more intense than this.]
BOOM!!
The side wall of the temple suddenly exploded inward.
Two figures burst inside, panting heavily.
--------------
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