Everyone turned toward the massive hole in the wall.
Two figures rushed through it.
One was a huge muscular man covered in red tattoos—Drax the Destroyer.
The other was an alien girl with two antennae and enormous eyes—Mantis.
Drax charged into the hall, looked around wildly, then ran straight to the group like a man who had just uncovered the greatest secret in the universe.
His eyes widened dramatically.
"Listen, everyone! I have discovered a shocking secret!!"
He pointed at Mantis.
"This ugly antenna woman told me everything!"
Drax stood there solemnly, as if announcing the end of the world.
"This Ego… he's a bad guy!"
"He wasn't looking for a son at all! He wanted to use Quill!"
"He planted seeds on countless planets, and he plans to turn the entire universe into himself!"
"We must stop him!!"
He finished his speech and struck a heroic battle pose.
Then he waited.
Silently.
For the crowd's shocked reaction.
…
The silence that followed was painfully awkward.
Everyone stared at him like he was an idiot.
"…"
Drax blinked in confusion, still holding his pose.
"Why… are none of you surprised?"
Rocket walked over and patted Drax's thigh with one claw.
"Wow…"
Rocket said in an exaggerated tone.
"That really is a shocking discovery, Drax."
"If your brain worked even half as fast as your eating speed, you would've figured that out two days ago."
Rocket smugly pointed at the place where Ego had just disintegrated.
"And the bad guy you mentioned?"
"Rocket the Great already killed him."
"Killed?"
Drax froze.
He looked at the relaxed expressions around him.
Then—
"HA! HAHAHAHAHA!"
He burst into loud laughter and slapped Rocket's bald head so hard he nearly buried the raccoon in the floor.
"I knew it!"
"Nothing can stop us!"
"That evil demon has been defeated by the friends of Drax the Destroyer!"
"…No."
A trembling voice spoke.
Mantis stepped forward.
Her face was pale.
Her antennae trembled nervously.
"No… he isn't dead."
"That was only a shell. A manifestation."
"As long as his core brain is alive… he will return soon."
"And…"
She pointed at the ground beneath their feet.
"…he's very angry right now."
Quill nodded grimly.
"She's right."
"I connected with his consciousness earlier."
"That old bastard's core is deep underground, protected by a thick shell."
"His brain is underground?" Rocket looked down at the floor.
"Then we need a drill or something—"
Before he could finish—
RUMBLE—!!!
The entire temple shook violently.
Cracks spread across the floor as blinding blue light erupted from the depths below.
"Watch out!!" Yondu shouted.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
More than a dozen massive blue energy tendrils burst from the ground like demonic vines.
"Run!!" Gamora shouted, grabbing Quill and pulling him toward the exit.
But it was too late.
The blue tendrils intertwined instantly—
Forming a gigantic cage around them.
In the center of the hall—
Countless strands of blue energy began weaving together in midair.
First bones.
Then muscle fibers.
Ego's body was reforming.
Without skin, the exposed muscle looked like a grotesque anatomical specimen.
"Ugh—"
Quill gagged.
"God… my father is this disgusting monster."
"I'd rather believe Yondu is my real dad."
The reborn Ego ignored him.
His gaze locked onto Mantis.
"Mantis…"
"I raised you from childhood."
"I gave you the right to exist in this universe."
"And this is how you repay me?"
"With betrayal?"
Mantis trembled.
Tears welled in her eyes.
She was terrified of Ego.
The fear was etched into her bones.
Every instinct screamed at her to kneel and beg forgiveness.
But then she looked at Drax.
She looked at the others—
These loud, ridiculous people who genuinely cared about each other.
Summoning the greatest courage of her life, she raised her head and met Ego's gaze.
"No, Ego."
"I stayed with you for so many years… I saw everything you did."
"The children…"
"The innocent lives on those planets…"
"I've lived with guilt every day."
"I wake up from nightmares."
Her voice grew stronger.
"They… Quill and his friends… are good people."
"I won't help you hurt them anymore."
"Even if you kill me… I will never help you do evil again!"
"Good people?"
Ego sneered.
"In this universe there are only the strong and the weak."
"There are no good people and bad people."
"If you want to be a good person…"
He raised his hand.
"…then die with them."
Instantly, the surrounding tendrils attacked.
They lashed out like the arms of a colossal octopus.
"Open fire!!"
Rocket shouted.
His energy cannon roared to life again.
Gamora and Nebula stood back to back.
Their blades flashed like silver lightning, slicing apart incoming tendrils.
Yondu's whistle cut sharply through the air.
The Yaka Arrow became a streak of red death, piercing tendril after tendril without pause.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Drax roared with excitement.
"This is more like it!"
He leapt onto a tendril, stabbed both daggers deep into it, and sprinted along its length while carving a massive wound.
Jessica Jones tossed the camera to Groot.
"Hold this, little tree!"
"Make sure I look cool!"
"HYAAAH!!"
For the first time she unleashed her evolved strength.
She grabbed a massive tendril with both arms.
Her feet dug into the ground.
Her entire body strained—
SNAP!
She tore the massive energy tendril apart with brute force.
The battle was intense.
Everyone fought with everything they had.
For the moment—
They held the line.
"HAHA! Is that all you've got?!" Drax shouted arrogantly.
"Show me your real power, ugly monster!"
His laughter echoed across the battlefield.
Ego simply watched him calmly.
No anger.
No reaction.
"Power?" Ego said quietly.
"Mortals…"
"You know nothing of power."
He slowly raised both hands.
RUMBLE—!!!!
The ground trembled again.
This time—
Not dozens.
Hundreds.
Hundreds of tendrils erupted from the earth.
They filled the temple like a sea of monstrous tentacles.
Drax's laughter died instantly.
His mouth hung open like someone had pressed a pause button.
"Happy now?!" Rocket screamed while reloading his weapon.
"Could you just shut your stupid mouth for once, you idiot?!"
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T/N:
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