Josh's attack came extremely fast and without warning.
At the same time, Stakar was furious over the slaughter of his teammates, and his full attention was on the Vrykul soldiers. Even though his power was close to Captain Marvel's level, he didn't have time to react at all to the sudden strike.
So the Sword of Rupture pierced straight into Stakar's back without any resistance, slamming him through the entire bar and finally stopping only when he crashed into the barrier.
The powerful Cosmic Energy and the Power Stone's energy rushed into his body all at once, tearing apart his internal organs.
But Stakar, known in the original timeline as the famous Starhawk, didn't give up even when badly wounded. Instead of waiting to die, he quickly gathered all his strength, ignoring the risk of greater injury, and smashed the barrier in front of him with everything he had.
Even though Josh's barrier was strong, it had already been weakened by the initial impact. Now, with Stakar's full-powered attack, it was completely shattered.
At the same time, blood sprayed everywhere as Stakar dashed forward and pulled himself off the sword's blade.
"You're tough, kid. But after that, I can't let you live!" Josh didn't expect Stakar to be so fierce or to have such strong life force. Even with his heart pierced from behind, the young man still had the strength to attack like that.
Josh felt a bit of admiration, but it only strengthened his resolve to kill Stakar.
An enemy like this would become a huge problem if left alive.
"Who are you people?" Stakar asked while carefully watching Josh, trying to stall him with words and looking around for an escape route.
That's right—escape.
Stakar might be hot-headed, but he wasn't stupid.
Even if Josh had ambushed him, the overwhelming pressure he gave off made it clear—this man was stronger.
And though the attack hadn't killed him, it had seriously damaged the entire left side of his body.
On top of that, a strange energy was still eating away at him from the inside.
If his heart hadn't been located on the right side—yes, something you only hear about in books or movies—he'd be dead by now. Josh never would have guessed that someone like Stakar would actually have a heart on the right side, and he just assumed the kid was unusually tough.
Given the situation, Stakar knew he couldn't win. His only option was to run.
"Hah, don't you know what you've done? None of you are leaving here alive!" Josh had already decided he couldn't let Stakar go. As soon as he finished speaking, he swung his sword again.
True to his usual style, his entire body was still hidden behind a thick cloud of energy, making it impossible for Stakar to see his face or form.
"Damn it, I don't know what you're talking about! I've never even seen you people before!"
Even though Stakar already understood—this man was part of the mysterious force that had wiped out the Kree transport fleet and captured all the Ravagers, taking them to that edge-of-space region—he didn't admit it out loud.
His father had been right. This secret group didn't just have powerful tech—they had scary strong people too.
But even so, Stakar still refused to admit anything, hoping to distract the enemy just a little longer.
The enemy was indeed very strong, but Stakar also knew that with the barrier broken, it wouldn't take long for nearby Nova Corps patrols to show up.
Those soldiers might not be a match for this enemy, but at least they could cause some trouble and give him a chance to escape.
But he had miscalculated.
Aside from saying one sentence at the beginning, Josh had no intention of wasting time talking.
He understood all too well the saying "villains die from talking too much"… Of course, that was just a saying—Josh would never admit he was a villain.
So the Sword of Rupture in his hand stayed locked on Stakar's neck and head the whole time.
The message was clear—if stabbing your heart didn't kill you, then I'll just chop off your head!
Because of that, not only did Stakar fail to distract Josh, he also wasted more of his own energy.
His wounds were still bleeding, and under Josh's fierce attacks, his movements quickly slowed down.
And for fighters at their level, even a small difference would grow into a huge weakness.
Soon, Josh found another opening and stabbed toward Stakar's shoulder and neck.
Even though Stakar tried to dodge with all his strength, the damage to his left side was too severe—he couldn't keep up.
Another spray of blood. Stakar's left arm was sliced off instantly.
No… If this keeps going, I'll really die… Father, please come back!
Stakar was filled with despair. All the pride and boldness he had from gaining great power, saving his father and fellow Ravagers—gone.
Maybe he shouldn't have resisted back then. After all, even though the other Ravagers were captured, the enemy didn't seem to want to hurt them.
That moment of hesitation cost him.
Josh's Sword of Rupture slashed across Stakar's chest, leaving a deep wound that exposed the bone.
After suffering one serious injury after another and losing too much blood, Stakar couldn't stand any longer.
He fell to the ground on his back, completely drained.
"You're a talented young man. But unfortunately, you offended someone you shouldn't have," Josh said with a sigh.
Then he raised the Sword of Rupture, ready to finish him off for good.
"Sir, something's wrong!"
Just then, Loki suddenly ran over to Josh.
"What is it?" Josh frowned and paused his action.
"There was a mistake in the intel. That Lyan Ogord in the bar—it was a fake!" Loki said.
Lyan Ogord was a fake?
Josh was clearly surprised by the news.
"Your father isn't here?" he asked, frowning at the bleeding Stakar lying on the ground.
"Hah… He'll avenge me," Stakar said, still refusing to admit defeat, even as despair filled his heart.
But his words confirmed what Loki said.
From the moment the vampires started watching, the Lyan Ogord in the bar had been a fake.
"I suggest you tell me where he is… unless you want something bad to happen to your sister or your lover," Josh said coldly, pressing the sword tip against Stakar's throat.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Stakar's pupils shrank slightly as he denied it.
"Aleta Ogord, District 15, Arcturus IV. You'd better think carefully. You know exactly what would hurt a young and innocent girl the most," Josh said with a chilling tone.
"You're despicable!" Stakar couldn't help but curse.
"I'll count to three," Josh snorted and was just about to begin.
But once again, Loki interrupted him.
"Sir, the Nova Corps is coming!" Loki said, pointing at the bright lights rapidly approaching from the distance.
"Do I look blind to you?" Josh snapped, clearly annoyed. Why did this guy always cut in? Whose side was he even on?
"…Sir, if we still want a chance later, maybe we should take him and leave for now," Loki kept trying to persuade him. He knew Josh was powerful—definitely stronger than he was—but the Nova Corps had sent so many troops. Their power was famous across the galaxy, and he didn't believe Josh was strong enough to face them all alone.
Besides, he hadn't taken full advantage of Josh yet—he didn't want him dying so soon.
"Hmph, if you're scared, take your people and leave first," Josh said, completely ignoring Loki's advice.
Loki, seeing Josh so stubborn, didn't dare say more. If Josh turned on him and stabbed him next, he'd have nowhere to cry.
But after a moment of hesitation, Loki didn't actually leave either.
That made Josh look at him in a new light.
With his strong magical sense, Josh could tell that the Loki standing beside him was the real one—not an illusion.
"Frost Giants, drop your weapons immediately! By the authority of the Nova Corps, you are under arrest for murder, terrorism, destruction of property…"
From the ships above, the Nova Corps began their formal warning, announcing charges in their usual fashion as beams of energy targeted everyone below.
Everyone except Josh, Loki, and the wounded Stakar was pulled into the air by the tractor beams—the Vrykul warriors and vampire assassins floated helplessly.
But before the charges could even be fully announced, Josh let out a cold snort.
"Heh~"
A flash of purple light burst from him, and the Nova Corps' tractor beams failed instantly.
The Vrykul and vampires dropped back down, completely free.
"Unknown warrior, I am Commander Rhomann of the Nova Corps. I don't know why you're here, but your actions amount to a declaration of war against the Nova Empire. I urge you to think carefully about the consequences of what you're doing," Rhomann said.
It was clear that Josh's display of power had caught their attention, and instead of attacking right away, the commander chose to try negotiation.
It wasn't that the Nova Corps were afraid of him—far from it. But this area was a busy, populated part of the city. If Josh decided to fight back, the damage to nearby civilians could be huge.
"You don't know why I'm here? Heh… then who's the man standing next to you?" Josh said with a laugh, his words confusing everyone except Rhomann.
"…How does he know you're here?" Inside the command ship, Commander Rhomann turned to look in shock at the man beside him—Lyan Ogord.
Lyan Ogord, meanwhile, looked down at his son with worry as Josh held a sword to the boy's throat. A flash of surprise passed over his face.
"Looks like you've already made some kind of deal with the Nova Empire, haven't you?" Josh said.
This time, as soon as he spoke, a hint of hope appeared on Stakar's face.
He understood what Josh meant. If he guessed correctly, his father was right beside the Nova Corps commander.
His father had made a deal with the Nova Empire, and the Corps had come to rescue him.
But the smile on his face didn't last even a second.
Josh suddenly swung his sword.
Stakar's head—still carrying that hopeful smile—was sent flying far away.
"Noooooooooo!!!"
Inside the ship, Lyan Ogord's eyes widened in shock as he watched his son's death.
Though Stakar was adopted, Lyan had raised him like his own—more dearly than a biological son.
He had even set aside others' judgments and accepted the relationship between Stakar and his daughter.
But now, right before his eyes, the son he loved the most had been beheaded by Josh.
"Outsider! I order you to drop your weapon immediately, or you'll face the full wrath of the Nova Empire!" Commander Rhomann roared in fury at Josh.
But Josh didn't respond with words.
Instead, a massive blade of light swept across the sky.
In an instant, half of the hundreds of Nova Corps ships that had arrived were completely wiped out.
The remaining soldiers were frozen in terror.
They had never seen such terrifying power.
And Josh wasn't about to give them time to recover.
"What a beautiful planet… what a shame," he muttered as he floated up into the sky, gazing down at Xandar's glowing nightscape.
Behind him, the Vrykul soldiers and Loki were also surrounded by a golden aura, rising slowly into the air.
They had no idea what Josh was planning—
But they were about to find out.
Purple energy, filled with overwhelming destructive force, began swirling in Josh's hands.
It quickly formed into an enormous energy sphere.
Unlike the Celestials in the movies who wiped out civilizations with little effort, Josh chose a dramatic, anime-style planet-destroying method—loud, bright, and terrifying.
From afar, the Nova Corps could feel the incredible threat from the purple orb.
They fired everything they had, trying to destroy it.
But this wasn't a bomb you could set off by hitting it.
Under Josh's control, the Power Stone's energy was tightly condensed, wrapped in its own defensive layer.
No matter how much they attacked, they couldn't even make it ripple.
"Before Creation comes Destruction"
A twisted grin appeared on Josh's face as he launched the energy sphere down toward Xandar.
At that moment, Josh truly felt the thrill Frieza once had—the power to decide the fate of an entire civilization.
A new king who would make the entire Marvel Universe tremble had been born.
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