I don't know how long the battle lasted.
The war, which had felt like it had been going on for a year, seemed to finally be coming to an end.
"The enemy is retreating!"
"Damn monsters finally know how to be afraid!"
"F**k them! Victory is ours!"
The Matrix family, like a tide, began to retreat in a panic after their numbers reached a certain threshold.
The ordinary soldiers caught in the bitter battle couldn't help but feel overwhelmed upon seeing this scene.
Their fighting spirit soared even higher.
Hela frowned.
Did the enemy really retreat out of fear?
"What's wrong? Any concerns?"
Sif came to Hela, observing the Princess of Asgard—feared by Odin and sealed away for thousands of years—with a complex expression on her face.
For some time now, she had completely bonded with Aaron and had become less enthusiastic about Asgard than before. When looking at things, she needed to be calmer, not overly prejudiced against Hela.
Though she sympathized with Hela's past, she said nothing. The matter was over, and Hela had given up the idea of ruling Asgard, so why continue struggling over it? They would work for Aaron in the future, and their future was boundless in the starry sky.
"There's a problem here!"
"They are the best army, absolutely incapable of doing such a thing."
As a qualified general and marshal, Hela's military quality was even higher than that of Sif when she was calm.
She keenly sensed that the true situation of the Matrix family was not as dire as it appeared.
Although the contact time was brief, Hela was certain the Matrix family was the top soldier force in the entire universe.
Bravery, endurance, strategic clarity—almost all the qualities of a top army were present in them, and they had even more advantages.
If this army stayed in the Nine Realms, Asgard would have no chance.
Even at its peak, Asgard would inevitably sink in the endless sea of omnics.
The outcome between gods and men would be the same.
It would only depend on how long each side could endure.
If it weren't for relying on the magic net and the support of Wanda and the others, Hela wouldn't have had the confidence to repel and completely wipe out so many enemies.
The most optimistic outcome would be mutual destruction.
She claimed that nothing would happen, but for the others, it was likely only two of them would survive.
"I suspect they're deceiving us. Their real purpose should be to gather more terrifying power and strike when we're off guard!"
With her rich experience in fighting the enemy, Hela guessed the opponent's plan.
Her expression turned serious.
Based on the patterns of Gamora and Nebula's reports, this wasn't the first time the Matrix family had done something like this.
No one could say how many forces the Matrix family had.
Every time they were repelled, their strength grew stronger when they returned!
For example, this time, they were relying on the deaths of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
But unexpectedly, Hela intervened.
This caught Aaron's attention, and he sent several women stronger than ordinary gods.
Only then did the Matrix family's plot get thwarted.
But next time...
It was hard to say.
As long as the Matrix family didn't give up, it was likely a new storm would come soon.
And this time, they were very likely planning to wipe them all out.
Xingjue and the others also heard this and thought about the previous events. They agreed with Hela's assessment.
"In that case, why don't we retreat first?" Xingjue suggested quietly.
"No! No one can make me retreat. It's just a bunch of monsters!"
Hela immediately rejected the idea without hesitation.
"But… you said it yourself. They're gathering strength, and they'll kill us in one go next time."
"If we stay here, won't we fall into their trap?"
"Let's withdraw first and discuss the long-term strategy."
Seeing Hela's unyielding attitude, Xingjue was immediately taken aback.
Rocket chimed in: "Quill's right. We don't need to engage with them. It's irrational. Besides, the Kree people always claim to be the best in the galaxy. They've lasted this long; let them hold on."
"Coward!"
"You insult the glory of the warrior!"
Hela scolded directly.
If it weren't for the fact that the other party's partner was also Aaron's apostle and could be considered his ally, she would have whipped the two of them like her own soldiers.
They had strength, but they lacked the bravery and will to match it—something not even the children of Asgard would lack!
Being brave and fearless was the reason Asgard's army fought across the northern and southern realms, defeating one powerful enemy after another.
"We're not warriors. We're just thieves and bounty hunters... well, there's a tree..."
Rocket muttered under his breath, not daring for Hela to hear him.
The name of the Goddess of Death was still incredibly intimidating.
And the opponent's strength was indeed on a level far beyond theirs.
They only stood a chance with the strength of Quill's father, the god Igo.
Only when they all worked together could they hope to survive.
But with Gamora and the others back with them…
Maybe it was better to forget it.
Even someone as bold as Star-Lord could only laugh and change the subject in front of the powerful Hela.
He couldn't stand up to Gamora, let alone Hela.
Not on the same level at all.
"Actually, there's no need to worry. Everything is going according to Aaron's plan."
"We just need to keep moving."
Sif interjected simply.
"You mean...?"
Hela's eyes lit up, and although Sif didn't explain further, she quickly understood the meaning.
After processing this, Hela let go of her final worries, and the team continued to move forward.
Xingjue and the others exchanged looks, feeling helpless about this group of riddle-solvers.
Considering the Matrix family might have blocked their escape route, and their strength alone wouldn't suffice to resist, they had no choice but to follow the army, only to be discarded every day.
As for Albert and the others, after successfully reuniting, they learned that the other side was planning to teach the Matrix family a lesson, so they decided to join in.
The remaining manpower of the rescue team was simply too small to seek help from other civilizations in the galaxy, as originally planned.
With that in mind, they decided to join forces with the God of Magic and fight the monsters to the death.
So, this impromptu team continued their march toward the Matrix family's core area.
Throughout the journey, they weren't disturbed in any way.
It seemed as though the Matrix family had given up trying to block them and allowed them to act freely.
But in reality, the Matrix family was tightening its encirclement.
And at this very moment, the Kree Empire gathered all its remaining forces, preparing for action.
The largest and most critical battle in the history of the Milky Way was about to begin.
At Almighty City...
The enthronement ceremony of Asgard was approaching, and the gods had already departed from Earth.
This was because a piece of news had recently arrived at Almighty City.
The God Slayer, who had once struck fear into the gods, was captured by Asgard at the gates of the Golden Hall some time ago.
He was now imprisoned in the heavily guarded dungeon, with no possibility of escape.
It was said that Geer, the God Slayer, had approached the God of Magic and foolishly challenged him, only to be thoroughly defeated.
Not only had the God of Magic killed his Shadow Legion, but he had also given Yang Chenghui the very thing the gods feared most—the Black Death Sword!
The Black Death Sword was gone!
The gods were free!
The God Slayer had been wiped from history.
Now, there was nothing left for the gods to fear.
The so-called God Slayer Geer? Without his sword, he was nothing to the gods.
And so, the gods grew bolder, with more and more of them leaving Almighty City to spread their faith and expand their followers.
After some thought, some gods chose to travel to Asgard for Thor's enthronement ceremony.
With the God of Magic's rise, the Asgardians had also entered the spotlight.
Asgard had once had a good standing, but now, it was a shining star among the gods.
Having a good relationship with Asgard was becoming increasingly necessary.
It was even said that Thor and Aaron had a very close relationship.
For that alone, it was worth making allies with Asgard.
However, Zeus, the former star of Almighty City, was naturally displeased with the turn of events.
He harbored a deep grudge against Asgard, the God of Magic, and even Hercules!
In the past, Hercules had been sent on a mission to atone for his sins and fight the God Slayer alongside Thor.
But where was Hercules when Thor defeated the God Slayer?
Where was he when the God of Magic destroyed the Black Death Sword and ended the God Slayer's legend?
Was he only there for a good time?
Zeus, the King of Gods, couldn't stand the fact that Asgard had stolen the limelight and the gods of Ade had surpassed the gods of Olympus.
This was an insult that Zeus could not bear.
In a fit of rage, Zeus vented his frustrations on Hercules.
He left him in the Nine Realms to enjoy the consequences of exile.
And now...
On Earth...
After being scolded by Zeus, Hercules felt deeply wronged.
What could he do?
Who knew that the God Slayer would be so weak and foolish?
He went to Asgard and got beaten; Odin didn't even take a shot, and Thor defeated him on his own.
After losing, he ran to Earth to find the God of Magic, who was clearly far more troublesome.
Foolish!!
Had he known the God Slayer was so weak, he would have dealt with it himself.
He could have killed the God Slayer, destroyed the Black Death Sword, and gained the praise of the gods.
Perhaps, like Thor, he could have even taken over the throne of Zeus and become the youngest God King of a new generation.
Geer's failures only made Hercules think he could have handled it himself.
He believed he was stronger than Thor.
He had become famous earlier and had dealt with many gods in Almighty City.
If Thor could defeat the God Slayer, surely Hercules could do it too.
But he had mistakenly believed in the fear the gods had of the God Slayer.
Now, the opportunity was lost.
Just as Hercules was thinking, he suddenly noticed a familiar divine presence near him.
He turned around warily and saw a familiar face.
"Amatsu-Mikaboshi, why are you here? Could it be that you're here for Thor's enthronement ceremony?"
"Yeah, aren't you? The God Slayer is dead, and your mission is over."
Amatsu-Mikaboshi smiled and replied.
"No, my father asked me to reflect here, so I won't be attending Thor's ceremony."
Hercules relaxed, feeling more at ease.
"Oh? How could Zeus do this? You're his child. Losing to the God of Magic's subordinates isn't a big deal. If it were us, the loss would have been worse."
Amatsu-Mikaboshi said, thinking for a moment.
"By the way, haven't you connected to the magic net?"
"No, I don't believe the magic net can do that. I'm confident I can grow stronger on my own!" Hercules said confidently.
Among his peers, his strength was regarded as among the best.
He was not outclassed by even the old master gods.
His future was destined for greatness.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi nodded thoughtfully.
"Did Zeus never connect to the magic net either?"
"Naturally not. You know, he's always been cold about the God of Magic," Hercules answered proudly.
The tension between Zeus and Aaron wasn't a secret in Almighty City; anyone with insight could see it.
But no one openly spoke about it.
After all, Zeus was a powerful God King with a long history, and no ordinary god would dare comment.
Hercules didn't notice the meaningful look Amatsu-Mikaboshi gave him after he said this.
He had no idea how much trouble those words were about to cause for Olympus.
As Amatsu-Mikaboshi and Hercules continued talking, Aaron left Earth with Qin.
Because the battle had begun!
The Matrix family had mobilized nearly all its troops and surrounded Hela and the others.
Enemies were everywhere.
At the same time, all nearby transition points were blocked.
The possibility of escape was gone.
The number of Matrix family members was overwhelming.
Even Hela, who had seen countless battles, couldn't help but gasp.
There were too many!
At a glance, it seemed as though the entire universe was against them.
Various battleships, transport ships, and Matrix forces filled the entire field of vision.
There was no direction left to break through!
Even Wanda, who had been full of fighting spirit, lost her excitement as she saw the countless enemies.
It was replaced by seriousness.
The main event had begun!
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