Kurogai stood near the ruins of a bar, arms folded as he waited calmly for the Kree fleet to arrive. He didn't pace, didn't fidget—he simply stood in place, like a silent executioner awaiting his next sentence.
It wasn't until a dull sense of boredom crept into his thoughts that his sharp eyes noticed a series of glowing lights emerging in the dark sky. The Kree had finally arrived.
"About time. I was starting to get bored," Kurogai muttered to himself, a faint smirk forming on his lips. He had waited long enough. If they had delayed any further, he might've gone looking for them himself.
BOOM!
Without any warning or negotiation, ten blinding energy blasts erupted from the Kree's massive capital ships, streaking down toward Kurogai's position like meteors.
Kurogai glanced up, unbothered. "Really? You already tried this trick. Didn't work then, won't work now."
His eyes shifted, warping into the swirling pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan. With a subtle hum, Kamui activated, his body beginning to distort like smoke in the wind.
The energy blasts struck with thunderous force, igniting the area in a sea of fire and sound. Buildings evaporated under the pressure, reduced to ash and rubble. The ground trembled, and for a few minutes, smoke blanketed the land like a funeral shroud.
But when the dust cleared, a lone figure stood at the center of the crater—unscathed, unmoved. Kurogai hadn't budged an inch.
Inside one of the lead Kree warships, Korath the Pursuer frowned as he observed the scene from a display.
"As expected… Large-scale firepower is useless against him," Korath murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Some kind of spatial defense—possibly temporal. Either way, this approach won't kill the Hunter."
He had suspected it ever since watching the vanguard unit's footage. The initial barrage was merely to confirm his theory, and now the evidence was clear. Kurogai's defense wasn't invincible—it was just specific.
"No, I'm missing something…" Korath said under his breath. He rewound the mental image of Kurogai's previous battle and then it struck him.
"That's it! During close combat with our vanguard, he didn't use that defensive technique. Which means… it must have limitations. Time, energy consumption, or maybe effectiveness against concentrated melee combat."
Korath's voice rose with excitement as he turned to the communication terminal.
"Lord Ronan, I believe I've found the key to defeating him. We need to force him into direct confrontation. Make him fight. Bleed him dry."
The moment Ronan the Accuser heard this, his fury flared.
"Then what are we waiting for? Send them all down! I refuse to believe that ten thousand Kree warriors can't break a single man!"
Ronan's voice echoed through the fleet's communication system.
"All units, commence forced planetary descent! Full deployment! Encircle and eliminate the Hunter! He does not leave Nowell alive!"
The Kree warships shifted formation as they entered the atmosphere, descending rapidly. The landing zone had been predetermined—around Kurogai. Within moments, the ships formed a near-perfect ring with him trapped in the center.
Kurogai watched silently, his crimson eyes reflecting the descending armada.
"They really fell for it," he muttered. "Hook, line, and sinker."
From the moment he faced the vanguard, Kurogai had been laying the groundwork for this trap—luring the Kree into thinking he was vulnerable, controllable. He wanted them on the ground. He needed them exposed.
And now, with ten thousand Kree soldiers deploying and surrounding him, his plan had finally taken root.
"It's harvest time."
A sharp, commanding voice rang out across the battlefield as the last Kree ships touched down.
"Kree Hunter—real name unknown—you have slaughtered countless citizens of the Kree Empire. Your actions are an insult to our honor. Today, we bring justice in the name of every Kree you've slain. You will die here."
A Kree commander stepped forward, clearly meant to serve as both a public speaker and moral rallying point for the troops.
Kurogai met his gaze, calm and cold. "You shouldn't have tied your empire's honor to this. Because what happens next will bury that honor with you."
"Arrogant fool!" the commander roared. "Kill him!"
Thousands of Kree soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave, weapons drawn, war cries echoing. But Kurogai didn't flinch. He simply gripped the hilt of his scythe and smiled faintly.
"Let's get started."
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200 Power stones, let's goo!!