Clang!
As the Dwarf King Eitri swung the hammer in his hand, the final blow landed steadily, much like the icing on the cake.
In an instant.
The phoenix relief at the center of the chest armor, ready to soar, seemed to come alive.
Vividly lifelike!
At the same time, Hawk, who was bathed in the burning star, felt an unparalleled thrill under the last hammer of Eitri in an indescribable mystical sensation.
The next moment.
Hawk opened his eyes.
Buzz!
At the moment he opened his eyes, the eyes of the phoenix on the chest armor under Eitri's hammer began to gather golden light.
The golden light flickered, but soon gradually synchronized with Hawk's heartbeat.
Hawk's heartbeat.
The Holy Armor's breath.
As the Dwarf King Eitri placed the handcrafted chest armor engraved with the phoenix relief into the missing piece of the Holy Armor formed by 3,651 molds, the moment arrived.
Boom!
A crimson gold pillar of light piercing the sky erupted from the newly born Phoenix Golden Holy Armor!
Within the pillar of light, a majestic, infinitely blazing golden phoenix phantom spread its wings fully, emitting a cry that resonated with the stars. Then, the phoenix gathered its wings, merging into the formed Holy Armor below.
Dwarf King Eitri watched with an excited gaze at yet another divine artifact born under his hands.
The aura exuded by the Holy Armor alone made the Dwarf King Eitri certain of one thing: it was much mightier than Odin's 'Eternal Spear.'
Having emerged from the stellar forge, Hawk also looked at the true birthright Golden Holy Armor standing before him.
When the extraordinary vision created by the newborn Holy Armor gradually faded.
The Golden Phoenix Holy Armor quietly hovered in the void.
It was not still but breathing slowly. With each of Hawk's heartbeats, a liquid flame-like sheen flowed over her.
Compared to the first superficial gilded Bronze Holy Armor Hawk had cobbled together with his Little Cosmos, and the Black Phoenix Nether Armor he used for emergencies.
This true Phoenix Golden Holy Armor lacked the weight of the first and exuded a sacred, wild flowing form.
Simply put.
This Phoenix Holy Armor was not a phoenix.
Because —
She!
Is the Phoenix!
As Hawk's mind stirred, the Phoenix Holy Armor instantly disassembled. The 3,651 components constituting the Holy Armor flew toward Hawk like meteors of golden fire.
The Holy Armor components perfectly fused with Hawk's body.
With each part of the Holy Armor covering Hawk, the moment the chest and face armor—crafted only by Eitri—finally fell.
Hawk and the Phoenix Holy Armor became perfectly integrated!
He could feel the vivid sense of life flowing from the Holy Armor he wore.
Likewise.
The Holy Armor could feel every beat of Hawk's heart; golden flame-like light flickered at every junction of the Holy Armor.
Hawk lowered his eyes and clenched his fist.
In the instant his fist closed, he felt that this power could crush a star.
This was no longer an illusion of a sudden surge of power.
It was merely the return of the power he inherently possessed.
Once again!
When a Saint Warrior dons the Holy Armor, that is the true complete form of a Saint Warrior.
Hawk's mind moved!
Chirp!
A golden phoenix phantom soared from Hawk's body, appearing above Nidavellir. As the phantom spread its wings, the entire world of Nidavellir was wholly protected under the wings of the phoenix phantom.
The golden phoenix phantom, sheltering and protecting the whole of the Nidavellir world, was clearly visible even in the vast and boundless cosmos.
The phoenix phantom flapped its wings, releasing golden flame-like apparitions. As these descended from the phoenix wings, they transformed into golden sparks. From the ground of Nidavellir, looking up, it seemed as if Nidavellir was experiencing a phoenix meteor shower that would never end.
With the appearance of the golden phoenix phantom, there also appeared Hawk's voice.
"In the name of Phoenix, Nidavellir shall receive my eternal protection!"
The voice was steady.
The voice was sacred, inviolable.
Hawk was conveying his first message after ascending to deityhood to the entire World Tree and even the main Cosmos.
Ascension!
Although he had awakened the Seventh Sense, merely stepping on the divine path, only upon awakening the Eighth Sense could he truly ascend.
But…
Hawk had already comprehended some rudiments of the Eighth Sense from the Celestial God Ego and God King Odin, and then by wearing the Phoenix Golden Holy Armor.
As everyone knows.
The calculation of combining a Saint Warrior and a Holy Armor is not a simple addition.
But multiplication.
Therefore —
After donning the Phoenix Holy Armor, Hawk fully ascended to deityhood.
Though a temporary god.
But…
A Dimension God is still a god; a temporary god is also a god.
Moreover, a Main God!
As Hawk's declaration spread from Nidavellir in all directions at the speed of light, the cry of the phoenix followed in its wake.
"Clang!"
However, not all beings could hear his declaration.
After all, Hawk's pronouncement of protecting Nidavellir was not for the ordinary lives of the vast cosmos to hear.
He was declaring to the endless dimension overlords, myriad celestial gods of the stars, and the Main Gods of various star systems existing in the universe.
So...
When his declaration, accompanied by the cry of the phoenix, sped across a planet of life at the speed of light, the lives on that planet remained silent. However, the Celestial God of that planet turned pale upon hearing this cry, involuntarily conjuring up an image in his mind.
Battle.
Extinction.
Battle.
Annihilation.
...
Every dimension master, planetary celestial god, and star system main god who received this image wore a solemn expression, looking grave.
Because this image was not mere bluster, but the path upon which the Main God Phoenix had arrived in his universe.
Simply put.
Hawk's proclamation was not a declaration of peace, but a warning.
In a word.
"Nidavellir, I've got you covered."
"Do not move!"
"Move, and there will be extinction."
"Hiss!"
"This Phoenix..."
"Where did he emerge from?"
"The Phoenix Star System?"
"A god of the Xia Empire?"
"Aren't the gods of the Xia Empire Shalar and Kaisery?"
"So who is this Phoenix?"
"Newborn?"
"This is a Main God, not a Celestial God."
"Though he acted quite quickly, the World Tree hasn't fully integrated yet, and he already seized Nidavellir."
"Forget it, doesn't matter, I'm quite far from Nidavellir anyway."
"Me too."
"Disperse, disperse, since it's a Main God speaking, I'm just a Dimension God. Though called a god, in the eyes of a Main God, I'm no different from an ant."
"By the way, Dormammu, last time you..."
As Hawk's warning echoed throughout, the voices of the cosmic divine beings gradually faded.
After all...
Nidavellir is on the World Tree, and the World Tree hasn't descended into the Main Cosmos yet. Additionally, the solar system is a desolate area, so few divine beings dwell nearby, nor do many care for the solar system.
So they silently kept Nidavellir in mind, noted that Nidavellir was also under the protection of a Phoenix Main God, associated with battle and destruction, then allayed their concerns.
At the same time—
A massive starship, having just destroyed Sandaar, was speeding towards Nidavellir, and upon receiving Hawk's declaration, abruptly came to a halt from the speed of light in an incredibly unscientific move.
Much like smoothly driving, only to discover a mountain ahead, then suddenly slamming the brakes.
Inside the gigantic starship, its layout was not conventional or scientific, but rather, it seemed as if a miniature universe was crammed inside.
And within this miniature cosmic star field, there was a throne.
On the throne sat a purple-skinned being.
It was Thanos, hailing from Titan, a descendant of the Eternal Race!
Indeed.
Thanos is also a member of the Eternal Race.
Unexpected, right?
However, unlike those members of the Eternal Race now in seclusion on Earth, Thanos has undergone variation despite also belonging to the Eternal Race.
His characteristic purple skin, chin like a comb, and unusually burly figure serve as the best evidence.
Rumor has it that this mutation came from the Deviants.
Which are mortal enemies of the Eternal Race.
After all, the Deviants are known for their distinctive purple skin.
As everyone knows.
The mortal enemies of the Eternal Race, the Deviants were also created by the Celestial God Team, and they possess a tremendous unique power.
The more they kill, the stronger they become.
So...
As a mutant descendant of the Eternal Race, Thanos naturally inherited this power, and after personally destroying the planet Titan, Thanos' power was nearly equivalent to that of a quasi-celestial god.
Over time, his power continued to grow day by day.
Finally!
As his strength grew daily, Thanos was no longer content to cleanse planets one by one.
He conceived a once-and-for-all plan that, if successfully executed, would allow him to retire, living a life akin to plucking chrysanthemums below the eastern fence, idly watching the mountains in the distance.
So just now.
Thanos destroyed the planet Sandaar and successfully obtained the first Infinity Gemstone.
The Power Gemstone.
And possessing the Power Gemstone, Thanos set his sights on Nidavellir within the World Tree.
He wanted the blacksmiths of Nidavellir to forge an Infinity Gauntlet for him. Then, with just a snap of the fingers, he would indiscriminately wipe out half of the universe's life forms, thoroughly restoring cosmic balance.
Don't ask how he knows this.
Descendants of the Titan Eternal Race have a long lifespan, long enough for tales of Odin's past collection of the Infinity Gemstones with the Infinity Gauntlet to be passed down.
So...
Thanos, having destroyed Sandaar and acquired the Power Gemstone, commanded his starship to swiftly head towards the solar system.
But just now.
At the very moment when his starship entered the edge of the solar system.
Hawk's declaration was transmitted over.
"In the name of the Phoenix, Nidavellir shall receive my eternal protection!!!"
"..."