"Aren't you a little too rude?"
Silence followed those words for a few seconds, before—
"Eh… you're quite strong for a human," a mature female voice echoed from the clouds above.
Black lines formed on Zayne's forehead as he frowned at that statement. He genuinely couldn't understand why he was always underestimated whenever he faced an opponent, and they always uttered those exact kinds of words.
It was vexing.
"Thank you," he replied dryly. "I've heard that twice today already."
"Oh… good," the voice answered softly.
Silence followed again.
Even the rest of the team found the exchange between their leader and the mysterious woman oddly comical. They could naturally hear her voice—she had amplified it with precise energy control, projecting it clearly despite the vast distance.
That alone proved she was extremely powerful.
Not everyone could channel energy into their vocal cords with such control without risking internal backlash.
"So… mind coming down?" Zayne continued calmly. "I'd really like to know why you attacked me."
Though his tone was polite, there was a trace of annoyance beneath it. He truly didn't understand why this stranger had targeted him.
He was the hero here.
"Sure."
The response was simple.
Then—
The clouds split apart, parting like curtains to reveal a figure descending at terrifying speed. She moved so fast that all one could see was a streak of rainbow light slicing through the sky.
Fwoosh!
In less than five seconds, she arrived before Zayne, hovering midair.
The moment he saw her clearly, his eyes widened slightly. Recognition flickered within them.
The woman looked extremely familiar.
In an instant, several scattered clues connected in his mind, forming a clearer picture of the situation—though a few details still remained unknown.
"Hello, human warrior. I'm Melissa."
The woman possessed a face as fair as jade and a plump yet mature figure clad in radiant golden Asgardian armor. Despite her cold expression and indifferent gaze, her tone carried unmistakable humility and goodwill.
The contrast was striking.
"Greetings, Melissa. The name's Zayne," he replied courteously, without arrogance. "I assume you are the Alien Supreme assigned to protect this realm?"
"Oh…"
Melissa's eyes flickered in surprise. She clearly hadn't expected him to know her identity—or her purpose. Still, she answered steadily.
"Yes. I am the current Alien Supreme overseeing the extraterrestrials on Midgard."
Zayne's final doubt vanished upon hearing that.
He had known the previous Alien Supreme was still alive, but her whereabouts had always been concealed. Though his information-gathering abilities were formidable, he rarely relied on them unless absolutely necessary.
He preferred uncovering clues himself.
Otherwise, where was the fun?
Now, as he studied the beautiful Melissa before him, realization dawned.
"So… she's serving as an Asgardian warrior now," Zayne thought inwardly. "No wonder she's this strong."
When he scanned her Tier, the result made even him pause.
[B Tier (Middle B Tier)]
She was powerful.
Not someone he could casually one-shot.
Defeating her would require genuine combat—trading heavy blows and devastating techniques. He had already glimpsed a fragment of her strength from the spear she had thrown earlier.
Shaking off his thoughts, Zayne asked again, "So… mind telling me why I was attacked?"
Melissa's cold expression cracked instantly.
A faint blush colored her cheeks as she bowed slightly in the traditional Asgardian manner.
"Um… I'm sorry about that," she said, her composure wavering. "I was actually testing a new attack and couldn't control it properly."
Zayne raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her flustered demeanor.
"Oh? So I was your guinea pig?"
Melissa flushed even deeper and waved her hands hurriedly.
"No, no! I was already preparing to stop the attack, but you acted before I could. Moreover, when I saw you easily overpower it, I felt like it would be useless for me to interfere."
She explained frantically, her cold and mature façade shattered like glass.
--- ✦ ---
Zayne looked at Melissa's flustered expression for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh.
"Alright, alright. You can relax," he said, waving a hand lightly. "Since you've explained it, I'm not annoyed anymore."
His tone softened, losing the teasing edge from before.
Melissa blinked at him, still visibly embarrassed.
"No… that won't do," she insisted, regaining a bit of her composure. "An attack is an attack. Intentional or not. As a warrior of Asgard, I must take responsibility."
Zayne almost laughed at how serious she sounded.
"It's fine," he repeated. "I'm still standing, aren't I?"
But Melissa shook her head stubbornly.
"I must apologize properly. If not today, then another time."
Seeing that she wasn't going to drop it anytime soon, Zayne decided to shift the topic.
"Then let's talk about something else," he said casually. "What's so special about that museum?"
At his question, Melissa froze.
The faint blush disappeared from her face, replaced by hesitation.
She went silent.
The wind moved gently between them as they hovered midair, some civilians below still watching the zords. In the distance, his team kept watch, also trying to listen to what Melissa would say.
Zayne noticed her expression and shrugged slightly.
"If you can't answer, don't worry about it," he said calmly. "I won't pry."
Melissa looked up at him, her eyes sharpening.
"It's no matter," she replied after a brief pause. "You deserve to know. Especially after what just happened."
Before continuing, she raised one hand.
Golden runes formed around her palm, spinning in intricate patterns. A faint hum filled the air as translucent energy spread outward in a dome several meters wide around them.
The sounds of sirens, distant chatter, and even the crackling of debris faded into silence.
Zayne raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Asgardian magic?" he asked.
Melissa nodded.
"This will prevent anyone from eavesdropping. Our conversation will not travel beyond this barrier."
Zayne gave an approving nod. That level of control wasn't something ordinary beings could replicate. The blend of technology, ancient magic, and raw power surrounding her made her presence feel distinctly… cosmic.
Melissa inhaled slowly.
Her voice, when she spoke again, carried none of the previous embarrassment. It was steady. Grave.
"It was all for the stone."
Zayne's gaze sharpened.
"What stone?"
Melissa met his eyes directly, the golden glow of her armor reflecting faintly in her irises.
"The infinity stone."
--- ✦ ---
Far away.
In a chaotic realm far beyond the comprehension of man—beyond galaxies, beyond dimensions where even light struggled to exist—there stood a throne carved from crystallized sin and fractured starlight.
The sky above that realm twisted endlessly, colors bleeding into one another like a wound that refused to close. Lightning without thunder flickered across a horizon that had no beginning or end.
Upon that throne sat a figure.
He was breathtakingly handsome.
So handsome it was almost demonic.
His features were sharp yet refined, every line sculpted as though crafted by a god obsessed with perfection. Long dark hair flowed down his back like liquid night. His pale skin contrasted with the faint green veins pulsing beneath it.
But his eyes were closed.
His brows were furrowed deeply.
And his face was contorted in unmistakable pain.
Suddenly—
His eyes snapped open.
Green blood seeped from them instantly, trailing down his cheeks. It followed from his ears, from the corner of his mouth, and from his nose, dripping onto the crystalline floor below with a sizzling sound.
The aura around him trembled violently.
"Damn it… I failed again."
His voice echoed through the realm, layered and distorted, as if countless beings were speaking in unison.
Then he roared.
The entire chaotic realm shook.
Mountains split. Rivers of molten energy surged wildly. Shadowy creatures lurking in the distance shrieked and scattered, some hiding beneath floating landmasses, others flattening themselves against the ground in fear.
This was no ordinary being.
This was one of the true forms of the Sin of Greed.
"Who the hell attacked me?!" he bellowed, rising from his throne.
Fragments of green energy spiraled around him like furious serpents.
"I was close. So… close!"
His fists clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms as more green blood dripped down.
He had almost secured it.
The infinity stone.
The power that would have elevated him further among the Sins.
The anger inside him raged uncontrollably, distorting the very laws of his realm. Space cracked in jagged lines. Time flickered like a broken film reel.
Minutes passed before his breathing gradually steadied.
The violent tremors slowed.
His glowing green eyes suddenly flashed with confusion.
"Wait a minute…"
He paused.
"How did I get attacked without knowing?"
His brows furrowed again—but this time in puzzlement rather than rage.
"Who was I fighting before? Why can't I remember?"
The question lingered in the chaotic air.
Fragments of memory attempted to surface—battle, resistance, a Ranger, a white tiger—
But they dissolved like smoke before they could even form.
Then—
The confusion in his eyes cleared abruptly.
His lips curled slightly.
"Oh… I wasn't fighting anyone. I was just hit by a sneak attack from that treacherous being. Damn it."