The wind whistled through the ruined top floor of Stark Tower.
Frieza's declaration that "Earth belongs to Frieza" didn't just explode in the Avengers' ears; it was picked up by the media helicopters' high-definition microphones and broadcast via radio waves into millions of homes.
For a moment, the world seemed to go silent for three seconds.
What followed wasn't the paralyzing fear of impending doom, but rather absurdity—a kind of disbelief, as if they had just heard the biggest joke of the century.
Own the entire Earth?
Treat billions of humans as private property?
Did the guy lose his mind when he launched that nuke?
"Hmph..."
Steve Rogers, Captain America, clutched his chest where the 'flick' had stung, struggling to sit up. His face, usually a portrait of righteous indignation, was now etched with contempt and fury.
Though those few "head flicks" had made him aware of the massive power gap between them, Captain America never backed down on matters of principle.
"Own the Earth? Enslave all of humanity?"
Cap picked up his shield nearby. Though still unsteady, his gaze remained resolute. "You, sir, may be powerful—stronger than anyone I've ever seen. But to think you can pull off this fantasy is completely delusional!"
"The will of the free can't be killed! You will never be the master of this planet!"
"Exactly!"
From the pile of rubble on the other side, Thor, the God of Thunder, pushed off the broken stones crushing him.
The Prince of Asgard might have had his hammer shattered, but his pride remained. He wiped the dust from his face, looking at the floating Frieza with the disdain a royal would give a loudmouthed rich kid.
"Mortal, you do have some skill—enough to destroy Mjolnir. But that doesn't qualify you to rule this territory."
Thor puffed out his chest, trying to maintain his godly dignity despite his battered state. "In the rules of the Nine Realms, mortals are mortals. Midgard (Earth) is a realm under Asgard's protection. For a mere human to try and claim it? That is an insult to the divine right!"
Of course, Mr. Stark couldn't be left out.
Tony Stark leaned against a broken pillar, his helmet open to reveal a face that, even after a beating, couldn't resist a sarcastic comeback.
"Hey, pal," Tony gasped, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "I know you're in real estate, and you took a big loss up there, so I get why you're trying to recoup your costs."
"But... the whole planet?"
Tony gestured a huge circle. "Isn't that a little too greedy, even for you? Nick Fury, the one-eyed cyclops, only dreams of controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. You want this and that? Be careful you don't overdo it and get indigestion."
Even in the WHiH News Front helicopter hovering high above, ace reporter Christine Palmer wore a look of utter bewilderment.
She addressed the camera, her tone laced with undeniable skepticism: "Viewers, what you just witnessed was absolutely insane. This... well, this 'super-powered individual' calling himself Frieza, just made a stunning 'claim of ownership.'"
"While he demonstrated incredible power by repelling the aliens, his comments... it's difficult to judge whether he's joking or if he's mentally unstable. Frankly, it sounds like the ravings of a lunatic."
The viewers at home exploded with comments.
"That blonde guy looks great, but he's a nutjob?"
"He must be crazy to want to be Emperor."
"That's so over-the-top, like something out of a comic book. He must be hallucinating from fighting the aliens."
Facing the Avengers' skepticism and the world's disdain, the floating Frieza did not become flustered like a typical villain, nor did he rage like a madman.
On the contrary, his smile became even more elegant, even conveying a hint of... tolerance for the ignorance of lower life forms.
"Oh dear, dear..."
Frieza gently shook his head, the movement like a patient teacher dealing with students too dull to grasp the lesson.
"It seems that poverty and weakness truly limit your imagination."
He slowly descended, hovering three inches above the ground, and gracefully drifted over to Captain America.
"Captain Rogers, your so-called freedom is merely a crumb tossed to the weak by the strong. When the power difference is absolute, your 'will'? That's just a candle in the wind."
Next, he drifted to Thor, looking at the God who was still talking tough.
"As for you... mortals don't qualify?"
Frieza chuckled softly, sticking out a finger and waving it in front of Thor. "On a cosmic scale, your little patch of Asgardian turf is barely a backwater village. And I, Lord Frieza, am a man dedicated to incorporating the entire galaxy into my portfolio."
"Just one little Earth? Honestly, if the scenery weren't decent, and if it weren't my current base of operations, I wouldn't even bother putting it on my balance sheet."
"To me, this is nothing more than a small marble in my backyard."
"Am I being excessive in asking for Earth? I think I'm being quite modest."
These unbelievably arrogant words only served to infuriate Thor, who laughed out of sheer frustration but couldn't refute the overwhelming power gap he had just witnessed.
Frieza turned, his gaze falling upon Loki, who had been quietly trying to shrink into the background.
"Am I right, my dear... Captain Ginyu Loki?"
Loki flinched, feeling instantly targeted by a venomous snake.
Though he internally agreed that this guy was crazy—one person ruling Earth? That was even more ridiculous than his attempt to rule Earth!
Plus, the man's ego was colossal—the galaxy? Who did he think he was? Thanos?
But...
Seeing the increasingly cold smile on Frieza's face, and looking at the finger that had just effortlessly crushed the Thunder God's hammer, Loki wisely swallowed his pride.
He instantly put on an extremely fawning smile, nodding his head like a bobblehead.
"Yes! Absolutely! That is the pure truth!"
Loki shouted, afraid that if his voice was too quiet, he'd be executed on the spot. "With your magnificent, peerless, world-shaking power, My Lord, ruling Earth is this planet's greatest honor! Forget Earth, the Nine Realms, even the entire universe should grovel at your feet!"
"You are the sole Emperor of the cosmos! The one and only truth!"
The flattery was so extreme that even Thor, standing nearby, twisted his head away in disgust. Was this really his proud younger brother? How embarrassing!
But Frieza was pleased.
"Very good. It seems there is one intelligent person among you."
Frieza nodded in satisfaction, then turned back to face the defiant-looking Avengers and the distant camera lenses.
He spread his arms wide, his phantom white cape (which he felt he should have at this moment) seemingly flapping in the wind.
"While your ignorance is amusing, I, Lord Frieza, am known for my benevolence."
"As the future owner of this planet, I have decided to give you natives a small, negligible opportunity."
"A chance to challenge me."
Frieza raised a single finger and pointed toward Madison Square Garden in the distance—the arena whose roof had been blown off in the earlier fight, turning it into an open-air stadium.
"In three days, right there."
"I shall host a spectacle for the entire universe—the 'Frieza Games'!"
"The rules are simple."
The smile on Frieza's face became incredibly playful, like a hunter watching his prey walk into a trap.
"Anyone—whether it's you so-called Superheroes, the wizards hiding in the shadows, the armies, the mutants... or even the alien garbage still floating in space."
"If you can defeat me in a one-on-one fight, even if you just manage to knock me down once."
"Then I will retract my statement, return the ownership of Earth to you, and leave this place."
At this point, his voice suddenly turned cold, and a terrifying aura of killing intent swept across the rooftop, making everyone feel as though they'd been plunged into an ice bath.
"But if you lose..."
"Or if no one dares to challenge me..."
A red light flashed in Frieza's eyes, and a sphere of purple energy gathered on his index finger.
"Then every inch of land, every building on this planet, and the lives of every single one of you."
"Shall belong to Frieza!"
"Obey me and prosper. Defy me and perish."
"Ohohoho... Consider this my final act of mercy towards you!"