Above the White House, the purple sun slowly descended.
There was no ear-splitting shriek, nor any earth-shattering momentum; it was like a feather, gently drifting down towards the white building that symbolized power.
But all living beings locked onto by this terrifying aura had only one thought.
Run!
"Fly up!!! What in the world is that thing!"
The pilots of the media helicopters circling nearby now wished they could snap their joysticks. The propellers groaned under the strain, climbing desperately higher, terrified of being tainted by even a fraction of that destructive aura.
On the ground, the soldiers, who had been standing by fully armed, and the support troops who had arrived late, had their psychological defenses completely collapse the moment they saw that purple orb of light.
Military orders and defending the homeland were all jokes in the face of absolute death. They abandoned their armor and fled in disarray.
However—
"Too slow."
Frieza, suspended high in the air, watched the scrambling crowd below like ants, a graceful yet cruel smile present on his lips.
"While I appreciate your will to survive, I regret to inform you that this is a demolition project targeting the entire city."
Buzz!
The Death Ball made contact with the white dome of the White House.
In that instant, time seemed to stand still.
Then, there was no violent explosion or flying debris.
There was only pure, silent—annihilation.
Boom!!!
The moment the purple energy touched the ground, it didn't spread indiscriminately in all directions like a conventional bomb. Instead, it was as if an invisible giant hand had pressed down on it, compressing it into a terrifying purple wave that expanded rapidly along the ground.
The height of this wave was precisely controlled by Frieza at 500 meters but its width was not.
That white center of power, along with the corpses and confidential documents inside, disintegrated into elementary particles within 0.01 seconds of contact with the light wave.
Immediately after, the light wave pushed outwards at a terrifying speed exceeding that of sound.
The Washington Monument, that towering stone obelisk, instantly melted away like a sandcastle meeting a wave as the purple light swept over it.
The Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, the Pentagon...
Those buildings that carried American history and glory, at this moment, were like building blocks assembled by children, gently wiped away by a hand named despair, leaving nothing behind.
The crowds running in the streets didn't even have time to let out a final scream before they were swallowed by the purple glow.
Looking back, it was no longer just a light orb, but a purple ocean—a sea of death that devoured everything.
500 meters above, the still-shaken helicopter pilots and photographers watched everything happening below, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
They were directly above the energy tide, the only safe zone.
Their cameras recorded the most terrifying scene in human history.
The once bustling Washington D.C. was now disappearing at a visible rate.
The purple light swept forward, leaving behind only scorched earth, smooth as a mirror, wherever it passed.
One kilometer... five kilometers... ten kilometers... all the way to the horizon.
Until the purple light merged with the horizon in the distance.
The entire city, along with its surrounding suburbs, was completely erased from the map of Earth in just a dozen seconds.
The whole world, at this moment, fell into a deathly silence.
Then came overwhelming fear.
"Oh ho ho ho..."
Frieza's signature, high-pitched and evil laugh echoed over this massive ruin, piercing the ears of billions of people worldwide through satellite signals.
"How spectacular."
Frieza floated in mid-air, beneath him a colossal crater, dozens of kilometers in diameter, freshly created.
He clapped his hands gently, as if he had just done something trivial, like swatting a mosquito or stepping on a nest of ants.
"Though it was a bit crude, I think no one will question my power now, will they?"
[Ding! Detected destruction-level panic across the globe!]
[Ding! Fear Points +100!]
[Ding! Fear Points +100!]
...
The numbers on the system panel were no longer just flickering, they were teleporting.
1 billion... 2 billion... 10 billion!
This display of city-destroying power brought a fear countless times greater than a nuclear bomb, because it was controllable, it was man-made, and it was caused by a casual wave of that golden-haired demon's hand.
Maria and Loki, who were following Frieza, had completely lost their ability to think.
Maria stared blankly at the void below.
This was once the capital of the United States, home to millions of people.
Now?
Nothing was left.
Not even ruins, just scorched earth still radiating heat.
"Devil... you are a devil..." Maria's voice trembled almost inaudibly, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
This power made her feel a profound sense of powerlessness.
Resistance? What was the point of resistance in the face of such god-like might?
Loki, the Asgardian prince who prided himself as a god, was now clutching his clothes tightly.
He looked at the scorched earth stretching to the horizon, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.
"Is this... the power of the Emperor of the Universe?"
Even the Bifrost Bridge at its peak would require continuous bombardment to destroy a city. But this was just an energy ball casually thrown by Frieza.
And judging by his relaxed demeanor, he hadn't even broken a sweat.
"So... so captivating..."
The fear in Loki's eyes gradually transformed into a nearly pathological fanaticism. This was the power he had always dreamed of. This was the true demeanor a ruler should possess.
In the face of this power, what Avengers, what Thanos?
"Alright, sightseeing's over."
Frieza turned around, not even glancing at the hell below, as if it had always been an empty space.
He stretched, his tone light and pleasant. "It's too dusty here, the air quality is terrible."
"Let's go, back to New York."
"Since the old government is gone, my Frieza Tower will now be the new administrative center of this planet."
At this point, Frieza seemed to remember something and turned to look at Maria, who was completely stunned, and Loki, who was in a state of frenzy.
"Oh right, before that."
Frieza raised his hand, blue light shimmering at his fingertips.
"I have to go home first."
"After all, we're forming a new universal army, and the personnel need to be in order."
"And incidentally, they also need to change into formal work uniforms and report to headquarters."
Buzz!
A deep blue spatial vortex slowly unfolded before them, leading directly to the luxurious private estate on Frieza's island.
Frieza strode in with elegant steps, leaving the world a despairing yet incredibly dashing silhouette.
Only the vanished city remained, serving as his coronation red carpet, forever etched onto Earth.
—
Meanwhile.
Frieza's Island, master bedroom of the private estate.
Natasha and Sharon were huddled in the corner of the bed, both staring intently at the massive floor-to-ceiling television screen in front of them.
On the screen, footage of Washington D.C. being instantly wiped off the map was playing on a loop.
That huge purple spot spread across the map, devouring everything.
"Natasha..."
Sharon's voice was tearful, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"There's no hope... this world is beyond saving..."
"Even Washington... who can we count on? Who can defeat this monster?"
Natasha clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, blood seeping out unnoticed.
That man... that devil... he actually did it.
He said he would kill everyone, and he wasn't just talking.
An unprecedented chill enveloped her entire body, a despair more suffocating than death.
Just then—
Buzz!
The space in the center of the bedroom suddenly warped, and a blue portal opened out of thin air.
That evil yet elegant voice, which haunted their dreams, slowly emerged from behind the door.
"Oh ho ho ho..."
"My dear maids, have you missed your Emperor?"
Frieza walked out of the portal with his hands behind his back, his scarlet eyes scanning the two trembling female agents with a playful smile.
Immediately after, Loki and Maria, dressed in their humiliating jumpsuits, and the red-clad girl with vacant eyes, also filed in.
"It seems you've already seen the news?"
Frieza pointed to the television screen, a satisfied smile on his face. "Well? Was my fireworks display spectacular enough?"
Natasha and Sharon's faces were pale, unable to speak.
"Alright, enough with the reminiscing."
Frieza clapped his hands, his gaze becoming somewhat critical as he scrutinized their revealing maid outfits and pajamas.
"While I do like your current attire, these are for wearing at home, after all."
"Since we're going to the new headquarters, which is the former Frieza Tower, to officially announce the formation of the Frieza Force, you, as my personal attendants, should naturally dress more formally."
"Loki."
Frieza snapped his fingers.
"Yes, Master."
Loki immediately pulled out two folded sets of clothes from behind him and respectfully handed them over.
They were two brand new, white and purple combat suits. They also featured those exaggerated yellow shoulder pads and the same suffocating sense of humiliation.
"Put them on."
Frieza pointed to the combat suits on the ground.
"These are our force's uniforms, symbolizing honor and power."
"You have three minutes."
Natasha and Sharon looked at the clothes on the ground, then at Maria, who was already wearing the same outfit with a numb expression.
"Yes... Master..."
With tears of humiliation, the two women, with trembling hands, changed into the ridiculous combat suits in front of Frieza.
The others turned their backs.
A moment later.
The two formerly sexy and charming female agents were transformed into two oddly dressed warriors in tight suits.
"Perfect."
Frieza looked at the five people standing in a row before him—Loki, Maria, Natasha, Sharon, and Wanda.
Although their expressions were all as if they were attending a funeral, this contrast only made Frieza more pleased.
"Now that's more like it."
"Oh right, let me introduce you to this new colleague."
Frieza pulled over the vacant-eyed Wanda. "Scarlet Witch, a future potential stock. Of course, for now, she'll have to start from the bottom."
"Loki, find her a uniform to change into as well. Since we're family, we should all be uniform."
"Also, prepare a soul contract. We'll sign it when we get back tonight."
"Yes, Master."
Once everyone had changed, Frieza contentedly adjusted his suit and tie.
He raised his hand, and the Space Stone glowed once more.
Buzz!
The portal opened again, this time set for the Frieza Tower in the heart of Manhattan.