Xandar, Supreme Command Center.
In front of the massive holographic projection screen.
Nova Prime, Irani Rael's face, usually stern and calm, was now slightly distorted by extreme rage.
On the screen, the Capital Plaza, which once symbolized civilization and peace, had turned into a slaughterhouse. Limbs were scattered, and blood flowed like a river.
The Nova Guard, whom she considered her pride, were facing a group of "Terran thugs" in tight suits. They were being casually shredded like fragile paper dolls.
Especially that blue giant.
He was practically a tireless meat grinder.
"Outrageous... absolutely outrageous!"
Irani slammed the control panel, her knuckles white from the force.
"We are the Nova Empire! The beacon of high civilization in the Andromeda Galaxy!"
"Since when do a bunch of wild monkeys from a backward planet get to piss and shit all over us?!"
This was a naked humiliation of the Nova Empire's millennia of glory.
"Prime! The enemy's energy readings are constantly rising! Our scanners cannot parse the energy level of the leading man in the white suit!" The adjutant reported, his voice trembling and his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"I don't care who he is! And I don't care how much energy he has!"
Irani turned around, the fury in her eyes practically erupting.
"Transmit my order!"
"Activate Level One War Status!"
"Mobilize all warships on the Nova Homeworld! I want to see the sky obscured by our ships!"
"Also..."
She took a deep breath, seemingly making a difficult decision.
"Send out Richard Rider!"
"Tell him, spare no expense, grind these lunatics into dust!"
...
Above the Capital Plaza.
Frieza maintained his casual posture, hands in his pockets, floating mid-air.
He looked up slightly, observing the light in the sky suddenly dimming.
It wasn't dark clouds.
It was spacecraft.
Thousands upon thousands of densely packed, eight-pointed star-shaped Nova warships instantly filled the entire sky, like a plague of locusts.
The roar of the engines merged, seemingly shaking even the atmosphere.
And at the very front of those countless warships, a golden meteor streaked across the sky.
It was a man wearing black and gold armor, his helmet flashing with dazzling starlight.
The legend of the Nova Corps, the Super Warrior possessing the Nova Force—Richard Rider!
"Oh?"
Frieza raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest finally flashing in his crimson eyes.
"It seems after hitting the small fry, a slightly bigger one has finally arrived."
"This spectacle actually looks somewhat like a welcome for the emperor."
Whoosh... Whoosh...
In the sky, tens of thousands of warships suddenly opened fire simultaneously.
Countless thick yellow energy beams intertwined, forming a devastating net of firepower.
They blanketed the sky and earth, covering the Frieza Force below.
Among them, at least several hundred beams were locked firmly onto Frieza himself.
"Lord Frieza, look out!!!"
A roar filled with loyalty (and a desire to show off) rang out.
Just as those beams were about to touch the hem of Frieza's expensive suit—
Boom!!!
A massive blue figure, as if teleporting, blocked the way in front of Frieza.
It was Apocalypse!
The giant who had just been wreaking havoc now acted like the most solid shield.
He spread his arms, and the energy within him erupted fiercely, forming a massive blue Force Field.
Zzzzz—
Countless energy beams bombarded the shield, stirring up ripples and sparks everywhere.
Apocalypse gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his feet forcibly stamping two deep pits into the plaza ground. But he did not take a single step back.
"Hmph! Mere scrap metal, trying to harm Lord Frieza?!"
A fierce light flashed in Apocalypse's eyes.
He extended a huge hand and clenched it fiercely in the air towards the Vanguard Warships that had ambushed Frieza.
Buzz!
Molecular Control activated!
The warships, built from high-strength alloy, were instantly squeezed as if by an invisible giant hand.
Snap! Bang!
They were immediately crushed into balls of scrap metal, then exploded into spectacular fireworks in the air.
Having done all this, Apocalypse immediately dropped his ferocious expression.
He turned around, and his enormous body painstakingly bent down, his face plastered with a fawning smile, as he spoke to the small white figure.
"Lord Frieza, are you alright?"
"Some of the dust was quite large, I was worried about staining your clothes."
Frieza looked at the gigantic blue face before him, the corner of his lips curving slightly upward.
"Not bad."
"Apocalypse, your reaction speed is much faster than it was on Earth."
"It seems changing environments has sharpened your mind a bit."
Hearing this praise, Apocalypse was ecstatic.
Worth it!
Taking that wave of attack to the face was absolutely worth it.
As long as he could leave the impression of being "loyal and capable" in Frieza's mind, wouldn't he be allocated a couple more star systems when the territories are divided later?
"It is my honor to serve you, Lord Frieza."
Apocalypse roared loudly, the sound vibrating the surrounding glass.
"However..."
Frieza changed the subject, casting his gaze toward the continuous stream of incoming warships in the sky.
"The flies seem to be getting more numerous."
"Although I don't mind listening to the noise, it's rather disruptive to my mood."
Apocalypse understood instantly.
The boss thinks the progress is too slow.
"Please rest assured, Lord Frieza. I will silence them immediately."
Apocalypse turned around, facing the vast fleet in the sky. The fawning expression instantly vanished, replaced by boundless tyranny.
But after glancing at the sheer density of the ships, he couldn't help but frown.
Too many.
If he crushed them all alone, when would he ever finish?
If he made Frieza impatient, his Performance Bonus would be docked.
Thinking of this, Apocalypse's gaze fell upon Erik and Charles below.
"Erik! Charles!"
Apocalypse's voice boomed like muffled thunder.
"Stop watching the show!"
"Can't you see Lord Frieza finds the noise annoying?!"
"This is metal! So much metal! Erik, isn't this your home turf?!"
Erik floated mid-air, gazing at the warships filling the sky, his eyes already gleaming with avarice.
"Hmph, I don't need your reminder, big guy."
Erik slowly raised his hands, and the surrounding magnetic field began to surge wildly.
"This is simply... paradise."
However, the Nova Corps warships all had Energy Shields. And the sheer number was too great, clearing the field instantly by himself would be a bit strenuous.
"Charles!"
Apocalypse looked at the bald old man sitting in the wheelchair.
"Time to work."
"Make these guys flying the ships turn into puppets."
Charles was currently sitting quietly at the edge of the battlefield.
Hearing Apocalypse's summons, he slowly raised his head. His eyes, once full of wisdom and benevolence, were now dull and lifeless.
On Earth, he had already betrayed his beliefs for survival.
Now, here... killing aliens shouldn't count as a crime, right?
"I understand."
Charles's voice was soft, yet it clearly reached everyone's minds via Telepathy.
He extended two fingers and lightly pressed them against his temples.
Humm—
A Mental Storm, immense and invisible, instantly swept toward the sky.
This was not for control, nor for communication.
This was for—Paralysis.
In the sky.
Tens of thousands of Nova Pilots, who were driving warships and furiously unleashing firepower.
Suddenly felt like their brains had been violently struck by a heavy hammer.
"Ah—!"
Screams rose and fell across the Communication Channels.
In just an instant, all the pilots rolled their eyes back, their consciousness forcibly severed, turning them into drooling vegetables.
Without pilot control, the jets filling the sky instantly became headless flies, and even their Energy Shields began to flicker and die out.
"Now!"
A sharp light burst forth from Erik's eyes.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
"All of you... come down!!!"
Erik violently pulled his hands down, as if grabbing the entire curtain of the sky.
Rumble—
A terrifying magnetic field erupted.
Tens of thousands of uncontrolled warships forcibly changed course under the irresistible magnetic pull. They collided, squeezed, and twisted together.
It was as if countless invisible giant hands were kneading these sophisticated War Machines like putty.
Crack! Squeak!
The sound of metal twisting echoed through the world.
Under the shocked gazes of everyone, the overwhelming fleet was forcibly crushed together, turning into a massive metal sphere of scrap iron, several kilometers in diameter.
They floated above the city, obscuring the sky.
"Oh-ho-ho..."
Frieza watched this scene and couldn't help but let out a laugh of admiration.
"That's what you call professional."
"It seems my judgment is indeed sound. These few employees are becoming increasingly useful."