"Entering the Solar System."
Gazing at the red glowing dot on the screen, which grew larger as time passed, and seeing the Planets around the red dot become distinct, he didn't need a subordinate to report his location anymore. Since he had spotted the target, he turned his gaze to Ebony Maw. Having been by Thanos's side for so long, Ebony Maw naturally understood his intent. Like a gentleman, he bowed to Thanos, who was sitting on his floating throne, and then slowly retreated. Since the target had been sighted, the vanguard could be launched. The numbers of the Chitauri had already been replenished, and this time, another world-destroying war could be initiated.
As Ebony Maw retreated, gaps opened on both sides of the massive warship, and small aircraft, like a dense swarm of mosquitoes, began to fly toward Earth. This action triggered the defensive measures Artoria and her group had buried. Space mines exploded one after another, and turrets were activated. Suddenly, the battle had begun, and the Chitauri vanguard suffered heavy losses.
"Cunning old fox, not even advancing further, just using cannon fodder to clear the mines."
Artoria and her group, who had been observing from the shadows, watched with regret as their defensive equipment was slowly cleared away. This left Artoria feeling very frustrated; she hadn't expected the enemy to use such a method to avoid a disaster. Since this firepower hadn't directly bombarded the flagship, the damage to Thanos's strength was negligible. The power of a strong individual would not weaken just because their cannon fodder was reduced. Encountering such a situation, Artoria could only feel it was a great pity.
"Commence the operation, stay safe."
Since they had been discovered, let the battle begin! Only those who seize the initiative have an advantage in combat; unless one is an idiot, that advantage will manifest. Artoria instructed the women to operate the Hyperion properly, then she and Scáthach left the Hyperion and flew into space. Kiyohime followed them out as well. Although those thin arms and that E-rank constitution made Artoria worry if Kiyohime would be sent back to the Throne of Heroes by a stray bullet, since she had already run out, Artoria didn't say anything. She could only pray that the girl would find a lucky spot on the battlefield. These aliens didn't share human aesthetics; they wouldn't show mercy to a cute little girl.
"Unexpectedly, someone knew of our movements. Interesting."
Thanos, sitting on his floating throne, saw his vanguard being attacked. Far from being unhappy, he found it quite interesting. That someone could calculate his arrival at Earth and set an ambush here really gave him a sense of novelty. He suddenly wanted to see this 'hero' and talk to them about his ideals. Such an unexpected individual might definitely provide an eye-opening perspective.
"Clone soldiers, deploy."
At this point, it was no longer something the cannon fodder could change. Thanos directly deployed the recently born clones. Testing the strength of the clones was one aspect; the other was to see the opponent's reaction. After all, the appearance of the Asgardian Gods on the battlefield was not a good thing for the enemy; they were far stronger than the Chitauri. Following Thanos's order, tens of thousands of clone soldiers fell out of their incubation pods. Mechanical arms began to equip their powerful bodies with pitch-black combat suits. The clones, wearing these black suits, opened their hollow eyes, and paired with their ferocious helmets, they looked like the coldest of assassins.
"For, the god Thanos."
After shouting this, the clone soldiers boarded the Leviathans, which had been modified into half-mechanical, half-biological entities, in an orderly fashion. These were the Chitauri warships. Their massive size and sturdy bodies allowed them to block the enemy's powerful firepower for the soldiers inside. One Leviathan after another flew out of the flagship, charging toward the area with the most intense firepower, possessing the momentum of crashing into a wall and never turning back.
"Rhongomyniad."
Since the fight had started, Artoria directly released twelve seals of Rhongomyniad, leaving only one to bind the lance's form. Why choose to release the Noble Phantasm at the very beginning? First, to ensure the Hyperion wasn't damaged, and second, Artoria held a certain degree of wishful thinking, hoping to kill or injure Thanos with this one strike. Clearing out soldiers and protecting herself simultaneously—under such circumstances, it was understandable for Artoria to use her ultimate move to clear the small fry first. As Artoria released the Noble Phantasm, it was as if a second sun had risen in space, illuminating the surrounding Planets as a massive beam of light flew toward the Leviathans and the flagship.
"What dazzling light! Activate the shields, divert all energy to the protective shields, and prepare for impact."
Facing this situation, Thanos didn't show any panic. He stood up from his floating throne, excited. Watching the Noble Phantasm Artoria released, a trace of obsession flashed in his eyes. Such light was truly too dazzling, too beautiful. It made him think of his wonderful life after retirement: carrying food in one hand and Gamora in the other, farming in the fields under the sun. Such a dream was just too beautiful. Although he was thinking this, Thanos calmly issued his orders. A massive energy shield enveloped the flagship. The Leviathans and the flagship were instantly engulfed by the beam of light. This power consumed nearly thirty percent of Artoria's mana. The beam penetrated two Planets before stopping at a star, leaving a massive wound on it.
"The power of this Noble Phantasm is quite good."
Watching the effects of Artoria's Noble Phantasm, a look of excitement appeared on Scáthach's face. This battle maniac actually wanted to fight Artoria at this moment. Kiyohime watched the commotion Artoria had created, her mouth wide open in surprise. She hadn't expected her Master's strength to have become so powerful; did her Master still need the protection of a Heroic Spirit? Obviously not. But when it came to other aspects, she had no intention of admitting defeat. Whether it was cooking, making tea, or warming the bed, she, Kiyohime, could do every single one of them well, but unfortunately, these tactics didn't seem to have much effect on her Master.
"Is it over?"
Flying to Artoria's side, Kiyohime affectionately hugged Artoria's slender waist. Holding a folding fan in her hand, she looked around and asked Artoria. She didn't believe anyone could survive under a Noble Phantasm of such power, not even Scáthach. How could anyone survive? Just not turning into ash would be quite impressive, so she happily snuggled up to her Master, wanting to receive her Master's concern.
"Not yet."
But she could only receive this news from the mouths of Artoria and Scáthach. Although the news was surprising, what was more frustrating was that Scáthach and her Master were so in sync, which made Kiyohime very unhappy, her cheeks puffing up. But in order not to affect her Master's subsequent battle, she still took the initiative to let go of Artoria's slender waist. At this moment, Artoria's expression was very grim. She had considered this possibility, but that the opponent had survived under her Noble Phantasm still left Artoria very surprised. Scáthach, unable to hold back any longer, transformed into a beam of purple light and charged toward the star—the place where the Noble Phantasm's power had culminated. Seeing Scáthach's action, Artoria, who had originally intended to fire a second Noble Phantasm, frowned and also flew toward the star, with Kiyohime following behind Artoria.
"The power is astonishing!"
Amidst the wreckage of the flagship, Thanos led the four generals and some surviving soldiers out. He turned his head to glance at his warship. Although it had been with him for many years, he felt not a shred of reluctance. What surprised him most was the power of that weapon; it had actually destroyed the warship he had spent a fortune to build. He knew he had put a lot of effort into the design back then; it could even withstand the impact of asteroids. Added to that, the fully powered protective shields—honestly speaking, even a stellar impact might not have caused such damage. But the reality was right before him. Several Leviathans had carbonized, and their bodies had evaporated by half. Yet, inside one such carbonized 'fish', there were still some tenacious clones crawling out of the Leviathan's body. From their appearance, they seemed severely burned, but they didn't mind; their eyes remained as hollow as ever.
"Has something happened? That light belongs to Senior Sister."
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