In the depths of the universe, outside the star domain where the Palace of Reincarnation stood, a small starship was darting rapidly through the void. Behind it, a massive black fortress-like battleship pursued relentlessly, firing volley after volley of destructive blasts.
"Damn it, how did they find us so quickly? We've already wiped out a dozen raiding parties, yet now such a large fleet shows up?" Rocket Raccoon's face twisted with frustration.
"They're not raiders anymore. That's Thanos's army. The fleet belongs to General Corvus," Gamora's tone was grave.
"General Corvus? What kind of name is that? Sounds fierce though!" Rocket smirked.
"Fierce? Compared to my name, his sounds cheap!" Star-Lord scoffed.
"Please, your name sounds like a pet grooming salon!" Rocket shot back mercilessly.
"You little furball with zero taste, you dare say my name is lame? Rocket? Why didn't you just call yourself Spaceship? And it's not a grooming salon, it's a barbershop. Get it right!" Star-Lord snapped.
"Enough! Is this really the time to argue? We've got a fleet on our tail, and Carol's off on her own at the palace. We don't have our bodyguard anymore!" Gamora yelled anxiously.
"That's your fault! You kept calling her Auntie. Of course she got mad. Sure, she's a little older, but can't you act like a gentleman for once?" Star-Lord barked at Rocket.
"Gentleman? You're the one telling her dirty jokes every chance you get!" Rocket shot back.
"I am Groot."
"...Seriously, you tree? You don't even have the parts, what are you agreeing to?" Star-Lord glared.
"I am Groot??" The tree looked confused, utterly unaware of what "parts" even meant.
"Oh god, I should just surrender now. At least then I wouldn't have to listen to you lot bicker all day!" Gamora groaned.
"Alright, cut it out! Focus. How much longer until we reach the palace?" Star-Lord asked.
"At this speed, five minutes!" Rocket answered.
"Damn, and of all times, our warp energy is depleted. Otherwise we could've jumped out of here," Star-Lord cursed.
"No point whining. We just need to hold out for five minutes!" Gamora fired back, opening fire on the pursuing ships.
"No use. We're surrounded!!" Drax suddenly shouted.
Sure enough, a fleet of General Corvus's warships had already spread out ahead of them, blocking their path. Thousands of glowing blue cannon muzzles pointed at their ship. Behind them, the enormous black battleship loomed closer like a floating mountain, slow but unbearably oppressive.
Even the usually cocky Guardians felt their hearts tighten.
"We're screwed. Against this, we're nothing more than appetizers," Rocket muttered bitterly.
At that moment, their comms buzzed. Gamora hesitated, then switched it on.
A black-hooded figure appeared in hologram form, his eyes cold and cruel. General Corvus.
"Gamora. My lord demands your presence. Surrender now and come with me, or I will take you by force," he said icily.
As Thanos's most favored enforcer, his reputation for bloodshed was legendary. The only reason he bothered with words was because Gamora was Thanos's adopted daughter.
Gamora's eyes darkened. "Fine, I'll go with you. But you must promise not to harm my friends."
"Hah! You're in no position to bargain! These fools have crossed me too many times. They all deserve death!" Corvus roared.
"Then I deserve it too," Gamora raised her dagger to her throat. "If I die, your mission fails. You know the punishment for failure."
"You!" Rage twisted Corvus's face. He hadn't expected Gamora to go this far.
"Well? Do you accept or not?" she pressed coldly.
His eyes burned with fury, but finally he spat, "Fine. You win."
"Try to trick me, and you'll regret it," Gamora warned.
"Hmph. This time I'll let them live. Next time, I won't," Corvus snapped.
Gamora glanced back at her companions, her eyes softening with unspoken sorrow.
Star-Lord shook his head urgently. "No! Don't do this. We're a team. We stick together. Don't throw everything away like this!"
"Quill… thank you. But this is the only way. If I go, you'll be safe. I don't want any of you to die. You're the best partners I've ever had. Thank you," she whispered, undoing her restraints.
But before she could move, a playful feminine voice drifted into the ship.
"My, my. Such touching friendship. I'm moved. Since it's so heartfelt, I'll lend you a hand."
A dazzling woman appeared inside their ship as if out of thin air.
It was Atago, one of the Palace Lords of Reincarnation.
"You are?" the Guardians stared in shock.
Even General Corvus, watching through the projection, looked stunned. Their ship was surrounded. No one should have been able to get inside unnoticed. Yet this woman slipped through as if their fleet didn't exist.
Atago smiled lightly and strolled about as if she owned the place.
"I am the Saint of the Lord of Life, and Palace Lord of the Reincarnation Hall. You may call me Lady Atago. You've already stepped into my territory, though you didn't realize it. That's very dangerous. If not for a certain woman who bargained for your safety, you'd have been crushed the moment you crossed the border."
Her words were spoken casually, but to the Guardians they hit like a thunderclap.
She was the emissary of the Lord of Life. A being who could annihilate a world. And they had just brushed past death itself.
"Thank you, Lady Saint, for sparing us!" Star-Lord bowed quickly, his cocky nature gone.
"Woman? Carol?" Drax muttered.
"Yes, I believe that's her name. But never mind that. She's busy fighting one of my sisters right now, and I've got to duel her later too. Don't waste my time," Atago said with regal indifference.
Her gaze shifted to the holographic Corvus.
"General Corvus. Your fleet has trespassed into my domain. You have two choices. One, leave all your ships as tribute, and I'll let you crawl away with your life. Two, refuse… and I'll kill you all, take your ships anyway, and grind your souls into dust. Ten seconds. Decide."
Her words dripped with arrogance, but she had the power to back them.
Corvus sneered, his fury barely contained. "Impudent woman! Do you even know who I am? I act under Thanos's will. To stand against me is to defy Thanos himself. Are you prepared to face the Mad Titan?"
As he spoke, his colossal warship rumbled, its sides opening to reveal thousands of massive cannons, glowing with blue energy and crackling with lightning.
The Guardians trembled at the sight, but stared in disbelief at Corvus. Did he not understand who he was provoking? A Saint of the Lord of Life could erase a planet with ease.
But Corvus had never seen one act. To him, their power was mere rumor. He was a Black Order general, feared across galaxies. With overwhelming firepower behind him, he thought himself untouchable.
Atago smirked with disdain.
"Thanos? Such a grand name. Maybe it scares others, but to me? Laughable."
At that moment, her aura exploded outward like a tidal wave. An overwhelming pressure crashed down, crushing everyone to their knees. Even Corvus and Proxima Midnight collapsed, terror etched into their faces.
Corvus tried to resist, straining against the invisible weight. His body bent lower and lower until he was forced to the ground, unable to move.
Then, in a flash, Atago vanished from Gamora's ship and reappeared inside Corvus's warship.
Horror filled the eyes of Thanos's army. Their invincible fleet, their terrifying general, all seemed like playthings to her.
"Your time is up. You chose death. By the judgment of the Gate of Reincarnation, your corrupt souls shall be erased."
BOOM!
A wave of reincarnation energy surged out of her, unstoppable and absolute. One by one, the souls of Corvus's soldiers were ripped from their bodies. Even Corvus, whose soul was bound to his blade, could not resist. His spirit was wrenched free, stripped of power, and dragged screaming into oblivion.
In moments, the feared general and his fleet were nothing but ashes scattered across the void.
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