Hearing the news of Thragg's death, the pupils of the three Viltrumite warriors present shrank sharply, their expressions turning grave.
Thragg was dead!
He had been the undisputed strongest of the Viltrum Empire, yet he had fallen to that traitor of the Coalition of Planets?
Allen's heart sank heavily. Looking at the purple-haired girl who had casually dropped the news, his voice tightened involuntarily. "You plan to revive him?"
"Revive him? No need." Misfortune curled her lips, her tone indifferent. "Power at his level—I can grant it to any Viltrumite at will."
Before her words fully settled, her slender fingers lifted lightly. Violet light coiled around her fingertips, then burst forth in three streams, precisely piercing into the foreheads of the three Viltrumites.
In an instant, a torrent of overwhelming energy exploded through their limbs and bones. Their intelligent atoms were forcibly rewritten, reshaped, elevated—their metrics soaring wildly.
Feeling the terrifying power surging within them, the three Viltrumites clenched their fists. Their knuckles cracked loudly as uncontrollable excitement churned in their eyes.
"Thragg's rule was foolish from beginning to end," Misfortune sneered. "Clinging to that laughable throne, hesitating at every turn. And now he dies so sloppily. How boring."
Allen withdrew his gaze from the three and asked in a low voice, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Misfortune slowly rose to her feet. Her violet hair lifted faintly within the invisible pressure surrounding her. A trace of amusement colored her voice. "Go back and tell everyone in your Alliance—next, I'll personally step onto the field and have some proper fun with you."
"You aren't a Viltrumite." Allen stared at her and stated firmly.
At that, the girl tilted her head with a smile, a wicked glint flashing in her eyes. "And how did you figure that out?"
"No Viltrumite woman looks as beautiful as you," Allen said, tugging at the corner of his mouth in deliberate flattery.
Though she resembled a Viltrumite in appearance, the strange aura that towered above all living beings was utterly different from the power-worshipping Viltrumites.
The moment the words fell, the only female among the three Viltrumites—Anissa—let out an angry shout and drove her fist straight toward Allen's face.
Her newly amplified strength far surpassed what it had been before. The punch tore through the air and slammed viciously into him.
Allen was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the cold metal wall with a dull boom.
He sprawled on the ground, his head buzzing as darkness swam before his eyes.
Before being captured, he had taken a few punches from Anissa as well. But compared to now, the force then was worlds apart.
The power of this single strike had nearly blown his skull apart!
Only now did Allen truly believe it—when Misfortune said she could elevate someone to Thragg's level, it had not been an empty boast.
"You do know how to talk," Misfortune chuckled softly and admitted frankly, "You're right. I'm not a Viltrumite."
"Then why help them? Do you want to become the emperor of the Viltrum Empire?" Allen pressed, clutching his aching head as he forced himself upright.
"Rule? I'm not interested." Misfortune replied lightly, her tone carrying a detached indifference, as though looking down upon all beings. "Where we come from, ruling a planet, a star system, even a universe is nothing more than an insignificant job. Power is merely an accessory to strength. I help them simply because I feel like it."
"Can't we coexist peacefully?" Allen rubbed his throbbing head, feeling a splitting headache coming on.
This mysterious girl was even more dangerous than the brutal Thragg. He couldn't guess her motives, nor could he grasp her limits.
"We can," Misfortune answered without hesitation, only to change her tone. "But not now."
She looked at Allen. "Go back and tell your people—I will lead the Viltrumites and fight you in a decisive battle. You choose the location. You set the time. I'll even allow you to make whatever preparations you need in advance."
She paused, the corner of her lips curling into a provocative arc. "Of course, you may also refuse."
As her voice fell, she waved her hand casually. The specially made restraints around Allen's wrists shattered instantly.
The girl turned and strode outward, her violet hair drifting behind her.
The three newly empowered Viltrumites immediately followed in respectful silence.
Allen watched her departing figure, a heavy weight pressing against his chest as an intense sense of unease flooded through him.
He dared not delay. Enduring the pain in his body, he transformed into a streak of light and flew away from Planet Viltrum, heading straight for the Coalition of Planets headquarters—Talescria.
Within the council chamber, Allen reported every word of his conversation with Misfortune on Planet Viltrum to Chairman Thaddeus and the assembled councilors.
Thaddeus stroked his graying beard, his brows deeply furrowed. "Not a Viltrumite, yet she intends to interfere in the war between the Viltrum Empire and us?"
"Yes." Allen nodded solemnly. "She's... different."
"Different?" A trace of confusion flickered in Thaddeus' eyes.
"Yes." Allen's voice grew heavier as he recalled the heart-palpitating aura surrounding the girl. "The feeling she gives me isn't that of a living organism... It's more like a walking, living embodiment of calamity."
"A living calamity..." Thaddeus repeated softly, his brows tightening further. He trusted Allen's judgment, yet the meaning behind those words made his heart sink.
Did that mean the enemy's strength had already reached the level of a natural disaster?
At that moment, a burly white lion-man councilor broke the silence in a deep voice. "Is she deliberately drawing us into battle, planning to wipe out the Alliance in one stroke?"
"Not necessarily. She might simply be arrogant," another councilor countered immediately, a sharp gleam in his eyes. "This could be the perfect opportunity to severely wound the Viltrum Empire! We can lay an inescapable trap in advance and wait for them to walk into it!"
"We must not act rashly!" A typically cautious councilor shook his head gravely. "If she dares to propose such terms, she must have absolute confidence. If we move blindly, we may fall straight into her trap!"
The council chamber quickly descended into heated debate, opinions clashing noisily from all sides.
Thaddeus raised a hand and pressed his fingers to his brow. "Silence!"
His voice was not loud, yet it carried unquestionable authority. The arguments ceased instantly as all eyes turned toward him.
"Since she wants a decisive battle, we will oblige." Thaddeus swept his gaze across the room, his tone resolute. "Issue the order—prepare for total war. Go all out! This battle concerns not only the survival of the Alliance, but the future of the entire universe!"
Thragg was dead, yet the Viltrum Empire had not descended into internal chaos as it once would have.
That mysterious girl named Misfortune had subdued the power-worshipping Viltrumites through sheer personal strength alone. Her power must be immense.
If she sought a final reckoning, then they would accept her challenge and settle everything completely!
With the command issued, the Coalition of Planets machinery roared into motion.
Not long after, a planetary coordinate was transmitted to the Viltrum Empire.
The moment the coordinates were received, the Viltrum fleet immediately set sail at full speed toward the designated world.
When the fleet arrived in the target star system, they found no sign of the Coalition of Planets fleet.
Yet Misfortune seemed to have already seen through everything—aware of the Alliance's ambush and fully cognizant of their hidden trump cards.
Without the slightest hesitation, she detached from the fleet, transforming into a streak of violet light and diving straight toward the barren, lifeless planet below.
When her toes touched the desolate ground, a towering figure slowly stepped out from behind a massive rock ahead.
Silver-white mane whipping in the wind, golden eyes blazing with fierce battle intent.