215 Fireworks: Best Viewed from the Front or the Side? 

The Helicarrier slowly ascended as the Iron Legion moved forward to engage the enemy.

These multi-billion-dollar Iron Man suits fired all their weaponry while maneuvering through the Helicarrier's dense firepower.

Their advanced weapon systems were more than capable of taking down various aerial targets.

However, against the massive and highly sophisticated Helicarrier, some sacrifices had to be made.

Fireworks weren't something to be set off on a whim.

Even in a battle like this, Tony Stark ensured that J.A.R.V.I.S. optimized their tactics for maximum efficiency.

The more advanced models unleashed a barrage of attacks, while the heavily damaged and outdated suits took a different approach—seizing the opportunity to crash directly into the Helicarrier's anti-gravity engines, self-destructing to inflict maximum damage.

"I don't squander my billions so easily. Fireworks should be enjoyed when there's an audience," Tony Stark muttered to himself. "Hitomi, I'll handle things here. The rest is up to you!"

"Thanks for the help, Mr. Stark! Next time you put on a fireworks show like this, don't forget to bring my real body along!" Kagura joked. "Watching Iron Man fireworks is the highest honor, meow!"

But now, it was time for HYDRA's final "glory."

In this crucial moment, HYDRA finally revealed their trump card—a colossal space battleship, modeled after a Chitauri mothership, drifting in the cosmos.

This was HYDRA's ultimate stand, a desperate last gamble.

Opportunities to seize global dominance were fleeting.

For HYDRA, the "Insight Initiative" had been an unparalleled chance, but it was also their last.

If it was stopped by Kagura and her allies, there might never be another opportunity like it. The world, having witnessed this crisis, would never again consider such a project.

Furthermore, with S.H.I.E.L.D. in ruins, no other secret organization could support a global surveillance project of this scale.

As for Rhodes Island Industries, that was a fortress HYDRA could never hope to infiltrate.

Seventy thousand kilometers above Earth, HYDRA's massive space battleship advanced, staying just beyond the range of known human weaponry.

From this strategic position, it launched a devastating attack on Rhodes Island's orbital defense stations.

If they could destroy these "Halo" orbital stations orbiting Earth, Rhodes Island Industries would lose its ability to provide long-range support against the Helicarriers.

At that point, the suborbital Helicarriers could take over, executing precise long-range strikes against all hostile targets—including Kagura and her allies. Even the Avengers would be wiped out in an instant.

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--- Queen Command Center ---

Faced with HYDRA's "royal flush," Kagura was ready with a counter-strategy she had prepared long ago.

From the inception of the global defense system, she had considered all possible threats.

Ground-based dangers supervillains, insurgents, terrorists were obvious and needed to be neutralized as quickly as possible.

But the threats to human civilization weren't just terrestrial. Cosmic threats were an even greater concern.

Thanos' army, the Kree Empire, and even the Asgardians…

No matter their current stance toward Earth, powerful spacefaring civilizations always had the potential to become threats.

Would they wait until cities were reduced to rubble before fighting back as the Avengers, or would they establish preemptive deterrence as Griffin Security and make invaders reconsider their ambitions in Earth's orbit?

The answer was obvious.

Thus, early detection and defense against extraterrestrial threats had been integrated into the global defense network.

The "Argos" reconnaissance satellites, in collaboration with NASA, could detect any artificial spacecraft within the Oort Cloud and track unidentified objects in real-time.

"Heaven's Hammer" carried on this philosophy, with electromagnetic railguns capable of adjusting their aim toward the infinite abyss of space, forming a solid planetary defense line.

Now was the time to put it to the test!

"Cortana, adjust 'Heaven's Hammer' targeting. Lock all 'Halo' stations onto that HYDRA warship. If they want war, we'll give them war!"

"Command confirmed, Master."

"However, I must remind you that 'Heaven's Hammer' still lacks the precision to accurately strike targets tens of thousands of kilometers away."

"Furthermore, their weaponry seems more advanced than ours."

"That's fine. There's barely any resistance in space. If we treat the railgun like a laser cannon and fire with proper trajectory calculations, we'll hit the target. Besides…"

Kagura smirked. "After everything happening in Washington, why do you think I've been holed up here? Am I lazy? Slacking off? Or do I have a deeper reason?"

"Master's decisions are always brilliant. If you've chosen to stay in 'Queen,' there must be a significant reason," Cortana replied.

"Avoiding direct presence in such a chaotic event helps minimize the risk of unexpected betrayals."

"If, for example, an unexpected HYDRA agent—like Captain America—decided to backstab you, it could create massive problems."

"Ah, you're getting sharper, Cortana! That's part of the reason, but since I'm here, I might as well make the most of it."

"'Queen' has the world's most advanced intelligence processing capabilities, capable of handling real-time data from anywhere on the planet."

"Additionally, it's linked to the global internet, meaning your 'Deep Dive' ability can interact with any electronic device worldwide…"

"Exactly! But, Cortana, you're missing the most crucial point."

Kagura turned toward the holographic display of the starry sky. "This place houses a weapon capable of annihilating a spaceship in a single shot."

"Master, that weapon isn't fully operational. Firing it prematurely could lead to catastrophic failure," Cortana warned.

"Even though you've taught me the difference between walking and running, attempting to 'run' when the safety margins are too low could lead to a severe 'fracture.' I strongly advise against it."

"Well, I'd rather not use it either, but our orbital stations might not be able to handle the enemy."

On the holographic display, the "Halo" orbital stations had already engaged the HYDRA warship.

Blue energy beams streaked from Earth's low orbit toward the massive enemy vessel.

Shaped like a colossal sword, the warship symbolized the Damocles' sword hanging over humanity's head, threatening to bring absolute order through divine retribution.

Its hull was fortified with heavy armor and powerful energy shields, indicating that HYDRA had not only inherited Chitauri technology but had also integrated the cutting edge of human science into its construction.

The electromagnetic railgun attacks failed to fully penetrate the shields.

Even the shots that managed to slip through were deflected by the ship's nearly indestructible alien plating.

At the tip of the warship, a main cannon—modified using Chitauri technology—began charging energy.

In previous attacks, this very cannon had wiped out several "Halo" stations that had been preparing to target the Washington Helicarriers.

Now, it was preparing to fire again.

"Master… our weapons are struggling against their firepower. The number of operational orbital stations is dropping rapidly," Cortana reported grimly. "There's no denying it—HYDRA's technology surpasses ours."

"No, no, it's not those clowns. It's the Chitauri tech that's actually got some bite."

Kagura smirked. "See? This is why I stayed here."

"Master, are you really going to activate the main cannon? It hasn't even undergone safety testing! I strongly urge you to reconsider!"

"If I hesitate, Earth will be under HYDRA's rule!" Kagura grinned. "Don't worry! My luck has always been great! Ehehe~!"

She opened a special holographic interface and entered a command:

"Reverse operating system. Main engine ignition."

"Project Codename: Macross—EMERGENCY ACTIVATION!"