Chapter 17
The universe had changed.
The fall of Thanos was no longer a rumor. It was fact.
The footage of his death, of the Dark Quadrant's total collapse, had spread across the stars like wildfire.
Yet, in all the data collected, in all the transmissions analyzed by the greatest minds in the universe—one thing remained unknown.
His name.
No one knew who he was.
No one knew where he came from.
No prophecy, no ancient records, no intelligence network had foreseen his arrival.
And that was what terrified them most.
Across the great empires of the universe, a single name began to spread.
A whispered title. A warning.
The Anomaly.
---
Inside the grand war council chamber of the Kree Empire, a hologram flickered to life in the center of the room.
A massive, armored figure stood at the head of the chamber, his piercing blue eyes locked onto the images flashing before him.
Supreme Intelligence had already confirmed the data.
The transmission was real.
Thanos—the Mad Titan himself—was gone.
And the one who took his place?
A single humanoid figure.
One being had succeeded where the greatest war fleets had failed.
For a moment, the room was dead silent.
Then—
A fist slammed into the table.
"UNACCEPTABLE!"
The voice boomed through the chamber, filled with fury.
Admiral Ronan.
His massive frame shook with barely restrained rage, his hammer trembling in his grip.
"Thanos was an obstacle," he growled, "but he was a predictable one. This—this Anomaly is not!"
The other high-ranking Kree remained quiet.
Even they—the most hardened warriors of the empire—felt unease.
"Admiral," one of them finally spoke. "Your orders?"
Ronan's expression darkened.
"The Kree Empire will not bow."
He turned to the Supreme Intelligence's hologram.
"Prepare the fleets. We must know our enemy before we strike."
The Supreme Intelligence's voice echoed, its tone unreadable.
"Understood. The Kree Empire will watch."
---
Elsewhere, in the heart of the Skrull Empire, a similar conversation was unfolding.
"He's too strong."
A high-ranking Skrull general clenched his jaw, his shape-shifting form momentarily flickering between different appearances as his emotions spiked.
"The Dark Quadrant submitted without resistance. Even Thanos never had this level of control!"
The Skrull Emperor remained silent, his gaze locked onto the transmission.
Thanos was gone.
And the one who killed him wanted the entire universe to know.
The Emperor finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.
"Gather our spies. We will not act in ignorance."
The order was final.
The Skrulls would watch. They would wait.
And when the time was right—they would strike.
---
But of all the great powers, none reacted as violently as the Shi'ar Empire.
Inside their war council chamber, a storm was brewing.
"WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS!"
A figure slammed his hands onto the table, his golden wings twitching with agitation.
Gladiator.
The most powerful warrior of the Shi'ar stood, his expression a mix of fury and frustration.
"Thanos was an enemy, but he was a KNOWN enemy!" he roared. "This—this Anomaly is different."
Empress Lilandra sat upon her throne, watching the footage with cold eyes.
She understood what this meant.
A new conqueror had risen.
And he wasn't hiding in the shadows.
He was making a statement.
"Prepare the Imperial Guard," Lilandra finally said. "I want all intelligence reports on this… Anomaly."
Gladiator clenched his fists but nodded.
The Shi'ar Empire would not sit idle.
---
Meanwhile, back in the Dark Quadrant—
Lin Fan sat upon his throne, fully aware of the storm he had unleashed.
His strategy was working exactly as planned.
His enemies weren't just fearful—they were reacting.
They would search for weapons.
They would search for answers.
And above all—
They would search for the Infinity Stones.
Lin Fan's golden eyes gleamed.
It was inevitable.
The moment the universe accepted that he was invincible, they would seek the only power rumored to rival him.
And when they did—
He would take it for himself.
Ebony Maw stood beside him, awaiting orders.
Lin Fan's voice was calm.
"Send out the next message."
Ebony Maw bowed deeply.
"At once, Sire."
Moments later, across the entire universe, a single transmission was sent.
A hologram flickered to life on every major world.
Every empire.
Every fleet, every council, every leader saw the same thing.
A figure, seated upon the throne of the Dark Quadrant.
Lin Fan's voice echoed across the galaxy.
"If you wish to challenge me, then come. Let the strongest in the universe step forward."
A pause.
Then, a final declaration.
"I will be waiting."
The universe held its breath.
And then—
Chaos erupted.