Chapter 41 - The Ripple Effect
The fall of T265 sent shockwaves through the Combined Legion.
No one had expected a counterattack so devastating.
The Kree Empire, once confident in their hold over the Dark Quadrant, now scrambled to regain control.
War councils formed across fleets.
Commanders demanded answers.
But there were none.
The white-armored warriors had struck like ghosts, annihilating everything in their path before vanishing as quickly as they had arrived.
There were no survivors.
Not a single captured soldier.
Not a single trace left behind—except for the ruins of what had once been a fortress world.
And now, the leaders of the Combined Legion were left asking the same question.
Who were they really fighting?
The room was tense.
Inside the Kree Supreme War Chamber, admirals, strategists, and generals stood in grim silence. A massive holographic display flickered before them, replaying footage of the slaughter on T265.
The warriors had been fast—inhumanly fast.
They had adapted mid-battle, growing new weapons from their own bodies.
They had fought with unshakable coordination, as if their minds were linked.
And most terrifying of all—
They had no fear.
A Skrull commander broke the silence first.
"This changes everything." His voice was hoarse. "We're not fighting a conventional war anymore."
A Kree admiral scoffed, arms crossed. "Then what do you call it?"
The Skrull hesitated. He glanced back at the footage—at the moment when the Majin warriors tore through energy barriers as if they were glass.
"This is extermination."
Silence.
The word lingered in the air, heavy with meaning.
A Xandarian strategist cleared his throat. "Our forces are still superior in number," he said, though even he didn't sound convinced. "We can regroup, reinforce our frontlines, and—"
The Kree admiral cut him off.
"You don't understand."
The Xandarian frowned. "Enlighten me."
The admiral gestured to the hologram.
"You see those creatures? They aren't soldiers. They're weapons. And right now, we don't know how many of them exist."
The Skrull nodded grimly. "For all we know, this was just a test run."
The room went dead silent again.
Because they all knew—
It probably was.
And that meant the real war hadn't even started yet.
---
Elsewhere in the Dark Quadrant
Lin Fan stood on the bridge of his warship, staring at the cosmic battlefield unfolding beyond the viewport.
He had watched the Majin Legion's first strike.
He had seen the panic spread through the Combined Legion.
And he knew—
This was only the beginning.
Beside him, one of his officers spoke. "The Kree are regrouping."
Lin Fan nodded, almost absently. His gaze remained fixed on the stars.
"They're not fools," he muttered. "They'll try to counter us."
The officer hesitated. "...Do you think they'll find a way?"
Lin Fan exhaled slowly.
"They always do."
A beat of silence passed.
Then he smirked.
"But so do we."
---