Time flew by, and a day later, Thanos's space fleet finally reached a distance of ten million kilometers from the Asgardian armada.
They were immediately met with beams of laser fire. Even at light speed, the shots would take 33 seconds to reach them. Temple II, calm and unshaken, activated its shields, effortlessly deflecting the assault.
Thanos, sensing Odin's presence from afar, allowed a small smile to form. "Looks like I've been lucky," he murmured. His greatest fear had been failing to locate Odin in the vast expanse of space, giving the Asgardians precious time to prepare. Without that, facing the enemy's forces would have been nearly impossible.
Soon, the escort ships arrived and immediately deployed their shields. Their hexagonal hulls resembled tortoise shells, offering minimal offensive capability but mounting massive energy barriers. When the shields activated, a shimmering dome ten times larger than the frigates themselves enveloped the fleet. Laser beams struck the energy barrier, producing only gentle ripples—no damage penetrated.
Attack ships, motherships, and logistics vessels followed one by one, streaming into position. Within half an hour, over ten thousand ships had gathered near Asgard.
Thanos waved his hand, and the Black Order moved like clockwork, commanding their fleet to bypass the enemy's fire and flank from both sides.
Odin, seeing his forces outnumbered and now threatened with encirclement, felt fury rise within him. He immediately ordered his own fleet to counter-encircle, maneuvering with precision to block the enemy's flanking efforts.
Hours passed. Both sides' formations twisted and shifted, resembling colossal birds in space. Main forces collided in the center, each attempting to break the other's line and encircle the flanks. Troops on the wings simultaneously pressed forward, probing defenses, striking where openings appeared.
Ships exploded in flashes of fire and metal, but both sides were evenly matched. The war of encirclement and counter-encirclement raged for an entire day. In total, only a little over a thousand warships were destroyed, but the losses in manpower—Dark Order and Asgardian warriors alike—were impossible to count. Most casualties fell to Odin's forces, the result of the overwhelming firepower of Titan-class ships. Sanctuary II alone could annihilate scores of ships with a single shot, bearing down relentlessly on the center of Odin's fleet.
Recognizing the danger, Odin gripped the Spear of Eternity and launched himself from his flagship. "Die!" he roared, channeling immense energy into a single blast aimed at Temple II, which was preparing its main cannon.
Escort ships scrambled to intercept, activating shields that shimmered like molten crystal. The clash produced a stunning display of light—fireworks in the void. One by one, the smaller escort ships were destroyed, failing to stop the surge. Odin's blast finally slowed only when a massive frigate interposed, but even this was brief. Seconds later, the frigate shattered, sending the energy shockwave barreling toward Temple II.
Temple II's main guns paused, shields activating just in time to absorb the attack. In the control room, Thanos observed the energy dispersing across his shields and immediately gripped the Blade of Destruction. Only beings of Heavenly Father level could rival such raw combat power. Perhaps in the future, spaceships could reach the scale of Celestials, but not yet.
With a blur of motion, Thanos appeared outside Sanctuary II and extended his hand, halting the energy blast mid-flight. Odin, after a tense standoff, ceased the assault, staring at Thanos from a thousand kilometers away. Thor and Heimdall moved to his side, their eyes wide, taking in the terrifying presence of Thanos. The Titan, however, simply smiled coldly, waiting with absolute patience.
Now that he had located Asgard, Thanos was in no hurry. The battlefield already favored him. He could wait as his subordinates dismantled the Asgardian fleet, then gradually wear down Odin's defenses. Odin, realizing this, felt a creeping anxiety gnaw at him.
The battle shifted again. On the left flank, General Corvus Glaive led his ship in person, smashing through a massive Asgardian warship and cutting a path into the enemy lines. Encirclement and annihilation spread quickly, threatening the flank.
Thor's eyes blazed. "Father, I'll go help!" he shouted, launching Mjolnir and streaking toward the left. Odin hesitated, glancing at Heimdall. Sending Thor alone was dangerous, but dividing his remaining forces risked even greater losses. He decided against deploying Heimdall, knowing that overextending would be fatal.
Thor reached the left flank in an instant. Corvus Glaive, sensing the new threat, gripped his glaive tightly. Mjolnir struck with a tremendous clang, forcing Corvus to retreat despite blocking the blow. Thor's strength overwhelmed him, yet Proxima Midnight, drawn by the danger to her lover, joined the fray after destroying a nearby enemy ship. Two against one, they could withstand Thor's onslaught, but he remained dominant. Nearby ships occasionally intervened, turning the skirmish into a chaotic clash among thousands of vessels.
Meanwhile, Odin's right flank began to crumble. Black Dwarf, Supergiant, and Ebony Maw pushed forward, threatening to breach his defenses. Heimdall moved to assist, but the pressure on multiple fronts kept Odin tense. He raised the Spear of Eternity once more, ready to unleash a decisive attack—but Thanos's aura locked onto him across the void. Any rash move would be disastrous.
As the battle seemed to reach a stalemate, a spatial fluctuation appeared behind the Asgardian lines. In an instant, more than a thousand ice-covered ships jumped into the battlefield, their arrival sudden and unrelenting—a reinforcement that could change the tide.
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