Nearly one thousand battle-hardened warriors from Kandor marched out from the loading ramp, forming an imposing line against the Super Saiyan invaders.
At William's signal, the Kandorians swiftly assumed battle formations, their eyes igniting with an intense glow of heat and radiance.
With a sharp motion of his hand, the warriors unleashed synchronized optic laser attacks in groups of five. The beams merged, coalescing into formidable, thicker blasts of concentrated energy that surged toward the Saiyans. In response, several of the more powerful Saiyans began channeling their ki, preparing to counter the incoming assault.
WHOOOSH!
The Saiyan's retaliated, releasing their unique energy-based attacks, each one distinct in form yet radiating the legendary power of a Super Saiyan.
BOOOOOOOM!
A massive eruption of ki and concentrated solar energy surged across the battlefield as the initial beams collided, unleashing a relentless cascade of explosive power. The air was filled with a dazzling aurora of intertwined colors, shimmering brilliantly under the blazing sun.
The Kandorians and the Saiyans, undeterred by the ongoing chaos, charged at one another with lethal intent, their movements swift and unyielding. Each collision sent shockwaves through the void, shaking the very fabric of the battlefield as their fierce clash continued.
The void between the warring forces erupted in a dazzling flash as the first wave of collisions unfolded. The Kandorians moved with unparalleled precision, soaring through the air in perfectly orchestrated formations like celestial phalanxes tracing invisible paths. Each strike was calculated and devastating, their Kryptonian strength amplified under Earth's yellow sun, delivering blows that shattered bones with ruthless efficiency.
In contrast, the Saiyans fought with the ferocity of untamed storms. Every movement exuded raw, primal energy, their golden auras flaring outward in wild bursts of aggression. Their deafening battle cries echoed through the chaos, blending with the roar of colliding ki and searing beams of heat vision.
One Kandorian intercepted a Saiyan's swing, seizing his arm and twisting sharply before driving a knee into his chest, the impact reverberating through his armor. As the Saiyan reeled, another Kandorian streaked in, unleashing twin beams of crimson energy that scorched across his body, hurling him into a spiraling descent. Yet, even as he fell, the Saiyan roared defiantly, his aura exploding in a radiant burst. In an instant, he counterattacked with blinding speed, delivering a double-fisted strike into his opponent's abdomen with bone-crushing force.
The resulting shockwaves radiated outward, scattering nearby combatants like leaves swept away by a cosmic tempest.
WHOOOOM!
Scores of Saiyans shattered their formation, plunging into a frenzied rhythm of battle. Their attacks, though less coordinated, exuded a terrifying ferocity. They swarmed clusters of Kandorians, disrupting their disciplined ranks with chaotic unpredictability. Yet, amidst the turmoil, the Kandorians adapted, forming tight triads that countered wild aggression with calm, calculated precision.
One triad moved with flawless coordination: the first warrior engaged, drawing the Saiyan's fire; the second unleashed a blinding burst of heat vision; the third descended from above, both feet slamming into their opponent's skull. The Saiyan's golden aura flickered violently as he plummeted into the burning void below.
The surrounding darkness pulsed with the glow of countless clashing energies, turning the space near Earth's bronze barrier into a radiant arena of divine warfare. Explosions tore through the expanse, streaking the heavens with furious hues of blue, gold, red, and violet.
A Saiyan commander, his aura darker and denser, teetering on the edge of Super Saiyan 2, raised his hand and unleashed a colossal wave of ki. The beam ripped through several Kandorians, scattering them, before a coordinated counterstrike met it head-on, five beams of heat vision merging into a single devastating torrent. The unified attack sliced through the ki wave, detonating against the commander's chest in a brilliant eruption of golden fire.
The commander staggered back, growling, smoke billowing from his scorched armor as his aura flared back to life with violent intensity.
All around, the soundless war raged on in dazzling chaos, power colliding with power, discipline clashing with fury, as the stars themselves seemed to pulse in rhythm with the battle's ferocity.
High above, William observed in silence, resolute and still, his golden aura flickering with restrained energy.
William's golden aura flickered softly, the echoes of battle glimmering in his eyes. All around him, the heavens quaked under the strain of countless warriors locked in a ferocious clash, Saiyan vigor meeting Kandorian precision, golden light colliding with crimson flame. Yet, amidst the chaos, his focus shifted elsewhere.
A silent tremor rippled through the void, an impact so profound it sent debris scattering like ash across the battlefield. Turning toward its source, William's gaze sharpened as he detected two immense energies ripping through space near the Sanctuary II's flank.
Through the dazzling haze of clashing auras, he saw them.
The Hulk and Black Dwarf.
The two titans clashed again, their impact reverberating through the heavens. The Hulk's skin blazed with an otherworldly luminescence, his frame surging with blue ki that radiated like a star on the brink of supernova. His movements were savage yet surprisingly fluid, each blow infused with the raw power of a primordial deity.
Black Dwarf answered with equal intensity. His immense form radiated twin streams of energy, one a deep, ominous purple and the other a chilling cerulean.
Their combined resonance distorted reality itself. Space fractured with every swing of Black Dwarf's colossal anchor mace, each strike leaving behind ripples of warped gravity that shimmered like waves of heat in the void.
The Hulk ducked beneath a monstrous swing, the anchor's edge narrowly missing his shoulder but etching a gleaming arc across the heavens. The immense force sent him hurtling backward, tumbling through the void. Before inertia could carry him too far, he unleashed a thunderous roar, a guttural, earth-rattling cry that echoed deep within William's chest despite the vast distance.
His muscles swelled, veins coursing with electric blue ki as he twisted mid-flight with feral precision. In a blink, he closed the gap to Black Dwarf, smashing both fists into the alien's chest with unrelenting ferocity.
The collision erupted like the pulse of a newborn star.
A blinding light engulfed the battlefield, scattering nearby vessels and unbalancing scores of Saiyan warriors. As the brilliance waned, the titanic figures were already locked in combat once more, each strike reshaping the fabric of space, each block unleashing a tempest of shattered energy.
Black Dwarf's next punch unleashed a shockwave so powerful that nearby debris disintegrated instantly. The Hulk intercepted it, bare-handed.
Veins bulged across his forearms, his muscles trembling under the strain as he absorbed the colossal impact. For a fleeting moment, time seemed to pause. Then, with a deafening roar, the Hulk retaliated, redirecting the force and driving his forehead into Black Dwarf's face with explosive intensity.
CRACK!
The towering alien reeled back, fractures spreading like a web across his armored brow.
Seizing the opportunity, the Hulk unleashed a relentless onslaught of punches, his movements impossibly swift for his size. Each strike landed harder than the last, his fury escalating with every passing second.
William observed in silence, his face inscrutable, until his expression shifted dramatically from a blank slate to one of raw, unbridled fury.
From Hulk's blind spot, a small circular spatial portal flickered into existence, and through it emerged a deadly spear, its blade glinting with malevolent, murderous energy.
In an instant, William propelled himself forward at a speed so extraordinary it seemed more like teleportation than physical movement. Reaching out, he seized the blade of the spear, deep crimson orbs of blood floating into the void of space as it cut into his hand.
On the other side of the portal, Proxima Midnight clenched her teeth in frustration, struggling to retrieve her weapon. With a feral cry of rage, she activated an enhancement bestowed by the Power Stone under Thanos's control.
WENNNNGG!
The spear erupted with a fierce amethyst glow, forcing William backward until he was pressed close to Hulk's massive frame.
Hulk turned his head briefly, deflecting one of Black Dwarf's colossal strikes. Though no words passed between them, a look of gratitude flickered in Hulk's eyes.
William smiled and nodded at the towering green brute, and in an instant, his aura exploded outward, expanding in both magnitude and intensity. A thick mantle of electricity crackled around his body, seamlessly intertwining with the razor-sharp edges of his growing energy field.
He had ascended from his Super Saiyan transformation into Super Saiyan 2, amplifying his power and all associated stats to incredible heights.
William's grip tightened on the spear, which thrummed with an amethyst glow. His fingers dug into its blade as he fixed his piercing gaze on the portal, locking eyes with Proxima Midnight on the other side. With a determined expression, he reached over with his free hand and grasped the spear's shaft firmly.
Proxima Midnight felt a dreadful premonition sweep over her, unable to comprehend how he could possibly affect her through the diminutive portal.
Suddenly, an overwhelming force began pulling her toward the portal with impossible strength.
SHHHHHHNNNNNGGGG!
"AAAHHHHHH!" Proxima screamed in agony as the portal's edge sliced into her flesh like a relentless circular saw. In a desperate attempt to end the torment, she fully opened the portal. Tragically, she failed to consider the simpler solution, releasing the spear.
Before she could even react to her frantic and desperate attempt at fully opening the portal, a massive hand engulfed in golden energy seized her face.
She was yanked through the portal, dragged from within the Sanctuary II, and hurled directly into the void of space, only to be flung towards the nearby moon like a human-shaped meteor.
Just before she collided with the surface, she managed to channel the space stone's enhancement within her, slowing her descent enough that when she landed, she merely skidded a few meters, her spear carving deep grooves into the lunar terrain.
As she lifted her gaze from where she had come to rest, Proxima saw William descending toward the moon, not flying, not falling, but walking.
William was deliberately doing this to unnerve her, to toy with her mind and perhaps break her spirit.
Then, unexpectedly, William opened his mouth, his voice somehow resonating through the vacuum of space.
"You know... I wouldn't have been so bothered if you had gone after Hulk, but ambushing a warrior mid-battle from behind..." William cracked his knuckles as he touched down in front of Proxima. "You've really ticked me off, and trust me, you're not going to like what happens when I'm angry!"
The silence between them was suffocating, the fractured moonlight gleaming against Proxima Midnight's spear. Once a flawless and divine weapon, it now bore five deep, finger-shaped indentations along its shaft.
Her grip was unyielding, knuckles pale beneath her gauntlets as the weapon pulsed faintly with energy. Amethyst and cerulean hues intertwined, their alien glow coursing up her arm like veins of frozen lightning.
William stood still before her, his aura dim yet dense enough to lift dust from the ground beneath his feet. He observed her every move with unwavering focus, his eyes emitting a faint bronze glow that pierced the darkness.
Suddenly, she disappeared.
A surge of cerulean light erupted from the Space Stone as she materialized behind him, her strike delivered with inhuman precision. The spear screamed through the void, slicing through space itself with lethal intent.
William tilted his head slightly. The blade missed by a hair's breadth, its aftershock alone splitting the ground behind him, fissures spreading like silent tremors.
She attacked again, teleporting fluidly mid-motion, each strike coming from an unpredictable angle, above, below, behind, beside. Her mastery of dimensional displacement was seamless.
But William's speed was superior.
Each swing met a perfect counter. Each thrust sliced through empty space. His movements blurred, existing as if caught between moments, intercepting every strike with flawless precision. When she materialized directly before him, he seized the spear mid-thrust.
The instant his hand gripped the weapon, it groaned under the pressure. The indented patterns deepened, the metal bending and flexing against his unyielding hold.
Proxima's eyes widened in alarm, only for him to twist his wrist sharply, turning her own weapon against her and hurling her across the lunar plain. She caught herself in midair, the Space Stone igniting to stabilize her momentum, and landed heavily, her boots carving luminous trails into the dust.
Before she could regain her footing, William was upon her again. He descended like a blazing meteor, a shockwave reverberating ahead of his strike. She raised her spear in the nick of time, the collision unleashing a surge of power that fractured the horizon in two.
Back aboard the Sanctuary II, the Mad Titan turned to Corvus Glaive and commanded, "Assist Proxima. I want this Saiyan captured alive!"
Corvus Glaive inclined his head in silent acknowledgment, his eyes gleaming with a predatory glint. With a motion so fluid it seemed rehearsed, he unslung his ebon glaive from his back. The weapon emitted a low, malevolent hum, its blade forged in the heart of a dying star and imbued with the dark will of Thanos himself.
Without uttering a word, he moved forward and disappeared.
A black ripple spread through the air where he had stood, folding space inward like a collapsing wave. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared beside Proxima Midnight on the fractured surface of the moon. His arrival was as silent as it was sudden, the vacuum trembling faintly from the abrupt displacement.
William's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening as the energy around him surged with crackling intensity. "Two of you now?" His voice reverberated through the void like thunder trapped in a sealed tomb. "Good. I was hoping this would get interesting."
Proxima, still recovering, used her spear to steady herself. Her chestplate was fractured, the embedded stones flickering weakly with dim light. "He's fast," she hissed to her partner. "Too fast."
Corvus's lips curled into a confident smirk. "Then I'll strike from where he least expects."
He shot forward in a blur before the final word left his lips.
The glaive lashed out in a streak of blackened light, so swift it seemed to stretch across the horizon. William tilted his head just enough for it to miss by a hair's breadth, the weapon's energy carving through the lunar dust behind him in a flawless arc.
The response was immediate. Proxima materialized beside Corvus in perfect unison, their attacks seamlessly coordinated, hers a precise thrust from above, his a sweeping arc from below. Their movements blended flawlessly, forming an assault crafted to overwhelm even the swiftest adversary.
Golden arcs of lightning erupted from William's aura, cascading in radiant filaments as his energy surged. His hands blurred into motion, intercepting both weapons simultaneously with astonishing precision.
CLANG!
The impact echoed through the void like a resounding war drum. Sparks of bronze and violet scattered as the collision of energy distorted the terrain beneath them, transforming it into molten waves of dust.
"Impressive," William remarked, effortlessly pushing both opponents back several meters with a flick of his wrists. "But perfect synchronization won't be enough to defeat me."
Corvus's gaze hardened. "We're not here to defeat you," he retorted icily. "We're here to break you."
With his signal, Proxima lunged once more, teleporting in rapid bursts of blue light, her spear carving through the air at impossible angles. Corvus mirrored her movements, his glaive slicing through the darkness with afterimages that lingered like rifts in the void.
William's actions became a symphony of controlled destruction. Each dodge left golden trails of light in his wake, while every counterattack unleashed shockwaves that rippled through the moon's low gravity. Though his speed increased exponentially, the relentless onslaught from Proxima and Corvus began driving him onto the defensive.