"You are not Prince Lothar."
The Other instinctively took two steps back, his voice laced with restrained anger as he directly exposed the imposter standing before him.
"Oh?"
"Discovered already?" The fake Lothar raised an eyebrow as his body began to distort. His figure warped and shifted until the reflection in The Other's eyes revealed the grotesque green-skinned face of Babar.
"What a shame. I was hoping to play a little longer." Babar twirled the blue crystalline object The Other had just handed him, a look of feigned regret on his face.
"Where is Prince Lothar?!"
"Who knows?" Babar shrugged, grinning wide enough to reveal his sharp, bloodthirsty teeth.
People really shouldn't be too clever for their own good. He had barely acted suspiciously, yet Lothar had followed his lead so predictably. Babar found it a bit dull.
"Well, since I've been found out, I'll have to trouble the two of you to come with me, especially you." His gaze locked onto Astra, who was already on high alert.
"You have violated U40 Planetary Law by committing the unforgivable crimes of illegal entry and identity forgery. As Captain of the U40 Planetary Security Force, I, Babar, hereby strip you of all rights and place you under arrest."
"If you have anything to say, save it for the prison cell."
As Babar's words fell, the rhythmic sound of marching boots approached from the distance. Members of the U40 Security Force, armed with laser weapons, surrounded the entire restaurant in an orderly formation.
"So, it's a fight then, huh? You Skrull scum." Astra tapped his silver wristband, and in an instant, a heavy artillery cannon materialized on his shoulder. He sneered, itching for battle.
"Let's get something straight—you're the ones who illegally infiltrated U40 and forged identities without authorization." Babar chuckled, uninterested in further discussion. With Thanos' son Lothar absent, he needed to capture these two and interrogate them thoroughly.
"Hey, Beardface, you're not gonna die from this, right?"
Astra had barely moved his finger toward the trigger when The Other's question cut through the tension.
"What?"
"You didn't answer, so I'll take that as a yes." The Other completely ignored Astra's confusion. Without hesitation, he triggered the blue crystalline object Babar had carelessly tossed aside. The Frost Bomb, imbued with the magic energy of the Casket of Ancient Winters, detonated instantly.
A massive surge of energy exploded outward. The frost-infused magic, extracted from the Casket itself, froze the entire estate in an instant!
Anyone daring to impersonate Prince Lothar must die!
"You lunatic!"
"Lothar gave you this thing to use against enemies, not to backstab allies!"
"Also! When did I not say anything?!"
"Did you not hear me say 'What?!'"
Astra's body crashed through several stone pillars before slamming into the ground. Dazed, he pushed aside broken debris and rubble, launching into a heartfelt tirade against The Other.
"You were never my ally. Never."
The Other, gripping his cyan scepter, effortlessly shielded himself from the icy explosion. He glanced at Astra, who was still cursing, his expression unchanged. Lothar had made it clear before arriving on U40: The Other didn't need to care about Astra's survival. And The Other always followed Lothar's orders.
"Tch."
Still shaken, Astra kicked over a frozen corpse and spat onto the battlefield littered with bodies. The sheer destructive power of The Other's Frost Bomb made him shudder.
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
Because of that Frost Bomb, Astra now looked at The Other with entirely new eyes.
If not for the mysterious cosmic energy within him—a force he couldn't control but somehow protected him—he would have ended up just like those Skrull scum.
"Where is Prince Lothar?"
The Other twirled his cyan scepter, the residual energy from the explosion still radiating from it.
"How should I know? You should ask these dead bastards." Astra plopped onto a relatively smooth patch of ground, rubbing his sore wrist while resting his foot on a Skrull corpse, grimacing in pain.
"I underestimated you. I thought getting Thanos' son out of the way would ensure mission success. Looks like I was too naive."
The voice, dripping with murderous intent, slithered into Astra and The Other's ears. A fear unlike any they had ever known crept through their hearts.
The rubble and shattered remains of the estate trembled. Slowly, a figure impaled with icy shards struggled to stand. His eyes turned a ghastly white.
"Consider yourselves lucky. That esteemed being doesn't wish for your deaths—yet. Otherwise, your end would be far worse."
Babar, his body drenched in blood, raised his right hand toward Astra and The Other. A seven-colored, star-shaped insignia coalesced in his palm, radiating a terrifying power that weighed heavily on their chests.
"Tremble before the power bestowed upon me by that supreme being!"
With a roar, Babar flicked his thumb, sending the glowing insignia skyward. The energy flared brilliantly as Babar leapt toward it. Astra and The Other could only watch as Babar's forehead neared the radiant emblem—
Then, in the next instant, a figure appeared, delivering a devastating whip kick that sent Babar crashing to the ground!
Boom!
The earth trembled!
Babar's body smashed into the ruins, leaving a massive, crater-like imprint.
"Wha…what…"
His entire body screamed in agony, nerves aflame with pain. Groaning, he forced his eyes open to glimpse the figure hovering above him.
A cold, unyielding face. Jet-black short hair. Loose, dark battle attire. A fiery-red tail swaying behind him.
The son of Thanos—Lothar!
"Impossible!"
"That supreme being personally crafted this illusion! How could you have broken free so soon?!"
For the first time, sheer terror flashed in Babar's eyes as he beheld Lothar's return.
"Illusion?" Floating midair, Lothar stared indifferently at the immobilized Babar. He had never left this estate. In fact, he had ordered Woz to block all surveillance around the area, ensuring the U40 Security Force headquarters lost control over the region.
"A cheap trick."
Lothar's disdain was palpable, stoking Babar's fury. The rage within him reignited the star insignia, its seven-colored brilliance flaring once more.
"You'll pay for your arrogance—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Lothar extended his hand, gripping the star-shaped insignia tightly.
Crack.
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