The pillar that Galactus had just released was the very origin of his being — the core that allowed him to devour and digest entire planets.
Galactus was the sole survivor after the destruction of Universe-616, and his body contained the entire energy of that fallen universe. After arriving in Gene's universe, because the energy inside him came from another reality, he needed to constantly consume this new universe's energy to maintain balance and sustain his immense strength.
In other words, only when Galactus fully fused with his Devouring Origin could he enter his final, most powerful form.
"Earth warrior," Galactus glared coldly at Gene in the distance, his voice rumbling like a collapsing star, "do you truly believe that with just the armor powered by the Space Stone, you can defeat the great Galactus?"
"Well," Gene shrugged casually, "how do you know if you don't try?"
The next instant, Gene appeared right beside Galactus, a flash of azure energy erupting from his palm cannon, slamming directly into the cosmic giant.
Once again, a red light burst forth from Galactus' massive body — this time even more condensed, almost materializing into a physical shield.
The blazing azure beam collided ferociously with the red energy barrier, creating an enormous explosion that vaporized the seawater beneath their feet in an instant.
Galactus burst through the explosion like a force of nature. His enormous fist, wrapped in a blazing red aura, smashed straight toward Gene's helmet.
Inside the black armor, Gene's neural network was processing information at trillions of calculations per second. It had already simulated dozens of possible outcomes in the next few seconds.
A faint hint of gold flickered within the azure glow, and a simple, ancient magic disc materialized before him.
Gene had unleashed a magic shield using the Space Stone.
Galactus' monstrous blow struck the shield, but it was as if he had punched a cloud — his terrifying strength was completely deflected. Stumbling slightly, his redirected punch slammed into the ocean, evaporating tens of tons of seawater in an instant.
Gene seized the opening. He dashed forward, fully activating the Space Stone, and with two blazing azure fists, he struck Galactus right in the gut.
This time, the azure energy pierced through the red shield, smashing brutally into Galactus' body.
Galactus roared in agony, his fury exploding.
For hundreds of thousands of years, no one — not a single being — had managed to make Galactus feel pain.
And today, a "low-level creature" had succeeded.
"You will pay for this!" Galactus thundered. His body blazed with the energy of Universe-616, erupting outward in a massive shockwave.
The devastating blast ripped through the surroundings, reducing the seawater to its basic hydrogen and oxygen atoms, a terrifying testament to his overwhelming might.
Gene's black armor began to overheat, glowing red-hot. Seawater that splashed onto it evaporated into steam instantly. The Space Stone's power had been pushed to the limit, and now it was overheating the armor's systems.
Galactus noticed and sneered.
"Your pathetic machine clearly can't handle the Infinity Stone's full power, can it?"
His voice was thick with arrogance. "So what gives you the courage to stand against me?"
A beam of destructive red energy burst from Galactus' chest, warping space itself as it roared straight toward Gene.
Inside the armor, Gene's V-shaped eyepiece lit up, alerting him of incoming devastation. Swiftly, he moved his hands through a series of gestures.
A dark void, brimming with sinister energy, appeared between him and the oncoming beam.
From the void, a furious voice boomed:
"Boy! You dare tap into my Hell Dimension again?!"
Ever since Gene had stolen energy from the Hell Dimension during his battle against Aldrich Killian, Mephisto had been keeping a close watch.
Now, sensing Gene plundering his energy again, Mephisto had rushed to intervene — only to find himself absorbing the entire cataclysmic energy blast from Galactus!
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Mephisto's voice cracked with horror.
The massive red beam was sucked into the Hell Dimension, and the unimaginable energy immediately began wreaking havoc there.
"AAAAAARGH!! Kid, I'll never forgive you!" Mephisto howled.
Just as the void was about to close, Gene's calm voice drifted in:
"Here's a big gift for you."
The void snapped shut, cutting off Mephisto's enraged rant. But right now, Mephisto had far bigger problems: his realm was on the brink of collapse from the energy explosion Galactus had unintentionally gifted him.
Steam hissed from Gene's armor as emergency bleed valves opened, rapidly cooling the overheated systems.
At the same time, two golden-blue magic circles spun into existence around Gene's hands. As he brought his palms together and then slowly pulled them apart, a magnificent golden-blue longsword materialized.
It was the Sword of Vishanti.
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