Motives

The fiery bone wings unfurled in an instant, soaring to the sky directly above the arena. In its skeletal claws appeared a bow and arrow formed from Hellfire.

Drawing the bowstring taut, it fixed its gaze on the thousands of spaceships surrounding the arena. Any sudden movement, and they would be reduced to cosmic debris.

Meanwhile, the small Groot, who had been perched on Rocket's shoulder, emitted a dazzling green light as he floated to the center of the arena.

When the green light that filled the entire space dissipated, the once 11-centimeter-tall Groot had transformed into a towering tree giant. His massive form now filled the arena, standing tall as if he could reach the stars above.

"I am Groot," the fully-grown Groot rumbled, his deep voice booming across the arena. The deafening sound waves caused everyone present to wince in pain, clutching their ears instinctively.

Some of the weaker leaders of other civilizations even had their eardrums ruptured by the shockwave.

Rocket, on the other hand, calmly pressed a green button on his belt. In an instant, a sleek set of battle armor, as if alive, enveloped Rocket's body, covering every inch of him. At the same time, a spear twice his size appeared in his hand.

With a swift motion, Rocket ascended into the sky above the arena, his armor's targeting system locking onto everyone below, the barrel of his weapon glowing ominously red—*including the Asgardians*.

Rocket didn't care whether they were Zane's allies or not. All he knew was that in this universe, Zane was the only one who had ever been genuinely kind to him and Groot. And now, whoever moved would die.

As Zane's allies gathered around him, the crowd was left stunned by the overwhelming display of power. Even the queen of Asgard, Frigga, and her company were taken aback.

They had all heard rumors of the unfathomable power possessed by the Death God Alliance's top members, but no one had ever seen them in action. Most who had witnessed their true strength had already perished.

Even the few survivors had gone into hiding, too terrified to speak of what they had seen, lest the Death God Alliance track them down.

This was the first time the crowd had ever seen Lorna and the others in action. Especially after witnessing Groot's new, towering form, many wondered if they were dreaming. How could a little creature just 11 centimeters tall turn into something so enormous? It defied the laws of physics—surely, the law of conservation of mass had been thrown out the window.

After noticing Zane's condition, most of the crowd wasn't harboring any ill intent. Instead, they were more worried about whether Zane's current state would somehow affect them. Judging by the tense expressions on Lorna and the others, anyone attempting to flee would likely be struck down on the spot.

However, a few individuals did have ulterior motives—Thanos, Satan, the fire giant Surtur, and the frost giants, among others. The tension in the arena had reached its peak, and no one even cared about Hela's death anymore.

Thanos had his eyes on the Infinity Stones that Zane possessed. Satan harbored an old grudge against him. The fire giant Surtur and others sought to eliminate Zane, thus leaving Asgard without its protector.

In short, each of these figures had their own reasons for developing a murderous intent toward Zane. And now seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Though they weren't sure what was happening to Zane, it was clear that he had lost the ability to fight back. Otherwise, Lorna and the others wouldn't have appeared so tense.

At that moment, Lorna, who was standing closest to Zane, took a few steps forward. Her presence was commanding, radiating the aura of a ruthless queen, and her chilling killing intent filled the entire arena. She scanned the crowd, her gaze lingering for a few seconds on the faces of those with suspicious expressions. Then, in a cold voice, she declared:

"Today, I speak on behalf of the Death God Alliance. From this moment on, stay in your seats. Do nothing that might be misunderstood by us. Otherwise—death! Even if you're confident in your ability to survive us, remember: your civilization, your family, your friends, your lovers, your children, everyone connected to you will be hunted by the Death God Alliance—until none remain!"

Lorna's words swept through the crowd like a bitter wind from the farthest reaches of the frozen north, striking terror into the hearts of everyone present. Those who had previously entertained thoughts of making a move on Zane flickered with hesitation. They began to silently calculate their chances of success, weighing the potential rewards against the enormous risks.

None of them doubted the truth of Lorna's threat. The Death God Alliance had built its reputation over the years on such ruthless actions. Who could predict what a vast empire centered around Zane would do if they lost him? It was likely that the entire galaxy would be plunged into a bloody storm.

Realizing this, both Surtur, the fire giant, and the new king of the Frost Giants were the first to abandon any thoughts of attacking Zane. As they had reasoned before, they could wait another ten years. There was no need to risk their entire race by provoking the death-crazed alliance now.

Satan, however, hesitated. His grudge with Zane went back five years, when Zane—still not a god back then—had tricked him out of a billion souls. Though most were defective, Satan had been pained by the loss for a long time and held a lingering grudge against Zane. Now, seeing that the small fry he could have crushed with a snap of his fingers had grown so powerful in just five short years, Satan was conflicted.

In truth, Satan had no confidence that he could oppose Zane now. One wrong move, and he might be the one to perish. Who knew how much further Zane could grow in the future? After all, Zane was only 26 years old this year, not even a fraction of Satan's age. The endless potential that Zane held was terrifying.

As Satan looked up at Zane, seated on the bone throne and occasionally wincing in pain as his allies protected him, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. The opportunity to eliminate this potential threat was right there, within reach! His dark divine power began to stir, ready to act.

At the same time, Thanos, ever the cosmic population controller, began to feel restless as well. 

However, just as some were preparing to make their move, Thor suddenly stood up from his seat in the audience and took two steps forward.

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