Ego hadn't expected Aaron to strike so quickly.
Nor had he anticipated the opponent to be this powerful.
He didn't have time to react, and his duplication was destroyed almost instantly.
However, that didn't stop him from continuing with his plans.
Losing one duplication wasn't a problem—he could always create more.
Another duplication began to form right before everyone's eyes.
"It's useless," Ego sneered. "I can afford to lose dozens, even hundreds, of times. But you can only lose once!"
"Your life is only once! Once!" he added, his voice dripping with malice.
As Ego formed his new duplication, he was once again engulfed by Pac-Man, but he started over—condensing yet another duplication.
By conventional standards, there was no way to completely kill Ego on this planet. Not even someone far stronger than him would be able to do so.
But Ego had an obvious weakness.
His brain was buried deep within the Earth's core.
As long as the brain was destroyed, he could be killed.
Aaron wasn't about to kill him, though.
Killing Ego would be simple. With a light step using the power gem, Ego would be finished.
But that would be like killing the goose before extracting all the benefits.
For easier energy absorption, Aaron used atomic rearrangement magic, causing the table within the affected area to disintegrate instantly.
Within the range of Gold energy, everything vanished.
This strange ability posed a severe threat to Ego's core.
While condensing his duplication, Ego attempted to manipulate the planet's materials, trying to form plates to halt the disintegration.
But such efforts only delayed the inevitable.
Suddenly, a surge of Blue energy erupted from the ground, countering Aaron's Gold energy.
As a living planet, Ego's greatest strength was his ability to manipulate molecules, using the materials around him to create various forms.
Over the years, he had used molecular manipulation to create celestial-grade armor to protect his fragile brain.
But now he realized that his ability to manipulate molecules was nothing compared to Aaron's power.
Yes, nothing!
The power of the gods he relied on was no match for a mere devil's heel.
And his opponent didn't even qualify as a god-king!
When had the gods become so weak?
Could it be that the galaxy gods he had encountered before were all just failures?
Could it be that all gods were really just like this?
Throughout his time traveling the universe, Ego had encountered numerous beings, including several gods.
But those gods were no different from humans.
He had been disappointed with all intelligent life he had encountered, finding them unworthy of coexisting in the same world as him.
That's why he'd decided to eradicate all intelligent life, including those gods, and create a world where only gods would rule.
Now, however, he realized that he was no match for the Magic God of Asgard.
This realization shattered his worldview.
If he had met the God of Magic back then, he never would have entertained the thought of destroying the universe.
"Magic God, stop now, we can talk," Ego pleaded, desperate in the face of impending death.
"Talk? Let's talk after you survive today," Aaron replied coldly.
Not bothering to engage in conversation, Aaron pushed forward, intensifying his power, determined to disintegrate all of Ego's defenses.
In the face of absolute strength, there was no need for tricks.
Aaron crushed Ego's confidence outright.
Soon, something resembling human brain tissue was revealed to everyone.
Seeing this, the others took a sharp breath.
"The outcome is decided. Looks like the gods were just a little too weak. Ego was a fraud. How did he think he could destroy the entire universe by stretching his tentacles to other planets?"
"If you ask me, he was all talk. He could only bluster."
Rocket Raccoon shrugged, mocking Ego.
"Quill, it's a good thing you didn't follow him, or you'd be facing the same fate right now," he added.
"We made the right bet this time," said Star-Lord.
"I'm Groot!" Groot chimed in.
"Alright, enough with the chatter. Let's keep smoking while the Magic God finishes off Ego. We'll need all our energy later," Star-Lord said, visibly uncomfortable.
Though he hadn't recognized Ego at first, Star-Lord had been duped by the idea that Ego might be able to fight the Magic God after becoming a god himself.
He thought Ego had the power to become a god of immeasurable strength.
But now it was clear—Ego was nothing more than a weakling compared to the Magic God.
"Gamora, wait a minute…" Star-Lord began.
"I see," Gamora replied, understanding his concern.
Nebula approached Gamora, who nodded in agreement, watching Aaron continue to dismantle Ego.
It was evident that Ego's claims were far more impressive than his actual abilities.
Ego didn't realize how much he had been discredited in everyone's eyes. His blustering made him appear as nothing more than a "Big Talking God."
He was struggling against Aaron now, fear consuming his mind.
As his brain struggled to resist, it throbbed rapidly, blue light pouring out in an attempt to repel Aaron's invasion.
But the resistance weakened with each passing second.
As Ego resisted, Aaron drained his energy at an alarming rate.
Even with Ego's vast reserves, they couldn't withstand Aaron's absorption for long.
With each successive wave of attacks, Ego's resistance faltered.
Finally, Ego could hold out no longer.
"No!!"
"You can't do this!!"
"We are the same! We are both the darlings of the universe!"
"No, no, no!!!" Ego screamed, his duplications dissolving into light spots.
His energy was completely siphoned away.
The brain stopped pulsing, and the once-vibrant planet seemed to drain of life, turning a lifeless yellow.
All life ceased with Ego's death.
At that moment, the living planet became a Death Star.
The same thing occurred with Star-Lord.
Ego's death caused the god gene within him to fall silent again, causing him to lose the power he had gained.
But unlike the original story, Star-Lord didn't lose everything. He retained massive magical power, albeit having squandered much of it.
It was still a much better outcome than the original.
"Magic God, I need a favor," Gamora said as she approached Aaron after Ego's death.
"I hope you can help Nebula regain her body so she can connect to the magic network."
Aaron glanced at Nebula, then at Gamora. "Even at the cost of leyline access?"
"Yes," Gamora answered without hesitation. "I would trade all my magic power and privileges for it."
Though Gamora and Nebula had their issues, Gamora regarded Nebula as a sister. She would do anything to make up for the mistakes of her past.
Nebula looked at Gamora with a complex expression, rarely calling her "sister" in such a sincere tone.
The magic net had granted Gamora immense power, something Nebula had witnessed.
It represented strength and status.
But Gamora's willingness to sacrifice so much left Nebula stunned.
"There's also something called emotion," Nebula thought, deeply moved.
Meanwhile, Star-Lord stood up, patting his chest.
"Count me in! If Gamora's magic isn't enough, I'll pitch in some of mine."
Gamora gave him a look. "Don't think this will change my opinion of you."
"Cut it out. What you say doesn't count anyway," Star-Lord shrugged, unconcerned with her expression.
Groot, standing nearby, also spoke up.
"I'm Groot!"
Rocket Raccoon, alarmed, rushed to stop him. "Hey, why are you getting involved? This isn't your fight!"
Before Rocket could stop him, Dellax the Destroyer stepped forward.
"Count me in, too! I've got some magic of my own!" he said.
"Though I'm not fond of Thanos, and you're his adopted daughter, we've all suffered. I won't hold that against you. Consider this making up for the time I almost killed you in prison."
"Um?!" Gamora replied in surprise.
"Alright, alright!" Rocket grumbled. "You're all good people, and I'm the villain, huh?"
"If it's about magic power and permission, what's the big deal? Worst case, I'll just ask Thor for a few batteries," Rocket added.
"Count me in!" he said, grumbling.
"I'll destroy 10,000 planets for you!" Nebula said, tears streaming down her face.
"No need for that," Aaron replied. "I have a better proposal."
"What's the proposal?" Gamora asked.
"Do you ever consider working for me? Become my apostle?"
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