Chapter 798: The Fluid Moral Bottom Line |
The Dark Aster has landed.
The speed of the Nova Corps' collapse was unforeseen by all. The sky seemed to transform into a sea of fire as air currents whipped up flames, and the orange sky steamed under the heat, giving off a foreboding omen of doom as the Dark Aster's wings shadowed the sky at sunset.
The Xandarian queen and her ministers, still basking in centuries-old glories, fantasised about the Nova Corps mounting a defence. However, they neglected the most critical factor—the Infinity Stone!
Few have possessed the Power Stone, and even those who rarely showcased its power publicly, leading to a gross underestimation by the Xandarians of the Stone's capabilities, contributing to their current dire situation.
But it was too late for regrets.
Ronan stepped off the Dark Aster, one slow, deliberate step at a time. His footsteps were solid yet silent, but to everyone else, it sounded like the tolling of death's knell, slow and inexorable, echoing in their hearts.
Finally, Ronan's foot touched the ground of Xandar. Fulfilling a lifelong ambition caused his lips to curve into a satisfied, almost ecstatic smile.
"Xandar..."
With a long breath, Ronan slowly spread his arms, raising his universal weapon high, and uttered chilling words: "From this day forth, this civilisation will no longer exist in the universe!"
The scene was painfully familiar.
An armoured and mountainous titan had once wielded a war hammer glowing with purple light, destroying a living planet with a single strike.
And now, Ronan was about to reenact this scene. When the universal weapon hit the ground, it marked the destruction of the entire Xandarian civilisation.
"No—!!!"
Star-Lord, his veins throbbing with rage, drew his elemental gun and targeted Ronan in a split second, his fingers relentlessly snapping down on the trigger.
Yet his efforts were in vain.
Before the bullets from his elemental gun could get close, they were obliterated by the surging purple aura around Ronan, not even scratching him.
Ronan slightly tilted his head, his eyes filled with indescribable mockery as if scoffing at Star-Lord's futile bravado, comparing him to a mere ant daring to challenge a god.
The next moment, the universal weapon was fully charged!
An unmatched, torrential energy poured out from the small Power Stone, flooding every corner of Ronan's being.
Power!
Immeasurable power!
Indescribable power!
At that moment, Ronan even felt an illusion that he could quickly destroy the planet beneath his feet and all beings in the universe—no existence could oppose his will.
He... was a god!
He could annihilate all things with a mere thought, making all living beings grovel and beg for mercy, the supreme deity!
"Destroy it all!!!"
Ronan swung the universal weapon down hard with a furious roar, unleashing the boundless power into the planet beneath his feet.
At this critical moment!
A gentle female voice echoed like a lily blooming in an empty valley.
"Binding Art Number Sixty-One: Six Rod Light Prison!"
Six beams of light suddenly shot towards Ronan, binding him tightly in place, his raised war hammer frozen mid-air.
A woman dressed in a black coat, her hair cascading down like a black waterfall and tied with a white ribbon, her features delicate and warm, approached with leisurely steps, a serene smile playing on her lips.
"Good, I made it just in time."
Maika glanced around and spoke soothingly, "A moment later, and I fear this place might have been destroyed."
"What... is this?!"
Unfamiliar with the art of aikido and its mechanics, Ronan only knew he couldn't move, as if under a binding spell.
"You think you can stop the great Accuser Ronan with such a thing?" Ronan's eyes bulged with rage, channelling his thoughts into the universal weapon, pushing the Power Stone to its limits.
Crack!
Ronan's arms bulged with veins as purple energy surged over his skin. The six light beams emitted a screeching shatter noise, on the verge of breaking.
"I don't think so."
Maika remained unflustered, her gentle smile intact, her eyes narrowing slightly, "If one kiddo isn't enough, let's use several more."
"Binding Art Number Sixty-Two: Hundred Steps Fence!"
"Binding Art Number Sixty-Three: Locking Bond!"
"Iron Sand Wall, Monk's Prayer Tower, the glowing iron in silence, the end comes without a sound! Binding Art Seventy-Five: Quintet of Iron Pillars!"
"Binding Art Number Seventy-Nine: Nine Bright Traps!"
Releasing four kids in one breath, Maika showed no signs of fatigue.
In contrast, Ronan was first bound by a chain, reinforced by additional seals, making him momentarily unable to break free. Five giant iron pillars then fell from the sky, smashing him several feet underground and pinning down his limbs and head.
If that was all, it might have been bearable.
Nine spiritual particle black holes form a ring around him, perfectly aligned with the five pillars to create an inner and outer seal, further strengthening the bond.
Despite Ronan's roars, the Power Stone on his universal weapon emitted a blinding purple glow, unleashing tremendous destructive power. Still, he couldn't break through the multi-layered seal quickly.
Watching all this, Lord smiled knowingly.
I don't think the first Kenpachi knew only how to wield a sword.
In fact, with Maika's level, even though her other skills might not match her swordsmanship, they were still far above a regular captain's level.
Moreover, kido is slightly more challenging than bakudo, and for Maika, performing incantation-free kido below number ninety wasn't tricky.
As the other Guardians of the Galaxy members followed Star-Lord out of the Dark Aster, they only saw Ronan howling, pinned under five giant pillars, their faces switching from tension and anger to complete confusion.
What on earth had happened?
Why was Accuser Ronan pinned under five iron pillars?
They turned their eyes to Star-Lord, hoping he could explain what had happened and how Ronan ended up like this.
"I... I don't know." Star-Lord spread his hands, shaking his head bitterly: "That woman just appeared, muttered a few words, and then Ronan ended up like this."
Woman?
The others caught the keyword and followed Star-Lord's pointing, seeing a woman of gentle and tranquil beauty smiling at them.
"Is... it her?!"
Seeing the woman, Rocket broke into a cold sweat in shock, exclaiming.
"Wait, you know her?"
Gamora and Star-Lord, sensing a juicy gossip, immediately turned to look at Rocket.
"Uh..."
Rocket's face twisted awkwardly, scratching his head, unsure how to explain. He couldn't just say he'd stolen something from her.
"I've seen you, little raccoon."
Maika blinked playfully, her smile hinting at something more profound, "Can you return my sword to me now?"
"Absolutely, beautiful lady!"
Rocket leapt up, snatching the sword from Groot and dashing over, squeezing out a rare, earnest smile: "Allow me to express my sincerest apologies. The whole affair was a misunderstanding!"
"Oh—a misunderstanding?"
Maika's smile deepened, her tone suggestive: "But I have a feeling you stole our belongings."
"No, you're mistaken."
Rocket stood tall, speaking righteously: "All raccoons look the same, so you must be confused. The galaxy knows I, Rocket, am famously good-hearted, and I have been voted number one in Xandar's Moral Conduct Awards for five years running!"
Galactic is a good guy...
Your bounty is still active and in the Xandar Department of Internal Affairs!
Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and the others gave him disdainful looks. This creature could say anything to save its skin!
