Chapter 799: Actually, I'm a Medical Professional |
What an exciting raccoon..."
Maika restrained her laughter, observing Rocket with interest. She liked such creatures that could flexibly adjust their moral compass and found his appearance appealing.
If she could bring this little fellow back to the Soul Society, perhaps it could add some fun to her otherwise monotonous days.
Under her intense scrutiny, Rocket felt uneasy all over.
Although he couldn't decipher her thoughts, his animal instincts and years of living through life-and-death situations silently warned him that this woman was hazardous, far more terrifying than Accuser Ronan.
"So... um..."
Tentatively, Rocket asked, "Do you... need anything else?"
"No, thank you for returning my sword," Maika responded after a moment, temporarily abandoning her idea and smiling as she took back her sword.
The sword she retrieved was curved like a crescent moon, remarkable in its arc, but another straight, long sword remained, which she did not take.
"I know~" Maika's eyes hid a mischievous smile. "But since it's his, he should come and get it himself, so for now, I'll have to ask you to keep it safe for a while."
"..."
Rocket's facial muscles twitched; he was sure she was doing this intentionally.
Having once witnessed the sword's owner suppress the Power Stone with just a finger, not even ten more guts would give him the courage to refuse her now, knowing that while moral standards can flexibly change, his head could not.
Boom—!
The five iron pillars violently shook as they relaxed their guard and chatted.
The iron pillars, linked by chains, were now disturbed by some unknown force. They swayed, colliding with each other, producing a tremendous metallic clamour, and the nearby ground cracked and spread outward.
Streams of purple light, like parasitic worms, climbed and twisted around the massive iron pillars.
Mixed with the sound of colliding metal was the crisp sound of iron cracking, instantly drawing everyone's gaze. The pillars were covered in alarming cracks, with intermittent purple lights flickering.
The cracks grew more extensive, and the pillars shook more intensely.
It was foreseeable that before long, Ronan would break free and reappear before them.
"Not... good!"
Star-Lord yelled in horror: "It's the Power Stone. Ronan is about to break free!"
This cry snapped everyone back to reality. The hearts they had just managed to calm were once again lodged in their throats, and they turned as one to look at Maika.
Their meaning was clear: they were begging her to intervene.
Unfortunately, Maika, who had already resolved not to use any means other than healing and kido to avoid violence and killing, could only respond with a gentle smile: "Don't look at me like that; I'm just a regular medical professional."
"But... you just stopped Ronan, didn't you?!" Star-Lord said urgently: "This concerns the lives of billions on Xandar. If Ronan succeeds, we'll all die here!"
"Although I don't know who you are, if you can stop Ronan, are you going to watch as billions die at his hands?" Gamora tried to use moral suasion, a classic tactic.
Only Rocket didn't speak, knowing it wouldn't work.
Although their interaction had been brief, Rocket's animal instincts and sensitivity told him that this seemingly gentlewoman was hiding her true thoughts, an impenetrable ice mountain that such appeals wouldn't sway.
"I'm sorry, I'd like to help, but I really can't." Maika's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, a feeling of keeping others at a great distance: "I'm just a regular medical professional, skilled at treating injuries, not at swinging swords to kill people, so please don't pin your hopes on me."
Drax, who was straightforward and disliked pretence, shouted, "Hey, you stink—"
Smack!
Drax was sent flying with blood spurting, his neck twisted 180 degrees, crashing into the outer shell of the Dark Aster, embedding several inches deep into it, his bones protruding and blood flowing down.
Everyone stared, wide-eyed. They had not seen how Drax was sent flying.
However, it was clear that Drax was still alive.
Drax would likely need several months to recover due to the severity of his injuries.
"This is a warning; watch your mouth," Maika said coldly. "If there's a next time, the injury won't be so light."
When Drax had attempted to insult her, she sensed a man in a high tower raising his hand, gathering spiritual pressure. Had she not acted first, Drax might have been reduced to mush.
Although it wasn't a big deal, it warmed her heart.
Star-Lord and the others swallowed hard, none planning to seek revenge for Drax.
Drax's foul mouth was not new, but he had finally met his match this time. She had restrained herself; otherwise, that slap could have sent his head flying.
"Are you sure you're... a medical professional?" Rocket asked, looking at the nearly incapacitated Drax and swallowing hard as he reassessed the woman.
"As a medical professional who frequently enters dangerous areas, it's quite normal to have some self-defence capabilities, right?" Maika replied with a smile.
"Right... normal..."
Everyone was silent for a long while, awkwardly forcing a smile.
Although they were curious about how a medical professional could be so formidable, capable of knocking out a destroyer with a single slap and disappearing without a trace, they chose to remain silent, considering their safety.
You say you're a medical professional, so you are, they thought; even if you claimed to be Thanos's mother, no one would dare to object.
"I'm out now!!!"
The destruction of the five iron pillars broke the awkward silence.
Ronan, freeing himself, immediately targeted that accursed woman, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Bang!
He stomped the ground, causing a thousand waves to roar behind him, and his Universal Weapon screeched ominously.
With the force of his hammer, he shattered the space around him.
The terrifying sonic boom tore through the sky, and the hammer, aglow with purple destructive light, swung in a wide arc. The layers of air it pushed resembled hundreds of meters of tidal waves, heavily crashing towards Maika's head.
If this blow landed, it would crush a skull as easily as a watermelon.
"Watch out!"
Caught off guard, Star-Lord couldn't draw his weapon in time and could only shout a warning.
Ronan's eyes flickered with vicious delight, imagining the woman's head bursting. But just as his hammer was about to connect, she vanished without a trace, reappearing hundreds of meters away like a spectre.
