Chapter 806: Blacken, Ichimonji! |
Who... is this guy?
Instantly, all eyes were on the large man who had just appeared. His entrance was far too bold, and everyone was taken aback.
The nine Nova Centurions looked unusually serious. Though they hadn't been using their full power, the fact that someone had so quickly nullified their attack puzzled them. What kind of technique did this monk use?
How had he erased beams of Nova Force, violating the law of energy conservation? They had gone from existence to nothing without a trace—it was incomprehensible.
"They're wearing the same clothes..."
Star-Lord's eyes darted between the man and the woman. He had noticed something—this large, burly man in the white robe was dressed similarly to the woman, wearing white outer garments with black clothing underneath. It couldn't be a coincidence.
And the woman seemed to regard the man with significant caution, her hand resting on her sword's hilt. In her gentle eyes, there was a sharp, unsettling glint.
"So, it's little Yachiru!"
The burly monk laughed heartily, his voice booming with sound waves, "I didn't expect to see you here. It's been a thousand years, hasn't it?"
Unohana Retsu's hand slowly relaxed from her sword's hilt, a hint of resignation in her voice. "Captain of the Royal Guard, Ōetsu Nimaiya, what brings you here?"
"By order of the Spirit King."
Ōetsu Nimaiya grinned, "It's not good to stay cooped up in the Spirit Palace, so I decided to get out and run an errand for the Spirit King."
As it turns out, they were acquaintances.
Back when she was known as Yachiru Unohana, she had trained in healing and spiritual arts under Kirinji Tenjirō, one of the Royal Guard members. During that time, she had met this seemingly simple-minded monk. Though Unohana hadn't delved deep into who he was, Kirinji had once warned her never to underestimate the monk's 'wisdom.'
After all, this was...
The man who had named everything in the Soul Society!
His existence was ancient, and his knowledge of secrets significantly exceeded that of Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
Unohana held deep disgust and wariness toward the Royal Guard's devotion to the Spirit King, especially toward someone like Nimaiya.
As the two exchanged greetings, the others realized they knew each other. Judging by the way they spoke, they were pretty familiar.
Several Nova Centurions' eyes flickered with data streams as they attempted to analyze the newcomer, but even the supercomputer Worldmind couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
After failing to find a clear answer, Worldmind offered a solution.
"You... are you here for the Power Stone?"
One of the Centurions asked in a severe tone.
For those who dared to invade Xandar, their standard procedure was to eliminate any potential threats.
But what happens when the threat is incomprehensible?
Even the supercomputer couldn't calculate the odds of success, with a probability of less than 40% for victory. In such cases, the data suggested choosing the safest path.
"Hmm, you could say that."
Ōetsu Nimaiya scratched his head with a simple smile. "Though it may seem sudden, I wonder if you could kindly hand over the Power Stone to me?"
Ronan sneered at this, thinking the monk was spewing nonsense. Who would willingly hand over the Power Stone?
Ebony Maw also thought the man was crazy—boldly requesting the Power Stone; surely the Nova Centurions would disagree.
"We can do that."
After a moment of data processing, the Centurion gave a shocking reply, agreeing to the absurd request.
Ronan: "???"
Ebony Maw: "..."
They were left utterly dumbfounded, unable to process the sudden capitulation. Just moments ago, the Centurion had seemed so defiant, and now, he was backing down.
"However, we have one condition."
The Centurion paused, raising his hand to point at Unohana Retsu. "The Power Stone can be yours, but she has heard Xandar's secret. As a condition of the exchange, she must die."
They were willing to forgo the Power Stone but would never allow someone who knew Xandar's secret to leave alive.
If the truth about the Nova Force, the Worldmind, and the cloning technology got out, it would lead to devastating retaliation from the Kree Empire.
So, everyone who knew had to die!
To ensure the survival of their civilization, they had to make the right choice.
"So, what is your answer?"
The Centurion opened his hand, revealing the Power Stone inside a metal sphere. All it would take was a word, and it would be his.
"I can give her to you."
Ōetsu Nimaiya stroked his long beard, betraying no emotion as he calmly replied, "But I have one more question for you."
Hearing the dangerous man agree to their terms, the Centurions visibly relaxed as though they had been relieved of some significant burden. The flow of data in their eyes also slowed significantly.
"As long as it's within our power, we'll do our best to answer your question," the Centurion said, then added, "Except for secrets related to the Nova Corps."
Their attitude had changed drastically. The shift was so abrupt that it would've been hard to believe if I had not witnessed it firsthand.
Ronan and Ebony Maw's faces twisted with rage, their eyes filled with resentment. In their minds, they cursed the Centurion's name a hundred times over.
"Ah, don't worry about that."
The large, seemingly simple monk laughed heartily, his gaze drifting over the Centurions with a glint of cunning. "I just want to know—where exactly does the Nova Force within you come from?"
"You..."
The Centurions' faces darkened, their eyes filled with rage.
"Don't misunderstand."
Ōetsu Nimaiya waved his hand dismissively and smiled. "I'm not trying to provoke you. I'm just a curious man who wants to know."
"Sorry, we can't answer that!"
The Centurion clenched his teeth, barely containing his anger. Faced with this mysterious, dangerous individual, they refused, "All things related to the Nova Force are the highest secrets of Xandar. We cannot disclose them."
"Ah, that's fine."
Ōetsu Nimaiya stroked his beard again, his thick eyebrows bouncing humorously as he grinned, "Whether you tell me or not doesn't matter. I'll just go see for myself, and then I'll know the answer."
"!!!"
The pupils of all nine Centurions contracted, and alarm bells rang in their minds. Data surged through their vision, flooding them like a tsunami.
"Warning! Warning!"
"Target is extremely dangerous!"
"Attempting to analyze target's weaknesses!"
Massive data streams overflowed while Ōetsu Nimaiya's eyes gleamed with a cold, deep intensity. He held a thick brush in his hand, the ink-soaked tip moving freely. His bold, vigorous strokes filled the sky with powerful writing.
"Blacken—Ichimonji!"
