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Chapter 187: Ronan's Death, Power Gem in Hand
🕑 Added 2025-03-24 13:16:37 +0000 UTC"The energy is being drained? What nonsense are you talking about?"
Nebula tightened her grip around the soldier’s neck, her voice filled with venom.
"But... it's true! Our spaceship is losing power, and we have no control over it!"
"Our observations confirm that the energy is being absorbed by him!"
The soldier pointed toward Aaron, who was positioned outside the window.
Nebula turned to look but found it hard to believe.
Could someone really siphon energy from their ship without them noticing?
Was that even possible?
Who had such an ability?
She shifted her gaze to Ronan, awaiting his orders.
Ronan's expression darkened, his face clouded with uncertainty.
"Whoever he is, ignore him! Keep advancing!"
"Send all ships forward and tear through the Nova Corps' defenses!"
"But, sir… he's draining our power!" Colas the Pursuer protested.
Ronan shook his head. "Once we land, it won't matter."
"If he dares to follow us to Xandar, he will die!"
With the Power Gem in his grasp, Ronan was confident. Now was not the time to waste energy on a single individual.
"Should we send more troops to stop him?" Nebula asked eagerly.
"I don’t think that’s a good idea… look."
Colas activated a display, projecting footage of their rear defenses.
"The interception force we sent earlier… they’ve been wiped out."
"He killed them all in an instant!"
"His strength is terrifying!"
"Even if we send more troops, I doubt we can stop him."
Nebula’s expression shifted drastically. The thought that someone could single-handedly slaughter an entire fleet of Necrocraft pilots was beyond her comprehension.
Such a monster was far beyond her capabilities.
She even wondered—was Thanos capable of something like this?
It seemed… unlikely.
"Damn it! Where did this freak come from?!"
Ronan glanced at the footage, a deep sense of unease settling in his chest. These ships and warriors were valuable to him—once lost, they could not be easily replaced.
But Xandar was within reach.
That was his priority.
Everything else was insignificant.
The Battle for Xandar Begins
The Dark Aster, now severely drained of power, reached the Nova Corps' temporary defensive network.
Though the ship was a Kree Empire relic, thousands of years old, it remained one of the most formidable warships in the galaxy.
Designed as a flagship rather than an assault vessel, it lacked overwhelming offensive capabilities.
But under normal circumstances, it could still break through the Nova Corps' defenses with sheer brute force.
Unfortunately, its energy reserves were dwindling rapidly.
Even as the crew attempted to divert emergency power, they couldn’t keep the Dark Aster operating at full capacity.
As a result, the Nova Corps managed to halt its advance.
That was until Ronan took matters into his own hands.
Wielding the Power Gem, he unleashed its energy in a devastating blast, shattering the Nova Corps' protective barrier.
The Dark Aster resumed its descent toward Xandar’s surface.
Panic spread among the Nova Corps ranks.
At last, they understood—Ronan truly possessed an Infinity Stone. And he intended to turn Xandar into a lifeless husk.
Watching the Dark Aster descend, Nova Prime clenched her fists.
She knew that, with their current strength, they couldn’t stop Ronan’s rampage.
Even if they mustered wave after wave of counterattacks, the Power Gem placed him beyond their reach.
Technology was no match for the might of an Infinity Stone.
Now, their only hope lay in the Ravagers… and the Asgardian god.
Nova Prime had witnessed Aaron’s earlier display of power, annihilating an entire Necrocraft fleet with unknown means.
His abilities were terrifying, yet they offered a sliver of hope.
Perhaps… he was the one who could stop Ronan.
The Fall of the Dark Aster
The Dark Aster suddenly lost all remaining power.
Every ounce of its energy had been siphoned away by Aaron.
With no propulsion left, the colossal warship became nothing more than a giant metal husk, plummeting toward the surface.
Crew members were thrown about helplessly, unable to control their movements.
Even Nebula and Colas were caught in the chaos, though their superior combat skills allowed them to stabilize themselves using weapons and equipment.
Ronan, after a brief moment of disarray, managed to regain his footing.
His eyes burned with fury.
Aaron would pay for this.
At that moment, a violent impact tore through the ship’s side.
"Starboard core has been breached!"
"They’ve broken in!"
The announcement from his subordinates made Ronan turn toward the security doors.
The enemy had arrived.
"I’ll check it out," Nebula said, storming off.
The Guardians and the Final Confrontation
From the outside, the Ravagers and the Nova Corps saw Aaron break through the Dark Aster’s defenses and infiltrate the ship.
They hurried to follow, though most were blocked by the remaining Necrocraft.
Only a handful of ships managed to slip through the opening.
Among them were the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Although Aaron had assured them he could handle things alone, Gamora insisted on coming, worried for Nebula.
The rest of the Guardians, unable to dissuade her, followed suit.
While they faced some resistance, the enemy forces were much thinner this time.
With Aaron leading the charge and the Nova Corps keeping the enemy occupied, few stood in their way.
It was almost effortless.
Despite their quirks and recklessness, the Guardians were still formidable fighters.
Aaron vs. Ronan
Inside the Dark Aster, Aaron cut through the opposition with ease.
Every soldier who dared to stand in his way was obliterated in an instant.
As soon as he ceased absorbing energy, the ship’s power reserves began to replenish slightly, slowing its descent.
Aaron saw no reason to drain it further—it was unnecessary.
He continued his march forward.
One security door after another crumbled before him.
He followed the Power Gem’s energy signature, step by step, until he reached Ronan.
As he forced open the final security door, Colas made a desperate attempt at a sneak attack.
A bomb was hurled toward Aaron, followed by a frenzied barrage of gunfire.
But none of it even scratched him.
Aaron simply glanced at Colas—and in an instant, Colas was sliced in half by searing heat.
Ronan remained calm, unfazed by his ally’s brutal demise.
Instead, he locked eyes with Aaron and asked, in a measured voice:
"Who are you?"
"A bounty hunter hired by Xandar? Or just another Ravager?"
"As a warrior, I will grant you the honor of a dignified death."
Aaron continued his slow approach.
"You may call me Aaron… the God of Magic from Asgard."
Ronan’s calm demeanor shattered.
He knew that name.
Nebula had spoken of him before—an Asgardian feared even by Thanos, a man who wielded two Infinity Stones.
"You're here for the gem, aren’t you? Where are your own?"
Ronan’s tone grew tense, his expression serious.
Before, he had not considered Aaron a true threat.
But now, he saw him as an equal.
"You think I need the gems to deal with you? Don’t worry—I didn’t bring them."
Aaron smirked, closing the distance between them.
Ronan’s momentary relief quickly turned into rage.
The arrogance!
He had two Infinity Gems, yet he didn’t deem Ronan worthy enough to use them.
The insult was unbearable.
"How dare you look down on me?!"
"Die with me, arrogant god!"
The Power Gem flared to life, unleashing a devastating energy blast.
But Aaron didn’t dodge.
He didn’t even summon a shield.
He caught the energy in his bare hand.
"Did no one ever tell you that firing energy beams is the lowest-level use of the Infinity Stones?"
With a crushing grip, Aaron shattered Ronan’s Warhammer, reducing it to fragments.
A look of pure horror crossed Ronan’s face.
And in the next moment—
He was dead.
Aaron took the Power Gem for himself.
The Dark Aster crumbled.
And as he opened a portal and vanished from Xandar—
The others stood in stunned silence.
Ronan… was gone.
