Nova Prime's eyes lit up — this was indeed a good idea.
Although the Kree Empire and the Nova Corps were currently bound by a peace treaty, that treaty existed only because of the balance of power between them.
If the Kree ever made a major technological breakthrough, war would inevitably return.
Just like now, Ronan's shield technology was clearly a full level beyond what the Nova Empire possessed.
How much had it cost him to acquire it?
If the Kree managed to mass-produce such shields for every warship, the balance would be shattered overnight, and they would almost certainly find an excuse to reignite the war.
But if a god like this — the Prince of the Gods — were living within Nova territory, those shields would mean nothing.
Who would dare to provoke Xandar, knowing such a being could annihilate them with a gesture?
And if they could forge a stronger relationship with the gods, the Nova Empire's stability would be more secure than ever.
Nova Prime found herself wondering — what sort of planet would please him?
Would he prefer one filled with bustling cities, one of untouched beauty, or a world rich in resources?
"Yes… which pantheon does he come from?" she asked suddenly.
The minister bowed. "We do not know, Supreme. When the war is over, we can ask Commander Rhomann Dey. He was the first to negotiate with him."
"Very well," Nova Prime nodded. "That will do for now."
But just as Lock and Nova Prime had a brief moment to breathe, Ronan's mothership — the Dark Aster — suddenly began to break apart.
The massive ship, formed from countless cubic modules, split apart into dozens of separate blocks.
Each one ranged from several kilometers to over ten kilometers in length.
The blocks ignited their own thrusters and began a direct plunge toward Xandar.
One of the nearest blocks accelerated straight toward Lock.
Whether Ronan was giving the order or the crew was acting on desperation, it was clear what they were thinking:
Maybe the god could only unleash that devastating attack once.
Maybe he was exhausted or even injured.
If he did not attack again, they had to try.
But Lock quickly proved them wrong.
The purple pillar of power surrounding him suddenly broke free of his body and shot toward the incoming block.
It wrapped around it like a giant millstone and slowly ground it to dust in mid-space.
This was why Lock had paused earlier — that brief stillness had not been hesitation but comprehension.
He had already begun to control the Power Stone's energy more precisely.
But just then, Lock's heart jolted violently.
An instinctive warning.
He instantly summoned a divine shield around himself.
A second later, the disintegrating ship block exploded — unleashing a pulse of jet-black energy that spread across hundreds of kilometers of space.
From Xandar's surface, it looked as though a black curtain had been drawn across the sky.
In the midst of the darkness, a single golden glow remained unmoved — Lock's divine aura, holding firm against the void.
A Star-Destroyer Bomb.
Lock had seen this once before — during the Chitauri invasion of New York.
Back then, he had blocked it at the mouth of the wormhole.
A weapon of this level was no ordinary bomb.
Its power was apocalyptic, and the dark energy it unleashed was unlike any other weapon — once it touched a planet, it would cling to every surface, turning the entire world into a black wasteland.
A place more silent and lifeless than a nuclear desert.
Because of its sheer destructiveness, very few civilizations were willing to use such weapons.
War was meant to seize land and resources — turning a planet into a dead world defeated the purpose.
And even if you dared to use one, you had to be prepared for retaliation — a guaranteed mutual destruction.
The Kree and Nova Empires both had such weapons but rarely dared use them.
Only someone like Thanos, who sought slaughter as destiny, would deploy them so freely.
Last time, he had given one to the Chitauri.
Who knew how many he had given to Ronan?
Lock's gaze snapped downward.
The remaining dozens of ship blocks were already blazing through Xandar's atmosphere.
Their hulls ignited under the friction, turning them into flaming meteors hurtling toward the surface.
Lock unleashed another torrent of Power Stone energy, obliterating the nearest block — only to trigger another Star-Destroyer Bomb explosion.
The stormy sky of Xandar was instantly dyed black.
Nova Prime saw it from the capital and gave the order at once.
No ground batteries were to intercept the remaining blocks — the risk of detonating more bombs was too great.
Instead, the blocks were allowed to land.
One by one, the colossal pieces of the Dark Aster smashed into the surface, their impact shaking continents like massive earthquakes.
Dust storms rose into the sky, swallowing nearby cities.
Thankfully, most of the bombs did not detonate on impact — a small mercy in the midst of chaos.
But then the largest block came through the atmosphere.
It flew straight toward Xandar's capital, where Nova Prime's command center was located, and deliberately landed right in the middle of the city.
The ten-kilometer-long slab crushed entire districts, flattening buildings and anyone unfortunate enough to be beneath it.
And then it simply stopped.
It was clear Ronan knew the Nova Corps dared not fire upon him.
Within minutes, the Nova Corps surrounded the block, joined by Star-Lord, Yondu, Gamora, Nebula, and Rocket.
The block's hull split open, and a massive ramp extended.
Ronan emerged, hammer in hand.
"Hahahahahaha! Xandar — I'm finally here!"
The Nova soldiers raised their weapons, shouting:
"Drop the weapon! Hands in the air!"
Ronan sneered.
"Surrender? Do you know why your artillery isn't firing? Hahahaha…"
He raised his left hand, showing a gauntlet with glowing wires running along its frame.
"One press of this switch," he said, "and every Star-Destroyer Bomb on this planet detonates at once. Xandar will become a blackened hell!"
The glove's design was unmistakable — even if he was killed, the trigger would activate.
Nova Prime and Commander Rhomann Dey immediately gave the order:
"All forces, stand down! No one is to engage!"
Seeing their compliance, Ronan's arrogance grew.
He spread his arms wide, laughing madly.
"Xandar! After centuries, vengeance is finally mine!
On behalf of the Kree Empire, I judge you guilty!
Today, you will all vanish into ash!"
"The god you brought is powerful — but can he stop dozens of Star-Destroyer Bombs exploding at once?!"
He laughed louder, ignoring the weapons aimed at him.
Until a streak of golden light descended from the heavens.
Lock landed.
For a moment, Ronan's grin faltered — a flash of fear crossed his face.
Then he barked out, loud enough for all to hear:
"I don't care who you are — take one more step closer than a hundred meters, and I will detonate every bomb on this planet!
Let's see how many you can save!"
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San