Marvel With Zanpakutou

Chapter 810: True Sky-Covering Palm

Ronan the Accuser was dead.

The manner of his death was almost laughable—like a mere ant crushed beneath a foot.

But no one present could muster a laugh. The sheer oppressive force of the enormous foot descending from the sky, like an ancient god of destruction, filled everyone with dread. Even recalling it sent chills down their spines.

A massive crater was on the planet’s surface like a meteor struck it.

If one were to view it from above, one would see the outline of a giant footprint. The five toes and the ridges of the sole were visible, etched into the ground.

If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, no one would have believed what had just happened.

The burly man with thick eyebrows had simply lifted his foot and stepped down, with no extraneous movements, no detectable energy surges. Yet, somehow, a colossal foot had appeared and crushed everything beneath it.

No one could believe the giant foot had nothing to do with him.

But no one could comprehend how it had happened.

Ōetsu Nimaiya remained calm and agreeable throughout.

It was as if he had indeed just stepped on an ant. To him, Ronan, the supreme Accuser of the Kree Empire, was no more significant than an insect, not worth his attention.

With the second problem dealt with, Nimaiya slowly lifted his gaze, looking at the streak of light ascending into the atmosphere.

Ebony Maw was terrified by that single step, his face pale with shock. He no longer dared to underestimate this man. His telekinetic energy surged violently around him as he fled with his companions, leaving a trail of air currents and sonic booms in their wake.

From the air rings exploding around them, it was clear they had surpassed the speed of sound.

From their vantage point, the flaming trail left by Ebony Maw’s escape was now a thin red line, and the Black Order was barely visible, as tiny as ants. They were at least several kilometers away, and they would break through the atmosphere in a few more seconds.

Even if the burly man were to pursue them now, it seemed unlikely he could catch up.

Star-Lord and the others watched the vanishing red streak with envy. Unsurprisingly, Ebony Maw, the most cunning of Thanos’s underlings, had used Ronan’s greed to delay the enemy, giving himself and his companions a chance to escape into space.

"Damn, that bastard must have had a plan all along!"

Rocket grumbled angrily. "He must have a ship waiting outside the atmosphere, or there’s no way they’d make such a risky escape!"

Given Ebony Maw’s devious nature and years of service under Thanos, it was impossible he wouldn’t have left himself a way out. The fact that they had charged into the atmosphere so fearlessly suggested a fleet was waiting near Xandar.

"We’re too late—they’re going to get away!"

Gamora’s face was tense, her fists clenched in frustration.

At this point, it is evident that there was no catching up. The Black Order would escape, and they wouldn’t perish alongside Ronan.

Heh...

A disdainful chuckle echoed around them.

The group turned toward the sound and saw the burly man—Ōetsu Nimaiya—smirking. His expression was still calm, but his eyes carried a mocking glint as he leisurely rolled up the sleeves of his robe.

Could he be planning to stop Ebony Maw?

No, no... That’s impossible.

The moment that thought popped into Star-Lord’s head, he immediately dismissed it.

What kind of joke is this? No matter how powerful you are, you still have to follow the laws of physics, right?

Judging by the distance, they were at least 20,000 or 30,000 kilometers apart, and Ebony Maw was already about to leave the upper atmosphere and reach the exosphere. There was no way anyone could catch up now, nor could any attack reach that far.

Unless... they had a space cannon.

Star-Lord glanced over at the burly man, but aside from his clothes and a large brush-blade, there was no sign of any space cannon, nor did he have a pocket dimension like Doraemon.

"Hmph hmph."

Ōetsu Nimaiya finished rolling up his sleeves, revealing thick, muscular arms covered in hair.

Dark veins bulged across his skin, and his muscles coiled tightly. What shocked everyone was that his forearms had visible cracks, running deep beneath the skin to the bone. Dark red lines ran like crevices, extending up into the sleeves.

Unohana Retsu’s eyes gleamed slightly, and she murmured, "So... that’s the Royal Key, the one only members of the Zero Division can use to open the Soul King’s Palace."

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Nimaiya slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white as his joints cracked loudly, like the twang of a bowstring.

He took a deep breath as if his lungs were a powerful vacuum, sucking in all the surrounding air until his chest swelled to its limit. His heart pumped furiously, sending fresh blood coursing through his limbs and organs.

Then, with a slow exhale, he released a stream of scorching hot breath.

With every breath, the overwhelming force within him surged alongside his spiritual pressure, creating an ocean of power that roared through the sky, accompanied by thunderous booms. It was as if millions of giant elephants were stomping, shaking the air so violently that everyone’s ears throbbed in pain.

"The Spirit King gave me strict orders..."

Nimaiya muttered, half to himself and half to everyone present. His voice was like rolling thunder in spring, loud and deep. "If even one person escapes from this planet, he’ll skin me alive when I return. So, you’d best... stay here!"

As he spoke the final word, the sky suddenly darkened.

It wasn’t because night had fallen but because something massive had blocked the light.

Though it was twilight, on Xandar, twilight lasted for hours due to the planet’s position in its solar system. The star’s light should have still been shining brightly.

Could it be... a cloud?

Everyone had the same thought and instinctively looked up at the sky.

Wait... what is that?

Star-Lord and the others finally saw it. The thing blocking out the light wasn’t a cloud—it was a gigantic hand.

The five fingers stood alone like towering mountains. The light from the setting sun filtered through the gaps between them, splitting into beams that cast eerie shadows on the terrified faces below.

"Sky-Covering Palm!"

The massive hand pushed through the sky, its colossal force stirring the winds for miles.

BOOM!

Thousands of wind dragons howled as violent storms converged beneath the palm.

The enormous hand obscured the entire sky. Its endless shadow engulfed everything, smothering every other sound.

The thunderous roar of compressed air exploding under pressure echoed as the hand crushed everything in its path. Tens of thousands of miles of sky were torn apart as the palm descended.

Ebony Maw, who had nearly reached the exosphere and was mere moments away from the safety of his fleet, suddenly sensed a massive disturbance behind him. He turned his head, and his pupils contracted in shock. His withered face twisted in terror.

It was a gigantic hand.

The vast, fleshy palm was crisscrossed with ridges as deep as gorges, the five fingers as tall as mountains. Even the intricate details of the fingerprint patterns were vividly clear, making it seem too real.

"No... NO!!!"

In an instant, an overwhelming wave of icy fear consumed Ebony Maw.

Desperately, he unleashed his telekinetic power, frantically forming layer upon layer of defensive barriers in a futile attempt to find some hope within the descending darkness.

The next moment, the massive fingers slowly closed.

The air across tens of thousands of miles was crushed and exploded with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves rippling through the sky.