Ronan's all‑out strike, delivered with crushing force, was still effortlessly blocked by Sean.
That single palm held the long‑handled warhammer steadily. Even with the mountainous force the hammer exerted, it remained utterly unmoving, unable to advance another inch...
The stagnant air roared like furious dragons, emitting sharp whistles and forming violent hurricanes.
Sean suddenly clenched his palm. The high‑tech Kree warhammer cracked, then shattered in the next instant.
Ignoring the Accuser's look of shock, Sean's eyes flickered. The blazing construct formed by surging flames smashed directly into Ronan's body.
*Bam!*
His black armor disintegrated into dust. Ronan looked as if he had endured a barrage of artillery fire. His solid, powerful frame was instantly charred as he crashed heavily against the metal bulkhead behind him.
Sean approached the dying Kree Accuser. His right hand held the Power Stone, purple veins snaked up from his palm, intertwining in intricate patterns.
"You wanted the Orb?" Sean's gentle voice roused Ronan's fading consciousness.
He forced his eyes open. His mighty body was scorched by heat, his brain transmitting clear, searing pain... but more agonizing than the physical wounds was the crushing defeat he faced.
The Kree Accuser watched as Sean opened his palm. A dense purple light blazed, forcing Ronan to squint against the burning sting in his retinas...
"Are you worthy of possessing it?" Sean asked mockingly.
Overwhelming purple radiance surged like a sea of flames, enveloping the gravely wounded Ronan. Thunderous waves of power churned within his body, tearing through every inch of flesh. Excruciating pain swept through him.
Under the baptism of the Power Stone's energies, the once‑arrogant and cold Accuser couldn't help but let out a miserable howl.
Sean gripped his fist tightly, and the purple light erupting from his palm vanished abruptly. He said, "You know far too little about true power."
Ronan slumped to his knees at Sean's feet, his body like cracked porcelain on the verge of shattering.
Prostrate on the ground, the Accuser struggled to lift his head, gazing up at Sean as if at a god. He watched as the man lightly pinched the purple gem and embedded it into a golden gauntlet.
The Infinity Gauntlet, now holding five stones, erupted in dazzling light. The atmosphere churned like rolling tides, the dense air sweeping outward in waves like a tide.
"Submit to power. Offer your loyalty." Sean spoke softly.
On the golden gauntlet, the Mind Stone flickered faintly, releasing invisible ripples. Then, like a rising sun, a brilliant mental radiance swallowed Ronan's waning will.
The utterly defeated Accuser's face showed a flicker of struggle, which was quickly replaced by blankness.
"As you command, Master." The once‑overbearing Accuser knelt devoutly at Sean's feet, like the most faithful servant.
The scene of the arrogant and domineering Kree enforcer submitting so willingly made Peter Quill and Gamora, who were hiding nearby, widen their eyes in disbelief.
Forgetting all about the Power Stone which was now in Sean's possession, they scurried into the collapsed ruins and fled swiftly, not daring to look back.
Sean glanced at the fleeing figures for a moment, then, without sparing a glance at the kneeling Ronan, turned and walked leisurely toward the Tivan Group building.
With the Accuser dealt with, it was time to discuss cooperation with the Collector...
...
Knowhere was in chaos, filled with slaughter and strife everywhere. The Kree Necrocraft fleet bombarded indiscriminately, explosions echoing overhead without pause.
Inside the ancient Celestial's skull, space pirates and merchant convoys joined the frantic melee. A Ravager crew had also thrown themselves into the tense battle at some point.
As for the Tivan Group's private forces, they had collapsed in the first skirmish, fleeing in disarray. Any remaining loyalists were mercilessly slaughtered by the Necrocraft fleet.
Awakening in the ruins of his Collection Center, Tivan bitterly cursed over and over in his mind, "That damned Carina! Those damned Kree bastards!"
The Power Stone, which was almost within his grasp, had vanished, and his precious collection was completely destroyed. It was a total loss.
All because of that audacious servant and the ambitious Accuser...
Without them, Tivan would have already fled Knowhere with the Power Stone.
The Tivan Group was a force to be reckoned with in the vast cosmos. The Collector's status as an Elder of the Universe gave him transcendent standing.
However, Ronan the Accuser, that deranged lunatic, cared nothing for such things. He didn't even fear the Nova Corps, solely fixated on tearing up the peace treaty and destroying Xandar.
Such a person had no reason to fear the Tivan Group.
Ultimately, the Tivan Group was a large commercial institution with vast wealth and extensive connections. Compared to advanced civilizations boasting thousands of space fleets, the gap was immense and impossible to bridge...
"Never mind all that, I need to get out of here quickly." Tivan gathered his things. This Elder with an endless lifespan felt a pain so sharp, he could barely breathe.
As Knowhere's overlord, the Tivan Group naturally had secret passages unknown to outsiders to evade invasions and escape this star system directly.
Through the ship's forward viewport, Tivan saw the brilliant nebulae dust beyond Knowhere. The sight was magnificent and wondrous, like thick clouds splashed with countless colors.
The famed Collector sighed. He had managed Knowhere for so long, painstakingly building it into the cosmos's most famous smuggling hub, a bustling trade port. Now forced to abandon it, he felt a pang of reluctance.
Still, Tivan had time on his side. Whether it was the Tivan Group or Knowhere, both were just idle games he played to pass eternity.
"I'll get it all back eventually," he consoled himself.
He wondered if he should visit Sakaar to see the Grandmaster, whom he hadn't seen in ages...
The ship's thrusters spewed intense flames, breaking free from Knowhere, plunging into the beautiful nebula like a brilliant meteor.
Ronan was a notorious warlord in the cosmos, infamous for ignoring Nova Corps rules, with immense strength backed by the advanced Kree Empire. Encountering him was sheer misfortune.
'As things stand, the peace between the Kree Empire and Xandar won't last long. Soon, the cosmos will be engulfed in raging war once again...'
Just as Tivan began to relax, the vast nebula, layered like an oil painting, slowly swirled like a whirlpool in the sea.
The industrial-grade sturdy ship shook violently, like a small boat in a storm, swaying precariously, seemingly about to break apart at any moment.
As if an invisible giant hand stirred the galaxy, ripples spread through the boundless cosmos, immense forces tugging at the colorful, beautiful nebula.
A destructive storm brimming with surging energy hammered Tivan's ship.
Sitting inside the cabin, the Collector wore an expression of horror: 'Knowhere's surrounding star system has always been calm and stable. How can such a terrifying cosmic storm erupt so suddenly?'