《Arc of the Souls》


 Arc 1, Chapter 1 - Hostile Contracts

    2195


    Envia Dome. This spherical, habitable dome that acted as the ozone layer for the human population to live inside was ironclad evidence that humanity evolved greatly in the same 200 years.


    A technological marvel that set apart all the things that they¡¯ve done on Earth for thousands of years, but it wasn¡¯t just Mars was terraformed and now inhabited by humans. In fact, almost every planet scientist thought to be habitable in the next 100 years were, you said it, also inhabited by humans. Another fact that humanity evolved throughout the years.


    With that being said, almost every planet in the solar system was habitable, in fact, planets outside of the solar system has been conquered by humans. You could say that Humanity now was a Type II civilization.


    -


    The Ubashi Plaza, the front face of the Envia Dome. Most people interpret it as a touristic place for it resembling the square of the once crowded and bloated Akihabara in Tokyo, Japan. It was even crowded on off-days, with people going on shopping sprees specifically on Thursday, the day of Purchase Evening.


    Ubashi Plaza can be a hub for shopping and souvenir-collecting as most of the stores located there are selling stuff for vehemently cheap prices. But it¡¯s also notoriously known for small pick-pocket crimes and territorial gang bangers lurking around in the darkened nights.


    And apparently, it¡¯s also a place to arrest or kill runners.


    In the already crowded docking station of the Envia Dome, which was supported by a smaller spherical dome attached to the upper part, approached a lone yet pristine looking ship to one of the docking bays that were spread across the Docking Dome.


    The only ways people can access the main docking station, or as local people call it, Central Ship Station - it is either by taking a 200-meter staircase, hoverbikes or elevators.


    Most people would think that this ship, which had now docked and contacted the ground, was a normal carrier ship. But this ship had a large White Eye logo on its wings. A faction. What was its purpose coming here?


    ¡°Ugh... Damn you, Strad. Leaving this stupid mission up to me alone. This will be the last mission I do without you.¡±


    A person with black hair and baggy white coat climbed out of his personal fighter ship, which as the ship that recently docked. The hatch-door was fully opened and as he climbed out, it automatically closed, leaving no chance for any robbers or bandits to loot the ship.


    Looking back at the hatch that just closed, he pulled his right sleeve up ¨C pressing a small button on his watch.


    The watch instantly reacted to his touch and activated as a radar to trace a target he was looking for. His steps down the staircase grew gradually louder as he pondered on the fact that this... target he was tasked to take down, was no easy task.


    The radar traced all the way to the Ubashi Plaza, and then stopped tracing any further. This could only mean one thing. The target was not moving and stood in one place. The White Eye person smirked faintly as he noticed that he creeped in closer and closer to the target¡¯s location.


    Meanwhile, the target walked around Ubashi Plaza, having recently completed a contract. He used his downtime to wind down before he was to continue with his next contract. His hands were tightly in the pockets of his jacket ¨C one holding his wallet and the other the keys to his ship.


    The White Eye person going down the staircase hastily made his way down. A few seconds later, he touched the ground. Knowing he had no time to lose, he immediately used his I.D. to trick a transporting bot into giving him a free ride to the Ubashi Plaza.


    The transporter bots acted like taxi¡¯s and always remained at one place, in the Docking Dome. They were particularly used for quick travel.


    With nothing to do, the target mostly just wandered in circles ¨C looking at the wide array of stores and paths to go down. Most of the path¡¯s lead to more of the smaller and run-down stores, while some rarer paths lead to the outside of the Ubashi Plaza. With a short, faint grumble, he chose to walk down one of the smaller streets to avoid attention.


    Mars was mostly human, and his pointed ears gave him a sense of vulnerability. This change of race would be picked up on quick especially if he didn¡¯t conceal it. This hastened pace only further strengthened his paranoia, as he walked down the smaller street.


    -


    The White Eye member just arrived at the plaza ¨C jumping out of the transporter bot carriage. ¡°Hm!¡± exerting a small noise. He started powerwalking around to find his target.


    ¡°Mrgh... What is this, an infestation?¡± He reacted frustratingly to the crowd. There were so many people. So many people in fact, that he couldn¡¯t see where he was going. But there was another problem. He would hate to draw attention to himself for obvious reasons.


    White Eye isn¡¯t welcomed by most factions around the galaxy, especially the leading faction; Dark Intrinium.


    The target walked through the cleverly hidden slums between buildings, his boots clanking on the metal platforms that made up the floor.


    This noise attracted the gaze of small huddles of gangs on the sides of the streets, almost as if their gaze was to size him up, or to deliberately attack him the moment they can. Some gangs had blatantly kept their weaponry visible in a way to show off or to tell the viewer to not ¡®fuck¡¯ with them at all.


    He emerged from the gang infested alleys and into a nicely lit street on the outskirts of the plaza. It was mostly hidden due to the adult services they offered, in which the government that controlled the Envia Dome thought was bad for travel or economy businesses.


    The target headed towards a bar ¨C intending to spend some of his paycheck on what he considered a well-earned break.


    -


    The White Eye hitman traced a mark at a bar. He would speed himself up towards the direction specifically.


    He kept his guard up for any possible attacks heading his way, since the radar White Eye used was notoriously known for failing to give up a precise location of their victims.


    The target walked inside, taking in the cozy atmosphere and the strong smell of various alcoholic beverages. He walked up to the counter, sitting down on a slightly bent barstool and waited for the bartender to finish attending to a group on the corner of the counter.


    The hitman walked inside the bar shortly after, smirking under his turtleneck coat, he walked over to take a seat close to the target. He intentionally left one seat open in between as a gap in case the target knew if they were being hunted, possibly to avoid getting the first hit should they fight.


    However, the hitman stood at a whooping age of 24, he could welcome himself to a drink. He too, thought that a small drink wouldn¡¯t hurt during his manhunt.


    The bartender slowly dragged himself towards the new two ¡®humble¡¯ faces and forced a smile upon them.


    ¡°¡¯s there anythin¡¯ ah¡¯ can get ya¡¯ folks?¡± The bartender involuntarily spat as he said, with a thick accent sounding almost as if he was choking on a small piece of food. It sounded like gurgling, but nothing to the point of being unbearable to hear.


    The target was the first one to answer his question. ¡°I¡¯ll take some Jirubian Spirit.¡± Leaving out the ¡®please¡¯, he pressed two near-unnoticeable buttons on the side of his mask ¨C taking it off and clipping it onto his bandolier, using a fold-out clip. He then took his card out.


    ¡°¡¯S ¡®n acquired taste, ah¡¯ believe! Yer comin¡¯ from them Jirubian parts, ¡®m?¡± The bartender spoke, albeit loudly.


    He put the glass down in front of him, taking a bottle out and pouring out a pale sanguine liquid, dropping a few ice-cubes inside for an extra chill. It¡¯s clear that he did this for a living, as he did it with pristine accuracy and extreme elegancy.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Most ¡®sane¡¯ people would think he was an alcoholic, though.


    When the bartender finished pouring this nice lad a drink, he put down a circular pad used to pay via card.


    The pointy eared man held his card over the circular pad. Four shimmering green lights appeared followed by a subtle deep, signifying that the drink was paid for. When he was done, he took a long sip of his drink.


    It was either that he was craving Jirubian Spirit, or just wanted to get drunk before his next contract. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter for the pointy eared, harsh-spoken man.


    The bartender smiled before putting the pad down on a storage unit behind the bar, noticing the other person sitting down, he leaned forward, asking.


    ¡°Yer¡¯ here ta shit or ta drink?¡± The bartender deliberately patted his shoulder, hard to wake him up. The ¡®hitman¡¯ was busy looking at his watch. The shoulder had sent shivers down his spine, waking him up. He looked at the bartender, and then eyed his target next to him for a split-second.


    ¡°Uh... I¡¯ll... have the Nuvarian ColdBall.¡± He audibly muttered as he looked at the menu behind the bartender.


    ¡°Comin¡¯ raiiight up!¡± The bartender blurted out, taking all the drinks back under the counter besides one. He grabbed another glass and placed it in front of the watch fixated person, pouring in their selected drink. He then dropped a few ice cubes elegantly.


    Reaching with a free hand, he put the circular pad in front of them before walking to a new customer who had just walked into a booth on the other side of the room.


    The bar had little traffic today, only 6 or 7 people in total inside at the time. On Thursdays, the number would triple, or quadruple. Since it was a Wednesday, it was an easy drink and leave experience.


    The hitman took a sip, occasionally eyeing his target next to him for a brief second, before eyeing his watch. It was a loop. First, he took a sip, then looked at his target, before finishing his loop with a small eye drop to the watch. It almost felt like his body was tensing up. Was he scared?


    The target took another sip, coughing into a balled hand. The Jirubian Spirit was a drink only for the wicked, it seemed. The drink had an aftertaste, or rather, a smell so strong that it could make you drunk in seconds.


    In addition, this drink burned, a lot. It burned so much that drinking was torture.


    Taking another ship before repeating a cough into a balled hand, he then turned his head slightly towards the hitman. This time, he noticed that the hitman was in a series of suspicious looking at him, his own drink and his own watch.


    Lightly sighing into his drink, he said. ¡°The hat isn¡¯t for sale.¡± He said with a heavy breath. He examined them. The hitman had short black hair with little to no bangs.


    He wore a near oversized white turtleneck coat with black pants with intricate designs planted onto it. Nowhere around his body screamed a tattoo or a sigil of a faction. The coat he was wearing concealed all his identity, except his face.


    ¡°Really? ...Shame.¡± He said nonchalantly, sipping his drink. The Nuvarian ColdBall was far from an alcoholic beverage. Instead, it was a nullified alcoholic drink which meant that there was no alcohol inside it. It had a blueberry-banana taste and inside his glass was a big ball of candy that he could eat afterwards.


    The target let out a singular laugh before going back to his drink.


    ¡°Say, you wouldn¡¯t happen to spot any suspicious individuals around this area?¡±


    ¡°Depends on who¡¯s asking.¡±


    The target answered almost instantly, not batting a single eye on his hitman. Unaware of the danger he was in, he sipped his drink, coughing every time after he drinks it.


    ¡°Well. I live around these parts. Have been for quite some time, so I¡¯m not exactly an important individual in this case.¡±


    He took a break on his little story by sipping his drink.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple flyers lying around about a suspicious individual that the local police want to crack down. Y¡¯know... doing the neighbourly thing and helpin¡¯ out.¡± He tried to redirect the question softly, feeling a small sense of fear upon saying ¡®local¡¯, indicating that he might not be around these parts unfortunately.


    The target slightly turned his head towards the hitman. ¡°That is a neighbourly thing to do. Not to mention, dangerous too... For the untrained, of course. This area of town is notorious for its crime rate ¨C pickpocketing, extortion, human trafficking... cold murder.¡±


    The target noticed their change of subject, but really was just too lazy to bring it up. After all, he wanted nothing to ruin his downtime. He wanted to enjoy his drink, with no sense of insecurity or danger looming around.


    ¡°Hahaha... Is it?¡± He laughed a bit, stirring his drink around with his finger. His right arm, however, was twitching.


    ¡°Indeed... Especially for those that aren¡¯t well.¡± The target didn¡¯t notice his twitching at first but then gestured to the hitman¡¯s right arm, before taking another swig of his drink. Finishing, he asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, Parkinson¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. The drink shivers me quite a bit. Must be an after effect of the ColdBall.¡± He responded quickly, as if to cover something up. The target didn¡¯t notice it, however.


    The target smiled, and then broke into a slight chuckle, ¡®noticing¡¯ his innocent demeanour. ¡°It should. The ice they use is all imported from Europa. Purest dry ice you can come by.¡± The target would look at them again, trying to see if there was anything that could give away any allegiances.


    ¡°Heh. No wonder it¡¯s pricey. It still delivers, nonetheless. Top quality drink.¡± He finished up his drink, putting the ball of candy inside his mouth, munching it. It had a sweet taste, which exploded into an exotic mix of Mango, Dragon Fruit and Durian.


    ¡°Mmm... this tastes good.¡± He said, still munching.


    The target quickly chugged the rest of his drink, before turning on his stool to face them properly. It seemed that the target had a lot of questions for this mysterious person. Why were they so open to a conversation with a person that IS, wanted by the local police here. He couldn¡¯t quite understand why, but he had his reasons to suspect.


    He leaned on the backrest gently while slightly resting his right arm on the counter, lifting one eyebrow.


    ¡°You know... While my line of work isn¡¯t known for its intellect, I¡¯m smart enough to notice your constant staring. It¡¯s jarring. So let me ask you this. What do you really want? Half of the people in this city are spineless cowards or petty criminals.¡±


    His tone deepened, while questioning the hitman¡¯s entire attitude from the beginning. He was too lazy to bring it up, but now he was interested enough to point it out.


    But now, he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of danger looming around. Not that he was scared or anything. He was one of the most fearsome beings in the galaxy.


    He was just annoyed that should the target do something, his downtime would¡¯ve been ruined, and that would¡¯ve set him off.


    However, there was something up with this young man, and his thoughts only delved deeper and deeper into ¡®what if he¡¯s here to kill me?¡¯, since his body language was extremely tense and hostile.


    ¡°That hat.¡±


    The hitman humoured, looking at it.


    ¡°...Heh! Sure, buddy. Like I said, the hat ain¡¯t for sale.¡±


    The target said in an intentionally dry way. If there was any way to try and pry information from him, it would be now. But second by second, minute by minute. This very demeanour that the hitman had, this very moment that he stared back at his watch. This very moment that he dropped his entire act, was the moment that the target knew that he knew that he was-


    ¡°Hired by the White Eye previously, were you not?¡± The hitman finally dropped his ¡®innocent¡¯ act as he didn¡¯t want to prolong this any further.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Right to the chase, nice change of pace.¡± The target simply smiled, as if he pitied his interrogation skills. He sat straight up on his chair now, his body tensing up as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Me and White Eye have a brief history. What about it?¡±


    ¡°Just came here to do my job.¡± The hitman finally revealed his task to the target. The hitman was here to kill his target. He pulled his right sleeve up, ripping the watch out that was consistently vibrating. Hence his arm previously shaking.


    It was a blatant lie, but it was a good one.


    ¡°And that job is?¡±


    He looked around the bar before turning his gaze back at the target, not breaking eye contact at all. The bar was mostly empty, with a few people having left. The bartender was in the staff room restocking the drinks. It was at this moment that the hitman¡¯s body screamed ¡®extreme hostility¡¯, as he said:


    ¡°To kill you.¡± He then looked at the circular pad which had yet to have the drink paid for. He paid for the drink, swiftly taking his card out of the pocket and hovered above it, before setting the circular pad aside.


    ¡°Huh.¡± The target lightly scoffed. ¡°I suppose killing one of Nextellar¡¯s Premier Board Council wasn¡¯t enough?¡± He gently took his mask off his bandolier and put it on. ¡°Y¡¯know, that¡¯s a little poetic. The very guys who gave me my career are now attempting to rip it away.¡±


    The hitman stood up from the rugged barstool and stretched his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s a complicated profession, ¡®s what I like to say.¡±


    ¡°Can I at least know what made your Upper Echelon think that this was a good idea?¡± He stood up as well, adjusting his hat and jacket. He had his ¡®revolver¡¯ on stand-by, his hand hovering around it, ready to unholster it the moment the target captures danger with his eyes.


    The hitman just shrugged.


    The target sighed. ¡°Must we really do this? It¡¯s such a nice bar. The aesthetic, the smell of alcohol, the nice bartender. Don¡¯t have to ruin it all, eh?¡±


    The hitman got into a battle stance, which resembled that of trained White Eye fighters. He was one of them, obviously. However, this battle stance felt advanced, like they were one of them for a long time.


    ¡°Nice things blip away eventually, Rakoji Kovac.¡± The hitman said his name.

 Arc 1, Chapter 2 - The Fall

    ¡°I suppose they do.¡± Rakoji would walk away from the bar to the middle of the room for more space. He held his hand outwards, a small puff of Soul Energy would reveal his signature pistol, HYPERVOLVER.


    This could only mean that this ¡®target¡¯, was a Weapon-Type Soul-Wielder. All his Soul Energy is concentrated within a pistol. What type would the hitman be?


    ¡°Ready when you are.¡± Rakoji said, getting into his own battle stance. His was cowboy-like, his hat mostly obscuring his eyes while his hand still hovered over his pistol. He has yet to unholster it. This merely just looked like showing off, but this is how he was used to unholstering.


    ¡°I feel bad for the bar, let¡¯s do this outs-¡°


    ¡°DRAGON!¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡°


    A penetrating scream from the hitman followed with an inward pressure. Which happened to be the concentrated conjuration of his Soul Energy, before dispersing it into an explosion that blew the bar away.


    Civilians didn¡¯t have a moment to register what just happened and were blown away from their seats. Some were concussed, and one was knocked unconscious completely.


    The explosion gave off the sound of a Dragon which matched his Soul, scaring the crowded plaza. The concussed civilians panicked and fled the battlefield.


    Rakoji was blown out through a window, his armour protecting him from the blunt force of the window, the explosion, and the ground. ¡°Guh!¡± He grunted upon impacting the ground.


    However, he quickly stood up, dusting his jacket off and picking his hat on ¨C putting it on at a slight incline forward. This was the only way to conceal his identity.


    ¡°Rakoji Kovac, you¡¯re a dangerous man!¡± The hitman stepped out of the now-destroyed bar and emerged from the smoke.


    ¡°I would believe so! I¡¯m a mercenary! Last I checked, I did nothing to your little organization! Why does such a thing concern you in the first place? It¡¯s unbelievable!¡±


    He aimed his pistol towards the target, firing a flurry of shots. The bullets glowed a bright purple-blue and burned as hot as a blast furnace. Touching it meant third- or even fourth-degree burns. Or worse.


    ¡°Hr!¡± He barely dodged the flurry of blasts, but much to his dismay, one bullet grazed his shoulder. ¡°G-¡° Leaving out a small grunt, he¡¯d take cover behind a piece of rubble.


    ¡°A Weapon-Type! I figured as much!¡± He looked at the graze. It wasn¡¯t deep, but it was bleeding. However, the bleeding was the least of his problems. Now he realized the deep predicament he was in.


    Rakoji Kovac, one of the strongest and most fearsome mercenaries traversing the galaxy, had him in a pickle, by simply being his target. The hitman didn¡¯t know if he was up for the job, but he was given this job and he was expected to finish it.


    ¡°I¡¯d advise you to stay moving, bucko!¡± He aimed for the rubble, the barrel of his revolver glowed bright as a result. A beam of plasma fired into the rubble, causing it to melt and explode.


    ¡°Fuck it!¡± The hitman charged up more Soul Energy, his aura furiously lighting up with pure red flames. ¡°Flame Breath!¡± He yelled out, clashing the beam with his powerful breath attack. This could even incinerate the highest boiling point elements.


    Rakoji remained calm even after a strong retaliation and smirked. ¡°Ooh! That¡¯s a new one!¡± He jumped back and fired a supercharged bullet at his feet, launching himself far enough where he got just outside the range of the breath attack.


    The shockwave that dragged the plasma with him did light the edges of his coat on fire.


    ¡°Ergggg...¡± The hitman cancelled his breath attack, standing his ground.


    Rakoji would grab the edges of his coat, flinging it in the wind and putting out the flame ¨C leaving a trail of smoke to rise into the air. He took a deep breath and then sighed, looking at his hitman.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight! I¡¯d be fine with doin¡¯ a few more contracts for White Eye. Would that please your upper echelon?¡±


    ¡°No can do- I¡¯m following orders here.¡± The hitman responded with a sly smirk.


    ¡°Of course! You¡¯re just a slave to your craft! Never could stand authority like that. Old habits die hard, I suppose.¡± He fanned his revolver, releasing another flurry of bullets towards the hitman.


    After firing a couple more, he retreated behind the cover of an alleyway between the now burning bar and another store.


    The hitman had nowhere to take cover, so he raised both arms to take the bullets, to stop the impact from his aura. ¡°F-FUCK!¡±


    As he stopped them, he looked to see if Rakoji was around. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t spot him anywhere. Plus, his watch was destroyed, which rendered his radar useless. Then he heard a familiar voice yell out from somewhere.


    ¡°I thought White Eye trained their people better! Being a mercenary gives you more experience, I believe! I guess that¡¯s why the lazy fuckers got ME to do your jobs!¡±


    He yelled from his cover, leaning out for a moment and firing a few shots at the hitman to make sure he wasn¡¯t powering up a stronger attack.


    The hitman wasn¡¯t a force to be reckoned with either. He put up a Soul-Barrier by extending some of his Soul Energy to cancel out the bullets.


    ¡°My target is you- Just you! No one else! You wouldn¡¯t understand, though! So, I¡¯ll blow this plaza away to make you understand!¡± He cracked his knuckles. If he was joking, it wasn¡¯t a funny one.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Rakoji laughed. ¡°Such an ethical assassin! What happened to being neighbourly, huh?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I was lying.¡± The hitman took cover immediately.


    Rakoji sighed, realising that the battle would either turn into a bloodbath or a war of attrition. He wondered if he wanted to continue this or set foot immediately and run away. But that man, was a hitman.


    An assassin, tasked to kill him. If he ran away now, he would just get targeted another time.


    Killing looming danger now than let it loom was better.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to make this hard, man!¡± The hitman yelled from his cover. Even he was sick and tired of fighting now. He thought of Strad, which let him do this all alone.


    .:. Fuck you Strad, making me do this all alone. .:. He thought of giving him a good beating if he does come out alive after this.


    ¡°¡¯You don¡¯t have to make this hard, man!¡¯ ¡¯¡± Rakoji repeated what he said in a mocking voice. ¡°Of course I fucking do! I don¡¯t want to die yet!¡±


    The hitman stood up from his cover, now vulnerable. He could take one plasma wave from Rakoji and all would be over.


    ¡°Take my advice, kid! I fought people just like you. You¡¯re not the only one who wants my head, you know? You wanna know what happened to them? They all turned into minced meat, their heads looking more like strawberry ice-cream than... heads!¡±


    The hitman smirked. ¡°Yeah? I guess Weapon-Types are known to be pussies then!¡± He unleashed several damaging orbs that would heat seek Rakoji. They shot out of his mouth.


    ¡°Stubborn little freak, just like the rest! You just won¡¯t listen!¡±


    He sprinted down the alleyway, turning and firing an elongated beam at the orbs in hope of making them unstable and explode. And it worked. The heat seeking orbs would go for the hottest thing which was the beam.


    However, the hitman appeared at the other side of the alleyway, surprising Rakoji.


    ¡°Agh! Shit!¡± He turned, aiming his revolver. However, his Asteroid Miner went away from the other attack which caused it to be overwritten.


    ¡°DRAGON...¡±


    ¡°Ah fuck...¡±


    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    The hitman immediately exploded his Soul Energy into a powerful roar that would blast any Soul Attacks and buildings nearby.


    ¡°DAMNI-¡° Rakoji would go flying out of the alleyway from the roar. It was so powerful that he was blown back all the way to the opposite side of the street, crashing into a wall. However, the destruction gave Rakoji an option to flee. The street was busy, and he couldn¡¯t be seen from the hitman¡¯s point of view.


    The panic and destruction caused a stampede, a dangerous one.


    He stood up, able to spot the hitman from his point of view before smirking.


    ¡°Good attempt, kid. Maybe next time you¡¯ll succeed!¡± He charged up a powerful shot and jumped upwards ¨C shooting it at his feet and propelling himself a solid 15 meters down the road.


    He then broke into a sprint to one of the transporter bots, his destination back to the Docking Dome. The shot left a decently large smoke cloud to cover his escape.


    ¡°Oh no, you don-¡° However, the hitman was depleted of energy. He used up a lot in a short time, which caused his Soul to act on his own, refusing the hitman to move or use any of his abilities. ¡°RMG-¡° He dropped to one knee.


    Rakoji, having thought of a good idea to guarantee his escape, turned around and ran to a police officer. He nodded to himself in self-assurance. ¡°Officer! There is a... madman down the street! He attacked me, destroying a building in the pro-¡°


    ¡°Woah, slow down there! Talk to me again, what¡¯s happening?¡± The officer turned, looking at him confused.


    ¡°Damnit...¡± Rakoji was forced to slow down with his talking. He was in a hurry though, but the officer couldn¡¯t understand him because of a distinct accent. ¡°Officer... there is a psychopath... running around the street attacking people. He attacked me, some other people, and destroyed a building.¡±


    ¡°A building?¡± He then saw the pillar of smoke and Soul Energy breaking across the skyline. ¡°Ah! Thank you!¡± They reached onto their radio and called for backup. The already deployed officers around the area ran towards the battlefield. Rakoji then broke into a sprint again.


    As soon as the hitman heard the police and siren noises, he scratched his head in disappointment. ¡°Darn it... well, that wasn¡¯t smart... Shit. I better leave!¡±


    He turned the other way and fled from the battlefield, on his way to the transporter bots from the other side of the plaza, hundreds of meters away from the northern transporter bay. He kicked a transport bot of it¡¯s little hovercraft and controlled it himself to get to the Docking Dome quicker.


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! This is all your fucking fault, Strad! Now I¡¯ll get demoted for sure!¡±


    = = =


    The snowy planet carried rather a vigorous storm in this part.


    A place called Snowfall Heights.


    Temperatures in this range were always below zero. Very. The maximum recorded temperature was -37 degrees Celsius. And the minimum was -69.


    This place was unsustainable for any kind of agriculture, infrastructure, so it was left as a wasteland. The heights reached a peak of about 3000 meters above sea level, with the entire area being about 2800 kilometers in diameter.


    However, this place was also used for the most criminal of criminals. Even though it was a barren snowy wasteland with no inhabitants, it was the perfect place for committing any kind of crime and getting away with it. The place resembled much like the Arctic Glacier of Earth. The snow depth is about 7 meters, so walking was out of the equation. And a large sheet of solid water in the form of Ice 7 was under the snow, which was the only element in this area that was above zero.


    There were people flying above the heights using propulsion pads or helicopters which assisted their force against air turbulence. It gave off a noise like a fighter jet breaking past Mach 1. This caused a lot of static electricity to form around the area.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    However, and impossibly... A lifeform emerged under the depths of the snow in the middle of nowhere.


    ¡°...Egh...¡± A girl slowly stood up, covered in snow. She was shivering vigorously, looking around. There was no crash-landing site nearby, nor anything. Just herself.


    She brushed herself, shivering still. She looked around and much to her dismay, she saw nothing.


    ¡°Is this...¡±


    She stood there in the midst of nowhere, looking up at the sky and watching the snow fall. She was completely battered up from a fight and yet she found a sense of peace that she hadn¡¯t felt in almost her whole life.


    ¡°Is this... 25 years after... AGHH!¡±


    She held her ears from the sound of fighter jets passing.


    ¡°Rgh... What is... that?¡±


    She limped around a bit, still holding her ears. ¡°Gah! What is that noise?!¡± She commented on the noise the static electricity gave. It was jarring, gear grinding.


    ¡°What planet is this? Where am I?¡±


    Around her right, there is a sign which signals her to the nearest outpost and the nearest pathway. She was distanced approximately 4 kilometers away from the pathway.


    ¡°Hffff...¡± She let out a puff to warm herself before slowly walking towards where the sign signalled.


    As she closed in to the pathway, she could hear electric vibration getting louder gradually. It was a highway of flying cars and hyperloop trains. As barren as this wasteland was, there was one highway that went through the heights, connecting one place to another.


    Her vision was a bit fuzzy, looking around. It was amazing how she kept herself up with such an injured body. ¡°I-Is there... someone? Anybody... around?¡± She spoke but her voice gradually grew quiet out of exhaustion.


    ¡°I... I need... to find... him...¡± She would eventually crash from exhaustion. Completely falling flat on the ground with hope that someone will come and rescue her.


    And her hopes and prayers were answered, as there was a lone ranger walking on the pedestrian pathway that leads to the nearest security outpost of the entire region. This guy looked more like a traveller/adventurer than a criminal. She was lucky to stumble upon a good person here.


    It took a white to notice a girl with red hair lying on the thick layer of snow.


    ¡°Ai, masebo agetur... Camberni attutsi, zachaume!?¡± (Crapbaskets... That¡¯s a girl, isn¡¯t it!?)


    Then the man yelled for help in his own language. ¡°ROSHA! ROSHA!¡± (HELP! HELP!)


    He yelled again, signalling the people above to take her to the nearest outpost. Rosha meant Help in this language, but it was also meant as a command for the people to help anyone around these parts. This is why people flying immediately responded to the yelling.


    5 minutes later, along with the people above, a community ship also flew above, making their way down to save the girl.


    With no hesitation, the hatch opened and out came 6 people to aid this little girl.


    ¡°Ahener, vanke bajusta li attutsi?¡± (Traveler, where did you find this girl?)


    ¡°Jagerr! Daben tahalamerga torian canbey Perstahler Boulevare!¡± (I don¡¯t know! I just found her laying like this while I was going down the Pearl Boulevard!)


    The language sounded so alien-like, not human at all.


    ¡°Name, verjaga vbirjsna.¡± (Stay back, go sit down there.).


    One of the paramedics gestured the traveller to sit down


    ¡°Feh...¡± (Yeah...)


    ¡°Sam attutsi... aoen manniha dogon?¡± (This girl... was there someone else with her?). One of the paramedics kept questioning the traveller. Upon realizing that the girl was injured, the paramedic raised one of his eyebrows.


    ¡°Falen baoaiena assimipreleti?¡± (Did you beat her up?)


    ¡°Neh! Zu¡¯camper pabayfiaba!¡± (No, I swear I didn¡¯t!)


    ¡°Gar. Si attutsi peja ndyau te kirikaketina.¡± (Alright, we¡¯ll take this girl to the outpost now.)


    The paramedics brought a stretcher and carefully lay the girl on it, before walking back to the community ship. It was obvious she was an outsider, so they called her in the most wide-spread used language in the world.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you awake? Are you responsive? We¡¯re here to take you to the outpost. To safety.¡± A desperate paramedic outed while the hatch of the ship opened. As they brought her into the warm interior of the community ship, she¡¯d utter something quietly.


    ¡°F-Flynnigan... S-Shotaro...¡±


    The pilot started the engines of the ship and went airborne as fast as they could, riding immediately to the Assitrea Outpost. The desperate helper sighed, sitting in the co-driver seat and taking his helmet off.


    The other helper who sat next to the lying injured girl looked at her, who was uttering something that sounded like a name. Another foreign name, which didn¡¯t sound anything like the names in this yet to be revealed planet.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± The paramedic nudged the girl. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you-¡°


    ¡°D-DEATH!¡±


    The injured girl quickly laid up, thinking about what seemed to be what she yelled out loud. Nevertheless, her mind was put back in place.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you need to lay down! Too much movement will cause your injuries to worsen!¡± The paramedic distanced themselves a bit to let her know that they did not mean harm, and a second later, the girl yelled out again.


    ¡°I must stop him! I have to stop him! I got to! I need to! I must! Thi-¡° She looked up at the helpers, who were scared shitless.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, please... lay down.¡± They had distanced themselves so much that no physical contact could¡¯ve been made. This was somewhat a traditional and respectful action that the inlanders would use in everyday life to ensure that they were peaceful. But this injured girl¡¯s mania might¡¯ve made it worse.


    Who could believe an injured girl whose only purpose is to yell frantically?


    ¡°We... we don¡¯t mean no harm. We found you half unconscious in the Hastuka Region of Garhieo Fenn, which would be Snowfall Heights in your language... We¡¯re taking you to the nearest outpost so they can treat you better there.¡±


    The paramedic then took their mask off, revealing themselves to be a girl. But their characteristics were far from a normal human. First, they were as pale as snow. They were tall and had a slender figure. In fact, all the paramedics had the same characteristics. So, they weren¡¯t human, but another species, the injured girl thought.


    However, that wasn¡¯t why she was scared. There was fear and sorrow in her eyes, of course. But that was because seeing a normal and helping environment... scared the hell out of her.


    The other paramedic sat alongside the other, looking at the injured girl. This paramedic¡¯s body language was well rested. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself.¡±


    The paramedic extended his hand and told the girl his name. He smiled. ¡°My name is Sachiel Eria.¡±


    ¡°Eria... Eria... Eria...¡± The injured girl repeated his last name. Every time she repeated his last name, she shivered less. Then she yelled out...


    ¡°This is Testharia!¡±


    Sachiel simply chuckled, knowing that she was an outsider because of the unfamiliar look. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re most correct in that matter. This part is the most remote part of Testharia, where crime is common.¡±


    He laid back on his seat, crossing his legs. ¡°Part of my job is to make sure no crimes are being committed under my watch, by sending a cornucopia of freelancers that have agreed to survey remote areas of Snowfall Heights. We¡¯re a peaceful community and we hold a severe disdain toward those that allow themselves to drive down a path to evil. Anyhow, you are most welcome here.¡±


    He examined her before laying back on his seat even more. The injured girl wore clothes that were far from casual. They were elegant, stylish, more like royalty. It was ripped and rugged, though, looking more like a worn-down robe.


    However, Sachiel Eria, looked pristine. He had short dark yellow hair and black eyes. He was pale, tall and slender, just like the rest. But his body was well-built, and he had more muscle mass than anyone else here. He looked strong.


    ¡°What is your name, ma¡¯am?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Name...¡± The girl stared at Sachiel for a solid 10 seconds. It sounded like she forgot her own name, but that was probably due to the concussion she sustained during a... fight. Which was weird. No person gets into a fight easily unless it was with a polar bear.


    But no polar bear was dangerous for people living in Testharia.


    ¡°It¡¯s... Jumkou. Jumkou Katatoria.¡± She would finally speak, revealing her name to the kind and reasonable stranger. But Jumkou knew that this wasn¡¯t just some ordinary stranger. In fact, something screamed ¡®knowledge¡¯ when you look her in the eye. Those were the eyes of someone that knew everything.


    ¡°Jumkou Katatoria, hm? That is an interesting name indeed. You must not be from around here.¡± He stressed it out. ¡°How has a beautiful outsider like you happen to be laying smack-dab in the middle of the most remote place in Testharia?¡±


    He asked the question quietly, ensuring a chill and calm atmosphere.


    ¡°Oh... I...¡± She couldn¡¯t help but blush a bit from that statement. ¡°I... I don¡¯t know how I got here, actually...¡±


    He simply smiled, crossing his arms. ¡°If it is a secret matter, I shall not pry.¡±


    The outpost, however, was now visible from the ship window where Sachiel sat.


    ¡°Anyhow, do not feel pressurized to tell your tale once we¡¯ve finished tending to your wounds. You are very beat up, and it is important to ensure your survival first before we send you off to where you come from.¡±


    The girl dropped her eyes down to her feet, sighing. ¡°Yeah... thank you for helping me. I appreciate it.¡±


    Sachiel Eria was happy to hear that. Normally, the rescue missions that happen in Snowfall Heights end up not being the most satisfactory kind of missions. As injuries happen so often here, most end up dying before medical procedures can be done. And should they be brought to an outpost... they end up dying there too.


    So, in this instance, the paramedics including Sachiel Eria was incredibly happy to know that they could be saved.


    ¡°By any chance.... could you tell me what¡¯s going on...¡± She was still confused, about everything. ¡°Is there a war going on? Are Soul Core and Dark Intrinium still fighting? Is... White Eye still around?¡±


    Those were the kind of questions an amnesiac or a concussed person would answer. Sachiel took it like that. Jumkou was probably an amnesiac, having suffered a great head injury while she was in Snowfall Heights.


    ¡°Hmm... Not that I know of right now.¡± He thought out loud. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there is nothing that I can think of now. Eh- We¡¯re closed off from the outside world for the most part. Testharia is secluded enough to not have the slightest idea what kind of interplanetary events are happening right now.¡±


    Of course, this was a lie. But his charisma and kind demeanour were enough for Jumkou to trust him on that one.


    ¡°Woah...¡± She looked out the window, noticing how beautiful of a place Testharia was. Of course, they just hovered about the outpost, which looked more like a modern town than anything else.


    The outpost was as big as the city center of Testharia¡¯s capital city. When you put it that way, that is huge for a town. There was only one high-rise tower in this certain outpost, which was the hospital.


    ¡°That¡¯s... beautifu- AH!¡± Upon wanting a closer look, she tried getting out of the bed. However, her body gave out completely as she collapsed on the floor.


    ¡°Ow...¡±


    -


    The Assitrea Outpost. The most populous place in Snowfall Heights used to save people from bad situations in the remote area. It¡¯s mostly home to rehab patients, normal patients, doctors, scientists, and freelancers.


    In one of the biggest patient rooms in the hospital, Jumkou Katatoria is currently getting the treatment she needs.


    Jumkou stared at the ceiling shortly after waking up.


    .:. Crapbaskets... off to a rough start. .:.


    She stared at the ceiling.


    .:. So Testharia is still around... But I don¡¯t know if Kyvern still is. If this is 25 years after their destruction like I predicted it to be, the- .:.


    Her thought-process was cut of by a doctor walking towards the now awake Jumkou. ¡°Hello, Miss. How are you doing?¡± They waited patiently for an answer. The doctor was pale, tall and thin, like the rest. Now she knew that this is all Testharians were.


    She didn¡¯t respond until five seconds after. ¡°My body feels a bit sluggish...¡±


    The doctor smiled, knowing that Jumkou could respond and talking directly. ¡°Ah, that may be the medication. It will wear off in about 30 minutes.¡± The doctor grabbed his clipboard and started writing things down.


    She grunted a bit.


    ¡°Do you have apple juice, doctor?¡±


    ¡°Apple juice? Ah, ugam paerela.¡± The doctor took a while to understand what apple juice was in the universal language. ¡°I shall get it for you.¡±


    The doctor stood from his chair, left the clipboard on his chair and walked out. The other doctors in the same room were evaluating her heart rate and her other vitals.


    However, Jumkou didn¡¯t care about everything that was happening around her. Her thoughts lingered on a person. This one person, who she held out so much hope for.


    .:. I must figure out where to begin. I need to know the year, the place... Where can I even find him if I don¡¯t know where and when I am... .:.


    The doctor came back with a full bottle of apple juice. The doctor picked up his clipboard, sitting down on his chair and grabbed a cup, but Jumkou just popped the cap of the bottle and chugged it down like a madman.


    It was clear that she was thirsty.


    ¡°Miss... Katatoria. If you do not mind. We would like to ask you a few questions.¡± He leaned further back on his chair, taking his clipboard and getting ready to write some things down.


    ¡°We would like to know how you have sustained so many injuries.¡±


    ¡°Hm? My injuries?¡± She placed the bottle on her lap.


    ¡°I... I got into a fight... and it backfired hard... It was awful.¡± Thinking about it made her both angered and sorrowful.


    ¡°Did you run into some high-profile criminals in Snowfall Heights. According to our Great Kamisword Eria, his excellency found you there.¡±


    The doctors were clearly concerned about how a seemingly powerless, innocent looking girl suddenly landed herself in the center of a very remote area. How did she defend herself? Moreover, how did she survive for so long?


    All these questions must have been answered for a full evaluation of her injuries. It was like an interrogation.


    The doctor had to know.


    ¡°I-...¡± She was concerned whether she could tell the truth or not.


    ¡°It might¡¯ve been... a couple criminals that caught me by surprise.¡± She had to build up the lie to make it more believable. ¡°They asked for my personal belongings... I gave it to them, but they wanted more, and I refused... So, they beat me up.¡±


    She figured that she had to keep her secret a low.


    ¡°Ah.¡± The doctor showed concern once more. ¡°They are a hardy breed in these parts, which is ironclad. But you are completely safe now. As we evaluate your vitals more, we can properly determine your injuries. Then, we can send you to Tristate City with the appropriate number of guards and survey corps.¡±


    He started writing down the things Jumkou said on his clipboard.


    ¡°Right- Thank you, doctor.¡± She smiled back.


    Jumkou was happy to know that she would be safe from now on. But what about ¡®that person¡¯? What about the person that she wants to meet right now? What about that person that she holds out so much hope for? That person, that she has never met before. That person, she heard stories about. That person, who could save what she cherishes the most.


    .:. The world. .:.


    .:. Flynnigan Shotaro. .:.


    .:. Testharia. .:.


    .:. Kyvern. .:.


    .:. Soul Core, Dark Intrinium .:.


    .:. White Eye, Nextellar. .:.


    .:. Macabre Flugel, Eukaron. .:.


    .:. How do I begin? .:.


    How do I begin? How do I start from here? How do I look for him? Where do I start? How should I start? When do I start? Where do I start? What do I start with? My thoughts... they are filling up like crazy! How the hell! How the fuck do I start?


    How do I start?


    The doctor noticed her upcoming panic attack. ¡°It must be an honour to be rescued by our Great Kamisword.¡± The doctor smiled, showing a laid-back posture.


    ¡°Great... Kamisword?¡±


    ¡°That is what we call His Excellency, our leader ¨C Sachiel Eria.¡± He spoke with great respect.


    Such respect, that it sounded rich.


    ¡°Sachiel Eria... Sachiel Eria...¡± Something clicked into her mind.


    .:. Sachiel Eria! I remember him! So, this must be after the destruction of Kyvern! Yes! .:.


    ¡°He is a very kind and sweet leader.¡± She noted from her impression of him.


    ¡°He very much is so.¡± He nodded again before standing up and walking over to the other doctors. Her heart rate and vital organs were evaluated. They all seemed fine, and she was ready to be discharged. Her injuries seemed to be less severe than before.


    ¡°If you would like. We could discharge you now, or you can choose to lay here if you wish to be properly treated. We often do not send out patients on their way that easily, however... You are recovering at a fast pace.¡± He noted on her amazing talent.


    ¡°Ah... Yes please.¡± She stretched her arms a bit. ¡°I would like to. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It is my duty to save lives.¡± He smiled, adjusting the hospital bed to the point where she would have an easier time getting off it.


    As it lay right, she kicked her feet off the bed. Slowly standing up to prevent dizziness, she mildly eyes her battle-scarred clothes sitting on the chair.


    ¡°Crapbaskets... they can¡¯t fix this.¡±


    She walked over to it, picking it up.


    The doctor waved at Jumkou. ¡°I wish you a good evening. The Great Kamisword must have a convoy waiting for you on the exit. It¡¯s to the right, then you must take an elevator to the ground floor. Then take a left, another left, and there is the exit.¡±


    ¡°Thanks again!¡± She waved back, before staring at the battle-scarred clothes.


    She walked out of the room, scanning the hallway thoroughly to see if anybody was still around. Once it was empty, she closed her eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can still pull it off...¡±


    Jumkou decided to utilize her Soul to reverse the damages done to her outfit.


    ¡°Inversed...¡±


    ¡°...Damage.¡±


    The Soul responded. The white aura with a time clicking sound engulfed her destroyed outfit. However, it slowly began to repair all the damage that was inflicted.


    ¡°Hehehehe!¡± She laughed happily. Her fit was as good as new. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡±

 Arc 1, Chapter 3 - Stumbling Upon A Troubled Time

    The convoy ship came to a halt at a station. The biggest docking station of any planet ever. It was 12 circular shaped docking stations, in which the main path connected to the famous Eria Tower. Here you could take ships, hyperloops and even the fastest taxis in the world to wherever you wanted to go.


    Welcome to Tristate City. A blooming megalopolis home to at least 25 million people in a wide 1,838 square km2 ground. Despite its large population however, it is a snowy place with temperatures always below zero.


    However, Tristate City has an artificial weather system where temperatures can exceed 20 degrees Celsius.


    This is a great place for Weapon-Type Soul-Wielders to practice their Soul. As Testharia is the only planet with a Weapon-Type majority population.


    The city was bustling, booming with top-notch infrastructure, amazing roads and amazingly clean pathways. Since Tristate City is one of the galaxy¡¯s safest cities, everything was kept clean and pristine.


    It gave off an atmosphere like being in Heaven.


    ¡°I sure do stand out quite a bit...¡± She assumed her eye and hair colour isn¡¯t common on this planet. Which was a funny thought, since there is more that¡¯s different about her than just colours.


    She indeed got some weird looks from Testharians. While being typically tall, thin and pale as snow, she was far from that. She stood at a decent 5¡¯6-5¡¯8 height and was average weighted.


    As a result, nobody dared to approach her.


    She could notice that the pathway was left empty for her since Testharians distanced themselves from them. It felt like she was hated by everyone else. It really gave off that kind of a feeling, but it was a far-fetched thought.


    She was just different, and Testharians had the policy to welcome any foreigners and respect everything about them. Personal space, respect. Who knows what will happen if they get on foreigners¡¯ bad sides.


    ¡°... Ahem.¡± She cleared her throat and began walking around to admire the details of Tristate City. She looked to her left, then to her right. There were so many things to admire. Too much that she couldn¡¯t count.


    ¡°I heard so many stories about Testharia... and its beautiful cities. But I never thought that it would be this amazing...¡± Her jaw dropped upon seeing the famous Eria Tower.


    Tristate City has about 9,300 skyscrapers in total, with a poverty rate of almost 0.0001%. Nobody is poor, and nobody was rich. There is almost no crime in Tristate City due to a large deployment of patrol guards to crack down criminals any seconds.


    However, the chance of that happening was extremely slim, since Testharians are peaceful people.


    Some skyscrapers were holographic, with tints of orange and blue to represent the flag colours of Testharia. Orange represented Glory. Blue represented Peace. And white represented Prosperity.


    They merely acted as decoration.


    ¡°This place is certainly much better than Earth...¡±


    The Eria Tower was the tallest tower in Testharia. Standing at an impossible length of a full kilometer, it was the homeplace for the Eria Family. It acted as a hotel, office, accommodations and the top floor, was there the Eria Family lived.


    She would walk towards it, gazing by how beautiful it looks.


    The big entrance doors were fully gold, but it was always open for people to see inside. She pointed out the unnecessary security infringement.


    ¡°Why are the doors open? Wouldn¡¯t they get in trouble if something bad happened?¡±


    She made her way towards the entrance, casually entering. In the future, etiquette didn¡¯t come to mind for her. She didn¡¯t even think that she was infringing any rules. What are rules? Rules didn¡¯t exist in her time.


    Upon entry, she was met with a ginormous, rich looking lobby with perfectly mosaic glass floor with a hologram table that showed the entire map of Tristate City.


    On her right stood the elevators which lead to certain floors. To be allowed to ride the ¡®advanced¡¯ elevators, she had to get a permit by registering herself in the lobby.


    ¡°...Urgh... a permit?¡± She looked at the elevators. With a small frown, she walked towards the front desk.


    There was a receptionist working. They were busy taking a phone call, so they didn¡¯t see Jumkou at first glance. The call took a good 30 seconds before they readied themself to talk to the girl needing help.


    ¡°Hello... euh...¡± The receptionist stared Jumkou up and down for a solid 10 seconds. It felt awkward. Too awkward. But even if the receptionist helping foreigners wasn¡¯t a rarity anymore, they still felt overwhelmed by their presence.


    ¡°How... umm... how can I help you?¡± The receptionist had a hard time regaining their composure.


    ¡°Yes uhh- I uhh... I need to... acquire a permit? It says so on the elevators... I think...¡± She responded in an awkward tone.


    ¡°Permits... ah, yes! Permits. Just a second, please.¡± The receptionist suddenly vanished under the table, rummaging in the small rows under the desk. Then she reappeared again.


    ¡°What permit do you exactly need to acquire? There¡¯s a permit for bottle deposits, a permit for the lobby on Floor 48, a permit for office rooms on Floors 4, 8, 9, 12, 14, 18, and 20. There''s one for the hangar on Floor 55, the library on Floor 50, and the emergency stairwell on Floor 13. You¡¯ll need a permit for the rooftop garden on Floor 52, the cafeteria coffee machine on Floor 10, and the vending machines on every odd-numbered floor. Oh, don¡¯t forget the permit for the maintenance closet on Floor 23, the copier in Room 207, and the restroom on Floor 15. For meeting rooms, there¡¯s a permit for the executive conference room on Floor 21, the shared workspaces on Floor 6, and the ¡®relaxation pods¡¯ on Floor 11. There¡¯s also one for the printer access on Floor 2, and even a permit for using the parking garage on Tuesdays. Then there¡¯s the permit for the virtual reality training suite on Floor 26, the restricted access archives on Floor 33, and the observation deck on Floor 53, 108 and 127. If you¡¯re using the elevators for deliveries, that¡¯s a different permit too. The server room on Floor 3 has its own permit, as does the gym on Floor 7, and the soundproofed meeting room on Floor 22. Finally, there¡¯s even a permit for using the break room microwave on Floor 17 and another for the key card activation process. A euthanization center on Floor 99 and lastly, a permit for Floor 128 for any kind of important meetings with the Great Kamisword or any of his family members... So, altogether, that¡¯s...29 different permits. Which one did you need again?"


    That sounded like a mouthful. Too much, in fact. She completely lost her on the permit for office rooms. At some point, she got annoyed by her unnecessary rambling about all the permits available.


    Why would there be so many permits for so many things, anyway? A permit to use the vending machine? A permit for bottle deposits? Hell, a permit for a break room microwave?


    ¡°What...¡± The only word that came out of Jumkou¡¯s mouth was just that. She was lost. ¡°A permit for... the break room microwave? Why would there be a pe- I¡¯m getting sidetracked... I need a permit for the top floor!¡±


    She got annoyed and pouted, looking at the receptionist with strong eye contact.


    ¡°A-ah... yes, okay. I will have to confirm your name to see if it matches with Great Kamisword Eria¡¯s meeting schedules... Are you Kali Gane?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°Veri Supana?¡±


    ¡°Mm mm...¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°Aria Fujimara?¡±


    ¡°Nope...¡±


    ¡°Jumkou Katatoria?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Finally, the receptionist got it right. They smiled, reaching under the desk to get a permit ticket out. They write Jumkou¡¯s name on it in Testharian alphabet before handing it to her.


    ¡°Here, Miss. There is a sensor next to the elevator which will immediately bring you to the top floor using your ticket.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± She took the ticket and made her way towards the elevator. She put the ticket against the senser of the elevator. While she did so, the door opened almost immediately. She walked in.


    -Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The elevator reached Floor 128, the top floor. It opened its doors and revealed the red haired, red eyed woman in intricate, elegant clothing stepping out of it. In her point of view, she was presented with a floor of red carpet and windows that were so clean and transparent, that you wouldn¡¯t think that there were any windows at all.


    However, it looked like another huge lobby as there stood a long table with two seats.


    ¡°Wow...¡± She was astounded by how the room looked. Pristine looking chairs, tables that were made of gold. Art on walls that looked like oil paintings. A wine room. This was royalty, at least that¡¯s what she was thinking.


    ¡°Wow... and this is just... a tiny amount of their wealth?¡± She looked around. She walked over to the table where she and the Great Kamisword would be talking. Nobody was here, just her. She decided to just wait, thinking that the Great Kamisword had serious business to attend to.


    She waited for a good 10 minutes, before she heard a familiar voice to her right.


    ¡°Sorry, I was preoccupied with some serious business. The Garnitula Company wouldn¡¯t let us off the hook so easily. He walked over to his seat.


    ¡°Sachi- I mean, Great Kamisword.¡± She bowed, stationing herself nervously.


    ¡°Drop the formality, we¡¯re acquaintances. Come, take a seat.¡± He pointed to the other seat.


    ¡°Right.¡± She said, her eyes gleaming with joy. She would take the seat where Sachiel pointed at. They were going to commence their ¡®meeting¡¯, or it was just a session of small talk. Sachiel¡¯s true purpose was to know who she was. And Jumkou¡¯s purpose of this meeting was to know the year, the major events.


    .:. Sachiel might help me understand. Such a person holding such a huge position wouldn¡¯t know nothing about the world, right? I have to get some answers. .:.


    She thought, staring Sachiel in the eye, while she was deep in thought.


    ¡°How do you like Tristate City so far? I apologise if the lack of sky frightens you. We do have a lot of high-rises after all.¡± He laid back on his seat¡¯s backrest, chuckling.


    ¡°No no no, it¡¯s amazing! It¡¯s incredible! I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    He smiled, snapping his fingers, a clean and small signal for his butler to serve some drinks for him and Jumkou. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that a foreigner likes what we¡¯ve created. Is there a specific drink that you like?¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± She trailed off, looking away. ¡°Apple juice...¡± She said in an embarrassed manner. How dare she ruin dignity in front of this fine established king? She should¡¯ve chosen wine, something alcoholic.


    But she couldn¡¯t handle it, at all.


    ¡°One apple juice and one Shukrann Wine, please.¡± He said to his butler. ¡°I must say, that is an interesting preference.¡±


    ¡°Where I¡¯m from, it¡¯s considered rare by any means... That¡¯s why I like it.¡±


    ¡°Ah! A fan of the rarest quality, are you? I must say, I¡¯m not familiar with that kind of style of preference. We Testharians do love apple juice, though we do not drink it daily.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°You could say that apple juice too, is a rarity here.¡±


    She chuckled too. ¡°I used to have it a lot as a kid until it made me sick to my stomach. To put it more frankly... It¡¯s all I had.¡±


    ¡°I see... Ah- May I know where you are from? It would be nice to get to now you.¡± He sipped his Shukrann Wine, his cheeks reddening up by the quick effect of alcohol washing over him.


    Shukrann Wine was a type of wine created in the winery town of Shukrann, which was closer to the Assitrea Outpost than to the capital city.


    It¡¯s known to have one of the best aftertastes in any wine ever. That¡¯s why it¡¯s expensive. And it would be normal for a king or a lord to drink such an extremity.


    Jumkou looked up at Sachiel and answered in respect. ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯m from the fu-¡° She choked on her own words, realizing what she would say would turn her secret to a public announcement.


    ¡°Ah... Earth! I grew up on Earth! I¡¯m from Earth!¡± She said it three times, a little panicky. She then drank her apple juice to hide it.


    ¡°Ooh... Earth. The home planet of all humans in the galaxy. I¡¯ve heard that Earth has been in turmoil these past few years.¡±


    Hearing that last segment instilled bad thoughts into her. These past few years, she hasn¡¯t lived all of those. She¡¯s from the future. ¡°It certainly has...¡± She had to lie to keep her ¡®grounded in the past¡¯ persona going.


    ¡°Hey, Sachiel... Are you by any chance a... Soul-Wielder?¡±


    ¡°Why, yes I am.¡± He finished his Shukrann Wine, placing the glass on the table.


    That was the moment when she completely knew that-


    ¡°I am in the right time...¡± She said quietly to herself.


    So, she was in the right time. There were Soul-Wielders. Soul-Wielders that she didn¡¯t know. This could only mean one thing. There are more like him. Way too many, right? This isn¡¯t just another time where she dropped too late, right?


    ¡°How many Soul-Wielders are out there?¡± She asked desperately.


    ¡°If I had to take a random guess. I would say that there are about 50 mill-¡°


    ¡°FIFTY MILLION!?!?¡± She shouted from the top of her lungs, jumping up from her seat.


    Sachiel Eria was taken aback by her sudden loudness. Everything about her screamed tense body language.


    It wasn¡¯t hostile, nor did he hate or dislike her sudden rash behaviour. In fact, he was completely content. Everybody would be shocked at that number. Even if it was a rough guess. 50 million Soul-Wielders.


    The chance of becoming a Soul-Wielder was so low, but practicing enough to utilize Soul Energy was high. However, to be using the best of abilities a Soul has to offer, you would have to be born with it.


    That was a high bar set up by the Rim of the Universe Gods. It¡¯s an intricate gift from time. It gives life to an individual, fills them with sentience. But it also powers them.


    ¡°I guess that large of a number would fascinate even the smartest humans.¡± He spoke.


    ¡°I must know-¡° She trailed off, looking around to see if this question was okay to ask. After all, she didn¡¯t know anything about this specific time. She came from the future, and in her future, almost nothing existed from her usual confusion and unknowingness of events. But she heard stories of those things existing before. Before she was born.


    ¡°Is Soul-Core and Dark Intrinium still at war?¡±


    ¡°If I said that I knew if they were at war, I would be lying...¡±


    The first question was an unsatisfactory one. She didn¡¯t get the answer she was looking for. It was to be expected. Like Sachiel said when she was brought to the outpost, they didn¡¯t know of any interplanetary events happening in the galaxy. They only knew themselves, and only cared about themselves.


    ¡°If I recall correctly... It¡¯s... Lord Veyron that leads Dark Intrinium, right?¡±


    ¡°You may be most correct about that, as I did hear of an heir taking the throne of Veyronia.¡±


    It all made sense now. She was now deep in thought. She tried hard to tie up loose ends, set the pieces. Kytan Veyron of Veyronia was now Lord of Veyronia. Sachiel Eria was the Great Kamisword of Testharia. Then this must mean that the White Eye, the Soul-Core, the Nextellar, all those factions must exist.


    Then all she could now is confirm the year she was in.


    ¡°Sachiel... can you tell me what year we¡¯re in?¡± She said with wide open eyes. She was tensed up, knowing that the answer she would get would be a satisfactory one. She started sweating for the question to be answered. She thought of being in between the year 2188 ¨C 2200.


    ¡°It¡¯s... 2195.¡± He said, awkwardly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    I succeeded. I succeeded. I succeeded. I succeeded. I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded! I succeeded!


    I¡¯m in the right time! I¡¯m not too late! I can save things still! I need to find him! I need to know where he¡¯s at! Right! This! Instant! I have no time to lose! If I still have time, he can save the world! I can save things now!


    = = =


    Tucked away at the base of a massif, a large Testharian military base stood in full operation. Surrounded by pine trees and hills ¨C the lack of cities allowed for bright stars and Testharia being visible in the night. Around 5,000 mobilizers were on-sight ¨C however roughly 300 were on patrol on the walls and base grounds.


    Thick walls surrounded the main buildings ¨C two towers at the main entrance and one in the center.


    Ramiel stood in the control room of the military base, overlooking the grounds as spotlights begun to whirr to life with the coming night. Right now, there was no criminal activity going on. It never happens for the most part.


    Dankasho was just as safe as Testharia, but the crime rate is always higher on a satellite planet.


    Ramiel yawned, having gotten little sleep overnight. ¡°The pay¡¯ll be worth it...¡± He said to keep himself awake.


    However, something appeared in the night sky of Dankasho. This something was approaching fast. Ramiel tilted his head as the bright night sky illuminated its silhouette. He tried to make out the shape since it could have been anything, even a Testharian Transport Ship.


    Upon second glance, however, it was not a T.T.S. It was a bright beam of colourful lights ready to take it is harsh landing on the moon.


    Ramiel sighed, yawning again before turning to his left to one of the control room staff. Did he really take this seriously? Yawning and sighing. That wasn¡¯t professional. However, it was 2 AM in the morning, and he took watch duty.


    ¡°Activate Anti-Air defences. We have an unidentified object about to touchdown on the moon.¡± Ramiel sighed ¨C assuming it was just an asteroid or an unfuelled satellite.


    The officer behind Ramiel swivelled on his chair. ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    Turning back on their chair, the officer begun to type onto his monitor ¨C opening up a map of the moon in a 1000 kilometer radius. It was in real-time and showed the object. A quick click of the mouse confirmed the heat seeking target before turning back around.


    Three turrets would rise from the ground in the backline of the base, each with around five missiles to shoot down minor threats. In a blaze of orange and blue light, one missile from each pod shot into the air to intercept the beam of light.


    However, any weapons that were fired by the command center were immediately disintegrated upon contact with the beam of light. Just what was that thing?


    The officer would sweat before chuckling nervously. Nothing like this happened before. Really. What kind of object would disintegrate the retaliation missiles of the best anti-air defence in the entire galaxy? This is how Testharia remained untouched for years. Why did it fail now?


    The officer turned to Ramiel on his chair. ¡°Interception failed ¨C the missiles just... disintegrated.¡± He spoke with emphasis and reluctancy on the last segment.


    ¡°Right...¡± The beam was moving closer and closer each second and Ramiel saw that. He stood up. ¡°Order an evacuation to locals within a 500km radius and put the base on high alert. An asteroid doesn¡¯t disintegrate Testharian steel.¡± He said as he turned back to the window, looking at the light.


    Of course. Testharian Steel. It wasn¡¯t anything like Tungsten, Vibro Steel, Ambrecian or Amarunyan Steel. But it was enough to completely obliterate asteroids, meteorites and even their own satellites should something like a deorbit happen.


    The beam began to illuminate brighter than the sun in the solar system Testharia was orbiting, completely turning the night sky into day, waking everyone up.


    Ramiel and the entire room covered their eyes, with Ramiel turning on a filter on his helmet to save his eyes from being burned by the intense nits and lumens of light shone down them.


    The tinted windows of dormitories, schools, offices and accommodations couldn¡¯t block out the light.


    And then, the beam shot past the atmosphere and shortly flew over the base, rumbling the area.


    Ramiel quickly turned to another officer in the room.


    ¡°I want a Recon Artist squad mobilized and sent to the crash-site when it hits, immediately!¡±


    The beam then crashed down deep into the forest, forming a mini-explosion.

 Arc 1, Chapter 4 - Testharian Force

    Soon after the explosion faded away, roughly 15 Recon Artists with propulsion pads and flew from the walls of the base towards the crater.


    As the smoke dissipated from the crater. Someone emerged from the smoke. It was the infamous Synthetic-Class. The very same Synthetic-Class that attacked innocent civilians in Progen City a couple years ago.


    The terrorist attack on Progen City was all over the news for months. Soul-Core, Macabre Flugel, and a couple more peacekeeping factions put bounties on this Synthetic-Class¡¯s head. This Synthetic-Class was responsible for the 2,445 deaths and 20,000 more injured during a traditional parade.


    As such, Earth has been in turmoil because of the Synthetic-Class. The smoke fully dissipated and he was in full view.


    ¡°Heh.¡± He stood up straight, brushing himself from dust.


    Not a moment later, the squad leader of the Recon Artists¡¯ squad manifested their weapon, pointing it at the Synthetic-Class. ¡°Identify yourself!¡±


    The other Recon Artists formed their own weapons or prepared their powers ¨C a few just pulling guns out.


    The Synthetic-Class looked up at the Recon Artists, laughing at the pitiful act and pathetic ¡®peacekeeping¡¯ act they were upholding against him. He felt nothing, and all he heard was stupid gibberish he didn¡¯t want to hear.


    He wiped his lips with his thumb before smiling. ¡°Identifying myself? I won¡¯t do such thing.¡±


    He looked around, licking his lips before a bigger smile overwrote his face. A menacing, evil smile. ¡°The forest looks very nice. It would be nicer once it¡¯s gone, though.¡±


    ¡°Hands in the air. You are trespassing on Testharian Military Grounds! We will not hesitate to shoot!¡± The squad leader said. So noble and so strong. Oh, how the Synthetic-Class pitied them. If only he could crush their skulls with his hands. That¡¯s all he wants to do.


    ¡°Testharian...? Ugh... What a place to land.¡± He said in a grumpy tone. Now he had more of a reason to tear those weak motherfuckers down.


    ¡°There¡¯s just something about you guys that I dislike so much. You all act so noble and for what? Recognition? Strength? Power tripping? Only I¡¯m allowed to do that. Weak minded guys have no right to show off.¡±


    He raised both arms, his hands crackled into tiny rainbow explosions. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what! I¡¯m not the one trespassing! You are trespassing MY grounds! SHATTER!¡± The explosions would then chain into one massive explosion that would kill and injure the Recons.


    The squad lit up in screams of pain and terror, as several of them were killed on the spot. Six Recon Artists would withdraw out of the radius using their propulsion pads, before readying their weapons to retaliate against the Synthetic-Class. ¡°Attack!¡±


    ¡°AHAHAHA!¡± The Synthetic-Class laughed at how pathetic most squad members died. ¡°Oh man! Just like that!? You are even worse than I thought!¡±


    Two, one with a double-bladed spear and one with a scimitar would simultaneously lunge towards the Synthetic-Class in a pincer strike.


    One with a rifle would then fire down the middle in an attempt to force the Synthetic-Class to flee or take the brunt of the attacks.


    ¡°Defying Impact!¡±


    He accelerated himself at the one with the spear, punching him three times, then kicking him into the air. The Synthetic-Class then appeared above them, using his experience battle experience to lock them in a seriously fatal combo before discharging a beam that completely obliterated their body.


    ¡°AAAGHHGF-¡° The scream was cut off.


    Nothing of them were left, not even charred fragments. They were gone, just like that.


    The member with the scimitar moved behind the Synthetic-Class, trying to impale him with their blade ¨C Soul-Energy coating it with a small explosive aura.


    ¡°Whoooop!¡± He took the hit intentionally, making the scimitar user realize that they drew closer to him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He grabbed them, forcing them to get hurt by their own attack.


    ¡°AHGK¡ª¡° They de-manifested their scimitar before using their propulsion pads to make distance between him and the Synthetic-Class. The one with the rifle would fire a torrent of bullets towards him in an attempt to put him down. The Synthetic-Class would get no time to rest, but that was nothing for him. None of the Testharians who dared to stop him, could stop him. He had them beat here. He was the king here. This was his territory. This was them trespassing into his territory.


    The two who fled would land on an emergency-entrance to the control room, rushing inside quickly and saluting before reporting in. ¡°That was no meteor. It was a person, and they¡¯re killing the entire team!¡±


    Ramiel looked back at them. ¡°Alright, send two detachments of infantry towards the crash-site. Put the base on high-alert, prepare an emergency transmission to Testharia. Do not send it until I say so!¡±


    -


    ¡°AAARGHGHGH!¡± The recon artist screamed in pain, dropping to their knees and holding the stub that was once their wrist.


    The Synthetic-Class landed before them, looking down.


    ¡°That¡¯s gotta hurt, right? It hurts, doesn¡¯t it? I told you, you were trespassing my grounds. That¡¯s the punishment you get for doing that.¡±


    They looked the Synthetic-Class in the eye -their expression of fear and pain turning into one of anger and patriotism. ¡°Damn you!¡± They spat at the Synthetic-Class, knowing they had no chance of escaping with their life.


    ¡°Hm... That¡¯s not nice.¡± He wiped his cheek with his right arm, cleaning it from the spit. ¡°You have no manners, huh? You just spat at me, didn¡¯t you? Do you really not know what manners are? HUH!?¡±


    He grabbed the recon artist¡¯s face, holding them up. ¡°HUH!? YOU FUCKER! YOU DON¡¯T SPIT!¡±


    His hand lit up in rainbow colours before he discharged a mini-explosive right in front of his face. The recon artist didn¡¯t have enough time to let out a scream as they were blown back, subsequently dying as a result.


    ¡°Spitting, huh? And I thought they had manners. Fuckin¡¯ not.¡±


    In the distance, the sound of sirens and alarms faded into the ambience ¨C a sign of evacuation for the families of soldiers living nearby, and a sign of attack for the Testharian soldiers still asleep.


    ¡°They got here pretty quick. I guess some sort of base is nearby. That gives me an idea... Heh...¡± He smirked, beginning to walk to the direction where the military base was located.


    He quickly found a platoon of soldiers accompanied by several drones. The drones spotted him quickly, making a noise similar to a normal car alarm, to alert the platoon.


    Those with Souls would manifest their weapons or prepare their powers as the ones with guns, while the drones charged towards the Synthetic-Class ¨C splitting into five teams and spreading out between the trees.


    A Support-Type soldier would raise their hand ¨C a shimmering gold aura appearing around every soldier in the platoon, boosting their strength and durability. It also illuminated the Synthetic-Class in a red aura ¨C allowing them to spot him through obstructions.


    ¡°Two... no, five grouped separately.¡± He read their aura within the area.


    Suddenly, a wave of bullets and lasers lit up the forest in gold and crimson light ¨C all targeted towards the Synthetic-Class¡¯s red aura. Jumping over the trees ¨C those with Weapons, from Warhammers to Sabers to Gun blades would pounce onto the Synthetic-Class, the power of their Support-Type shielding them from the friendly fire.


    ¡°W-¡° Chaos had to play on the defence this time. 4 melee Soul-Wielders was overwhelming, especially when they attacked simultaneously. It was a piece of cake for him nonetheless, but their amazing chemistry and well thought out attacks made it harder for him to squeeze a punch or kick in.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Several would miss their swings, and some would hit the Synthetic-Class. The backline of shooters would cheer in bloodlust before drawing their own melee or pistols and charging into the fray to overwhelm in.


    And that was it. A hundred twenty versus one, about to hit them with all they got. Was he finally in a pickle? Was this the time to retreat?


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    A small click of his tongue was all he let out, before breathing in and out. He held out both arms and smirked.


    ¡°Shatter...¡± He said quietly, his hands forming an explosion 20x stronger than the previous. The explosion made a one second impact frame before absolutely annihilating anything surrounding him. From tress, to grass, from people, to animals, from objects to literal air.


    The forest lit up with screams and a visible explosion from the base¡¯s control tower.


    Support-Types who were on the backline would flee to the outer wall of the military base ¨C while the remaining drones banzai-charged the Synthetic-Class, trying to self-destruct and kill him in the decently-large explosion. Ramiel watched the entire thing unfold back in the military base and spoke to the person behind him.


    ¡°Send word for Testharian Special Forces ¨C mention the fact that they just killed over 150 of our best soldiers. Have the Vehicle Bay prepare a vehicle. I¡¯m going to keep him as far away from the base as possible until help arrives.¡± Ramiel spoke with an air of confidence in his voice. But it faltered as soon as the person responsible for the transmission left the room. 150 of their best soldiers, gone, killed by one person.


    Who this person was, they didn¡¯t know. They didn¡¯t know that it was Chaos, the Synthetic-Class who orchestrated the incident on Progen City. The underestimation coming from the Testharian forces was justified, they had no idea who they were dealing with.


    But this wasn¡¯t the time for underestimations or overestimations. It was time to protect the base.


    Using a couple more minutes pondering on how to beat him, he walked out the room and down the elevator.


    The entire area would be warned by an announcer.


    ¡°CODE: 01-NB-NB-27. TERRORIST ATTACK ALERT. THE VULNERABLE IN THE BASE. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.¡± The warning would be repeated 10 times.


    A few minutes later, as Ramiel made his way out of the control room, as he started up his vehicle, he had gotten a message. His communications officer telling him that the Special Forces responded, sending one of their greatest to the moon.


    -


    A few minutes passed and the site turned into a bloodbath. A couple corpses lay next to Chaos, all turned into minced meat.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had enough of your share, now it¡¯s my turn. Let me take control.¡±


    ¡°No. Not right now- No I¡¯m in control, okay? Just let me do this. This has been fun, but I know the wave is just getting started. You sit back and watch me beat them up silly.¡±


    It sounded like he was talking to someone, but he was really just talking about himself. Synthetic-Classes often gave odd air around them. Was it just another case of a crazy, schizophrenic Synthetic-Class...


    Or was it talking to the Soul ¨C CHAOS, itself?


    Chaos saw six planes fly overhead ¨C two simply dropping water on the area to prevent a forest fire. The Support-Type¡¯s red aura allowed them to see him.


    Ramiel closed in on Chaos as he rode a scout bike over a rock ¨C jumping off and manifesting his two massive crescent-blades, charging them with energy as he was suspended in the air.


    ¡°Ecliptic Blast!¡± He slammed them down near Chaos ¨C creating a massive explosion.


    ¡°Wha-¡° He was caught in the explosion, having both arms up to block most of the impact.


    Ramiel would pull his blades out the ground before accelerating towards Chaos again, trying to get a hit in to stagger him. He wanted the first advantage. The sky above him showed three planes set ablaze. ¡°You¡¯re the one who has been killing my men!?¡±


    He looked around to see if there was anyone else, as he blocked Ramiel¡¯s next attack using a small Soul-Barrier that parried Ramiel¡¯s crescent-blade attack.


    ¡°The fuck does it look like to you?¡±


    ¡°It all ends here! Your charade, it ends here! At this very moment, one of the best Testharia has to offer are en-route. You may try and inflict more pain and cause more destruction, but you would just be buying time until your inevitable demise!¡±


    Ramiel tried to slash down his 2-meter-long crescent-blade onto him, in hopes of slicing him in half. ¡°RAH!¡±


    Chaos used the ground to kick off it, avoiding the blade and kicking off the ground again to accelerate himself this time. He quickly zig-zagged away from the blades and got a punch in.


    ¡°GUH!¡± Ramiel exerted a hard grunt, while Chaos just stared him deep in the eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to erupt Chaos. It¡¯s in my name. What makes you think that I would ever stop with my ¡®profession¡¯?¡±


    Chaos roundhouse kicked him away.


    Ramiel used his crescent blades to hack the ground, eliminating his momentum for a clean and elegant landing. He backflipped, looking at Chaos. His right side of the helmet was dented due to the sheer force of Chaos¡¯s punch.


    ¡°So, you just killed... hundreds of people... just for ¡®Chaos¡¯? No hatred for us, nothing?¡± Ramiel tilted his head, really confused as to why someone would cause destruction for no apparent reason.


    ¡°The attack on Progen City during that Solar Holiday on Earth? That was me.¡±


    Ramiel¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m worth a lot to Soul-Core and Dark Intrinium. They want my head, but I still roam freely.¡±


    Chaos was claimed by both Soul-Core and Dark Intrinium to be the most powerful Synthetic-Class to live in this time. He was placed on a big hit list with an insane amount of currency in return.


    He is nothing short of dangerous. A being, truly living up to its name. Creating CHAOS was his job.


    ¡°Well... then maybe handing you in to Dark Intrinium will do better than letting you rot in a Dankasho Prison. You want chaos, right? Let¡¯s not delay this then!¡± He held his blades together, a shimmering blue aura fading across both swords as he accelerated towards Chaos.


    ¡°Sure!¡± He swiped with his right hand in a horizontal line, forming a bright cluster bomb of explosions heading straight towards Ramiel.


    .:. His ability is... .:. Ramiel jumped backwards; the propulsion pads built into his armour allowing him to escape the blast. He stopped mid-air as he pressed them to full power. He grabbed his crescent-blades in reverse, charging towards Chaos.


    As soon as Ramiel touched down on the ground, he swung his crescent blades horizontally.


    ¡°WOAH!¡± Chaos jumped back, having barely missed the attack. If he reacted a millisecond later, his head would¡¯ve been lopped off.


    Ramiel quickly recoiled his blades, slashing the ground ahead of him and creating a large shockwave that rippled towards him. Chaos dug his feet into the ground and counteracted the shockwave with his own explosive beam.


    ¡°RAH!¡± Ramiel dashed to the side, using his propulsion pads to assist with his acceleration. Dashing forward, he raised a blade for an overhead swing and another for a slash to his side ¨C essentially forcing Chaos to take the hit or dodge into a corner.


    ¡°You know how to fight, that¡¯s a first!¡± He smirked as he was forced to dodge into a corner, using his arm to envelop it inside a Soul-Barrier to knock back the side-slashing blade. ¡°But you don¡¯t have this through your thick skull,¡±


    Ramiel flicked his wrist of the overhead swing to go for a good head lopping to finish the fight. He saw that Chaos had nowhere to go, he thought he won.


    ¡°You know nothing about the Soul!¡± With emphasis on the Soul part, he immediately disrupted everything Ramiel built up by discharging another explosion.


    ¡°SHATTER!¡±


    ¡°GHH¡ª¡° Ramiel took the brunt of the explosion; however, his heavy armour would take the brunt of the force. It would launch Ramiel several meters backwards into a clearing.


    .:. Too close... .:. Chaos touched his neck for a moment.


    Seeing his chance, he raised his blade ¨C shooting a beam of unrefined Soul Energy into the sky as a flare gun, signalling where the battle was taking place.


    ¡°Backup...?¡± Chaos asked.


    ¡°Seems so. I was just starting to enjoy this.¡± A heavy sarcasm left his voice.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Chaos wiped the dust off his clothes. ¡°Earlier you mentioned handing me to the Dark Intrinium. I don¡¯t suppose the Testharians have formed an alliance with them?¡±


    Ramiel felt a knot in his stomach. The stupidity of the Viceroy caused the inescapable loom of Dark Intrinium taking over Testharia to linger on everyone¡¯s minds.


    ¡°I suppose the Viceroy can¡¯t always be a role model.¡±


    ¡°Breakaway as quick as you can ¨C Lord Veyron is not a man to be trusted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hear that from you, Synthetic-Class.¡± He gripped his crescent blades in reverse, chuckling. ¡°You¡¯re still a Synthetic-Class, I¡¯m not taking anything you say seriously.¡±


    Dashing forward, he jumped in the air and went for a heel kick.


    ¡°Testharians are stupid, just like I always say.¡± Chaos extended his hand and was about to use Shatter once again. Chaos had him beat this time as Ramiel¡¯s impulsive attack made him forget the things he could do.


    ¡°Shat-¡° As Chaos started spewing out the words he needed to blow Ramiel into oblivion, a war axe flew by Ramiel at incredible speeds. Then it flew towards Chaos with a force as strong as a railgun. It was around 1.5 meters in diameter.


    ¡°What the-¡° Ramiel turned his head, leaning his torso back to avoid being hit as it flew past him. It was like some sort of precognition.


    ¡°O-¡° Chaos got hit, crashing into several trees before finally hitting one to break the impact. All it took was a war axe to completely thrash him and save Ramiel from impending doom.


    ¡°Madame Viceroy!¡± Ramiel bowed his head.


    Behind Ramiel was the Viceroy of Mobilizers of Testharia. Behind her however was her Royal Squad. She bowed her head back in return, hearing his respectful voice.


    ¡°Help is always received, Soul-General Aroki.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Viceroy.¡± His helmet has gone from a pale-gold to a charred black ¨C the horn of his helmet snapped off; however the visor was still glowing, showing that anything inside was still intact. ¡°He¡¯s a tough one ¨C claims to be the one behind the Progen City attack on Earth. I can¡¯t read how strong he is, so either my helmet is damaged, or he should be treated with caution... Even by you, Madame Viceroy.¡±


    She nodded, manifesting her Soul Aura. It was glitching like a VHS-tape, but it felt smooth and calm. It was also imbued with a sense of serenity, colours flicking orange and pink.


    ¡°Of course, Soul-General Aroki. We do caution restraint.¡±


    ¡°Should I disengage now that reinforcements have arrived, ma¡¯am.¡± Ramiel asked almost immediately.


    The Viceroy nodded again. ¡°You must regain your strength and join if our plans go south. We need you in the right time.¡± She said, extending her hand to bring her Signature Weapon out.


    ¡°Yes, Madame Viceroy.¡± He used his propulsion pads of his armour to fly away from the battlefield, standing a solid 100 meters away from them.


    ¡°The Synthetic-Class of the Progen City incident, hm?¡± Asheera muttered.


    As the smoke dissipated from the fallen trees, Chaos emerged into view again. ¡°G-Goddamn...¡± He walked over, brushing himself. ¡°That was a strong hit.¡±


    She was surrounded by 4 other people who were less strong than her, but enough to be standalone fighters. The one who threw the hammer was on the far right. He wore a red formal blouse with a black tainted hood and an Anti-Energy armour that was pointed orange and blue, like the colours of the Testharian flag.


    ¡°Hggh... Is that royalty I detect?¡± He said in a detesting voice.


    Asheera¡¯s Signature Weapon slowly formed as she started her monologue. ¡°You¡¯ve terrorized this place long enough, and it will not be tolerated any further. I, the Viceroy and the Second Leader of Testharia, will slay you right here!¡±

 Arc 1, Chapter 5 - The Strongest Synthetic-Class Ever

    Jumkou held her head as a sharp pain entered it. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked like she had cluster headaches, the way she winced at the pain, the way she held her head on both sides. It could only worry Sachiel more.


    ¡°Jumkou... are you feeling alright?¡± He asked, showing immediate concern. Mostly overlooked by his kingly presence, but he was a kind and compassionate person.


    ¡°Ugh... Yeah, I am... It¡¯s just that these past fifteen minutes- I¡¯ve felt a stinging presence of a Soul-Wielder up above... It feels chaotic.¡±


    She didn¡¯t stop holding her head, but Sachiel could hear it in her voice that she was feeling better and better as seconds passed. This feeling could be exacerbated by the ¡®fight¡¯ she had before returning to the past.


    To be entirely honest, that was all she was thinking about right now. How would she ever find Flynnigan in such a vast galaxy and in a timeline where she isn¡¯t familiar with anything? How will she come to depend on a person whose power is only a foretold prophecy? Whose power is anything, but a fairy tale told by something or someone?


    The fact that she put so much hope onto a person whom she has yet to meet is baffling, but what can she do if she¡¯s out of options? This isn¡¯t the first time she has done this.


    Sachiel felt an incoming panic attack coming from Jumkou and quickly sat back on his chair, keeping things calm. ¡°Perhaps a connection with your long-lost enemy? Whatever may happen, you are most safe here.¡±


    Jumkou tried reassuring herself but to a naught degree, looking at Sachiel and faking a smile. ¡°Yeah... You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°While you are here. I would like to present to you a vacant room that you can freely use until you decide that you are feeling okay. I do not want to force anything upon you, nor give you a choice that will overwhelm you. We want to make sure you are well-fed and have the best comfort.¡±


    While he said this, he stood up, walking away from the table and stood in front of a door which led to a hallway. ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± He asked, adding to it.


    ¡°A room?¡± Jumkou just came back to her senses and turned over towards him. ¡°Yes! Please!¡± She walked along.


    The doors of the hallway would automatically open, revealing a longer hallway and presenting golden doors that could only be the doors to the rooms.


    ¡°There is a vacant room which was once reserved for my brother Altair Eria, but he has since moved out. You are free to take it. It has 2 bathrooms, a large fridge and a comfortable bed. It also has an observation room.¡± He smiled, stopping at the room.


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡±


    Sachiel couldn¡¯t help but smile at Jumkou¡¯s ¡®innocent¡¯ demeanour. She meant well, too. She did nothing for Sachiel. In fact, she owes him for saving her life. The fact that she got royalty room to sleep in, protection from the Great Kamisword, and overall great hospitality...


    .:. I didn¡¯t do anything, why is he doing all this for me? Are Testharians just nice people overall? .:.


    The doors would open, revealing a big hotel-like room that was full of golden wrapped chairs, tables, with a mosaic glass floor and walls with intricate wrapping. ¡°I am positive. We would never neglect our guests¡¯ life qualities.¡±


    ¡°Holy fuckin- This is my room!? Is this even a ro- What is this!?¡± She entered, looking around.


    .:. This is awesome... .:.


    Sachiel threw the room card to Jumkou.


    ¡°Enjoy your stay, Jumkou. We hope you enjoy Testharia for as long as you are here.¡±


    Jumkou caught the room card that Sachiel threw at her, with long forgotten elegancy. As she was turned around, she looked at Sachiel. So much for her, yet never did anything for him. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. She wasn¡¯t used to this much friendliness.


    ¡°... Thank you, Sachiel... Really.¡±


    Even though she wanted to give back to Sachiel, or help out with anything he had trouble with, she couldn¡¯t.


    What lingered on her mind was the person; Flynnigan Shotaro.


    = = =


    ¡°Geez, you¡¯re a mouthful. Blah, blah, blah! Are all Weapon-Types like this?¡±


    A mocking voice escaped Chaos¡¯s lips, all directed towards the self-proclaimed Viceroy of Testharia. This girl was the Second Leader for this pathetic planet. How laughable.


    ¡°Unfortunately, you will not know.¡± It was a severe threat, aimed at Chaos. Both Ramiel and Asheera were ready to kill the Synthetic-Class that long plagued the galaxy. From the Progen City incident to infiltrating Dankasho military bases, the galaxy had enough of him.


    But did Chaos care, even for a bit? No. Like he said, this was his territory. Anyone who dared to trespass it was going to get it. A fate worse than Death. Something even the Soul couldn¡¯t fix.


    Asheera¡¯s special squad stood by Ramiel to protect him from any attacks.


    ¡°Well then, ¡®Second Leader¡¯. Hope you¡¯re not as boring as the lacky¡¯s that died by my hand!¡± He would swipe his left arm vertically at Asheera, releasing a series of explosions.


    In turn for retaliation, she formed a line of pink electricity that protected her from Chaos¡¯s explosive attack. She directed the pink lightning towards Chaos. She decided not to use her weapon for attacks. It was clear that she was sizing him up.


    He rolled to the side to avoid her strike.


    .:. I need to open the gap. .:. He propelled himself away with explosions to increase the distance from her.


    ¡°Hm! Not to easy, Synthetic-Class!¡± She threw her Scythe-Hammer called the Pummeler towards him, just like the guy from her special squad did. Only this time, it was 10x more powerful. If Chaos didn¡¯t stop the Warhammer of the other guy, he is sure to die now, right?


    However, he was prepared this time.


    ¡°Hah! Right back at ya¡¯!¡± He jumped ¨C swiftly catching the Pummeler. ¡°Fool me once!¡± and using Soul Energy to amplify the power, throwing it right back at her.


    ¡°Shame on you.¡±


    As the scythe-hammer flew back to her even faster, she did nothing. She just stood there, prepared to take the hit if needed. Chaos stared at Asheera, thinking she was stupid for not doing anything.


    However, before the Pummeler hit her, it stopped just mere inches before her face and dropped to the ground.


    .:. Looks like she has total control of her Soul. Eh, worth a shot. .:. He shrugged it off, smirking.


    She got into stance, gripping her Pummeler in reverse, now the hammer-side of the Pummeler aimed at his face. ¡°From the looks of how you fight. You must be a Power-Type, correct?¡±


    ¡°You could say that. What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°You Power-Types underestimate Weapon-Types by a long shot. Especially you, terrorist.¡± She tapped her Pummeler, each tap dropping it to the ground. It formed a small crater beneath, destabilizing the pavement. She condemned the actions of this Synthetic-Class, which resulted in the death of 166 soldiers.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Terrorist? I prefer... CHAOS.¡±


    Asheera clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, swinging her Pummeler around. She formed a large array of lightning bolts to strike him down with. They were explosive upon contact.


    Chaos jumped back, trying to dodge them all but much to his disappointment, he got hit by a majority of them.


    His clothes were coated with pink electricity zapping him all over. The attack came at him unexpected. He had no idea that it was an area of effect, which led him to underestimate Asheera¡¯s capabilities.


    As a result, he took the share of the punishment, crashing down onto the ground. This was the first time he had sustained damage, and it took no other than the Second Leader of Testharia. That was it.


    .:. He¡¯s down, time to end this! .:. Asheera wasted no time and imbued Soul-Energy into her Pummeler. It glowed orange and pink, indicating a sub-power was at play to strengthen it. She used Pummeler has a pole to jump high, swinging her Pummeler down for intensified acceleration.


    Chaos didn¡¯t budge, was he going to die here?


    The area would be engulfed in smoke. She stood on top of her Pummeler. She knew something was fishy from the get-go. Something that gave Ramiel a bit of a hard time, died easily in the hands of Asheera.


    It was too good to be true, right?


    .:. This is too easy, which leads me to think that it¡¯s a trap. .:. She kept her guard up.


    Chaos wasn¡¯t dead yet, but he was surely on the brink of it. He spat out lots of blood, coating her Pummeler in crimson.


    ¡°N-no... W-why w-would you...¡±


    She looked at him, her guard up in case she fell into a trap. She looked towards her special squad, especially Ramiel, to help aid her should they be in grave danger.


    ¡°Big... mistake...¡± His eyes rolled back, falling lifeless. That was the sign of death. It couldn¡¯t be any other way, right?


    Chaos was dead, Asheera saw it.


    She looked at him, jumping up and grabbing her Pummeler. She maintained her distance. Something about him forced her Soul to retreat.


    Chaos is supposedly dead.


    But not CHAOS.


    The Soul Energy residue from Chaos left off began to illuminate, turning more evil in nature. Was this finally the Soul that was taking control of the body? Was this the long return of CHAOS, the Soul? Awakening from its slumber.


    ¡°Aaaahhhhhhh...¡±


    A breathy grunt, sounded more like a roar.


    ¡°How foolish for you to assume that you could put ME to an end that easily. It¡¯s unfortunate my user does not understand his own limits ¨C now I must do thing myself.¡±


    Its speech pattern was entirely different. It was as if a different person, or a different entity took a hold of the body. It stood up, without moving a single muscle. It was as if he was floating upright.


    ¡°Something fishy is going on- Maintain a safe distance, Soul-General Aroki. You are still recovering.¡± She took a step back, gripping Pummeler tightly, her muscles tensing up.


    ¡°I can fight, Madame Viceroy... I am not as injured as it seems. He was using a lot of gimmicky explosion attacks.¡± He muttered, annoyed at the state of his armour. There were burn marks on his armour, as well as several dents on his vital areas. His helmet was shattered, with just a quarter of it still intact.


    He looked at Asheera for guidance. They were not done with fighting, that¡¯s a fact.


    ¡°Asheera Eria... Your Pummeler, is astounding. You would have made a great host for me.¡± CHAOS said, lifelessly.


    ¡°Ramiel Aroki. Secunda. You hold potential, but it is still not enough to meet my expectations.¡±


    Ramiel stepped back but was not retreating from battle. He assumed that Asheera may need help if Chaos can ¡®come back¡¯ just like that.


    It wasn¡¯t Chaos anymore; the previous person was only mimicking as CHAOS. But was it just a Fallen Soul-Wielder who wrote itself as such? Or was it a greater power play that balanced it out, giving trust to user, even if it was for a little bit?


    ¡°Now that I am in control, things will be looking different.¡±


    Ramiel got into a battle stance. ¡°Who are you!?¡± He asked, addressing the complete change of character. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t get it through his skull.


    ¡°I am the Soul known as CHAOS.¡± His Soul Aura would from into a rainbow-ish colour with a dark outline. The dark outline meant that he was indeed in control. The aura felt eviller than the previous.


    Asheera got ready. ¡°CHAOS, the Soul in which you control the Fallen Soul-Wielder¡¯s body. You are too dangerous to be left alive. I hereby sentence you to death!¡±


    Normally. Souls are kept hidden unless the user wants to open with it, however in this instance, nothing could be kept a secret. It was the Soul that spoke up.


    Ramiel powered up his blade ¨C not bothering with the second to reserve his stamina.


    CHAOS raised both arms in the area. Unlike before, he quickly charged up a lot of Soul Energy, giving Ramiel and Asheera not a single second for retaliation or an escape.


    ¡°No no no! You do no-¡° Ramiel dashed forward in an attempt to lop his head off, only he was a fraction too late. He never had time to do that, anyways.


    ¡°SHATTER!¡±


    He slammed both fists to the ground, unleashing a powerful explosion that blew them back a couple hundred meters away. However, the gimmick following the attack was that only did it not damage the user.


    It damaged the Soul inside the user.


    ¡°GUH!¡± Asheera crashed into a wall of one of the evacuated buildings, having no time to even eliminate her own momentum to minimize impact damage.


    Ramiel was also buried inside a building as a result, unable to use his propulsion pads to eliminate his velocity as well. CHAOS¡¯ ability was too strong to intercept.


    ¡°So, it is true after all.¡± Asheera said, buried inside a building. ¡°This was the Synthetic-Class of the Progen City incident. It makes sense.¡±


    She coughed, trying to regain her senses. The attack had knocked the air out of her. She felt dizzy, and her Pummeler turned to an incomplete state. That was the Soul-damaging effect of CHAOS¡¯ attack.


    ¡°Grgh...¡± She blasted a singular Soul Wave, obliterating any debris and fragments that lay upon her, giving her leeway to escape the danger of the abandoned building collapsing onto her.


    ¡°My Pummeler... is reduced to an incomplete state. Agh, I feel dizzy.¡± As she crawled out of the building, she stood up, feeling nauseous. She was around 30 meters away from CHAOS. ¡°That attack, damaged my Soul directly? Such a move is forbidden as foretold in history, is it not?¡± She touched her chest, fear striking down on her.


    ¡°So, that is why Pummeler was reduced to incompletion.¡± Her weapon was rematerializing itself back to completion, but it was a slow process. The hilt of her weapon glitching out.


    This Synthetic-Class was more dangerous than she expected. Its ability to damage the Soul directly. She had never seen anything like it before. She tried to focus on the task at hand, but her Soul was still shaken from the impact of the attack. She was weakened.


    Ramiel crawled out of the building he was buried in, brushing the dust off his Testharian Steel armour, seeing that Asheera was vulnerable, he dropped down in front of her, protecting her until she recovered.


    CHAOS charged up another explosion move. Another Shatter attack. This time, Ramiel was ready for it.


    "I''ll see to you no more!"


    However, Ramiel used his propulsion pad to catch CHAOS before he could discharge the attack, slashing him across the chest.


    CHAOS just took the slash, unfazed by it at all. "Pitiful." He said, nonchalantly, at Ramiel''s face. Ramiel looked at CHAOS in shock before stabbing the ground - launching him back from underneath.


    A large explosion engulfed the area as it was turned into a crater.


    As CHAOS was launched back, he jumped up in the air to avoid the attack. Ramiel''s explosive abilities were just as dangerous, but it was mere child''s play for CHAOS.


    After all, who dares to step in his territory?


    Ramiel''s explosions were no match for him, no matter how intense the blast was.


    As CHAOS descended upon Ramiel, his hand began to glow rainbow-ish with a dark outline. The colour was the same shade of the energy.


    "Time for a test."


    "Not a chance, CHAOS!" Ramiel propelled himself back, just a bit. He swung his sword, creating a crescent moon-shaped beam.


    "You are a fool for trying that."


    CHAOS caught the beam. It was an extremely large one. He then swung the crescent-shaped beam back at Ramiel. It hit Ramiel directly, but the attack was a lot weaker than he had anticipated.


    "RGH!" Ramiel touched down on the ground, but since the attack was one of the lighter ones, he was able to recover fast. Seeing CHAOS still suspended in the sky, he swung his blade - launching a shockwave up towards him to catch him by surprise. In case it failed, he used his propulsion pad to jet to a safe distance a few meters away. The pad failed when he landed.


    However, CHAOS nullified the shockwave with a Soul-Barrier. He took no damage.


    .:. Ramiel''s power is one of interest. .:. CHAOS thought.


    "What is he planning?" Asheera said, observing him closely. She was still trying to recover from the attack.


    CHAOS raised both of his arms, creating a Soul-Barrier around him. Then he began charging up an enormous amount of energy.


    Ramiel was confused at what the Synthetic-Class was doing, but then he noticed something. It wasn''t a normal barrier. He felt an incoming attack.


    "He is using the barrier as a conduit for a powerful attack!" He was correct. ¡°Damnit! I won¡¯t allow that!¡± He restarted his propulsion pads to activation, flying towards CHAOS with his crescent-blades gripped in reverse.


    ¡°Soul-General Aroki, do not be rash! Agh...¡± Asheera would hold her head, standing up. She was dizzy was 100% aware of what was going on her. She waited until her Pummeler was rematerialized to completion again. However, she couldn¡¯t stop Ramiel with his retaliation anymore.


    ¡°I gotta prepare for the worst. He is a tough nut to crack." Ramiel knew, that no matter what, there is no way they could counter the attack. CHAOS was a Synthetic-Class, after all. They were far superior to them.


    CHAOS was about to fire the barrier at them.


    "HM!" Ramiel fused both of his crescent-blades into an energy circle that extended around his whole body.


    "ECLIPTIC BLAST: TIMES TWO!"


    He yelled out, firing an extensive and huge crescent-shaped beam that flew towards CHAOS. This was to stop CHAOS'' Soul-Barrier from converting into an AOE attack.


    But to no avail. CHAOS had no care in the world. His barrier exploded into a massive sphere-like explosion, enveloping everything around him. The beam was engulfed in the explosion, along with Ramiel.


    "NO! Aroki!"

 Arc 1, Chapter 6 - CHAOS

    Asheera tried to jump into the fray, but the explosion was so large that it could engulf the whole military base if it could.


    She vanish-stepped inside the explosion to catch Ramiel, then vanish-stepped back outside. Both went flying backwards, crashing into the ground and de-manifesting their weapons.


    ¡°Ufgh-¡°


    ¡°Mgn-¡°


    CHAOS landed on the ground. ¡°Such a weak body. This planet would¡¯ve been reduced to ashes without limitations.¡±


    Ramiel took a while to regain his composure, before accelerating towards Chaos with an incomplete version of his crescent-blades. He swung at him, trying to kill him with a lethal stab.


    ¡°Aroki, stand down!¡± Asheera tried to stop him, but Ramiel¡¯s impulsiveness was too quick for Asheera to act.


    Chaos grabbed his right arm and uppercutted him, the last quarter of his intact helmet breaking off, before punching him in the face.


    As Ramiel crashed to the ground, the Soul Energy residue underneath illuminated, tripping in a landmine of CHAOS¡¯ energy, forming into an explosion.


    ¡°GRAAAHHH!!¡± He was suspended in the air, his weapon de-manifesting as a result.


    Asheera walked forward, empowering her Pummeler with her Soul Energy, doubling its strength and durability. ¡°Hold on a little longer, Ramiel!¡±


    She referred to him by his first name. Ramiel was taken aback for a moment. The Second Leader referred to him by his first name, was he worthy of such respect? He gained a small boost in energy and confidence from his recognition, and yelled out:


    ¡°Yes, Madame Viceroy!¡±


    ¡°HRAAH!¡± Asheera dashed at Chaos in hopes of decapitating him, swinging the scythe side of her Pummeler forward for a clean hit.


    CHAOS swiftly moved to the side and intentionally let himself get impaled by the left arm, to stop Asheera right before him. ¡°Miscalculation?¡±


    ¡°Krg! Damn you!¡± She would prepare her next attack, but CHAOS wasted no time, placing a small orb against her chest, launching it. ¡°Get out of my face.¡±


    The orb carried Asheera along with it.


    ¡°AH!¡± She yelped, activating a Soul-Barrier to minimize the damage if it exploded, and her predictions were correct. CHAOS clenched his fist, detonating the orb that carried her.


    The Soul-Barrier she activated would minimize the damage, albeit fazing her for a moment. .:. How are his attacks so mind-boggling!? .:. Asheera held out her hand, the Pummeler moving and flying towards it.


    It acted as some sort of positive magnet.


    Ramiel would throw one of his blades towards CHAOS ¨C impaling CHAOS in the leg. ¡°RAH!¡±


    CHAOS looked down at his leg and realized one of Ramiel¡¯s blades impaled his leg. But as much as it should be hurting, it didn¡¯t. This wasn¡¯t a body he cared about. It was a weak body. He was merely controlling it. He took out the crescent-blade out of the leg, bleeding extremely.


    Ramiel slashed his other blade ¨C sending a shockwave into CHAOS¡¯ back before following up with a sprint towards him, weapon poised to impale him in the chest.


    The shockwave took CHAOS back, his arms wide open and his chest open to vulnerability.


    Ramiel smirked ¨C using his near inhuman strength to stab CHAOS in the chest, wrenching him in the air and slammed him into the ground with superhuman strength.


    ¡°...¡±


    Even after all of that, CHAOS remained unfazed. Was there anything stopping this Synthetic-Class... no, the Soul?


    ¡°Impressive. It seems that Testharians are well-trained. If it weren¡¯t for this foolish boy¡¯s body, I would have an easier time obliterating your Souls.¡±


    Asheera flew towards CHAOS, using the sheer force of her Pummeler to accelerate faster. She activated a wide array of lightning ready to strike him down again.


    ¡°Your flattery won¡¯t save you, CHAOS!¡± Ramiel pulled his blades out and jumped back to avoid being caught in Asheera¡¯s attack.


    As a result, CHAOS had no room to take. He got hit by the array of lightning which pushed him back, suspended in the air.


    ¡°Madame Viceroy, let¡¯s end this!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    This was the to finish CHAOS off good, once and for all. She grabbed her Pummeler and threw it up in the air, standing on top of a small hill while Ramiel raised his blade, stabbing it into the ground.


    A shockwave underground rumbled the very battlefield as the ground cracked and groaned. An aura of Soul Energy enveloped the area. The land beneath CHAOS would rise into the air, pushing him further up in the air. This was his unique ability.


    Celestial Rage. Ramiel can call upon his homeland, using his Soul Energy to break off a piece of Dankasho, using it as a massive area of effect attack.


    Asheera would be engulfed in pink and orange aura as lightning bolts as wide as 20 meters started closing in on CHAOS like a circle of doom, waiting to engulf him and cook him from within.


    It started pulsating and giving off ridiculous amounts of heat, which would melt anything within the affected area as well. He was trapped in a big ball of lightning energy.


    ¡°DESTROY THE ISLAND, WE CAN¡¯T RISK HIM SURVIVING!¡± Ramiel yelled.


    .:. Right. .:.


    As the ball reached a point of where things could no longer be considered, it would explode, taking the entire island and creating a crate that was 120 meters deep.


    Enter. Asheera Vivienna. It¡¯s called Lightning Embodiment in Testharian. She can engulf a person, an object, or even a planet in lightning and cook it from within. Upon engulfing the object, she can control it.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°..¡±


    .:. ... .:.


    .:. You were right, boy. .:.


    .:. They really have no idea of anything. .:.


    The island was destroyed and was left with CHAOS laying down in the middle of the crater. Half of CHAOS¡¯ body was destroyed.


    ¡°You win, Testharians.¡± His voice was heard across.


    ¡°Perhaps next time, this boy shall be more vigilant.¡± He raised his arm in the air, calling upon a power.


    This was CHAOS¡¯ unique ability. Soul Travel.


    A massive rainbow beam formed, carrying CHAOS and his body off-world. This was how CHAOS came to Dankasho.


    -


    Asheera sighed, de-manifesting Pummeler and her Soul Aura, sighing in relief. ¡°The crisis is averted, fortunately.¡± She said, watching Ramiel dropping to a knee. Ramiel had watched CHAOS leave, manifesting a blade to not fall over entirely.


    Asheera smiled, turning towards Ramiel, offering support. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would be dead, Aroki. I think you will be delighted to hear what Sachiel must say about your performance.¡±


    Ramiel looked up at the Second Leader ¨C showing a widened eye of shock. He stood up, de-manifesting his blade and regaining his balance.


    ¡°The... Great Kamisword...? I never thought His Excellency... would ever hear about me.¡± He teared up slightly, a crack forming in his voice. He was proud that he had gained recognition to his country¡¯s leader. He was truly, a patriot at heart.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°You¡¯ve proven to be an incredible General. You¡¯ve saved Dankasho multiple times, you¡¯ve shown to be a capable fighter many times. You oftentimes showed eligibility to be part of the Royal Squad. Perhaps it is time you take a break after a long time of constant work. I plan to have you work alongside the Royal Family.¡± She said, holding onto his hands to help him stay upright.


    Ramiel bowed his head slightly, showing everlasting respect for the Second Leader. ¡°Thank you for this offer... but I do not believe I am worthy of such position. I put hundreds in danger ¨C and led to almost 200 soldiers being killed under my watch-¡°


    ¡°Yet the base remains unharmed, does it not?¡± She looked at it, feeling proud of what Testharians have become. They were fierce fighters. Patriotic and prideful of their work, and their history.


    However, Ramiel kept quiet ¨C still ashamed of his performance. He tried no arguing against her, as he thought it would be disrespectful.


    ¡°The offer stays open shall you change your mind. But for now, I¡¯ll appoint you member of the Council.¡± She pulled up a hologram before coughing. The fight against CHAOS damaged her quite a bit.


    ¡°...That would be enough. We should get back to base, Madame Viceroy. You are injured.¡±


    "Now hold on a second. You''re just as wounded. You''re coming with me. Sachiel will not be pleased if you do not get treated, and neither will the other members."


    She turned him around and pushed him towards the base."


    I..."


    "No buts."


    He sighed and allowed himself to be lead. He couldn''t deny a Viceroy.


    Asheera walked next to Ramiel, who had just regained his balance. She was worried about his health, especially after that fight with CHAOS. "How are you feeling?" She asked, her voice low.


    "Fine, Madame Viceroy." He lied, hiding the pain in his side. She knew he wasn''t telling the truth.


    "Don''t lie to me, Aroki. Your wound looks serious." She gestured to his side, where he was bleeding.


    "It''s not that bad, really." He tried to reassure her. Really, it wasn¡¯t that bad, but Asheera wouldn¡¯t let it go. Even she was a person able to worry about her army.


    "I''ll have the medics look at it when we get back. No arguments." She said firmly.


    "Yes, ma''am." He replied, not wanting to anger her.


    She smiled. "Good. Now tell me, how long have you been with the Testharian army?"


    "Since I was 17. It''s been 8 years now."


    "That''s... longer than I have been with the army. Though, I only work along with the Royal Squad." As she mentioned the royal squad, they were walking just behind her. They were unharmed, as they were tending to the wounded that survived the battle.


    "The Royal Squad is an amazing group of fighters, and I''ve heard the stories of your accomplishments.¡± He looked behind him, noticing their presence.


    "They''re a good group. Though, they can be a handful at times." She laughed. "This is the group you will join should you accept the offer.¡±


    Ramiel looked back at the Royal Squad. One person had a golden and blue plated armour, made entirely out of Testharian Steel. Their helmet was also connected with the colour, with a visor covering their eyes. Another was wearing a darker golden armour with a yellow mask. Their long, silky brown hair and golden eyes indicated that they were a female member.


    There were also two lesser-known members, one being a man with a black and red armour, with a dark green and white mask. His eyes were a deep purple. The last member had a blue and gold armour, and a silver mask.


    ¡°It is an honour to even think of joining the Royal Squad. They are the strongest and most skilled fighters in the entire country."


    Ramiel couldn''t help but smile.


    "I think you deserve it after all you''ve done. You''ve saved countless lives and have protected the city. I don''t think anyone could ask for a better general."


    She said, giving him a gentle pat on the back.


    "I... Thank you, ma''am." He smiled, his eyes lighting up.


    The darker gold-plated armoured person walked up to Asheera. "Yer¡¯ givin¡¯ him a place in our team?" She said, so casually, as if she was waiting for a new member to be added.


    "I thought you stopped being impatient about this, Marin..." Asheera pouted, looking away. "I''m doing everything I can to make the Royal Squad ''not boring'', alright? You''re 40 years old, act your age..."


    "Borin¡¯ is the opposite of what we do, gotcha? We''re literally the royal guards." Marin crossed her arms, scoffing at the Viceroy. The nerve.


    "Yes, yes... but there are 5 members. It''s a little unbalanced. Don¡¯t you think you should wait until some people ¡®graduate¡¯ from this position? Making it 6 would just clot it up, right?" The gold armoured man said, patting Marin in the back.


    "I agree, Maduk." The black and red armoured man said, walking behind Ramiel. ¡°We do need fresh meat to help us out, but I would rather wait for the oldies to graduate.¡±


    ¡°What did ya¡¯ say!?¡± Marin took a huge offense to that. She was 40 years old, but the black and red armoured man was literally 45 years old. She should be the last person to hear that insult being directed towards her. In fact, who did he think he was?


    ¡°I¡¯ll hafya¡¯ know that I¡¯m ta strongest Royal Guard out of y¡¯all. I could take on all y¡¯all, and I ain¡¯t breakin¡¯ a single sweat! Keep dreamin¡¯, Samuell!¡± Marin, who was pushing 40 years old... acted like a kid. Or this was just another case of a carefree person, not taking the job seriously.


    "And yet you still haven''t beaten the Second Leader, huh?" Samuell snickered, crossing his arms. ¡°If you can take on all of us, surely you can take her on.¡± Asheera looked towards Marin as Samuell said that, awaiting an answer of denial from Marin.


    "That''s becaus¡¯ she cheats! What kinda Viceroy cheats against ¡®er underlings!?" Marin yelled, pointing at Asheera.


    "I do not cheat, Marin! That is an unfair accusation!" Asheera argued, trying to defend herself. And there she was. Exposed and revealed.


    "Yeah, ya do! You keep changin¡¯ da rules to suit ya¡¯ needs. Am I really at par with yer strength that you hafta¡¯ change da¡¯ rules?¡± Marin yelled.


    "Marin¡¯s right, it¡¯s not fair, or has Marin really closed the gap? Or have you slacked off way too much...?¡± The man in the yellow mask said, shaking his head, smiling.


    "Kaelan, shut up." Asheera said, annoyed by Kaelan''s remark.


    Kaelan laughed. "Alright, alright... I''ll stop teasing you."


    Everyone was in happy spirits even though the battle resulted in many casualties. Were they really taking their job seriously, or was it a good respite after a tiring battle? An optimistic and happy atmosphere is better than a pessimistic one, some would say.


    ¡°So...¡± Marin turned towards Ramiel. ¡°Are you joinin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I, uhh...¡± Ramiel trailed off, looking away. It was clear that Marin was a bit too much for her.


    "Hold on, hold on. Aroki didn''t agree to it yet." Asheera raised her hands. "He''ll fill out a proper contract once we''ve finished tending to his injuries."


    Marin¡¯s personality seemed more aloof and casual, but she was a skilled fighter. "Well, we''ll see allat! If ya don''t take ta¡¯ offer, then I''ll beat ya¡¯ up! I''m not afraid ta¡¯ fight a general."


    "Really? I doubt you could take Myrcella on when she gets serious!" Asheera chuckled at her.


    ¡°Oh, hush! What''s a 14-year-old gonna do to me, tickle me?" She laughed, pushing Asheera''s shoulder.


    "You know what they say about prodigies, right? What the Soul gifts, the child grows with it. And she''s a very powerful one. You''ve seen her train. You''ve fought her." Asheera raised her hands in defeat, smiling. "Besides, Sachiel agreed to train her. Since when did we have a Kamisword who took upon an apprentice?"


    "I guess yer'' right. He musta'' seen somethin'' in her." She shrugged.


    Ramiel couldn¡¯t help but overhear their conversation. He couldn''t believe he was being considered for a spot in the Royal Squad. They were the strongest group of fighters in the entire country. The fact that they were even considering him was flattering.


    But he didn''t want to rush into anything. He wanted to make sure he was ready before accepting any offer. With that in mind, he found all this a bit too much for him to handle. He wasn''t used to being in the limelight, and it was making him uncomfortable. Besides, his serious demeanour possibly couldn''t fit with their casual attitudes.


    At this point in time, he decided to let Fate guide him. Whether or not he was destined to join the Royal Squad, he would do his best to prove himself worthy.


    = = =


    It had been 4 hours after CHAOS'' attack on the Dankasho military base, which sat next to Zephite City, the only metropolis in Dankasho. They had taken a hyperloop train that connected the satellite with the main planet, Testharia.


    Both Ramiel and Asheera, and the entire Royal Squad entered Eria Tower. It was filled with people as always. Cleaners, receptionists, office workers and many other kinds of people.


    Asheera stood in front of the elevator. Unlike other people, she didn''t need a permit to activate the Floor 128 elevator. She was part of the Royal Family, why was there a need to?


    "Hmm..." She didn''t move a single muscle as she sensed another strong power in the top floor of the tower. "That is weird. Usually, the power I feel isn''t as strong as the one I''m sensing now."


    "What is it, ma''am?" Ramiel asked.


    "I''m sensing a strong power from the top floor. It''s a lot stronger than the one I usually feel." She replied, her eyes closed. "It''s stronger than mine..."


    Ramiel crossed his arms, watching Asheera spiral into deep thinking, as he too, was pondering on who it could be.


    "Perhaps the Great Kamisword has a guest, a strong one? It must be an important meeting if His Excellency has invited them." Ramiel stated.


    "Probably. Usually, his meetings are with the Defense Council, sponsor companies or... ugh, Dark Intrinium..." She mumbled on the last segment, mentioning the name of a body known for its cruel nature. Ramiel did not hear it though. "If it is an evil person, then we need to be ready for any... mishaps."


    The elevator would open immediately as it scanned Asheera''s hand. It was already set for Floor 128. Both her and Ramiel stepped into it, while the Royal Squad went to Floor 126, their place. Ramiel followed into the elevator, taking one last look at the lobby.


    The elevator flew up immediately. It reached the top floor in 20 seconds. This was another evidence that the technology Tristate City possessed was top-notch and unmatched by any other place in the world.


    Ramiel stumbled for a second ¨C nauseous due to the sudden fast movement. Of course, such an elevator would induce motion sickness for people who have never stepped into it.


    The elevator doors opened and Asheera walked out as fast as she could, taking a deep, smelling the goodness of the floor. Amazing air conditioner is what she thought about. ¡°I¡¯m back...¡±


    Ramiel looked around the room with a hint of nervousness. He was still processing where he was, and he didn¡¯t want to ruin anything. Not even the integrity of the carpet below them.


    Asheera noticed his reluctancy to make himself feel at home. It was such a beautiful place that a peasant like him wasn¡¯t allowed to. At least, that¡¯s what he thought. He didn¡¯t deserve this, even if his performance was above average.


    She smirked, chuckling. ¡°Liven up a bit, Aroki! You¡¯re in the best place of all of Testharia!¡±


    This personality change came off unexpected. But she had no reason to act so formal, or better said, her ¡®Second Leader¡¯ personality. In here, she was just Asheera. She usually had a more girly personality when she was home.


    ¡°Besides, you are off duty, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ll be staying here for a while. At least make yourself feel at home. And don¡¯t fear Sachiel, he¡¯s kind when you get to know him.¡±


    ¡°Right... It¡¯s just...¡± Ramiel trailed off as he nodded reluctantly, still taking in the beauty and the amazingness of the top floor. Everything was filled with gold coloured, luxurious furniture. Or were they gold-wrapped after all?


    ¡°It¡¯s just... I¡¯m still processing all of this. These past three months have been... unbelievable, to say the least. Perhaps the Testharian spirits have graced me. From being the youngest Soul-General... to being in the Royal Family¡¯s estate...!¡± He chuckled nervously.


    Asheera laughed. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have established your amazing position in such a short time. Even I couldn¡¯t do that, and I¡¯m part of the Royal Family!¡± She said with a hint of jealousy in her voice, although she hid it with a blatant chuckle.

 Arc 1, Chapter 7 - Danger in Alliances

    ¡°Hey! We¡¯re approaching Testharia.¡± A person yelled out in the shuttle, ceasing the auto-pilot command as they exited lightspeed travel in the next minute.


    This shuttle was part of the Soul-Core and property of the Star Gazers Squad. They had set course to Testharia in order to negotiate an alliance with the Mobilizers of Testharia. However, to their unexpected liking...


    They did not know that they already made an alliance with Dark Intrinium.


    ¡°Finally... it¡¯s been hours sat in this tiny ship.¡± Mikael sat upwards in his chair, taking his helmet off the armrest and cleaning the inside, ready to put it on any second.


    ¡°Tiny, or are you just big?¡± The loud-mouthed individual spoke back to Mikael, smirking as he said so.


    Mikael turned his head to the person sitting down at the controls. He had a red t-shirt with a white cape. He wore a white jacket on top of that. It wasn''t just any kind of casual clothing, but if you looked clearly, you would think he was playing superhero.


    He was the captain of the Star Gazers Squad.


    The captain wanted to say something to Mikael, before turning his head to a lone girl taking a nap on a small mattress. ¡°Hey, sleepyhead! Wake up, we¡¯re close!¡±


    The girl yawned, standing up quickly. She napped for a good 5 hours, which would really be enough to count it as a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡°Uff...¡± With a little moan, she opened her eyes, stretching her arms.


    ¡°Orders from the General. We¡¯re to try and secure an alliance with the Mobilizers of Testharia. Should be a piece of cake since we look presentable, rite?¡±


    ¡°Ughg... I just... wanted to sleep more. Do we really have to...?¡±


    Mikael got annoyed by the girl¡¯s slothful demeanour and quickly shut her down. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault that you didn¡¯t get any sleep before we departed the Space Station, Nanasu.¡±


    Nanasu pouted. ¡°Yeah, because you didn¡¯t give me time to sleep!¡±


    The captain clapped his hands, smirking. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine! Just as long as we remember our squad dance, right? Right?¡±


    Mikael and Nanasu stared intensely at the captain, clearly ready to flame him for his ¡®stupid¡¯ recommendation to dance in front of the Great Kamisword. Nanasu specifically stared at him with a very annoyed look.


    ¡°We¡¯re not doing that.¡±


    However, the captain just smirked. ¡°Captain¡¯s orders! Can¡¯t deny!¡¯


    Nanasu took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling a couple more times, before stretching her arms and legs again. ¡°Right...¡± The very thought of treading into unfamiliar territory wouldn¡¯t be a good one, so she slapped her cheeks to be on high alert from the get go.


    You never know if you¡¯re going to get attacked, despite Testharia being a peaceful planet. ¡°Huaghghghg... I hate this...¡± She yawned again.


    The shuttle exited lightspeed, appearing right before Testharia. But something was wrong.


    ¡°Woah...¡± The captain immediately noticed the Soul Energy trail the Dankasho intruder left off. ¡°What happened there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... the news channels have been very restrained in releasing information, especially with less public planets like Testharia.¡± Mikael added.


    The moon of Testharia ¨C Dankasho, felt and looked different lately. It had fewer lights as it was in a state of emergency. The military base was left partially destroyed and was to be rebuilt immediately. Zephite City was closed off from the neighbouring cities and towns to keep any kind of criminal activity away from the city.


    And lastly, no one had permission to go in and out of Dankasho, even their own residents.


    The shuttle approached the exosphere of Testharia and immediately fell under the radio signal zones. If they tried anything that was hostile, they would be taken down the second after.


    ¡°Hmm...¡± The captain slowed the shuttle down. There was a huge laser encircling the planet, meant to control traffic of incoming and outcoming aircrafts. Every foreign ship was subjected to this, as they had to register themselves before entering the exosphere.


    ¡°Hey, did we even tell the government we were coming?¡± Mikael asked.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be doing that now! Nanasu, the honours!¡± The captain had given the task to Nanasu to establish connection with the ¡®border police¡¯.


    ¡°Ughh... why me...? Nanasu frowned, standing up as she walked slothfully towards the cockpit. She cleared her throat, establishing connection. She tried setting the frequency of the radio at the same hertz as the border control was working on.


    A mere seconds later, the connection went through.


    {C}: ¡°You have reached the Testharian Space Zone. Please, state your names, affiliation, and the reason of coming here.¡±


    The worker had a strong voice, clearly determined to know their identity. This was common procedure in a lot of planets. But since Testharia was a private and a planet unaffiliated with most of the bodies controlling the galaxy, they were far stricter.


    They didn¡¯t want outsiders to destroy their beloved planet.


    Nanasu looked at the captain, then at Mikael, and back to the laser obstacle before them and the planet.


    ¡°Hey, urm... I¡¯m Nanasu Valadne. I... uhm... am with 2 other people and 1 animal, which is my pet c-¡°


    Mikael bonked her in the head.


    Nanasu held her head, wincing in pain. ¡°That hurt!¡± Nanasu shook her head, turning back to the comms device and continuing. ¡°Rgh... We¡¯re affiliated with Soul-Core, we were sent as diplomats in hopes of... establishing an alliance with Testharia... or something.¡±


    Nanasu continued.


    ¡°We¡¯re... a defense coalition made up of thousands of star systems across the galaxy.¡±


    With that being said, Nanasu fell silent and took a step back from the communications device. The silent was unbearable, as the space border control police, or whatever they wanted to call it, were contemplating whether to give them access or not.


    ¡°Nanasu, I swear... if you fucked it up for us all-¡° Mikael was shortly interrupted by the worker.


    {C} ¡°Access granted. You are given an hour to complete your meeting with the Great Kamisword, as well as to roam freely. After the hour is complete, you shall return to your shuttle and leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°An hour? In what universe would you think that a meeting of this caliber would take... less than an hour?¡±


    Mikael spoke to the guard on the communications device inside the shuttle. He seemed disappointed that they were granted just one hour to finish their job.


    ¡°We can¡¯t possibly get shit done in an hour; you know?¡±


    {C} ¡°This is a security procedure that all outsider aircrafts must follow. We are strict on taking people in and out. If you do not comply with the rule, we are then obligated to revoke the agreement, effective immediately.¡±


    ¡°... Fine, we agree.¡±


    The huge laser would then cease, as the shuttle slowly made into the Testharian exosphere. The shuttle was still 200 kilometers away from the atmosphere.


    ¡°Do they really hate outsiders that much?¡± Nanasu asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s stupid... but who am I to complain about how they work? I¡¯d say it¡¯s normal procedure.¡± Mikael patted her head, where he had bonked her.


    ¡°I¡¯d say they aren¡¯t fond of us because they don¡¯t deal with us at all. We¡¯re aliens to them, like they¡¯re aliens to us. Of course they¡¯d be wary of what we¡¯re capable of.¡±


    ¡°Who cares really? It¡¯s Testharia, it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll send out an army of hitmen to kill us.¡± She got annoyed.


    The captain stomped his right feet and chuckled. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter anyway! Because we... are...¡± He was preparing his signature ¡®Star Gazers Squad¡¯s Amazing, Incredibly, Extremely Charismatic, Fighting Entrance Dance!¡¯.


    ¡°The. Star. Gazers!¡± He said as he danced in motion to it.


    Again, Mikael and Nanasu fell silent, as their jaws were down to the stupidity of ever thinking about doing the song. Nanasu looked away as her pet jumped on her lap, while Mikael facepalmed, clearly seething from the cringe dance he just had to deal with.


    ¡°Please... don¡¯t do that when we¡¯re introducing ourselves.¡±


    Mikael would then shake his head and look at Nanasu.


    ¡°Anyways, that¡¯s besides the point.¡± Mikael put his hands on his waist, almost headbutting her as he leaned forward. His face just inches away from hers. ¡°You brought your pet, why?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Nanasu fell silent again. ¡°Well... I just... y¡¯know... I-I uhh... I couldn¡¯t leave him with the... lunatics back in the... barracks, y¡¯know! They¡¯ll do unspeakable things to Kleine!¡±Stolen story; please report.


    Mikael said nothing and continued staring at her. It was clear that it was a scare tactic, and it seemed to work on the veteran, who was tired and half-awake. ¡°I- He¡¯s not a liability, I swear!¡±


    The captain pressed a few buttons that opened the upper-hatch of the shuttle. What was he thinking? ¡°You guys go ahead and land this baby. I must make my entrance awesome!¡±


    He climbed through the hatch and to the roof of the ship as it was descending through the atmosphere.


    Mikael sighed. He was still being new to the SGS. He was still adjusting from the professional and cold nature that Squad Leader work gave him. The casual and fun nature of the Star Gazers Squad, he wasn¡¯t used to it at all.


    And neither was Nanasu. She was a Squad Leader too, but it ended horribly. Her entire squad got wiped out a couple years before the joined the Star Gazers Squad. She slacked off for the entire duration of her squad leaderless time that she turned slothful.


    Mikael sighed again, looking at Nanasu. ¡°Leave Kleine on the ship, we don¡¯t want him getting lost in the city.¡± He got up to land the ship. They descended through the atmosphere as they reached the top parts of the city¡¯s 9,300 skyscrapers.


    ¡°I... euh... rmgmgmgmgmhmhmh... fine...¡± She felt defeated, petting Kleine for the last time before leaving him on her mattress, getting ready to go outside. ¡°Be a good boy now, Kleine! Don¡¯t get lost in the shuttle!¡±


    It was truly a sight to behold. It was as beautiful as ever, with regular snowfall.


    -


    The shuttle closed in on the main landing pad of Tristate City. As always, there were thousands of people roaming in the streets, as some stopped to see whoever came.


    ¡°Ffffffffffffffffffffffffffear not, as Claude Magami has arrived!¡± Claude¡¯s voice could be heard from above as he jumped off the ship and straight down towards the landing pad.


    While that was happening. Mikael pressed a button and lowered the boarding ramp of the shuttle, walking out.


    Hearing Claude Magami¡¯s intense introduction caused people to distance from him to show respect, while others stood still to give them the spotlight.


    ¡°One day, you¡¯re going to break something with that habit of yours.¡± Mikael walked with his hands in his pockets, referencing his entrance, gesturing at him with his right arm.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t really stop him. Besides, he¡¯s in a good mood. Let him have his fun.¡± Nanasu said.


    Mikael chuckled, half-joking about it. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s better than being half-asleep on an important mission.


    ¡°Cut it out! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m half-asleep all the time!¡± She punched Mikael in the shoulder, clearly taking offense. She couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed as she looked away from Mikael.


    Claude landed where there was a large crowd, fixing his posture and doing a heroic pose.


    ¡°NAILED IT!¡±


    Claude had a charismatic physique and due to his cheerful and hyperactive nature ¨C it was only a fifty-fifty whether the Testharians liked him or not.


    Just a few hundred meters away from the landing pad, stood the great Eria Tower. As usual, there were huge golden entrance doors that were open for anyone to go inside. The fact that it was always open was ironclad evidence that Testharians truly trusted each other.


    ¡°Wow... I wish the catering at the station were always this open.¡± Mikael scratched his nose, walking towards the tower.¡±


    ¡°Oh man- egghhh...¡± Claude realized that he didn¡¯t bring any clothes to keep himself warm as he shivered. Tristate City was at a constant negative Celsius temperature, especially when it neared the tenth month of the galactical calendar.


    ¡°Already a good first impression, ¡®Ultimate Charisma Magnet¡¯...¡± Nanasu laughed with her hands in her coat pockets as well. Below her coat however, she was wearing her Argo-Suit, which was a stretchable, medium armoured spacesuit. The only downside of wearing it was that it didn¡¯t come with a self-warming mechanism.


    ¡°Hmph! Task at hand! That tower!¡± Claude pointed at the tower and quickly interrupted Nanasu as if to show her that he didn¡¯t listen or hear it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t forget Rule 4, huh? You gotta look presentable and you fail at that.¡± She began to walk to the entrance while ridiculing her captain.


    Mikael held back a laugh. ¡°He... that¡¯s why I always wear armour ¨C the most versatile way to dress. It¡¯s also warm.¡±


    Nanasu undid her coat as fast as she could, showing Mikael that she wore armour underneath her coat too. People that stood behind her thought that she stripped herself naked towards Mikael.


    ¡°No way, I do too!¡± She laughed.


    Mikael quickly looked away. ¡°Nana... rgh...¡±


    The three bozos would walk inside the tower. Mikael paused to look around the room to take in the architecture. Meanwhile, Nanasu was more than taken aback.


    ¡°What... the... FUCK!?¡± She yelled out, realizing how beautiful and heavenly the inside of the tower looks. From the insane architecture to the insane art that were presented on the sides. ¡°This is ama-¡°


    Before she could finish her second sentence, she was dinged in the head by her captain. ¡°Language!¡±


    ¡°Ow...¡± Nanasu winced in pain, holding her head. This was the second time that her head took damage. With all this bonks that she had to deal with, it was impressive that she did not suffer from brain damage.


    ¡°What happened to Rule 4, Nanasu? You were talking all so mighty about it.¡± He laughed, making fun of her. Even he didn¡¯t have enough with his shenanigans, continuing his laughter to let the embarrassment marinate even more.


    ¡°I get it! Jeez...¡±


    She followed Claude as he walked to the front desk in the lobby.


    There was a receptionist working like there was no tomorrow. One phone call took about 20 seconds before taking another one. She had no time to help the people who stood before her. An annoyed face overwrote her previous expression.


    ¡°Ael demuste.¡± (One second). She spoke in Testharian.


    ¡°Hello! We came here to see the uhh...¡± .:. What was her name...? .:.


    Mikael looked down at the receptionist ¨C he was a little taller than the average Testharian due to poor gravity on his homeworld. With his helmet and armour obstructing his characteristics, the receptionist would think that they were a Testharian.


    ¡°The princess... Or was it the Great Kamisword?¡± He was deep in thought, putting his hand on his chin.


    The receptionist finished their phone call and immediately got embarrassed for letting foreigners wait. Respect was of utmost importance for them, especially if it was towards a foreigner. To let them wait for a long time, scared her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for... keeping you waiting... urm... you said that you came here to see the Great Kamisword?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Claude rested his hands on his waist, smirking mischievously.


    ¡°Ah... Have you gotten a permit from the space station?¡± She asked, her eyes still wide open.


    .:. Great, a permit...? .:. Nanasu sighed, looking away as she sighed.


    Foreigner aircrafts had the eligibility to get a permit for their reasons of coming to Testharia from the space station where they got access. However, Claude forgot as he immediately descended towards the atmosphere.


    Which is why they were left without a permit and had to ask the nice receptionist for one. Nanasu and Mikael felt a bit embarrassed, but Claude was oblivious to such a thing.


    ¡°Nope! We¡¯d like one though! Maybe this helps!¡± He placed his Soul-Core badge on the desk.


    The receptionist immediately checked the files to see if there was a scheduled meeting for Sachiel Eria. But much to their dismay, there was none scheduled. The receptionist had a worrisome look on their face.


    Soul-Core had no idea that Testharia had an alliance with Dark Intrinium. It wasn¡¯t an alliance that they wished for, to be honest. The Viceroy made a mistake in trusting Lord Veyron.


    ¡°...Hmm... There is no meeting scheduled for His Excellency, but I can give you young gentlemen and lady a permit so you can wait in the High Lobby.¡± She referenced the lobby in Floor 128.


    She checked under the counter to give them the one out of 29 permits. About a minute later, she reappeared behind the counter again, handing them the ticket for the elevator, and the permit for the Floor. They had to show it to the Royal Squad standing guard there.


    ¡°This is the ticket to the elevator, and this is the permit you must show to the Royal Guard. The elevators are to the right. Take the far-left elevator for a direct ascent to the top floor.


    ¡°Much appreciated, lovely!¡± Claude complimented the receptionist before snatching the permit and the ticket from her hand, walking to the elevators.


    ¡°...A ... urm... my pleasure...?¡± She went back to working with reddened cheeks.


    As they reached the hallway where the elevators were located at, they had a hard time squeezing through. It was always picked with Testharians. It was easy to be lost if you were short.


    Claude stood tall amongst the majority of the Testharians present. He was roughly around 6¡¯2 feet, which helped him locate the elevators easily.


    Mikael was another case, as he stood a good 6¡¯4 feet tall as well. Even he had an easy time locating the elevator they needed to take to the top floor. He was able to look at the top of most Testharian heads. ¡°Testharians are generally tall people, it seems...¡±


    Nanasu, who stood just 5¡¯9 feet tall, was nowhere to be seen in the amalgamation of Testharians. She was lost, as she tried to locate Claude and Mikael in what looked like a stampede. ¡°Hey! Coming through! Rgh...¡±


    Squeezing was hard. She was being pushed around and about without them being aware of her ever existing.


    Being short was a curse.


    Claude respectfully barged by the Testharians. ¡°¡¯Scuse me, Soul-Core personnel en route!¡± He popped his badge while he walked past them, smiling. Most Testharians opened up a path for them now that they realized that he was a foreigner. No longer were they in Hell.


    Claude managed to successfully get past all of them and into the elevator. However, he realized something; Nanasu was nowhere to be seen. He could see Mikael following in quickly after, but even he paused to look for the poor girl. They had lost her in the crowd.


    ¡°Keep the elevator open for us, Mikael! Nanasu needs saving!¡± He climbed back into the crowd.


    ¡°Oh man... they¡¯re so tall...¡± She was scared, looking around. Her height didn¡¯t even reach the chest area of Testharians. She couldn¡¯t see the room, the hallway, the heads of Testharians, and just saw a crowd of huge, long legs.


    ¡°Captain!? Mikael! Save me!¡± She was lost.


    Claude finally found Nanasu in the crowd, grabbing her and pulling her in, out of the crowd. She could see Mikael keeping the elevator door open for them. ¡°Almost lost ya¡¯ there, heh!¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Aeh! Thank you, Captain!¡± Nanasu hugged as she tried not shedding a tear.


    ¡°Heh! Now, up we go!¡± He walked into the elevator, stopping before he pushed a button. ¡°Which floor was it...?¡±


    ¡°I believe it was the top floor.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a ticket sensor next to the numbers, try if that works.¡± Nanasu pointed to the amalgamation of buttons.


    ¡°Hm...¡± He scanned his ticket against the interface, as the elevator door instantly closed. It was set to the top floor and about to ascend.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Nanasu cheered, clapping her hands.


    ¡°Awesome technology, eh?¡±


    ¡°They even don¡¯t have that annoying elevator music.¡± Mikael humoured, smiling inside his helmet.


    ¡°But! We¡¯ll make our own music!¡± He hummed ¡®Space Boy¡¯ as they went up. Which annoyed Mikael even further. He was done with his shenanigans. ¡°Haha... -No.¡± He pressed a button on the side of his helmet, turning on his sound cancelling mechanism.


    ¡°-Like a Space Boy... oh oh oh!¡±


    Nanasu held in her laugh behind Mikael and Claude as she looked away. Instead of Mikael cringing at him, she couldn¡¯t contain the joy she felt because of her. This was a good squad to be in, especially when she didn¡¯t need to take a caretaker/squad leader role.


    She didn¡¯t deserve it, not after everything that happened. She wouldn¡¯t allowed herself to be put in such a position, neither would she work to it. All that she wanted, was this squad to remain unchanged. Hearing Mikael¡¯s annoying voice directed towards Claude; hearing Claude be the goofy, hyperactive captain that he always is.


    She loved every second of it.


    However, the joy she felt came to an halt as the sheer force of the gravity tripling. The elevator ascended very fast, with an estimate time of 24 seconds to reach the top floor.


    ¡°GUH!¡± She dropped to the floor, coughing. ¡°W-what! I can¡¯t move!¡±


    ¡°Rmgh... This is... an elevator? This feels more like a fucking rocket taking off!¡± He dropped to one knee, grunting as the gravity quadrupled now. The G-Force the elevator could withstand was insane.


    However, Claude stood as if nothing happened. He didn¡¯t break a single sweat and was still humming ¡®Space Boy¡¯, oblivious to Nanasu and Mikael¡¯s struggle.


    They eventually made it to the top floor, the quadruped G-Force eliminated in a split second.


    ¡°Fuck... I feel dizzy now.¡± Mikael stood up, turning off his sound cancellation.


    ¡°I¡¯m never riding this elevator again.¡± Nanasu stood up as well, holding her head. Her chin hurts from impacting the elevator floor.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Claude looked behind him, noticing Nanasu and Mikael struggling and frowning about something. ¡°Why the droopy faces? Is it because I was humming ¡®Space Boy¡¯? You guys love that song!¡±


    ¡°Its... not that... It¡¯s the elevator...¡± Nanasu coughed.


    "Heh? What''s with the elevator? Oh...¡± He realized. ¡°Was it because of the gravity? Hah! You guys are so weak!¡±


    Claude had a big smile on his face. He was the only one unaffected by the G-Force they just had to experience.


    "..."


    The doors opened, revealing a huge hall filled with art. As mentioned, the Royal Squad were present in the room. Some squad members took turns as some would have a strict no-moving policy. They were ready to strike at any moment, and anyone who did the slightest wrong move, would be dead before they even knew.


    "Wow... Look at this place!" Nanasu looked around, her eyes wide open. "It''s so beautiful!"


    "It''s like the entire tower is a museum." Mikael looked around, amazed by the architecture.


    "Well, let''s get going! Time''s ticking, my friends!"


    The three of them walked towards the entrance, where two guards stood.


    "Stop."

 Arc 1, Chapter 8 - The Influence of Dark Intrinium

    The guards immediately blocked their way. One wore a colourful red and black armour, who would be Samuell, while the other wore a gold and blue, and that would be Maduk. They couldn''t see their facial expressions. They were a lot more professional and stricter than the receptionist at the lobby.


    "State your business."


    ¡°Hey! We¡¯re from the Soul-Core. We were tasked to establish an alliance between Testharia and the Soul-Core.¡± Claude smiled with his hands on his waist.


    ¡°Do you have a permit with you?¡± Samuell asked.


    ¡°We do!¡± Claude handed them the permit. Samuell snatched it from his hands and started inspecting it up close. After a good 30 seconds, he handed it back to him and shook his head.


    ¡°Soul-Core, correct?¡±


    Nanasu, Claude and Mikael nodded their heads in unison. Samuell and Maduk, the guards, would look at each other and then turn around to come to an agreement.


    Claude raised an eyebrow, were they gossiping against them?


    :: Maduk, they¡¯re Soul-Core...! ::


    :: I know! Do they know that Dark Intrinium is in an alliance with us? ::


    :: Goddamn, Asheera made a mistake we can¡¯t walk away from! ::


    :: Wait wait, it¡¯s not that bad... What if we don¡¯t let them in...? ::


    :: Maduk, they¡¯re Soul-Core! What if Dark Intrinium turns against us and we don¡¯t have anyone to save us? ::


    :: Why would we have anyone save us in the first place...!? We¡¯re Testharia, we got the manpower! ::


    :: No no no... Lord Veyron is the issue! ::


    :: ...Fggh... Sachiel can fight him, right? ::


    :: Maduk! I don¡¯t want my home city to be burned down because of a stupid agreement! Let¡¯s just let them in, and hope Sachiel agrees to an alliance. He needs to terminate the alliance anyways! ::


    :: ... Alright alright! ::


    Nanasu and Mikael looked at each other. They couldn¡¯t hear him and nor Claude could. After a few seconds, the guards turned around in unison, maintaining their professional behaviour.


    ¡°Ahem... you may enter.¡± They went out of the way and opened the door to them.


    ¡°Sweet!¡± Claude walked inside first. Nanasu and Mikael followed suit, and the door was closed behind them.


    They were presented with a beautiful looking hotel lobby. But it was more like a home for the Eria Family. There are hotel rooms in this floor as well however, one guest being Jumkou Katatoria.


    Claude¡¯s eyes were closed, concentrating on the Soul Aura. ¡°That one must be the Great Kamisword... but the other one...¡±


    Mikael walked over to one of the sofas in the lobby, sitting down to wait for when they could be seen.


    Nanasu was in her own world, looking down at the entirety of Tristate City from a window pane, laughing. ¡°This place is so cool! It looks like Coruscant!¡±


    Nanasu was also a fan of old media, such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and A Mystical Divergence. ¡°It really looks like... You wouldn¡¯t find a city like this anywhere!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like you can smell the tradition!¡± Claude smiled.


    -


    A couple meters down, a door would open, revealing a family member of the Royal Family. It wasn¡¯t the Great Kamisword they were looking for, but the Princess, or so, the Viceroy herself.


    She coughed, looking to the right which was the hallway upon noticing foreigners. ¡°Ramiel! Did we have guests!?¡±


    Ramiel appeared just seconds before Asheera. ¡°I don¡¯t think so... We did have a meeting with the Septo Corporation just then...¡±


    Claude and Nanasu¡¯s eyebrows were raised upon hearing the Septo Corporation. Despite Septo¡¯s neutral policy, many database leaks showed a large amount of transactions with Dark Intrinium. This could only mean one thing, that they were aligned towards them.


    For Testharia to have a meeting scheduled with them, it was worrying.


    Claude walked up to Asheera upon noticing her and kneeled in respect. ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Asheera looked at Claude with a raised eyebrow, taken aback by his sudden kneeling. In Testharian culture, kneeling was never a thing. Nevertheless, she cleared her voice and put on her formality. ¡°A- Hello... We were not expecting any guests, this is a surprise to say the least.¡±


    Mikael followed Claude, bowing his head ¨C having read a book on Testharian culture issued to him on the shuttle ride.


    ¡°Sent here by the Soul-Core military, ma¡¯am.¡± He fixed his posture, smiling.


    ¡°We were here to speak with the Great Kamisword.¡± Mikael said, raising his head. He turned to where Nanasu was, gesturing her to join him and Claude in introducing themselves.


    Asheera nodded, walking with them to the sofa. ¡°I see. He is currently on patrol duty outside Tristate City. I am overseeing this tower for the time being.¡±


    Nanasu stared at Asheera, finding a new sense of beauty in her. While she looked alien, Asheera resembled a human more than the average Testharian. She had long, silky pink hair, black eyes, a pale skin. They were tall and slender. She was the epitome of beauty in Testharia.


    Foreigners wouldn¡¯t get a kick from seeing her, though.


    .:. That¡¯s... the Viceroy? She¡¯s more beautiful than I thought. .:.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all that Soul Energy left suspended in orbit?¡± Claude asked, cutting to the chase entirely. He referenced the Dankasho Incident that happened yesterday.


    ¡°Eeh...¡± Ramiel grimaced under his helmet ¨C still ashamed of himself for how he handled the situation. Asheera sat on the sofa, waiting for the others to take a seat as well.


    Everyone followed suite, while Asheera shook Nanasu¡¯s hand in advance, greeting her.


    Ramiel broke the silence. ¡°We were attacked by a terrorist ¨C you may know him as the one who attacked Progen City.¡±


    Claude put a finger on his chin. ¡°I see. The Soul known as CHAOS. But he shows up here, why? He was hidden for such a long time.¡±


    ¡°We are just as lost as you, sir...¡± Asheera said, unbeknownst to her what his name is. She looked away with a tinge of embarrassment.


    ¡°I questioned him before battle. He emerged to spread chaos and nothing else. He was just living up to his name.¡± Ramiel crossed his arms. ¡°He arrived like a meteor. He was most likely floating in space for ages.¡±


    Nanasu chuckled, half-joking. ¡°Fuuck... would¡¯ve been a golden chance to put an end to him for goo-¡°


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have killed him.¡±


    ¡°Heh?¡± Nanasu looked at Ramiel in confusion.


    ¡°No, not that... We did kill him, but he just got back up like it never happened.¡±


    CHAOS. The most powerful Synthetic-Class, even known by all Soul-Core personnel. A veteran like Nanasu didn¡¯t know something like that. What was she really doing back in the space station? Was she playing video games? Was she sleeping through the 6 year downtime?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t read anything, Nanasu?¡± Claude looked back at her. ¡°He is deemed to be the most powerful Synthetic-Class by Soul-Core. Even I would have a tough time against ¡®em.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    She looked at Ramiel, Claude and Nanasu conversing with each other. She was just coughing through the conversation, which gave Mikael and Ramiel the feeling that something was wrong with her.


    ¡°Are you alright, Viceroy?¡± Mikael noticed, having not spoken since they got to the sofa. Ramiel turned his head also, noticing it.


    ¡°I am just a little ill.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I could go to the med bay to get you medication. It could still be lingering injuries.¡±


    Asheera put her hand up, waving around, signalling that she declined his offer. ¡°There is no need for that, Ramiel... Thank you. Now, about Chaos.¡± She stood up, coughing again.


    ¡°Yes. We did kil him, but as Ramiel said ¨C he got straight back up. Which led me to think that something else was controlling the person... the Soul. Prior to Chaos dying, they spoke more casually, but when CHAOS emerged...¡± She put emphasis this time. ¡°They were more sophisticated, and stronger.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Claude thought. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility...¡± But then, he cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem... Anyway- we came here on behalf of a... negotiation.¡±


    Asheera now focused on Claude, sitting back on the sofa. ¡°Proceed, sir.¡±


    ¡°Well... Since I don¡¯t like beating around the bush. I will cut to the chase. At the request of our General of the Soul-Core military, we want to propose an alliance.¡±


    Asheera¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she immediately tried hiding her shock. Soul-Core wants to propose an alliance, to an ally of Dark Intrinium? She thought back on the conversation she had with Kytan Veyron, about Soul-Core being worse than it shows.


    But she realized just after the conversation that those were all just manipulation tactics... moreover, she spoke about that with Sachiel.


    = = =


    ¡°I... I know you¡¯re agitated, and I apologise... I know- I fucked up...I should¡¯ve consulted you before diving into any negotia-¡°


    Sachiel sat elegantly on his large comfortable chair, which was made of rusted weapons, and it was glowing yellow and blue. The colours having different meanings. He interrupted before she could finish her sentence.


    ¡°Asheera. We have adhered to the policy of not trusting any outsiders that may want to come in contact with us for years, and you broke that with the very person that is a menace to the galaxy. You are still an amateur when it comes to diplomacy, and yes, you should have put your choice on hold before agreeing so impulsively.¡±


    He was angry, and it was justified. Testharia was now in looming danger of an incoming betrayal, something that Dark Intrinium has done with a lot of allies in the past, except the Septo Organization.


    ¡°Additionally, I never gave you an order that you were to negotiate with outsiders when I was not available. You should¡¯ve not forgotten about that. What made you act on impulse?¡±


    Asheera didn''t know what to answer, and she felt a sense of guilt rising in her body. She didn''t think that a simple meeting between two individuals could lead to something like this. ¡°I just... look, Sachiel... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Riddled with guilt, she sat down, unable to look his great brother in the eyes.


    However, Sachiel did look her in the eye. While crossing his other leg, he didn¡¯t look agitated. He merely showed that in his ¡®dialogue¡¯ with her. It was more of a lesson than pure anger. He remained expressionless with a smile that almost said nothing.


    Sachiel had known a lot about Dark Intrinium and their tactics for many years. They were ruthless. who would do anything to get what they want.


    Dark Intrinium is an authoritarian empire made up of thousands of star systems, just like Soul-Core. They are primarily concentrated in the east. Dark Intrinium was formed by the Veyron family, founded after disagreements with Soul-Core¡¯s ideology. Believing that with the awakening of Soul-Wielders, a galaxy ruled by them would be suitable, rather than with an elected authority. Which is why the mostly embody the strong, ambitious and callous.


    Dark Intrinium operates under the ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯ ideology, believing heavily in one¡¯s personal strength and fostering an environment of betrayal and violence. While the acts their members do in the name of power is deplorable, the Veyron''s primary teachings are surprisingly well thought-out; teaching to be proud of one¡¯s strength, to foster their Soul and to strive for more in life. Dark Intrinium is typically safer to travel through than Soul-Core, as piracy is heavily controlled.


    When Asheera mentioned that they had offered an alliance, he became suspicious. He knew that they were not to be trusted and would always have a hidden agenda. He had advised his sister to be careful, but she was young and na?ve and did not listen.


    In fact, he had specifically told her not to negotiate with outsiders when he was not around. However, he did not realize that she would not follow his advice.


    Now, he feared that the consequences of her actions would come back to haunt them. He could only hope that the damage would not be too severe.


    However, he knew that the most important thing was to learn from this mistake and not repeat it again, while silently terminate the alliance.


    ¡°We know nothing about the outsiders, Asheera. Nor do we want to. It¡¯s best for us to explore and connect by tourism. Not with alliances. You ought to know that.¡±


    He grabbed his cup of Shukrann wine and closed his eyes as he drank it all away. His butler would grab the empty cup and walk away with it. ¡°If you truly call yourself heir to the Kamisword throne, you have a long way to go, young sister...¡±


    = = =


    The elevator on the right opened, revealing the person that they were looking for, causing Asheera to snap out of it.


    ¡°Hey, Asheera. Myrcella called that you had guests.¡± He quickly took off his jacket and hung it on the rack.


    Claude immediately stood up. ¡°You must be the Great Kamisword.¡±


    Sachiel smiled, reaching for a handshake. Claude did as well as they shook firmly. ¡°Indeed, apologises. I do not believe we have met yet. I am Sachiel Eria.¡±


    ¡°Claude Magami!¡± Claude smiled.


    Sachiel patted Asheera on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll take over for now, Asheera. Thank you, go rest.¡± He then sat on the sofa while Asheera nodded, waving the guests goodbye and leaving the room.


    Ramiel waved the guests goodbye too before walking away, into the hallway. He wanted to check up on his armour repairs and since he still wasn¡¯t used to seeing Sachiel in person, he found it off-putting.


    Not that he disliked Sachiel, but because the person scared him.


    Claude cut to the chase as he did with Asheera, sitting down. ¡°Great Kamisword! On behalf of Soul-Core and it¡¯s military adjacent, I propose an alliance with the Mobilizers of Testharia.¡±


    Sachiel leaned back on the sofa, smiling. ¡°An alliance, you say. What an intriguing offer! That is rare indeed. We have had two alliance proposals in the same month. The Soul-Core military, hm?¡±


    Claude nodded.


    Sachiel¡¯s smile then faded away, as he sighed, about to give them the bad news. ¡°Unfortunately, gentlemen and lady. We are already in an alliance with a huge body. Lord Veyron of Veyronia was quicker than you gentlem-¡°


    ¡°Lord Veyron?¡± Claude stood up.


    Mikael pushed off the wall and Nanasu was left speechless.


    ¡°Great Kamisword... with all due respect.¡± Mikael clenched his fists. ¡°Are you aware of the atrocities that Lord Veyron and Dark Intrinium have done? All those factions that have been reduced to serve Lord Veyron? Kiss his feet and make his bed?¡±


    Claude crossed his arms, turning serious. ¡°He is a man that cannot be trusted, Great Kamisword. With all due respect, I think it is in your best interest to terminate the alliance. Lord Veyron will have your planet conquered before you even know it. If you side with us, Soul-Core will have no trouble in aiding your people and this wonderful planet.¡±


    Sachiel nodded, crossing his arms as well. He crossed his legs, closing his eyes, thinking. ¡°I have heard such a suspicion from my sister Asheera herself. 3 weeks ago, Asheera conversed with Lord Veyron of Veyronia. Lord Veyron had proposed an alliance in exchange for strengthened transfer trade power in our favour. She was the person who accepted the proposal... impulsively.¡±


    He continued. ¡°They will understand the motives behind our termination of the alliance. In fact, I had terminated the alliance effective immediately yesterday. How can we know that an action like that will not speed up the invasion, hypothetically speaking?¡±


    Claude smiled. ¡°Well! That is our job! To make sure every part of the galaxy can in peace and prosper!¡±


    Mikael added. ¡°If they were to invade, not only would you have your highly talented military defending you ¨C but the millions and millions of Soul-Core soldiers at your side. There is a reason why so many of our alliances succeeded in the past hundred years. You can count on us, Great Kamisword.¡±


    Claude topped it off with a small sentence, saying: ¡°We¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    Nanasu was sound asleep on the comfortable sofa, taking nothing in of the conversation. Everything she heard came right back out of her thick skull.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen what happened to worlds who side with them. They become bloody wastelands or an asteroid field. I¡¯ve too seen Lord Veyron in action before. He holds devastating power, so much that none of us can beat him. He might even be a difficult man to kill for you.¡±


    Sachiel Eria stood up, staring at Mikael and Claude. ¡°If this really is true, can I entrust everything to Soul-Core? We are not too fond of outsiders who dare to propose alliances or trade routes to us. But we have been running low on resources. We¡¯re entering a glacier period far colder and stronger than the previous 10 years ago. Can we, really, trust you?¡±


    Mikael crossed his arms, standing beside Claude now. He reiterated his point. ¡°Great Kamisword... As someone who comes from a world similar to your own ¨C I can guarantee that the Soul-Core will be there to supply and protect your world. If it were not for Soul-Core, my world would have been nothing but a never-ending sheet of ice.¡±


    Claude clenched his fist and slapped it against his palm, signalling that he was ready for a fight should an invasion happen. ¡°And leave Dark Intrinium to us, I know your people want to remain impartial. We will fight so you don¡¯t have to!¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡± Sachiel thought before extending his hand for a handshake. ¡°You gentlemen are kind beings, for sure. I would not reject such a nice offer. Thank you for setting our priorities straight, Sir Magami.¡± He smiled.


    Claude shook his hand with a big smile. ¡°Just Claude is enough!¡±


    In Testharian culture, informality is sometimes seen as coming off rude, except with friends and family. Claude was just another foreign stranger that Sachiel spoke to. But, he didn¡¯t mind the formality. In fact, Claude was just a happy individual overall, serious when he needed to, lovely person when not.


    ¡°Then it shall be Claude. Thank you once more.¡±


    Mikael walked over to Nanasu, who had fallen asleep. With a small wave of his hand, he slapped her.


    ¡°Eu, huh!?¡± A voice greatly overpowered all the noise happening in the room. It was Nanasu waking up from what seemed to be her falling asleep. ¡°We¡¯re going?¡± She looked around, standing up quickly, bowing in respect and apologising. ¡°I-s-s-s-sorry! I fell asleep! I haven¡¯t slept for hours... s-sorry for being so rude!¡±


    Sachiel laughed, looking over to Claude. ¡°If the lady needs a little bit of rest, we have a vacant family room, reserved for the three of you.¡±


    Mikael glances over at Nanasu, then back at Sachiel. ¡°Do you allow pets?¡±


    Sachiel nodded, before looking back at Claude. It seemed that Claude wanted to ask something else. ¡°By the way, Great Kamisword.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Who is the other person that I am sensing around here? Their Soul Energy readings are high.¡±


    ¡°That may be our other guest ¨C Jumkou Katatoria. She is currently sleeping in her own room. I...¡± He thought back on the day he found her in Snowfall Heights. ¡°It is a long story.¡±

 Arc 1, Chapter 9 - Testharias Open Arms

    Emerging from hyper speed, one of U.o.K¡¯s competent members set course for Testharia. Aria Fujimara was ordered by Lord Veyron himself to arrange outposts on planet side for Dark Intrinium soldiers. However, Aria wasn¡¯t so pleased with how Testharians played around with security.


    ¡°Damn Testharians and their obnoxious security measures.¡±


    She was using one of the many personal fighters of Dark Intrinium. Her own one. As she reached Testharia within orbital range, she would activate her communication radio, connecting to the space station.


    ¡°This is Second Follower ¨C Aria Fujimara. I request a landing within Tristate City.¡± She spoke over the communication radio towards Dankasho for permission.


    After about 20 seconds of waiting, she received a return message. ¡°Hello, Aria Fujimara. State your purpose for the visit.¡±


    ¡°I was sent here on behalf of Dark Intrinium. My purpose of this visit is to only be discussed within higher-ranked officials.¡±


    She slowed her fighter down until she was given permission. .:. Like you would want to know. .:.


    The communication officer responded harshly and didn¡¯t lift the barrier. ¡°Unfortunately, without a proper reason, we cannot allow you access to Testharia. Properly disclose your reason and we shall lift the barrier.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Aria was confused. They were in an alliance with Dark Intrinium. Surely their own aircrafts would be given direct access. Something fishy was going on, and Aria knew that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? I do believe that Dark Intrinium is allied with the Mobilizers of Testharia. Any information for the reason and such is rightfully disclosed at the higher ranks. Do you understand that?¡±


    ¡°As per our security measure, your purpose of the visit is directly radioed to the Royal Family. They will know of your visit.¡± The communications officer didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Why keep me here, officer? Is there a termination notice that we do not know of, and we are not allowed direct access anymore?¡± Aria Fujimara asked with a strong voice.


    After about 10 seconds of radio silence, the officer responded to her last statement. ¡°This is a security protocol that every visitor must go through, with or without a governmental alliance in place. As I said, without a proper disclosure of your stay is hostile behaviour, and shall you enter with force, you will be arrested immediately upon landing. We apologize on behalf of our Dankasho militants and Testharian Royal Forces for our strict rules.¡±


    .:. What a golden retriever... .:.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how it will be then I have no other choice.¡± She sighed. ¡°My purpose of the visit is to meet the Great Kamisword. To discuss our continuation on how to deal with conflicting trade power.¡±


    The communications officer quickly routed whatever she said through the personal radio, which connected directly to the radio on the 128th Floor of the Eria Tower. Then, the barrier was lifted, and Aria was granted passage, before saying the words: ¡°Welcome to Testharia.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She would speed her fighter down through the lifted barrier, and towards the atmosphere of Testharia.


    = = =


    Mikael sat in the room assigned to the Star Gazers Squad, having little interest to explore the city and instead preferring to just wait until he came home. He read a guide on Testharian culture ¨C wanting to not cause offense in the event he ever did leave.


    The long ride to the planet had somewhat soured his expectations of it. The planet, while impressive, looked rather boring to him.


    Being nothing but gleaming skyscrapers or small towns, it was really just a billionaire¡¯s dream instead of a commoner¡¯s issue. The fact they had been aligned with Dark Intrinium, however short, affected this too.


    Nanasu was sleeping on the big bed to fight her slothful nature. Having only slept about 14 hours in 3 days, she was really desperate to get some shut eye in before they left. Her tiredness and boredom were further exacerbated by Mikael¡¯s annoyance and Claude¡¯s hyperactive nature. She didn¡¯t quite fit in, but she was a good addition to the SGS arsenal.


    Mikael turned his gaze towards Claude. ¡°So... when are we going home?¡± He asked bluntly after a few minutes of listening to nothing but snoring and eating.


    Claude was eating Sagrejau, which was a sandwich filled with cabbage, cheese, Testharian tuna and drizzled with garlic sauce and harissa sauce. A few seconds later, he turned his head towards Mikael with a dirty face. ¡°What¡¯s home to you, soldier?¡±


    Mikael grimaced under his helmet, cringing at his disgusting face drowning in sauce. ¡°You know what I mean... When do we leave this place? We¡¯ve done our job, it¡¯s a little odd that we¡¯re still staying.¡±


    Claude finished his food, using the only napkin he has to clean his dirty hands and face. He then stood up. ¡°Right after I discover who this guest is that the Great Kamisword mentioned, then we¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to? What business do we have with the guest anyways?¡±


    "Don''t you feel it? They''re strong. That gets my blood boiling, and my curiosity piqued. Don''t tell me you don''t feel the thrill when fighting someo-¡° He stopped mid-sentence, his eyebrows furrowing and his smile fading.


    ¡°...Do you feel that?¡±


    Mikael stood up, grumbling. ¡°Yeah. I feel something, and that¡¯s an increasing annoyance I feel from Nanasu¡¯s snoring!¡±


    ¡°No, not that. There¡¯s another Soul-Wielder nearby. This one has a staggering presence. Penetrating.¡± He looked around.


    Nanasu would wake up from the sudden staggering presence, as she opened her eyes and looked at Claude and Mikael upside down. Her sleeping position was insanely comical. ¡°Au... Auh... wazhappen!?¡±


    ¡°Someone is coming. Must be someone strong if Claude is worried about it.¡± Mikael crossed his arms, looking at Claude with a hint of worry.


    ¡°Euh... alri- WHAT!? Are we going to fight!?¡± She fell off the bed, before rubbing her eyes and looking straight at Claude. She was still half-asleep.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel that, rookie?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a rookie! I just woke up... Gimme a damn second...¡± She yawned.


    Mikael walked over to his counter and grabbed his Testharian culture book, pelting it at Nanasu, hoping that she would catch it. It would at least indicate that she was fully awake and putting on an act.


    ¡°Aeh!¡± She caught it, pouting towards Mikael.


    ¡°¡¯Least you¡¯re awake.¡± He held back a chuckle.


    ¡°Not funny!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be. We may have a threat coming.¡±


    -


    Aria¡¯s fighter landed on the landing pad. There was a visible U.o.K. logo on the side of the flaps, indicating that they were truly Aria Fujimara ¨C Second Follower.


    The alliance with Dark Intrinium and the Mobilizers of Testharia was not publicly disclosed, so the people were welcoming the fighter like any other outside visitor in their own way. With love and grace.


    The hatch-window popped open with Fujimara climbing out and off the ship. ¡°Huh, lambs and sheep, all of them.¡± She gave the people a disappointed look, speed-walking towards Eria Tower, ignoring any welcome she gets.


    She didn¡¯t care for any Testharians nor the architecture. This planet was going to get conquered anyways. Destroyed or not, it was their property now.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    She approached the front desk. ¡°One permit for the top floor.¡± She said, as if she knew that they needed a permit. It was not disclosed by the space station officer, which was suspicious. But Aria Fujimara was let known beforehand of all this of her meeting with the Great Kamisword.


    ¡°Ah! Miss Fujimara, welcome.¡± The receptionist smiled, reaching under the counter for the permit. ¡°While you are here, how do you like Tristate City so far?¡±


    Aria didn¡¯t say anything and simply waited for the receptionist to find the permit. She did get impatient. ¡°Come on...¡± She muttered. She had one hour to walk in, talk, walk out, and fly out after all.


    As soon as the receptionist reappeared with the permit, it was snatched from her hands. ¡°The elevators are to-¡°


    ¡°Appreciated.¡± She would walk down the hallway and towards the elevator hallway, entering the leftest elevator out of them all and going straight to the top floor.


    After about 30 seconds of fast travelling to the top floor, the elevator doors opened, and she was met with a long hallway with two members of the Royal Squad standing guard. They obstructed the door.


    ¡°Out of my way, I¡¯m here to speak with the Great Kamisword on behalf of Lord Veyron himself.¡± She didn¡¯t waste any time and quickly ordered the guards to make way. However, the guards didn¡¯t budge and asked for her permit.


    ¡°The permit, please.¡± The guard asked nicely.


    ¡°Are all of you sheep?¡± Aria asked bluntly.


    ¡°The permit. Or no access.¡± The guard took a step forward, taking her body language and insult as hostile behaviour. Of course, Aria Fujimara was no match for the Great Kamisword should something bad like a fight happen.


    However, it would scare the 14-year-old living in the quarters.


    Aria grumbled and gave the guard the permit.


    After about 20 seconds of checking the permit, the guard gave it back to her. ¡°Welcome.¡± They gave way to her and opened the door.


    Sachiel was in the same top floor, waiting for the ¡®guest¡¯ to arrive. ¡°This one presence worries me.¡± Sachiel sensed it, which made him worry a bit more.


    Enter: Second Follower ¨C Aria Fujimara.


    The doors would open, greeted by Sachiel.


    ¡°Welcome, Miss Fujimara. We hope the people of Testharia have treated you well on your way here.¡± He extended his hand for a handshake, and Aria took it with respect.


    ¡°Great Kamisword. Lord Veyron has sent me for an arrangement on your planet. We request that we set up personal outposts for Dark Intrinium personnel to patrol.¡±


    This was unprecedented, for Asheera and Sachiel. They had taken note of Aria¡¯s ¡®reason¡¯ for coming here, and that was for discussing dealing with trade power. Sachiel knew that a follower of the Uprising of Kytron was capable of lying just to get here.


    Aria was now in perfect reason to be arrested, but Sachiel would do no such thing if he wanted to protect his planet from a sudden invasion.


    ¡°I see... Come take a seat, we shall discuss this. The journey must have been exhausting.¡± He took a seat on the sofa. Aria followed through, taking a seat on a chair nearby.


    ¡°Outposts for Dark Intrinium seems like a good decision, but I must ask...¡± He sat upright. ¡°Why are outpost necessary in a peaceful land like Testharia?¡±


    Aria cleared her throat and sat elegantly, with her legs crossed and her hands interlocked.


    ¡°Great Kamisword. While you have clearly proven to have created a utopia for your people, you will find that not every bit of peace is safe from violence that occurs outside. Fortunately for you, Lord Veyron has blessed his presence upon this planet. I believe from here on out, it will be a much safer place than it was prior. With our combined manpower, no invasion or ambush from other bodies like Soul-Core, White Eye and Eukaron will result in you losing your planet. The outposts can prove to be extra security for Testharia as well as a quick shortcut to other planetary territories.¡±


    Sachiel scratched the back of his head. ¡°I see. By placing outposts and deploying Dark Intrinium soldiers to strengthen trade and ensuring fast travel, in addition to strengthening our manpower and ensuring us more safety from invasions or ambushes is a good proposal, indeed. However, we have strictly adhered to our historical policy of putting our people first, and the outsiders second. The people shall not like this, and a special reason for is soldiers. Should an invasion happen, we do expect your soldiers to do the work with us. Do you understand?¡±


    Aria nodded.


    ¡°As such, I would like this matter to be decided by the people. ¡®Vox Dei, Vox Populi¡¯, is our policy. No democracy used is freedom lost, and without freedom there would be no prosperity. This is how we have kept our power for years.¡± He added.


    Aria knew now that Sachiel added that the people would not like the change, the ¡®democratic¡¯ solution would not work, and the outposts idea would not go through. To battle this, she had to try and persuade Sachiel, who was a thick wall to crack.


    ¡°Great Kamisword...¡± She would divert from the political lane into the mystical lane.


    ¡°Surely, as a Soul-Wielder of insane strength and class. You do understand how much power you hold, do you not? You¡¯re a king to your people, why not make this change as per your own decision, and not theirs added?¡±


    ¡°This is not my power, Fujimara. The history of all the people that has ever lived in Testharia, and the people that are alive now, have allowed me to rise such a level. They have given me a position where they expect me to flourish with them. I would not lead them astray, as I share my ideologies and my changes with them. They rule the government in the same level I do, and I shall not leave them in the dark in the choices I make.¡±


    Aria glared Sachiel with a fiery look, as her patience started to run out. There was no going through the Great Kamisword. ¡°This isn¡¯t a governmental issue, Great Kamisword. Do you not believe what you could do with just Dark Intrinium at your side? I¡¯m not so sure that disagreements would suffice for us.¡±


    Sachiel crossed his legs, smiling, leaning back. ¡°Disagreements can be compromised in ways where we can agree with each other, and we learn from it as people. I appreciate you coming here personally to talk to me about this. I hold no bad blood towards Lord Veyron or you. I understand that Lord Veyron wants total insurance of our safety, but I do not want it in a way where our soldiers are limitised to what they can do. As I said, we put our people first and outsiders second.¡±


    Aria got frustrated now.


    ¡°I can allow Dark Intrinium soldiers in the same army, but I will not agree to setting up Dark Intrinium outpost around the planet.¡±


    Aria took a moment to look around, having sensed a small bit of Soul Energy that was on par with her, before looking back at Sachiel. ¡°This room... who created it to such perfection?¡±


    Sachiel smiled. ¡°My greatfather ¨C Azrael Testharia, built it to perfection. Many generations passed this very room down to him, and then to me. It is home to our history and much more.¡± Sachiel called for his butler to pour him his favourite Shukrann Wine.


    The butler wanted to ask if Aria wanted to drink but was shut down by her. ¡°A man of high power such as you with righteous morals and leadership truly earns the position of leading Testharia, or am I mistaken?¡±


    ¡°You are not mistaken, Fujimara. In fact, you are most correct.¡±


    ¡°Then let me ask this. This would mean that you are the only person in your level amongst the Testharians, am I correct?¡±


    ¡°That is also correct, Fujimara.¡±


    Sachiel¡¯s butler came back with the drinks. The butler would freeze for a second, feeling a dark feeling wash over him by looking at Fujimara. Sachiel would take his full-poured chalice and start drinking.


    ¡°What would explain that then, Kamisword?¡± She pointed to the wall which directly pointed towards the room Jumkou was sleeping in. ¡°No one told me that there would be another person as strong as you.¡±


    ¡°....... The person whom you may be referring to was lost on our planet and is currently in rehabilitation. It has nothing to do with the main topic.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Aria glared at Sachiel once again. She had it with his quick intuitiveness and thinking.


    -


    During the whole conversation, Claude was suppressing his Soul Energy. He had the most out of the squad and as such, needed to lay low. There was no need to, as Jumkou Katatoria¡¯s Soul Energy surpassed theirs by a whole lot. It was overshadowed by hers.


    Nanasu would feel a little scared, leaning on the supporters of the bed. :: Man... what¡¯s happening inside there? I¡¯m scared. :: She whispered to Mikael, hugging herself.


    :: Don¡¯t be scared. You have the most experience out of all of us. Claude will tell us what happened when he¡¯s back. ::


    Claude was eavesdropping at the conversation, behind the door of the hallways was where he was hiding. His curiousness led him to here, but would curiosity kill the cat in this instance? He hoped it wouldn¡¯t. If this was Aria Fujimara ¨C Second Follower, then he needed all the information he could squeeze out of them. After all, Soul-Core was now allied with Testharia.


    .:. That¡¯s trouble... Anytime when powerful Soul-Wielders such as Sachiel and Fujimara are nearby, it typically results in a rivalry or an alliance. .:.


    It wasn¡¯t like Claude to be concerned.


    -


    ¡°Onto the topic at hand. Our proposal is the allowance of Dark Intrinium guards to patrol the city and alongside our soldiers, but the building of outposts is not allowed by any means.¡±


    She turned back, nodding. ¡°If so, then I suppose that it will work.¡± She stood up.


    Sachiel stood up with her, smiling. He extended his hand again for a handshake. ¡°It was pleasure doing business with you, Miss Fujimara.¡±


    Aria didn¡¯t see Sachiel extending his hand and was still fixated on the wall that separated Jumkou and her. Her mind became boggled by the two powerful Soul-Wielders. Normally, she would¡¯ve persisted on the request, but she accepted the alternative instead.


    .:. Something is definitely wrong here... .:.


    ¡°Well, Great Kamisword. I do hope the day pans out excellent for you.¡± She bowed, before turning around and leaving. The quick travel elevator opened its doors and quickly closed.


    Exit: Second Follower ¨C Aria Fujimara.


    Claude sighed deeply. .:. Oh man... .:.


    As a result, Nanasu¡¯s fear faded away. :: Are they gone? :: She whispered to Mikael.


    :: Seems so. ::


    :: That was scary!! :: She facepalmed, taking deep breaths.


    Claude emerged out of the hallway and walked before Sachiel with his hands on his waist. ¡°That was close, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sachiel turned towards Claude, who sounded like he knew what was going on, which could only mean one thing. He was listening in.


    ¡°Were you eavesdropping on our meeting, Mr. Magami? I must say that is quite rude.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Uhh... heh... hehe... yeah.¡± He scratched his head, chuckling.


    ¡°Gooood... Morninngg...¡± Jumkou yawned while entering the lobby. Who dare disturb her beauty sleep? She got a good night¡¯s sleep for the first time in ever. Besides, it wasn¡¯t morning, it was evening time. Was a body clock even a thing for her?


    ¡°Ah! Good morning, Jumkou! I must say you look better each passing day. Are you well rested?¡± Sachiel turned towards her, smiling and admiring her beauty. It wasn¡¯t normal for him to low flirt with her.


    Jumkou nodded.


    ¡°Yo, good morning!¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Claudeeee...¡± She said.


    ...


    ...


    Claude? I remember that name bright as day.


    That is Claude?


    Did I just say good morning to Claude?


    Claude Magami? Out of everyone else?


    Claude!?


    CLAUDE!?


    Claude Magami is alive!

 Arc 1, Chapter 10 - White Eye

    ¡°C-C-C-CLAU...¡± She stumbled back, her eyes wide open in shock. It was as if she saw a ghost standing before her, haunting her, each passing day.


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Sachiel and Claude were unknown as to why she acted like this. Moreover, she knows who Claude was. How did that happen? This girl was full of mysteries. She was lost on Snowfall Heights, has a large reserve of Soul Energy and knows Claude Magami?


    ¡°You know me?¡± Claude has never met Jumkou Katatoria until now, and when he didn¡¯t get a response from her, he waved his hand in front of her face. ¡°Hello... Earth to Juk, Jukmau... no that wasn¡¯t it, Jamker? Joker- No that ain¡¯t it... Jamkao, Jumk-...Agh, whatever your name i- Hello?¡±


    Her eyes froze onto him, and it did not, waver. This was ¡®PTSD¡¯. This was her finally meeting someone that she knew. She knew. Finally, she knew someone. Finally, someone noticed her knowing them. Finally, she stumbled upon someone who she knew that they were alive. Finally, it happened. Finally, she wasn¡¯t alone. Finally, she wasn¡¯t around strangers. Finally, she realized once more that she had a chance. Finally, she realized that-


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    This Claude Magami that she knew, was in deep shit. Everyone is. She was the only one that knew.


    ¡°Jumkou... Jumkou, is there something wrong?¡± Sachiel shook Jumkou, his black eyes piercing into her.


    ¡°He¡¯s... he¡¯s... he¡¯s...¡± Jumkou was having a panic attack. It was a strong one, in fact. Not even Sachiel could sedate her.


    It¡¯s not possible and I won¡¯t believe it.


    It¡¯s not possible and I won¡¯t believe it.


    Even if I¡¯m here with a newfound purpose, even if everyone I knew is alive again, even in this time.


    It¡¯s hard to believe it. It¡¯s hard but I¡¯ve done this so many times, so why am I going crazy!?


    A person who I trusted so much but still died, standing before me like nothing happened to him.


    Nothing will happen for now.


    But what if I fail again?


    What if I¡¯m left all alone again?


    What if I¡¯m all alone again?


    What if I¡¯m all alone again?


    What if I¡¯m all alone again!?


    What if I¡¯m all alone again!?


    What if I¡¯m all alone again!?


    What if I¡¯m all alone again!?


    What the hell could I possibly do then!?


    I¡¯ve done this too many times, I regret it so much!


    I regret it but I keep continuing on!


    Because a hero is standing before me now.


    He gives me hope.


    He gives me hope that I know I will lose.


    A hope that... I should hold on to.


    A hope that I shouldn¡¯t lose.


    Hope that I should... pass onto someone.


    The one that will save the world.


    Flynnigan Shotaro.


    Flynnigan Shotaro.


    ...


    Flynnigan Shotaro.


    ...


    Flynnigan Shotaro.


    ...


    Flynnigan Shotaro.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    No, he¡¯s here. Claude is here. He¡¯s okay.


    I travelled back in time. Of course I¡¯m here. I¡¯m okay. I know I¡¯m okay. I know I will be okay.


    Why am I losing my mind over something that...


    All those things I said... the Soul can do that anytime. Anything can happen with the Soul.


    It has to work.


    This time, it has to work.


    Her mind was finally cleared, and her view was pristine again. ¡°... S-sorry... I just saw his name on the badge from Soul-Core and it kinda scared me.¡±


    She was in the clear. Nobody heard her panic attack. It was all in her head. But it felt all too real. The fact that she stumbled back, screaming his name. They must¡¯ve heard all of them. But they¡¯re oblivious.


    She felt relief washing over her.


    ¡°You sure did pick up a strange one, Great Kamisword.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I think we will be on our way now though. Now that we¡¯ve established our alliance, you can secretly call us when you need to.¡±


    ¡°Euh... yeah... He¡¯s right...¡± Nanasu had her palms on her face from the previous fear, still unable to shake it off. Was she really a veteran?


    ¡°Right. That we shall do, Mr. Magami. We will call whenever needed.¡± He smiled, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Claude called the other two.


    ¡°Yay... back home!¡± She jumped in happiness, before realizing that was a VERY rude thing to do. She quickly stopped, frowning and looking down. ¡°S-sorry...¡±


    Mikael would follow, kicking off the wall, having watched the conversation unfold. ¡°Thank you for having us!¡± He called as he walked away with Claude and Nanasu.


    .:. This is too much... I know Claude¡¯s alive now. I¡¯m in 2195, I know that for a fact now. It makes more sense by the minute. I can start searching for him now. .:.


    Jumkou sat down, watching them walk away.


    = = =


    On a remote planet in the Eastern Region of the Known Galaxy, stood the 500-meter wide and 400-meter-tall headquarters of a long-known body in the galaxy. White Eye.


    The planet carried a rather vigorous storm in these parts, especially on the glacier of the planet, which was the only place on the planet that was habitable for human standards.


    Everywhere else was a scorching hot surface of volcanic ash that could burn your body in nanoseconds.


    However, the White Eye have found their way to live inside here, and their place in the galaxy, as well as their selected planet, is the reason as to why their headquarters have not been touched for decades.


    Enter, the large and wide lounge of the White Eye headquarters, in the western wing. This wing is where the barracks were located, as well as the detainment area for any captured criminals or people that had bounties.


    Ken Magami found himself really beat inside after taking the brunt of his higher-ups. Having failed his assassination attempt, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Rakoji Kovac might be up to now due to his incompetence to kill him.


    Rakoji was just as strong as him, but he was smarter for sure. Rakoji had used the stampede as a wall that separated him and Ken and made a run for it. Ken just managed to escape the planet, but was now designated as a first-rate criminal, or otherwise.


    The most wanted in the Envia Dome of Mars.


    ¡°Kuh... what a wreck...¡± Ken was laying on one of the sofas in the lounge room, closing his eyes and cringing at himself. He had his head laying on his left arm and his right was over his face, obstructing his view.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    How could he have let Rakoji escape? Was he demoted? No. But he had to live with the regret of taking on the assassination attempt.


    Not that he had much choice in the matter. He was forced, regardless. Had he refused, he would¡¯ve been demoted, or worse-case scenario; branded as a traitor of White Eye.


    The lounge room was eerily quiet. Nobody said a thing and the only people occupying it were Ken and another girl. She lay on the other side of the lounge room, on one of the better sofas. She was reading a book and had a Walkman, listening to old music from the 2000s.


    She had long, bright, silky silver hair and her eyes were pink. She was a well-known member of White Eye.


    Ken yawned, taking his arm out of his face; only to be greeted by his old partner staring down at him.


    ¡°Hey Kenny!¡± The partner stared straight down at him.


    ¡°AH!¡± Kenny was left scared shitless, falling from the sofa and hitting the floor face down. He then grumbled, realizing that it was Revvie. But the fact that he hit the floor face down gave him a new painful sensation, and he hated it.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯... why are you here, Revvie? You scared the crap out of me.¡± He got back up on the sofa, sitting up this time instead of laying down.


    ¡°I really got nothing to do. I just happened to saw you come in here, all chewed up, so I thought I¡¯d cheer you up!¡± She sat down next to Ken, a big smile on her face that never changes. It seemed innocent, something even Ken gets soothed at the sight of it.


    ¡°I failed my assassination attempt, let one slip and now I¡¯m totally beat because of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising!¡±


    ¡°... What a way to rub it in.¡± He crossed his arms, looking away from Revvie. It was clear that he was still sulking about it, and now with Revvie rubbing salt on his wound, he was cringing even more now.


    .:. That¡¯s surprising, huh? I¡¯d like to see you handle him. .:.


    ¡°Was your partner not with you?¡± Revvie asked.


    ¡°Strad? He punched in home without me, deciding to drag me out to do the job. All alone.¡±


    Revvie frowned at the thought of it, before smiling again and wrapping her arm around his shoulders. ¡°To be fair though. You could¡¯ve taken the promotion that was offered a while ago and you would¡¯ve still been partners. Why did you choose to lay low?¡±


    Ken thought for a moment, and he pondered on his brother. Claude Magami. A captain, alongside a few other people, overseeing their own personal squad in Soul-Core.


    ¡°I just want to avoid my brother. He¡¯s an idiot.¡± He said, imagining Claude doing something stupid in the process. But then, his gaze lingered on the girl with long, silky bright, silver hair.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Revvie reeled her arm in and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Ehhh??¡± She stood up, widened eyes and open mouth now overwriting the big smile she had. ¡°Did you hit your head during your mission or what?¡±


    ¡°...No?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re for real? You¡¯re telling me that you don¡¯t know who that is??¡±


    The girl laying down on the other sofa overheard their conversation, Revvie¡¯s scream being louder than the song she was listening to on her Walkman. She continued reading a book, which was science-fantasy oriented. It had illustrations as well.


    She was reading what used to be light novels originating from a long-lost country on Earth.


    ¡°Revvie, of course I don¡¯t! I don¡¯t stare at girls!¡±


    Revvie crossed her arms, holding back a laugh. ¡°Wh- Pffgg... What... what does that have to do with anything!?¡±


    ¡°Can you just stop teasing me and tell me who she is?¡±


    ¡°Right, right... That right there is Megami Duvet, also known as ¡®Thousand Leaves¡¯. She¡¯s very well-known amongst us White Eye for being powerful. I heard that she had a fundamental-grade Soul.¡±


    ¡°... Didn¡¯t know we had someone like that.¡±


    Revvie chuckled, looking away and towards someone as they walked in. ¡°A Hybrid-Type¡¯s this dense?¡± She chuckled again, but was interrupted by Ken walking past her and towards the guy walking in.


    ¡°Hey Strad!¡± The person waved back.


    ¡°Tch! You!¡± Ken stopped before him, obstructing his way and getting up all over his face. ¡°You left me on a job all by myself!¡±


    The person who walked in was Haruto Stradale, the current partner of Ken Magami. He was the person who left Ken to assassinate Rakoji all by himself, but it failed miserably. Ken was trying to pin the blame on someone, while he couldn¡¯t do the job himself.


    ¡°Ken, I was... reflecting... on some serious issues.¡±


    Ken was visibly seething, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. ¡°Oh- Serious issue, huh!? Well you¡¯re gonna have a serious issue alright!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Keep it down or take your stupid drama outside. I can¡¯t hear outside.¡± The girl behind Ken¡¯s sofa finally blurted out, gripping her book tightly. She was annoyed by Ken¡¯s frantic rage, but as it quieted down, she returned to reading.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Ken looked over to the girl.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry.¡± Strad simply said. ¡°Reading is a good way to remain balanced with the mind, is it not?¡± Strad smiled, seeing her reading a book.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Megami smiled back. ¡°It soothes me and my Soul. I¡¯ve been dedicating my free time to a lot of reading. Ah! Can¡¯t forget music!¡±


    Strad nodded, stroking his chin.


    Ken got angry at Megami¡¯s ¡®carefreeness¡¯, staring at Megami. .:. Who the hell... does she think she is?? Talking me down like this... This has nothing to do with you, why do you interfere, huh!? Bitch!? .:.


    However, Ken shook his head and fixed his attention back to Strad. ¡°Have you seen the news lately? Apparently Testharia met the brunt of an intruder a week ago. And it wasn¡¯t just some normal intruder. Rumour has it, it was the same guy behind the Progen City incident.¡±


    ¡°... That is something, indeed.¡±


    Revvie¡¯s watch received an urgent meeting alert and sprinted away, without saying anything. Megami was the first one to catch her running away and chuckled. She closed her book as she heard Ken talking about Testharia.


    It was not Testharia that met the brunt, but it was Dankasho. Dankasho¡¯s main military base, which stood close to Zephite City, was attacked by CHAOS, the Synthetic-Class, wanted by every major body in the galaxy.


    But something unprecedented happened that caught the attention of half of the galaxy. The ¡®perpetrator¡¯ seemed to be controlled by something. Or else, was taken over. This wasn¡¯t publicly disclosed, but it was to Testharian people only.


    But even Earthlings knew about the same phenomena that happened during the parade in Progen City. The same perpetrator was controlled, or taken over, before creating destruction.


    This was on the forefront of the news for years, as people with good knowledge of the Soul were researching and trying to understand the phenomena that happened in Progen City and Dankasho. But to no avail, nobody knew.


    The Soul remains an unsolved mystery for millions of years.


    Megami, Strad and Ken were all thinking about it.


    ¡°Chaos, was it?¡± Megami stood up, walking over to Strad and Ken.


    ¡°That¡¯s what it says on Testharian news. They¡¯re being so... secretive about it.¡± Ken put a hand on his chin, thinking about it. Testharian news was deemed secretive by ¡®foreigners¡¯. That is because Testharians believe that anything that happens on Testharia, stays in Testharia.


    Nothing is publicly disclosed to Testharia unless it is an emergency that will affect other bodies too. One example of this was the Testharian Civil War. 30 years ago, separatists led by Lantisul Arbitrum had taken control over half of Tristate City, including the main docking station and hangar.


    Lantisul had the thought to conquer Dankasho and other neighbouring planets while he was at it, which was an emergency needed to be publicly disclosed through main galaxy radio transmissions.


    However, no one came to help or taken notice of the emergency, as the foreigners do not believe of any emergencies happening within the planet.


    But this was one was different. This wasn¡¯t some ordinary civil war, or a civil unrest. This was about Chaos, A Synthetic-Class that plagued the galaxy for years, and is still going around. This was about an attack initiated on Testharia that came from a ¡®foreigner¡¯.


    Testharia had no reason to be secretive about it. In fact, it would help them a lot to publicly disclose about the incident explain everything.


    That would make the Testharians more likely to be on the radar of everyone in the Known Galaxy, and that could lead to new business opportunities as well. They could even be branded as the best planet for tourists. It''s a nice planet with nice people and a democratic political system.


    But Megami knew why Testharia was being so secretive. They were afraid. Not only because of the Synthetic-Class, but also because it would draw way too much attention to the planet.


    They have been enclosed off the galaxy for many, many years, and this would change things for sure. Not only would they be involuntarily attracted to the Dark Intrinium and Soul-Core war, but they would also be a point of interest for space pirates, unnecessary trade, ambushes and worse, destruction.


    They didn¡¯t want that. They had no desire to get involved in any wars, especially the ones between major bodies. But they were allied with Dark Intrinium, that makes them part of the war.


    And now that they broke the contract, and are allied with Soul-Core, that hasn''t changed. In fact, that would make them more prone to a Dark Intrinium invasion sooner or later.


    "I understand why they would keep it a secret for the most part. But you can''t expect your neighbours not to find out, right?" Megami said.


    "Testharia''s been an unchartered territory for centuries, and if this spreads like wildfire, then you''ll have to face the consequences. Not to mention, they are not too fond of us in the first place."


    "Is that why they''re doing it? Because they care about their own goddamn skin? To hell with that!" Ken got angry.


    "If this thing turns out to be something serious, then it is their duty to let the rest of us know about it, right? Dark Intrinium, White Eye, Macabre Flugel, The Septo, you name it! They all put bounties on his head! Why are they keeping quiet about it when we could gather necessary information to catch that guy!? What is Testharia hiding from the rest of us? Why don''t they let us help?"


    Strad frowned at Ken''s words. "That is a very good question."


    "It''s not that they''re hiding something. They''re scared. They don''t want to draw attention to themselves. They''ve been off the radar for millenia, and now that they''re exposed, they''re afraid of getting attacked or robbed." Megami reiterated.


    "Think about it, rookie. If you ruled over your own people for years and now some alien attacked your planet and almost destroyed it, would you tell everyone else? You''d keep it to yourself."


    "You''re making them sound like aliens, Miss Duvet." Strad said, frowning at her. "We were once all connected to Earth, and we all share the same history. They are not aliens, they are just... different."


    "It sounds stupid... Finally, we could''ve gotten a lead on that guy but nooo... The Testharians must be secretive and shit..." Ken was visibly sulking, crossing his arms.


    "Oh please..." Megami groaned. "As long as he doesn''t attack us, we have no reason to worry about it. In fact, he seems to be picky with his targets. Plus, if you chase something, you''ll find less of it. And if you find less of it, it means that it''s going to be harder to find. It''s simple psychology."


    "... Could this person say anything more that''s annoying?" Ken turned to Strad, obviously talking about Megami. All she did was tilt her head while she stared at her, questioning his anger directed at her.


    "...What''s the matter, boy? You got your verbal beatdown from the higher-ups, it''s unnecessary to keep being angry about it, and direct it towards us. Best you could do is take it as fuel for motivation. You''ll learn a lot from it."


    "..." His face was in a droopy expression as he repeated the words ''shut up'' inside his head. "I... I just forgot to buy some groceries for my sister." He walked past Strad and ran off. It was quick, and before anyone could realize what was happening, he was gone.


    "You have a fairly angry person as your partner, Strad." She turned to Strad, smiling a bit. She didn''t mean no harm to both.


    "Aah, he''s such a handful sometimes." Strad sighed, crossing his arms. "You shouldn''t be so harsh on him, you know. Our dynamic is what makes us perfect as partners. If he weren''t so angry, and I weren''t so calm, we would never work out."


    She chuckled, dropping her book in her back. "Both you and Ken are level-headed. I would sulk too if I failed my mission. And besides, that''s how life goes. You can''t get everything you want. Like I said, take the anger you got from your failure as fuel for motivation."


    She waved at Strad. "I''ll be on patrol now." She left the lounge, leaving Strad all alone. As she was walking in the corridor towards the eastern wing. But before she could take the stairs to the eastern wing, her watch also got a meeting alert.


    ¡°Mgh...¡± She frowned. ¡°What happened now?¡± She sighed, taking a detour to the meeting room. She hated how her usual routine got interrupted. She had a real disdain for stuff like that.

 Arc 1, Chapter 11 - The Birth Of A Hero

    ¡°I called it immediately because there is an urgent, URGENT, situation resulting in White Eye being threatened!¡±


    One of the White Eye councilmembers had called in a meeting for assassins and omega revengers. The council member pressed a button on his remote, showing footage of a guy standing amongst a destroyed White Eye ship ¨C waving at the camera.


    .:. ...Wh... isn¡¯t that? .:. Revvie was there, sitting on one of the long tables, analysing the footage, and she was correct to assume the right person.


    ¡°That¡¯s right ¨C The one who calls himself ¡®The King of Destruction¡¯ has returned and now he has come to threaten us, possibly try and overthrow us in the process!¡±


    The councilmember rather profusely sweated at the thought.


    Megami was present as well, analysing the footage thoroughly. She sat elegantly, with her legs crossed. She kept her head upright with her other arm, resulting in her head being slightly tilted. It was not because she did not care, she was just tired. Tired that her routine got interrupted one too many times.


    ¡°And this is important, how?¡± Megami blurted out.


    The councilmember turned their attention towards Megami, yelling out abrasively. ¡°What was that, Ms. Duvet?¡±


    ¡°I am simply stating the obvious. We reap what we sow. Should we get involved in this and fall in his trap, that would only taint our reputation.¡±


    The room turned heads from that statement, with some getting angry and some agreeing with what Megami said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you... understand the gravity of this!? This man is dangerous! He¡¯s too dangerous to be left alive!¡±


    Megami took her glasses off, folding the holders and putting it in her pocket. She glared towards the councilmember. The councilmember held higher authority, but he couldn¡¯t order them to capture the person. Megami crossed her legs again, slightly shifting in her seat.


    ¡°I will not panic about such a trivial matter. A threat is empty as long as we do not push. We have bigger things to worry about. The aggressive expansion of Dark Intrinium pushed us to a corner alongside other bodies. Why do we not worry about that? When White Eye is lost from the face of the world, what will you do then, high honourable?¡±


    ¡°Huhh...¡± The councilmember wanted to say something but got shut down by another person sitting on the long table. The person stood up.


    ¡°She is right. It is meaningless to fall into a trap of this guy¡¯s silly game he wants to play.¡±


    It was the Ghost Assassin, the best assassin the White Eye has. With every assassination mission he was tasked with, he successfully dealt with all of them. No person has escaped from a hitman as lethal as him.


    Heads would turn again as whispers and banter was passed around.


    :: Both Thousand Leaves and Ghost Assassin backing out of this? ::


    :: No way... They are the best we got! ::


    :: Perhaps the danger isn¡¯t as bad as we thought... ::


    ¡°Mr. Mugen!¡± The councilmember¡¯s yelling silence the entire room. The banter, the whispers and various onomatopoeia fell deaf, and all heads were turned towards the councilmember.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that the Nextellar Star Clan may very well be involved in this! That¡¯ll create even more conflict. Do you want that? If not, then you will go out there and capture that damn freak!¡±


    The councilmember clearly spoke down on him, but it only made Mugen turn around and leaving the room. ¡°Call me when it happens.¡±


    Megami stood up, following suit. ¡°You may also inform me. But for now, I do not see it happening. Good luck.¡± She stood up, grabbing her bag and leaving the meeting.


    = = =


    Somewhere in Earth. The Shard Village. A small yet peaceful village that is placed outside of Ainzite City. It holds to candle to an old tradition among the locals. The environment is similar to that of a Japanese village and is known for having a waterfall composed of pink shards.


    Though the origins of these shards are unknown, it¡¯s a hotspot for tourists on Earth, with people noting visiting the village left them with a graceful feeling.


    One boy awakens on a calm morning. However, they were a bit shaken from the dream.


    ¡°Egh... another one of those dreams.¡± The boy yawned before fully getting up from his bed. He looked around, making his bed before opening the window. It was a sunny day, the skyline of Ainzite City was visible all the way from here.


    ¡°Flynn!¡± His grandma from downstairs called for him. ¡°Breakfast is ready! Get down here!¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± He walked towards the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. His mind lingered on the dream he had before waking up. The same dream that he usually has. It wasn¡¯t a nightmare, but the fatigue he felt from waking up made him think that it was one.


    .:. Always that same dream. A figure in a sparkling... glowing... white energy... .:. He thought to himself as he washed his face. .:. Just what is that dream...? .:.


    ¡°Hey, son. If it¡¯s no trouble, could you maybe help the fellas down the village street with collecting some shard water?¡± Flynn¡¯s grandpa came by, requesting a favour.


    Flynn smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, grandpa.¡± He dried his face with a towel and hung it on a small rack. He put on some casual clothes. It was a white unlabelled t-shirt with black khakis. As he made his way downstairs, he saw his grandma bring in some email.


    ¡°Good morning, honey- Oh, hey. You got an invitation request from the mail. I think it¡¯s from Sole-Corn... So-Com... Soup-Cope-¡°


    ¡°Soul-Core, grandma.¡± He walked over to put on his grey jacket and black shoes. He had a nice smile on his face


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you going to eat yo-¡°


    Flynn walked over and quickly grabbed the filet americain cheese and egg sandwich and consumed the entirety of it within one bite.


    ¡°-Mmhp.¡±


    His grandma smiled in a nervous manner.


    Flynn grabbed his backpack and hoisted it over his shoulder, before waving to his grandparents. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later!¡±


    As he closed the door of his house, he walked to the main village street to collect shard water as his grandpa requested. But an invitation from Soul-Core? Why would they need him?


    .:. Soul-Core, huh? Those guys up there are having it tough against Dark Intrinium. Maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯re looking for volunteers. .:.


    A guy waved upon Flynn¡¯s arrival. ¡°Hey, Flynn!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re collecting shard water, right?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yep! We got a couple crates with us so we can gather a lot of them. If you¡¯re feeling up for it, grab two. Let¡¯s go.¡± The crate guy lead the way as Flynn followed.


    As they were walking towards the outside of the main street where they left all the full crates of shard water, the crate guy decided to make small talk with Flynn while they were at it.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°¡¯Ey, Flynn. Did you hear about Testharia finally being attacked after long years?¡±


    ¡°... Testharia? Attacked?¡± Flynn was oblivious. He obviously knew what Testharia was, and that they are impartial, but they got attacked? That¡¯s a one in a million chance.


    ¡°Did that really happen?¡±


    "Well those were just rumors. I know that the Testharians like to cut themselves off from the galaxy but according to Soul-Core, there were massively energy leaks."


    The Soul Energy residue that Chaos left as he travelled to Dankasho allowed Soul Core to analyse samples of it. The Dankasho Incident was publicly disclosed by Soul-Core in allowance with Testharia. This was the first time that they made their mark on the ¡®foreigner¡¯ world.


    ¡°Huh. What I know from the Testharians is that they have the coolest and the strongest people there. There¡¯s no way they could have an outsider tread into their territory like that.¡±


    And right he was to assume that.


    ¡°Some people become very bold when it comes to power. That¡¯s why I would like to enlist in the Soul-Core military soon. I can be on the front lines and see all of it for myself.¡± He said.


    He was about the same age as Flynn and was ambitious to become a soldier. He had no power. Probably everyone in the village had no Soul. They could try and train hard enough to utilize Soul Energy, but it would be worthless if there is no Soul to back it to make abilities with.


    ¡°What about you, Flynn?¡± The guy turned towards Flynn. ¡°What do you want to be?¡±


    ¡°... What do I want to be...¡± Flynn took a moment to think. All those soldiers in Soul-Core, all fighting for peace and prosperity in the galaxy. All to fight against the Dark Intrinium¡¯s authoritarian and theocratical ideology. He thought of them as heroes. He wanted to be one too.


    ¡°I guess... someone who can help other people.¡±


    ¡°Eh- Can¡¯t you do that right now? You¡¯re doing it already.¡± The guy said as he carried the crate and eyed his crate.


    ¡°... I mean. A hero. With power. Power to help someone. Power to save someone. Power to treat someone in need. Power to... be a hero.¡±


    ¡°...¡± The guy looked at Flynn with a confused look and then would burst into a hysterical laughter. ¡°Pff- HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    "Hahahha- don''t you think that''s a little too optimistic, Flynn? I mean I won''t stop you, but you''d have to actually have POWER to be one first."


    ¡°... Power, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .:. ... .:.


    .:. ... .:.


    .:. ... .:.


    .:. I do have a power... .:.


    -


    After a long crate hoisting, he would have his respite for a small moment. His grandpa had told him to harvest a couple shards to trade for the jewellery folks down in Ainzite City. Which was why he was out of the village area.


    His moment of respite was stopping and sitting on the waterside of the pond. He thought to himself as he stared at his hands.


    .:. Those dreams keep coming back. What do they even mean? Sleeping is becoming more and more difficult as it passes on... I wonder how it feels to be a Soul-Wielder though... I can imagine doing all these cool stuffs. .:.


    It was a colourful night. It wasn''t as dark as it could be outside, with the stars and moon shining brightly in the sky.


    He sighed. His breath was visible under the cold air. He looked around him. The only sounds audible were the rustling of the trees'' leaves, the calm breeze and the silence of the night. He stood up and went back to harvesting.


    A few hours later, he had managed to collect a bunch of shards. He then proceeded to go back to his village. But then, all of a sudden.


    ¡°H-¡°


    He dropped his crate full of shards. He looked at the dirt path that lead to the village. ¡°I feel something really dark.¡± Flynn looked up and realized a spaceship arriving in the sky above the village.


    A large orb would appear in the night sky, as it appeared to look like a tiny star.


    ¡°What... the hell is that... Wait...- THE VILLAGE!¡± Flynn wasted no time and ran back to the village. Was he late? He didn¡¯t know, but he used his weak adult legs to run as fast he could.


    Run as fast as he can, to stop whatever¡¯s happening. To save his grandparents from danger.


    ¡°That orb is going to destroy the village! I don¡¯t know why, and I don¡¯t know how I know it, but I know!¡±


    The orb was then sent down towards the village. As a red light pierced through the windows of all the homes in the village, everybody went outside to see a second sun pop up in the atmosphere.


    Flynn¡¯s grandparents looked out the window, wondering the same thing. But Death looms in every corner, and they had not felt it at all.


    ¡°GRANDMA! GRANDPA! NOOOO!!¡± He would make it to the village but then the orb would crash into a house, exploding the entire village.


    The force of the attack pushed him away, back to where he sat down. He slammed his head against a tree, feeling dizzy.


    ¡°Hng...¡± His village was obliterated as he opened his eyes. He couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. His grandparents, his friends, the people he worked with. Everyone that he ever knew in his life.


    Gone, in an instant.


    A simple orb that crashed down, killed all of them.


    He got up, walking to an area that was now nothing. Then, he dropped to his knees, incapable of absorbing what had just happened, he yelled in sorrow.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    A few seconds later, he stopped and felt the same danger from before. As he quickly looked behind, he saw 3 people wearing red and black. One had a longsword and two had no weapons. Were they Soul-Wielders? Flynnigan couldn¡¯t think about that now. His grandparents, everyone he knew, is gone.


    ¡°YOU DID THIS!?¡± He yelled at them as he stood up.


    ¡°Flynnigan Shotaro. You are the person He wishes to eliminate definitely.¡°


    ¡°HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ME!?¡± Flynnigan was angry beyond repair. Despite looking and seeming like a normal human, he had no issue with wanting to fight back. It was all he could to honour the memory of his now late grandparents and friends.


    ¡°YOU DESTROYED MY VILLAGE! YOU KILLED MY GRANDPARENTS! MY FRIENDS! EVERYONE I EVER KNEW! I¡¯LL MAKE YOU PAY! I¡¯LL MAKE YOU!!¡±


    Flynnigan swung his hand around. He didn¡¯t know how to fight but he wanted to punch the fuckers who took everything from him. However, the one with the longsword demanifested his weapon and grabbed him, locking his arms behind his back and keeping him like that.


    ¡°LET GO OF ME, YOU FUCKER- GAHGFHG-¡° The other Soul-Wielder punched his gut, as hard as he could. The person repeatedly punched his gut and chest until he felt his ribs breaking. He was vomiting uncontrollably, retching after every hit he took.


    As he felt his knees give up on him, he was let go and he fell to the ground. ¡°Gh... ghhh...¡± But his torture wasn¡¯t done yet. The second Soul-Wielder grabbed him by the neck and threw him against a tree.


    His ribs were broken, his nose was broken, and his viscera was damaged. His spine was also damaged as his back contacted the tree, breaking it from its root, and he fell down to the ground with it.


    It hurt. It hurt so much. This is what Soul-Wielders were capable of, and he wasn¡¯t. He had no power to fight against them.


    But he stood up, even from taking all of those life-ending hits. He wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight. He wouldn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t allow himself. He said it would be enough to get a punch or kick in, for killing their grandparents.


    But even he wanted to kill them for what they did to him. They took everything from him, and he had nothing to lose. No... he had something to lose. The legacy.


    ¡°I¡¯m...¡± He retched and spat blood all over the ground, overexerting his body, trying so hard to make it cooperate with him. ¡°I¡¯m... not done yet...¡±


    He got up, wincing in pain. He held his stomach. His ribs were broken, and he could feel it dangling inside him. He walked towards the three evil Soul-Wielders and went for another punch.


    The first Soul-Wieder grabbed his fist and twisted it, giving Flynnigan a new sense of pain. The second Soul-Wielder kicked his leg, breaking it.


    ¡°AGGHHH!!¡± The third Soul-Wielder used his longsword to slash at him as he was about to fall to the ground again. With a clean and swift swing, he was cut all the way from the left leg to the chest area.


    The sheer force of the slash blew him towards the wall, his head concussed. But that was the least of his worries. He was losing blood, extremely and fast. He had a deep cut that was so large, his internal organs could seep out at any moment.


    He felt his unconsciousness slipping in and out as he looked at the three evil Soul-Wielders with blurry eyes. He was going to die here, there was no escaping it.


    .:. I¡¯m... sorry... grandma... grandpa... .:.


    He let loose of himself, accepting his fate and everything that happened. He lived for 19 years; he lived for 19 years alongside his grandma and grandpa. He was a nice townsman with friends and a good education degree. All of that now was going to be taken away by evildoers that destroyed his town not too long ago.


    As the Soul-Wielder with a longsword swung down on his seemingly lifeless body, it hit the ground.


    It hit the same ground that Flynn¡¯s body was obstructing. He was gone, in an instant. He disappeared, where was he?


    The guy with the longsword was grabbed from behind. Flynnigan punched, the force so powerful that it cut the Soul-Wielder in half. Blood spattered all over him while the Soul-Wielder¡¯s dangling intestines fell to the ground. Blood gushed out of the Soul-Wielder like a fountain.


    ¡°...¡± Flynnigan was alive, but how?


    A powerful Soul-Aura radiated from Flynnigan. It was so strong that everyone on Earth could feel it. It could be felt from five planets away.


    He turned around to face the two remaining Soul-Wielders, as they took a step away to take in what just happened.


    .:. How... did I do that? .:. He looked at his hands.


    The two Soul-Wielders went for a punch that would be enough to break every bone in his body, however...


    Flynnigan''s body instinctively dodged without moving a single step. Reactively, he counter punched the two Soul-Wielders. But the punch somehow manages to equate to the force of even a Soul-Wielder of fundamental power. It would send both flying away to the waterfall, instantly knocking them out.


    .:. What the hell am I doing... .:.


    Now that the Soul-Wielders were out of his view, he had no time to think about what had just transpired. For now, the only option for him is to run. ¡°Hng!¡±


    Flynnigan began to run away from the area. Because he is supposedly powerless, he was incapable of leaving a single trace of a Soul Aura. Making it the perfect catalyst for his escape.


    .:. I... .:.


    .:. What am I...? .:.


    .:. Am I a Soul-Wielder too...? .:.


    Who am I...?

 Arc 1, Chapter 12 - Grand Follower

    Jumkou burst into the room Sachiel is in, without warning. The barging of the door caused Sachiel to get alarmed. However, he was reading a book, enjoying his free time.


    ¡°Sachiel! There¡¯s something I need to tell you!¡± She seemed more serious than ever. This was unlike Jumkou, in Sachiel¡¯s eyes. Since the time he has known her, he always saw her as a happy individual.


    ¡°H- Jumkou, you seem rather stressed today. Is something the matter?¡± He closed his book, looking at her.


    Jumkou hesitated for a moment. She knew that if she was ever going to say it, she had to say it right here, right now, to Sachiel. If not, she would lose this moment forever. She hesitated even more now.


    .:. Just come out with it, Jumy... It¡¯s not... or never! .:.


    ¡°Listen. Sachiel. I know this is going to sound insane but.¡± She stopped but then took a deep breath, holding her composure.


    ¡°I¡¯m from the future. I know it sounds crazy! But I didn¡¯t end up at Snowfall Heights for no reason! I travelled back in time and ended up there. I... I come from the year 2215.¡±


    ¡°...¡± He looked her in the eye. Future? There was no such thing as time travel. How could you ever time travel without the equipment needed? Overall, it was impossible. No one could bend space-time continuum in a way like that.


    ¡°It... appears that the doctor failed to examinate your injuries properly, Jumkou... perhaps you should sit down for a bit. All this talk about the future makes you seem insane... It is hard to believe such a t-¡°


    ¡°I know it seems hard to believe but the Soul is capable of anything!¡± She released her Soul-Aura for the first time, matching the level of a powerful person such as Sachiel. It had a time-ticking sound embedded into it with a white outline and a grey whooshing air.


    ¡°I wield the Soul of Time. When Mr. Magami was here the other day, the look on his face showed confusion, am I right? How did I know his name, you may ask? You may say that I¡¯ve met him before but I have never met him before, not yet at least!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps... repressed memories returned...?¡± He still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Agh... Sachiel! He is a Kyvernian! He comes from a long destroyed race! On Nuvaria, he fights against the two souls of evil, Kaioshun-Rymela and Kariya-Vecta.¡±


    Jumkou held her chest like she was venting. She was venting, but she was also telling him about the dangers that were to come.


    ¡°You have to believe me, Sachiel! That will happen in the coming year... Nuvaria... will be destroyed! And he will die along with it!¡±


    All of these were her memories recollected from when she was younger.


    Sachiel¡¯s interest was sparked, but he still couldn¡¯t believe it. This felt even more stupid now that she mentioned Kyvernians. Claude Magami, a Kyvernian? That was not possible. Kyvern was destroyed 25 years ago.


    ¡°Kyvernians died out... 25 years ago, Jumkou.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Sachiel! Exactly that! Nobody, not even himself, knows that he is a Kyvernian! But I do! Because he was my best friend¡¯s father! Sachiel, there is something larger at hand here! I didn¡¯t come alone! I was... followed! From the darkness that destroys this galaxy in the future... 20 years from now!¡±


    ¡°...¡± Sachiel was left speechless. A level-headed person with unwavering mindset and charisma, was left speechless. ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡± She banged her head against the table. ¡°Listen! If you don¡¯t believe me, fine! But at least get me off-world so I don¡¯t lose focus of my mission! I have to find a man named Flynnigan Shotaro because he is the key to prevent the Milky Way from falling into absolute entropy!¡±


    Sachiel was once again taken aback by the sudden slam on the table. Was this girl just crazy? It really seemed like it. And if she was crazy, she needed help. The rehabilitation didn¡¯t have effect on her, so Sachiel needed to take matters into his own hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t want to go through it all again... I¡¯ll lose all sense of myself... this time... This need to work... this time, it has to! Sachiel it has to! Otherwise I¡¯m done! I¡¯m done with all this! I can¡¯t survive another time! You need... to believe me... you have to... believe me... anyone... please... help me... help me!¡±


    Tears began to slowly stream out of Jumkou¡¯s eyeballs. The future she lived in was nothing but suffering, there wasn¡¯t even a single day where the skies were clear, and the stars shined bright.


    Sachiel, seeing Jumkou crying, stood up and walked towards her. He put a hand on her shoulder and squatted to her level.


    ¡°Time travel is an unbelievable concept, Jumkou. This is a common thing. It is not believable thing, not even to me. But I can see it in your eyes, and the way you speak to me, that you are not lying either. Help is always received here in Testharia. What you are saying feels true. But how will you prevent such a catastrophic event from happening all by yourself, Jumkou? You need people alongside you. People you could perhaps trust.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Jumkou looked up at Sachiel and took another deep breath.


    ¡°Kaioshun-Rymela isn¡¯t just some Soul-Wielder. He has incredible power. He has so much power that he could even kill you or Kytan Veyron with just a wave of his hand. He killed my best friend. His body was the last thing I saw before I came here. He isn¡¯t working alone this time around. He is with another Soul-Wielder I mentioned. Kariya-Vecta. But I don¡¯t remember any mentions from him in the future... Something must¡¯ve been altered on my way here.¡±


    Sachiel smiled. ¡°Perhaps altering time comes with grave consequences. If an old thing is gone, a new one must be there to fill in the gaps. Perhaps it duplicates... perhaps it changes the very fundamentals of history and the future itself. We are the balancers.¡±


    ¡°... Sachiel... Wait...¡± She wiped the tears off her eyes. Sachiel looked at her, waiting for her to continue talking.


    ¡°... Do you believe in the long existing legend...? The Call of the Gods?¡±


    Sachiel nodded, which was ridiculous. How would a Testharian know about a fairy tale? Except this wasn¡¯t just some fairy tale.


    ¡°There shalt be the one who procures the Soul of the Gods and shalt vanquish the hearts of impurity which is ¡®the balance¡¯. Do you believe in this legend?¡±


    She nodded in return. She didn¡¯t know much about the legend herself, as she overheard it in a conversation mentioning it, but now that Sachiel explained the whole thing in short terms, she understood it fully now.


    ¡°...What you are saying is true, Jumkou. I do believe you. If I were to help you, however... My people will be left unmanned by a fundamental Soul-Wielder. Leaving them vulnerable will certainly call the outsiders for an immediate war against us... But my people will suffer the same fate by this calamity that you are talking about.¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°Very well. I will join you to stop this catastrophic event from happening, Jumkou. I want my people and everyone to survive.¡±


    He would then raise his hand and held it close to his chest, bowing.


    ¡°By the greatfather Azrael Testharia and his brothers, peers, and the son of Wersar Eria and the fourth Kamisword of Testharia, Sachiel Eria. I entrust my blade to you and to you only, until the day I die.¡±


    He made an oath for himself to be Jumkou¡¯s knight in shining armour. Even though Jumkou was strong enough to fend for herself, having a strong, if not, stronger knight alongside her was enough to take this monster down.


    Jumkou, summoning her staff, bowed towards him too. ¡°Great Kamisword. Jumkou Katatoria will do whatever she can to save this galaxy.¡±


    ¡°For you.¡±


    ¡°For Mr. Magami.


    ¡°For Flynnigan Shotaro.¡±


    = = =


    As always, there sat two members of the Eria family on the holy sofa, conversing about all sorts of events happening around the world. Now that they were in an alliance, or better yet, a coalition against Dark Intrinium. However, that was not the main for their conversation.


    It was something else.


    ¡°Our greatfather was not a good one. But we could¡¯ve done so much to stop him from going down a dark path. The last days of his rule, he executed his authority resembling more evil than good.¡±


    Asheera sat, thinking out loud. She was drinking Shukrann Wine together with Sachiel Eria.


    ¡°He was stressed. Very stressed. Yet we sat around... like scared babies. We watched a king spiral into madness, Sachiel.¡±


    Sachiel crossed his arms, thinking as he closed his eyes.


    "He was not perfect. No one is." He started, opening his eyes as he turned to face Asheera. "But we can make things better for the future. We can prevent what happened in the past from repeating itself. And it starts with us and the people we surround ourselves with."


    Asheera turned to look at him.


    "Testharia has turned from a state of turmoil into a bustling place in my time of rule. I have made allies with those who were once my enemies. We will have peace in our world. We will do this together." He continued, smiling at her.


    "Sachiel..."


    "No matter how much stress he had to deal with, our greatfather was still an old fool. You know it as well as I do, Asheera. We can make things better for the future. If you want to do something that will make a difference, then stand up and lead. But be warned, we will not always have friends or family by our side. That is why you must stand strong, even when no one else is there to support you."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Sachiel stood up, pouring some more wine for himself, before hearing Asheera talking about their deserted sibling now. "Even so, when our grandfather was ill and mad, was it okay for her to do that?"


    "..." Sachiel fell silent, not knowing what to say. However, his silence spoke volumes. "She broke our family apart and we''re just now picking up the pieces. We acted like she did not exist, casted her out of our family and turned our backs on her."


    Sachiel turned around, looking at her now. He decided not to sit and glared at her.


    "Satono will remain our beloved sibling until we die, but you cannot overlook what she has done. She infiltrated the library, infiltrated the Testharian Records and burned all records of herself, just for her to forget that we are family. That is betrayal and you know that."


    Asheera remained silent, thinking about Sachiel''s words. He was right. Yet, they were both responsible for their sister''s decision.


    They were too young to understand everything, but they should have stood up for her.


    Their greatfather was the reason for Satono''s choice.


    "I have never told you this, Asheera. Which is why I will do now." Sachiel sat down.


    "Satono''s fighting abilities were remarkable, even at such a young age. When she turned 10, she was already stronger than you. When I was heir to the throne, she was as strong as me. But when she turned 14, her development abruptly stopped. If you remember, her Soul is not cooperative. They are not on the same wavelength and that was a huge concern for our greatfather. He was ill and grew mad, and his madness resulted in him revoking her citizenship in this city and ordered Satono to live with my mother in Nymeria Town."


    As Satono grew older, she became increasingly disillusioned with the Mobilizers of Testharia''s glory and prestige.


    Her frustrations were exacerbated when Sachiel''s mother died from an incurable disease. Shortly after her death, she noticed the neglect of the towns and cities outside Tristate City.


    Despite the absence of crime and clean surroundings, the lack of people in Nymeria Town made Satono resent living there.


    As Satono grew older, her anger towards the government and her family members intensified, motivating her to infiltrate the Eria Tower. She was particularly outraged that her family members had cut off all contact with her and sought to uncover the truth.


    At the age of 23, she launched an attack on the Eria Tower, resulting in the first and only terrorist attack experienced by the tower and Tristate City.


    Satono searched for her family and personal records in the vast library of the Testharian Records, hoping to find evidence that she was not permanently banned from the Eria Tower. To her dismay, she discovered that she was indeed banned and denied any form of contact with her family members, as confirmed by Wersar Eria. Satono''s anger and despair drove her to the top floor of the Eria Tower, without permission, triggering a lockdown.


    There, she confronted Sachiel and Asheera, accusing them of causing her current state of isolation and unstable mind.


    In a futile attempt to restore her dignity, she fought both Sachiel and Asheera, losing badly and being registered as a terrorist in the Testharian Records.


    Satono was incarcerated in the Garden of Sinners for rehabilitation, but she had other plans. She became the first person in Testharian history to break out of the Garden of Sinners and infiltrate the Eria Tower and the Testharian Records twice. Satono burned a quarter of her family records and all of her personal records, then fled the planet to live as a loner.


    "Even if we had the power, we were not allowed to retain any form of contact with her. I tried to rewrite his orders and rules, but I could not. I could not deviate from my greatfather, as he perhaps would have done the same thing to me."


    "But... I never knew that..."


    "You did not know as our greatfather kept it a secret from you. He adored you more than he adored us, and he had no issue bringing that topic up with me. As I was next in line, I could not do much as I was powerless. However, I do regret not doing anything to change our greatfather''s mind. Perhaps, she would still be here if I did something. But I did not. It is my fault as well."


    "... If we''re not perfect, then why were we bound by such a rule!? She just needed more training!


    "We can''t ask a dead man questions, we can only imagine how he would answer them. Even if you tried to change our greatfather''s mind, he would never let you see or talk to Satono, even if she was your own sibling. He was stubborn, he did not let anyone change his mind once he had decided on something. Which was why he became so inflexible in the later years of his life. He was no longer open-minded. He was stuck in his ways."


    Sachiel looked down at the ground, before looking at Asheera. "We need to do better for the future. We will make mistakes along the way, but we will learn from them. We are both old enough to understand everything. We were young when Satono was casted away, but we can do better now."


    "It''s too late." She replied, standing up and walking to the window, looking out of it.


    "Maybe, the next time I see her, I will give her all the answers she seeks.¡± Sachiel usually wouldn¡¯t show his emotional side, which shocked Asheera.


    But the shock came to an end as the doors of the hallway opened and out came Jumkou. She took the initiative to wear proper public clothing other than her bizarre outfit from her time.


    .:. I guess this works. .:.


    ¡°Hello.¡± She walked into the main room.


    ¡°Oh hello, Jumk-¡°


    ¡°Oh hello, Miss Ka-¡°


    Both looked each other in the eye, feeling awkward. It wasn¡¯t often that they would sync up, however Asheera¡¯s greeting was far more formal. Jumkou was not as close with Asheera as she was with Sachiel.


    ¡°Euh... how are you feeling, Jumkou?¡± He took initiative, walking over to her.


    ¡°Feeling like my prime now.¡±


    Sachiel couldn¡¯t help but all his rehabilitation measures worked on her. Feeling like her prime was the best answer she could give him, and he was happy to hear that from Jumkou, in which he deemed her his first foreign friend.


    ¡°Sachiel. I¡¯m in the other room, call me when you need me.¡± Asheera stood up quickly, walking out.


    ¡°...¡± Jumkou watched her walk away, facing Sachiel after. She chuckled nervously. ¡°Something wrong with you two? N-not that it¡¯s my business!¡±


    ¡°It is perfectly fine, Jumkou. It is just family matters. We were talking about our other sibling who we have not seen for a long, long time.¡± He sat down, grabbing the half-full chalice of wine, crossing his legs for extra comfort.


    ¡°Ah... I would imagine a big wealthy family will have that one type.¡± Jumkou half-joked, scratching her head and smiling nervously.


    Sachiel chuckled. ¡°Is it really a common issue?¡±


    But then he would think. What Jumkou said to him about her true purpose of coming here, he slowly started to believe it, taking them seriously.


    ¡°Your ¡®future¡¯ statements are still hard for me to process.¡±


    Jumkou crossed her arms, turning serious. ¡°I know. It¡¯s a lot to take in. Even for me. The only way I can convince myself is to understand that the Soul is capable of anything. Even transforming the essence of time.¡±


    He took a swig of his Shukrann Wine and exhaled. ¡°You are right about the Soul. There is no limit to what the Soul can do, but this is not a matter of what the Soul is capable of. Such a statement is unbelievable, even to ones that research it. Manipulating the very essence and meaning of time... Such incredible power.¡±


    This was the first time that he truly acknowledged her Soul¡¯s power. Her Soul was the Soul of Time. It would be designated as a Fundamental-Grade Soul, if not the strongest Fundamental-Grade.


    ¡°... I¡¯ve done it a couple times but in my first time, I wasn¡¯t even sure if it was gonna work at all. For all I know, I could¡¯ve gotten trapped between the physical and intangible realm forever.¡±


    She laughed at that possibility.


    ¡°... That is not something to laugh about, Jumkou.¡± He was shocked that she was somewhat stoic about it. Something like that would even scare the fearless Sachiel Eria.


    ¡°Not like I had much of a choice anyway, Sachiel. And to add onto it. I¡¯m not the only one who travelled back. Which gives me even less time to complete my missio- Aa- heh...¡±


    She put her hand over her forehead, sensing a strong Soul-Wielder approaching the area. It was a tingling feeling, a strong one.


    ¡°Do you... have a visitor?¡± She asked, eerily gazing towards Sachiel.


    ¡°I have no meetings planned...¡± He looked at the meeting screen above the elevator. Standing up, he called a guard that was standing guard. ¡°Samuell, get in contact with Asura.¡±


    After a minute, he received word that the Grand Follower ¨C Avu Fujimara, was making his way upstairs.


    ¡°The Grand Follower, hm...¡±


    ¡°What a very subtle title.¡± She smiled sarcastically. ¡°Sachiel, before I go off-world, I would like to explore more of this city is that is okay by your end.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Jumkou. Help yourself. He smiled back.


    "I''ll return afterwards then. See ya around, Sachiel!¡±


    She walked towards the elevator-


    Enter: Grand Follower ¨C Avu Fujimara


    ¡°Wh-¡° She was immediately greeted by the Grand Follower who had used the elevator to make their way up. The elevator that connected directly to the high lobby, and not the elevator that the guards were standing in front of. That was suspicious. Is Asura Reynel, the receptionist, unharmed?


    Sachiel¡¯s smile faded right away and turned serious. ¡°Grand Follower.¡±


    The first thing Avu Fujimara saw was Jumkou Katatoria, whom he looked down at. She slowly made her way around him. ¡°Pardon me...¡± But there was no need for that, as Avu stepped out of the elevator and properly entered the room.


    ¡°Great Kamisword.¡± He responded to his welcome. It was bitter.


    Jumkou felt a harsh presence emanating from Avu Fujimara and knew that this would not end well. She rapidly pressed the buttons to leave the room quicker, the doors closing right away.


    ¡°I apologise for barging in like this.¡± Avu said, standing firm.


    ¡°May I ask how you were able to use the direct elevator?¡± Sachiel asked first, not acknowledging his apology.


    ¡°As per our alliance agreement, the receptionist gave me the token for the direct elevator.¡±


    ¡°I see. Come take a seat.¡± Sachiel said, sitting down. But Avu stood where he was. He was going to keep this short, because he only came here to get one answer.


    ¡°I do not desire a seat now. I came here to examine the patrolling force for Tristate City, are the soldiers doing okay?¡±


    ¡°The soldiers are doing good. They are well-fed and sleep in comfortable beds. Our soldiers have opened up to them and are treated like our kind.¡±


    ¡°That is superb.¡± Avu said, but without a smile on his face. It was as if he was hiding something to say. He began to walk around, observing the room.


    ¡°I heard something quite interesting on my way here, Great Kamisword.¡± He continued surveying the room.


    ¡°I have been hearing whispers about a Soul-Core division squad entering this very same tower in the same week. Could this be a false rumour, Great Kamisword?¡±


    "Unfortunately, it is not." Sachiel said quickly. "They have come here to negotiate a few weeks ago. We have been negotiating with a lot of outside bodies for tra-¡°


    ¡°A paper was signed, Great Kamisword.¡± Avu interrupted the Great Kamisword. He was not in a position to do so, nor he had the right. The nerve to do such despicable thing, in the king¡¯s own humble abode.


    ¡°Forming an alliance with Dark Intrinium has given you benefits for sure, but even so, there are things we recommend you uphold on your end.¡±


    It sounded like a threat. No, it was a threat. Dark Intrinium made it clear to every body they were previously in an alliance with that once they¡¯re allied with you, they own you.


    But Testharia, a government capable of so many things and with a leader as strong as Kytan Veyron, could they own Testharia?


    ¡°With all due respect, Great Kamisword... It is very unwise for someone like you to allow enemy forces to tread in your territory.¡±


    Sachiel crossed his legs and looked up at him. It was clear that Avu was using his height to look down on him and give him a false sense of insecurity, but it did not work. Sachiel was a hard skull to crack.


    ¡°I have not forgotten the papers, Grand Follower. But I must keep my integrity when I must, and I¡¯m afraid I will not change my ways for the sake of an alliance. We Testharians put ourselves first and the policy of outsiders second, a topic I stressed to Lord Veyron also. We intend to stay that way.¡±


    ¡°Soul-Core is our enemy, as well as yours. They are ENEMIES, entering a PARTNERED SPACE with DARK INTRINIUM.¡± Avu didn¡¯t want to stray from the main reason he came by, and he made sure that the Great Kamisword got that through his thick skull.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Avu realized, he understood that the Great Kamisword was hiding something. He was truly hiding something, and had no intention to tell Avu.


    ¡°Testharia has terminated their alliance with the Dark Intrinium. Is that right, Eria?¡± He finally dropped the honorifics and addressed him semi-informally. He was frustrated, angry even, that Sachiel sat there with a smile on his face the entire time. Did he just not feel anything, or was he really oblivious that you could call him mentally incapable of reasoning?


    ¡°If such notice was taken into effect, I would have been notified of that personally. With how it is standing currently, our alliance is still standing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve gathered what I could. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Avu turned around, facing the elevator. It was clear that he fully understood now, and did not want to waste his own time.


    Someone as worthy of the title Grand Follower as Avu Fujimara, he had bigger issues to worry about. Avu Fujimara is the person who directly answers to Kytan Veyron, and runs a group that primarily pulls the strings for Dark Intrinium.


    It was made to honour the fallen father of Kytan Veyron, Kytron Veyron.


    The elevator door opened, but he didn¡¯t go inside just yet. He turned his head slightly ¨C looking right at Sachiel Eria. He was now his enemy and was stood right before him. ¡°This will not go unnoticed, Sachiel Eria. Surely you know that there will be consequences for your actions. You are now my enemy.¡±


    He said as the doors closed.

 Arc 1, Chapter 13 - The Turning Point, Part One

    A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the entire barracks. It sounded guttural, as if something pierced a fatal area in their chest. Did someone get killed? Was it an ambush?


    It was Nanasu, killed in a game.


    ¡°NOOO!!¡±


    ¡°HOW!? HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT WORK!? TELL ME! TELL! ME! NOW! HOW IS FULL POWERED ACCELERATION STRONGER THAN... FUCKING ARK!?¡±


    The Star Gazers Squad recently returned back to the Soul-Core Space Station after successfully allying their body with Testharia. This was met with amazing results and reception, and the Star Gazers Squad was again the Squad of the Month, their fourth consecutive win.


    But that didn¡¯t matter for Nanasu now. All that mattered was winning the match against that fucking brat.


    She threw her controller to the floor and curled up like a ball, still angry. It was obvious what game she was playing. It was the newest release of the new A Mystical Divergence fighting gacha game. A few seconds later, she picked up her controller.


    ¡°Language.¡± Claude blurted out as he lay on his bed.


    ¡°Fucking cheater! Why did I even buy this stupid shit game!? I lost the FUCKING CARD NOW! I LOST MY SSR 5-STAR ARU!¡± She collapsed on the sofa.


    Claude was sick and tired of Nanasu¡¯s constant yelling and screaming, and controller smashing. There were so many things he could be doing out there. Like fighting, training, or more fighting.


    He wanted to be active; he didn¡¯t want to be lazy and lay on his bed. He wanted action, real-life action. That¡¯s wha-


    ¡°NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!! THAT¡¯S JUST PURE CHEATING NOW! HOW DID HE... WHAT!?¡±


    As for Nanasu, she was really into the game, no matter how angry she got. The controller she smashed to the ground was still intact, which meant that it was still working.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a soldier longer than any of us and you¡¯re playing a crappy card game?¡± Mikael said, sitting on the edge of his bunk.


    ¡°First off...¡± She inhaled before letting herself go completely. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad card game! It¡¯s a really cool game which you boring idiots would never try out. Always thinkin¡¯ about fightin¡¯, well I think about entertainin¡¯ myself with this gam- HOW DID HIS FINAL DIVO HIT ME FROM POINT BLANK!?¡±


    ¡°How much have you spent buying cards that you didn¡¯t like again?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Nanasu fell silent, not because she was concentrating, but because she couldn¡¯t answer his question. She got red from embarrassment, but when she got bested by another player, she decided to quit the game. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    She turned the console off and threw her controller onto the sofa.


    ¡°...Let her have it, Mikael. It¡¯s the only thing that can keep her entertained.¡±


    Mikael leaned back onto his bunk, looking up at the ceiling. He didn¡¯t think that Claude was wrong in any way. ¡°To be fair, it is the only thing to do here at this moment. We¡¯re just sitting idly while she is doing something with her free time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be fighting on the frontlines or fight a really strong Soul-Wielder. Now that is entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Nanasu pouted, disappointed with his answer. Of course, being a soldier means fighting is mostly what you will do, but it shouldn¡¯t something you¡¯ll be happy about if dying is easy.


    ¡°All you guys think about is war and fighting. How about being safe for a moment and entertaining yourself with games, books... eating?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re soldiers, so that people can do the same thing you are doing, Nanasu.¡±


    Mikael addressed Nanasu, crossing his arms and looking directly at her. ¡°You¡¯ve spent most of your teenage and adult years as a soldier, you¡¯ll be bored from it of course. What even happened that you started slacking this badly?¡±


    Nanasu fell silent. She really didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Last time she led a squad of her own, it got wiped out. This was something she did not tell them yet, even though she was a part of this new squad for a year now.


    It was like opening up closed wounds, and the only things that would come out of her mouth is involuntary sobbing and screaming. Her depression just started getting fixed and the fact that her squad died in the worst ways possible, was the result of her fear of death.


    She wasn¡¯t fit to be a soldier right now, but she was one hell of a soldier back then.


    Mikael noticed in Nanasu¡¯s expression that she was going to keep quiet, and that he couldn¡¯t pry any backstory out of her.


    ¡°...Anyways, I¡¯m going to the training grounds, they should open in a few minutes.¡± He hopped off his bunk, opening the locker next to it and taking out his armour.


    ¡°Great minds think alike.¡± Claude hopped off the bed soon after, although he did not have to take out any armour. He was not wearing armour, all he wore was a sweatband and a headband.


    ¡°Really? Fighting again?¡± She crossed her arms, slightly eyeing them.


    ¡°I rather be getting stronger than sitting around and playing video games! Fighting gets my blood boiling, I like it!¡±


    Mikael finished putting on most of his armour, and also looked at Nanasu. He gave her a soothing smile and then put on his helmet. ¡°You should come with us, Nanasu. It pains me to see you slacking off like that. You used to be stronger than what you are now.¡±


    Nanasu couldn¡¯t decide between watching movies, playing games or training with her squad mates. ¡°...¡±


    If she were to train now, she could be missing on another chance to play video games or watching movies, but if she were to decline their training invitation, she would kind of be double crossing them. She didn¡¯t like fighting, Hell, she didn¡¯t like fighting for her LIFE.


    But as a soldier, you gotta be in shape, for anything that¡¯s coming.


    ¡°Alright... I¡¯ll come.¡± She stood up, walking over to her locker and taking out her personal armour. She called it Argo-Suit.


    ¡°...¡±


    Nanasu looked at both of them, freezing her movements. Mikael and Claude looked at Nanasu. All three of them were throwing empty glares at each other. It lasted a full minute until Nanasu broke the silence.


    "... I hope you know what I''m implying right now..." Nanasu said.


    "You haven''t even said a single thing!" Mikael responded.


    "I just did! Get out of the room, I''m going to change! If I find you guys peeping..."


    "For armour? Seriously, for armour? There''s nothing different between our own armours! Why would... you... oh no..."


    Ding. Mikael finally realized. The room became dead silent. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of Nanasu''s heavy breathing. Her face was red with anger and embarrassment. She looked at Mikael and Claude, who were staring blankly at her. It wasn''t because she was going to change, but rather from the fact they finally knew that...


    "Nanasu... don''t tell me... you don''t wear any clothes under your suit?" Mikael spoke up, his voice quivering and shaking slightly.


    Nanasu looked at Mikael, ready to pounce on him. She wanted to hide somewhere, or disappear for an hour or two. That question he said, it really embarrassed her and it made her so angry. He couldn''t be more wrong.


    The fact that Nanasu was so embarrassed was because she was way too innocent and had never been in a relationship with a man. Better yet, she never had a male as a close friend. She had always been afraid, she had been shy when speaking about those sorts of things.


    She was very self-conscious, in some places a lot more than others. She would even order Mikael and Claude to look away when she was changing from a t-shirt to a sweater or pants.


    So, this question really took a toll on her psyche, even more so the answer to it.


    Claude didn''t notice it, since Nanasu was fully clothed as usual. Mikael, however, was the one who broke her out of her shell of shame and self consciousness.


    "WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO THAT!?"


    Nanasu screamed, breaking a sweat. Her face grew redder by the second while she looked away from them. She looked to her bedside table, then towards Mikael and Claude.


    Both weren''t looking directly at her, but rather their attention was now focused on something else entirely: The door. They seemed scared and flabbergasted to an extreme extent.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "That... KIND OF THING DOESN''T EVEN EXIST!!!"


    They stood there, completely paralyzed as if someone slapped their faces with a plank of wood. This only added onto her nervousness. Were they making fun of her?


    She started getting more defensive than ever before. This isn''t like her usual self, she would normally not do stuff like this and remain cool-headed for almost every situation. But today felt different than the other days.


    She yelled on the top of her lungs. "I''m not immoral or something weird like that, you dumbass!! Now GET OUT!"


    Claude ran straight behind Mikael as they both exited the room. The last thing Mikael saw was her grabbing a controller and flinging it towards them as fast as a rocket. The door slid shut with a ''ding''. It wasn''t a good way to start training together, at all.


    Behind the closed door, Mikael looked at Claude, his gaze was obscured by the mirrored visor of his helmet, which made it really hard to know if he was angry or annoyed at this point. Either way, it didn''t seem like he was going to speak anytime soon. That left Mikael wondering about one thing and one thing alone.


    "... I was very wrong, wasn''t I?" He spoke up, rubbing the back of his head. He couldn''t think of any possible excuse that would justify him speaking about things such as nudity around her. He wondered how much he screwed everything up here. Would Nanasu forgive him? Maybe she would?


    If he were lucky...


    Claude laughed.


    "What''s there to laugh about!? Don''t you think that if she looked at you that way, *that''s* what she implies??" Mikael looked angrily in his direction. "She wears clothes under her armour, why the hell would she be flustered? What do you think?!"


    No, forget about it. Even Mikael understood that he fucked up hard and that she won''t talk to him for at least a week after this mess-up of his.


    There''s one good thing about this, though. Nanasu did open herself a little bit more. Mikael didn''t believe he saw her face red ever before in all the years they spent with each other as comrades and friends.


    That''s why even if it meant getting punched over and over again by her when he finally leaves her room, it was worth it seeing her face bright and red, even though it may be anger that he brought upon himself, but, nonetheless.


    She did look so cute like that. Any emotion is better than a sad expression when speaking to someone as close as them.


    ¡°Ah, well...¡± Claude grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not so good with relationships, don¡¯t know how they work. But I guess she likes you more than anyone else.¡±


    That only raised more questions than it gave answers. In fact, it just caused another problem, another reason for Nanasu to get angry and embarrassed.


    Mikael grimaced under his helmet, facepalming. ¡°Can we just go train now?¡±


    They had enough embarrassment and awkward moments for today, so training might just get their mind off things, if anything.


    = = =


    The outside of Tristate City. A remote area spanning over 933 kilometers each side. In this excluded area, there only lives about 5 million people, about 10% of Tristate City¡¯s total population.


    Regardless of it¡¯s desolate area, it¡¯s also greatly used for infrastructure, food distribution and vacation spots specifically catered to an outsider¡¯s liking.


    However, such a calm and peaceful day was soon to crumble in a spiral of abrupt chaos. The clouds that dispose snow would quickly divert into a colour of grey before sporadically dispersing lightning like a storm.


    As seen from any skyscraper within the city ¨C a flash of lightning would occur before inevitably creating a shockwave, destroying any nature within a 2-kilometer radius.


    The people in towns and small cities would react to the lightning, going inside and taking shelter.


    Then, someone emerges from the lightning.


    They seemed ominous, as anyone with a Soul were involuntarily retreating away from the Soul-Wielder who just emerged from the lightning. Something was definitely wrong. How is a simple Soul-Wielder who can manipulate lightning so incredibly... scary?


    The Soul-Wielder stepped out of the smoke and looked around, smirking. ¡°Such a calm and comfortable planet.¡± He looked far ahead, directly at Tristate City. No one knew what he was after, but it seemed like he had something to settle inside the city. Taking another step, a certain name escaped his mouth.


    ¡°Now. Where might you be, Jumkou Katatoria?¡±


    It was clear that he was no Testharian, but an outsider just like Jumkou Katatoria. Which is why the people who were still outside gave him weird states. It was as if they didn¡¯t see him emerge from the lightning.


    They didn¡¯t see it. In fact, only everyone saw the lightning and took it as a plain ol¡¯ storm. It didn¡¯t cross their heads that a Soul-Wielder was smack dab in the middle of it.


    The Soul-Wielder walked up to a bystander and asked: ¡°Pardon me ¨C is there any form of high-speed transportation here?¡±


    The bystander was not fluent in the most basic language in the world, so they were confused. They tried using hand gestures to make them understand, but even that didn¡¯t work. The bystander looked around for any support to help this ¡®lost¡¯ man.


    Another bystander came up and used his hand to point to the Hypertrain station a few hundred meters. ¡°Eh... ther... ther... yez?¡±


    The Soul-Wielder merely nodded at them as a sign of thanks. A few seconds later, he simply conjured up a Soul-Blast and reduced the Hypertrain station into rubble.


    ¡°No getting in, no getting out, Katatoria.¡±


    The people reacted horrendously to the destruction, running away from the man who they had helped.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    The Soul-Wielder noticed another bystander that didn¡¯t budge at all. They manifested their Signature Weapon, which was a little dagger with a blue glow. He screamed something in Testharian.


    ¡°Agu stite!¡± (Get out of here!)


    ¡°A Soul-Wielder, I figured as much.¡±


    The villainous Soul-Wielder stood at the same place for another minute and simply waited for the retaliator to attack, and so he did. The Testharian ran towards the villainous Soul-Wielder and tried to stab him, lethally, if he could.


    However, the perpetrator fired a small penetrating Soul-Wave that pierced right through the retaliator¡¯s heart. Their Soul was obliterated in an instant and died instantly.


    ¡°Cannot waste one more second. It is time to finish this.¡± The Soul-Wielder launched himself into the air and used a special vanish-travel technique ¨C making his way to Tristate City.


    Oblivious to Jumkou Katatoria, Sachiel Eria and the entirety of Tristate City, they are in for rollercoaster of events.


    The outpost from 2 kilometers away took notice of this, having seen a small town get completely obliterated from the dense ¡®storm¡¯. The bystander who retaliated relayed information via radio transference.


    The news would now instantly make it¡¯s way to the entirety of the city and most importantly.


    The Eria Tower.


    ¡°Is... is that ice cream!?!?¡± Jumkou pressed her face against an ice cream shop window.


    People walking in the same pedestrian path chuckled and laughed at her staring at something so trivial like ice cream.


    But at the same time, people literally stared at her. It was a very rare occurrence that an outsider was free roaming around in the streets of Tristate City. So, for the indigenous Testharians, it was a first for them.


    She put her hand over the back of her neck, realizing that she needed money to pay for the ice cream. Where she came from, money wasn¡¯t a thing.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t have money... great...¡±


    However, it was a common misconception for outsiders to think that everything costs money. But in a beautiful and democratic environment like Testharia, some food were actually free to get.


    Most restaurants, shops and even boutiques were all funded by the government itself.


    Jumkou would still not know if it did not cost money, since the signs were written in Testharian alphabet. Everything was so alien to her.


    ¡°...Oh well...¡± She turned and continued walking while checking her pockets for verification.


    But suddenly a black-furred paw grabbed on her tail from behind, causing Jumkou to quickly turn around and raise a fist toward the mysterious animal behind her. It was simply just a domesticated Testharian terrier, holding up a ball of string to her face.


    The dog began shaking the ball in mid-air in hopes that she will play with it.


    For a second, Jumkou thought it was attacking her but it wasn''t. It was only playing. In spite of being confused about it, she had to admit, this dog was indeed adorable. She looked down at his small paws.


    And for whatever reason, Jumkou found the way its tail wiggled to be quite funny.


    In addition, Jumkou herself also found it cute when the dog panted, trying to get her attention. It barked as well in joy upon meeting someone new and foreigner like her.


    She then petted it from head to bottom while smiling gently, saying, "Who''s a good boy...?"


    After petting it for what seemed like several minutes, another dog came running toward her. And with her hands now preoccupied on one dog, she could barely pet the second coming to greet her.


    The streets of Testharia were filled with stray dogs, which was weird to notice in a beautiful and rich place like Testharia. But the dogs were, like Testharians, citizens with full rights granted to them.


    The Testharian people had high regards of how intelligent animals can be even without the usage of speaking human language or even any other known languages.


    With Jumkou completely surrounded, they barked and wagged their tails. For reasons unknown, the street suddenly was filled with lots more strays than what originally there were.


    "G-guys! C-calm down!" She exclaimed, not used to large groups of things (or anyone else). It may have seemed strange, but these dogs had no intent on hurting her. They did all simply want to play, especially with such a foreign looking female.


    Some of them sat and looked up at her with cute eyes, but most stayed standing and continued to bark happily.


    It didn''t take very long until the dogs were called away from her by what seemed like their friends and family. In seconds, they all went running off except for one that stayed.


    It simply ran circles around Jumkou''s feet and stopped to face her, tail wagging.


    "...You wanna follow me?" She asked while staring down at the dog, who jumped in joy upon getting picked.


    She picked him up in her arms and gave him a smile before going on her way down the sidewalk.


    "Oh, you''re such a cutie!~ What''s your name? ...I''m guessing Little Jumy can work. Yeah! I''m calling you that now!" she stated proudly and scratched behind its ears. "...Oh, you''re a male, right? How could I even tell..?" Jumkou pondered for a moment before deciding it wasn''t important.


    Meanwhile, Little Jumy continued panting happily until something caught his eye across the street. He started barking excitedly while wiggling around in her arms as they got closer to where a crowd had formed.


    A food truck was parked and had many types of food ready to eat.


    Little Jumy tried climbing out of her arms as best he could toward the food stand, whining loudly for his new friend to purchase some. She set Little Jumy back down on the ground and followed him toward the food truck.


    It turned out to be a street hotdog vendor, where every kind of sauce existed in an order: mustard, chili, cheddar, barbecue, onions and ketchup.


    Jumkou sniffed the scent of these different sauces wafting up into the air above her head. She could taste each distinct flavor of the aroma from this distance alone.


    They each smelled wonderful and appetizing that Jumy began licking his lips like any other pet dog would do with dinner close by.


    It seemed too easy for Jumkou to get a hold of herself once seeing so much delicious food that could only make her hungrier. "Money... money... Gah! I don''t have money, I forgot!"


    She put her head in shame and sighed until another hand touched onto her shoulder from behind.


    "Miss." The person hurried back to create distance. The culture Testharians were upholding was weird. It was considered rude to keep a strong distance from someone you found interesting anywhere in the world, but Testharians always maintained about 20 meters distance between them and foreigners.


    Jumkou could only take this as something rude, but she wasn''t familiar with the culture. She had no right to say something.


    Then, the woman pointed to the food truck. "A select amount of food is free in Tristate City. You may indulge in your cravings as much as you would like here."


    Hearing these words made Jumkou''s whole being feel joyful, not only for the delicious hot dog on the menu but because they were absolutely free! "What...? This doesn''t cost me anything!?! But isn''t that... illegal!?"


    In disbelief, she rubbed her head in an attempt to clear away doubt. Maybe it was legal. After all, this place seemed really nice for some reason she couldn''t really understand herself.


    The stranger replied with a chuckle.


    "I will go first then, if that proves any help."


    The stranger went to the front counter of the hot dog food truck and said hello to the Testharian vendor with pride.


    Little Jumy wagged his tail while watching as the woman ordered, paying with a card which seemed too far advanced for Jumkou. This caused her to question everything once again, but there was something else that interested her more than food itself: how many people were wearing hats here? The culture must be very diverse since so many people wore these kinds of attire.


    The Testharians were truly one of a kind.

 Arc 1, Chapter 14 - The Turning Point, Part Two

    Jumkou sat down on a bench with a new friend. Both were indulging into the warm meal in their hands and looked satisfied. "Mm... This thing tastes like heaven! I never expected such great tasting food!" They both smiled at each other through chewed up mouthfuls. It really made their hearts happy, even after just meeting for such a brief period.


    She didn''t forget her mission, for sure. But even someone like her deserved some moments of peace here and there before carrying on with it. Jumkou looked up at the sky which was partially obstructed with lit up skyscrapers. Every skyscraper was filled with billboards of all kinds of stuff, with orange and blue lighting all around. A bit strange when you consider what time of day it is, but it adds to the beauty of the city itself.


    Testharians, while being as democratic as they could be, were also patriotic as all can be. It showed through flags posted up nearly every street corner she had come across so far. Some of the flags represented specific companies whereas others represented government officials and politicians themselves. It made Jumkou confused for obvious reasons. Democracy and Patriotism was a weird combo by itself.


    "That''s right..." Jumkou said.


    "Testharia is one of many so it would for sure have it''s own system of ruling. But the galaxy is so big that you''d forget that there are hundreds of wars going on beyond this planet."


    She grabbed her neck. It started to feel cold... very cold. Something bad was about to happen, but she didn''t know that. Tristate City was known for it''s sudden drop in temperatures due to the artificial weather system. It wasn''t a big drop but enough to notice and bother certain sensitive people.


    But it wasn''t the snow or the wind.


    "Am I feeling a sense of intrusion or... is it just cold?" She looked around her surroundings, all pedestrians walking about.


    And then, a siren blasted around the busiest streets of Tristate City, indicating an incoming urgent announcement. People immediately stood still near any speakers they could find that may announce the reason for it. All sorts of shops were also closed at once without hesitation nor any reason behind it. The only things left on the street were parked cars from the morning drive in traffic and stray dogs looking curiously.


    A hologram of the most well known Testharian news channel would be projected onto the Eria Tower, revealing a huge sheet of a projected screen for everyone to see.


    Jumkou watched, along with the stranger she met minutes earlier, standing nearby but trying not to get too close to the folk alien she didn''t know very well.


    It was about the news of a strong, condensed storm destroying the Yucares Town, with half of the town population killed. There was also a bystander who was killed by a perpetrator. However, there were no concrete details about it''s appearance, only that he had white hair and red clothing.


    It wasn''t clear if it was a Testharian or an outsider.


    "A... terrorist...?" Jumkou stumbled a little and then sat down. She held her head. It started getting vehemently cold, and it was eating away at her mind. This power... this feeling...


    I feel bad. I feel very bad. What is happening, why does it hurt! It hurts! My brain trembles! It feels as if everything and everything was going through my body! I feel... Agh!


    Stopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthisstopthis!!!!!!


    Stop violating my head! Stop putting thoughts inside my head! Stop filling my thoughts up like a broken machine!


    The woman approached her, worried for her condition. "M-miss? Are you okay?" She asked while gently shaking Jumkou''s shoulder.


    She didn''t respond, only breathing heavily and staring into the ground beneath her feet. The snow covered up a part of her shoes which began to melt and drip water. Her face turned pale, her heart rate increasing at a steady rate.


    Little Jumy nudged her arm with his head, whining for his friend to get better. He wanted to help her, but it seemed like she was lost in thought.


    The Soul-Wielder had deployed a message that connected to all Soul-Wielders across Tristate City. The message simply read ''Jumkou''.


    The very same message would feel a sharp, unbearable pain in their head.


    My name, why my name? Why do I see my own name?


    It felt like needles being pressed into their brain.


    Everyone who was affected by it clutched their heads tightly and let out an agonizing scream.


    Those who did not have a Soul felt nothing. They were only confused as to what was going on, and why their friends suddenly started screaming and holding their heads in pain.


    There were only a select few people that stopped walking, dropping to their knees and holding their heads. Most would mouth off, uttering ''Jumkou'' in their own accent while others shook it off and continued walking with increased confusion.


    The stronger your Soul was, and the more connected you were with it, the stronger the pain was.


    Jumkou looked around at everyone falling down and screaming. She had no idea why they were doing this, or what was happening. All she knew was that it wasn''t her fault.


    Why is everyone so hurt? Did I do this somehow... No! Impossible, I couldn''t possibly be so powerful as to hurt people without even touching them! I didn''t even mean to send anything out to them! It just happened, I don''t know how but I can''t stop it-


    It wasn''t me.


    It was someone else.


    A bright flash occurred just at the border of the city - before catastrophically emitting a massive shockwave across Tristate.


    Everybody felt the tremor, most getting pushed off from their feet and only some standing their ground. The few that were largely unaffected were Soul-Wielders who could protect themselves and those around them using their own Soul.


    Buildings would not sway however, as the architecture allows them to stand through all kinds of natural disasters.


    "..."


    People were running around in fear while a select few Soul-Wielders manifested their Signature Weapons. They were ready to fight and die for the sake of keeping their loved ones safe.


    And then, several storm clouds from above vigorously dispersed powerful waves of lightning everywhere around the city.


    The lightning strikes were powerful enough to take down buildings with lesser reinforcement, typically the more run-down buildings and low-rise commercial districts.


    Most people immediately ran to the biggest underground shelter in Tristate City, which was located 50 floors beneath the surface. But, if a person was stuck outside the shelter during an emergency, they would need to find a way to survive on their own until the threat had been removed.


    The citizens of Tristate City have been warned beforehand to keep an emergency pack under their desks or beds. It was also recommended that one family member always carried one around with them.


    These emergency packs contained food and water that could last them for several days. In case of a natural disaster, they were advised to stay indoors and wait it out until help arrived.


    This wasn''t the first time that such a thing happened, and Testharians knew better than to panic.


    20 years ago, a huge Civil War brought Testharia down to its knees. The same people who went through the civil war knew exactly what to do when faced with the threat of natural disaster. And even now, they knew what to do.


    However, many panicked, thinking that the war returned after so much time has passed. First the attack on the military base in Dankasho, their satellite moon and now an attack directly at Tristate City? It must be something serious.


    "Hmph!" Jumkou created small jumping pads by condensing Soul-Blasts to such a point to eliminate all it''s momentum, giving her enough speed to escape from the falling debris and dust.


    Jumkou held Little Jumy close to her chest as she ran, jumping up onto rooftops. The streets were already filled with people trying to escape the chaos, but there wasn''t much room to move.


    People were crushed underneath their own weight as they pushed against one another in hopes of getting out of there alive.


    Even though the damage was minimal since Testharian architecture was marvellous, the people were panicking way too much to understand how to avoid death.


    Jumkou, on the other hand, understood what was happening around her. She was able to move with ease through the crowds of people that swarmed everywhere around her like bees around their queen.


    The select few Soul-Wielders would make their way to the Tristate City City Centre Outpost to get their gear while some took emergency Hypertrains to the Eria Tower. The majority of the population simply went towards the underground shelter located in the center of the city.


    "I''m sensing something a little more than a conventional Soul-Wielder. I got my share in peace, I''m in good condition once again. Time to get back into it."


    She wrapped herself with Soul Energy to equip her battle clothes.


    It was clear that Jumkou was the target, as if the message wasn''t obvious enough. All of the lightning across the city formed into one and struck the center of the city, completely obliterating anything in there, even the best standing buildings.


    Everyone in the center, including the friend Jumkou made, would die.


    There was no doubt about it.


    Jumkou heard a faint high-pitched sound in her right ear before sensing parts of Soul Residue entering her. It was Sachiel who was attempting telepathic contact with her.


    "I hear ya, Sachiel!"


    "Have you foreseen this event too? This person may be the one that followed you."


    Jumkou gritted her teeth, the damages getting significant. ¡°I¡¯m not that certain about it but... one thing is for sure... I take them on, minimal damages will occur!¡±


    ¡°Be wary of the situation regardless, Jumkou! Your protection is top priority, my Royal Forces are en-route to your location right now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sachiel.¡± She would utilize her full speed to hop building to building ¨C marking her path towards the terrorist.


    Jumping 50 meters above the building, she noticed the terrorist just outside of the city center where most people were going to. White hair and red clothing ¨C just like what she had seen from the hologram screen.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    She landed - finally putting herself back in combat after some time. Before her, stood the terrorist that dared to attack Tristate City for one person.


    "Jumkou Katatoria. Finding you was a hassle. I''ll give you credit where it''s due, the Soul of Time really is hard to find."


    Jumkou simply stared at the guy. "It isn''t very fun to bring innocent people in this, you know? You want me, here I am." Jumkou gently placed Little Jumy down on the floor, who looked up at his friend with worried eyes. He knew that she was about to face off against someone who wanted to hurt her.


    "I''m simply here to complete my mission, Katatoria. Your Soul is too dangerous to be left in your own hands, and shall be confiscated. I will proceed peacefully or by force, I don''t care which way you prefer. It is what he wants, anyways."


    The terrorist had lifeless eyes and a stance that meant serious business. But something about his voice, he sounded calm and collected despite everything he said. But is calm and collected really the appropriate word to be used here?


    If this person truly is evil, then why did he not use his full power from the start? Is he holding himself back, or is he just trying to intimidate Jumkou?


    Jumkou was surrounded by four people from the Testharian Royal Forces.


    "The Royal Forces...? What are you doing here?" Jumkou looked back at them. .:. These guys aren''t strong enough to compete... .:.


    "You guys have to leave! It''s too dangerous." She said to all of them, waving her hand in front of her to shoo them away.


    "No can do, Miss! The Great Kamisword''s orders!" Samuell simply said.


    "Tch- I don''t know who you are but I think you''ve done enough!" She looked back at the terrorist. She was ready to punt this guy to the ground and completely obliterate him if needed. This terrorist didn''t care about lives being lost.


    He didn''t seem to even feel sorry for it. But if Jumkou attacked him now, innocent people could get caught up in the fight.


    "Let me introduce myself." He bowed.


    "The name is Kaioshun-Rymela."


    "And I am here to confiscate..."


    "The Soul of Time."


    Jumkou furrowed her eyebrows, realizing that such words wouldn¡¯t be spoken if the person wasn¡¯t as strong, if not, stronger than Jumkou. She relived the past multiple times, yes, but this was the first time she had to deal with something like this. In addition, she still hadn¡¯t recovered from her last time jump, so she can¡¯t tap into her reserves yet. She was as strong as a normal Testharian warrior now, significantly weaker than this guy, and possibly even more in comparison with Sachiel Eria.


    However, where evil lurks, shall be slain, and Jumkou Katatoria knew that better than anyone.


    .:. ... He is a Power-Type, just like me... I might have a chance, but at this very moment... Not at all. .:.


    If it resulted in her sacrifice, it would be a failure, if it resulted in her incompetence, it¡¯s a failure. For her, there is only one way to win this, and it¡¯s to kill him.


    Everything else is a failure.


    Taking one step forward to try and beat this guy to the ground, a frequency paralysed her brain for a split second before giving her consciousness again. Someone strong was approaching.


    .:. Fear not, Jumkou. I will help you. .:.


    Sachiel¡¯s voice was heard. Again, he formed Soul-Telepathy with Jumkou. An out of nowhere smirk formed on Jumkou¡¯s face and made Kaioshun suspicious.


    .:. What a relief! I was bluffing my way into this! .:.


    Kaioshun smiled and simply rested his hands on his back, looking up.


    ¡°And now the Great Kamisword arrives.¡±


    Sachiel Eria¡¯s arrival was elegant. He landed a meter in front of Jumkou to the right and formed a small crater beneath his knee. His suit was unharmed as some kind of force field was active around his body.


    Was it a subconscious Soul-Barrier or was it just his strong will that influences his Soul? The Soul can do everything.


    ¡°There are consequences... for every action, terrorist. In that regard, do not think you are safe at this very moment.¡±


    ¡°None of us are safe, Eria.¡± Kaioshun crossed his arms. ¡°Not with Flynnigan Shotaro roaming freely.¡±


    ¡°H-¡°


    Jumkou was surprised to hear that from Kaioshun. The perpetrator knew who Flynnigan Shotaro was. Nobody should know, except for her. Nobody knows that he is the key to saving the galaxy. But Kaioshun was another person that knew. Could it be...


    ¡°Flynnigan Shotaro will remain unharmed. I shall make sure of that for as long as I am around.¡± Sachiel assumed an elegant Testharian battle stance.


    Sachiel was a Weapon-Type and Kaioshun was a Power-Type. Normally this would be a bad matchup for Weapon-Types as they rely on their Signature Weapons to deal damage and rarely use Soul-Techniques to back their power.


    However, Sachiel wasn''t one to rely on Signature Weapons.


    He was the galaxy''s best martial artist. He was strong enough for his mere hands to be acknowledged as a Signature Weapon. But in retrospect, this should be nothing to a Power-Type such as Kaioshun.


    "It is an honour to fight you, Great Kamisword. Your power is magnificent. I have studied your power and researched every nook and cranny. Which is why I prepared a special something, specifically to counteract you."


    Kaioshun raised his arm, releasing his aura. He emitted a gold sparkling aura with a corrupted pure-black outlining. While Sachiel''s emitted an orange and blue aura that was glitching like Asheera''s.


    Their Aura''s amounted up to a size of a building. Although Soul-Aura''s are only visible by Soul-Wielders, it can be felt by everyone else.


    People around them could feel the intensity of it. Some feel penetrating and some feel smooth, but the feeling is always different. It''s never the same.


    But there were people who had no idea what was happening.


    The citizens of Testharia were still running around in fear, thinking that this was another civil war or attack. Some had already left Tristate City on emergency Hypertrains.


    Kaioshun quickly launched himself towards Jumkou - fixated on eliminating his only target. The speed he had achieved was so fast that it took Jumkou''s brain several seconds to catch up to reality.


    This guy was fast, very fast.


    But just before Kaioshun made contact, Sachiel turned his foot by a smooth 90 degrees and manifested a small Soul-Barrier around his arm, protecting Jumkou from his attack.


    Kaioshun staggered a bit. "Do not get in my way, Eri-"


    Jumkou vanish-stepped behind Kaioshun and kicked him from behind, allowing Sachiel to use his arm to slash Kaioshun''s torso deeply. However, Kaioshun flung Soul-Barriers towards Sachiel to create distance, annulling his attack.


    He landed gracefully back on the ground as if nothing happened. But he had to admit that those two were a threat. They had potential and they worked together seamlessly.


    "Tsk..."


    Jumkou landed on her feet while Sachiel landed on his knee with one hand resting on the floor. Jumkou launched herself back into action with a speed faster than that of an average car on the highway.


    Kaioshun would simply dodge her punches and kicks by side-stepping while staring at her with empty eyes. Her attacks were too slow to even touch him. He was able to foresee every move she made. "Where has your power gone? I thought you''d be better than this."


    But then he suddenly vanished ¨C appearing right beside her head and lifted his knee to kick her chin.


    Sachiel reacted quickly, appearing in between Jumkou and Kaioshun and gently moved his foot to the side, his hands smooth as silk. This allowed Kaioshun to miss Jumkou''s chin and was vulnerable for another attack.


    Sachiel imbued Soul-Energy into his fist and went for a penetrating strike against Kaioshun''s body. But instead of hitting him, Sachiel''s fist hit Kaioshun''s blade.


    Kaioshun held his sword in front of him to parry Sachiel''s powerful punch, making him smirk. "A weapon, hm? You are interesting."


    "Wh-" Jumkou hopped back, realizing that a Power-Type just summoned a blade out of thin air. "A Power-Type can''t do that!"


    Sachiel stepped back, air-swinging his hand to form a current of wind towards him, pushing him back and temporarily breaking his balance.


    Kaioshun simply let himself suspended in the air; his arms crossed while being upside down. Sachiel used his Soul-Energy to accelerate towards him for another slash, but little did he know that it would be the death of him.


    "!"


    Jumkou foresaw this and vanish-stepped to tackle Sachiel out of the way. Kaioshun had extended his blade that would have impaled Sachiel had he not been tackled out of the way.


    "Eria. I took you for a person who would''ve at the very least, had a decent understanding on ancient lost techniques such as the blade I created." He said, still suspended in the air.


    "Have you not researched the Soul? Surely you are not a fool like most people, are you?"


    Sachiel was suspended in the air next to him and opened up his hand, ready to blast him out of existence. "It is irrefutable proof that lost techniques are capable of many things in present times, but lost techniques are lost. Their importance is naught."


    "Hm. Only a fool would promote erasures of important techniques." Kaioshun said, before he was engulfed in Sachiel''s Soul-Beam. "However,"


    Kaioshun appeared behind Sachiel and swung his sword upward. "It''s significantly important for attacks such as this!"


    Kaioshun''s blade suddenly supercharged itself, slashing at the air between them and Sachiel and releasing a horizontal wave of clustered beams.


    "Tch!" Sachiel was visibly frustrated, kicking off Kaioshun and freefalling to the ground while the beams followed him. He dodged the majority of them by side-stepping out of their way and counterattacking some with Soul-Barriers.


    He was elegantly moving in the air while the remaining two beams continued following him.


    He then stopped, closing his eyes and extending his arms. The two remaining beams pierced through both of his palms and was absorbed by an imbued Soul-Energy barrier, before discharging it towards Kaioshun.


    Kaioshun simply watched as Sachiel did so and manifested a small Soul-Barrier around himself. The beam disintegrated upon coming in contact with Kaioshun''s Soul-Barrier and simply disappeared.


    Kaioshun was smiling the whole time. On one side, it was truly a honour to fight the Great Kamisword, who was one of the strongest Soul-Wielders in present times.


    But on the other side, he needed to kill him to confiscate Jumkou''s Soul, the Soul of Time.


    Which made this ''honourable'' battle a bitter one.


    Jumkou watched Sachiel and Kaioshun go at it in amazement. Hearing all about Sachiel from her own time made her think that he would''ve been amazing in battle, and he was indeed amazing.


    Even though it seemed like he was losing, he managed to come up with ways to counterattack or at least get a good hit in.


    .:. The best I can do is sit back and be a support for Sachiel. .:. She said, clearly admitting that she is not on their level at all. This will be a struggle for both her and Sachiel.


    She saw Kaioshun and Sachiel trade blows in a fast pace. It wasn''t even visible to a normal eye but they were fighting hard and fast.


    The only thing that set them apart was their own uniqueness of style. Sachiel was the best martial artist in the entire galaxy, but Kaioshun had knowledge of lost, ancient techniques. Which ultimately makes him stronger than Sachiel.


    However, Sachiel still hasn''t utilized his Soul directly. Why is he holding back even at such a crucial time? Using his Soul would ultimately mean a victory over Kaioshun. Jumkou couldn''t help but think about that.


    .:. Sachiel''s only using Soul-Techniques and his own physical prowess... but his Soul? He isn''t even trying to use it. Why is he not using it...? .:.


    "You''ve acquired so much power overtime, Eria. Testharians prove to be impressive." Kaioshun said as he traded blows with Sachiel. "This makes it all the more fun to fight you! I will relish every moment!"


    Kaioshun tried to squeeze a punch to his liver, but Sachiel counteracted with a body turn, which he could then intercept it with an elbow dodge, reverse punching Kaioshun in the left cheek and kicking him away.


    "A feeble attack on my city will prove nothing, Kaioshun!"


    "Don''t misconstrue me. I am here to confiscate the Soul of Time. After all... this is not her place in time."


    Kaioshun was sent flying back from a powerful kick to the torso by Sachiel. However, he stopped himself mid-air.


    "You will hand her over, either peacefully or by force. Either way, she shall come with me."


    Both Sachiel and Kaioshun landed on the ground. They weren''t exhausted at all. What fierce fighters. This is what it was to see a spectacle, a fight between fundamental-graded Souls. But both were not utilizing their Souls at all.


    All that they traded were blows from their own hands and feet and Soul-Techniques solely derived from Soul-Energy. Anyone can utilize Soul-Energy, but to use abilities, you would need a Soul.


    That is what sets Soul-Wielders and Non-Soul-Wielders apart.


    "Protecting her is my top priority, terrorist. And so is Flynnigan Shotaro. I have sworn to be her guardian."


    "Huh? She brings nothing but misfortune. Have you really lost it? The Soul of Time is dangerous beyond anything we know. That is why she needs to be eliminated, permanently. And the Soul of Time will be in my hands. I have no quarrels with you, Eria. If you get out of my way, you''ll be safe."


    "..."


    "I decline."


    Kaioshun became increasingly frustrated. "Right... Right... Maybe I am the fool... I should''ve known that Testharians were petty little freaks. You would do anything you set your mind to."


    Sachiel got into a defensive stance, expecting an incoming attack from Kaioshun. However...


    Sachiel felt a penetrating feeling, as if his own Soul was telling him to back away. Some abilities could be so powerful that the Soul automatically takes control of a Soul-Wielder''s body, to back away from danger.


    "It is time you learn that you know little about the Soul!" A rapid surge of Soul Energy would pile uparound Kaioshun, before discharging it towards Sachiel to finish him off for good.


    This was way too much Soul-Energy condensed into one move. No matter how powerful Sachiel was, he couldn''t possibly take this all in.


    Not even the strongest Soul-Wielder would survive that. It would literally kill them if it came in contact with their body.


    "Fuck!"


    Jumkou time-stepped towards him this time. Time-Step was Jumkou''s own style of Vanish-Stepping which allowed her to stop time for a split moment to seem as if she teleported.


    While Time-Step was active, she looked at Kaioshun. There were millions of glowing particles around him, which was the visualization of his Soul-Energy residue.


    "That''s enough to wipe him out!" She ran over to Sachiel.


    And as soon as she grabbed him, the Time-Step deactivated.


    "Sachiel!"


    Without a second thought, she used Time-Step on Sachiel, teleporting him away from the area. Because she already used up her Time-Step on Sachiel, Kaioshun''s attack hit Jumkou directly, completely obliterating the area.


    The explosion was so powerful that the resulting shockwave sent a destructive wave throughout Tristate City, knocking down buildings and shattering windows.


    It was a sight to behold as the entire city shook like an earthquake. People still not inside shelters were blown away by the force of the explosion. The unfortunate died instantly, while others sustained severe injuries from flying debris.


    But this was nothing compared to the aftermath.


    The explosion caused a massive crater where Jumkou stood. The heat from the explosion melted the snow around it and turned the ground into molten lava. The impact of the explosion was so strong that the surrounding buildings were reduced to rubble and dust.


    There was no trace of life left. Nothing. Not even Soul-Energy residue. Was Jumkou dead? Or did she somehow escape the blast unscathed?


    There would be no way to escape that blast. The Time-Stepping ability has a long interval between its usage and therefore cannot be used when the attack was incoming. But she somehow bypassed the interval by using Time-Step on someone else.


    Because she used it on Sachiel, she couldn¡¯t use it on herself anymore.


    It was either taking it head on or... taking it head on.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sachiel was in the middle of nowhere. A few kilometers from Tristate City. He got up and stared at the scene of the explosion, trying to see if Jumkou was still alive.


    ¡°Jumkou?¡±


    ¡°Jumkou?¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Jumkou!¡±


    Jumkou!

 Interlude I - Sparks: Titan

    Sailing through the skies of Titan was a White Eye cargo ship, it contained goods from a black market that White Eye had made a purchase of.


    White Eye is a notorious group that is seen as a stock marketing company but in truth, they are an arms dealer group. You can say they are responsible for many incidents.


    However, there is simply no evidence to back it up which is why they seemingly get away with many atrocities, however they stand on the neutral side of things, their only opposition is the Nextellar Star Clan.


    ¡°Hey man... this is going to be a long trip so get us a couple snacks, will you?¡±


    The one who was piloting the whole cargo ship was a White Eye member.


    ¡°Yeah, sure whatever bro, as long as you pull out of Titan as quickly as possible then we can be back to the base sooner with the goods.¡±


    The co-pilot who was also a White Eye member got up from the pilot seat.


    ¡°Heh- checked the radars, it seems the path is clear, and we won¡¯t be disturbed... At all!¡± Exclaimed the White Eye pilot,


    ¡°Thank goodness, we don¡¯t have to deal with those annoying Titan bas-¡±


    Suddenly, the whole ship was hit by what had seemed like an EMP Wave that disrupted all control systems of the ship, creating instant turbulence.


    ¡°-WHAT THE HELL?!?- What is going on??¡±


    The heat signature radar was rising rapidly,


    ¡°Check any cameras available- GH!!¡± Someone had landed on the windshield of the ship. ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    The pilot widened his eyes, realizing who was responsible for this. The person on the windshield shattered the canopy and grabbed both of the pilots and pulled them out.


    ¡°AHHH!!¡± ¡°WHAT THE HELL?!?¡± Before both pilots knew, they were on the ground, watching as the cargo ship was now in a free fall motion, crashing down onto the wastelands.


    ¡°...It¡¯s¡­ you-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would completely fry the whole ship of its systems... All I did was try to jump and sneak in...¡±


    A man held the two pilots and dropped them onto the sand.


    ¡°Oh well, I guess I can just scrape whatever is left.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re¡­ that guy! You were part of Dark Intrinium- you are the former Super Berserker- Ky-¡±


    ¡°The name is Vincent Sparks.¡± The man interrupted.


    ¡°Find a way to get home.¡± Vincent Sparks, a former member of the Dark Intrinium Army, serving under His Majesty, Lord Veyron.


    The position Sparks held was that of a Super Berserker, one of the higher commanding ranks. He was only on the brink of becoming a Prime Berserker but had suddenly disappeared and was never found with Dark Intrinium ever again.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just walk away after destroying a White Eye cargo ship! Do you know who you are messing with?¡±


    The pilot exclaimed, possibly saying this due to the fear both Vincent Sparks and White Eye can instil.


    ¡°Why the hell should I care? Have them all come towards me, it doesn¡¯t matter; I can wipe out squads without using any of my power. You saw what happened to the ship, that sucker went down without me even trying.¡±


    Vincent smirked, looking back at the pilot.


    ¡°Just be glad I saved your ass, okay?¡± He said in a seemingly sarcastic tone.


    ¡°This is serious! White Eye will put you on their hit list for sure-¡± A loud screeching came from above, it was a group of fighter jets soaring past the destroyed cargo ship, if seen closely, they have White Eye paintings on the wings.


    ¡°... Shit, they are already here!¡± The pilot had forgotten that whenever a cargo ship is brought down by an outside force, it alerts any nearby White Eye-affiliated base immediately.


    ¡°Ah great, they just can¡¯t come down here and take me on alone.¡± The jets began opening fire, they didn¡¯t care who to hit as long as they took care of the threat.


    ¡°AHHH!- WE¡¯RE GOING TO DIE!¡±


    ¡°Cowards. . . you don¡¯t even care if you hit your own man, it¡¯s so. . .-¡±


    Vincent used his pure physicality to jump at such a great height, appearing at the same altitude as the jets.


    ¡°-BITCHY!¡±


    He made a fist, colliding with the nose of one of the jets and immediately eliminating its momentum without destroying it. Vincent used his strength to spin the aircraft and launch it straight at another jet, taking out two birds with one stone.


    ¡°As I expected, there aren¡¯t even pilots, just A.I-controlled aircraft. In that case I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about killing anyone so I can freely use my soul here. . . ¡°


    And with that said, he started chanting.


    ¡°I call upon you...¡±


    ¡°Into the abyss that stares about...¡±


    ¡°Before creation will be inevitable¡­¡±


    The surrounding area was immediately being pressurized by Soul Energy and was visibly becoming purple.


    ¡°. . . DESTRUCTION!¡±


    Sparks had set out an Aura-Burst, completely frying all the aircrafts functions and causing them to crash land. Vincent Sparks landed onto the surface. The skies were tearing apart with orange flames over the wasteland.


    ¡°H-.... No way.¡±


    ¡°He barely even did a thing¡­¡±


    Both of the pilots looked up at Vincent Sparks.


    ¡°I guess for sure they will be on me now, ain¡¯t that right, White Eye?¡± He broke open a canopy of one of the jets which was recording.


    ¡°Bring your best to try and stop me¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey- why are you even doing this?! You have something against White Eye, I never recall any beef with both parties!¡± The pilot was confused.


    ¡°Huh- I don¡¯t have anything against anyone¡­ I just need money.¡± Sparks raised his eyebrow, confused on what the pilot was talking about.


    ¡°M-money¡­?¡± The pilot too was confused.


    ¡°You two better run along now, it¡¯s almost nightfall and this place is deadly at night.¡± Vincent Sparks said.


    ¡°Oh, and when you get back to White Eye, tell them you didn¡¯t fail- it was I, Vincent Sparks, The King of Destruction!! HAHAHAH!¡±


    He sounded goofy saying that which was intentional. However, if White Eye wanted Vincent¡¯s head, he was all for it.


    Vincent Sparks, He Who Has The Soul known as:


    Destruction.

 Interlude II - Scourge: Eukaron - Act 1

    A hivemind of crime and corruption, Amarill Town is a town built out of the very scrap the inhabitants scavenge for. Established during a civil war by a rebellion, when the Eukaronic military took over the city - they decided to keep it, giving travellers a place to stay. Poverty runs high, and many criminals hide here to disappear.


    Sat in a rundown pub booth on the outskirts of Amarill Town, a poncho''d man with a wide-brimmed hat sipped their drink through a small mouthpiece on their mask. Under their poncho was a burnt overcoat from recent battle and a dyed-black cuirass of Cirumite fibre. Parked outside was a small corvette, still covered with the orange dust of Mars - slowly being caked with the purple sand of Eukaron.


    Rakoji sighed, grabbing at the back of his overcoat and looking at the singed edges and the small holes further up the coat. He groaned, the coat having cost one of his early pay checks.


    After his battle in the Envia Dome, Rakoji had taken to hiding away from the galaxy until he could figure out what to do next. With a giant such as White-Eye now on his case, he has to tread much more cautiously. Eukaron was a staunch isolationist with strict entry laws, making it safe for a regular like him.


    The doors to the pub would open - a blaze of purple glistening sand blowing halfway through the room. A figure in a thick robe entered soon afterwards. Their cloak was a natural black, however days of walking the desert has dyed almost the entirety into a pale purple.


    They wore thick goggles to keep the sand out of their eyes, and a balaclava to keep their nose and mouth to keep them safe as well. Slung on their back - a spear of blue wood and purple metal hung idly, tipped with dried blood of battles long fought.


    Rakoji looked at the figure from the corner of the room in his booth.


    The figure looked right back - as if trying to stare into his very soul.


    "..." Rakoji finished his drink - closing the mouthpiece with a quick button press and adjusting his Poncho to fit properly, walking outside quickly after.


    *A small fence blocked the pub from the debris that was blown in sandstorms. Around 200m away, they could see the entrance to the town proper. Three ships were parked to the right - Rakoji''s being the largest, but the most defended.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Rakoji pressed a button, boarding his ship and taking off - deciding that it was too dangerous to be far away from the law. After all, he would''ve left the Envia Dome in much-worse condition if not for the police nearby.


    Flying around 500m off the ground, Rakoji sighed, enabling autopilot and holding his face for a second.


    "What did I even do.. Nextellar I can handle, but now White Eye?" He''d mutter to himself, pulling his face out and getting out of his chair - walking out of the cockpi-


    The cloaked figure stood in the middle of the hallway, looking directly at Rakoji - the goggles now gone.


    "WH--" Rakoji would manifest HYPERVOLVER, aiming at the cloaked figure and playing a cocking noise with the press of a button - obviously it didn''t actually have to.


    "Rakoji Kovac. Born on Jirub, incarcerated on Earth." The cloaked figure spoke, showcasing their large amount of knowledge - yet still standing perfectly still.


    "Who are you? What do you want!? I don''t appreciate random hobo''s boarding my ship!"


    ¡°The guild has taken notice of your past actions, and have decided to reveal ourselves to you by popular vote.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Rakoji was confused. The guild? He wasn¡¯t part of any mercenary guild. He was a loner.


    "You are injured, alone and on-the-run. But more importantly, you have done a terrible atrocity in your past - the killing of a Jirubian MEP in an armed robbery seven years ago. This has had dire effects on your planet, your family, your friends and your life. Given your current circumstances, we would like to offer you an accord. An atonement for your crimes, but more importantly - an escape from your problems."


    Pondering for a moment, Rakoji lowered his pistol - looking at the figure before demanifesting it. "Who are you to judge my actions? I''m the leader of my own life, and you do not dictate it!"


    The cloaked figure pondered for a moment. "Your harsh words mean nothing; however, your actions do. And your current actions have shown to me that you are not so bothered by my words. If my observations are correct, then you will continue down the auto mapped route on your ship towards the Immigration Sector of the Imperial Conurbation. You will go to Shyrik Monastery and ask to speak to ''Father Agios''. He will instruct you further. "On behalf of those on the Eukaron Cabal - we offer you an invitation to the Pilgrims of Promethic."


    The cloaked figure would wave their hand - a purple charm appearing over their body before they melted into Soul-Energy, before dissipating completely and fading away.


    "...Who the hell even are they?" He muttered to himself - looking at where the cloaked figure once stood.


    "Why me? First an assassination attempt... now some... cult!?" He''d kick a loose bolt in his floor, hearing something break underneath him.


    .:. Well, I am now wanted by one of the biggest organisations in the galaxy... Maybe I should hear them out... .:.


    Rakoji sighed, looking at the autopilot as it took him towards the Conurbation.


    "Well.. I suppose they already decided for me."

 Interlude III - Nanasu: Darwin - Act 1

    "6 years ago, you told me that you would lead a capture unit and catch who you thought was the most dangerous Hyperkiller in Dark Intrinium. At first I thought that you were being stupid, thinking such a Hyperkiller incapable of fighting didn''t need to be captured. Let alone even thinking about catching her. But then you came to a realization that the same Hyperkiller brought Giselle Althrius to their base and kept her alive. They kept her alive for days in the most gruesome ways possible. She came back to us a machine, unable to talk, unable to move on her own, just... braindead. That''s why you led a capture unit. You knew full well that the Hyperkiller took one of your squadmates and turned her into a brainless machine. Then, right after that... you left the base and went back to Ambrecia to try and find her in one of the only standing Dark Intrinium occupied military bases. What you found was... worse than anything I could have imagined. I still can''t imagine it. I can''t imagine it. It''s... worse, than death... It''s worse... I can''t put it to words. You weren''t dead, but you were dead to us all. You knew you weren''t dead, but we knew you were dead to us... You weren''t the same when you came back. You, alongside everyone else that survived whatever attack Enama Zagashida launched on you, and your squadmates. You... You didn''t come back as Darwin. You came back as a nobody. You couldn''t call yourself Darwin, or you couldn''t bear my surname. You... you were no longer my brother. My brother was dead to me. He died on that day. He was replaced by a lifeless machine that simply took on his face. Do you understand how painful that is? Do you even have the slightest bit of emotion to understand what it felt like to see my brother die right before my eyes and be replaced by some lifeless husk wearing his skin? His voice changing, his personality changing, his body changing, to someone else I don''t even fucking know. Do you understand anything I''m even saying? Does my voice even reach your ears? Do you understand what I''m talking about? Do you even understand what we are? Do you understand what we do? Do you understand who we are? Do you understand what I am... Do you understand who I am... Do you understand who you are... Who do you think you are? You''re not a lifeless husk, you do have a beating heart. You do have a working brain. You do have limbs. You do have blood inside you, you do have veins, you do have organs, you do have eyes, and you do have hands, arms, legs, feet. And you do have a Soul. Your body functions just as any normal human''s does, but there is something that is missing from you. Your personality, your memories, your experiences. You don''t have them, they''re not yours. The memories that are in your mind, that you so desperately try to remember, aren''t yours. You''re not who you think you are. The ''Darwin Valadne'' you think is not the same ''Darwin Valadne'' that I know. This ''Darwin Valadne'' that you keep projecting inside your head, a person worthy of being called a hero, someone that could help even the darkest Souls and help them see the light, that is not the Darwin that I know. You are not that person. You are not that person, because that person is not you. The ''Darwin Valadne'' I knew fought for a simple reason, and that was not to be a hero. He fought for legacy. My legacy, my family''s legacy, our legacy, my mother and father''s legacy, our children''s legacy, our grandchildren''s legacy, and our great-grandchildren''s legacy. That is why he fought, to create a legacy for us to look at, one that would give us strength when we needed it most, one that would give us hope when we had none, one that would give us pride when we thought we had no more. He fought to protect us, his family, his friends, his comrades, his soldiers, his people. He was never a hero, a villain, a person worthy of respect, or a person unworthy of respect. He was just a man. A simple man with a simple goal. He was my brother. He was Darwin Valadne. Stop feeding yourself pointless lies thinking that Darwin Valadne was an incredible hero and stop trying to do what he didn''t do. He did not want to change the world, he did not want to end injustice, he did not want to defeat every enemy on the planet. He wanted to protect the ones he loved, that is all. He wanted to protect those who could not protect themselves. He was not a hero, he was a protector. Stop acting like you can change anything when you are unable to save those who matter the most. Stop acting like you''re the one in control when you inhabit his body, you''re not even aware of what it does! You''re not my brother, what the fuck are you!? Tell me! Answer me, who are you!? Who is this controlling my brother''s body!? Who are you, who has stolen my brother from me!? Who!? WHO! WHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHO! You can''t, can you? You''re a stranger. You don''t even know the answer to that question. What are you? A Soul? A Fallen Soul-Wielder? A machine? A program? Are you just a product of some mad scientist''s fantasy? You can''t explain yourself to me, because you don''t know. You can''t know what happened to you. You will never come to know what happened to you. You will never know who you were. You will never know who your family was. You will never know why you were chosen for this life. You will never know why your life didn''t start from birth, but instead started 6 years ago, in Ambrecia. You will never know who Darwin Valadne was. You will never who you will be. All you will ever be is an empty shell, a faceless void of a man that does nothing but walk around and wonder why he exists. Why he is alive, when he should not be alive. I understand what happened to you, and I''m not trying to put you in a bad light. But I hope you get this through your thick skull. Darwin Valadne is a name lost in history. Who is inhabiting this body now, is you. Who this ''you'' is, you need to know. And only you can shape this ''you'' to be something else rather than just... just a puppet. Bear a different name or create your own name. Use the Soul inside you to shape your new life into something else. Use it to save yourself. Use it to start a NEW legacy, not ours, but yours. Use it for your sake, not anyone else''s. Take this gift that my brother gave to you and use it to save yourself. Because you''re not Darwin Valadne. You will never who you will be. All you will ever be is an empty shell, a faceless void of a man that does nothing but walk around and wonder why he exists. Why he is alive, when he should not be alive. I understand what happened to you, and I''m not trying to put you in a bad light. But I hope you get this through your thick skull. Darwin Valadne is a name lost in history. Who is inhabiting this body now, is you. Who this ''you'' is, you need to know. And only you can shape this ''you'' to be something else rather than just... just a puppet. Bear a different name or create your own name. Use the Soul inside you to shape your new life into something else. Use it to save yourself. Use it to start a NEW legacy, not ours, but yours. Use it for your sake, not anyone else''s. Take this gift that my brother gave to you and use it to save yourself. Because you''re not Darwin Valadne. You are a new person, born different from everyone else. I''m sure that somewhere out there, or something... will find out all the answers to your questions. Or maybe it won''t. You might not ever know. You might spend the rest of your life trying to figure out who you were. You might never figure out who you were. You might die without knowing anything about who you were. You might die with all your memories intact, only to have them taken from you by death itself. Or maybe you will live forever, never knowing who you were, who you are, and who you will be. Your future is wide open, for you to decide how you will shape it. But I hope you take this opportunity to do so."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Live."


    "Live for me."


    "Please."

 Arc 2, Chapter 1 - Terror

    ¡°Jumkou!¡±


    ¡°Jumkou, where are you!?¡±


    He looked around and all he saw was a barren wasteland of snow. Outside the city, he only saw the silhouetted skyscrapers from the distance. He couldn''t even feel Jumkou. He didn''t even realize that the attack happened. In his perspective, everything happened in a single frame.


    The first millisecond interval of him trying to conjure up a Soul-Barrier to battle Kaioshun¡¯s intense AOE attack to the second millisecond interval of him being in a desolate snowy wasteland.


    Looking at the ground and how the skyscrapers of Tristate City were silhouetted all the way from here, he knew that he was about 10 to 20 kilometers away from the outskirts. How far did Jumkou teleport him? It was crazy even for a fundamentally graded Soul to be able to pull that off.


    ¡°Jumkou!¡±


    Sachiel¡¯s yells fell onto deaf ears, his response strayed in the dark vastness of the wasteland, his hopes of Jumkou appearing proven to be naught. Did Jumkou Katatoria really die? Was this the end of her journey, and her annoying rambling about the fate of the galaxy?


    Was this all a ploy created by the terrorist to destroy Testharia?


    First, the civil war that brought Testharia to it¡¯s knees, to the Zephite City incident in Dankasho, to an direct attack on Tristate City with Jumkou Katatoria as the finale.


    It was all too good to be true, Sachiel couldn¡¯t even believe it.


    From any other person¡¯s perspective, this would¡¯ve been a perfect setup for the terrorist to destroy Testharia. This could¡¯ve even been an attack planned by Lantisul Arbitrum, the perpetrator of the civil war 20 years ago.


    Such a thought brought Sachiel¡¯s eyes down to the ground, shaking it off.


    ¡°You sure got a lot weighing down on you by the actions of a clumsy, annoying girl. Is this how far your leadership goes, Sachiel?¡±


    Sachiel heard a voice.


    A familiar one, a voice that he had gotten used to.


    A voice that always talked in such a monotone yet had so much vigor in each sentence. It was a voice that never changed. The voice of his Soul.


    Before he could even respond to his own Soul, he felt reality collapse around him, teleporting him to another place.


    When he opened his eyes again, he saw that he was back at Tristate City.


    What was that sight of reality collapsing around him? He had so many questions. Did the Time-Step of Jumkou work in the sense that once teleported, there is a limit to where you would end up? Nothing made sense to him.


    Did reality collapse because he felt himself collapse, or did it collapse because he was in such a state of shock?


    Jumkou Katatoria''s state is unknown. When a Soul dies, they leave Soul Residue for a substantial amount of time depending on their power and influence. The stronger the Soul is, the longer the residue will last.


    With the fact that Sachiel couldn''t feel any traces of Jumkou''s presence, it meant that Jumkou didn''t die but was simply gone. It was a feeling akin to when someone was missing.


    Jumkou Katatoria had one of the largest Soul Reserve of any other Soul-Wielder, in Sachiel''s perspective. So he would at the very least know that if Jumkou died, the residue left by the Soul would be strong and would last about a decade.


    While the world reformed itself from the blinding shade of white from Sachiel¡¯s perspective, he realized that he was in the center of Tristate City.


    The center was dealt the most damage by Kaioshun¡¯s terror. While some buildings stood upright, the more crooked and older ones collapsed, with a lot of tents of shops reduced to rubble.


    There were still people present in the streets, notably the ones who haven¡¯t found shelter. Some people attested that the shelters were full, and they resorted to seeking shelter in tents and shops.


    Sachiel looked around. His city, shaken up by the terrorist¡¯s actions. Just like how they were shaken up by the civil war 20 years ago. It looked the same, felt the same, and he felt anger building up inside him.


    He felt the need to destroy the terrorist, kill him, feed him to the crows hanging on the pointy roof of the building, leaving him impaled there.


    Jumkou might as well dead, right? If you can''t feel it, pronounce it dead. That was what the common saying went.


    But Sachiel refused to do so, not after being shown the future by her.


    "..."


    "It cannot just end there, I know that."


    He tried establishing telepathic communications with Jumkou Katatoria.


    No response.


    He tried again.


    No response.


    He felt his resolve wavering.


    No response.


    He felt angrier.


    No response.


    He felt nothing.


    Jumkou Katatoria is dead. He failed to destroy the terrorist. He failed to protect the one he swore to be his knight in shining armour.


    -


    Asheera walked around the popular Rias Square in Tristate City. It was a rather large square where multiple buildings were located, one of them being the infamous Hotel Rias.


    It was named after Rias Kranz, who was the first ever ''foreigner'' that received Royal status in Testharia. She was born and raised on Earth, and later found herself living in Testharia, where she eventually married Azrael Testharia, the founder of the planet, to be his wife.


    There were many statues of her throughout the city, all depicting her beauty, strength and charisma. There were even rumours going around that if you were to talk to her statue, your wish would come true.


    There was even a statue of her in Rias Square, the biggest statue in Testharia.


    It was kind of funny for the founding father to not have a statue erected for him but that was how Azrael Testharia was.


    He was a secretive man, and only appeared occasionally. He skyrocketed in popularity when he saved the city and the planet from the civil war started by Lantisul separatists.


    The day''s activities in Rias Square consisted of the people enjoying themselves while eating or playing games. There were street performers too, dancing around to their own music or singing. It was an overall fun place to be in.


    Not anymore.


    Now it was again desolate, with shops closed down. The only ones in sight were Asheera Eria and her Royal Squad, with a couple dozen people on the ground. Some were critically injured, and some were fatal.


    "Fuck... this is so fucked." Asheera squatted down to the body of a once happy Testharian who fell victim to the attack. "Once again, Testharia''s in crisis. But this time it''s on a different scale."


    SInce the terrorist was concealed, they didn''t know if he was Testharian or a foreigner. If it was a foreigner, that would only solidify the fact that foreigners were finally out to get Testharia after opening their doors.


    It could also be a Testharian, someone who resented the government. They did open their celestial borders now, with a lot of outsiders entering the planet for vacation purposes, or to work.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    This terrorist attack could be an act of terrorism, but it could also be someone trying to get rid of the government.


    They had to find out either way.


    But there had to be an underlying reason. Testharia doesn''t simply have ''terrorists'', they''re the most peaceful planet in the galaxy.


    "...Help me carry this one, Kaelan." Asheera called him out, beckoning to him with her hand.


    He walked over and hoisted the feet of the corpse, with Asheera carrying the head. The two carried the body away to the stack of corpses that was growing in size as the minutes passed.


    Kaelan noticed that Asheera was frowning more and more as each minute passed.


    Of course, they were dealing with a terrorist attack that killed about 107 people and injured a couple thousand. She had no time to waste, no Royal Squad member had.


    But Kaelan couldn''t help but notice her stress levels rising, even though she didn''t show it.


    "What''s on your mind?'' He asked her.


    "..."


    She ignored him, continuing to walk forward with the corpse.


    Samuell Dargen was trying to tend to the injured people. He was a trained doctor, and he knew his way around injuries.


    Marin was assisting him, while Maduk was standing guard, looking out for any suspicious individuals.


    He had just finished treating a man who lost an arm, and previously had to help one missing the bottom half of his body. It was a gruesome scene, and the smell of blood lingered in the air. That wasn''t the strong smell that they had to endure.


    The putrid stench of hanging intestines, or the splattered brain matter and the rotting bodies of dead people destroyed any nice smell that the city center had.


    Any fresh air, and air conditioners hanging on the shops were now filled with the pungent odor of death.


    Asheera and Kaelan dropped the dead body onto the stack.


    "Count?" Asheera asked.


    "108..."


    108 confirmed deaths now. This was a disaster that would go down in Testharia''s history, just like the civil war did 20 years ago. It was a tragedy that shook the country to its core, and this was even worse.


    The civil war was between Testharians, but this was a terrorist attack that even some foreigners died too. If another foreigner died here, the news will spread like wildfire.


    The minute Testharia opened its doors, the sins of humanity entered.


    This was their Pandora''s Box. Everything capsuled in the box was the bad traits of humanity, that Testharians had nothing to do with.


    Now that they opened this box, they were involved with the Soul-Core and Dark Intrinium war, and this.


    A couple minutes later, all the bodies on the square were stacked up while the injured people were all brought to the nearest shelter.


    Samuell Dargen wanted to make sure that everyone had at least proper medical treatment before leaving, even if he was tired.


    He wanted to save everyone, no matter what. Which is why he went to the shelter.


    Marin, Asheera, Maduk and Kaelan stayed here, keeping guard of the square.


    Asheera knew that Sachiel was fighting the terrorist somewhere in Tristate City, so she didn''t have to worry about him. She was worried for Jumkou, as she wasn''t in sight. The terrorist attacked the city because of Jumkou anyways, so she felt bitter.


    All this happened after Jumkou arrived. What did she have to do with this? Who was she really? Asheera wanted answers, but all she got that she was a ''special guest'' by Sachiel. She was never told anything else.


    "Can''t believe it guys..." Kaelan sat down on a huge rock, gripping his spear tightly. "Didn''t think that we''d become janitors for... dead bodies."


    "Betta'' den havin'' em rot outta ''ere in ta sun." Marin commented. "Y''all, we wouldn''t''haf known dat this woulda happened..."


    "It''s a surprise to all of us." Asheera walked towards the statue of Rias Kranz. "...If only we knew who this guy was, and who he was working for. I''m positive it isn''t Lantisul Arbitrum. A guy, incarcerated for 20 years, wouldn''t suddenly be interested in Miss Katatoria. This is... something new."


    "The Great Kamisword got it covered, no?" Kaelan asked.


    "Without a doubt..." Asheera trailed off, looking back at the stack of corpses and then to the brown sky.


    The environment looked like a painting. A painting that depicted despair, death and destruction. The brown sky was a reminder that once that was a vibrant blue has now lost it''s vibrance, and that the citizens of Tristate City were stuck here with no way to escape.


    The snow was white, but now red from the blood of hundreds of people. The shops were all closed down, with their windows broken and their doors shut. There were no signs of life anywhere, as if it were a ghost town.


    The rubble of collapsed buildings was scattered around the streets, with pieces of concrete and debris covering the sidewalks and road. Some people were trapped inside the ruins of their homes or offices, waiting for someone to rescue them.


    And the skyscrapers, towering over everything else, looked like they were abandoned by everyone who worked there. It was a truly depressing sight to behold.


    "...This is not how I wanted to spend my day." Maduk sighed, resting against the wall of one of the buildings. "I guess today was just... one big pile of shit."


    "Yeah..." All of them agreed.


    Kaelan looked at the stack of bodies with Marin. Marin was typically scarred and scared by such sights, but this time he was more composed.


    Kaelan guessed that after seeing so much bloodshed and injuries, he had gotten used to it. The Royal Squad was the squad to call for bigger fish to fry, like CHAOS and the terrorist.


    But this terrorist was far above their paygrade. None of the squad members had such power to plunge a bustling city into darkness, let alone a simple town. They were outclassed by the terrorist, and they couldn''t do anything about it.


    All they could do was wait until Sachiel defeated the terrorist.


    "...Y''all. We hafta cremate ta fallen..." Marin spoke up again, with all the other squad members listening attentively. "We can''t leave em like dis..."


    It was tradition for the Testharians to cremate their fallen, as to send them off to another realm peacefully. Testharians believed in the afterlife, where if they died, they would ascend to what they called the Janninegan, which was ''The Final Place''.


    Testharians didn''t believe in the divergence that split Heaven and Hell apart, instead having one single place.


    Once the dead entered the Janninegan, all their sins, their memories and their personalities would be erased, and they would live out the rest of eternity as cleansed Souls. That was how Testharians viewed the afterlife.


    Even the most evil man in the world would find himself cleansed when entering the Janninegan. That is how peaceful Testharians are.


    Marin, Maduk, Kaelan and Asheera were quiet. It was the first time that Marin had suggested such a thing. Usually, Maduk or Asheera would suggest that, but this time Marin did. It made sense though, as they couldn''t leave the bodies to rot outside in the streets.


    And then, Marin would clap her hand, seemingly annoyed by the silence. "C''mon, y''all! We did allat! Can''t choose ta slack in ta middle of ta task!"


    Asheera sighed, and then nodded. "We have to."


    With that, Kaelan, Maduk and Asheera stood up and got ready to lay down everybody in a perfect circle. The square was big enough for that. 127 corpses. It was going to take a long while.


    There was still a lot to do though. Asheera wanted to gather any remaining survivors, check if there were any missing people in the area, and finally help Sachiel with defeating the terrorist.


    "Kaelan, get the lighters from Samuell. He''s at the nearest shelter." Asheera told him.


    Kaelan nodded, but would stop suddenly, his eyes widening from the light that penetrated his eyes. It came all the way from the outskirts of Tristate City.


    "... What is th-"


    Before he could speak about that thing, a sudden shockwave, stronger than before, struck all of them. They were blown away from the impact, while the corpses blew away from the force of the attack, scattering all over the square.


    The buildings with finer architecture swayed while some older ones collapsed entirely. The statue was unharmed, having a permanent Soul-Barrier placed on it by Azrael to preserve it.


    His Soul residue resided in this area, meaning he died here.


    Samuell was seen running over to the square.


    "The fuck!?" Maduk shouted, grunting as he got up. "What the fuck is happening!?"


    "... The terrorist... is Sachiel really struggling against him?" Asheera stood up, coughing all the dust from the air out of her mouth. She was bleeding from the left side of her head. "Damn..."


    "...Heya...Asheera... I don''t think the Great Kamisword is fighting against him anymore." Kaelan said, pointing towards something.


    They looked at where he was pointing at.


    Sachiel was stood there, looking around, dazed and confused. He kept yelling the name of Jumkou Katatoria. Asheera saw Sachiel and ran over to him, wobbling at first but regaining her balance.


    "Sachiel!" She yelled. "What in Numa happened there?"


    Numa meant Goddess in their language. Yes, even Testharians believed in a goddess.


    Numa Hayelek, who was the actual founding mother, is now the one and only Goddess of Creation in Testharian religion. The mother of everything, that created the planet of Testharia and left the angels to do their part in creating the rest of the universe. Testharia has only been around for 150 years, and all of them are descendants of humans on Earth.


    This religion was created by Silivan Petrov, who knew Numa Hayelek and named her Goddess of this religion, and took her last name out.


    Azrael Testharia, previously known as Azrahil Alhere, was not the founding father of Testharia but was the founding father of the Singular Order of Testharia, that controlled the entirety of Testharia.


    Testharia back then was ruled by Zark Leyen, leading an absolute monarchy that ruled over devolved governments of other countries within it, with each region having a leader to lead it. It was an overall disorganized and chaotic system.


    In present times, it is now classified as a constitutional monarchy with limited democracy or a consultative pseudo-democratic monarchy.


    This is how Testharia stayed peaceful. Vox Populi, the voice of the people, ruled over Vox Dei, the voice of God. It was the perfect representation of a king that listens.


    But now, this king was confused.


    "Sachiel, answer me! What happened? Where is Miss Katatoria?"


    Sachiel stood quiet for a good 10 seconds, before speaking. "Kaioshun... the terrorist, is stronger than what I felt from him initially. And Jumkou... I do not know where she is. She pushed me away, saving me, and then disappeared."


    Asheera''s eyes widened in shock. "Is... she dead?"


    "It''s unknown to me." Sachiel responded, his eyes still showing signs of confusion. "There was no Soul residue, none at all."


    "... Fuck." Asheera cursed, clenching her fist tightly. "Fuck!"


    Asheera looked at the Royal Squad and whistled to them, telling them to come over. They did just that, gathering around Sachiel and Asheera.


    "Sachiel, go and find Miss Katatoria while we fight the terrorist. I know that you''re going to hate this suggestion... but we''ll be there to buy time for you to find her, and then when you have found her, come back and help us."


    Sachiel nodded, understanding what had to be done. "I shall do just that."


    He turned around, getting ready to leave the group and search for Jumkou Katatoria. He then turned back around, his hands resting on her shoulders.


    "There is one thing you must know. Kaioshun, the terrorist... has a large arsenal of lost techniques. You cannot predict what he will do next. That is why you must not get cocky in combat against him. Play on the defensive at all times, and do not directly attack him."


    He left them with those words, before disappearing from their sight. Sachiel was fast, so fast that they didn''t even see where he went to.


    It was like he just disappeared in thin air, without a trace.

 Arc 2, Chapter 2 - Fight To Restore

    "... Did my move really kill her?" Kaioshun asked as he walked away from the city, towards a desolate wasteland that stretched out for miles. He was determined to find Flynnigan Shotaro now that Jumkou Katatoria is nowhere, he completed half of his objectives.


    "... Did she give up her own life to save Eria? But that doesn''t make sense."


    Kaioshun thought hard about what happened. He was sure that he killed Jumkou with that attack. There''s no way she could''ve survived such a powerful attack.


    But then why couldn''t he see any Soul-Energy residue? If she really is dead, he should''ve been able to see some Soul-Energy residue left behind.


    He looked around the crater. He saw nothing, not even a body. The only thing he could see was the snow that was blown away by his attack. He sensed something too.


    "Jumkou is nowhere to be found, why pester?" Kaioshun stopped, turning around.


    "I have completed my mission. I don''t need to stay here anymore. So let me on my way and I''ll spare you. Or are you going to make this more difficult than it should be?"


    He saw Asheera and the Royal Squad standing there, ready to fight. He felt a large amount of Soul-Energy radiating off them, but nothing compared to him. He had fought the Great Kamisword, after all.


    Kaioshun sighed. "The Second-Leader of Testharia. Let me reiterate. Your city only suffered because of Jumkou Katatoria''s existence. Had the Great Kamisword not admit her in, none of this would have happened."


    Asheera scoffed. "Miss Katatoria or not, you''ve caused unnecessary bloodshed in our city. Your path of destruction has come to an end, terrorist!"


    "I have a name." He simply said, putting his hand on his forehead, looking at the ground. His identity was concealed. A black, corrupted outlined aura engulfed his entire body. "And that name is... Kaioshun-Rymela."


    "The killings of the inhabitants of Yucaras Town, as well as the unfortunate fallen in the Tristate City will not go unnoticed. As per Article 3, Chapter 2, Section 1 of the Testharian Constitution, you are hereby arrested and to be executed on the spot. Any form of resistance is prohibited and will result in stronger force being used against you-"


    "I''ve already completed what I need to. Jumkou Katatoria is nowhere to be seen, felt or sensed. She''s executed, even if I have not confiscated the Soul of Time. I have no need to fight any longer."


    Kaioshun put his guard down and turned around but that was stupid to do, especially when dealing with the Royal Squad.


    "You will not go anywhere!" Kaelan yelled, throwing his 4-meter war axe towards Kaioshun. It flew at significantly fast speeds, and it could stun Kaioshun if it hit. Leaving this terrorist roam freely around would pose big problems later.


    "Hmph." Kaioshun simply extended his hand and stopped the axe, gripping onto the handle tightly. Such intense speeds would even pierce through the strongest Soul-Wielders, but Kaioshun just stopped it and didn''t even deviate from his course.


    "...Don''t get in the way of my mission, you half-brained creatures!" Kaioshun discharged his war axe at the same speed back to Kaelan, who jumped out of the way.


    Kaioshun fired a volley of beams at the Royal Squad. They all scattered while Samuell Dargen stayed behind to heal if needed. He was the only Support-Type in the squad, so he had to stay in the back.


    There are 5 types of Soul-Wielders.


    Power-Types specialize in dealing damage and focus on pure firepower and destructive force.


    Weapon-Types can create all sorts of weapons with the use of Soul-Energy, and can have a Signature Weapon that they will be most effective with. All Soul-Wielding Testharians are Weapon-Types.


    Hybrid-Types are more akin to Power-Types, but can focus more on a variety of different things, such as using animals or being one. They typically are the most versatile.


    Support-Types lack the capability to inflict heavy damage but they can restore Soul-Energy, heal and empower other Soul-Wielders, as well as themselves.


    Mental-Types are able to influence up to 5 senses of the human body along with the sixth sense, their Soul. They''re also able to conjure illusions with the use of Soul-Energy, making it harder for opponents to land attacks.


    The Royal Members were all Weapon-Types, which is why Kaioshun had the upper hand. Weapon-Types were bad matchups against Power-Types.


    However, they won''t go down without a fight.


    The Royal Squad diverted the beam''s trajectories or nullify them by using their weapons, swinging them away. As the path was safe, they charged at them in unison.


    Asheera stood behind to preserve her energy, she was the trump card. Marin went in first, swinging her 3 meter long Dustfade, which was her Warhammer. The end of the hammer had a spike that could easily pierce through armour if swung hard enough.


    Marin aimed the tip of her Warhammer at Kaioshun, swinging it downwards on Kaioshun, however it proved to be a fault move. Kaioshun swiftly evaded the swing by moving to the left, and then used his right leg to kick the Warhammer out of her hands.


    He was following up with another kick but was intercepted by Kaelan, his war axe in front of him. Maduk had jumped over Kaelan''s war axe and followed up with an attack from above. His weapon of choice was a Katana, a long thin sword with a curved end.


    Kaioshun looked up at Maduk and saw him coming down with an overhead swing.


    "Simple weapons won''t hurt me."


    He caught Maduk''s katana by the blade with his bare hands and dispersed corrupted Soul-Energy from his hand to decay the weapon.


    "What!?"


    Maduk was vulnerable now without the weapon and was kicked away by Kaioshun. Kaelan swiftly moved behind Kaioshun and swung his war axe. He did so with great speed and precision, but he was stopped by Kaioshun by a Soul-Shield.


    "You men are torn are built from the ground up All this led up to this moment of your lives! But this is still not enough against me!"


    Kaioshun hammered his fist into Kaelan''s war axe and destroyed it, leaving him unarmed too. He then swiftly turned around and punched Kaelan in the gut, sending him flying.


    Marin swung her Warhammer, using the spike end to impale Kaioshun''s head. All this prove to be futile as Kaioshun imbued a strong Soul-Barrier over his body, making it impossible for him to be penetrated.


    The impact that Marin expected never came, instead she felt the full force of her own attack and was pushed away.


    "H-how!?"


    Kaioshun jumped up and simply kicked Marin to the ground, before following up with a strong punch to the face. He heard bones cracking from the impact of his fist and Marin flew several meters back, landing on the snow. She coughed blood and struggled to get up.


    "Guh..." Maduk tried getting up, holding his side. "I... I can''t believe that we''re being pushed back like this..."


    "G-get up, Maduk! We hafta get ''em!" Marin yelled at him.


    "DAMNIT!" Kaelan yelled in anger, having manifested a new war axe and attacked Kaioshun.


    Kaioshun was finally knocked from the ground as Kaelan swung the war axe in intense speeds. It wasn''t direct damage, but the wind pressure of the swing itself was enough to send Kaioshun flying back.


    "Hm!" Kaioshun eliminated all his momentum and stood firmly on the ground, waiting for Kaelan to strike again.


    Kaelan used his war axe as a lay up to jump high, as he spun around and then threw the axe downwards. Kaioshun punched the axe away and then swiftly dodged to the left to evade Kaelan''s punch.


    Kaelan landed on the ground, breathing heavily. His war axe flew back into his hands like a boomerang and discharged a crescent shaped beam of energy.


    The beam hit Kaioshun... but not his body. It simply hit his Soul-Barrier, which was still intact. It would''ve taken a lot more than this to break through. None of the Royal Squad''s attacks were strong enough to even deal damage to his body. Why wasn''t Asheera doing anything if she was on another level? Why was she waiting?


    That question would be answered soon.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "... Strong teamwork, indeed. But how would that help you on your endeavours if it''s all show but no damage?"


    Kaioshun shouted at them, simply to patronize them. He was so far out of their league that he couldn''t be damaged by their weapons, let alone their fists or kicks.


    "Jumkou Katatoria is dead, there is no reason for you Testharians to continue. Don''t reduce yourselves to die in vain and I shall complete my mission and leave the planet."


    None of the squad members responded. They knew that they couldn''t defeat Kaioshun in combat. This was something far beyond their paygrade. However, none of them were willing to give up.


    "You can''t just kill Miss Katatoria and expect us to step aside." Asheera stepped forward, her right hand glowing. She finally manifested Pummeler, her Signature Weapon.


    "You simply just do not understand, do you?" Kaioshun facepalmed himself, sighing deeply.


    "The Soul of Time is the most dangerous Soul. Of course, Jumkou Katatoria was too frantic that she has used it in larger scales and thus must''ve either have been eliminated or had her Soul confiscated by me."


    Asheera gripped Pummeler tighter. "... And how does killing innocent people fit into this? You are no different from a common murderer!"


    "I am on a time crunch, Asheera Eria. The deaths of your people helped save time for my mission. I do not intend on wasting anymore time than needed, but I had no choice."


    Kaioshun crossed his arms and didn''t waver at all. He was simply unfazed by everything, even the death of Jumkou Katatoria. But why?


    "The Soul is capable of anything, Asheera. It gives life, it IS life. Souls love Soul-Energy, they take pleasure in it because it''s the source to all and everything. A source that makes our own essence. Our life and power. That''s why my very own Soul Energy is in greater heights. I''ve had years of training and had years of refinement. The Soul never stops developing until you die. It is a living thing after all."


    "Innocent lives, Kaioshun... Innocent lives! You''re talking about the Souls of those poor people whose blood you spilled. They''ll never rest in peace with this much blood on their hands. Not only have you taken the life of Miss Katatoria but the life of hundreds of people!"


    "Spare me your sentimental musings!"


    Kaioshun quipped back. "My mission does not involve anyone else but the ones I swore to kill, as well as anyone who stands in my way. I am stopping a catastrophe from happening. A catastrophe that will make sure that everything you know will be erased!"


    So much heart and life into what he say. His emotions are not fake. It was like he was fighting for something greater than himself. Funnily enough, Jumkou Katatoria said the same thing. She wants to stop a catastrophe, and it seems as if Kaioshun also has the same goal.


    But their methods are entirely different.


    "So, stand down, Asheera Eria, and let me complete my mission. This is your last warning. If you continue to interfere, then I''ll make sure that you never see the light of day, ever again."


    "..." Asheera gripped her Pummeler tightly, looking down at the ground. All this information washing down on her, it was too much to take in.


    Jumkou Katatoria and this Kaioshun-Rymela want to stop a catastrophe from happening, but Kaioshun needs to kill Jumkou and this Flynnigan Shotaro guy to do so.


    But Jumkou has come from the future and knows the exact events of the past. But now she''s gone, and nobody can believe her anymore. So, who''s the real villain here?


    Kaioshun-Rymela or Jumkou Katatoria?


    Whichever had the better story, would be deemed ''good'' in the eyes of everyone. How does one simply come from the future? Like Kaioshun said, the Soul is capable of anything, so it isn''t as far-fetched.


    But why does Jumkou and this Flynnigan Shotaro need to die? Why?


    Why is death needed for a catastrophe to be prevented in Kaioshun''s perspective? And why does Jumkou Katatoria need to locate Flynnigan Shotaro to stop the catastrophe that will happen?


    And moreover, why is Flynnigan Shotaro the key point to both stoppages to the catastrophe?


    Who is Flynnigan Shotaro?


    The easy way is to designate both Jumkou and Kaioshun as the villains, but Jumkou didn''t possess any evil intentions, at least Asheera thought so.


    "... You and Miss Katatoria, foreigners who happened to magically appear in Testharia, and now we''re facing the biggest crisis in history..." Asheera looked up, clenching her teeth. "Still... that does not make you any less guilty of what you''ve done! You''re still arrested!"


    "... Testharians really are stupid."


    Kaioshun closed his eyes and concentrated, all of his Soul Energy condensed in his eyes. Asheera was closing in with her Pummeler and struck lightning towards him.


    However, the lightning just disintegrated before it hit him, and much to Asheera''s dismay, Kaioshun opened his eyes which were glowing, along with his Soul-Aura.


    "Jun Mak Sien." He changed in his own language, which prompted Kaelan, Samuell and Maduk to stand in front of Asheera and attack Kaioshun.


    However, whatever he chanted, the three would feel a stinging sign of danger - forcing their Souls to cancel their attacks.


    Maduk''s body felt heavier than usual, Kaelan''s war axe was discharging sparks of electricity around him and Samuell Dargen felt a piercing headache that was hard for him to ignore.


    Kaioshun formed a small dagger from his hand, imbuing something into it.


    It glowed raging purple and it felt like a heavy presence of power was exuding out of it. It was terrifying enough for Asheera to freeze in fear.


    She couldn''t move, even though her body wanted her to. It was like her Soul and body were separated, with one wanting to fight and another wanting to run.


    Then, her Soul warned her of the same thing.


    "Samuell, Kaelan! Maduk! Watch out-"


    Marin tackled Maduk out of the way so that left Samuell and Kaelan to take the attack head on. Kaioshun used his incredible speed to swing at Samuell and Kaelan, but the blade would not pierce them.


    Instead, it simply phased through them.


    There was no blood coming out, there was no wound on their bodies.


    It was a strange phenomenon that happened to Samuell and Kaelan, leaving them confused as they tried to process what just happened.


    Kaioshun sighed. "It amazes me just how little Testharians know about the Soul."


    Kaioshun''s blade wasn''t intended to strike physical damage, but to pierce all their Souls, hence why it phased through them.


    Kaioshun''s hand began to overheat from the consistence use of his blade. He wasn''t a Weapon-Type and as a result, it would hurt himself everytime he used it.


    Samuell Dargen and Kaelan Usthari fell to the floor, seemingly unconscious. Their Souls were shattered by Kaioshun, which turned them into vegetables. This was what they were reduced to.


    They will never move, speak, eat, hear or feel ever again.


    They''re gone forever.


    "W-wha... S-Samuel? Kaelan?" Marin watched in shock as she stood up, walking over to the two men lying on the floor.


    "W-wha'' did ya do ta em!?" She asked, glaring at Kaioshun.


    Asheera lowered her arms, her Pummeler hitting the ground. Her eyes screamed anger, tears streaming down her face as she glared at Kaioshun.


    It was an overwhelming feeling of sadness that made Asheera feel nauseous. Kaelan Usthari, someone that Asheera knew for years and Samuell Dargen, someone who she looked up to as a brother was now rendered lifeless and dead.


    She acknowledged long ago that she couldn''t beat Kaioshun-Rymela but whatever just happened... she can''t unsee it anymore.


    She felt anger.


    She felt rage.


    She felt her blood boiling.


    She felt the need to kill Kaioshun.


    She felt the need to satiate her lust for blood.


    She wanted to make Kaioshun bleed profusely until he could no longer breathe.


    She wants to kill him.


    She needs to kill him.


    "... Kaelan! Samuell!" Marin called out to them, hoping for a response. She shook Kaelan''s body around, and then put her hand on his neck to check if he had a pulse. Maduk just looked in shock and didn''t move.


    "YOU FUCKING BASTARD, I''LL KILL YOU!" Asheera said, nothing like her usual self. She gripped her Pummeler hard and tried to slam it down on him but was stopped by his arm. He used his whole arm to block the pressure of her swing.


    "I gave you one last chance."


    Kaioshun lightly tapped his finger on Asheera''s Pummeler, completely shattering it. Now that Asheera was vulnerable without a weapon, he simply zig-zagged towards her and forcing his arm through her guts.


    Asheera coughed up blood as he did so.


    Maduk and Marin watched in horror as the second strongest Soul-Wielder in Testharia was reduced to nothing but a common mortal.


    It was terrifying to see the difference in power between Kaioshun and the Royal Squad.


    "I did warn you..." He used almost all of his Soul Energy into a punch that sent her flying into the wall of a building outside of Tristate City. She crashed through the wall and fell unconscious inside of the building.


    "...¡±


    Maduk and Marin just stood there, shaking with fear. They have never seen such raw power before. The difference in strength was so big that it was terrifying. Kaioshun had no intention to kill, but even so.


    What were they going to do against an opponent that they couldn''t defeat?


    Fortunately for them, Kaioshun turned the other way and walked away. "I am done here." This allowed Maduk and Marin to help out Samuell and Kaelan, while also calling in backup. They could only hope that they arrived soon enough.


    "Samuell... Kaelan... Fuck! Fuck, Marin! What are we gonna do!?" Maduk asked, checking their pulses. They were still breathing but it was faint. He didn''t know what to do at all. Samuell Dargen was a healer, not a fighter, so he could only pray for the best.


    "... We lost... How couldda I fight em? ''ow couldda we''ve ever won?" Marin sat down on the floor, holding her head low. "I can'' believe it... We''re da strongest team of Testharia! But when faced wit em, we''re jus'' normal people!"


    Marin stomped the ground in anger, crying. "Asheera expected dat we wouldda''be able ta buy time fo'' Sachiel ta find Miss Katatoria. But nah! We failed our mission an'' lost our friends because of it!"


    "Marin, go and help Asheera... I''ll stay here and keep an eye on Samuell and Kaelan." Maduk said, his eyes glued on the unconscious men.


    Marin nodded, standing up and wiping away her tears. "... Y-yah... Ya gottit, Maduk."


    With that, Marin ran over to where Kaioshun struck Asheera.


    Asheera was helped out of the building by Marin and she was laying on the ground, bleeding from her stomach. Her uniform was soaked with blood and was torn around her stomach area. Her body was littered with cuts and bruises, all because of Kaioshun''s fist. Her gonads weren''t visible but it looked like she had internal bleeding.


    She needed the best medical help immediately but without Samuell Dargen, nobody could heal her properly. He was the only one who knew how to heal.


    "Fuckin'' figures!" Marin smacked the ground again, angry that they weren''t able to prevent any deaths or injuries. "I''m so sick an'' tired of bein'' so fuckin'' weak!"


    Asheera opened her eyes slightly, seeing Marin crying on her knees. Asheera coughed blood, and then reached her hand out to Marin. She took it and held Asheera''s hand tightly.


    "... M-Marin..." Asheera started off. "I''m so sorry... I should''ve known better..."


    "Shut yer'' dam'' trap, ya hear!? Don''t speak! You''re gonna live an'' ya better damn well live if ya wanna see Sachiel again!" Marin yelled at her. She knew that Asheera wouldn''t survive for much longer, but she wasn''t giving up hope.


    "... H-He killed him... He killed Samuell and Kaelan... They''re gone... and it''s my fault... If I hadn''t... let them fight-"


    "Hush!" Marin put her finger on Asheera''s lips, silencing her. "Save yer energy. Ya have ta get treated."


    And like that, Asheera fell silent. She closed her eyes and laid on the ground, slowly breathing in and out. Marin held her hand, while crying her eyes out.


    Maduk was still tending to Kaelan and Samuell''s wounds, keeping himself together as best as he could. It was a truly difficult time for them. They lost their two strongest members in one single fight and now their leader is on her last breaths.


    But what''s even worse is that Sachiel, the Great Kamisword, is nowhere to be seen.


    "... We fucked up bad." Maduk said, sitting down on the floor.


    "..."


    "..."


    "...Allrriightt!!! Now this is what I call some amazin'' action!! I''ve always wanted this!"


    They heard something coming from Asheera''s comms. The comms were still functional, even after she got beat up so badly. She heard that voice before... but where?


    "Who in da hell is speakin''!?" Marin asked, grabbing the comms and putting it next to her ear. "Who is dis!?"


    "This is Captain Claude Magami of the Star Gazers Squad, reporting in!"

 Arc 2, Chapter 3 - Enter: Star Gazers!

    "Mister... Magami? But how... we never..." Asheera laid there, still holding onto the hole in her stomach.


    "Felt the trouble! With permission from the general, we were to engage! You don''t gotta worry! After this; The Soul-Core will assist in any repairs Tristate City needs."


    This was perfect, hearing from the top guy of the Star Gazers Squad himself.


    Asheera felt hopeful for the first time. If they weren''t strong enough, then maybe the Star Gazers Squad was. She was still injured and Marin prompted her not to speak, but she felt angry. "I was a fool to accept Lord Veyron''s alliance proposal..."


    Claude Magami landed, breaking the ground and forming a small crater around him. He brushed himself off before running towards their position. "Now! Who''s the enemy at hand here?"


    "Hey! Magami guy! It''s dat Kaioshun fella! He beat us funny an'' jus'' like dat, he''s gone!" Marin explained to him. "Somethin'' about findin'' dat Flynnigan Shotaro fella and dat Jumkou chick! We don''t know if dat Jumkou chick is still alive or not but ''e did say dat he killed ''er!"


    "Alright... I think I got the gist of it now."


    Asheera took the comm from Marin and put it next to her face. "M-Mister Magami, d-don''t engage! He was way... too strong for us! He''s... way above our l-league!"


    Claude smirked incredibly as he ran towards Asheera''s position. This was him at his best, fighting a strong guy. He always wants to fight strong guys because it''s exciting.


    .:. Above our league? ALRIGHT! .:.


    "That''s all I needed to hear, love! Over and out!" He turned off the comm and began making his way.


    "Mister... Magami... Mister Magami! Do not e-en..." Asheera trailed off. "Did he... just... ignore me?"


    She sighed in defeat. She couldn''t believe what was happening anymore. She laid there on the ground, bleeding profusely from her stomach. She was almost dead already. However, Marin sat next to her and supplied her with Soul Energy of her own to keep her from dying.


    "... We can''t lose ya too, Berserker..." Marin told her.


    "Marin... Thank you..." Asheera managed to smile, even though she was in so much pain. She was losing blood faster than Marin could heal her with Soul-Energy. It was a losing battle.


    Maduk sighed, holding Kaelan and Samuell tightly.


    -


    .:. Tracing Soul-Aura... .:.


    Claude picked up a threatening aura. There''s only one aura that''s as evil as this, it''s gotta be him. He knows the trail that he left behind, and now he''s hot on his tail. "There!"


    However, Claude wasn''t the only one on Kaioshun''s tail. Running behind him was the blue haired girl in her dedicated Argo-Suit. "I hate you and your knack for fighting strong guys! We''re running towards a suicide mission here!"


    "I''m going to face even more danger! This Kaioshun guy must be very strong! That just gets my blood pumping!"


    Nanasu groaned. She knows Claude Magami better than anyone, and this is something he would do. In fact, fighting is all he likes doing. He wouldn''t hesitate to fight the most strongest people he can find. He rarely loses fights as well, so there''s nothing to worry about.


    It doesn''t mean Nanasu won''t worry. Especially when the person they''re fighting against is the same person who was even unharmed after fighting Sachiel Eria.


    "Maybe you should listen to what the Princess says and not engage him at all! We''re nowhere near his level, we should wait for the Great Kamisword to arrive!"


    "Huh! I came here for a specific reason, not backing out of it! You can stick back and help defend but I''m going straight for the core. No distractions!" Claude smirked.


    She sighed in pain, her legs were tired from running after him. Which was funny. Her Soul was all about speed, she should''ve been able to run faster than him but because she was running after him for a while, she got tired.


    "Man... I''m so going to die after this!"


    Another minute passed by and that''s when Kaioshun was in sight. "Here. We. Go!" Claude said, jumping and punching right through a torn building wall - intercepting Kaioshun.


    "Hm?" Kaioshun stopped.


    "Heh." Claude rubbed his nose. "So you''re the one that caused this mess, eh? Well that''s going to end now, buckaroo! Because Claude Magami of the Star Gazers Squad has arrived! You won''t be causing any more trouble as long as I''m here!"


    Kaioshun looked at him with a blank expression. "... I see. So the Soul-Core found themselves in Testharia too."


    Nanasu stopped, out of breath. "Geez... Oh man... You run... so fast..." She fell to her knees, panting heavily. She had never ran for so long in her entire life.


    "Why persist..." Kaioshun got frustrated now. First the Royal Squad, and now these two. "The Great Kamisword is not here anymore, nor is Jumkou Katatoria. If you are not affiliated with the Testharian forces, then get out of my way. I''ve already done what I need to."


    Claude''s smile didn''t fade away at all as he got into stance. "Hey! I didn''t waste all of this time running and following your trail just to let you go without a fight! You''ll have to get past me!"


    "Yeah... yeah... what he said... hhh... You don''t... mess... with our allies..." Nanasu was really out of breath, everything that came out took so much effort out of her. She could barely even stand on her own feet.


    She did however, go into stance as well. Nanasu had a basic combat stance, which made it look like she lacked experience in fighting.


    "Listen, Claude Magami." Kaioshun crossed his arms.


    "Jumkou Katatoria is dead. You''re too late. Nothing you''ll do will benefit anything or anybody anymore. Your presence will only delay my mission. Now, step aside. I have no intention on fighting you or that pretty girl behind you."


    "Hey! If Captain wants to fight... nothing''s stopping him..." Nanasu said, breathing heavily. She was starting to catch her breath. "And besides... I wouldn''t let you go either, anyways..."


    Kaioshun got frustrated now, releasing a beam at them. "So be it, then!"


    "Ah!" Nanasu fully caught her breath and punched the air, forming a tripled beam that clashed with his. She called this move the ''Tri-Laser'' and is a common move of her. It''s easy to control and easy to perform.


    Kaioshun simply put more power into his beam by concentrating more Soul Energy. The beam was getting pushed back towards Nanasu''s Tri-Laser, before penetrating through.


    "Ah! Not good!" She panicked, jumping to the side as the beam flew past her.


    Kaioshun extended his arm and simply brought his beam back. It was a heat seeker. It made its way towards Nanasu again, this time becoming a surefire hit.


    "How the hell does that work!?" Nanasu yelled, trying to fend it off but was shoved to the side by Claude.


    "Look out!"


    Claude extended his hands and created a Soul-Barrier over his arms. He blocked the beam. Kaioshun''s beam increased in power the more time it freely roamed around. It wasn''t going to die anytime soon.


    He couldn''t stop his beam with his bare hands and took the hit and crashed into a building. "WHA-"


    "CAPTAIN!"


    Nanasu gritted her teeth, looking at Kaioshun. That beam was enough to make a hole in a building. There''s no telling if Claude survived that or not.


    "... Captain..." She glared at him. "That''s going too far!"


    "Then don''t engage me and let me be on my way. Or do I have to put you down like I put Asheera Eria down?"


    Nanasu gritted her teeth more. .:. How am I supposed to fend off someone like that, Captain? ... Fuck it! .:.


    "HA!" She double-punched the air, forming 2 Tri-Lasers and discharged it at him.


    Kaioshun easily dodged both beams, but Nanasu would continue punching the air, forming more Tri-Lasers and eventually even grazing him.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Hah!" She grinned, seeing that she managed to hit him. Even the great Kaioshun couldn''t dodge forever. She''s fast enough for him to react.


    Kaioshun super speeded behind her and grabbed her hand.


    "What the-"


    Nanasu''s Soul is specialized in speed. She is known by the Soul-Core as being the Flash of the Star Gazers.


    She''s known to be so fast that even the greatest Soul-Wielders can''t catch her. Not only that.


    The fact that she discharges 3 beams in one instead of just one, is just her moving so fast that she can produce 3 in the time it takes for a normal person to make one.


    However, against Kaioshun, he could keep up with her. Her speed was nothing compared to his.


    "Ai-" She quickly discharged her Soul-Energy, turning her hand into an automatic immediate detonator in hopes of freeing herself from his grip.


    Kaioshun realized that and created a Soul-Barrier around them to trap her in her own explosion.


    "Wha- ARGHGH!" She damaged herself from the explosion.


    "You know... Your energy has created a blind spot. You should''ve known better." Kaioshun grabbed Nanasu by the neck. "I''ll confiscate your Soul now, goodbye."


    He raised his other hand up and manifested something but was cut short when he sensed something coming towards him.


    "Agh! Let her go!" Claude yelled, jumping towards him but was stopped by the barrier. He punched the barrier, cracking through and punching Kaioshun out of it.


    "Augh!" Kaioshun stumbled to the side, finally letting go of Nanasu and finally had a direct hit against him.


    "Hhhh...." She fell onto the ground, holding her neck. "Unhinged... bastard..." She uttered before getting up. She was going to attack Kaioshun but saw Claude flying past her.


    "Hah!" Claude went for punch in the face but punched his arm instead, as Kaioshun lifted it to block the punch. "Don''t you think that only men who are spineless cowards would go for a girl instead?"


    Kaioshun grabbed Claude''s fist and swung him around, throwing him away. He flew past Nanasu and back at Kaioshun, who just caught him again.


    "I call it an opportunity!" Kaioshun used an ancient Soul-Technique to blow Claude away by his own momentum. Claude was suspended in the sky. Kaioshun fired a volley of beams at Claude in hopes of seriously injuring him so he could move on.


    "Hm!" Claude backflipped in the air before rapidly slapping all the beams away with his hands. The beams were redirected around Claude and Nanasu - exploding the building behind them.


    "Hmph!" Claude charged towards Kaioshun again and punched his fist.


    "So be it!" Kaioshun finally engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Claude. He punched his fist as well and they were both locked in an intense exchange of punches.


    They exchanged punches left and right, blocking and dodging each other''s attacks. It was like watching two warriors fighting for dominance. Every punch and kick were dealt with another counterattack, but none of them seemed to have the upper hand yet.


    "Finally, a manly fight!" Kaioshun went for a full right hook and Claude dodged it successfully. It left Kaioshun wide open which allowed him to bash his side with his elbow.


    "Guh-"


    And uppercut him.


    Claude always seemed dense on the outside but when it came to battle, he is a work of force. It was as if all his intelligence was built around fighting.


    Claude caught another punch from Kaioshun and used it to pull him in closer, giving him an even stronger right hook. He didn''t stop there; he kicked his side and overhead slammed him down with both of his hands.


    "Come on, Captain! Beat the shit out of him!" Nanasu yelled.


    Kaioshun held himself up with one hand and swiped at Claude''s legs. He evaded the attack by jumping but Kaioshun kicked him back while still in midair. He used this opening to get up and discharge a beam towards Claude.


    However, Claude fired a beam and intercepted his to redirect it away, close to Nanasu.


    Nanasu swiftly moved away from the trajectory of the beam as it exploded behind her. "AH! Hey! Watch out!"


    "My bad-" Kaioshun quickly moved behind Claude. He tried gutting Kaioshun with his elbow but Kaioshun caught it, twirling him into the air.


    "WHAA-"


    "You''ve annoyed me quite a lot!" He grabbed Claude by the face and spiralled into the air before slamming him into a building wall, crashing through several buildings.


    Kaioshun let him go, brushing his hand before facing Nanasu. "Is he really your Captain? Who would ever choose him to lead a squad?"


    "..."


    Nanasu was silent for a second, looking down at the ground. She clenched her teeth in anger, seeing Claude like that. However, she knew that if she fought him now... then she wouldn''t win. Which is why she didn''t engage. She had no reason to. And besides... Kaioshun hasn''t won yet.


    "The smart kind... Because every time you think you''ve beaten him, he''ll come back even stronger. That''s the kind of guy he is. Nothing stops him from getting the thrill of a good fight, not even death."


    "... You sound so sure about that." Kaioshun sighed, looking at his fist. Something warned him and he put his arm up, turning.


    Claude was going for a punch and ended up colliding with his forearm - creating a shockwave from the collision alone.


    Nanasu was pushed back from the shockwave and had to adjust the pressure inside her Argo-Suit to stay standing. The whole thing was shaking violently, trying to keep itself in tact.


    "You annoying... persistent fuck!" Kaioshun attempted to grab Claude but Claude discharged a quick beam beneath his arm and pushed him back significantly.


    "Alright." Claude stood up. "No more pulling my punches. Someone of your power should receive the most out of me if I want it in return, y''know! So!"


    He stomped the ground and then got into a charging stance. His Soul-Aura exploded around him, making it look like he was glowing. "It''s time..." His aura became visible, flashing yellow and white.


    "TO EVOLVE!"


    His Soul-Energy spiked up drastically, becoming stronger. All the blood vessels in his body were pulsing from the large amounts of energy being pumped in his body. An Evolution of the Soul. A rare ability that only some are able to do. The Soul can be prompted to exert more power and Soul-Energy.


    An Evolution. It''s a rare ability that about a small percentage of all Soul-Wielders in the world can perform. It gives them access to new abilities or increases their current ones. It can also give power boosts or strengthen weapons. It has a different purpose for different types of Soul-WIelders.


    In Claude Magami''s case, his power gets a large spike, almost doubling in strength. But it''s not just a singular evolution. There are 4 types of evolutions and Claude only has the first stage unlocked.


    They call this the Spirit Evolution, the first of the 3 stages of Evolution.


    "Heh... Unleashed Empyrean should do the trick..."


    Kaioshun analyzed Claude for a moment, crossing his arms and sizing him up. He looked like he was going to move soon. This man called Claude Magami is incredibly dangerous.


    "I recognize that form of power... an Evolution."


    "Huh? It won''t matter because you''ll recognize this ass kick!" Claude charged at Kaioshun in full speed, faster than before.


    Kaioshun discharged a beam at Claude to force him out of the way only for Claude to punch right through the beam, his cheek connected to Claude''s punch.


    "What the-"


    "You''re one of fundamental power, yes. But one issue I can clearly see is that you are incredibly reliant on techniques! Why don''t you use some of your abilities?"


    Claude chained his punch with a special move.


    "Spirit Rush!"


    Kaioshun was locked in a 6-hit combo with the final hit dealing a heavy blow on his face. It knocked Kaioshun into the air. He would then charge up his final attack, which then he would call:


    "Pulverized Cannon!"


    It''s a powerful beam attack performed by Claude which results explosive damage if the target is hit, alongside several shockwaves of energy. It''s very damaging and strong, capable of taking down an entire city block.


    Claude brushed the dust off his clothes and did an awesome pose. "Hm! Kaioshun, down the bucket!"


    "...That easy?" Nanasu uttered as she walked to Claude. "It was a little bit anti-climatic, really..."


    "What are you talking about? It''s not over yet!" He turned around, seeing Kaioshun emerge from the cloud of smoke.


    "I never would''ve thought that you could be so strong, Claude Magami." He wiped his mouth, before smirking. "Such an impressive light show, really..."


    Kaioshun then released his Soul-Aura, a penetrating feeling hitting Claude and Nanasu. What was this guy about to do now?


    "However... I''ve had enough. If you really won''t let me go then I''ll destroy this planet so you don''t have a choice anymore."


    "What..." Nanasu was in shock.


    "You wouldn''t dare do that!" Claude said, going back into stance.


    Of course, no such fool would even think about destroying a planet because what would happen to themselves? Even Kaioshun wouldn''t be safe if he did that, which is why it was a stupid decision to even try. Is he really that desperate to finish his mission?


    "I can, Claude. I''m certain everyone here knows that Soul-Wielders can survive in the vacuum of space."


    "What have the Testharians ever done to you!?" Nanasu yelled at him. "You can''t just do that!"


    Kaioshun crossed his arms, glaring at her. "I warned all of you beforehand, yet you all ignored me. I gave you choices to let me go, yet you refused to take them. I''ve killed Jumkou Katatoria so my mission is done, and now I''ll go off-world to kill Flynnigan Shotaro to stop a catastrophe from destroying the galaxy."


    Kaioshun then facepalmed. "Why would you not let me on my way? Do you so value the destruction of your beloved galaxy? Our beloved galaxy? Don''t you understand that by fighting me, you''re delaying what I can prevent!? I will destroy this planet if you continue to fight me if it meant having more time! I''ve wasted enough time as it is! This world is expendable for the lives of all people in the rest of the galaxy!"


    "No planet is expendable you vile asshole! You don''t get to decide that!" Nanasu said, going into stance. She was ready to do whatever it took to stop him from blowing the entire planet up.


    "Sachiel Eria wasn''t enough to stop me, so what makes you think you''ll stop me?" He pointed his finger at Claude. He fired a penetrating laser beam at Claude''s chest, without hesitation.


    Claude didn''t have time to react. He couldn''t dodge it or block it either. He used a Soul-Barrier but it penetrated right through, piercing him. It was like it was an unstoppable force.


    "CAPTAIN!" Nanasu yelled.


    "AGHHHH!!"


    Claude fell to his knees before falling over completely. He exited out of his Spirit Evolution and held his chest. It was a clean pierce. Blood seeped out of his wound and his clothes were wet with it. He was coughing heavily, spitting out blood.


    "DAMN YOU!"


    Nanasu''s eyes screamed rage, turning towards him and firing a plethora of Tri-Lasers in hopes of getting one through.


    "How hard is it to let me complete my mission? Don''t rage over a stupid Captain who doesn''t know better." Kaioshun put his guard up and activated a Soul-Barrier, blocking her attacks.


    "What will a psychopath like you know about sympathy anyways!?" She kept firing her Tri-Lasers, each one getting stronger and stronger from the rage building up inside her. He smirked while still getting hit before his guard completely broke.


    "Ah-"


    Nanasu would finally utilize her Unique Ability.


    "MACHSEIN!"


    Machsein. This allows her to increase her agility to meet speeds as fast as Mach 3. Faster than the speed of sound, she could even utilize sonic abilities. That''s why her hair fluttered as she moves at those kinds of speeds. A sonic boom would always be heard around her.


    She violently jumped from the ground, creating a somewhat huge crater and flew at him.


    Kaioshun imbued Soul-Energy inside his hand and discharged a Soul-Beam at her. However, Nanasu is just way too fast to even be caught.


    She dodged the Soul-Beam easily, moving quickly and then meeting Kaioshun just mere inches from his face.


    She punched her gut 12 times in just 1 second. Each punch was devastating, with an amount of power that could make someone vomit out all their guts.


    "GAH!" Kaioshun took heavy damage for the first time. He was knocked back by a good distance but he managed to recover.


    She would go for an uppercut that would leave her completely vulnerable to any attack. Her anger made her forget all about defense. All she wanted was to punt this guy to the ground.


    Kaioshun looked down and acknowledged her guard dropping. He used his right hand to point at her, prepared to fire a beam through her just like her Captain. Smirking, he said:


    "Game set."


    "!" Nanasu saw it, unable to save herself from the situation.


    Now she, alongside her Captain, will bleed to death in the vast barren wasteland of snow, about 20 kilometers away from Tristate City.

 Arc 2, Chapter 4 - The Fool

    Before the beam could hit her, she disappeared. Her Soul readings were faint, as if her life force was being drained away. But it was just overshadowed by a larger presence.


    "What the-" Kaioshun put his arm down, looking around the area. What happened to her? There''s no way she could''ve outspeeded his beams.


    That was impossible!


    But it was someone else that saved Nanasu.


    It was Sachiel Eria.


    She slowly raised her head up, realizing she was being carried by him. "A... euh... what..."


    "Save your Captain, Miss Valadne. He is in grave danger." He said, looking at Claude who was on the floor, while gently placing Nanasu on the ground. Nanasu nodded in shock. She didn''t even realize that she was being carried. That was how fast Sachiel really was.


    "Sachiel Eria... your interruptions really are annoying. Ready for another round, or are you finally going to let me go?"


    Kaioshun said, irritated. He crossed his arms and simply furrowed his brows.


    "You are a special kind of fool, Kaioshun. Toying with the lower levels of combatants."


    "They got in my way, Eria. Do not assume I enjoy fighting them. Even if you do manage to defeat me, it won''t change the fact that Jumkou Katatoria is dead. So, you can either let me leave, or keep delaying the inevitable."


    Sachiel''s eyes became serious. Without saying a single word, he got into stance, waiting to defeat him and ensure the safety of his planet.


    Kaioshun got angrier but then broke into a fit of laughter. "Right! The Great Kamisword! If you''re here to save your planet, then you''ll have to fight me!"


    "... I''m sorry..." Nanasu muttered under her breath as she held Claude. "I couldn''t... do anything... I''m useless..."


    Claude looked at her, weakly smiling. "Gahk... it hurts... But Sachiel... he''s got this... I think..."


    Kaioshun charged at Sachiel, rolling his arm back for a punch.


    Sachiel moved simply to meet his speed, matching his speed to dodge his punch elegantly. This was the work of Raum Kunst, the martial arts of Testharia.


    The most graceful and beautiful form of fighting. To add on top of it, he is the best martial artist in the galaxy.


    He changed his footing used his right arm to lock Kaioshun''s right arm and turned around, elbowing his gut.


    "Ghuh-" The elbow landed and he was stumbling back. Sachiel didn''t hesitate to follow up with another attack, getting 8 more punches in to the face and kicked him back.


    "Wha-"


    .:. How is he so fast? No... He isn''t fast... He just moves in such precision that he doesn''t cover a lot of distance... Is that what his martial arts is? When you punch, you reel your hand back before you push it forward. But... he doesn''t do that. He moves in such precision that he gets all his attacks in while barely moving... He punches at the same point his hand was before... Just what is he? .:.


    That was Raum Kunst.


    Martial arts specifically for fighting in zero gravity.


    The reason why Testharians move in such short movements is because if there is no gravity, the basic movement to punch, which is to reel the hand back, will push them off balance. The same goes for kicking or even moving their foot.


    They are trained to be more precise and careful, not only in the use of weapons but also in combat.


    This allowed Sachiel to be able to fight without the need to cover large distances. His technique was truly beautiful and unique, making him even more deadly than he already is.


    While Nanasu is stronger than Sachiel in terms of physical combat, Sachiel''s technique is much more refined than Nanasu''s.


    Sachiel knows that increased speed equates increased strength, that it really doesn''t matter if you are the strongest man who ever lived.


    Sachiel is slimmer, meaning that he can move faster than Kaioshun. While Kaioshun has more mass in his punches, Sachiel has increased acceleration and momentum in his punches.


    Which is why his punches and kicks feel like being hit by a whip or a bullet, while Kaioshun''s hits are like slow hammer blows.


    Kaioshun rolled and recovered. Sachiel finally drew blood after dealing so many blows. Blood was dripping from Kaioshun''s mouth, the blood was purple opposed to being red.


    He stood up fully, considering if it was necessary for him to keep fighting or just flee.


    "Sachiel Eria. I will tell you this now... Even if you do not care about anything that comes out of my mouth. There is an uprising of power. We all felt it. Incidentally, all of it correlates to Flynnigan Shotaro. Do you understand what I am getting it? That Flynnigan Shotaro is going to be so incredibly powerful that he will plunge the galaxy in darkness. He will be the Coming, I want to stop him from being the one that brings the apocalypse. Let me go and I''ll make sure that never happens!"


    Sachiel didn''t believe a single word that came out of his mouth, not at all. He simply just looked at him. He didn''t forget the promise he made to Jumkou, that he would protect her and Flynnigan.


    "Flynnigan Shotaro is not yours to kill, or anyone''s."


    "Sachiel... Sachiel! You do not know who he really is. Let him loose and the beast within will destroy everything. You don''t even have a clue where he is too, but I do. So go ahead and try to stop me, SACHIEL!"


    Kaioshun summoned lightning and supercharged it, firing it where Nanasu and Claude were.


    "Oh fuck!" Nanasu cowered, holding Claude close to her.


    "HM!" Sachiel moved at supersonic speeds, forming a large Soul-Barrier enough to hold it for 5 seconds, enough time for Nanasu to grab Claude and run away.


    With this, Kaioshun took advantage of the distraction and fled. Sachiel could''ve chased after him but he couldn''t leave Nanasu and Claude like this. If he engaged Kaioshun, Nanasu and Claude would''ve died.


    "Go! Now!" Sachiel said.


    Nanasu nodded, taking Claude and running back towards Tristate City. It was hard with such heavy armor but she was able to carry him. She hoisted him over her shoulder and ran as fast as she could. "Mikael, Mikael can you hear us?"


    {C} "Loud and clear."


    Mikael Asger said on the comms. Where the hell was he all this time?


    "Captain is injured, pick us up!"


    {C} ¡°Roger that!¡±


    "C-cowar- NGG!" Claude clenched his chest even more, grunting.


    "Preserve your energy, Captain! We''ll get help soon, hang in there!" Nanasu told him as she continued running.


    Sachiel saw Nanasu and Claude hop into the ship and fly off back to the Soul-Core Space Station. The Soul-Barrier that he had put up moved the lightning next to him, taking minimal damage.


    When the smoke cleared, he saw that Kaioshun escaped. He was gone now. Jumkou Katatoria''s death was in vain. He sighed in defeat. But now, he had a different objective to focus on. Flynnigan Shotaro. However, where he was, in any way, Sachiel had to find him.


    He had to continue what Jumkou started. She was dead, and now Sachiel had to fulfill her last wish. He closed his eyes, holding his hand close to his chest.


    "I will make sure that your wish of a peaceful future comes true, Jumkou."


    He opened his eyes again, only to meet Jumkou Katatoria in the eye. Sachiel''s eyes widened in shock. Jumkou Katatoria, stood in front of him. How did she appear? Is this a ghost?


    Moreover, why is Sachiel looking at me like that?


    "A... a... W-what..."


    "Oh goodie, he''s gone..." Jumkou simply said, realizing that Kaioshun was gone.


    "Oh, Sachiel! Sorry if I startled you! I had to save you from that explosive attack that the terrorist did at the cost of my own life." She smiled weakly.


    "W-what... J-Jumkou... I''m not sure... I quite understand-"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Oh yeah!" Jumkou simply cut him off there. "Technically, I did die, didn''t I?"


    Sachiel nodded slowly, still shocked that she''s alive. She wasn''t a ghost, nor an illusion or hallucination. She was real. Standing right in front of him.


    "Heh... It''s a bit complicated, sorry. Basically... I can pretty much create an origin point where I last used an attack... It''s like a checkpoint in a video game! As long as my source... my Soul in this case, remains intact... I can come back! Of course, there''s the possibility that I can get stuck between the origin point and death forever... The intangible realm like I told you!"


    She chuckled. This woman was either crazy or just insanely smart. "So that''s it! You won''t have to worry about me being dead anymore!"


    Sachiel walked up to her without saying anything and bonked her head with his fist. Jumkou held her forehead, tears almost coming out. "Ow... Why would you do that for...?"


    "You''re a fool for trying such a dangerous ability! You even fooled Kaioshun into thinking that you died! You are truly something else..."


    "Heh... Well, did you beat him?"


    "No." Sachiel sighed. "He got away after injuring Claude Magami and my sister. He took advantage of the distraction."


    Jumkou crossed her arms and sighed. "Well, that''s not good..."


    Sachiel looked at Jumkou. "Now, you said that someone followed you into the past. Could Kaioshun be that person? He is especially adamant on finding Flynnigan Shotaro and killing him. Back in the tower, you spoke about how you were followed. Is he the one?"


    Jumkou nodded, looking down "... He could be..."


    "We''ve all felt a strong surge of power recently, and it all correlates to Flynnigan, he said. But how would it be possible to tell who it is that is responsible for the sudden surges of power? Only someone with a Soul allows him to know everything... or he knows who Flynnigan Shotaro is, further solidifying the fact that he is the one that followed you back."


    "Well..." Jumkou rested her arms behind her head. "The only way I discovered the existence of Flynnigan was because my Soul envisioned it for me. The only way Kaioshun would know about him is for the Dark to know as well... But how did the Darkness even know?"


    .:. Just who even is the Dark? .:.


    Jumkou tread into a territory Sachiel wouldn''t have any ideas about. She told Sachiel nothing about the Dark. That was something only she knew about. Sachiel just looked her in the eye.


    "S-Sorry... I got ahead of myself." She laughed nervously. "I''ll have to go off-world real soon if I want to find Flynnigan Shotaro before he does. If he gets ahold of Flynnigan Shotaro, it''s all over. But if we get ahold of him first and unlock his power, then the galaxy will retain peace."


    "Hold it there, Jumkou. Kaioshun said that should the beast within Flynnigan awaken, it will bring about the apocalypse. So how exactly is this Flynnigan going to save us?"


    Jumkou smiled, nodding. "... Well, he''s lying."


    Sachiel raised an eyebrow. "How so?"


    "He''s making it sound like Flynnigan is going to be some sort of destructive force, but that''s not true at all! He''s the Call of the Gods, not the Coming! He will vanquish the hearts of the impure, the evil!"


    "We will make sure that happens, no matter what. All evil must be vanquished and we will help Flynnigan unlock his latent abilities."


    Sachiel kneeled in front of Jumkou, which caught her off guard.


    "Uh..."


    "Allow me to continue along with your endeavour to protect the galaxy from the incoming threat. It would be my greatest honor to serve alongside you, Jumkou Katatoria."


    Jumkou scratched her head, looking around. "O-Okay..."


    = = =


    The endless desert that encompasses most the planet, the Dunes of Sangria are a sparsely populated bad lands made up of lavender sands and dunes.


    Littered with the mechanical corpses of Eukaronic ships - it is a hub for scavengers based in Amarill town, and a source of Cyrilum - a unique fuel only found on Eukaron.


    Amongst the Dunes of Sangria, Vincent Sparks finds himself treading across the lavender bad land.


    ¡°What a shithole.¡± He looked around. ¡°That will be the last time I jump into a literal garbage compact ship."


    He continued walking. His ship had been destroyed after escaping from space bandits, resulting in him crashing down on Eukaron. Nobody really knew this planet, especially him. Being a former associate of a high body, he thought he knew this place.


    But it wasn¡¯t on any high records, just like Testharia. Guess the galaxy¡¯s vaster than people thought.


    In the sky, large lines of ships and transports hovered in a form of space traffic, floating buoys guiding them as to not get lost in the desert.


    They all pointed towards the same place ¨C an amalgamation of skyscrapers, walls and ships barely visible in the distance. Hennafell City.


    Before Vincent was a large Mesa to his left, comprised of small settlements visible on the top. This suggested bandits or scavenger setting up camp.


    Ahead of him was a large canyon and a forcefield blocking unrestricted entrance.


    ¡°Well now... I can still find a way to get off this rock.¡± Vincent said, smirking.


    Alternatively ¨C to the east, the gleaming lights of Amarill shone like a spotlight. It wasn¡¯t saying much, as any lights were scrapped from the crashed ships in the sand.


    He had the choice of going through the mesa or crossing the canyon to Hennafell or going to the town of Amarill.


    ¡°Hm...¡± Vincent thought long and hard and eventually decided to turn east, making his decision to tread his way down to the town of Amarill.


    As Vincent begun walking, he could see something he would most likely have never seen since crashing on the planet. People. Humans. Life forms.


    They were dressed in baggy clothes that blended into the sand ¨C a giveaway being carried scraps and heavy backpacks. These were some of the many scavengers who used the area around Amarill to provide for their families.


    In the city itself ¨C ships could be slowly seen through the sun¡¯s glare, leaving and entering the town. There was life ¨C but more importantly to Vincent, there were ships.


    From small speeders to large corvettes, they had them all.


    Vincent smirked again, eyeing the ships. ¡°Finally... Now we¡¯re talking."


    As he edged ever closer, the abundance of crashed fighters and shuttles slowly began to dwindle. Anything that would be remotely close to the town being tapped and taken long ago. By now, all the crashed ships were picked clean or completely gone.


    Vincent approached closer to the town, slowly realizing where he was. In the backdrop of the town, he could see pink and purple smoke. Behind the walled town where it was visible, there was a large refinery covered in pipes and storage tanks.


    This was one of many in Eukaron, however it was the only one that seemed properly defended beyond a small militia.


    ¡°Ah... I¡¯m on Eukaron.¡± He picked a rock from the ground, looking at it.


    Eukaron, a world of purple and blues, was a desert world with over 80% its population within a 50km radius from it''s Capital. The area around it being very dense and industrial.


    It holds a special fuel, Cyrilum, that is often heralded as the best in the galaxy. Its authoritarian government had recently faced a Civil War - making the area uninhabitable and is the reason a shield has been placed in Hennafell.


    Temperatures were surprisingly cold, however due to the incredible density of the capital region this was flipped on its head, as anywhere beyond Amarill averages 30 degrees Celsius.


    The relatively quiet desert would almost be instantly replaced as soon as he passed through the scrap walls of Amarill. Buildings were relatively small to Eukaron standards - only standing around three stories tall, covered in barricades and nails. Crime was incredibly common in the town, with gang violence being a major problem.


    ¡°Huh. Must suck to live in.¡± He looked at the buildings, being mostly run down and disgusting from the outside.


    The town was incredibly crowded with market stalls and bunkhouses. Near the edges of the wall were a lot less claustrophobic ¨C the rich typically living there. A large amount of bars was also near the rich areas, to attract customers.


    It was also easier to repair buildings without the risk of a stray wall crushing someone.


    In the east of the wall, a rundown bar with a ship park stood there, with two ships still remaining.


    ¡°Bingo.¡± He snapped his fingers, making his way to the east wall. However, it would be difficult to get there.


    People were bumping into Vincent and into each other, and the constant yelling and the banging of metals were disorienting. However, eventually, the crowds faded away and the bar stood in front of Vincent.


    It was a square building with purple walls and black supports. A small fence was to the right in which outside tables and bikes were parked. On the left, the ships landed on white-painted scrap to be shaped like landing pads.


    Vincent Sparks thought about something else. He was on the galactical wanted list. He was one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy. If anybody got their hands on Vincent and turned him in, they were rewarded with a handsome price.


    Judging Amarill was often a safe-haven for criminals ¨C little to no authority besides a few guards on the walls were there to attempt to collect him.


    ¡°Heh. Takes the weight off my back.¡± He kept shoving people as he made his way to the bar.


    Outside the bar, he could see two men arguing. Notably, they were the first people he''d seen without thick face coverings.


    People on Eukaron had a plum-like skin with elf-like ears, however what separated them from the north region being - obviously their skin, but also that their ears had a ''double point''. Their sclera''s were a deep black and their pupils a glowing magenta, a side-effect from evolution on the world.


    One was morbidly obese, wearing a sleeveless jacket and trousers. They had a gun that looked as if made out of bent pipes and dials stuck in one of his trousers belt-loops. The other was skinny, wearing a black poncho with goggles and boots - something only described as a metal stick holstered on their back.


    As he walked past, he heard the obese man yell something in Eukaronic and the sound of a gun cocking. However, before a gunshot - the obese man would scream and drop on the floor.


    The skinny man''s stick vibrated so fast that it was as if a pure rod of purple lightning. The idea behind the weapon was that it vibrated so hard that it formed a magnetic force, allowing it to separate atoms and essentially cut through anything. The downside was that it was a very limited effect - making it useless if the first strike didn''t kill.


    Meanwhile - before Vincent, he had two ships he could take. One was small with no markings while the other was around the size of a shuttle and had strange gang symbols painted onto it. Staring at the one with the gang signs, he shook his head. ¡°No... fuck no.¡±


    Then, he looked at the smaller ship. It was covered with bullet holes and subpar repairs. It would most likely fall apart if he tried to go off world with it ¨C essentially forcing him to go to a bigger city to get a better one.


    Given the recent lockdown for civilians on Eukaron, many ship-owners were forced to sell parts of their ship in the inflating currency. It also, obviously meant, that they were barred from leaving off-world - so why bother repair anything to make it possible?


    The lockdown was caused by a recent civil war on the planet ¨C the rebellion behind it still being around and under active siege in the Amethyst Mesa.


    ¡°Tsk...¡± He tapped the ship with one finger, finishing it for good. It instantly began to crumble down into ashes. This was the power of his Soul. Destruction.


    The ashes blew away into purple sparks before completely disappearing. Because of this action, he was left with the ship filled with gang symbols. Hopping into it, he smirked.


    ¡°Heh. It¡¯s time I properly send a message to every faction body out there once I figure this out.¡±


    Almost instantly he heard alien yelling behind him, the owner of the ship seeing from the window of the bar. Running out - they yelled to a few members of the gang in the bike park.


    "Ugh." He''d reach into his pockets and throw a single Plutonian currency at the owner. Though he assumed the currency had no value on Eukaron. "Thanks!" He quickly fired up the engines on the console, taking lift off.


    The few of the gang members crowd the owner and looked at the coin. It was in decent condition and not rusted beyond recognition, a gang member tried to grab it, his sand slapped away by the owner.


    The one who tried to grab it got mad, yelling at them before another tried to take the coin again. The owner pulled it away again, now yelling too. For a few minutes they argued over who would get the shiny metal before the owner had enough and pulled out his pistol, a shootout beginning outside.


    Amarill was almost entirely made of scrap. Anything that wasn''t rusty or even on-world could be sold for a high profit by con artists.


    A few of the patrons in the bar would see a few of the dead bodies. Seeing potential money and things to sell - they would join in. The poverty in Amarill was incredibly high, meaning any money could mean life or death.


    After around a minute, the entire bar and a few citizens inside had gotten into a straight brawl and shootout - guards and militia failing to stop it and instead simply closing off the east side of the town.


    While Vincent Sparks exited the atmosphere of Eukaron.

 Arc 2, Chapter 5 - Uprising of Kytron

    The endless desert that encompasses most the planet, the Dunes of Sangria are a sparsely populated bad lands made up of lavender sands and dunes.


    Littered with the mechanical corpses of Eukaronic ships - it is a hub for scavengers based in Amarill town, and a source of Cyrilum - a unique fuel only found on Eukaron.


    Amongst the Dunes of Sangria, Vincent Sparks finds himself treading across the lavender bad land.


    ¡°What a shithole.¡± He looked around. ¡°That will be the last time I jump into a literal garbage compact ship."


    He continued walking. His ship had been destroyed after escaping from space bandits, resulting in him crashing down on Eukaron. Nobody really knew this planet, especially him. Being a former associate of a high body, he thought he knew this place.


    But it wasn¡¯t on any high records, just like Testharia. Guess the galaxy¡¯s vaster than people thought.


    In the sky, large lines of ships and transports hovered in a form of space traffic, floating buoys guiding them as to not get lost in the desert.


    They all pointed towards the same place ¨C an amalgamation of skyscrapers, walls and ships barely visible in the distance. Hennafell City.


    Before Vincent was a large Mesa to his left, comprised of small settlements visible on the top. This suggested bandits or scavenger setting up camp.


    Ahead of him was a large canyon and a forcefield blocking unrestricted entrance.


    ¡°Well now... I can still find a way to get off this rock.¡± Vincent said, smirking.


    Alternatively ¨C to the east, the gleaming lights of Amarill shone like a spotlight. It wasn¡¯t saying much, as any lights were scrapped from the crashed ships in the sand.


    He had the choice of going through the mesa or crossing the canyon to Hennafell or going to the town of Amarill.


    ¡°Hm...¡± Vincent thought long and hard and eventually decided to turn east, making his decision to tread his way down to the town of Amarill.


    As Vincent begun walking, he could see something he would most likely have never seen since crashing on the planet. People. Humans. Life forms.


    They were dressed in baggy clothes that blended into the sand ¨C a giveaway being carried scraps and heavy backpacks. These were some of the many scavengers who used the area around Amarill to provide for their families.


    In the city itself ¨C ships could be slowly seen through the sun¡¯s glare, leaving and entering the town. There was life ¨C but more importantly to Vincent, there were ships.


    From small speeders to large corvettes, they had them all.


    Vincent smirked again, eyeing the ships. ¡°Finally... Now we¡¯re talking."


    As he edged ever closer, the abundance of crashed fighters and shuttles slowly began to dwindle. Anything that would be remotely close to the town being tapped and taken long ago. By now, all the crashed ships were picked clean or completely gone.


    Vincent approached closer to the town, slowly realizing where he was. In the backdrop of the town, he could see pink and purple smoke. Behind the walled town where it was visible, there was a large refinery covered in pipes and storage tanks.


    This was one of many in Eukaron, however it was the only one that seemed properly defended beyond a small militia.


    ¡°Ah... I¡¯m on Eukaron.¡± He picked a rock from the ground, looking at it.


    Eukaron, a world of purple and blues, was a desert world with over 80% its population within a 50km radius from it''s Capital. The area around it being very dense and industrial.


    It holds a special fuel, Cyrilum, that is often heralded as the best in the galaxy. Its authoritarian government had recently faced a Civil War - making the area uninhabitable and is the reason a shield has been placed in Hennafell.


    Temperatures were surprisingly cold, however due to the incredible density of the capital region this was flipped on its head, as anywhere beyond Amarill averages 30 degrees Celsius.


    The relatively quiet desert would almost be instantly replaced as soon as he passed through the scrap walls of Amarill. Buildings were relatively small to Eukaron standards - only standing around three stories tall, covered in barricades and nails. Crime was incredibly common in the town, with gang violence being a major problem.


    ¡°Huh. Must suck to live in.¡± He looked at the buildings, being mostly run down and disgusting from the outside.


    The town was incredibly crowded with market stalls and bunkhouses. Near the edges of the wall were a lot less claustrophobic ¨C the rich typically living there. A large amount of bars was also near the rich areas, to attract customers.


    It was also easier to repair buildings without the risk of a stray wall crushing someone.


    In the east of the wall, a rundown bar with a ship park stood there, with two ships still remaining.


    ¡°Bingo.¡± He snapped his fingers, making his way to the east wall. However, it would be difficult to get there.


    People were bumping into Vincent and into each other, and the constant yelling and the banging of metals were disorienting. However, eventually, the crowds faded away and the bar stood in front of Vincent.


    It was a square building with purple walls and black supports. A small fence was to the right in which outside tables and bikes were parked. On the left, the ships landed on white-painted scrap to be shaped like landing pads.


    Vincent Sparks thought about something else. He was on the galactical wanted list. He was one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy. If anybody got their hands on Vincent and turned him in, they were rewarded with a handsome price.


    Judging Amarill was often a safe-haven for criminals ¨C little to no authority besides a few guards on the walls were there to attempt to collect him.


    ¡°Heh. Takes the weight off my back.¡± He kept shoving people as he made his way to the bar.


    Outside the bar, he could see two men arguing. Notably, they were the first people he''d seen without thick face coverings.


    People on Eukaron had a plum-like skin with elf-like ears, however what separated them from the north region being - obviously their skin, but also that their ears had a ''double point''. Their sclera''s were a deep black and their pupils a glowing magenta, a side-effect from evolution on the world.


    One was morbidly obese, wearing a sleeveless jacket and trousers. They had a gun that looked as if made out of bent pipes and dials stuck in one of his trousers belt-loops. The other was skinny, wearing a black poncho with goggles and boots - something only described as a metal stick holstered on their back.


    As he walked past, he heard the obese man yell something in Eukaronic and the sound of a gun cocking. However, before a gunshot - the obese man would scream and drop on the floor.


    The skinny man''s stick vibrated so fast that it was as if a pure rod of purple lightning. The idea behind the weapon was that it vibrated so hard that it formed a magnetic force, allowing it to separate atoms and essentially cut through anything. The downside was that it was a very limited effect - making it useless if the first strike didn''t kill.


    Meanwhile - before Vincent, he had two ships he could take. One was small with no markings while the other was around the size of a shuttle and had strange gang symbols painted onto it. Staring at the one with the gang signs, he shook his head. ¡°No... fuck no.¡±


    Then, he looked at the smaller ship. It was covered with bullet holes and subpar repairs. It would most likely fall apart if he tried to go off world with it ¨C essentially forcing him to go to a bigger city to get a better one.


    Given the recent lockdown for civilians on Eukaron, many ship-owners were forced to sell parts of their ship in the inflating currency. It also, obviously meant, that they were barred from leaving off-world - so why bother repair anything to make it possible?


    The lockdown was caused by a recent civil war on the planet ¨C the rebellion behind it still being around and under active siege in the Amethyst Mesa.


    ¡°Tsk...¡± He tapped the ship with one finger, finishing it for good. It instantly began to crumble down into ashes. This was the power of his Soul. Destruction.


    The ashes blew away into purple sparks before completely disappearing. Because of this action, he was left with the ship filled with gang symbols. Hopping into it, he smirked.


    ¡°Heh. It¡¯s time I properly send a message to every faction body out there once I figure this out.¡±


    Almost instantly he heard alien yelling behind him, the owner of the ship seeing from the window of the bar. Running out - they yelled to a few members of the gang in the bike park.


    "Ugh." He''d reach into his pockets and throw a single Plutonian currency at the owner. Though he assumed the currency had no value on Eukaron. "Thanks!" He quickly fired up the engines on the console, taking lift off.


    The few of the gang members crowd the owner and looked at the coin. It was in decent condition and not rusted beyond recognition, a gang member tried to grab it, his sand slapped away by the owner.


    The one who tried to grab it got mad, yelling at them before another tried to take the coin again. The owner pulled it away again, now yelling too. For a few minutes they argued over who would get the shiny metal before the owner had enough and pulled out his pistol, a shootout beginning outside.


    Amarill was almost entirely made of scrap. Anything that wasn''t rusty or even on-world could be sold for a high profit by con artists.


    A few of the patrons in the bar would see a few of the dead bodies. Seeing potential money and things to sell - they would join in. The poverty in Amarill was incredibly high, meaning any money could mean life or death.


    After around a minute, the entire bar and a few citizens inside had gotten into a straight brawl and shootout - guards and militia failing to stop it and instead simply closing off the east side of the town.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    While Vincent Sparks exited the atmosphere of Eukaron.


    = = =


    Uprising of Kytron, a group that does the messy work for Dark Intrinium. Initially made to honour Lord Kytron, it soon became an underground group that takes on all kinds of dirty jobs and illegal requests, such as assassination, extortion, etc.


    Not many bodies in the Milky Way know about this group as they like to keep themselves under wraps. Truly, they operate in the shadows.


    The base was located on a remote planet called Mavkodus. It is owned by the governmental palace on Veyronia, which Dark Intrinium proper was headquartered in.


    A remote planet with nothing but nature and exempt of all known intelligent life forms.


    As such, the only ones who knew of this base were those who have a high enough clearance level within Dark Intrinium itself, or those that are members of the Uprising of Kytron.


    On this day, it was just another ordinary day for the UoK. Most of the Followers were soaking in the free time in the courtyard, where the sky was open above them.


    The sun was shining brightly, and there were a couple of clouds out in the atmosphere.


    For the past two months, they had been doing a lot of missions. Most were done with ease, and they were paid handsomely for their efforts. However, that also meant that the work had been cut off significantly as there was not much left for them to do.


    However, that didn''t mean that they weren''t able to do anything. They were still able to train and spar with each other. And, they were allowed to roam the base freely.


    "Testharia''s real hassle. They really know how to test my damn patience..."


    Aria Fujimara let loose of her formal-stiff shoulders now that she''s in a place she could call ''home''.


    She had come back from a meeting with the Great Kamisword of Testharia, in which she failed to persaude Sachiel Eria to place outposts around the planet and rather had only soldiers deployed, which were accompanied by Testharian Mobilizers.


    "I''m sure they''ll exploit this, hold our soldiers captive, and turn them against us when Lord Veyron conquers Testharia."


    She looked around to see if any of the other Followers were present, and indeed there was.


    The person called Jasper Emerson would walk outside the main building, having noticed a ship landing in the hangar from a window in the med bay.


    As he approached the female Follower, he made sure to make some noise to not startle her. He waved before making his presence fully known.


    "Oh- hey, Jasper." Aria waved back.


    "How was Testharia?"


    He asked with a notable eagerness. He was asked to be sent on the mission but was heavily rejected due to having an outburst before. Jasper was known as a rowdy mad scientist, who always had a lot of energy.


    But he could be serious when he wanted to be.


    "Yeah... a bummer to say the least." Aria rubbed the back of her neck.


    "They didn''t want to set up outposts like I suggested. Instead, they wanted to place soldiers with Mobilizers..."


    "That''s a letdown."


    "Yup. The Great Kamisword is difficult to persuade so I had to result to different tactics and even then, I got half of the fucking work done." She said with an agitated expression, but it soon faded away as she shook her head and sighed.


    "At least you''re back here so you don''t hafta put up with him! Unless you''re sent to get that other half done." Jasper chuckled.


    Aria shook her head and then looked up at the sky. The star of the system Mavkodus was in was such a bright star, that it''s classified as a A0V main sequence star.


    This meant that the Mavkodus star was 324 times more luminous than Earth''s Sun. Even though the base was on the dark side of the planet, it was still very bright, even at 18 AU¡¯s away.


    It was beautiful.


    Aria closed her eyes and smiled as she felt the warmth of the star wash over her. She had grown to love this planet and the star it revolves around.


    Upon hearing that Jasper pointed out that she probably was sent to do that second part, she chuckled and replied:


    "I hope not. Testharia has a bad vibe that I can''t seem to shake off."


    Aria then switched her gaze towards another person, who seemed like a misfit out of all the Followers. That ''misfit'' was named Heios Kroos, the Fourth Follower.


    He was fixing a gadget that he had on him, seemingly frustrated with something. Aria couldn''t tell what he was doing, but she knew that it was something that dealt with his gadgets.


    He turned his head at Aria for a split second, having a sour look like always.


    "Hey, Heios. Didn''t notice you there." Aria waved with a smile. She was like the good big sister of the group. Always looking after them and making sure that they don''t die, which is especially difficult for the battle loving silent guy.


    But would you really call him battle loving if all his life revolved around battle and survival?


    People from Venus were heavily known as being survivors, as the planet was hailed as the most dangerous place in the entire galaxy for a century now.


    You''d think that Heios Kroos is some kind of batshit crazy person who loved fighting and killing, but he was just someone that needed to kill and survive to stop his suffer in the gutter.


    Heios went back to what he was doing, clearly not interested in any kind of small talk.


    Jasper turned towards Heios and clearly pointed out his usual silence, trying to tickle a reaction out of him.


    "Oh come on, Heios! You could''ve at the very least said hello or something!"


    Aria chuckled at Jasper''s attempt and shook her head. "That''s our Heios, alright. Doesn''t say much but gets the work done splendidly. I don''t know what I''d do without him."


    "Think that''s a record for the longest time he''s interacted with us outside of a mission, no?" Jasper said, clearly being sarcastic about it.


    "Be easy on him, will you? He''s not the greatest at socializing and he''s clearly very busy with something. Let''s not pester him about it." She smiled, still keeping her friendly attitude.


    "Well, when you put it like that, it makes me sound like an ass." Jasper chuckled and put his hands in his pockets.


    "He should get a life though."


    He looked back at Heios and was met with an immediate death stare, to which he backed away slowly.


    "Yeah... I think you''re right. He''s definitely busy..."


    Aria let out a little chuckle and continued to bask in the warm sunlight of the star above them.


    Heios wasn''t always quiet. He was verbal during missions whenever needed, however he always resorted to violence should anything not go like he wanted it to. He was also known to have a very foul mouth when it came to profanity. Is this what people from Venus are like?


    What even is Venus? Aria didn''t know much about the planet other than the fact that it is the deadliest place in the galaxy. But why was it so deadly? What did it hold that made it so dangerous? She didn''t know, nor did she want to find out.


    What she did know is that people from Venus are incredible fighters. If you were to ever meet a person from Venus, you would better pray that they''re on your side.


    Heios Kroos is just a prime example of that.


    Maybe Venus is the spitting image of ''survival of the fittest''?. Noteworthy that Venus isn''t controlled by any main body, so no one oversees anything. It''s all free will in Venus.


    Jasper put his hands in his pocket, turning back to Aria. "Hehe... W-well... Now that you''re back, you should get something to eat and enjoy the downtime. I see you losing some weight."


    He joked around with her.


    "I''ll be in my lab like the usual. I''m still working on that one project... that darned... fuckin''... thing."


    Aria turned back at Jasper with her arms crossed. "Involves carcasses again? Or is it something new?" She asked curiously.


    "Why do you keep implying that all I work on is shitty corpses!?" He said in a very exaggerated tone. "Yes, my lab does smell absolutely foul but that''s because my fucking dog shits on the floor every damn day! The damn thing even ripped off one of my tools!"


    Aria tried to hide her laughter, but she ended up chuckling anyway. "Ah, sorry. It''s just that every time I see you, you''re always working with dead bodies and such."


    Jasper sighed, clearly not having a good time with Aria poking fun at his expense. "... Ugh..."


    "Anyways, is my brother here?" Aria asked.


    The Grand Follower - Avu Fujimara, who also happens to be Aria''s older brother, had just gone off-world to take care of diplomatic relations between Veyronia''s Chief Council and Nuvaria''s Queen Palace roundtable.


    Jasper shook his head. "Nope, left a few hours ago to the North Region. You wanted to see him?"


    Aria thought, putting the palm of her hand against her chin. "It had something to do with my discussion with the Great Kamisword, not to mention him in general since he has direct contact with Lord Veyron at all times. Anyways, I''m going inside."


    Jasper nodded, "Good! Long flights are taxing on people, specifically when they are malnourished or starving! Don''t want you taking the brunt of Lord Veyron''s verbal lashes if you passed out during a meeting."


    He waved before heading back the way he came.


    Aria looked at Jasper and nodded. "Thanks for the heads-up." She then went inside the main building and headed straight for the cafeteria.


    The cafeteria in the lounge was quite small for a base this size but it worked well enough for the amount of people that resided in it. They didn''t need anything bigger.


    Aria went towards one of the benches and sat down, getting comfortable and taking out her lunch. It was a sushi wrap made of Karmian Tuna, a type of fish native to the planet Karmia. Karmia was a very hot planet, so the fish had to grow thicker skin in order to survive the harsh climate.


    Next to the sushi wrap was a large bowl of salad and Nahmiklok, a special kind of gourmet meat from Ambrecia. It was served in a small cube-shaped container, which held a single cube of Nahmiklok. The meat itself is so soft, that it practically melts in your mouth. It was so incredibly delicious.


    She started eating her food, humming in content as she savored each bite.


    As she was eating, she noticed Heios pulling the door of the lounge harshly, making a squeaking noise as the door closed. He took his seat in the opposite side of the bench.


    Heios sat down at the opposite end of the table, sighing as he did so. He wasn''t having a good day. It seemed as if everything he was doing was going wrong. He was fixing his gadgets, but nothing seemed to be going right. He had a feeling that he was about to throw up any second.


    He took out a meal that consisted of only fruits and vegetables. He wasn''t too fond of meat or anything related to it. Of course, his unfixed gadget was placed on the table as well. He decided to just have a look at it after he got his food.


    Aria looked at Heios again as she was eating. She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it, thinking that it would make him feel worse than he already does. So, instead, she simply smiled and went back to eating her food. She picked up the TV remote on the small table and turned the TV on.


    Even the Uprising of Kytron used the basic galactic news channel to keep tabs on the state of things in the galaxy. Who knows, maybe that''s what their next mission is going to be.


    [TV]: "In light of the recent terrorist attacks on Dankasho and Tristate City, a majority of N.G.O.''s have begun to offer humanitarian aid and construction support to the Testharia, turning the once-bustling Rias Square into a hub that your injured Testharian can go to for assistance or shelter. The perpetrator of the Dankasho incident is believed to be the same terrorist behind the Progen City incident."


    The reporter continued on with the report, but Aria had zoned out, having finished eating her food. She had a serious expression on her face, deep in thought.


    Heios was now looking at the TV, clearly not liking what he saw. "Dumb fucking idiots..." He said quietly as he rubbed his face. He sighed before taking a bite from one of his fruits. He looked down at his gadget and took it in his hands, trying to fix it again.


    [TV]: "White Eye has been under fire by the galaxy''s most wanted! Reports are coming in that White Eye has recently been threatened, directly at the councilmembers of the White Eye. There has been many reports of their supply ships being destroyed at very specific locations."


    The reporter informed mid-way through until showing a footage - the same footage shown in White Eye''s meeting room. Aria just scoffed. "Those lame guys?" She asked with a chuckle.


    Heios was getting increasingly frustrated, seemingly failing to fix his gadget. With a loud groan, he threw the gadget against the wall, instantly breaking it. "FUCK!" He yelled, leaning back on the bench and rubbing his face.


    Aria was startled by the sudden outburst, turning to look at Heios in worry. "What was that?" She asked, clearly confused.


    Heios was still leaning back, breathing heavily as he stared at the ceiling. He put his hands on his face, letting out a long sigh. "It''s whatever... just a piece of shitty equipment."


    Aria decided to continue watching the news, but she still kept an eye on Heios. "If you say so." She said.


    The TV continued on with its broadcast, now showing the person in question.


    [TV]: "According to this footage. The suspect at hand is without no doubt, no other than the galaxy''s most wanted, Vincent Sparks."


    Aria quickly turned off the TV. She stood there, fazed for a couple of seconds. No word came out of her and no limb moved. She simply stared at the blank TV screen, frozen like a statue.


    And then, she stood up, her fork landing on the ground. She had a very dark aura around her, which made the room feel even colder than it already was. Her eyes were filled with hatred and rage. She gritted her teeth.


    "Is this... a fucking joke?"


    Jasper walked in, looking over at Aria. It wasn''t visible due to his mask but his eyes had a hint of concern. He approached her but Heios was also angry, which prompted him to stay where he was.


    "You disappear after 5 years... and then you come back and smile!? SMILE AT WHAT, HUH!?" She summoned her Signature Weapon: Enk-X, and slashed the TV in half. "You didn''t care about us! You nearly left us all to die and now you have the gall to show your smile and smile, you fucking bastard!"


    Jasper asked hesitantly. "He''s been gone for so long... why would he come back now?"


    "How the hell am I supposed to know!? He''s going to regret showing his face again!" Aria was furious, the rage inside her could barely be contained. "If I ever see him, I''m going to-"


    Just then, the entire base was filled with a noticeably loud and booming voice. A voice that was none other than Lord Veyron''s.


    "To the High Table Room."


    Jasper stood up straight, nodding before leaving. He was worried about what was going to happen, but he knew that he couldn''t say anything to Aria or else he''d be next on her list. He quickly left the cafeteria, closing the door behind him.


    Heios grabbed his plate and threw it in the trash can, clearly annoyed as well. He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

 Arc 2, Chapter 6 - Uninvited Intruder

    Kytan Veyron had just arrived to Mavkodus and was well-aware of Vincent Sparks'' return. He was planning to have him eliminated right away by the hands of UoK themselves. All of the current members aside from Avu Fujimara - sat around the high table. They were in the presence of Lord Veyron.


    Heios was quiet as always, staring at the High Table, minding his own business. He would occasionally bat an eye towards Veyron to indicate that he''s listening.


    Aria was sharpening her Signature Weapon, frustrated inside. Jasper was attentive to the conversation, not wanting to miss anything.


    Veyron was laid back on his seat. He had a clean and red Kobajin fur seat trimming with a golden accent. He had no smile and he also didn''t have an expression. This was all business for him. He stared at the Followers, looking them in the eye before speaking.


    "I''ve become well aware of this situation. Frankly, I am unsurprised. After all, the enemy is only ever predictable to those who are not themselves the enemy. However, we are no longer in the dark. We know what our enemy looks like."


    He looked over at Jasper, who had his hands folded together in front of him.


    "Fortunately for us, I happen to know where he is. I assume I do not have to remind any of you that your task won''t be easy, correct?"


    Heios nodded, and so did Aria.


    "The objective here is to eliminate him as soon as possible. We cannot and will not let him destroy any distributed goods from us. This can also impact the outlook on us for the galaxy so we want to maintain as many believers as we can."


    He pressed a button on the table - revealing a hologram on Eukaron. The hologram showed Vincent Sparks'' exact location.


    "A certain... intel has informed me that he is on Eukaron. For what reason, you may ask? I am not sure, however that is where you will head next. It is not confirmed whether or not he will still be there when you arrive, which is why you shall leave immediately. Understood?"


    All three Followers nodded in unison.


    "Good. One more thing. I will tell you that the planet is very..." He couldn''t think of any word other than ''trash''. "Anyway... You will not need any Soul Scanners. Sparks was previously one of you, you should be able to tell his Soul-Aura like a sore thumb." He stood up from his seat.


    Aria stood up, wanting to ask a question. "What of Grand Follower Fujimara, will he be joining us?" She asked.


    Veyron shook his head. "He has other important matters. The Nuvarians aren''t fond of us, which is why I tasked him with handling with... a couple of things."


    Aria sat back down. She felt uncomfortable but decided to not say anything and simply nodded.


    "Run along now, no time should be wa-"


    The entire place would sound an alarm as red lights turned on and the emergency siren blared loudly, making everyone cover their ears.


    The emergency siren would stop after a few seconds, as the AI spoke over the intercom.


    "Warning: A foreign entity has entered Mavkodus airspace! Warning: A foreign entity has entered Mavkodus airspace!"


    Veyron turned towards Aria. "See to this matter at once." He demanded.


    Aria, Jasper and Heios all left the room.


    -


    The hangar was filled with a ship that none of the UoK members have ever seen before. It was a small shuttle, it only had enough room for about five people, but it wasn''t any ordinary shuttle. It had a blue curved stripe around it, which indicated that it is an H73 Compact, made by the Septo Corporation.


    The girl stepped out of the ship, frustratingly sighing due to the inability of the ship making a good landing due to it''s battle-scarred state. She wouldn''t be fazed by the alarm that was ringing in the entire base since she already foresaw this. She sighed, keeping her arms half an inch away from her hips to release her Signature Weapon in case something happened.


    The blast doors opened and revealed Aria, Jasper and Heios. Aria summoned Enk-X, pointing it towards the girl.


    "A-" The girl stared at aria, keeping her guard up.


    "Who are you!? Why are you here!?" Aria asked in a hostile tone.


    "I..."


    Aria walked towards the girl. "If you''re authorized then I need a number, now."


    Heios spotted the girl much later and stared at her, keeping his Soul ready for a battle. This girl was severely outnumbered. He was surprised that she had not called her weapon yet, especially in a place like this.


    "What''s your number!?" Aria asked again.


    The girl laughed awkwardly. "Number...? Ah! Ah hahaha... Yeah, in fact... I do have a number." She half-joked, clearly not being too serious about the whole situation.


    "Ah... ahahaha!" She laughed again, scratching the back of her head. "It appears that I lost it at the time I left my planet... hahaha..."


    Aria had her sword pointed directly at the girl''s face. "We don''t do numbers, numbskull." She really just said that to humour herself. It was easy to fool people with a single remark.


    The girl stopped laughing quick. "Ah... right." And turned very serious.


    As Aria was about to cut the girl down, the girl cowered. "Wait wait wait wait! Wait! Wait! Just wait! I''m not your enemy!" She said as quick as possible, saving her from certain death.


    "This is a restricted space owned by Veyronia and under the rule of Dark Intrinium. State your reasoning of being here immediately or else you''ll be killed on the spot." Aria demanded.


    The girl opened her eyes. "I know this is owned by- Wait... Veyronia? Agh! Alright alright, calm the fuck down, will you!?" She raised her hands in defense.


    The girl sighed, looking at Heios, who looked like he couldn''t hold himself back anymore. "Look... I''m not a threat... I simply want to... well... join you guys." She said.


    Heios chuckled. "Heh?" He thought of it as some sick joke. Even Aria thought that it was a joke.


    "What a stupid joke, you don''t really care about your own skin, do you?"


    "Just listen, for fuck''s sakes! I''ve heard that this branch of Dark Intrinium is pretty strong! It''s a perfect place to hone my ski-"


    "To hell with that! This ain''t a training facility!" Heios shouted. He then turned to Jasper, who was standing there and just watching what was going down. "Hey, Jasper. Help me kill this fucker." He demanded, wanting to get this done as quickly as possible.


    Jasper sighed and stepped forward. "Yeah... you''re right."


    "Agghhh! Are you seriously going to reject someone who could be a great addition to Veyron''s ar-"


    "LORD Veyron." Aria corrected the girl.


    "Rmgh, LORD Veyron! I could be an asset! You don''t even have to pay me!"


    Aria analyzed the girl up and down. She was tall and had a scrawny build, with bandages to hide her scars. She was noticeably pale as well, which could only mean one thing.


    "You''re a Testharian, aren''t you?"


    "...That obvious?" The girl sounded defeated.


    Heios actually got angry upon hearing that she was a Testharian and had his hands balled. "Testharian? The fuck did they do, spit out a reject?"


    "Listen, if you can''t decide for yourselves, let me speak to Veyron h-"


    "One more mishap and I''m killing you where you stand." Aria said with a dark voice. "Lord Veyron is very much busy at the moment, you will not get a chance to speak with him anyway."


    "Listen... Just hear me out!" The girl put her hands up again.


    "Testharians are not what you think you are. They aren''t some prestigious planet filled with all kinds of riches. They aren''t prestigious people with dignity and respect. They are con artist, scammers, batshit crazy people! They''d do anything to deceive people into thinking they''re their friends. Why do you think that the Great Kamisword rejected your idea of outposts, huh?"


    How did this girl know that?


    "Right? Why would an agreement not go through when there''s an alliance? If the Testharians want to help us, then why are they acting so suspicious? Because there was no alliance to begin with! They terminated it long ago!"


    She waved her hands around. "The Testharians are not some peaceful, innocent people. They are selfish, self-centered, and a whole lot more! They''d kill each other if they had to just to get a bigger piece of the pie-"


    "Can you tell us something new?" Aria simply said. "Was it not that obvious? Lord Veyron simply wants the planet for himself. Who cares about some alliance or not? We''re only following orders and that''s the end of it."


    The girl put her hands down. "Well... err..." She looked around nervously, having run out of excuses. "When you put it that way... that makes kind o- Wait, that''s besid- What do you mean by ''wanting the planet for himself''?"


    Aria lowered her Enk-X, which was a 2 meter long masamune. "He builds interest in Testharians. Especially the fact that the majority of them are Weapon-Types. It''s an excellent asset to have on his side."


    The girl sighed in a defeated way. "Huh... well, Testharia''s allied with Soul-Core now, betcha'' didn''t know that?"


    Aria though for a moment. "Hm... Maybe Lord Veyron will know what to do." She said under her breath. Putting her weapon away, she beckoned the girl. "Follow us then."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Heios and Jasper looked at each other in disbelief, but shrugged it off. Heios didn''t, though, and looked at Aria. "Not a good idea, Aria. Testharians can''t be trusted."


    "We''ll just kill her if Lord Veyron says so." Aria replied.


    "Works." Heios followed the three, being last in line.


    The girl sighed again, clearly not having a good time.


    -


    Avu had just arrived back to Mavkodus. He had entered from the alternate hangar, which was located on the southern wing of the base. He was met with guards and servants, all of which bowed before him.


    He ignored them and continued walking towards the High Table room. He wasn''t in a good mood today.


    As he entered, he noticed Jasper, Heios, Aria, and the new girl. Lord Veyron was not there as he left Mavkodus not long before he ordered them to kill Vincent Sparks.


    "Is this a joke?" He asked, frustrated. He had a lengthy talk with the Queen of Nuvaria about Dark Intrinium intruding their airspace, let alone his own presence. This enabled him to research the planet and it''s power structure.


    "Not at all, she came here uninvited."


    "Look... I don''t appreciate how you''re calling me ''uninvited''-"


    Heios slapped her back, pushing her forward. "Eyes on the Grand Follower." He demanded.


    She sighed as she turned towards Avu, keeping a stoic expression.


    "Testharian, hm? What''s your name?" Avu asked, his hands in his pockets and his eyes half-closed.


    "... My name''s Satono Eria. I am- well... I was part of the Royal Family, before I was banished. Partially the reason of my being here is because I want to tear my family apart, and see Testharia in the hands of Dark Intrinium. That way, I can bask in the fact that their biggest mistake was casting me out."


    Jasper, Heios and Aria all looked at each other in confusion.


    "Satono Eria..." Avu repeated. "So... anguish brought you here."


    "I''m not angu- Listen... I know for sure that any other place would treat me better than how I was treated back at Testharia. People say it''s a great planet with the kindest people in existence, but that''s all a fucking lie. It''s filled with narcissistic people, people who are so full of themselves. They''ll tear even their closest kins apart just to get ahead. They''re not democratic. They all lick the feet of the Royal Family and suck up to them whenever they please. They''re all stupid, numbskulled, half-brained motherfuckers without the ability to reason, communicate or fucking THINK!"


    Satono was practically seething. "They casted me out because they were scared of me! Scared of my Soul! Scared that I couldn''t improve, when I surpassed even Sachiel in strength! They feared my strength, so they threw me away like trash!" She yelled, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Avu kept a calm expression, showing no emotion whatsoever. "Hm. Perhaps you should find a more suitable and peaceful planet to ease your mind. A group of people for yourself."


    "This group will do... Besides, a family needs to be brought down."


    "How can you prove that this group is for you? I am uncertain of your abilities."


    "... First of all, I am a Weapon-Type who is among the best in the galaxy. Second, if there''s anything you want me to do, I''ll do it. Third and last, I almost killed the Great Kamisword a year ago, if it weren''t for her useless fucking princess sister."


    Aria put a hand on Avu''s shoulder. "Brother... a Testharian with issues is more troublesome for us. We must dispose of her."


    Avu shook his head, walking towards Satono. He also heard the same thing from Heios. "I second that. She''s far too dangerous. Testharian''s are filthy anyways, and one with issues is even more filthy."


    "Stop calling me filthy, you misfit Venusian!"


    "Say what?" Heios walked up to her but was stopped by Jasper.


    "That''s why your eyebrows are permanently furrowed, even the most dreadful place in the galaxy wanted you to fuck off."


    Avu was deep in thought, sitting on his chair. He was thinking if having a Testharian as the Fifth Follower was a good idea, especially when this Testharian had issues. In retrospect, a person with issues can be very dangerous. If he allowed her to join, then he''d have to keep a close eye on her, which may also mean putting her under heavy surveillance.


    But, she was a Testharian. And since Lord Veyron was heavily interested in the planet, having a member from that very same planet was very intriguing. He was already thinking of how useful she would be to them.


    .:. Having a Testharian on our side, and an Eria no less can prove to be very beneficial to us. This could help the development of Lord Veyron''s conquer. .:.


    "Alright, Testharian. If you so desire to be one of us, then you shall be the Fifth Follower."


    "Wh-"


    Aria was taken aback by his decision. Why in Hell''s name would he let a Testharian, an enemy race, into their ranks? She usually wouldn''t doubt her brother''s choices, and she didn''t doubt her now. But, having a Testharian as the fifth member of the Uprising of Kytron was risky.


    What if she turned against them and killed them all in their sleep? What if she sabotaged their missions? Aria was deep in thought, not saying anything.


    "With all due respect... That''s a fucking retarded decision!" Heios yelled, having no formality to address the Grand Follower. "It''s a Testharian with mental issues, goddamnit! What if she''s a trap? A spy sent by that bastard Sachiel Eria?"


    "Refer to me by ''it'' one more time and I''m going to shove your head up your own ass! You sound more insane than I do!"


    "I really hope you know your place, Testharian... I know that your race isn''t the smartest in the galaxy, but I expected atleast some self-respect-" Again, Heios was stopped by Jasper.


    Jasper really worked as a mediator without needing to do much.


    "If she was a trap, what are her chances of defeating any of us?" Avu said, looking at Heios.


    "... I don''t know! Any Soul-Wielder has some tricks up their sleeve, like that oversized cunt back on Jagyen!"


    Avu''s hand slightly twitched, indicating that he was just about ready to manifest his Signature Weapon.


    "I will kill you if you do not settle down, Heios. If you so think that this is a trap then believe what you will. I''ll take humour from your own disappointment once you realize how much of a scared little boy you are inside that thick skull of yours."


    Heios clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. He knew that he wouldn''t stand a chance against the Grand Follower, so he kept quiet. "You... f..." He stared at him with pure hatred and left the room.


    "Brother... are you sure of this?" Aria asked, clearly concerned. "I don''t think this is a good idea. I mean, we don''t know anything about her."


    "All of you are capable of killing her if she does anything suspicious. So far, nothing has been suspicious. I am confident in my choice, now g-"


    The whole room overlapped with a cold brewing faint of energy. Satono, Jasper and Aria felt their necks getting cold. Avu stood up immediately, tapping on the table and pulling up a holographic console.


    "Bring up an aerial view of Testharia, Tristate City." He spoke into the command console.


    [AI]: "Connecting with aerial footage of Testharia, Tristate City."


    A female automated voice responded - a center omni-directional projector emerged from the table. It brought up a full-view of Tristate City from above.


    Satono looked at it. The capture was in real-time, it could only mean that a real time event was occuring.


    "Give me a Soul-Reading, Max."


    [AI]: "Enabling Soul-Reader." The console detected a massive sum of Soul-Energy. "Soul-Energy detected - Soul-Energy at a level of fundamental. - 9,483,048 has been detected within this area."


    The reader had a bar which previewed it''s scanner details. The bar exceeded, meaning that there was an unquantifiable amount of Soul-Energy activity going on.


    The capture feed would suddenly cut only before a massive storm occured within the city.


    "That cold energy immediately nagged on me to the idea that something is going down on Testharia." Avu said, sitting back down.


    Jasper had his hands behind his head. "Damn... looks like someone''s having fun."


    "The only time that many Soul-Energy signatures occur is when they''re fighting. However, that''s just speculation at the moment." Avu said. "We need to confirm what''s going on over there."


    "...From the looks of it, it was stronger than a typhoon..."


    "You''re meaning to tell us that one person caused that?" Aria asked, going back to sharpening her Enk-X.


    "Not certain, but I know it''s nothing to take lightly. The Great Kamisword will most likely take care of it, so rest assured." Avu said, half-jokingly.


    "...Huh. You''re putting an awful lot of faith on someone who we''re later gonna go to war with." Satono said, sitting down.


    "Ultimately, Lord Veyron decides that."


    Satono nodded and turned her head towards the projector. She felt uneasy for some reason. There was a feeling of dread that she couldn''t get rid of.


    "Our background is simple, Testharian. This group was created in the legacy of Lord Veyron''s father, do you know anything about him?"


    Avu asked, approaching Satono.


    Satono shook her head.


    "I''ve never really heard of him, to be honest. I''m not very up to date on these things..." She said with an awkward laugh.


    "Kytron Veyron of Veyronia. The former leader of Dark Intrinium. The one who ruled the entire galaxy with an iron fist." Avu smiled just thinking about it.


    Clearly held a lot of respect for the late Kytron Veyron.


    "He was a man capable of everything. He made sure that he was on the front lines, taking anyone out who he thought doubted his strength."


    Avu walked around the table, keeping his hands behind his back.


    "Not just that - he was a very powerful Soul-Wielder, if not the strongest. He had hundreds or maybe thousands of people around the same level as him as his trophies."


    This Kytron Veyron that Avu Fujimara was talking about sounded like some kind of psychopathic serial killer.


    Satono didn''t understand how this man was able to hold an entire galaxy under his thumb. In retrospect, thinking of him as some psychopath is the right thing to do. But you have authority over an entire galaxy, what would you do?


    Would you make it a utopia where everyone is equal and the economy is flourishing? Or would you simply be the ruler and have total control over everyone and everything? Would you be a good ruler, or would you be a tyrant?


    In retrospect, this Kytron Veyron was probably the latter.


    Though, no one knows what his true intentions were. Only thing that those Followers knew that he was indeed, one of the few in the entire human history that was capable of ruling an entire galaxy.


    "That''s some... pretty interesting stuff." Satono said.


    "So, um... I take it that Kytron was killed?


    Avu nodded. "Correct. You seem to be quite smart, Testharian. Unfortunately, and at the humiliation on both the Veyron Family and Dark Intrinium, the late Lord had come across an opponent he was... incapable... of beating."


    Avu sat back down, seemingly frustrated. "A very... pestering thought."


    The room was filled with an uneasy silence as no one said anything. Even the AI wasn''t talking.


    The silence lingered for a while as Satono tried to wrap her head around what Avu was saying. It sounded like an impossibility - how could someone kill Kytron Veyron, the man who ruled an entire galaxy?


    Whoever did it must be incredibly powerful.


    "How did it happen? Was this opponent stronger than Kytron Veyron?" She listened to him like she read a story.


    "Uncertain. It was a nobody." Avu looked at Satono, his eyes half-closed.


    "According to the Kyvernians during the time they were around - he was defeated by a Soul-Wielder who possessed two of the possibilities... A sign of possible Ascension or a higher level of evolution that is still yet to be discovered."


    Satono put her hand on her chin, deep in thought. She didn''t know what this ''higher level of evolution'' meant, but she assumed that it was something that was way beyond what humanity was capable of achieving.


    "... Ascension, what the hell is that?"


    Commonly known by all other Soul-Wielders, the highest someone can reach is the Simulacra Evolution, the fourth stage of the Evolution of Souls. The fifth stage has been untouched since the beginning of the universe, and no one has reached it since then. However, rumours can only go so far, and if this person has reached the fifth stage, then they have a type of Energy not even a normal Soul-Wielder can achieve.


    Ascension, or the impossible Fifth Evolution. But unfortunately...


    "Rumours will remain rumours until proven." Avu stood up. "If I truly had to say, the only reason why Lord Veyron took leadership to begin with... Is to find the very man who killed his father. It would hurt him to think that the man is still around."


    "... Is it really an unobtainable form?"


    Satono asked, curious. Sometimes, people need a reminder on how the Soul works.


    "It has to be possible, still. If the Soul is capable of anything and you will it... then surely, it should be possible."


    Avu thought. "If the rumour is true, then this Fifth Evolution will allow that person to rule the galaxy under their own power. A true world owner."


    "That gives me goosebumps just thinking about it." Satono scratched the back of her neck.


    "It''s best to not dwell on it." Avu turned towards Satono. "Welcome to the UoK, Testharian." He smiled, which made the room feel more welcoming. "I should report what is going on in Testharia to Lord Veyron, looking forward to what you can do."


    Avu walked past Satono and exited the room. Aria looked at Satono, still not convinced.


    The entire concept of Ascension, or even the Fifth Evolution sounded impossible. If you were to ask anyone about it, they''d tell you the same thing.


    Ascension is a propechy, and the Fifth Evolution is a mere myth.


    It is not possible for a human to achieve such power and absolute authority over an entire galaxy.


    But, what if it was possible? What if there really is a higher level of evolution that no one has discovered yet? What if it''s all true, and that Kytron Veyron was killed by someone who possesses the power of the Fifth Evolution. What if Transcendence was real?


    That''s something that could cause panic among the public. Who knows, maybe that''s the reason why no one wants to talk about it. They''re scared of what they don''t know. They''re afraid of the possibility that it might be real.


    Everyone was a little quiet before Aria broke the silence.


    "Sparks, guys. We should prepare to leave." She said as she stood up, her Enk-X disappearing into thin air.


    "Finally. Can''t wait to dissect him."


    Jasper said as he clapped his hands together, looking at Satono. "Welcome to the crew, I guess. I''m Jasper Emerson, the Third Follower. You know what I do to double-crossers? They get thousands of needles injected into their heart. That way, the blood pumps so fast that they explode in a matter of seconds. And you, my friend, are gonna get the first show."


    Satono chuckled awkwardly, not knowing what to say. "... Wh... who''s this freak?" She pointed at Jasper, who was still smiling at her.


    "That''s Jasper for you. He''s the crazy one." Aria said.


    "I thought that was that hot-headed Venusian." Satono pointed out.


    "Nope, that''s Heios. He''s just... misunderstood." Aria replied.