The Martial Unity

A swell of relief emerged in Ria’s heart at the well-being of her bodyguard.

As well as guilt.

She recalled how she had blown up at him the last time they had spoken.

”Listen, Sayfeel, about what I said last time…” Her expression grew crestfallen. ”I’m sor—”

”I will always serve you, Your Highness.”

His tone of certainty cut her off, cleaving right through her guilt as he gazed at her with clear eyes.

”No matter what you say to me, I will always serve you. And I will protect you until the time that you are strong enough to protect yourself.”

Those words made her feel guilty. How could she cuss at someone who was so dedicated to her? She felt so frustrated at her emotional immaturity. She often claimed that she wasn’t a baby, but in that moment, she couldn’t help but feel like she was five years old again.

”Thank you.”

She spoke with a genuine tone of appreciation.

”Thank you for everything.”

RUMBLE

The gray skies shook, drawing Ria’s attention upwards. Her amber eyes widened as she spotted flaming meteorites entering the atmosphere of Planet Amadeus III.

Not meteorites, she quickly realized.

Pods.

Pathwalkers.

They wore attire with the crest of the Kandrian Empire embroidered on their chests.

”The forces of the Kandrian Empire have finally arrived,” the Transcendent Candidate spoke with a tone of relief. ”They will reinforce the pathwalkers and end this war.”

RUMBLE

The world around them still shook with the explosions and impacts that emerged from the battle. Even though she had narrowly managed to survive her encounter with particularly powerful homoarachnoids, it didn’t mean that all the other battles had also completely finished.

WHOOSH

Ria shook where she stood, startled by a sudden, blindingly fast flash.

”Good.”

The voice of Kane was filled with relief.

”You are still alive.”

Kane had arrived before them in the blink of an eye, heaving a profoundly deep sigh of relief at having found Ria alive. His calm, powerful green eyes shifted towards Sayfeel as the two powerful men shared a silent understanding between them.

They needed to keep Ria safe.

It wasn’t the most appropriate thing to baby a Martial Artist of the Upper Realms, especially one as powerful as Ria, but the two of them knew that she was being targeted.

And they knew why.

They were among the few people who had been enlightened on the secret of Ria’s existence.

The cosmological miracle that was her power.

The universal anomaly that she represented.

A power that would make her the target of every single entity in the universe if they understood her significance.

”Uncle Kane!” Ria’s expression lit up with delight as she rushed towards him, leaping at him with a hug. ”You’re here! It’s so good to see you!”

”Woah there kiddo,” Kane chuckled as he embraced Ria paternally, smiling at her. ”I just dropped by to say hi to the two of you. I’m glad you’re doing alright. Seems like…”

His expression grew more serious as he stole a glance at -oo—oo’s corpse.

”…you had a bit of a rough time there.”

Those words made Ria feel a tinge of anxiety. She directed another gaze at -oo—oo’s corpse and then at Oo—o-’s corpse, both of whom had died at her hands.

And both of whom had died trying to capture her as if she were more important to them than their own lives.

”Uncle Kane?”

Her tone was one of sincerity.

”Hm?” He turned towards her with a more relaxed expression, trying to reassure her with his body language.

It didn’t work.

”Is there something… wrong with me?”

The two men tightened at those words, even if they did it very well.

”Yeah, you’re a big giant baby,” Kane huffed, ruffling her golden hair. ”Don’t sweat it. You’re good.”

He tried to kill the conversation with a light-hearted moment. But this time, it didn’t work.

”No, I mean it.” She insisted with a more certain tone. ”There’s… there’s something different about me, isn’t there?”

Kane’s expression tightened a little. ”Well, yes. You’re a monster among monsters of talent. You’re the daughter of the Emperor. You’re the daughter of the most powerful man in human civilization.”

”That’s not what I mean,” she pressed, knitting her eyebrows indignantly before pointing towards -oo—oo’s corpse.

”Why was that alien trying to abduct me? Why did she keep saying something about my eyes and the universe? Why were so many powerful beings obsessed with me?”

Kane’s green eyes softened with a hint of wisdom. He knew that he could deflect her question with more humor if he wanted. But he didn’t want a girl who was like his own daughter to feel like she couldn’t rely on him or trust him.

PAT

His hand rested on her head, ruffling her golden hair.

The gesture made her feel like a young girl again. She would recall how he would mess her hair up, calling her a big old baby just to get a rise out of her.

It was a warm sensation.

”You are special.”

He smiled at her gently.

”You are the most beloved daughter in the world.”

His expression grew a little more serious.

”And you have more power than you realize. More potential than you realize. What you are… what you can become…”

He turned towards the homoararchnoid corpse with a glint of bloodlust in his otherwise green eyes.

”…That is what these creatures wanted.”

”They wanted my… potential? Power?” she muttered with uncertainty. ”That doesn’t even make sense.”

Her amber eyes sharpened, bearing deep into the green depths of a man she regarded as an uncle.

”What are you hiding from me, Uncle Kane?”

Kane heaved a deep breath, shaking his head.

”It’s not my place to tell. Nor is it Sayfeel’s. Or Arastia’s.”

He stared at her with clear eyes.

”When the time is right, your father will reveal the truth to you himself.”

She didn’t understand.

She didn’t understand what was happening.

And yet, she chose to put her faith in her uncle and her trusty bodyguard.

”Fine.”

She spoke with more maturity than she was capable of until that very moment, growing up just a little.

”I will go ask papa himself the next time we meet.”

Kane smiled at her wryly, not saying a word.

RUMBLE!

The world around them shook more violently as the additional forces from the Kandrian Empire turned the tides of the battle in favor of the pathwalkers, bringing about an end to the battle.

RUMBLE!!!!!

In the distance, a hurricane of blood that covered an entire tectonic plate slowly began to wane as a glowing red star emerged from the distant storm, rushing in their direction at high speed.

It was none other than Arastia.

Her combat suit was covered in blood.

As was her face.

And yet, the blood was not her own.

It was the blood of those who ambushed her.

It was the blood of the Blood Lord Saron.

It was the blood of the man whose severed, lifeless head she held in her hands.

She had thoroughly crushed the ambush, executing the Blood Cult’s pathwalkers with force.

And yet, the blood-red dwarf stars in her eyes were focused solely on Ria.

”We need to get you off this planet right away.”

Ria frowned.

Yet, before she could even respond, the world around her shook.

RUMBLE!!!!!

The entirety of Planet Amadeus III began rocking violently.

From the very depths of its hollow core.