Fragments of what had once been human tissue in the crater began retreating and condensing with impossible precision. A figure slowly materialized from the inside out, revealing a curvaceous silhouette that gradually gained definition and color. The female warrior's exotic beauty had been completely restored, returned to her exact pre-death state.
"What?! She... How is she alive again?!" Pikkon's eyes bulged in disbelief. He and his allies had expended tremendous effort, even sacrificing a galactic guardian, to finally eliminate this threat. Yet the man before him had simply raised his hand and restored her perfectly. Such inhuman methods were beyond anything Pikkon had ever witnessed.
Wasn't I dead? How am I back again? Zangya's face showed complete confusion as she clenched her fists, feeling the return of her full strength. She could even sense her blood flowing through her veins with crystal clarity.
"I saved your life," Karnel said casually to the bewildered warrior. "Shouldn't you thank me properly?"
"Why would you do that?! Do you understand who she is?" Pikkon pointed at the fully restored Zangya with outrage. "She's a subordinate of Bojack the Galaxy Soldier, a destroyer of countless planets and murderer of billions of innocent lives!"
"I know. I heard everything you said earlier," Karnel replied with patient amusement. "But what does that matter? As long as she refrains from evil in the future, there's no problem."
"Easy for you to say!" Pikkon sputtered in frustration. "It's easier to move mountains than change someone's fundamental nature. I don't believe this violent criminal will suddenly become a good person!"
Oh, how troublesome, Karnel thought to himself. Fortunately, my temper has improved considerably lately, or I would have sent you to meet King Yemma long ago.
"It was him... he's the one who saved me," Zangya's eyes gradually refocused as memory returned. "But my body had been completely obliterated, how could I possibly recover from that?"
She gazed with growing fear at the mysterious man before her, someone who possessed the incomprehensible power to resurrect the dead at will.
"Zangya!" Karnel's expression suddenly became deadly serious.
Startled by his commanding tone, she replied with obvious trepidation, "You... who are you? Why did you save me?"
Who am I? Karnel's playful smile returned as he spoke with calm authority. "I'll be your employer from now on. My name is Karnel, remember it well. As for why I saved you, it would have been such a waste to let someone like you simply die. I happen to need a capable maid."
"What?! You want me to be your maid?" Zangya's voice turned ice-cold with defiance. "Don't even dream of it! I may have been defeated, but I would never stoop to such servitude. I've roamed the universe for countless years, I won't become anyone's servant!"
For a Galaxy Soldier who had wandered the cosmos for eons, whose hands were stained with the blood of countless victims, becoming someone's domestic servant would be a fate worse than death.
Karnel stared at her with an amused smile for a long moment before responding. "Are you certain about that? I've never heard of any 'Galaxy Soldiers' worth mentioning. From this moment forward, you're no longer a warrior, you're a maid in my household. You're welcome to try escaping, of course. I guarantee you won't want to experience the consequences of being recaptured."
Zangya studied Karnel, whose power level remained completely undetectable to her senses. A trace of genuine fear flickered in her eyes. If she hadn't witnessed him casually resurrect her with a simple hand gesture, she might have dismissed him as a weakling she could crush without effort.
Seeing Zangya's continued silence, Karnel frowned. Traces of spiritual energy containing terrifying power began emanating from his form. "Don't you know how to respond when someone speaks to you?" His expression showed clear displeasure.
Fear...
Zangya suddenly felt Karnel's aura, a monstrous, ferocious power that seemed capable of devouring entire galaxies. She collapsed to the ground in terror, trembling uncontrollably as she stared up at him with wide, frightened eyes.
"I... I understand. I will never try to escape..." she stammered with shaking hands, though her thoughts remained defiant. I'll just play along for now. When I find the right opportunity, I'll flee and rescue my three companions.
"You didn't even address me properly? You really do need some discipline," Karnel shook his head with disappointment.
Then he paused, as if remembering something important. "Oh, I nearly forgot about the Bargonian warrior who was so ruthlessly killed by Pikkon's attack."
Slapping his forehead at the oversight, Karnel focused his temporal power on the soul of the fallen galactic guardian, which had remained in the same location, seemingly confused by its circumstances.
Time flowed backward once again. No matter how many times one witnessed this miraculous phenomenon, it never lost its wonder.
The Bargonian warrior who had died alongside Zangya was also restored to life, or more precisely, his personal timeline was rewound to the moment before Pikkon's ultimate technique had destroyed him.
'He resurrected another one?'
Pikkon's mind reeled as he collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at this mysterious being who could so effortlessly reverse death itself.
"There, are you satisfied now?" Karnel waved dismissively toward the stunned Pikkon with a chuckle. "From this point forward, she's no longer a 'Galaxy Soldier', that title is terribly dated and lacks any real presence anyway."
What else can I possibly say? Pikkon thought helplessly. Even if he wanted to resist, he was utterly powerless. The aura emanating from this man called Karnel was as deep and terrifying as an endless ocean. He felt as though he might drown in that oppressive presence.
Seeing Pikkon bow his head in acceptance, Karnel nodded with satisfaction. The murderous intent in his eyes quietly dissipated.
If Pikkon had continued to show ignorance about when to advance or retreat, Karnel might have felt compelled to teach him a more permanent lesson. Even if he chose not to kill the warrior outright, he would have ensured the lesson was seared into his memory, a deep understanding that divine authority must never be challenged.
"Excellent! No one died, no 'Galaxy Soldiers' or any such nonsense. Everyone's happy in the end!" Karnel declared with cheerful satisfaction.