The man called Till opened his mouth, but it was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water down his spine. His words died at the back of his throat, leaving only a grim, heavy silence.
After what felt like ages, he finally squeezed out a hoarse reply.
"Then at least… at least give them the title of martyrs."
"I will."
Nova Supreme Adora patted his shoulder, then turned and walked out of the command room…
Nova Empire — Capital Avenue
"Your Highness, Xandar possesses the most advanced and inclusive civilization in the galaxy. Because of that, we attract experts from tens of thousands of worlds—countless shipwrights, designers, and engineers. I'm certain someone will be able to craft a design worthy of you!"
A Nova diplomat walked alongside Gilgamesh, tirelessly boasting about Xandar's culture and openness.
Gilgamesh nodded without comment. He had crossed half the cosmos to come here for one reason: to build a fleet. With his power, he needed only a single prototype; after that, he could duplicate as many ships as he pleased and assemble an elite armada overnight.
He didn't need them, not with his strength. But if he intended to found a new pantheon, then he needed infrastructure, subordinates, and hands to run errands. Even gods don't have the time to micromanage everything.
"That's exactly why I came. And stop calling me 'Your Highness.' I've severed ties with the Asgard. I am no longer Asgardian."
The diplomat froze mid-step, jaw slack. He had only been assigned to escort the man because of Asgard's prestige. And now—
You're not even Asgardian anymore?
"M-may I ask why?" he asked stiffly, refusing to accept it.
Gilgamesh didn't bother answering. He simply walked off toward another street.
As Gemini Saga passed the diplomat, he shot him a frigid glare. "Don't ask questions you're not qualified to ask."
The Gold Saint strode after Gilgamesh, and the other Saints shot the diplomat matching looks of disdain before departing.
The diplomat was left alone, face darkening with humiliation.
"Tch. A fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken. What is he even pretending for? What a curse of a day…"
Spitting the words under his breath, he stormed off toward headquarters to report to the Nova Supreme.
Nova Legion — Command Center
"He said he cut ties with Asgard?" Adora's brows rose. Her refined expression slipped for the first time, surprise cracking through her usual grace.
The diplomat nodded stiffly. "Yes. He said it himself. I asked why, and they insulted me instead."
"Then what exactly are we hesitating for?"
Till shot to his feet again, temper flaring hot. "Your Majesty, these drifters are out of control. They openly defied the Nova Empire and killed twenty-four of our Nova Guards. They should be thrown into the Kyln immediately—and never released!"
"You're right."
Adora nodded, eyes sharpening. She had restrained herself only out of concern for starting a war with Asgard.
But if they're not Asgardian anymore… why hold back?
You come to my capital and strut around? Do you think the Nova Empire is made of wet clay?
"Dannelil Till." Her voice turned icy.
"Take your men and arrest them immediately. If anyone resists, I grant you full authorization to kill them on sight."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Centurion Till saluted sharply, eyes burning with murderous resolve.
"I'll bring them all in. Not one of them will walk away alive."
Nova Capital — Shire Science & Design Institute Exhibition Hall
A red-skinned female guide gestured toward a two-meter-tall hologram of a destroyer.
"Honored guest, please allow me to introduce the Starshine III destroyer. Constructed from Vare composite alloys with industrial-grade fortification, it's virtually indestructible. It carries a high-output energy shield, and its main engine—the Starshine Engine, the latest development of our Shire Design Institute—reaches three hundred times the speed of sound in a single second. Absolutely top-tier performance for its price."
The guide kept talking, her voice smooth and practiced, the faint blue glow around her throwing shifting shadows across her face.
Gilgamesh listened in silence, already scoffing inwardly. Accelerating to three hundred times the speed of sound in an instant? That was slower than his own acceleration. Even if the thing eventually managed faster-than-light travel, it still couldn't compare to his flight speed. And this was what they bragged about? Cheap flair at best.
Still, for equipment meant for his subordinates, the performance was acceptable.
"Call your best designer. I have a deal for him."
The guide brightened immediately, assuming she had secured another big commission, and hurried upstairs to report to her superiors.
At that moment, Sagittarius Aiolos stepped forward and spoke quietly. "Sir, the nearby residents and passersby have started slipping away. And the customers in this area… none of them are familiar faces. Something feels off."
Gilgamesh lifted his gaze toward the holographic projection. Now that it was pointed out, the suspicious behavior was obvious. He expanded his divine will, covering the entirety of the Nova capital. With a single sweep of thought, he understood everything.
A thin sneer touched his lips. "There's that old saying—'A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs, a dragon stranded in shallow water is mocked by shrimp.' I didn't expect it to apply to me today. How quaint."
After a brief pause, he glanced at the Saints with total disdain. "Three hundred and twenty Nova ships. Anyone who wants to go, go. Just don't let them ruin my mood."
"Then allow me, sir!" Cancer Deathmask volunteered immediately, grinning with his usual vicious confidence.
Gilgamesh agreed without hesitation.
Right after that, Aries Mu and Taurus Aldebaran stepped forward.
Mu, a handsome man with long bluish-violet hair, carried himself with quiet refinement. His round glasses and composed air contrasted sharply with the massive ram horns on his golden shoulder armor, which lent him an unexpectedly fierce silhouette.
Aldebaran, on the other hand, was a towering brute of a man, close to two meters tall, rugged and imposing, the bull-ring in his nose enhancing his raw, intimidating presence.
Their sudden movement made Deathmask explode instantly. "Hey, hey, hey! There are only three hundred of them! Why are you two stealing my job?"
Aldebaran scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. He got along well with Mu, and had stepped forward mostly because Mu had.
Mu looked at Deathmask calmly. He knew the man was a lunatic and had no desire to cooperate with him, but Mu's strength lay in defense, and Gilgamesh clearly wanted peace and quiet. That made Mu the ideal shield.
As long as he set up a barrier above the dome, anyone who slipped past the others wouldn't even get close.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.