Nova Empire — Nova Legion Command Center.
A suffocating silence loomed over the room. Every officer stared at the holographic display, their faces pale as ash. The battlefield shown on-screen had been reduced to drifting wreckage and scattered firestorms.
One man had destroyed over three hundred Nova Legion warships. Was this the true terror of a magical civilization?
"Supreme One… should we fight or negotiate?"
A centurion finally broke the silence, his trembling voice snapping the others out of their paralysis.
The question hit everyone at once: faced with such a monster, should the Nova Empire fight—or make peace?
All eyes moved to Adora. She drew a steady breath, her expression firm.
She could withdraw now, but doing so would plunge the empire into chaos. A loss of this scale demanded explanation. If the Nova Legion's authority collapsed, how could they maintain their standing in the interstellar community?
"The Nova Legion fears no challenge. My decision is exactly what you all expect: we fight to the end!"
Her voice thundered through the command center. "Everyone here knows the Nova Empire is the largest power in the Andromeda Galaxy. Three hundred and twenty warships? We could lose three million—thirty million—and still stand!
We have never bowed to the mighty Kree Empire. Do you think thirteen people will make us yield?
Tell me—will we back down?!"
"No!!" The answer erupted like a tidal wave. "The Nova Legion fears nothing!"
It had to be acknowledged: Adora truly was a leader. With a single declaration from the Nova Supreme, the entire room ignited with renewed morale.
"Analyze that energy signature again—pin down the enemy's exact capabilities!"
"Place the Third and Fourth Nova Battalions on standby above Nova Gorge outside the capital!"
"Select a new battlefield! Have the Security Bureau begin evacuating nearby civilians immediately!"
Orders flew with precision. Officers scrambled into motion.
Then—suddenly—a burst of golden light flared in the center of the command room. It glowed brilliantly, then vanished, leaving behind a single figure.
A man clad in ornate ram-themed armor stood where nothing had been a moment before.
Round, rimless glasses framed his calm features, giving him the air of a scholar rather than a warrior.
Everyone stiffened.
It was one of the thirteen invaders—the Gold Saint of Aries: Mu.
The moment he appeared, he spoke in a quiet, serene voice. "I advise you not to continue your rash actions. They will bring only despair and destruction.
Believe me—Lord Gilgamesh's power is far beyond what your empire can withstand."
His voice was steady as still water, emotionless yet strangely persuasive. The room fell silent, many forgetting to even call for guards.
Adora stepped forward, parting her officers with quiet dignity. Her expression remained composed, untouched by his sudden arrival.
"This is the courage of a Gold Saint? Walking into the heart of enemy territory alone?"
She lifted her chin, fixing him with a steady gaze. "State your purpose, Saint. If you've come to sue for peace, at least act like you mean it."
Mu met her eyes, calm and unshaken. "I believe you misunderstand. As a Saint serving my lord, everything I do reflects upon him. I have not come to beg for peace—I've come to offer you the chance to cease hostilities of your own will."
"Voluntarily cease hostilities? That's surrender." Adora and every officer in the room stared at him as if he had lost all sense.
Surrender to thirteen people?
Who did he think he was?
"A country bumpkin calling himself a god, and he actually believes it?" Adora's lips curled in disbelief. "Do you even understand the scale of the Nova Empire? This planet alone holds hundreds of billions of citizens. With a single order, I can summon hundreds of thousands of warships—not to mention our colonies across dozens of worlds!
You think destroying three hundred ships is impressive?
You think calling yourself a god in some backwater makes you one?
You think you can cling to your so-called glory now that you've left Asgard?"
The three consecutive "you think" perfectly showcased the arrogance and overconfidence of the Nova Empire.
Mu was left speechless. He wanted to tell her, "Gilgamesh is a terrifying being who can erase a planet with a single strike, but judging from your expression, you clearly don't believe that."
"In that case, I accept your challenge on behalf of my master!"
A rare flicker of anger surfaced in Mu's usually calm eyes. He had offered advice in good faith, only to be met with cold mockery. Even his gentle temperament couldn't suppress the irritation rising within him. There's a reason the saying goes: A thousand cups are too few when drinking with someone who understands you, but half a sentence is too much with someone who doesn't.
Adora had grown equally disinterested. She simply turned, waved a hand, and dismissed him. "No need to see me off."
Mu shook his head in disappointment. He pivoted, took a single step, and vanished from the command room.
Xiaer Science Research Institute, Exhibition Hall.
By now, the green-skinned goblin had drafted several warship designs with the help of the intelligent computer, but none met Gilgamesh's expectations.
"This model looks outdated. Redesign it."
"This one is obviously too bulky. Doesn't suit me."
"This one is decent, but the rear thruster is oversized. Keep revising."
As he worked, Charles wiped sweat from his forehead. He could tell the man before him had impossibly strict aesthetic standards—borderline obsessive. Satisfying him would be a nightmare. Still, decades of design work had hardened him to pickiness. Picky clients were fine. Clients who didn't pay were the real problem.
By the time Aries returned via teleportation, Deathmask and Aldebaran were already back, having clearly wrapped up their respective tasks.
The moment Mu appeared, he dropped to one knee, his posture steeped in guilt. "The Nova Corps has chosen full-scale war. I failed to dissuade them. My incompetence shames me."
Gilgamesh finally tore his gaze from the holographic models and turned to him, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Silly Mu. Not every kindness earns gratitude. Those who spit on goodwill deserve annihilation—only then can we rest easy."
With a casual wave, an unseen force lifted Aries to his feet. Gilgamesh crossed his arms, voice dripping with arrogance. "The Nova Legion—and their so-called Nova Empire—are merely our first stepping stone into the interstellar stage. Our first step toward glory, but by no means our last. The road of the powerful is never without challengers."
"And what we must do… is crush them into dust." Gilgamesh extended his hand and slowly clenched it, as though the fate of Xandar rested in his grasp.
His arrogance drew no objections from anyone—except Charles.
For every Saint in the room believed, without hesitation, that their god was omnipotent.
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