Capítulo 81: Havoc part 1

Another 300 years passed, bringing the total to 600 years since Carter had entered his chrysalis state. Over the centuries, the Sentinels closely observed the movements of the X3X. Their progress was odd—painfully slow, almost suspiciously so. Despite this, they remained vigilant. The sanctuary operated on full alert every day, prepared for a surprise attack. Its unique location in a separate spatial dimension made it an ideal staging ground for their own counter-offensive, should the need arise.

Children of the Void – Training Grounds

Ralak stood at the edge of the training grounds, his arms folded behind his back as he watched Percy collapse to the ground, breathing heavily. The boy's golden wings twitched with exhaustion, his once-vivid lightning dimmed to faint sparks. Across from him, Ralak's battered body double stood tall, showing no sign of weakness despite the battle's intensity.

Percy groaned, wiping sweat from his face. "Jeez, boss, I don't think I'll ever be able to beat this thing."

Ralak chuckled softly from the sidelines. "You'll get there soon, kid. Don't—"

He froze mid-sentence, his smile fading in an instant. Percy frowned, confused by the sudden shift. "Boss? What's wrong?"

Ralak's gaze sharpened, and his voice grew cold. "Kid… it's time. Your gonma need to put what I taught you to use."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Percy started to rise, but before he could say more, Ralak clapped his hands. In an instant, Percy vanished.

Moments later, a celestial knight burst through the doors, panting heavily, his armor slick with sweat. "Sir—"

"I know," Ralak interrupted, his tone grim. "Rally everyone from the faction." Without waiting for a response, he teleported away.

Outside the Sanctuary

A light-year from Carter's solar system, Ralak stood alone, staring into the void. The silence was heavy, oppressive. Slowly, the other Sentinels appeared beside him: Jirak, Zhala, Drenok, Sinith, and Rorak. Their expressions mirrored his—grim and serious.

"About time you all showed up," Ralak muttered, not taking his eyes off the darkness. "Where's Lorna?"

"She's preparing the troops," Jirak replied, his voice low and steady. "Someone has to."

Rorak, folding all four of his massive arms, growled, "How did they get this close without us noticing? Based on the last calculation of there speed and distance, it should've taken them at least another 800 years to reach us."

"They likely teleported." Ralak said, his eyes narrowing. "It's impossible for them to move this fast with the estimated number of ships we suspect—especially relying on machine-manipulated cosmic energy."

Before anyone could reply, Zhala's voice cut through the tension. "Here they come."

At first, the void in front of them seemed unchanged—empty, silent, and vast. Nothing could be seen or heard.

"Hmph. Petty tricks," Ralak sneered, closing his eyes. When he reopened them, they gleamed with a sharp cosmic purple, his pupils thin and blade-like. Drenok's gaze flickered toward him, glaring at him.

Cursed Eyes⛮

An invisible wave of energy rippled outward from Ralak, tearing through the fabric of the illusion. The cloaking veil shattered, revealing the X3X fleet in its entirety. Millions of ships stretched out like an endless machine tide, their numbers blotting out the stars.

And at the forefront, dwarfing even the largest vessels, loomed The Seed—a monstrous warship the size of a planet. Its surface bristled with weaponry, a silent declaration of its destructive purpose.

Zhala folded her arms, her voice cool but tinged with tension. "Well, isn't this something."

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Onboard The Seed (Control room)

"Sir, the blinder has stopped working—they can see us!" a technician reported, his voice filled with urgency.

Governor Trak, sitting in a conference room with three other governors, stared at the display in front of them. His expression hardened. "That wasn't by accident. These beings did this on purpose. And damn, were we right. The cosmic energy readings on them are off the charts. None of them are the Star Eater, but his influence... it runs deep."

"Good thing we brought people who are fitting for these monsters," Governor Shimock added, glancing at the others.

Governor Trak clicked the comm button on his desk. "Send out the stars."

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Ralak and the other Sentinels stood, watching as the enemy fleet halted in their tracks. The tension in the "air" was palpable.

Rorak, who had his spear slung across his back, removed it and began to aim.

"Your guys are taking too long to act. Let me kickstart the action." Rorak's voice was sharp as he prepared to throw his spear.

But before he could, a voice echoed from above.

"You know, people shouldn't take what doesn't belong to them. Where I come from, we call that stealing."

Rorak and the others looked up, their eyes narrowing as nine powerful figures floated above them. The X3X's ten golden stars—well, now just nine.

Rorak shifted his stance, adjusting his grip on the spear. "Oh, you mean this?" He raised the spear, casually. "I just found it on a dead guy's body. Real nice too. I'm one lucky guy."

The one clad entirely in black, riding a black space board—the 7th Star, weaver—clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "This little—"

Hungriv, the enormous purple alien, placed his hand over his chest, glaring coldly at Rorak. "He's mine."

Weaver drifted back, waiting for his moment.

Ralak chuckled, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto Ashira, the one radiating the most overwhelming presence. "Hey, Rorak, since they want their spear back so badly, why don't we just give it to them?"

Rorak turned toward him, a grin spreading across his face. "I was thinking the same thing." He pulled the spear back, two of his arms rotating as his gaze shifted between Weaver and Hungriv. "Since you guys want your spear so badly, how about you… TAKE IT!"

FWOOM!

The spear shot through the "air", spinning wildly as it cut through the cold solar winds, creating a deadly vortex around it. Hungriv moved in, ready to make his move.

KCLINK!

Ashira caught the spear effortlessly, his grip tightening around the weapon. He looked down at the group, his voice filled with disdain. "You think I came all the way here to play games with you clowns? I'm here to kill all of you—especially that fucking Star Eater. Now tell me…" His voice dropped into a growl. "Where the hell is he?"

Ralak clasped his hands behind his back, his smile turning into something more dangerous. He upped his gaze, his eyes cold and unwavering. "I'm afraid you'll have to get through us first."

Ashira spread his arms wide, a mocking smile crossing his face as he looked at the sheer size of the X3X fleet surrounding them. "Look around you," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You and what army?"

Ralak's smiled. "Not just any army," he said, his voice steady with pride. He spread his arms wide, his wings following suit, his voice booming. "My lord's army."

Suddenly, millions of Celestial Knights began to materialize behind him. All fully armed, their weapons shimmering in the dim light of space. Percy stood at the front with for others, leading his own squadron, a fierce look on his face.

They all raised their weapons, their voices unified in a powerful chant. "LONG LIVE THE PRIMORDIAL!"

Ralak's grin stretched further, with a deviish grin as he laughed.