[ A week after the Battle of Kobaji ]

  Koj-Dagan. A beautiful planet that is home to many exotic creatures and rich minerals, that’s right, a world to escape on for the wealthy.

  Armada Capital is high-class central, tons of powerful people go in and out in the city and as for one individual, a Politician whose vacation will soon come to an abrupt end...

  “Going Once! Going Twice!.. SOLD!”

  One of Armada’s specialties for well-spent wealth; auctions. This was a ship auctioning, where bidders can bid for expensive ships or retired military ships.

  “Oh boy! I was sincerely worried that I wouldn’t be able get ahold of that one, but two million Quants isn’t so bad.”

  The typical plus-sized bald businessman who would be, of course, accompanied by Koj-Dagan’s finest Misses out there. It was a usual trend for this capital but if the currency is spent, nobody would seemingly care.

  All being said, this businessman was also accompanied by no other than Merviogogan Zentorrio, a politician who vouches for the side of the Soul-Core as he was once an Enforcer for that army.

  “Two Million Quants for such a puny ship, I figure you would’ve had better taste than that.”

  Mervio showed concern for such poor spending choices.

  Mervio had a considerable amount of wealth, most of which came from a stock market of trades before getting into politics, they say someone like him lacked the ability to waver toward new things.

  “Starting at the price of 3.5 million for the Vulcan-X-80 3R.” The auctioneer now listed a freshly retired Super-Stealth Fighter from the days of King Kytron. The room grew with stiff banter, even for the rich, a ship like this is nearly impossible to acquire and seeing the starting price at a considerable low amount, it made an enticing offer for everyone in that room however this is simply how auctions work; start low, end high.

  “4 million!”

  “4 million, going once, goin-“

  “4.5 million!”

  “4.5 million, going once, going twice.”

  “5 million!”

  The bids came in as expected and of course the price was climbing. Unexpectedly though, Mervio finally stood up to make his bid offering, serving once in the army, this brought him back and would make an excellent addition to his ship collection.

  “I’ll make my offer- Ten million quants!”

  The crowd jolted their heads at Mervio, like birds to a bag of seeds.

  On this world, you could spare the million, but you couldn’t simply spare ten million just like that, especially on a high-class ship.

  Mervio himself thought to be ridiculous yet without hesitation, currency well-spent. Could this be Armada’s biggest spender as of today?

  “Ten million, going once, going twice. SOLD!”

  Even so, his wealth doesn’t come close to that of Evtoria Mugen, but he is ruthless nonetheless, not because of his expenses but because of Merviogogan’s past and his fair share of hits on Dark Intrinium is why today Armada will live through an unforgiveable event.

  -

  Emerging from the atmosphere were five stealth ships, each which had the U.O.K symbol, what business would Armada warrant the presence of U.O.K?

  The five ships descended to touch ground on Koj-Dagan’s vast forest, the forest lands of Koj-Dagan were large and sometimes housed jungle villages in certain parts but over the years, Armada’s expansion sized down the forest quite a bit and have border perimeters that would prevent any unauthorized foreigners from entering.

  Essentially the forest lands are unoccupied only yet, it is being occupied by several exotic creatures.

  “Wow… the largest forest I’ve ever seen.” Satono blurt out over the comms, her being in that ship formation.

  “That’s Koj-Dagan for you, but I wouldn’t be too shocked about it.

  This entire area is hell to go through when I last did my research. We have got a lot of ground we’ll need to cover.” Aria took the lead and found a good spot for them to land.

  “Be wary once we begin moving, we are not the only ones occupying this forest. We may come across large, vicious creatures. None of you should have any trouble however but in the event of an emergency, exercise upmost caution.”

  The five landed their ships in an opening field unobstructed by trees, having two new faces step out: Satono Eria’s first ‘actual’ mission for the U.o.K and Avu Fujimara’s first mission in a while.

  “Hmm- if there is one thing I already hate, it’s trees that are just as long as the damn Eria Tower.” Heios looked at a tree, scoffing at its comical size.

  “I’m sure all of you know the mission at hand but in case you need a quick debriefing. There is a hit on a man named Merviogogan Zentorrio.”

  Avu provided quick instructions, but that name struck an annoyance in those that have been in the U.o.K for a long time.

  “Merviogogan, of course.” Jasper already knew the mess this would result in.

  “Yeah so- anyone want to tell me who the hell this man is?” Satono being the newest member had obvious questions to ask.

  “Merviogogan is a politician who supports the Soul-Core, what makes him a pain in the ass is that he has been vouching for cutting any supply chains that go through the eastern route of the Milky Way, the main route that Dark Intrinium uses.” Aria explained to Satono.

  “I see now- so we just want him dead, right?” Satono gave a light-hearted expression, is death something she was always used to?

  “By taking him out, that route will be permanently secured for Dark Intrinium. Lord Veyron had also given us another set of orders...” Avu turned and faced away from them.

  Jasper, Heios, Aria and Satono faced their heads at Avu. They were only briefed that Merviogogan was to be taken out and that’s it. Was Avu receiving specific orders that only he could do?

  “Conquer Armada.” Avu could see the capital miles ahead. The jungle stood silent around them. The mission had become much more than just a political hit.

  What stood better for Avu is that he is one of Dark Intrinium’s forerunners when it comes to taking over territory, Lord Veyron strictly appoints him to such a duty.

  While the U.o.K have a powerful unity to get any work done, The First Follower was once a student of a former Prime Berserker, a special unit that fled into the shadows of every tell-tale story.

  “Well alright- my guts were telling me that today was going to be a great day.” Heios cracked his knuckles, ready to make a bloodbath of the place.

  “Be honest, brother, how much time do we have? I noticed on the way here we trespassed several perimeters, will Soul-Core be on to us?” Aria grew concerned, she had a keen ability to notice small details, but this went without saying that Avu knew this as well.

  Soul-Core has control over the space around Koj-Dagan, though not directly having territory on the world, under given clauses – Soul-Core will provide protection and security in case of an emergency, hence, the given borders set up around the planet.

  To the U.O.K’s favor, their stealth ships have designated coating that allows them to physically appear invisible however, they can still be detected under given circumstances.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “They will, that’s why I am here. Lord Veyron demands this mission be completed without failure. Your duties are to take out Merviogogan and bring Armada to its knees. I’ll ensure that not even Soul-Core will get in the way.”

  He seemed so confident, Avu, a Soul-Wielder of Fundamental power, but that isn’t what made him seem cunning. His tone and demeanor were enough to tell anybody that he was no ‘ranker’.

  “Ahah- okay well we will leave that to you, boss!” Giving an optimistic response, Satono was excited about how this would play out.

  “Given how far we landed, it could take up to an hour to reach Armada. Follow this map.” Avu had a holo-map that led straight toward the capital.

  “An hour? I could make that in just ten seconds.” Heios stretched out his legs, seems like he was getting ready to charge his way on over, but he would shortly be interrupted by Jasper.

  “Ho-ho! Not so fast, Heios! I know you like being an impulsive little brute but you don’t wanna risk getting your Soul-Aura revealed. Gotta keep our presence to a minimum.”

  “Tsk- whatever.”

  “Say, let’s get moving now.” Aria took the lead and started treading, everyone soon followed.

  Avu fell behind, he stopped to look up at the sky.

  .:. Maybe they are coming sooner than I expected… .:. He felt many presences, which means they were falling behind in time already...

  -

  A Soul-Core ship was setting course to Koj-Dagan, much sooner than expected. This ship was owned by the Star Gazers Squad (S.G.S).

  “Blehh- another lame copy. I despise pay-to-win garbage sometimes!” Nanasu was playing on her handheld entertainment system, all while Mikael was researching the life on Koj-Dagan and the Armada Capital.

  “Captain, you said that our border patrol spotted potential Dark Intrinium presence on Koj-Dagan?”

  Mikael was sure to reevaluate the situation to better prepare himself.

  “Not potential and not Dark Intrinium. It is certain that this is the involvement of the U.O.K. My gut is telling me so.”

  Captain Claude Magami was piloting the ship, pulling out toward the border ring of Koj-Dagan.

  “Last time we went with your gut, we almost got eaten alive by a huge larva monster down toward Sykar.”

  Nanasu found Claude to be a bit half-brained when it came to many things, but he is a captain for a given reason, so she chose to respect that of him, nonetheless.

  “We make mistakes- hehh!” Claude responded jokingly, “We are here.”

  The ship exited from lightspeed, they know were met with a giant green, Earth-like planet. “Wowie, must be a nice place to live.” Nanasu pointed out.

  “I did some research, Armada is not only a huge capital but it’s also one of the wealthiest capitals in the eastern territory – that being said, we should also acknowledge the wildlife this planet has so we should be cautious.” Mikael appointed his findings to his comrades. Claude began to descend the ship down toward the surface of Koj-Dagan.

  “Armada is up ahead, I wonder if the U.O.K already beat us to there.” Nanasu looked out at the front windshield.

  “Maybe not, otherwise they would be signaling for help at this very moment. We’ll stop them before they even reach Armada!” Claude gave a light-hearted response.

  ..

  .

  -

  As the five followers make their way through the jungle, Avu stopped yet again and turned to look toward the sky. That’s when he noticed: The Star Gazer Squad had arrived a lot sooner than he expected.

  “They are here.”

  The four responded quickly, jolting their heads back at Avu, “So soon?? I thought our timing was on point.” Satono pointed out.

  Avu had spotted their ship right through the trees, the vision of an eagle. Holding his right hand, he would call upon his soul – manifesting a long, odachi-like sword.

  .:. Holy shit, he is a weapon-type...? .:.

  Satono gave a surprised look at what she saw.

  “Hmph-.” Avu swung, releasing a lethal soul-blast straight out of his weapon. The air pressure built around it made it a slicing move.

  Contacting with the S.G.S Ship and blowing apart its main engine.

  Satono watched, witnessing the First Follower.

  .:. I have heard stories of this man – rarely ever seen in combat but each story had a consistent following that he is a huge deal. The Xenium Rush battle, and the Iron Wall incident. There was something about Avu Fujimara that made him a fierce force, I’ve heard a rumor that his mentor wasn’t even a Soul-Wielder… so how did he get so strong? .:.

  ..

  .

  “Shit shit shit… SHIT! CAPTAIN, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!?” The ship was in free-fall after the main engine blew out by an outside force. Nanasu was forced to hold onto something else rather than her handheld.

  “Looks like we were hit!!” Claude was trying to gain control of the ship, but all systems were failing catastrophically.

  “I think we already knew that- CAPTAIN! ERG-“ Mikael was thrown around the hull of the ship.

  “We are going to have to make a crash-landing! BRACE YOURSELVES!”

  -

  The Followers watched as the ship dipped into the forest with smoke blistering the sky with nothing but a black mist.

  “Change of plans, Aria and Satono, come with me. Heios and Jasper move quickly to the Armada Capital- if we ignore this situation, Soul-Core will be onto us in no time.”

  Avu commanded.

  “Alright, our location has been compromised anyway so let’s speed this up, Jasper.” Heios began his full-force sprinting.

  “Uh- hey wait! I am not as fast as you are!” Jasper loosely followed behind.

  Satono, Aria and Avu made their way to the crash-site.

  What was today going to be made? It was a mission for the Followers to tackle and get it over with but to be intercepted so soon by Soul-Core is nothing sort of irritation on Avu’s mind. One thing to note is that today will mark the day the U.O.K and S.G.S become rivals.

  “Say- was that big sword your Soul-Spec, boss?” Satono was waiting to ask.

  “The name of it is Strife-X.” Avu answered, Strife-X was the name of his sword and perhaps his Soul.

  “Ohh- wait it has an ‘X’ in the name, does that mean yours is a constant releasing sword?” Satono seemed surprised but she would have never guessed that Avu was a Weapon-Type, considering his stature and behavior, he looked more of a Power-Type to her.

  “No, despite its name, Avu doesn’t use his weapon a lot since he isn’t in battle often, so the constant release diminished overtime… but that doesn’t mean he grew weak because of it. It just shows that Avu learned combat even without his weapon.”

  Aria answered for him.

  “You can learn a lot from the Soul if you don’t limit yourself to what you were given.” This was all Avu had to say to tell Satono what kind of man he exactly was.

  .:. Wow… he really did earn his spot in this empire… .:. Satono thought.

  -

  Claude caught a breath of fresh air after smashing the ship into the jungle and now are left stranded with two of his comrades.

  “The air is so nice here!” The captain brushed himself off small debris, looking at the birds on the tree – this planet wasn’t that far off from Earth after all.

  “Hh- not even 10 minutes into our mission and I already have a headache.” Nanasu held her head, she didn’t take the crash very well.

  “Damnit Captain! What are we going to do now?!”

  “Welllll- we should get moving! I can sense Armada isn’t that far from here.” Claude grabbed a stick and drew an arrow on the dirt pointing at the direction the Armada Capital is at.

  “I’ve managed to get ahold of Central; they will be sending out a transporting ship soon.” Mikael salvaged a piece of equipment from the ship that was still surprisingly functioning.

  “Great! Let us move then!” Claude began to walk with Nanasu and Mikael soon after trailing behind.

  “I heard that the jungle consists of a lot of wildlife, some consider exotic and/or lethal! I think Koj-Dagan is a wonderful place so we should try the best we can to not make a mess of it!” Claude exclaimed, full of hope on his face.

  “Captain seems like he is got it all figured out – I’m surprised he hasn’t suggested anything stupid yet.” Nanasu said to Mikael,

  “Lately he has been like that, I guess since the attack on Testharia he has been carefully judging the situations he is in now.” Mikael responded.

  Claude stopped for a moment, his senses fired up spontaneously.

  “NANASU!” Claude shoved Nanasu to the side – shortly after he was slashed in the shoulder by a sword, slamming into a tree.

  “GH-“

  “EH- CAPTAIN-“ Nanasu and Mikael were immediately on guard.

  The trees and bushes offered a lot of shielding for anyone who does not want to be seen. The jungle can be terrifying when someone uses the environment to their advantage, though Captain Magami still managed to respond just in time.

  “Hm- who’s there?! Show yourself!” Claude stood up, ignoring his wound.

  “So the Soul-Core has sent the three of you idiots... you were the presence I felt on Testharia which is how you were spotted so easily.”

  The Second Follower, Aria Fujimara was the first to respond to their presence, standing on the branch of a tree, she was as nimble as a cat.

  Aria called for her weapon, having it materialized right before them.

  “You’ve made the wrong choice of intercepting our mission thinking we wouldn’t do anything about it. Soul-Core has dipped their noses in enough, Testharia was never yours to ally with, Veyronia and Dark Intrinium’s history with Testharia could date further than Soul-Core ever could. So, I suggest you turn around and get lost!”

  She pointed her weapon at them, expecting the Star Gazer Squad to retreat.

  “We are here for a purpose. Our exact mission was to stop you; it is you who should retreat. The U.O.K are not welcome on this world!”

  Mikael exclaimed, turning over Aria’s words. He then called onto his weapon, manifesting a fierce Doru Spear.

  “Fine, just don’t forget that I was kind enough to warn you. Mr. Asger.”

  “!”

  .:. Where did she- .:. Mikael lost sight of her, she had just vanished right in front of them.

  “You were so easy-going anyway.” Aria vanish-stepped behind Mikael, angling her sword for a lethal back-stab.

  …!

  “Huh-“

  Her blade was stopped and gripped away by Claude. He moved just in time to stop Mikael from getting struck.

  “If you are going to stab someone – then stab me.” He elbowed Aria right in the nose.

  Aria couldn’t even respond, she was stunned by the counter.

  “Hmph!” Claude gripped her blade harder, picking Aria up with her sword and tossing her into a tree.

  “Oof-“ She began bleeding from her nose, all the talk only to be met by Claude Magami’s strength.

  .:. Amazing- when Captain does stuff like this it makes me forget how stupid he really is. His reaction time, his technique. There is a given why he is a captain. Soul-Core made the right decision on sending him out here. .:.

  Nanasu got into stance, having been motivated by Claude’s action.

  “Are you alright, Mikael?” Claude checked up on Asger.

  “Yes Captain- thank you.” Mikael stood nervous for a moment, he felt disappointed that he hadn’t anticipated such a thing, but he took that into account for next time.

  “-So, lady, where are the others?” Magami tried to get Aria to talk but she clearly isn’t stupid unlike him.

  “Yeah right- it isn’t that simple. Captain.” She wiped the blood off her nose.

  “Hmmm. Well, I don’t want to do this the hard way- I already feel bad enough laying my hands on a woman, it isn’t very polite.” Claude said.

  “Tsk- I am NOT just some woman, and you were fine giving me a bloody nose! Seriously despise men like you..”

  Aria felt annoyed at Claude’s comment, she is at war for a reason, she is expected to be taken seriously.

  “In that case have a little more respect! Where are the others?!” Magami couldn’t waste any more time.

  ..

  .

  A tall-man stepped in between the two

  Avu Fujimara.