"Nexus... States... Seven of them?" Some of the faint-hearted young soldiers instinctively stepped back, their faces paling as their breathing grew shallow. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The term Nexus State was no longer something unheard of within the True Beginning Empire—not like in the past, when Helen had first appeared and many truly believed the sky itself was shattering above their heads. Even so, those two words still carried an almost sacred weight. They remained a symbol of absolute, overwhelming power, for the Empire had yet to give birth to any existence that surpassed that realm.

And now—seven Crimson Plague individuals at the level of a Nexus State were chasing Hero Leosar at this very moment?

Whoosh Whoosh

The seven began to close in on Leosar from multiple directions, coordinating their movements with terrifying precision. They surged after him at blistering speeds—so fast that the naked eye could perceive nothing but crimson streaks of light slicing through the sky like burning scars.

One of them reshaped one arm into a bow and the other into a living arrow, its body twisting unnaturally as it took aim. Another expelled a vast quantity of blood that swirled around him like a storm cloud; moments later, he manifested eight arms and two heads, his silhouette growing grotesque and monstrous. The remaining Nexus States followed suit, each revealing their own warped combat forms—every single one clearly preparing for what they believed would be the decisive, final battle.

But then—

Whoosh.

All of them vanished beyond the horizon in an instant. Their presence disappeared so completely that nothing at all could be seen from that direction anymore.

"Th-this is dangerous!" one of the soldiers shouted, panic creeping into his voice. "We need to find reinforcements—if this keeps up, they’ll kill the Hero!"

"Kill Guardian Leosar?" their Attendant shook his head, letting out a calm, almost amused laugh. "The Guardian who personally swore loyalty before His Majesty himself won’t fall that easily. Not now. Not ever."

"Eh?"

"He... he met His Majesty personally?"

"No wonder..."

In that moment, something inside the young soldiers shifted. Their view of Leosar—and of the entire battlefield—changed into unshakable confidence, a certainty that victory was inevitable.

"If there’s anyone we should truly be worried about..." the Attendant said, pointing calmly in a distant direction, "...it’s them."

"Hm?" The youths narrowed their eyes, straining their vision.

From that distance, they couldn’t make out any clear shapes, but what they could hear was unmistakable: the deafening roar of explosions, the thunderous collapse of mountains, and shockwaves that rippled faintly through the ground beneath their feet. There was no doubt about it—a colossal battle was unfolding over there.

"Over there," the Attendant continued, his brows knitting slightly, "the World Cataclysms and Nexus States hired by the Lady of the Academy from various sector powers are fighting together to eliminate the Plague Kings. Our numbers are roughly half of the enemy’s, but Lady Morgana spared absolutely no expense—equipment, formations, arrays, everything was prepared to perfection. I sincerely doubt that a single Plague entity will manage to escape today after this comprehensive purge."

"This..." The young soldiers looked around, their expressions filled with awe and disbelief.

"So this is what... Plague wars are really like?"

"This is horrifying... far bloodier than regular army warfare..."

"After training ends... will we be joining battles like this?"

"Haha!" The Attendant laughed loudly, shaking his head with clear amusement. "You think this is bloody? Right now, we’re fighting the largest Plague nest in the entire sector, and the fastest-evolving one at that. And yet I can guarantee you—fewer than a hundred infantry soldiers and Drako riders will die today. On our side, no more than two World Cataclysms will fall."

"By contrast, if you were to read records from other academies, a battle of this scale would normally require the sacrifice of nine to ten million soldiers on average, and perhaps twenty to twenty-five high-level experts—World Cataclysms and Nexus States alike—just to erase it. More often than not, planets like this are simply abandoned, sealed off, and left as breeding grounds for the Plague."

Then he looked back at them with that same slightly mocking, knowing smile.

"Second—you didn’t join this army. You’re here to replace it entirely."

"W-what?!"

"You’ve got to be joking!"

"This is His Majesty’s plan," the Attendant said, his brows drawing together sharply. "Did you really think we were giving you the finest equipment and the most brutal, optimized training environments just so you could fight the same low-level Plague trash you faced earlier? Everything you’re receiving now is to prepare you to replace everyone you see on this battlefield—except Guardian Leosar, of course."

He continued in a firm, unwavering tone.

"You—and your comrades across the other units—have less than fifty years to take the place of every ground force soldier and every Drako rider standing here today."

"And as for replacing the World Cataclysms and Nexus States..." He clasped his hands behind his back, gazing calmly toward the distant chaos.

"That problem—we’ll leave for His Majesty to solve."

-----------------

Inside the Holy Covenant Academy—

Knock Knock

Someone lightly tapped on the door of the Academy Lady’s office.

"Apologies for interrupting your meeting, my lady."

"Hm?" Morgana raised one eyebrow slightly. "Clarssin, come in."

"Excuse me," a young girl said as she opened the door and stepped inside. "There’s a report regarding the Peacekeeping Forces’ mission on Alkhon-7."

"Has the battle ended?" Morgana asked calmly, already knowing the answer before it was spoken.

"No," Clarssin replied as she presented a scroll with both hands. "They may require additional support very soon."

"Hm?" Morgana extended her hand and accepted the scroll from the girl, then began reading in silence. Her expression gradually hardened, her brows knitting tighter with each passing line.

Only after a full minute did she place the scroll down on her desk and stare off into the distance.

"Dozens of Nexus States and hundreds of World Cataclysms... What exactly was happening on that planet? They didn’t even have time to fully invade it—so how did they reach such overwhelming power?"

"What are your orders, my lady?" the girl asked, bowing slightly.

Morgana paused, deep in thought. After a brief moment, she nodded firmly, having reached a decision.

"...Send the Royal Soul Master Adrian and his squad. Their priority is to reduce casualties among our ranks."

"At once." Clarssin bowed again, then swiftly left to carry out the command.

"It seems you’re quite busy today..." A female voice spoke from across Morgana’s desk.

"Oh." Morgana suddenly remembered she was still wearing her stern expression. She smiled at once.

"It’s merely a minor issue involving a plague hotspot—nothing impossible. Once the first batch of Royal Soul Master who graduated from our academy arrives, it should be resolved without much difficulty."

Her gaze drifted away again, this time tinged with faint concern. "I simply don’t understand why it escalated to the point of summoning them..."

She quickly turned back with a gentle smile.

"Responsibilities never truly end, my dear. You know that well."

"Hehe~ I do." The female voice sighed softly. "More than anyone else, I’d say..." Then her tone shifted slightly.

"Perhaps I should visit you at a less crowded time? I wouldn’t want to be a burden."

"What are you talking about?" Morgana stood up, walked around her desk, and then sat down across from her guest.

"I’ve heard a great deal about you and dealt with you from afar many times, but this is our first true meeting. You’re not leaving so easily, Lady of the Headquarters, hehe."

"..."

Across from her, Emily smiled in relief, the weariness in her eyes easing just a little.

"Thank you."