***** [Azalea’s PoV]
The silence that followed the projection felt heavier than before. This time, it was not disbelief.
It was calculation.
I let it settle for a moment, giving them time to process what they had just seen, before continuing.
"As you have seen," I said calmly, "the Grade 4 rifts have already been taken care of."
"What remains," I continued, "are the Grade 3 rifts."
I took a step forward, my gaze steady as I addressed all of them.
"Our forces are now free. Which means they will move to support you in clearing the remaining Grade 3 rifts under your respective territories. As those are closed, more forces will be freed, and those forces will then be redirected."
I paused briefly.
"To eliminate every infestation across the galaxy. This is not just about closing rifts," I added. "This is about ensuring that no such situation rises again. Once we stabilize our galaxy, we will request support and protection from the System itself to prevent the formation of rifts at this scale or frequency."
My voice lowered slightly.
"We finish this... completely."
Each faction began communicating within themselves, weighing risk, cost, and outcome.
It stretched for a few seconds.
Then someone spoke.
"And who," a representative asked, leaning forward slightly, "is going to lead this entire operation?"
The question was a necessary one.
"This will require coordination on a scale we have never attempted before," he continued. "If we are to strike simultaneously, communication and command must be centralized."
A brief pause.
"Will the Nagas be leading this?"
I shook my head.
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Their eyes narrowed.
"Then who?" someone else asked.
I did not hesitate.
"This operation," I said, "will be led by the Order of Absolute."
The reaction was instant. Murmurs spread across the hall, sharper this time, louder, less controlled.
The Feran representative rose from his seat, his expression filled with clear disdain.
"The Order of Absolute?" he scoffed. "They have existed for what, a few days? And you expect us to follow their command in a galaxy-wide operation?"
He stepped forward slightly.
"We will not agree to that."
The words had barely spoken, when a voice cut through the hall.
"Yeah... I thought so."
It echoed from the entrance. Every head turned straight there.
The doors stood open and there stood Ragnar.
He stood at the entrance, towering over everyone present. Taller than before, his frame had grown even larger, now easily nearing nine feet. He wore a loose shirt and pants, his presence raw and unfiltered, and in one hand he held his massive club, its base resting firmly against the floor.
He tilted his head slightly, scanning the room.
Then chuckled.
And took a step forward.
"As Lady Azalea said," he spoke, "we’ll be leading this operation."
Another step.
"And all you need to do... is nod your heads and follow."
His gaze swept across the representatives.
"If you’ve got a problem with that," he added, a faint grin forming, "you can speak up now."
And then it happened.
His aura exploded outward. A wave of pressure surged through the hall, heavy and overwhelming, forcing everyone to feel it. The air itself seemed to tighten as his body began to glow.
Silver.
My eyes widened.
Not just me, even Xeron and Xena rose from their seats instantly.
"A... Saint?" Xeron said, his voice filled with surprise.
The realization spread like wildfire.
The aura was unmistakable. It was same as Billion and Lyrate.
The hall fell into complete shock.
"Ohh Ragnar... did you scare the children in here? This is not how we want our image to be."
The voice echoed lightly, almost playful, yet it carried a weight that silenced even the lingering thoughts in the room.
I didn’t need to see the person. I recognised that voice.
Lyrate.
She floated in from behind Ragnar, her feet hovering just inches above the ground. Her presence was impossible to ignore. A soft silver glow surrounded her, but the pressure it carried was anything but soft. It spread through the hall, pressing down on everyone present, forcing them to feel her existence.
They had already arrived on Kaalseris before everyone else.
The plan had been clear, I would handle the first meeting, establish the ground, and only then would the Order of Absolute step in.
But clearly, they had other plans. And I did not like the fact that Billion had not informed me. Before I could dwell on it further, a bolt of light flashed in the middle of the hall. For a brief instant, the entire space was consumed by it.
When it cleared, Aurora and Ash stood there.
Both glowing silver. The reaction was immediate. Every single person in the hall stood up out of instinct and shock. The pressure was overwhelming now. The aura of the Upper Transcendents was completely crushed, suppressed without resistance. Only the presence of Saints remained, filling the hall with a heavy, undeniable dominance.
My heart began to beat faster.
’All of them... are Saints.’
The realization hit hard. I scanned the hall quickly.
Ragnar. Lyrate. Aurora. Ash.
Knight and Silver were not visible, but I had no doubt about them.
And then there was Billion. Seven Saints within a single organization. A cold thought crossed my mind. If they wanted they could take over Kaalseris right now. Not just Kaalseris. The entire Blue Spiral.
No one here could stop them.
"Sometimes," Aurora spoke, pulling me out of my thoughts, her tone calm, almost amused, "it is good to scare them a little."
She looked across the hall.
"Now," she continued, "I would like all of you to stand for the arrival of Lord Billion... who will preside over this meeting."
Her voice carried through every corner. No one objected to that demand. Every representative, every leader, every powerful being present remained standing.
Even Xeron and Xena.
Then footsteps were heard in the hall. Each step echoed through the hall, cutting through the silence as if it owned it. Lyrate, Aurora, Ragnar, and Ash moved instantly, flashing forward and taking their positions below the pedestal where the throne stood.
Xeron, Xena, and I stepped aside, giving space to the center.
The footsteps continued. Then stopped. Every gaze shifted toward the entrance.
And there, he stood.
Billion.
Dressed in the black robes of the Order of Absolute, handsome as always. There was no aura around him or the silver glow which his friends were giving off.
He looked normal. Like a young man in his early twenties.
But that only made it heavier. He began walking forward slowly. His green-violet tinted eyes scanned every one in the room. The only sound in the hall was the echo of his steps as he moved through the center, passing between rows of beings who could command entire worlds and yet stood silent in his presence.
My breath slowed as he approached the pedestal. The throne stood above it empty. It was the seat of the Matriarch of the Nagas.
I held my breath.
If he sat on it that would not just be a decision. It would be a slap and an insult to us. That would be a declaration. A line crossed that could not be undone. I was sure it would lead to a war between him and us.
He kept walking. The distance closed.
One step.
Then another.
And then he reached the pedestal.