New Game+

Lara was lost in her own world.

Those words were just too precious. Unknowingly, Seeker just declared the one thing she longed to hear. Even Lara didn't know that she wanted it.

"A covenant?"

"Yeah. When I joined the Covenant of the Strongest, I got a lecture from Arthur. He explained why they named their group of the Covenant of the Strongest. The Covenant is riding in a certain philosophy. Being the Strongest for them isn't just a matter of being victorious. They do aim to be victorious and have amassed numerous victories even outnumbering Git Godlike. But their belief in that they are the strongest is found in that Covenant. Whether or not they win or if they lose, they are still the strongest. I like that idea."

"Sounds very stressful. Aren't you going to be some sort of martyr who'd be dying for another person?" Lara teased.

"It isn't actually. First of all, is that person worth dying for? If I find that a girl is worth dying for and fighting for, I'd go for it." Seeker laughed.

"I thought you Pangean's have that you do you, find yourself, build your career view in love?"

"Well, compared to your helpless romantics in the EAA, we are." Seeker giggled.

"But think about it? Why do celebrity relationships fail? Do you really believe it's about compatibility? We've heard it over a thousand times from those failed relationships. They would say that their relationship didn't work out. What does that, work out, even mean?"

Lara gave a deep though.

"Well isn't it because these two just couldn't make the relationship work? They were in two different places, they had other priorities, they realized they were not meant for each other."

"Yeah. I call bull. What I believe is that these two people didn't need each other. Each was independent, successful, growing and perfectly capable on their own. If they introduced another person in their life, their success becomes their downfall. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Then what does that have to do with being in a Covenant? That doesn't seem to have the power to protect whatever relationships. Let's say even if I do say yes, what's going to stop us from falling into those same pitfalls? You have your career and I have my family! Wouldn't those things keep each other apart?"

Seeker simply smiled.

"That's why I used the Covenant of the Strongest as an example. You see, the Covenant cannot survive as an individual. Even when Arthur was the leader, and before I got to join them, they have this philosophy, that they will only be the strongest, even if they lost, as long as they are together. They need each other to be strong. That's why they formed a Covenant. It's a way of telling themselves, that they need each other. A covenant like that, where both parties really and literally need each other, is perfect for a relationship."

"Need each other?" Lara wondered at the mystery of that clause.

"Right. I want to enter a covenant with you. It will be hard, difficult and challenging. You have to spend time with me and be by my side to the point that I will need you. You have to become a vital piece in the cogs of my soul, you'll have to reside in the partitions of my heart and become the color of my life. I have to come to the point of vulnerability and openness to you, where you become the priority. And in the same way, you have to allow me that same opportunity. Once we reach that point of needing each other, then all mistakes are forgivable."

Lara maintained her silence at those daring words.

"The reason why I'm attracted to you… is because you are imperfect… just as I am. In that imperfection, there will arise a need. If you can never become perfect without me, then maybe at that moment, would you need me." Seeker smiled.

Lara's smile bloomed beautifully.

Even when Seeker knew it would come, his heart was somehow pierced through.

"Alright. What an interesting proposal. I'd like to try that. The Covenant of the Strongest, huh? Looks like I won't just be a Casual from now on." Lara smiled and immediately turned around and started walked away.

"The process begins now. I've brought you here and so our time together has come to an end. See you tomorrow, Seeker." Lara gave a quick wave before continuing on her walk.

Seeker couldn't help but smile.

"See you, Lara! Oh, and call me Zeek!" Seeker laughed as he continued to look at the departing figure that disappeared at the corner.

At that moment, several Adult Seeker's appeared where Lara was. It was even a mystery how he managed to do that, and one by one, each held out and revealed their rating in a scorecard that they somehow carried in their person.

10

9

10

10

6

Seeker was so surprised that he actually blanked out.

"Veil Cruz would be so proud." One of the Adult Seeker applauded.

"Shut up! And what's with the six?"

"Oh. Don't bother with him. That's Greg. He's a bit of critic."

"Who's Greg?" Seeker called out but no one replied as the figures vanished.

"Don't tell me there's more of them?!" Seeker moaned as he walked back towards the military base.

"Wait a minute. How can you meet with her tomorrow? You're already scheduled for China." An Adult voice resounded.

Seeker stopped his walk and had an ugly expression.

Seeker thought for a bit and immediately dialed a number.

"Seeker? How was the mission?" Harker asked.

"You can count it as a success…But hey, listen. Can you shoot a rocket-propelled grenade or something to school tomorrow?"

"Can I… what?"

…

While Harker was confused as to Seeker's request, inside the home of Pastor Eagle, was a smiling, refreshed Chris who had an apparent bulge in his eyes. Right next to him was his wife. Tea was being served by a rather blooming beauty who had a very modest appearance. Yet her bearing would leave people stunned and amazed.

"Shall I pour you two some tea?" The lady asked.

"Yes please, Mrs. Eagle," Grace responded with a kind smile.

"Apologies for the relocation, friends. But that office is a place where I have used my Path several times now. And because of that, it has become an unusual place. My Path seemed to have rubbed on to that area."

"Your Path?"

"You've seen what I can do. What do you think the root of my Path is?"

"Those chairs… It's not just being able to convince someone, is it?" Chris smiled.

"Correct, Mister Carlean. The fact that you felt my Path approaching is a mystery in itself. Yet you did."

"It was almost instinctive for me. I've always had this knack of understanding things. It has aided me in the Force and kept me alive even against strong foes."

Grace smiled. The number of times his husband's decisive calls had saved her and even the entire Force or America was over fifteen times already. She believed that her husband has this Skill.

"I see. So it's a Path similar, but different to Richie's Path. As for my Path, the reason why I felt it strange that you felt it, is because you always felt this force being applied to you and didn't mind it. All of a sudden, even though my Path should have been masked with that force applied, you still sensed it."

"What force?" Grace was the one who asked yet even Chris frowned.

"Gravity. That's my Path." Eagle smiled.

A sudden pull was felt like the couch that Chris and Grace sat on slowly moved towards Eagle.

"Gra-gravity?!" Chris was so shocked.

"Yes. Anything else is an offshoot of my Path. The reason why people become convinced of what I say is that they are drawn to me. The problem is, I broke through in becoming the Advent and perhaps the Proficient stage when I was in that office, studying the Word of God. In this respect, I broke through just like Lennox or Arthur. I am a Selective Unlocked."

"You're the third guy that my son talked about!" Grace recalled one of Seeker's many discussions.

"Indeed I am. But because of that, my office has become some sort of a natural domain for me. In short, if you stay there, the more my Path will affect you. That's why I had to move you out. This is, of course, a show of my sincerity in keeping with my promise least you would end up trying to convince Seeker and his peers to do what I am planning to do." Eagle smiled.

"What are you planning to do, Pastor?" Chris asked with anticipation.

"What I've always been doing. Spreading the Word of God. As such, I need the countries that we currently have a level of control over to prioritize and even support the evangelical movements the churches across the world have. That should become a priority. The second is, but only if possible, is to make these churches within these countries partner with my ministry. That will make it easier to spread it."

"I see. You want to spread the Gospel to increase awareness of the church."

"Right. Seeker plans to bring things back to the age of theology, then the churches must be given power."

"So does that mean that my son should stop putting efforts into starting a Continental war?"

"At most, he has to delay it. But I'm confident that if the doors of Frontier Missions are opened once more, it wouldn't take long. I just need to get faithful ministers of the Word of God into these countries and it should be enough."

"Just delay it? Pastor. I am thoroughly convinced of my son's capability as you have pointed it out. But is a war going to be a good answer? Doesn't it bother you, a man of God, for the many sins that my son is doing? I mean, that's a lot of killing."

"The Bible isn't actually talking about simply killing. We find that in unity and as explained by Jesus in the New Testament that if you have insulted your brother, you have already committed murder. Meaning if you kill out of selfishness, just as you would when you lie, steal, covet, commit adultery, or dishonor your parents, the kill that the ten commandments talk about is to kill due to selfishness or anger. Which is why the issue being not the act of killing but the reason for killing. It would be very contradictory if God ordered us not to kill, yet has ordered the Israelites to kill the enemy nations." Eagle explained.

Chris was silent for a while.

"Are you saying that it's ok for Seeker to kill?"

"No. I'm saying that they shouldn't initiate it. Our side must stand a morally correct ground and we have to be consistent with it. Because if Seeker does plant to start a war, then soon when the Aragarians reveal themselves, they will point out the warmongering nature of our team and it could sow the seeds of doubt. Many attacks will be made in the future that will try to divide or persuade our own soldiers and countries to reconsider their stance. So Seeker must not start the war, he must be defensive."

Grace and Chris sighed in relief.

"Well… as long as war won't be the-"

"So what they have to do, is making a show of power, prestige, growth and rise their countries that the other countries will be jealous and attack us. It would be best to make Seeker and the other countries that the Overcomers will soon control will join in an alliance. They have to push the other countries to war. And fast! Ideally, there should be at least one or two major cities in their own countries that must undergo an intense massacre before we launch a justifiable counter."

Chris and Grace were petrified at Eagle's words.

"Pastor! That's insane."

"What is?"

"That plan! Do you not preach about God's love?"

"God's love has always been accompanied by wrath. What would you, a loving father do, if you see your son being attacked, being beaten, tortured and being made a spectacle of shame to many? Would you simply turn around and love those who did that to your son? Is that what a loving father would do?" Eagle challenged.

"You have not yet fully grasped the fullness of God. The Bible is perhaps one of the most violent books ever written. It has descriptions of such terrible wraths that even involve women eating their own babies. And all of this is the because people have been making a mockery of God and His Word, and have turned away and even did approved of the shameful things He prohibited. Do not forget, that God's chosen people, Israel who is always referred to as God's Wife in the Old Testament, have been constantly attacked. Egypt to Canaan to Assyria, to Babylon to Rome to Hitler to the nations surrounding it on the Post-Modern Era and even to the Americas before World War Three. The Church, which is the Bride of Christ, have met persecutions and attacks and have their own share of murders and attacks. What do you think would a Loving God do, when His Wife and His Future Bride are both being raped and torn apart by the settlers of this Earth?"

Chris and even Grace felt it. This no longer was Eagle's Path, but a manifestation of his conviction.

"Zeek skill…" Grace muttered as she felt a strange alien emotion which she knew came from Eagle.

A rising anger rose from the hearts of Chris and Grace.

"For thousands upon ten-thousands must die on our side and then we defend ourselves! If that happens, the world will know that these wars were of their own foolishness and maybe they will repent! These nations will have the choice to either ally with us, ignore us or be envious of us! If they choose to attack us, then they will die because of their selfishness and pride! Who told them to attack us? Who told them to covet our strength which God has clearly granted?" Eagle's voice was getting more and more solemn. His wife also had a look of anger at the declarations of Eagle.

"Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." Eagle began to laugh as if he heard the funniest joke in the world. But the mixture of mirth and madness made this laugh an extremely ominous one.

It was at that moment, that the couple was reminded once more, that the being before them was an Overcomer.. One with great strength and a hint of madness.