52_ Astragard

A few days earlier...

On a black planet whose ground was cracked in every direction, dark thunderclouds covered most of the sky, while the roar of violent storms never ceased.

Wreckage and crumbling houses were scattered everywhere, and no patch of land was free from shattered swords and skulls.

Yet amid all that destruction, there was one place that shone in the distance.

A magnificent castle, vast enough to resemble an entire city, glittered in the darkness of the planet. Its lights reflected against the orange sky above, which was filled with stars and colorful cosmic dust.

Planet Astragard...

The home of the Cosmic Knights since the Great War.

This planet had been known since ancient times for its beauty, while its people were renowned for their nobility, honor, and the strength of their warriors, which had made them one of the most feared races in the universe.

But everything changed after the catastrophe of the Great War, thirteen hundred years before the present.

The Cosmic Knights could never overcome what had happened, nor were they able to restore their planet to what it once was after the Spirits attacked them in retaliation for the battle the Knights had started against them.

With their civilization on the verge of collapse, the leaders had no choice but to build a massive city to shelter the noble families, then begin rebuilding their civilization from what remained of their people.

But...

It was not enough.

While some families regained their influence and wealth, others remained living among the ruins of the past, carrying the scars of the war on both their bodies and their hearts.

---

Inside the royal palace...

A number of knights, men and women alike, were drinking wine and laughing as they enjoyed the feast.

Their armor gleamed from being meticulously polished, and each knight wore his own cloak and scarf hanging from his back, while medals glittered across the chests of the greatest warriors.

At the center of them all stood a knight wearing a spotless white cloak, covered with more glowing medals than any other knight.

He was drinking a glass of wine, surrounded by several commanders who also wore their medals.

He was the Supreme Commander and General of the Cosmic Knights.

He raised his glass, then handed it to one of the commanders with a smile.

"Another round... Tonight is going to be a long one!"

Another knight approached him.

He was the Deputy General.

He bowed slightly and said:

"Supreme Commander... I believe it is time we discussed the reason for this gathering."

The General turned toward him, then burst into loud laughter.

"Oh, certainly!"

He raised his hand toward everyone.

"Hahaha... Forgive me for keeping you all waiting. I got caught up in the festivities and forgot the most important thing about tonight!"

The laughter gradually faded.

Everyone turned toward him respectfully, and silence filled the hall.

The General raised his head and began speaking.

"We are the descendants of the Great Knights..."

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"The descendants of warriors who have been known since the earliest ages for their strength and courage, and for never bowing before any enemy."

He paused for a moment.

"Yet... I regret having to remind you that we went through a dark century... a century left behind by the Great Calamity."

Several knights lowered their heads.

"We lost cities. We lost warriors. Names that once filled the universe with awe and glory were extinguished. We watched our homeland transform from a place of pride into a land bearing the scars of the greatest catastrophe our people had ever known."

He clenched his fist.

"But I refuse to let that be our legacy."

He raised his head, and his voice grew louder.

"Raise your heads!!... These are not the faces of a defeated people! Nor are they the faces of a race waiting for others to restore its glory!"

He pointed toward the knights around him.

"You are the Cosmic Knights! You are the descendants of those who rose from the ashes, fought when fighting seemed insane, and endured when endurance meant death!"

Excited murmurs spread throughout the hall.

"We fell once... yes... but we did not end there."

He raised his sword high.

"The name of Astragard still lives. The blood of the Knights still runs through our veins. And we still possess the strength to write a new chapter in our history!"

Then he declared, his voice filling the hall:

"And I, Ragnier Dil Astra... Supreme Commander and General of the descendants of the Great Knights... pledge to you tonight that we will restore Astragard to its former glory!"

Then he shouted:

"We will reclaim the glory of Astragard!"

The hall erupted into applause and cheers.

Ragnier smiled, then took a deep breath.

"I have been planning this operation with the commanders for several months... An operation that will mark the beginning of a new era for all of us."

The cheering gradually died down.

Questions began rising from different parts of the hall.

Ragnier raised his hand.

"We will answer everything tonight, so don't worry."

He then turned toward his deputy.

"And to begin with..."

He paused for a moment.

"The time has come. Summon them."

---

In the courtyard outside the royal palace...

The ground was covered with shattered swords, broken armor, and skulls.

And the skulls did not belong only to knights...

They belonged to other creatures as well, beings of different shapes and sizes, their remains gathered across the courtyard like witnesses to centuries of battles.

At the center of it all, a knight sat calmly.

In front of him stood a massive sword embedded in the ground, seemingly absorbing transparent energy from the surrounding air.

It was Excalibur.

Beside it sat Aetherion, silently observing the battlefield.

Images of warriors he had fought before passed through his mind, along with thousands of enemies who had once attempted to invade his planet.

Then the silence was broken by approaching footsteps behind him.

Without turning around, Aetherion said:

"What is the Deputy General doing in a wretched place like this...?"

The knight stopped behind him.

"Aetherion Vin Thundria... the Black Thunder Knight!"

He continued:

"The Supreme Commander of the Cosmic Knights requests your presence at an important meeting."

Aetherion replied coldly:

"The General is asking a knight from a low-born family to enter the royal palace... How surprising."

The deputy remained silent for a moment.

"It is an important meeting to discuss a missi—"

Aetherion interrupted him.

"What a cunning man..."

His eyes widened with anger.

"Cunning?! You bastard, how dare you say that?!"

But his voice suddenly dropped when a terrifying aura erupted from Aetherion.

Aetherion spoke calmly.

"Do not raise your voice, Deputy General. It does not suit a noble knight such as yourself."

Silence fell.

Aetherion continued:

"He did not tell you everything because he knows I will understand everything the moment you meet me."

Aetherion stood and picked up Excalibur, placing it on his back.

"That is why I said it... I meant nothing else."

He began walking.

"I'll follow you shortly."

The deputy stared at him in silence, then turned and left.

---

In another lavish room inside the palace...

A massive table was covered with food.

At one end sat a huge man devouring his meal until he suddenly raised his head and glared at one of the guards.

"Huh? What are you looking at, idiot? Move and bring me some wine!"

The guard hesitated.

Suddenly, an ice axe appeared beside his head, embedded in the wall.

The guard froze in terror.

The man said:

"Are you deaf or something?! I said move!"

Another guard approached nervously.

"M-Master Threymion... The wine tonight is reserved for the noble families attending the royal feast..."

The guard's arm froze before he could finish.

Threymion's tone changed.

"A feast? Noble families?"

He looked at him with contempt.

"What nonsense are you talking about, you bastard?"

He took an angry breath.

"That is why I hate your pathetic and twisted principles... If it weren't for my strength and everything I've done in every battle before this, I would be nothing more than a slave on another planet, stripped of all honor and dignity."

The guard replied hesitantly:

"Honor... You're talking about honor?"

Silence fell.

Threymion stepped closer.

His eyes glowed with his icy aura.

He spoke in a low voice:

"The honor of a knight, to me, is strength."

He moved even closer.

"Strength has always been the only thing that decides our worth... It does not belong exclusively to noble families, nor is it reserved for a barrel of wine, you pathetic bastard."

He melted the ice from the guard's arm, then said:

"Move now... Bring me an entire barrel."

The guard rushed toward the door.

"Y-Yes!"

The moment he opened it, he found the Deputy General standing outside.

He entered the room while the guard hurried away.

Kais sat across from Threymion and placed his sword on the table.

Threymion continued eating, completely ignoring him.

After a few moments, he pushed one of the plates aside and drove his axe into the table.

Then he said while wiping the food from his mouth:

"Get to the point."

Kais began telling him about the meeting and inviting him to attend.

But before he could finish, Threymion interrupted him and laughed.

"I refuse."

Then he laughed again.

"Hahaha!"

The Deputy General looked at him in surprise.

"You refuse? Why?"

Threymion stood.

"You commanders love sending us on your pathetic missions across the universe to achieve your objectives, without lifting a finger yourselves..."

He leaned slightly toward him.

"So what do I get out of it?"

The knight stood and drew his sword, pointing it at him.

"I never said anything about sending you on a mission."

His eyes narrowed.

"Where did you get that idea?"

Threymion grabbed the cup the guard had brought him, drank from it, then stood.

His enormous size became even more apparent beside the Deputy General.

"I've met plenty of people like you, Kais."

Then he sat down again.

"You people have no business with us unless you need our strength."

He placed his foot on the table, knocking the plates and food onto the floor.

Then he shouted:

"Aaah! Still... My axe is starting to lose its edge."

He grabbed his head and yawned.

"I'll come after I take a nap... Then we'll see what I can do."

Kais returned his sword to its sheath and said:

"Don't be late. The General is waiting."

Inside the royal hall, the commanders were arranging the room in preparation for the meeting, while all the attendees sat in their places, waiting for the proceedings to begin.

The hall was filled with the constant noise of conversation and movement until the door slowly opened...

Heavy metallic footsteps.

The conversations gradually died down, and everyone felt something dark seeping into the atmosphere of the hall.

All eyes turned toward the entrance.

"It's the sword bearer..."

"The Black Thunder Knight..."

"Look at him... His cloak is completely torn and worn out."

Aetherion entered without paying attention to anyone. His black cloak was torn, his scarf was worn and frayed, and Excalibur rested on his back.