Arc I.5: “The Cosmic Guard”
Chapter II: “Next Steps”
Episode IV: “Cosmic Training”
[The next day]
Akira and Riella were sitting in the mess hall, enjoying their breakfast.
“And the guard overlooks dozens of systems, meaning we’re not just located in Solaris,” Riella stated.
“So-lair-es?”
Akira swallowed the food in his mouth.
“What’s that?”
“Jeez, don’t talk with your mouth full…” she whispered.
“Solaris is the solar system you’re from. You know, with Earth and Mars and stuff.”
“Oh, so that’s what that means… I’ve heard it before, but I wasn’t too sure.”
Akira took another big bite of savory pancakes.
“We patrol planets and solar systems all over the Universe. We have thousands of stations and outposts.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, we’re actually on our way to one right now. There’s a small space station at the edge of Solaris.”
“Sounds interesting…”
[Cosmic Guard Space Station – Solaris]
“There’s someone I think you should meet, Akira.” Riella took his arm, leading him off the ship.
“Yeah? Who? Are they strong?”
“Yeah, they’re strong, alright. Might even be stronger than you.”
I find that hard to believe… Akira looked unimpressed.
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“Here he is,” she said after they spent a few minutes walking through the station.
“His room is just up ahead.”
Akira looked at the layout of the station.
It reminds me of the UFA… everything looks all fancy and brand new.
They must pour a fortune into maintaining this place. Which is impressive considering they have stations all over the Universe… I can’t even imagine that.
Once they reached the end of a hallway, Riella knocked on the door, and then they walked into the room.
“Hey, Master Lyren? Are you here?”
The interior design of the room was drastically different from the sleek, futuristic design of the ship and the station.
This room seemed to take inspiration from some sort of ancient culture; the floors and walls were composed of mats, a material that Akira was unfamiliar with.
In the deepest part of the room, there was a small shrine against the wall, with what seemed to be incense burning steadily.
An old man sat before the shrine, posture straight as stone. His eyes remained closed, his palms pressed together—but Akira noticed the faint scars running along his knuckles, the hands of someone who had fought a thousand battles before ever finding peace.
What is all this… Akira wondered.
“Master…?” Riella walked up to tap him on the shoulder.
He turned slowly, his eyes opening.
“Oh, Riella. What brings you here? You’re back from your mission already?”
“Yeah, I just had to pick up some criminals and transfer them to another unit. Wasn’t anything difficult.”
She pointed to Akira, “I wanted to introduce this guy to you. I think you should look after him for a while.”
L-look after me?!
Akira clammed up.
“Y-yo, I’m Akira,” he muttered, lifting a hand awkwardly.
The old man took a good look at him, rubbing his hand against his chin.
“Alright, I’ve gotta go handle some paperwork, so I’ll leave you to it. He’s all yours, Master Lyren,” Riella waved, slipping out the door.
“Hmm… Akira… ah! So, you’re the one who felled Apocalypse. Hah— he was feared across systems for leaving nothing but ruin in his wake, boasting quite a reputation. I wish I could have crossed paths with him once, before his defeat. A shadow that slipped away before blades could meet.”
Reputation? Akira perked up.
“How’d he get such a reputation anyway? Surely his real name isn’t actually Apocalypse.”
“You mean you don’t know?”
The old man was shocked.
“Well, I’m not sure about his true name, but at the very least I know where he comes from.”
“Utopia… right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. It was a grand place… maybe even one of the most prosperous worlds in the Universe!
But that all came to an end just over a decade ago. Apocalypse… he brought an end to that world. Afterwards, he vanished into hiding— but no one was quite sure of where.”
He looked up to see Akira’s face grimacing.
“I’m surprised you’ve never heard of this. I thought it was part of the curriculum at the UFA.”
“Is it? I’m not too sure,” Akira rubbed the back of his head.
“So… what brings you to the guard, child? Earth not good enough for you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say not good enough…”
“You grew restless, didn’t you. Power at your age is both a gift and a curse. Without steady obstacles, strength rots into arrogance… and arrogance dulls even the sharpest blade.”
He stood up, revealing his surprisingly tall frame as he walked towards Akira.
He lifted Akira’s arms, running his calloused fingers along muscle and joints with the efficiency of a veteran instructor.
“W-what’re you doing?”
“Hmm…” he murmured, continuing his inspection, “You haven’t been training, have you. Your flow is impressive, your body sturdy, yet it appears sluggish. Your power has dulled like a sword left out in the rain.”
“Hehe…” Akira chuckled in guilt.
“Listen closely, boy. Don’t lose sight of your horizon. Did you claw your way to this strength just to defeat Apocalypse? No… somewhere deep down, there was something beyond that you wanted to see. The Song of Aether sings loudest to those who keep walking forward.”
He placed his hand on Akira’s head.
“There is always someone greater than you. Take this opportunity with the guard to search for someone like that. Even if their greatness doesn’t lie in how strong they are.”
My goal… I’ve never thought of anything after getting revenge for Haru and stopping Apocalypse.
Akira looked down at his hands.
“Now, enough words!” He cracked a wooden staff against the floor, the sound reverberating through Akira’s body.
“Eh?” The color drained from Akira’s face.
Despite its age-worn polish, the staff carried a weight that made Akira’s chest tighten.
“Riella must have brought you here because she wanted me to whip you back into shape. Now, let me see what you can do,” The old man said as his eyes sharpened.
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “Sprouting Journeys”
[Yield Levels]:
Akira: 1b
Riella: 100m
Lyren: ???
- Suppressed: 50m