*Universal Guardians HQ, Omega Quadrant.*
The Universal Guardians HQ was an intergalactic fortress like no other. Its size rivaled that of a small planet. Normally, it housed the most powerful warriors of the quadrant.
Yet, despite the radiant glow of its graceful white buildings, a heavy atmosphere weighed upon the entire fortress.
A vast crowd had gathered before a grand, imposing stage. The time had come to lay General Nadir Ibn Asad to rest, fallen at the hands of the most terrifying man in the universe.
The event was of such magnitude that the Elder of the Northia Quadrant, Ommar Arif, and the Elder of the Omega Quadrant, Rahman Asad—Ashera's father—were present, along with Warden Spade, though they appeared only as holograms for security reasons.
Being close to the deceased, Ashera's father stepped onto the podium, where General Nadir's medals—the only remnants of him—were displayed, to deliver a speech.
The ceremony would be lengthy, with numerous speeches to be given, including one from one of the three Wardens, the Clover Guardians, and those closest to him, like Ashera.
But first, it was the Elder's turn to speak.
"We are all gathered here to honor the memory of a man who contributed greatly to the Universal Guardians," began Elder Rahman.
"General Nadir Ibn Asad was a great man, and his achievements will forever be etched in history. He notably prevented the destruction of an entire galaxy during the Third Intergalactic War.
General Nadir Ibn Asad received countless medals, and even today, as the long and fruitful life of this great man comes to an end, we will continue to honor him. Glory to the Millennium! Glory to the Universal Guardians!"
[Glory to the Millennium! Glory to the Universal Guardians!]
The crowd roared after the Elder's introductory speech.
Warden Borak al Shakir then took the floor, and afterward, Ashera was invited to the stage.
"I… I…" she hesitated, recalling moments spent with the man who had been like a true father to her.
"It is with great sorrow that I…"
*BOOM!!!*
A massive explosion echoed in the distance, just as Ashera's words finally came.
The blast was so powerful that the shockwave reached the crowd and even those near the stage.
In the distance, multiple cries could be heard. Everyone wondered what was happening. But each would soon have their answer.
"Something's coming!" Ashera remarked.
Warden Borak, who had been seated until then, felt a subtle pressure caused by a skillful yet excessive manipulation of neon.
His instinct prompted him to stand and take a defensive stance.
"It's not just something. It's fast, very fast. I sense a powerful neon approaching us, even though it's still miles away."
Unexpectedly, they heard a second dull thud, like the sound of a ship going supersonic. Except it was a man…
"Look at all this cattle, so much potential artwork to add to my collection," said a voice suddenly, towering above everyone.
As they looked up, the faces of all the battle-hardened soldiers contorted.
"It's… it's…" they stammered.
Ashera, the other commanders, the six present generals, and the Warden stepped forward, heads held high but not without fear. Their expressions darkened at the sight of the figure before them.
The Star.
"What a lovely welcoming committee. It seems I've interrupted one of your futile ceremonies. Tell me, which asshole kicked the bucket this time?"
"Arcana…"
Hearing these words, Ashera began to feel anger rising within her. Those around her could sense the disturbances in the space caused by the neon emanating from her.
*'That piece of trash,'* she thought, *'I'm going to kill him.'*
She wanted to charge at him, but Borak stepped in first.
*Cosmic Disequilibrium*
Several portals opened above Alvah (The Star). Each portal led to a different dimension of the cosmos.
From one portal, a lightning bolt emerged, which Borak grasped, coating his hand with neon energy.
From another portal, incandescent flames burst forth, which he manipulated using the same method.
He launched his attack at The Star. A massive explosion of energy covered the sky, and the weaker soldiers already rejoiced at the Warden's great power. The poor souls couldn't sense that Alvah's presence hadn't even faltered.
The generals, however, noticed that The Star hadn't suffered a single scratch from the attack. A Spade General and a Clover General charged at him together.
In their minds, two generals were enough to challenge the enemy.
*'Haha…'* The Star chuckled, thinking, *'The poor fools are so reckless they didn't hear their Warden's order to stop.'*
The Clover General reached him first. She was incredibly fast and moved into The Star's blind spot.
She reinforced her fist to its maximum and struck at the speed of light toward Alvah's face. But for her, time slowed. She watched her fist move slowly toward the frail-looking man who didn't seem all that impressive.
Still in slow motion, with only inches separating her fist from The Star's face, she saw her hand twist unnaturally.
The bones of her phalanges protruded from her fingers, leaving the skin to float and blood to gush. Her wrist bone transformed entirely, reshaping into multiple spikes that pierced the skin from within, severing her hand from her wrist.
"This is what I call a masterpiece," the General heard.
She slightly raised her wide, bewildered eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening, only to see Alvah's enormous smile of satisfaction, proud of his creation.
He even pulled out a small device from his pocket to immortalize the moment, all at the speed of light, for the sake of precision.
To finish, he prepared to grasp the Clover General's head with one hand, when the Spade General intervened.
The latter pushed the General, who crashed violently into a wall. It was this that saved her life. In her place, The Star seized the Spade General's head.
Without effort, he crushed the skull as if it were made of polystyrene. A dark energy coated his hand, bypassing the quantum number capacity that grants multiple lives to an individual and can instantly kill anyone. Logically, Alvah couldn't produce dark energy. But he had come prepared with a special gauntlet to wreck their lives.
The Spade General's body remained lifeless, suspended by the head in The Star's hands.
"In the end, that one didn't even get a chance to try to attack me," he said, tossing the body into the crowd.
The other generals remained frozen in place. However, if necessary, they wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the prosperity of the Quadrant and the Universal Guardians.
"Don't move," ordered Warden Borak, "I'll handle him personally."
"You're a pesky opponent. I don't want to waste time dealing with you. However… I must admit, you'd be an exceptional piece in my collection."
"Shut up and come fight, criminal!" Borak shouted, charging at his adversary.
He pushed him back until they reached the atmospheric dome enclosing the HQ.
"At the end of this fight," Borak continued, "either you die, and the world takes a giant step toward universal peace, or I die and become another martyr fueling the hatred that will lead to your end, The Arcana."
"Those are fine words. But I've already told you, I don't have time for you and your nonsense…"
*Exchange…*
The Star's body vanished before Borak. In its place stood a sentinel from the Universal Guardians' armed forces. Clearly, Alvah had swapped their positions in space.
The Warden, still above the clouds, used neon to enhance his vision and look below.
The Star now stood in the middle of the crowd, facing Ashera. Within a 20-meter radius, anyone without powerful enough neon saw their skull implode.
Strangely, Ashera couldn't move, as if The Star had taken control of her body.
She had many questions.
*'Why is The Star himself here? Did he come for Zrahel? It's strange… does he know what happened to him? Did he come to retrieve him?'*
"If you let your mind wander like this, it becomes easy for me to manipulate it," Alvah interrupted.
*Manipulation: Mental Dimension*
"Sleep!"
Against her will, Ashera felt her strength leave her, her eyes closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
The Star grabbed her and began to levitate.
At that same moment, Borak charged at him as quickly as possible, and the others present mobilized to prevent the commander's kidnapping. But just as they were about to grab him, The Star evaporated before them, leaving behind only a cloud of dust.