A thunderous boom resounded in the sky before a streak of red lightning swiftly past them.
Many of the Awakened in white battle robes were not able to react to the speed of the red lightning that broke the barrier covering the Sky Temple like a bubble. When they notice it, the red lightning already crashes the rooftop of the Sky Temple, breaking its way inside.
Not one of them is able to react, it was even faster than the blinking of the eyes.
Following the streak of red lightning that forcefully breakthrough, the hundreds of approaching auras overflowed their veins with the sense of crisis. One of them decided to went over to the edge and looks down.
Immediately after, his throat choked and his eyes bulged when he saw the approaching army.
Streets are filled with the marching Awakened coupled with hundreds of military men bringing heavy vehicles along with them, the street has been emptied out from the citizens and they already create a perimeter around the Sky Temple.
Looking at the flying figures that emit horrendous energy, the man paled.
These figures are easily recognizable by anyone that lived long enough in Ratmawati City, they are people with high standings. Principals of elite and prestigious universities, head families of the 25 Golden Crest Families, and even the general of the military.
Responding to the immediate order from Sebrof, they rushed to the Sky Temple.
None of the belittle the direct order issued by the most influential person in the entire Ratmawati City and beyond, Sebrof has never lost his temper this much so that alone speaks the weight of the problem.
Seeing the approaching figures, the man rushed back to the others.
Without needing the man to explain the situation, the others already know what's coming.
Instead of going to their battle formations in response to the sudden attack on the Sky Temple, these Awakened hesitated and doesn't know what to do. Giana hasn't given any order to them, and their captain is nowhere to be seen.
They were left without orders, but most of them already lost the will to retaliate.
Mostly due to the fact that this has something to do with Rex Silverstar, the name alone brings heavy pressure on them. The feat of destroying the Vampire Stronghold is not a small matter, and that made his name soar to the top of humanity.
Soon enough, these powerful figures hailing from the eighth-rank realm surfaced on the island.
Each one of them swept their eyes on the Awakened in white battle robes before their feet touches the ground, their glaring auras are akin to tidal waves that drown and restricted their movements.
The gap between them is far, and their body reaction shows it.
"Awakened of the White Wardens, put down your weapons, raised your hands, and deactivate your elements. Do not resist, we will take you down for temporary confinement until the matter we had with Lady Giana is settled", Vargas, the one leading stated commandingly.
Vargas' presence is domineering, commanded by the raging fire swirling and twirling like a snake.
Under the command these Awakened called the White Wardens does as Vargas said, dropping their weapons, raising their hands, and deactivating their elements to show their intention to be cooperative.
The turns of events are too much for them to handle, they didn't know anything.
With no sense of awareness, their will to fight back is basically non-existent. They don't know what Lady Giana did that was so bad that it demanded the attention of such a powerful force to raid the Sky Temple like this.
Especially since she just got back from being chased down by the pack of Werewolves.
After signaling to the other powerful figures present to apprehend the White Wardens and bring them down to the ground, Vargas looks at the Sky Temple with a troubled look on his face, 'Just what did you do, Giana...?'
Meanwhile, inside the Sky Temple.
"I think your ego has raised quite a bit, Giana"
Sebrof stands strongly about fifty meters away from the throne Giana is sitting on, both of them are sizing up each other with their glowing eyes filled with their respective arcane mana. It was a standoff between two ninth-rank realms Awakened.
Pursing her lips tightly, Giana tilts her head and comb her light blue hair back.
Not even managing to finish combing her hair all the way to the back, her hand stopped at the temple and her expression turns disinclined as she processed the things that birthed this situation.
"I did what I have to do, Sebrof"
"Anything major that can bring immediate effect to humanity must go through me, you have no jurisdiction to take the matter into your own hands. Stealing the files I gathered, do you think I wouldn't know?", Sebrof tries to say it calmly, but he can't.
Anger is hidden obviously inside his tone, he can't believe Giana did this.
Out of the Awakened that he knows and thought was sensible, Giana was one of them. She always carried out a mission with a calm head, and everything he gave to her are finished accordingly without any problem.
In a sense, Giana is the most reliable one compared to the other ninth-rank Awakened.
But now everything that he thought of her crumbled but the only thing he can hope for now is that Giana hasn't made a devastating mistake, Sebrof can't help but grit his teeth to try and forcefully swallow back the anger within.
Sebrof feels betrayed, he has gone for days deliberating this matter.
Everything from the good and the bad that will be caused by his decision, he already knows and gauges that it's better to keep a low profile and let things go with the course. Rex Silverstar doesn't need to be drastically measured.
Giana chuckled, resting her head on her fist.
"Listen to yourself, Sebrof. It's not me that is the problem, but you are. Covering his trails by publishing the article, and even relocating the sector 2 residents. It's not me that risked us by letting a Supernatural roam free, a Supernatural that has killed many of us but you are"
"Do you really not think I will know you're favoring his stay here? Endangering all of us?"
Upon hearing this, Sebrof's expression darkens.
Sparks of red lightning around his body started to become even more violent, it was his final decision to do all of that for the sake of humanity. The war is going nowhere if they didn't have the same amount of ninth-rank realm beings against the Supernatural.
At this point in time, Supernaturals have seven ninth-rank being while humanity has only four.
The only thing that kept them even until now was only because of the fact that none of the Supernatural races wanted to risk losing their ninth-rank Awakened, it will tilt the power balance and kick them off of the prominent races.
Only the demons have the resources to do that with the addition of the blue ninth-rank demon.
Which is why they were the most active Supernatural race.
Gaining another ninth-rank being in their ranks would definitely bolster humanity, and Sebrof doesn't care if that ninth-rank being is a Werewolf. As long as that person wanted to help humanity, that is enough of a reason to recruit them.
Mostly he turned out like this because of the last time he talked with Rex.
Seeing the bigger picture for the greater good of humanity, that is what he learned from their last conversation just after the alliance between the UWO and SCO, "I did that since Rex has proven his loyalty countless times, he has the right to stay here if he keeps on helping humanity to strife for the better"
"Condoning his race is nothing compared to what he has done for us", Sebrof replied firmly.
But this sparks anger in Giana's eyes, she leans forward with murderous eyes.
"Rex is a Werewolf!"
"Yes, he's a Werewolf that helped humanity more than most of us"
"Then what about the others?! The citizen, the army, the Awakened, what about their opinions?! Why don't you tell them that they are being helped by a Werewolf and that Werewolf is living amongst them. Let's see if they're going to accept it!"
Although he has different beliefs now from Giana, he can't rebut that fact.
Sebrof knew that if the news of Rex being a Werewolf leaked out, the citizen will not stand still as most of them are looking up from below. It's the perk of looking up from below to prioritize themselves and the experience they went through.
Many of their families were killed by Werewolves, it won't sit well with them knowing the truth.
But on the other side, Sebrof is not like them. Unlike the citizens and other people that are looking up from below, he was one of the few that is looking down from above. Everything he does influences the fate of many, and he needs to see the bigger picture.
Even in the face of the mounting anger blazing in Giana's blue eyes, Sebrof didn't wave.
Pausing for a couple of seconds, the silence of the spacious room was only filled with the rough pants coming from Giana, she poured out her own view without restraints. Sebrof knew where this is coming from.
Giana is without a doubt someone like him, every of her choices involves many.
Unlike him though, Giana has personal experience regarding Werewolves that brutally killed her sister. Her mind is not clear but she should've thought for many, not for herself. It's hard but that is her responsibility.
"Nobody should know, it's our duty to raise our survivability with any means necessary"
Sebrof finally said while retracting back his rampaging red lightning.
Just like a bomb that rattled her mind, Giana's expression waggles and contorted as she clenched the handle of her throne strongly. It was very hard to put away her feelings and accept the fact that what Sebrof said is the undeniable truth.
Awakened in general has the duty to help humanity survive the battle of their extinction.
Ninth-rank Awakened specifically has the duty to single-handedly change the course of the war, and does everything to make sure humanity came out on top and keeps on surviving. It's the responsibility that they needed to bear as one of the strong ones.
Slowly Sebrof made his way to the throne without any malicious intent like earlier.
Giana looks down to the gracious glowing marble stairs toward her throne, she was devastated as she was forced to be faced with reality. What she did was right for her but wrong for many others, this should be a golden opportunity.
Maybe someone like Rex would only appear once, there's no guarantee for another one.
It was up to them, Awakened that sits at the highest hierarchy to seize the opportunity and kept that secret to themselves. Hard decisions should be made by them, not the people that they are trying to protect.
After reaching the throne, Sebrof stands on the side and lays his hand on her shoulder.
"I can still hear her screaming for help and I was too late..."
"I know, I understand. Don't worry too much, I'm not going to blame you"
Upon hearing this Giana raises her teary bright blue eyes to look at Sebrof, there was a sign of guilt in her eyes that should be natural. But unlike what Sebrof expected, that guilt in her eyes is meant for something else.
"I'm sorry..."
"There's no need to apologize, we can still fix this"
But Giana's expression breaks as she shakes her head, it's going to be hard to fix this.
"I hope we can still fx this, but you're definitely going to blame me"
"Hmm...?"
"I-I told Zero to dig for information about Rex from you because I planned on killing him"
"G-Giana, tell me you haven't killed him yet..."
Feeling the tightness around his chest, Sebrof prayed inside his mind that she didn't actually kill Rex already. It would be a tremendous loss, and that will cost them at some point in the future.
But despite thinking for the worst, it gets even further.
Giana shakes her head before she finally said truthfully, "It's even worse, I tried to kill him with the artifact but turns out the 'Rex' that I fired at was nothing more than an illusion. Rex is still alive but I'm afraid he'll know that it was me that tried to kill him soon enough..."
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