High Council Chamber
Lance Sterling stepped forward, the faint clink of his medals the only sound in the tense silence. His sharp eyes swept across the council, reading their expressions before he spoke.
"Members of the High Council," he began, his voice steady, almost casual. "I am Lance Sterling, Commander-in-Chief of Astoria's armed forces. As of today, I stand before you to formally declare war against Westoria." He spread his arms slightly, as if presenting them with an undeniable truth.
Julian Veiss leaned forward, fingers interlocked, his gaze unreadable. "Astoria has remained neutral for years. Now, out of nowhere, you decide to throw yourselves into this war—on Virenia's side, no less." His eyes narrowed. "You must realize this is a losing battle, Sterling."
A chair scraped against the marble as Dominic shot up, his hands slamming onto the table. "The war is already reaching its conclusion! Entering now will only drag this out further—more death, more destruction!" His voice was sharp with frustration, demanding an answer.
Gabriel, seated at the head of the table, let out a quiet chuckle. He gestured for Dominic to sit. "Now, now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm sure our guest has his reasons," he said, his tone light, almost amused. "Not that I particularly care to hear them. And I doubt he's interested in explaining."
A slow smirk curled at Lance's lips. "For once, you're right, Council Head." He turned to the fourth council member, a man with silver-streaked black hair who had yet to speak.
Ezra Vael tapped a single finger against the table, his sharp eyes studying Lance like a duelist assessing an opponent. "So you refuse to justify your actions?" His voice was quiet but carried weight. "That tells me you act on impulse. Or worse—desperation."
Lance let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Desperation? No. This is strategy. And soon, you'll see exactly what Astoria's military is capable of." He turned on his heel, boots clicking against the floor as he walked toward the door. Just before leaving, he glanced back, his smirk deepening.
"You're the ones fighting the losing battle now."
As the heavy doors swung shut behind him, silence settled over the council. One by one, the members began to rise.
"I wouldn't leave just yet." Gabriel's voice cut through the room, calm but commanding. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "That's not the only war we need to worry about."
Dominic exhaled sharply, his patience fraying. "What are you talking about? We've been in a war."
Gabriel chuckled, shaking his head. "Not this war. Another one. One we've ignored for far too long." His blue eyes gleamed. "The war with the Blights."
Julian scoffed. "Mindless creatures aren't a war, Gabriel. They're an infestation. And last I checked, they've been contained."
Gabriel tilted his head. "Contained?" He let out a quiet laugh. "Have you ever actually fought an intelligent Blight, Julian? Or has sitting in this chamber for a decade made you forget what real threats look like?"
Julian's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.
Gabriel rose from his seat, his hands resting against the table. "I know we sent each of our Starborn teams to the Blight Dimension—to test their abilities, to see which ones would survive. But without all of them in our arsenal, we are severely disadvantaged."
Ezra's sharp gaze flickered with interest. "You believe the Blights are more organized than we assumed?"
"I don't believe." Gabriel's smirk returned, slow and deliberate. "I know."
Silence.
Dominic crossed his arms. "And how exactly do you know that?"
Gabriel's expression didn't change. "I have a source. That's all you need to know." He gestured toward the grand table. "Now, sit. Because our first topic is simple: How to kill King Julius of the Blights."
Blight Dimension
Sosuke stood firm, his gaze locked on the man in front of him.
"Why should we speak to you? False Starborn," Finn said, arms crossed, eyes cold with suspicion.
Sosuke didn't waver. "I'm Sosuke Estrella, son of the Sword Saint. A true member of the Starborn under the command of Gabriel Aurelius."
Finn's eyebrow twitched—mild surprise, but also doubt. "Gabriel Aurelius?" He scoffed. "He's your 'commander'? We don't follow his orders. We follow Julian Veiss."
Sosuke stiffened. What? His mind raced. There's more Starborn teams under other High Council members? Does each one have a team? Were we… competing?
His hands clenched at his sides. What the hell is going on?
"Do you not understand what's happening? We're being used!" Sosuke's voice cracked with frustration, his hands clenched into fists. "It's possible every High Council member has their own Starborn team, trained in secret. What if they threw us all in here just to make us compete? What if some of them—some of us—died for nothing?"
His words hung in the air, heavy with realization.
Before anyone could respond, Ryoma's voice cut through the tension.
"You're an Estrella?!"
Sosuke barely had time to register the shock in Ryoma's tone before the other boy rushed forward and—hugged him?
"Eh—?" Sosuke stiffened, utterly thrown off. "What's with this reaction?"
Ryoma pulled back slightly, grinning wide. "I'm an Estrella too! I read all about your father—he was incredible! That means we're family—cousins, probably!"
"What?!" Sosuke shoved him back, eyes narrowed in disbelief. "That can't be right. Every Estrella was wiped out except for me and my father."
Ryoma's expression shifted, guilt creeping in. "…Me and my parents were banished from the main estate. We were hardly considered part of the Estrella family."
Sosuke stared at him, struggling to process. He covered his mouth, deep in thought, before lowering his hand, revealing a small smile. "You're… family. I never thought I'd get to meet another Estrella."
The moment was broken by Finn's sharp scoff.
"Are you done with the reunion?" He turned his back to Sosuke. "We have places to be. And to answer your earlier question—I don't care. If some of the other Starborn died, that just means they weren't strong enough to survive." His tone was cold, devoid of sympathy. "My team has gone through hell just to stay alive. We barely have enough food, we're constantly wounded. I don't have time to worry about anyone else."
He started walking away. "Come on, Ryoma. We need you. Leave him."
Sosuke hadn't fully considered just how brutal things must have been for the other teams. His own survival had been rough, but he had allies who knew what they were doing. Finn and his group… they had been fighting just to exist.
But Ryoma shook his head. "No! You guys go on, I'm staying with Sosu!"
Finn spun around, eyes blazing. "What?! We need you! If we die, it'll be your fault! You're the strongest fighter we have!"
Ryoma smirked. "But he's my family. I'm not leaving him." He crossed his arms, tilting his head. "Besides, if you died, it wouldn't be so bad. I don't even like you that much."
Finn's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists.
"Hey, wait—don't say that," Sosuke placed a firm hand on Ryoma's shoulder. "They're still human. They deserve to live, just like we do." He turned his gaze to Finn. "Come with us. Let me lead. I know someone who might be able to get us out of this place."
Finn let out a bitter laugh. "You lead? Not a chance." His hands trembled with barely contained anger. "Do you know how much I've suffered to keep this group alive? Do you have any idea what it cost me?"
Valerie, one of Finn's teammates, hesitated before taking a step toward him. "Finn…"
"Shut up!" Finn snapped, whipping around to face her. "All you do is follow my orders like a useless extra! You never contribute anything!" His breathing was ragged, his fury unchecked. "You're the reason he died! It should've been you instead!"
Before he could process what he was doing, Finn grabbed Valerie by the arm and shoved her to the ground. Then, fists trembling, he raised his hand.
Sosuke moved.
In an instant, he caught Finn's wrist mid-swing. The force of the stop sent a sharp crack through the air.
"You need to calm down." Sosuke's voice was quiet, but the weight behind it was suffocating. "A leader who loses control isn't fit to lead."
Finn's glare turned to pure rage, but before he could pull away, Sosuke drove his fist into his stomach. The air left Finn's lungs in a harsh gasp as he crumpled to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Valerie, still sitting on the ground, looked up at Sosuke in awe, her eyes wide.
Ryoma huffed. "Well, that settles that. Anyone who wants to come with me and Sosu, you're welcome to join." He placed his hands on his hips, flashing a confident grin. "Your choice."