★25
SAI'S POV
I descended into the so-called Underworld, the air growing heavier with every step as familiar pressure wrapped around my senses.
I didn't hesitate or slow down, I went straight for the place where I had first crossed paths with Damrada. The terrain hadn't changed, but the atmosphere carried a faint tension, as if the land itself remembered our encounter.
"Looks like you came back."
The voice rose calmly from the shadows, neither surprised nor hostile. It carried the certainty of someone who had already foreseen this moment.
From the darkness ahead, a figure stepped forward. Damrada revealed himself at a measured pace, his presence sharp and unmistakable, eyes fixed on me as though he had been waiting there the entire time. There was no need for questions or introductions.
"Yes."
I answered without hesitation, my voice steady and direct. No excuses, no explanations, just acknowledgment of my return, and of whatever awaited us next.
"So tell me, what potential do you see in me?"
"Like I said, your potential."
"If I join, how will I contribute to Cerberus?"
"It'll be a shame to have you work in Cerberus. Your overwhelming might is outstanding. I saw that the other day; I was 100% certain I could eliminate you in one move, but I am glad I didn't make a move."
"Why?"
I asked, and he chuckled.
"From anyone's perspective, you might seem off guard."
Damrada said, his voice calm but measured.
"But I sensed something… something unimaginably terrifying. Something I once felt from the Emperor."
"What's that?"
I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"It was faint, yet unmistakable, a monstrous intent restrained only by will, supported by strength beyond comprehension. I sensed it the moment you arrived. Had I been foolish enough to strike, you wouldn't have needed to struggle or retaliate. You could have overturned everything in an instant and erased us all without effort."
"You're sharp Damrada san I'll give you that"
He laughed.
"No need for formalities. So what do you say?"
"I came here to join you. I'm not going back on my words."
"Are you ok being ruled over?"
"Been here means I'm under his majesty's mercy."
"Indeed, you're right. You'd fit perfectly among the Imperial Guards. I wouldn't be surprised if you rose to lead them one day."
"Imperial Guards?"
"Elites who answer directly to the Emperor. No intermediaries. No excuses."
"…Amazing."
"There are a hundred of them in total. But the top ten are different. They're called the Single Digits."
"Single Digits?"
"Yeah.."
Suddenly, a sharp crack split the air.
Instinct took over. I pivoted, my dagger flashing as it met the incoming bullet mid-flight. Steel rang once, clean and precise, and the projectile split neatly in two, clattering harmlessly to the ground behind me.
Silence followed.
A man stood a short distance away, clad in pristine white military attire that marked him instantly as someone important. His black hair was cut short, his posture relaxed, yet his presence carried pressure, controlled, disciplined and most of all dangerous.
His eyes shifted briefly to the halves of the bullet on the floor before returning to Damrada.
"Giving classified information to a stranger, Damrada?"
He asked calmly, though there was an unmistakable edge beneath his tone.
"Tatsuya, did you follow me?"
"Orders?"
This wasn't a question but an answer. He's indirectly saying, 'I followed you because I had orders'.
<
"It's impressive that you noticed it and reacted in time."
"It's only natural to assess before making a move."
Taking his words as an unspoken challenge perhaps even a test, I burst forward, dagger flashing as I closed the distance between us. In a heartbeat, I was upon Tatsuya. My blade was mere inches from his heart when he moved.
With a sharp metallic cry, he drew his guntō and struck my dagger aside. The force behind the clash was overwhelming, rattling my arm and ripping the weapon from my grip. I barely had time to register the loss before he followed through.
"Purple Electricity Thrust."
He lunged, his body surging forward at hypersonic speed, violet lightning screaming along the length of his blade.
I twisted aside at the last possible moment. A crackling arc grazed my cheek, leaving a burning sting in its wake. Using the momentum, I leapt backward, widening the gap between us.
"Ice Blade."
Cold flooded my right palm as mana crystallized instantly, forming a razor-sharp blade of translucent ice. I swung upward, releasing a wave of frozen magicules.
Frost exploded outward, the air itself screaming as the temperature plunged. The ground, the walls, everything in the vicinity began to ice over.
It was a two-stage technique: first, dominate the environment; then, strike decisively while the enemy was constrained.
"Ice: Sub Zero!"
Before I could follow through, Tatsuya answered in kind.
"Gale Thunder."
Purple lightning coiled tightly around his guntō, wind pressure spiraling with it. The frozen air shattered under the force of his aura as he stepped forward. Our blades were about to collide, when the world abruptly stopped.
A woman appeared between us as if she had always been there.
Long blue hair flowed down her back, her presence calm yet utterly overwhelming. She wore elegant, flowing Chinese attire, untouched by frost or lightning alike. Without effort, without even a flicker of strain, she caught both blades with her bare hands.
Ice & lightning, power enough to tear the battlefield apart. All of it halted in her grasp. Effortlessly.
<
With a single, fluid kick, she sent us flying in opposite directions, her movement sharp and effortless.
"What is all this commotion, you fools!"
The pressure in her voice alone was enough to suffocate the space. Damrada stiffened instantly. He dropped to one knee and bowed so deeply his forehead nearly struck the ground.
"F–forgive me… Marshal."
"Shut up."
The word was absolute. No anger or emphasis, just authority.
Behind her, another presence approached. Heavy and oppressive. The air itself seemed to recognize it. Tatsuya noticed at once. He pushed himself up despite the impact, then knelt without a single word, head lowered in clear submission.
I didn't understand the hierarchy yet, nor the weight behind their reactions. So I remained standing, my grip steady, eyes forward.
A calm voice cut through the tension.
"You interrupted too early, Gryun."
The Marshal's expression tightened, not in defiance, but restraint.
"I didn't expect you'll find their sparring interesting."
"Hmm."
The figure stepped fully into the light.
He wore black and gold, regal, severe, immaculate. Short blond hair framed a face devoid of excess expression, yet his presence alone pressed down on the air like an invisible weight. Authority did not radiate from him; it asserted itself. Instinct took over before thought could catch up. I lowered myself onto one knee. This wasn't obedience or respect, just a prideful being blending in.
Silence followed, heavy and deliberate.
"Finding someone capable of even grazing Tatsuya is nearly impossible."
The man said at last, his voice calm, unhurried, absolute. His gaze settled on me not curious, not hostile, merely assessing.
"Yet you did."
Tatsuya stiffened.
His eyes widened slightly as he looked down at his arm. Embedded just beneath the skin of his left shoulder was a thin shard of ice, no thicker than a needle, so fine it had gone unnoticed in the clash. Frost crept outward from the wound, biting into the fabric of his uniform.
"…When?"
He muttered under his breath.
"I did, your highness. I'd say the same. Haven't faced an attack that'll be unavoidable even though I was on guard for years now."
I was just kidding, just to put on a show for the humans.
"You're good. What's your name?"
He asked, his expression unreadable.
"Sai"
"Sai. You look..."
"Yes, I'm a foreigner, and an adventurer."
"Silence! Who gave you the right to speak while the Emperor is talking!?"
The Marshal snapped, glaring at me.
"I beg your pardon."
<
"It's all right. You've really found someone stronger than you Damrada."
"Yes. Based on our last confrontation I was more than 100% sure he could've killed me."
"You've been playing around haven't you?"
"Forgive me for being rusty. If I may ask how did you know he's here? I didn't expect him to come either."
"After you told me about him. I instructed Tatsuya to keep an eye on the underworld in case he shows up."
"I see.."
"So, Sai what are you going to do now? Not everyone gets to see my face and speak to me directly."
"I've made up my mind already. To follow Damrada but after finding out your supreme might is in charge, I'd like to risk my life for you."
"I'd be a fool to easily accept you. How can I trust you?"
"Your majesty, permission to speak."
"Go ahead, Damrada."
"Forgive me, I didn't tell you his story and why he came here in the first place."
"Explain then, fool!"
The Marshal barked.
"He came here to save a woman kidnapped by Sadin, who harbored a personal grudge against the husband. Sai came and got her out, that's all. Our meeting was just a coincidence."
"All of this happened right under your nose, Damrada, and you did not realize it right away. You've fallen low. You're not the man I once knew."
"Forgive me, I'll work harder to meet your expectations again."
"I admire your benevolence, but it's not enough."
The Emperor's gaze is now on me, his golden eyes shining. The human trained by Grand Lord huh, he's chosen which must be the reason for his golden eyes.
(In the Star Realm, golden eyes are a symbol of ultimate supremacy and divine authority, representing the peak of power and status. Azure eyes, by contrast, signify purity, transcendence, and legitimate authority qualities. They're are so rare that even not all Azure Stars possess them.
These eye colors are not mere aesthetics; they mark a being's spiritual and metaphysical rank within the cosmic hierarchy.)
"I'll do whatever it takes to earn it."
"I'd like to take responsibility for him, your majesty."
Damrada interrupted again.
"Are you sure? Even though he's stronger than you?"
"I know, I'll try to keep up with him & besides he's not the type to use his powers on a weak individual."
"Hmm, good. He's all yours."
<
"I truly accept it, and I will dedicate myself fully to reaching the rank of the Single Digits."
"You possess the strength to rival them."
The Emperor replied, his tone measured. "..but that does not yet make you one of them."
With that, the Emperor and the Marshal turned, their presence vanishing as they departed from the Underworld, leaving an air of both challenge and expectation behind.
"I look forward to sparring with you, Tatsuya senpai."
Tatsuya, who carried the same emptiness as a blank book, shot a sharp glance before departing.
"I won't go easy next time."
He warned, his voice calm but edged with determination.
Damrada's expression broke into a broad smile, clapping him on the back.
"Well, congratulations."
He said, his tone warm yet cautionary.
"But don't get ahead of yourself, it's far too early to celebrate."
" I'll have to be officially one of the Single Digits Damrada san."
"No formalities like I said."
"Can't help it, you're my elder now."
Damrada sighed.
"Well, I'm free so come lemme show you around."
"Sure."
I stood up and we left the underworld and headed into the Empire.
To be continued...