A Different Burial, New Team Leader

Heian Ciemnosc walked through the black passageway. He felt like he was moving through somewhere but couldn't tell right from left or up from down. What Heian Ciemnosc did know was happening was that each of his steps drove him long distances he couldn't explain. It was like he was sliding through the water, but it was solid ground instead, and he wasn't drifting or tripping. One thing was definitive. This was much inferior to what his Master helped him with those 'visions' when he was younger.

Step, step, step... step…

“Achooo!” Suddenly, a cute noise startled Heian Ciemnosc. When he heard it, someone seemed to notice him but thought of another person and continued doing whatever they were doing. Heian Ciemnosc continued until he saw… a little kid sitting cross-legged with their backs facing him. They were cultivating. It wasn’t strange, but what surprised Heian Ciemnosc was the kid’s current cultivation base at the Spirit Rebirth realm 10th stage!

It was a little girl, looking so small, like 5, but was 7 years old. Heian Ciemnosc turned his nature reading off once he saw the tiny thing as she made some gestures and accommodated her body, cracking her neck or playing with her hands in the air as if bored. When Heian Ciemnosc stepped near her, she exhaled in boredom and complained. “Master, how long ‘till I can go out again? It’s been so many years since you last visited me! Am I not supposed to be your disciple? Don’t just leave meee~!”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc kept quiet. He heard an exasperated ‘aaah!’ before the little girl picked her feet up and spun her cross-legged body. Immediately, she saw not pretty, thin, and godly legs but pants and a strangely familiar black color. Her eyes gradually turned upwards until she met a pervertedly handsome, pale face and those nightmarish, darkest eyes.

“Ah, hello…” Kilah wasn’t terrified to see him, though. Additionally, when her eyes met the darkest, she didn’t pale and shivered as she had once done after Heian Ciemnosc nearly killed her. Kilah was virtually the same as before, only childish, but still radiated strong killing intent.

“Hi, Kilah,” Heian Ciemnosc calmly spoke. Kilah slid to the side and tapped the floor. That was when Heian Ciemnosc’s vision cleared, and the black tunnel disappeared, letting him see a small meditation room with a small bed at the side and a large, circular praying matter on the other. The flooring and walls were made of black wood, but the ceiling was the same blackness as the tunnel.

Rustle~. Heian Ciemnosc sat beside the little girl, who looked like a tiny little shit beside him, a tall young man known as the black monster. After looking at the bedroom, Heian Ciemnosc turned towards the little girl. She was already looking at him, and her breath was slightly intensified. He grinned and asked, “What did it feel like getting killed by me?”

“Nearly killed, and it was justified. Anyone would’ve wanted the same thing,” Kilah acted elegant and mature, outrageously different from what she was when she was still a young woman terrorizing any other Genius or Gifted of the same generation. She also closed her eyes proudly as if taking Heian Ciemnosc’s side if there were any. Needless to say, this surprised and astounded Heian Ciemnosc.

“These years, I’ve been learning under my new Master,” Kilah said, immediately initiating a conversation. She tugged her body left and right, leaning towards Heian Ciemnosc to join her thighs with his overly long ones. They weren’t absurdly long, but he was a semi-giant compared to a little girl. She looked up, nearly breaking her neck, and repositioned to do the same but more comfortably before saying, “My previous Master was delegated to supervise a Kingdom in the Interchanging Dust Dynasty’s territory.”

“So your previous Master was ‘punished’ while you were promoted, becoming the Celestial’s direct disciple and possible inheritor.” Heian Ciemnosc said, taking a glass of tasty liquor already served. He wagged it in circles before taking a sip. Kilah looked at it all along, with her eyelids falling 30% and her eyes following the glass. Her slightly mouth closed and softly but thirstily smacked her lips constantly.

“Ahem, right. I know it was all my fault and that… while Gora was unimportant and a fool, the Dynasty wasn’t willing to let a talent like mine go to waste.” Kilah said, resuming her cultivation base and placing her hands on her feet’s soles, trying to concentrate.

“But that was before you showed up in the world, and the Change Merit Trials event was decided,” Kilah dropped a curious piece of information. Heian Ciemnosc ‘hmm-ed’ and Kilah cleared her throat cutely to elaborate. “Master said it was something like a divination. Those things are impossible since time is gone, but a bit of Essence sacrifice can grant us that ability. You know that old geezer, Gorzh?”

“The Heavenly Watcher, Celestial Isayid, your Master, right hand?” Heian Ciemnosc asked, doing his little best to remind this little shit whom she was speaking of. To Heian Ciemnosc’s speechlessness, Kilah nodded and moved her black hair, caressing it as she unruly said, “Exactly! He’s an Atmosphere God, you know? However, he was at the peak of the Atmosphere God a few hundred years ago.”

“Master initially wanted to use her cultivation base to do the sacrifice, but the old geezer stopped her and used his. He hadn’t been able to recuperate in these few hundred years because of that, not even able to refine a thin trace of pure energy into Godly Energy. Meanwhile, my Master has come closer and closer to the Imperial God realm! Heheh!”

“Slurrrp,” Heian Ciemnosc took a sonorous sip from his strong liquor and said, “And what did the divination reveal to them?”

“... I’ll tell you…” Kilah looked from the left corner of her eyes at Heian Ciemnosc and tilted her head ever so slightly. She became pensive as her eyes scarcely squinted and leaned towards him with her mouth skywards. “If you tell me how strong your Master is!”

“Hmph, I think she might be a being,” Heian Ciemnosc said, looking down at his glass of wine. Kilah supported her sitting position with her hands behind her on the floor and reacted. “Impossible! That strong?! Is this why you’re so strong? And the reasoning behind the Wrath Nihility Academy letting you experiment with that ‘Supreme’ Art?!”

“My Master has always been this strong. Otherwise, why would the Heraxle Clan not dare touch the Wrath Nihility Academy after the Great Sage’s fall? Also, what was that tone? Is there something about my Art you know that I don’t?” Heian Ciemnosc effortlessly convinced the unconvinced Kilah with those words.

“Nope? Master told me that your Art is definitely not a ‘weak’ Supreme grade and goes perfectly naturally with your body and strange Race. Why?” Kilah said, not hiding the fact she had spoken with Celestial Isayid recently. If this was the Kilah Heian Ciemnosc one nearly killed, she would’ve hidden this information and threatened to self-destroy herself to bring him down.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked down at the tiny face. Her eyes stared at him, innocent and radiating honesty. His nature reading wasn’t wrong, and after interacting with her, Heian Ciemnosc finally accepted the fact that Kilah was reborn in more than literal ways.

“Ey, can you give me some?” Kilah changed the subject, her eyes glued to the glass of wine. Heian Ciemnosc straightened his back and said while shaking his head, “Nah.”

“Hmm,” little girl Kilah pouted and looked ahead, ignoring him. Heian Ciemnosc took another glass and poured early Second Step Fauna blood into it, boiled it with his dark Neutral Energy, effectuating a heating technique from his left hand, and passed it to her. “Have this. Let’s drink.”

“Ah~!” Kilah looked at Heian Ciemnosc, forgiving him for his aggressions, but her eyes moved to the glass of blood like lightning. She grabbed the thing and held it. Her tiny hands had to adjust to the slightly long, crystal handle. The bowl was nearly 3 of her hands’ width and reeked of tasty, well-prepared Fauna blood. She gave the glass a pleasant whiff before glancing at Heian Ciemnosc like her benefactor.

“Hoorah,” she softly said, looking at him before closing her eyes and turning her head to the front. Heian Ciemnosc copied her actions and drank from his right hand, holding his glass. Kilah had to use both and some Power Energy to keep herself from falling backwards as her tiny throat made ‘gulp gulp gulp’ noises.

Heian Ciemnosc finished his glass first. He cleaned his face with his tongue before looking down at the tiny person still gorging that blood into her slightly bloated, tiny abdomen. He lazily looked ahead of him again and served his glass with more liquor before downing it again. He felt more comfortable.

“Pfsaaaaaah~!” Kilah finally finished her glass. She looked slightly drowsy as she put the glass down. Heian Ciemnosc moved his right hand and touched its bowl with his fingertips before instantly storing it in his Covert Space bags. Then, he lowered his stance a little and asked her, “Do you know what happened to the Interchanging Dust Dynasty?”

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“Burp- of course, I- do~...” Little Kilah said, her head swaying and voice a little silly. She supported her body with her left hand on the floor behind her and pointed at Heian Ciemnosc with her right, tiny index finger. “Everything moved up and down. For a moment, I thought Disaster had struck… and that the Mistaken Fissures Kingdom would become tiny chunks of land in space. But no… Master told me to stay in my place and not go out while she was outside… She sounded worried.”

“She told me everything in the following hours… Compared to what I was before, only this is important… and I couldn’t even participate. I’ve made too many enemies, even if they are not dangerous. Being reborn won’t help with that… I have a long way… I think. Starting with you, my near-killer,” Kilah said, and some of what Heian Ciemnosc knew about her returned. Now, it wasn’t just the innate, natural killing intent in her eyes that defined her still with her.

Heian Ciemnosc engaged with more words, conversations, and exchange of ‘secrets’ between their Masters. Heian Ciemnosc told her some of his stories, and she wanted more. In return, Kilah told him about the Interchanging Dust Dynasty, but she was unwilling to reveal Heian Ciemnosc about that divination. Other than the Interchanging Dust Dynasty sacrificing Essence from who knew where or whom, and that they were shown how to ‘proceed’ after the new Change, which the Dynasty had no idea would arrive soon, she only said it included him and a favored title: her.

It went on for hours. What started as a chat with the Celestial and her disciple became a couple of days…

. . .

2 days later, space. A medium-sized vessel moved towards the Frigate with the Crimsonbreaking Faction emblem imprinted. A unique Ornament ‘escorted’ it by the side.

“Heian Ciemnosc to Frigate #-. I have retired. I apologize for the delay.” Heian Ciemnosc spoke to his medallion as the Ornament and medium vessel approached the Frigate. He received a response after half a minute, with the Frigate opening one of its hatches while making space, seemingly already aware of what the vessel beside him was bringing. “Understood, the commander has notified commander Choliac. Return immediately, black monster.”

Ve~m… Heian Ciemnosc said nothing and immediately entered the Frigate. Meanwhile, the medium vessel continued flying forwards. When it was a few hundred meters, the vessel changed its trajectory slightly upwards according to the universal focus. It slowly arched backwards like a caterpillar climbing up and slowly separated its ‘belly’ as a Defensive Frigate, with more anti-missile turrets and artillery guns flying directly forwards from its interior.

The vessel remained in an over-extended ‘U’ shape at the center, slowly regressing once the Defensive Frigate was a couple hundred meters from the commander’s Frigate. The Defensive Frigate stopped beside the commander’s Frigate, facing the same direction, and the other Frigate activated an array formation to link with it.

Inside the Frigate, Heian Ciemnosc disembarked from his Ornament and was received by his Team members. Ruo Wei looked at him with her arms crossed, slightly below her chin, and with hopeful eyes. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t waste a moment and said, “Beto’s Soul is in the Celestial’s hands. It can take 100 years, but it’s also possible it’ll take 10,000 years or more before he can recuperate.”

Dash! “Whoahah!” Ruo Wei also wasted no time and lunged at Heian Ciemnosc. Her hands were around his neck, and she bumped her forehead against his collarbone. Heian Ciemnosc would’ve been severely injured had she used her Neutral Energy. Ruo Wei placed her knees, shins, and insteps against his torso and looked up, “I knew he’d be fine. Thank you, blackie!”

“Oh,” Heian Ciemnosc nodded. He helped her down his body and looked at the rest. Suddenly, a silent moment engulfed them, and it was as if Heian Ciemnosc had become the center of an inner-Team ceremony. From now on, he was their Team Leader, and they had to live and die with him in missions or battle. This was their previous team leader’s choice… and they agreed.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find some things to do soon, with that of… becoming a Team Leader, Heian Ciemnosc. Let’s return. This is our Frigate’s crew members, not the temporary crew. We’ve got a lot to answer, and you’re gonna take care of that, come on.” Cara walked forth and said, beautifully smiling at him. Heian Ciemnosc nodded and let his Ornament be worshiped by the First Step fellas who had heard about it and seen it in the battle within the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s forums.

“Mn, oh,” Heian Ciemnosc exclaimed. The Team nodded and walked towards the cabin section, where an ambush was prepared. While they were on the way, the commander’s voice sounded throughout the Frigate. “Sigh, we’re a little late. We’ll enter maximum speed, activating all smallish engines and the small engine. Don’t get scared, you greenhorns.”

Tu- tump- WYYUUUMP!!

A series of engines turning up resounded at every corner of the Frigate. Heian Ciemnosc heard it, and a second later, they were pushed backwards by the pull as the Frigate immediately started at maximum speed. From the outside, one could see the commander’s Frigate bringing the Defensive Frigate along, constantly moving back and forth thanks to the array formation. It was a bit energy-costly but thoroughly within their budget.

“Mn, that feels nice~!” Moy said, exiting his somber mode as the pull only seemed about to push them the hell away for half an instant. Although that was enough to backtrack their upper bodies ten inches. It would be the same if it was a citizen or civilian thought.

Afterwards, Heian Ciemnosc led the Team towards the cabin section. When they arrived, they were immediately bombarded with faces, questioning voices, and half the crew members from the Second Step looking at them as if knowing something they didn’t. Or at least something Heian Ciemnosc didn’t.

“Black monster! Do you have any secrets to get chicks?! We know you’re stealing Cara and Ruo Wei from their boyfriends. Who’s next?!” - “Woaaah! Someone just got blacklisted, he dead!” - “Black monster, you and the Laurel Group you commanded destroyed more than 100 enemy armada spaceships. What do you have to say?!” - “Are some of you reporters?” - “From the Crimson forums, yep!” - “How big is it? Come on. Some girls had seen it, but the boys talk faster!” - “You!” - “She betrayed us!” - “What cultivation method allows you such high efficiency?!” - “Is your ‘dark’ Soul from the mysterious Supreme Art the Wrath Nihility Academy taught you?” - “What time do you go out for dinner, handsome?” - “I do at- “Shut up.” - “Ah…”

Thus, slowly and forcing his way through the corridors with his bodyguards- no, his Team members’ help, Heian Ciemnosc answered a person with each step they took towards safety. A couple hours later, incapable of using a transporting vehicle, Heian Ciemnosc was pushed into his cabin to safety. The others had their own cabins and people to share it with.

Cara was no longer available. Loma had brought her partner, and now were Crimsons. Ruo Wei had just gone through losing her man. Moy had Sandra, but he was down, too. He needed a lot of ups and downs with her. Clanton had a huge-ass harem now, and Heian Ciemnosc was left alone.

Fumble. Heian Ciemnosc dropped his back on his small bed. It seemed individual, but another person could’ve taken a spot there. Unfortunately, he was still hours away from his wives, and no maids-lovers-playthings would be allowed just like that. As Heian Ciemnosc relaxed, he formed a Soulish body inside his inner being and shouted at someone. “Sara!”

“Mmmf! What?!” In the endless pure darkness. A bed’s bulge below the sheets moved. A slender arm peeked out and pulled the sheets downwards to reveal a head with powerful, verdant hair with strands of pink hair. Sara’s beautiful small face appeared, grunting and ugly, as she looked towards Heian Ciemnosc.

Heian Ciemnosc grinned and shouted again, “I’m bored!”

“!” Sara’s crosses in her eyes immediately spun a few degrees in a row. She patted the spot on the bed behind her and went back to lay on it with her head against the pillow and her body cuddling as her legs folded and raised her knees. Heian Ciemnosc rapidly floated towards the bed and swooped under the sheets. He cuddled his energy glitch Sara and embraced her with both arms, giving his own comfort up to spend comfy, warm moments with her.

“Mmmnf,” Sara comfortably moaned. She moved her head to caress her face on the pillow and adored feeling his body stuck to hers. They stopped moving and swiftly fell asleep. Back in the real world, Heian Ciemnosc closed his darkest eyes and fell asleep. He wasn’t under those bedsheets, but he felt overly warm with Sara together with him in his inner self.

. . .

10 hours later, slightly over halfway to the Crimsonbreaking Faction base.

The Frigate’s hangar was used as a hall to commemorate the fallen. While this Frigate hadn’t lost any soldier unit, and some were overly injured, nearly to death, but could still recuperate. The Crimsonbreaking Faction did lose more than 1,000 soldier units in the last battle. Those were incredible numbers, but to the Faction, which rarely saw sudden battles or wars, this was unprepared, and it meant these deaths came for no reason.

Their goal, their objective, was noble. But they didn’t die with permission, more or less.

Now, the commander stood before anyone else on a stage, talking about Beto. She gave the report he wrote before sacrificing himself. Then, she elaborated on Heian Ciemnosc’s new intel from the Motherblood Expiritus’s demise. Without complication, the Frigate fell somber, but they also gained honor. This was their people, their soldier units, comrades, and family.

They were quite the big family. They battled, rested, dined, and even showered and sparred with family. Similarly, they’ll die for their family. Crimsonbreaking Faction is more than a title and its corresponding role in the world as an organization. It is their world. And every one of them protects it in more than one way by living or dying. Now, Beto was a clear example of both.

“... Little Beto isn’t with us, but he isn’t too far gone. When he has done so much but cannot live to see it, we’ll honor his departure as we do with the fall of our people. As he became our grace and saved more than we had hoped for, he’ll be our role model. The Crimsonbreaking Faction is watching, and Beto is seen. His deeds have been told, and this war has been won. Now, it’s time to return and make it worthy. Of him, of our family… of this world!”

Cameras everywhere shone on the different people looking at them from the base. The Chairwoman and her direct subordinates appeared in one, while civilians, citizens, cultivators, Officers, higher-ups, and other upper echelons were in formation to observe this Frigate’s burial ceremony from others.

“For nature,” the commander slightly uttered. The Crimsonbreaking Faction mouths opened in resonance, “For nature!!”

…