Althea Niadgel

World Leaders Conference

January 1, 2275

"Threats have risen again!"

"It's only a knight-rank now, but what if they send a bishop-rank? Or worse, a queen-rank?!"

"Our warriors barely survived when the queen-rank warden led the attack sixty years ago!"

"We are all afraid, that is for certain, but cowering in fear is not a solution."

"He is right. So far our information about wardens is insufficient. If only we get an inside Intel about them."

"Maybe we can find out why they are attacking our realm."

"Has there been any record of a warden that can speak? Or an exploration inside their dimension? I'm afraid that will remain a mystery."

"We must not lose hope. The best thing we can do now is to train our warriors, develop stronger new-types and find stronger relics."

"Agreed."

***

"Yes father. They are both are asleep. According to Dr. Orquez, they have spent a lot of energy in dealing with the knight-rank warden, but they're going to recover. Percy? Percy is in his room. The mysterious girl and the animals discovered with her were put into an isolation cell." said Daniel to his father who suddenly called to get an update after the whole fiasco.

In the Philippines, three places were attacked; Davao City, La Union City and Kal-anan Area. But only in Kal-anan Area was the knight-rank seen.

"I see. How are the conditions of your soldiers?" asked the governor-general on the other line.

"Well half of the soldiers sent were injured and we lost a few of our men. Some might need psychological counseling as well. Dealing with something like that has its adverse effects." Daniel answered with a sigh. "Lt. Col. Ashtein's vitals seem to be normal, his energy seemed to have spiked up though during the encounter. The girl is also stable. Dr. Orquez is already running diagnostics on her."

"Good. Daniel, I don't want anything about Percy and the girl getting revealed to the media or to anyone. Until we know more, none of their information is going to be revealed. Also, make sure the girl will never leave the Tabogon Base for now. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Ah, Dr. Cabigas is on her way there. I will also have her stationed there to monitor Zero Squad's health and maybe the girl's as well. Tell Dr. Orquez he can focus on making new-types for the soldiers. You can also start screening on who can undergo the user training."

"Yes sir!"

The call ended and Daniel could finally sigh. His father called him in the middle of the night, and he barely slept. Even though the Governor-General was his father, he could never forget his imposing aura. And the fact that he was also currently one if the most powerful wielders would only make one's knees shake.

[Colonel.] Tierra called. [There is an unusual scene in Lt. Col. Ashtein's room.]

"What unusual scene? Pull up the camera in his room."

A video screen popped up. It was a live feed of Percy's room. The owner of the room was still out cold but at the foot of his bed was the mysterious girl whom he was told had emerged from the gigantic ore in the base's sub-level five.

"How long has she been standing there?"

[Five minutes sir.]

"That's sort of... creepy?"

Daniel stood up from his seat and headed to his third younger brother's room. He slowly approached the unmoving girl but the latter remained indifferent. He noticed her golden irises which suddenly landed on him. He almost had a heart attack at that small movement.

"You're a wielder." the girl spoke.

"Uhm, yeah."

She held out her hand and his relic, Lema, which was disguised as an earring, slowly floated towards her.

Daniel could only watch in disbelief. From what he knew, relics will only recognize one master. And for as long as that master is alive, it would remain loyal. Once the master dies, it will become dormant until a new owner it has chosen pops up.

He was nervous. His relic which was an S-rank and was considered a destroyer-class, was in the hands of an unknown girl who emerged from inside the ore that was discovered in an ore mine and was dated to be four hundred years and older.

Whoa! Mind blowing!

"Lema." she said and then smiled. "She's found a good master. That's good."

She gave the earring back to Daniel which he gratefully accepted.

"You are a Historian." she smiled. "I see. What is your name?"

"Daniel. Colonel Daniel Ashtein."

"A warrior huh. Does this place belong to you Daniel?"

"Technically it belongs to the government but 'I am' running it."

"Oh I see. Daniel... Please... Help this girl. She can help you."

Daniel was confused. Did she really just refer to herself in third person? And what did she mean by that? More importantly, what did she want with his brother?

"Okay. I will." he answered anyway.

"That's good."

He saw her irises flicker from gold to jade-green and she collapsed. Thankfully he caught her before she slammed to the floor.

"Just who the hell are you?" he murmured.

***

"My name is Althea Naiadgel. I'm the granddaughter of Archduke Jatha Naiadgel."

"No idea who that is."

Daniel couldn't help but massage his temples. The girl in front of him was speaking nonsense and she claimed to have no memories of fighting a warden or talking to him in Percy's room.

The girl, Althea, was placed in one of the guestrooms of the base. She did help them from the warden attack three days ago so they had to show her hospitality. Percy also woke up, and just like her, he had no recollection of destroying, much less fighting, the wardens. He claimed that his memories stopped at catching the girl after she emerged from the core.

He was currently getting a full-body check-up from Dr. Bea Cabigas. And maybe a psychological evaluation as well.

"Do you remember how you got here?" Daniel asked Althea who was keeping a distance from him.

"I... There was war... The wardens were attacking and killing everyone!" she said, her voice trembling. "Their king... their king swallowed our sun! But then, my grandfather took me somewhere and sent me away, into another world. He believed I would escape our world's destruction."

"So your world..."

"Siela-"

"Right, Siela, is also plagued by wardens?"

"Was. And plagued would be an understatement." she muttered.

"Your grandfather sent you away to another world. Does that mean you're an alien?" he asked again.

"I don't know. He never really told me the specifics."

"Oh. So how did you kill wardens in Siela?"

"Relics! We possess relics, like you."

Daniel's hands unconsciously went to his earring.

"So they have caught up." she murmured.

"Uhm, pardon?"

"My world ended in destruction because of them and soon, if you do not do something, this world will have the same fate."

The alarms blared again.

[Warning! Dimensional rift detected at Tabogon coast. Rook-rank warden energy signature detected. Possibility of water-based warden, 75%.]

"What is that?" Althea started panicking. "That voice?! It's warning us? Is it the voice of the gods? Warning us of a warden's arrival? We never had that in Siela."

"That's... just Terria actually." Daniel answered. "Miss Althea Naiadgel, the warriors of this base have still not recovered from the warden attack three days ago and some of them are... mentally unable to perform their duties. We are short of personnel and equipment to fight a water-based warden. I-"

"You basically want me to help you, right?"

"Uhm... Yes?"

"On one condition."

"What condition?"

"Let me meet and speak with the boy named Percy Ashtein. Privately." she paused. "After the battle."