Chapter 35: The Aftermath of Sacrifice

An hour had passed since Ethan's self-detonation.

Thanks to Aiden's powerful abilities after connecting with Heaven's Blade Seven, the lower demons on Nova had been annihilated by a barrage of nuclear missiles. The high-ranking demons were being hunted down relentlessly by angels, their numbers now reduced to scattered remnants. As for Moni, her fate remained unknown.

Not far from the site of Ethan's self-detonation, on an open field, the angel Ragna was holding Ethan's lifeless body, tears streaming down her face.

"Ragna, it's useless. Even though his body has been repaired, his consciousness and spirit have vanished. He's just an empty shell now," a voice explained.

At the moment of Ethan's self-detonation, Aiden had activated a pre-set program in Ethan's armor. Additionally, Aiden managed to contact the Divine Keisha at the last moment, requesting her assistance. Although Keisha disconnected from Heaven's Blade Seven as soon as Aiden reached out, she still intervened.

Thus, Ethan's armor protected him from the initial blast, giving Keisha enough time to act. In saving Ethan, Keisha sacrificed one of her silver wings. Though she was pained by the loss, she was even more upset that Ragna had allowed an AI like Aiden to connect with Heaven's Blade Seven. Despite kicking Aiden out immediately, Keisha still needed to investigate if any data had been compromised.

Keisha was already contemplating punishing Ragna by confining her for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

"Queen, perhaps there is a sliver of hope in the vow of guardianship..." Ragna, in her grief, clung to a desperate idea, but Keisha harshly interrupted her.

"Ragna, abandon that thought. Even if it were possible, I would not permit such actions."

Keisha's words were like a death sentence, extinguishing the small spark of hope in Ragna's heart.

"But, Queen..."

"No more, Ragna. The war is over. Find the leaders of Nova and ask if they will join the Order of Justice," Keisha commanded.

Ragna couldn't respond. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Ethan, unable to process anything else.

Meanwhile, Mikhail and Nicholas, having received Aiden's message, rushed to the site.

Time rewinds to a few minutes after Ethan's detonation. Mikhail and Nicholas were in a shelter with their troops, having been warned by Ethan to take cover to avoid potential nuclear strikes aimed at the demons. They were anxiously awaiting further instructions when Aiden's projection appeared before them.

"Aiden? What's the situation? How is our leader?" Mikhail asked, surprised by Aiden's sudden appearance. Nicholas remained silent, his anxious eyes revealing his concern.

"Councilor, the Divine Leader sacrificed himself to kill Moni by detonating a nuclear bomb. His status is unknown. Please proceed immediately to the coordinates I provide. That is the site of his self-detonation," Aiden explained.

"What? The leader?" Mikhail and Nicholas were shocked and devastated.

"No, the Divine Leader wouldn't abandon us!" Mikhail exclaimed, trying to hold on to hope.

"Compose yourself. The Divine Leader's status is indeed uncertain, but I believe he won't die. Also, prepare for potential conflict with the angels. The reasons are complex, but for now, you must focus on post-war preparations," Aiden urged.

Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Mikhail suppressed his sorrow and issued orders through his communicator.

"William Eaton, Zachary Thompson, Leonard Smith, prepare for battle immediately..."

Soon, Mikhail had made the necessary arrangements. He exchanged a glance with Nicholas, who nodded silently.

"Councilor, before heading to the Divine Leader's location, retrieve the items at these coordinates," Aiden added.

"Understood," Mikhail replied.

...

Back to the present. Mikhail and Nicholas arrived at the site, quickly spotting Ethan's body in Ragna's arms.

"Leader!" they shouted, rushing forward but were stopped by an angel.

"Stop! Queen Keisha is here. Kneel before speaking!" the angel, wielding a flaming sword, demanded.

"You have no right to make me kneel. This is Nova; you cannot flaunt your power here!" Mikhail retorted, anger flaring as his armor quickly enveloped his body, mirrored by Nicholas, ready for battle.

"Let them come," Keisha's voice diffused the tension, and the angel reluctantly stepped aside, though with a look of disdain.

Ignoring the angel, Mikhail and Nicholas approached Ragna, desperate for answers.

"What happened to our leader?" Mikhail asked.

Ragna remained silent, staring blankly at Ethan. Keisha showed no inclination to explain to just anyone, but an angel beside her spoke.

"His body is repaired, but his consciousness and spirit are gone. He's just a shell," the angel explained.

"What? How can this be?" Mikhail and Nicholas were in disbelief, but the truth was undeniable.

"Let's go, Ragna. The war is over. We must return," Keisha said, ready to leave.

At that moment, Aiden's projection reappeared, surveying Ethan's surroundings.

"They have arrived," Aiden stated.

"Who?" Keisha asked, pausing her departure.

Her Divine Knowledge Treasury issued alarms.

"Warning! Detected dimensional disturbance on Nova!"

"Warning! Detected surge in dark energy on Nova!"

"Warning! Detected secondary bio-energy accumulation!"

"Warning! Detected unknown energy convergence!"

The alarms halted Keisha's steps, her expression turning grave as she looked at Aiden.

"Did you do this?" she demanded.

"No," Aiden replied calmly.

"Then explain this!" Keisha ordered.

"Apologies, but I have no intention of explaining," Aiden responded, unperturbed.

"You..." Keisha started, but was interrupted.