Hundred Year Anniversary (II)

Edward stood before a large stadium full of more than a million people. At every corner of this stadium were numerous enchantments in charge of broadcasting today's event to every corner of the Empire's territory.

The people attending the ceremony included the most powerful and accomplished arcanists, scientists, engineers, wealthy individuals, and politicians.

There was no podium before Edward as he only held a cane with his family member behind him. Without being nervous, he began to talk.

"More than a hundred years ago, wizards removed the Status of Secrecy, beginning the journey of integration with the non-magical. Afterward, we faced our greatest challenge–the Invasion of the Dementors.

"During that time of great duress and confrontation, the magical and nonmagical united for a common cause. In that time of war, we learned of the grandeur and cruelty of the universe. We grew and developed, banding together for our mother planet and the advancement of magic."

Edward paused to create tension:

"The Arcane Empire has existed for only a hundred years. In that short period, we have set foot in every corner of the galaxy, pushed the limit of science and technology, explored the mysteries of the soul, played with space and time, conquered death, and even dabbled in the power of fate and creation.

"In a hundred years, we have created a civilization that the lesser mind would label as [Divine]."

Edward once again paused, allowing all the viewers to truly fathom how much they've accomplished in such a short period. This moment is not just his celebration but the celebration of all the Empire's citizens. This anniversary is a time for everybody to be proud of being a member of the empire.

"Our journey was not easy," continued Edward. "We have lost many comrades and suffered numerous setbacks and catastrophes. However, none could stop us. On the contrary, we have forged or tempered our collective will for progress, development, and the pursuit of knowledge and truth with every adversity."

Edward's body exuded an unparalleled confidence and might:

"Our journey has just begun. The universe is vast, full of unknown mysteries, secrets, and knowledge. Our footsteps have only graced a small portion of it, not even one percent.

"My fellow citizens, now is not the time to be complacent or satisfied with what we have. Our destiny is to one day write the history of this universe–to one day create the one and only eternal civilization.

"May the Arcane Truth guide and protect us."

The stadium's attendees stood up and said in unison:

"May the Arcane Truth guide and protect us."

The majority of citizens scattered across the Milky Way Galaxy stood up and said the exact phrase:

"May the Arcane Truth guide and protect us."

After the speech, the ceremony continued with a parade of the royal family visiting many places throughout the Empire's territory. One of the first destinations was the shrine for what Guzznad did during the war.

Once that finished, there was a prepared show by the Empire's most popular and talented artists, including the legendary star, Kapoor. Her voice was the definition of soulful, as she perfectly used her understanding of Sound and Soul Magic in her performance.

After this event, everyone tuned in for the finale–the Emperor Selection. According to the Empire's rules, a new Empire would be selected every hundred years, but only if the former one was defeated. Otherwise, the position is life-long.

The selection process was divided into three sections: Knowledge, Alchemy and Artificer, and Battle. The Empire's ruler must be a master of all trades and display a high attainment in all these fields.

Edward placed these rules into laws because he knew how hard it was for one person to master so many magical fields. Without great talent and sufficient time, it's impossible for 99% of Arcanists.

In the first round, Edward looked at his main competitors, focusing on someone in particular:

"Orochimaru, I did not expect to see you here."

"What can I say? If I want to achieve my goals, your position is the best and most direct way," replied the snake-tongue man. In a short period, he has become a Tier 8 Arcanist. Sadly, his dream of mastering all knowledge seems to become more distant to him with each passing day.

The Empire had too much knowledge created daily, and he could not pay the Arcane Merit needed to buy even 5% of them. However, if he could become Emperor, he would immediately gain access to more than 80% of it.

"True, so let's begin," nodded Edward as he received challenges from many talented Arcanists, many of whom were individuals he brought from other universes. The entire process was similar to the Bones Council Election, with Edward showing up his knowledge and ability.

The entire experience was a feast for the Empire as they saw the Emperor and some of the best minds arguing and debating. Of course, the result was not unexpected.

Edward was accomplished in most fields. Although many of these Arcanists' accomplishments in certain fields were much greater than his–except for Space-Time, Curse, Elements, Curse, and Soul Magic–they were not all-encompassing like him. So, in the end, he was still the winner.

The situation was the same in the next section. Many potion masters outclassed him. However, most of these people only studied potions and not Artificer.

However, in the field of magic artifact creations, no one dared stay they were better than Edward. After all, the floating cities were the proof they needed to know how much they were outclassed.

The third and final part of this election was the truly exciting aspect. The citizens witnessed their Emperor battling some of the most gifted individuals in the Empire.

Edward had to fight people like Naruto, who still wanted to become Hokage, which, in this case, was his position. Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be connected by fate, so they formed a team for the battle.

It was the same for Asta and Yuno from the Black Clover World. Edward agreed to fight them together and still won. Even Kazuma and his previous team of rogues participated in this battle.

In the end, Edward was the final winner, but not without pushing himself to the limit. In some of his most powerful battles, he faced talented individuals from the Empire. Amongst the people from other universes who gave him the most trouble, it would be, without a doubt, Mereoleona.

That woman had an iron will and refused to stop, no matter how severe her injuries were. Furthermore, she was like a Goddess of War–the longer she fought, the more injuries she received, and the more powerful she became.

Once the event ended, Edward was re-elected for another hundred-year term. Many people realized it might be impossible to sit on the throne this normal way. But most of these people enjoyed a challenge, so they would not give up so easily.

Furthermore, the election was a time for people to achieve fame, glory, and wealth. So, it would be fine if it became more of an event in the future instead of an actual election.

Lastly, the throne was not hereditary. If the Emperor's future descendants wanted to sit in that position, they had to show to the world they were as scary as their father. People did not believe a second Emperor would appear in the world.

After the event, Edward still had a few things to deal with before beginning his long voyage, the first of which was to meet with Itachi regarding the anomaly that appeared before the ceremony.