In his Ascended form, Aedan soared through the chaos, a beacon of blazing red amidst the falling bodies and battles raging below. As he streaked past the soldiers and the massive battleship, a surge of recognition and alarm rippled through the enemy ranks.
Technicians aboard the battleship scrambled to analyze the anomaly, detecting a massive spike in an unknown energy signature. This energy, denser and more potent than anything they had encountered before, caused interference with their equipment, disrupting their ability to track the intruder accurately.
Lieutenant Shara wasted no time in issuing orders, commanding all forces to focus their fire on the mysterious red figure. Thousands of beams of energy converged on Aedan, their lethal intent clear as day. But with a simple gesture, the red hue of his armor shifted to a brilliant blue, and a transformation swept over him.
In place of the crimson wings, a sleek rocket pack emerged from his back, propelling him forward with newfound momentum. A large blue crystal shield materialized on his arm, and a formidable gauntlet adorned his right hand, icy mist leaking from its fingers.
Blocking the incoming barrage of energy with his shield, Aedan's movements were slower in this form but no less potent. As the enemy's attacks met his shield, the veins of blue energy coursing through his armor began to glow with intensity.
Suddenly, a shockwave of freezing energy emanated from Aedan, encasing everything within a thousand feet in a layer of dark blue ice. The enemy fighters and their engines were frozen solid, sending them plummeting to the ground like helpless insects caught in a deadly trap.
As the battlefield fell silent in the wake of Aedan's icy onslaught, he hovered in the air, his blue armor gleaming with power and determination. The enemy forces now realized they faced a formidable opponent, one who wielded the elements themselves as weapons. And as Aedan prepared for the next phase of battle, his resolve burned brighter than ever, a beacon of hope in the midst of darkness.
In the aftermath of his awe-inspiring display of power, Aedan hovered in the air, his azure armor pulsating with raw energy as he surveyed the frozen battlefield below. With a surge of determination, he ejected all of his blue heartsparks and inserted red sparks, infusing his attack with fiery intensity.
As the air crackled with anticipation, Aedan felt a rush of emotions flood through him. With a swift motion, one spark morphed into a Crystal Ruby bow, its elegant form shimmering with power in his hands. Grasping three heartsparks, he pulled back the bowstring, the sparks igniting like fiery arrows ready to be unleashed.
With focused intensity, Aedan channeled his energy, the air around him growing hotter by the second. Then, with a thunderous roar, three fiery rays of light erupted from his bow, streaking towards the largest starship with blinding speed.
The enemy vessel stood no chance against the sheer force of Aedan's attack. In the blink of an eye, it was engulfed in a searing blaze, its metallic hull melting under the intense heat. With a deafening explosion, the starship erupted into flames, its once formidable defenses reduced to nothing but ash.
As the flames subsided, Aedan surveyed the aftermath of his attack, a sense of satisfaction coursing through him. But even as he reveled in his victory, he knew the battle was far from over. With his energy depleted and his strength waning, he began to plummet towards the ground below, the wind rushing past him in a deafening sound.
Just as it seemed he would crash into the unforgiving earth below, a soft yellow cloud materialized beneath him, cushioning his fall with a gentle embrace. As he landed with a grace born of desperation, Aedan glanced up to see a figure standing before him.
The old woman possessed an otherworldly beauty despite her obvious old age, her skin a warm shade of orange and her eyes gleaming with golden light. She regarded Aedan with a mixture of curiosity and concern, her presence a beacon of hope in the midst of chaos. Aedan recognized her as Altair Dena Logos, the head of one of the three largest factions in the empire, the Golden Titan Sect. All the inner members of the sect were of the golden titan race, one of the supreme races of Esethia. Thankfully, it was them, Aedan thought. It was no secret that the Golden Titans had a rivalry, maybe even a little enmity, with the Sacred Soul Sect.
With a voice as soft as the breeze, she spoke, her words carrying a weight of wisdom beyond her years.
"You have shown great power, Lord..."
"Heart, call me Heart," answered Aedan as his armor dematerialized into crystal dust revealing a dark-haired, red-eyed young man seeming no older than twenty, but the woman knew appearances could be deceptive.
Altair gave Aedan a soft nod with her head, her gaze bore into Aedan's eyes, her expression a mix of curiosity and respect. She extended a hand in greeting, her voice soft but commanding. "I must admit, I am intrigued by your presence here. Mister Heart, your techniques are quite unique."
Aedan returned her handshake, still a bit wary. "The battle is far from over," Altair continued, her tone grave. "We must regroup with the others."
Before she could continue, Aedan vanished in a flash of energy, leaving Altair standing alone, a look of confusion on her face.
Several hours later, the leaders of all the forces gathered to decide on how to deal with this otherworldly threat. As they debated, a holographic transmission from Lieutenant Shara's superior, Sir Herox, appeared. Herox was a purple-skinned humanoid, very tall, with an aura of nobility and viciousness. Behind him stood Lieutenant Shara, alive and well.
The being introduced himself, his voice carrying a slight British accent. "Greetings, leaders of Esethia. I am Sir Herox, representing the Northern Star Empire. Our interest lies in the source of some energy pinpointed to a solitary mountain in the Ironwood Forest borders. You will hand over this source, along with the mysterious armored figure known as Heart."
He then displayed images of the destruction wrought upon other parts of the planet, as well as the massive fleet in orbit, waiting for orders. The leaders of Esethia, including Altair, exchanged worried looks. Altair recalled the expert she met from the Sacred Soul Sect, knowing he had more experience fighting the Northern Star Empire than anyone else here. But she also knew that relying on a single person to change the tide of battle was a gamble.
Noticing their expressions, Herox grinned evilly. "I see you are considering your options," he said, his tone smug. "Allow me to help. Here is footage from the battle at the Sacred Soul Sect's capital. Do you recognize this armored figure? He possesses technology far beyond this planet."
The footage showed Aedan in his various forms, defeating a squadron of the empire's most advanced fighters. Herox's fear that this person might be a spy from another empire with new armor was well hidden, but only he knows the tragedy it would be if his fears are proven true.
The negotiations concluded with the leaders of Esethia agreeing not to interfere and to hand over whatever was buried in the mountain, as well as the mysterious armored hero, Heart.
As the meeting drew to a close, Aedan, who had been spying on the entire meeting in his black heartspark armor, invisible to the masses, called out to the space beast in his mind, feeling a sense of urgency creeping in. The gentle wave of response that followed reassured him that Seph was listening. "They are really here for you, Seph. Should they leave if they detected you had left the planet?"
Seph's response was immediate, a comforting presence in Aedan's thoughts. "It's possible," the space beast replied, its voice echoing in Aedan's mind. "But leaving would not come without consequences. We would either have to confront them directly or continue fleeing, neither of which guarantees our safety."
Aedan nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing with possibilities. He had never felt truly at home on this world, haunted as it was by memories of the abyss and the losses he had suffered. With the demon defeated and the leadership of the Sacred Soul Sect in disarray, his reasons for staying were dwindling by the day.
"Yeah," Aedan agreed, a sense of resolve settling over him. "It's time for us to leave. But before we go, there are a few things I need to take care of." His thoughts turned to his aunt and cousin, who had stood by him through thick and thin, and to his missing grandfather, whose fate remained a mystery.
As Aedan made up his mind, he had no way of knowing that one of the Northern Star Empire had already breached the mountain and was making its way towards Seph, the Leviathan space beast.