"Ethan?"
"Who...?"
As his consciousness slowly returned, Ethan heard a voice calling his name, familiar yet distant.
"Ethan!"
The voice, now filled with joy, prompted Ethan to try opening his eyes. He wanted to see who it was.
As his eyes slowly opened, the first thing he saw was a tear-streaked but beautiful face.
Yana.
Ethan recognized her immediately. Instinctively, he reached out to wipe the tears from her face. His hand trembled as it neared her cheek, but a voice echoed in his mind.
"This path is destined to be lonely!"
Just as his hand was about to touch her face, Ethan stopped, remembering the words.
"Even so, you must walk this path, no matter how thorny it is!"
His right hand shook slightly, and he hesitated before finally pulling it back. He looked at Yana with a complex expression.
"I'm fine, Yana."
Under Yana's astonished gaze, Ethan slowly stood up.
Yana was puzzled. Why had Ethan, who had looked at her with such tenderness, suddenly changed his expression? She had been about to vow to protect him, but this sudden shift stopped her in her tracks.
What had happened?
"Leader!"
"Leader!"
Mikhail and Nicholas shouted excitedly, their joy evident as if they had regained something precious.
"There's no need for words. We have work to do."
Ethan nodded at them, his words brief before he turned his attention to Holy Keisha standing not far away. He looked at her with a calm gaze, and she returned the look without speaking.
Yana, watching this scene, felt a surge of panic. She silently pleaded with Ethan not to provoke Keisha.
The tension was palpable, the air thick with unspoken threats.
Finally, Ethan broke the silence.
"So, Mogiea. Is she dead?"
Keisha had been using her Holy Knowledge Treasury to analyze Ethan and predict his next moves. But none of her scenarios included Ethan asking about Mogiea first. Keisha's pupils contracted briefly before she masked her reaction.
"No."
"Just as I thought."
Ethan wasn't surprised. He had guessed that Mogiea, one of the most powerful known universe warlords, wouldn't be killed by a single heavy nuclear bomb, even with Keisha's help. She might be seriously injured, but not dead.
Moreover, Mogiea had the support of her loyal ally, Death God Karl. Ethan realized that his previous thoughts had been clouded by rage. He hadn't considered what would happen to Nova if he died.
Reflecting on this, Ethan shook his head self-deprecatingly.
"What are you planning now? Are you going to kill me?"
After waking up, Aiden had filled Ethan in on what had happened.
"I'm afraid you won't get your wish, Holy Keisha."
Keisha's expression remained serious. She had initially considered eliminating Ethan, but Yana's intervention had made her reconsider. Now, her curiosity about Ethan and the Nova people had grown.
How had someone without a super gene increased his cellular strength to rival third-generation angels so quickly and through such an unorthodox method? If she hadn't witnessed it herself, she wouldn't have believed it.
Fortunately, she had collected a blood sample from Ethan while repairing his body. She intended to bring it back to Merlot Heaven for thorough analysis by He Xi, who would undoubtedly be very interested.
"The war is over. The demons are nearly extinct. We should leave, but before we do, I believe Nova should join the order of justice."
Keisha did not respond to Ethan's taunt, summoning her throne and adopting a relaxed posture.
"Justice, huh? Such a beautiful concept. Just hearing it makes one yearn for it."
"But unfortunately, no matter how beautiful it is, Nova doesn't need it."
Ethan's expression shifted from one of admiration to cold indifference.
Keisha noticed the change and asked, "Why? You recognize justice, so why reject it?"
Ethan chuckled softly.
"I recognize justice, but that doesn't mean Nova should accept it."
"Nova won't shackle itself!"
His tone turned serious and firm.
"We will no longer allow anyone or any civilization to oppress us or stand above us. That's what we've been fighting for these past decades, and we will continue to do so!"
Keisha shook her head, disagreeing.
"Life is precious, and civilization even more so. Often, civilizations take extreme and destructive paths due to various reasons. They need guidance."
"The order of justice exists to protect and guide these weaker civilizations for the orderly development of the known universe."
"Since its establishment, the order of justice has protected countless weak civilizations from being invaded by stronger ones and guided many toward a bright future. This proves that the order of justice is necessary and essential!"
"And yet you refuse to join."
Keisha's voice was solemn, exuding an aura of holiness.
Ethan wasn't intimidated. He calmly replied, "Holy Keisha, Nova is not interested in the development of the known universe. We care only about our survival and continuity."
"And this has been disrupted by your war with the demons!"
He paused, his eyes narrowing and his tone turning grim.
"Speaking of which, I have a question for you, Holy Keisha."
"About your sister, Lilith the Apocalypse King."
"The current Demon King, Mogiea."