"Wait, Pres—"
Before Stella's right-hand man could stop her, she had already leaped high into the air, heading straight for the area teeming with monsters.
She clasped her hands together mid-air and murmured, "Ice Spikes."
Hundreds of ice spikes materialized around Stella, floating in the air as they locked onto their targets. "Release," she whispered.
In an instant, the ice spikes shot toward the monsters with deadly precision, impressively avoiding any civilians.
"Yeah! Our President is in action!"
"Don't worry, everyone. With President Stella here, we're safe!"
The civilians cheered joyfully at the sight. They could now smile despite the chaos, assured by Zenith's protection.
"Stella is amazing," Clara said in awe.
"She has almost perfect control of her power," Aric agreed.
"Almost perfect? How strong would she have to be for it to be considered perfect?" Clara asked, slightly confused.
Aric hesitated. In the year 3023, some had reached the level of Paragon Novas, while Stella was currently only a Level 51 Champion Nova.
"Err... I've seen individuals in Valoria with similar powers to the president, but capable of producing far more ice spikes, all hitting their targets," Aric replied, fabricating an explanation.
"Even stronger?" Clara asked excitedly. "That's good. We need as many powerful humans as possible to maintain Earth's peace."
"Earth in 2273 doesn't have many above the level of Champion Novas. That's why, at Level 51 Champion Nova, Stella can lead the Republic of Sienna," C99 interrupted.
Her purpose was to remind Aric that in this year, Champion Novas were already considered among the strongest on Earth. So, Aric needed to be careful when speaking.
"Oh, only Champion Novas?" Aric's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Humans have only had powers for fifty years. It's impressive for you to reach the level of Champion Novas so quickly," C99 replied, a rare note of praise in her tone.
Before Aric could respond, he noticed the Monster Manipulators attempting to flee. They had initially blended in with the civilians, making it difficult to identify them as the masterminds behind the attack. Fortunately, C99's keen senses detected them and alerted Aric.
"Don't think you can escape!" Aric shouted, leaping high into the air. He grasped his right wrist with his left hand, aiming his palm at one of the fleeing manipulators.
"Electro Net!" Aric bellowed, intentionally drawing the attention of Stella and the Zenith officers present.
He repeated the technique three times, releasing three Electro Nets towards the enemies. Two of the manipulators were ensnared, high-voltage currents rendering them unconscious. The third, however, managed to evade capture.
"Capture them! They are the Monster Manipulators!" Aric commanded.
Clara, standing beside him, was bewildered. 'How did he know?' she wondered.
"Monster Manipulators?" Stella's attention snapped towards the three individuals, spotting the one attempting to flee.
"Restrain those in the net!" Stella ordered, then turned to a figure Aric hadn't noticed earlier.
"Yara! Capture him!" Stella commanded again.
"Yara?!" Aric was taken aback. There was only one Yara renowned across Earth—Yara Martinez, one of the Seven Paragon Novas.
"Is my brother here?" Clara asked, her eyes lighting up at the mention of Yara's name.
"Brother?" Aric echoed, confused for a moment before connecting the dots. Martinez! That's why Clara was called Young Mistress. Yara must be the Young Master of the family at this time.
"Yes, genius. Clara Martinez comes from the Martinez Family. And this is the Republic of Sienna. They must be related," C99 teased with a laugh.
Clara nodded proudly. "Yara is my brother."
"Yara Martinez..." Aric tried to recall the notable figures from the Martinez Family, but he was certain he'd never heard of Clara.
"Relax, Aric. This world is full of secrets," C99 said. "Maybe when you return to the year 3023, you'll find the answer."
Aric nodded in understanding, determined to uncover more about Clara's mysterious background in 3023.
Meanwhile, the Zenith officers swiftly moved to eliminate the remaining monsters and protect the civilians. Clara watched in awe. "They're so efficient."
"One day, I want to join Zenith too," Clara said, determination gleaming in her eyes.
Moments later, Yara returned with the enemy who had attempted to escape earlier. The enemy's body was limp, bones and joints broken but still alive, a testament to Yara's brutal efficiency.
Stella was instructing one of her subordinates, a thin, bearded man who looked more like a professor than a soldier.
The man placed his hand on the head of the enemy brought by Yara, then did the same to the other two, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed their thoughts. He nodded towards Stella, ready to share his findings.
"It's true. They orchestrated this attack," the man reported.
"Anything else, Facundo?" Stella asked the memory-reading man, her voice steady but urgent.
Facundo's eyes flickered with uncertainty. "They're just Rogue Novas, hired by an unknown individual. They received only orders and threats."
"Is that all?" Yara interjected, his presence dominating the scene. Earth's constant state of warfare and betrayal made him skeptical. He knew Stella was too soft for this role.
Facundo began to tremble under Yara's intense gaze. "There's one more thing. They plan another attack next Monday."
Yara advanced on Facundo, ice spikes forming around him, all aimed at the trembling man. "When? Where? Are you trying to lure us into a trap?"
Facundo's legs gave way, collapsing to the ground. "I-I-I don't know!" he stammered in fear.
Thankfully, the Zenith officers had already evacuated the civilians to a safer area. If they had witnessed this scene, they might have questioned Stella and the leadership of the Republic of Sienna.
Yara deactivated his power and turned to Stella, who nodded and issued a command, "Take these three, including Facundo, to the detention area. We need to extract as much information as possible from them."
"Pre-president! Why me too?" Facundo protested, confusion and fear etched on his face. Before he could argue further, a warrior-like man approached him.
"Hey, hey! The President has spoken. Just comply," the man said firmly.
Before the man could grab him, something unexpected happened. Facundo's body suddenly grew bigger and stronger, and he lashed out, attacking the man.
"Darian!" Yara shouted a warning.
Darian, taken aback by Facundo's transformation, was caught off guard. Facundo, now displaying super strength, pushed him aside with immense force, sending Darian flying.
"Dual powers?" Stella and the others were stunned. They believed Facundo's ability was Memory Reading. It was unheard of for any Nova to have two powers.
Yara watched the unfolding events closely, trying to anticipate Facundo's next move. Then he remembered something crucial.
"Clara!" His sister was with the teenager who had revealed who was controlling the monsters attacking the square. Facundo would undoubtedly target that teenager.
Facundo glanced at Yara with a sinister smile. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from Yara, Stella, and Darian's sight.
"Be careful, Aric!" C99 warned. She had already guessed Facundo's target and his intentions.
Aric nodded, immediately positioning himself in front of Clara. He tried to scan Facundo but received no additional information. It meant Facundo was still alive in 3023.
Facundo was Level 51 with Super Strength at SSS grade!
"Wait. Isn't it only Grandpa and Ryan who possess Super Strength at SSS grade?!" Aric asked C99.
"Maybe that's only based on the Novas Union records," C99 replied.
As they finished talking, Facundo was already upon them. "Power Boo—"
Aric was about to activate the Power Booster but remembered that he did not have Elis's power or someone on par with her. That was when Yara suddenly appeared in front of him, standing between him and Facundo. Facundo was startled by Yara's sudden appearance. "What?!"
"Surprised?" Yara mocked.
Facundo regained his composure and threw a punch powered by aura. The force of his aura alone made Aric and Clara collapse.
Yara remained calm, preparing to counter. He pulled his right hand back before delivering a punch to meet Facundo's. "Super Explosion!"
Their fists collided, but Yara ensured the impact did not affect Aric and Clara. However, the lower-ranked Zenith officers were thrown far away. However, some were protected by Stella, Darian, and a few higher subordinates' auras.
"Yara is strong…" Stella muttered, impressed. Darian smiled proudly.
"That's my technique, President. Yara used my technique," Darian said, beaming.
Yara had a unique power known as Power Multiplier. He could copy anyone's attack technique he had seen and make it his own, but two times stronger.
"But why aren't you that strong?" teased an elderly Asian-looking man, Deraman, laughing with a sweet expression. It was clear he was teasing Darian.
"Shut up, old man Deraman," Darian replied, pouting, which looked comical given his large physique.
"Hahaha! Don't be mad, Darian. Besides, with your technique, Yara managed to avoid a bigger problem. That kid is important to us too," Deraman said.
"Oh. Actually, Yara acted first because his sister was with that kid," Stella replied.
Only then did Darian and Deraman notice Clara. "No wonder…" they both said.
Despite his attack being easily blocked by Yara, Facundo remained calm. He scanned the area.
'Their numbers are greater, and I'm sure reinforcements won't arrive. We're not ready for war,' Facundo thought.
He knew he could fight them all, but defeating them was impossible. He quickly devised an escape plan.
Deraman, seeing the situation, immediately leaped towards Facundo. He drew a kris-shaped weapon. "Don't think you can escape, Facundo!"
Several small teleportation portals appeared in front of Deraman. He stabbed into the portals, and other portals opened around Facundo, attacking him ferociously.
Facundo, however, was incredibly agile and managed to dodge most of the stabs, except for three that struck him.
"Damn it!" Facundo roared, his frustration evident. Though the three stabs had missed his vital organs, they still inflicted significant wounds—one on each shoulder and another on his arm.
"You've forced my hand!" Facundo shouted, his voice echoing with determination.
Suddenly, an intense aura radiated from his body, becoming so fierce that Yara, Deraman, and anyone nearby found it impossible to approach him.
"What's happening, C99?!" Aric exclaimed, gripping Clara's hand tightly as they both were pushed back by the overwhelming energy emanating from Facundo.
"This is... Astral Manifestation!" C99 responded, her voice filled with shock. "It's impossible for Earthlings to master Astral power so quickly."
She knew that Astral power comprised several stages, the first three being Astral Sense, Astral Force, and Astral Manifestation. Mastering any of these stages typically took years of dedicated training, a fact she chose not to share with Aric at that moment.
A black aura coalesced behind Facundo, gradually forming the shape of a winged demon. Each Astral form reflected the heart of its wielder, offering a glimpse into their innermost nature.
At this point, none of them fully understood the existence of Astral power. This moment marked the turning point for the discovery of new abilities, akin to the superpowers wielded by the Novas. Aric would come to play a pivotal role in this unfolding revelation.