"Alright, back to the issue at hand. The X3X Empire has declared war on us. Although it would take them thousands of years to marshal their forces from across countless galaxies, we can't afford to sit idle, waiting for death. Instead, we must grow our strength," Carter announced, his powerful voice resonating through the hall.
Zhala clenched her fists, the fury evident in her eyes. "Anything the Lord commands shall be done. Those bastards won't know what hit 'em!"
"But my Lord," Ralak interjected with a respectful bow, "how exactly will we build our forces?"
Carter's lips curled into a confident smile. "Follow me."
With a swift yet graceful movement, Carter was suddenly in front of his palace doors. It wasn't a flash like lightning but a serene, holy presence that seemed to part the air around him. "Come," he said warmly, his voice resonating with calm authority. His sentinels followed closely behind, and as Carter pressed his hand against the grand palace doors, they opened with a clean, resonant creak.
"No need to build... we only need to prepare," Carter said as they entered.
The sight before them was nothing short of magnificent. Carter's sanctuary was filled with rows upon rows of majestic soldiers clad in radiant gold armor, each with bright, angelic wings unfurled behind them. Their numbers stretched to what seemed like infinity—at least a billion soldiers, all standing in formation, spears or swords planted firmly at their feet, their heads bowed in eternal reverence.
The six sentinels gazed in awe at the beautiful sight, entranced by the vastness and brilliance of Carter's haven. As they admired the scene, the seventh sentinel stirred from her slumber, rising to her feet in a voluminous cloak. Her hood obscured her face as she walked toward the group.
Lorna glanced back, noticing the figure approaching. "My Lord, is this one of our saint brothers or sisters?" she asked, curiosity tinged in her voice.
Carter shook his head gently. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
The sentinels turned to face the figure as she stopped a few steps from them. With a soft, fluid motion, she reached up and drew back her hood, revealing large, soft rabbit ears that perked up and fell gently around her head. Beneath them was a face that resembled a lifelike demi-human rabbit, her fur a delicate shade of light pink. She wore a katana at her side, her demeanor both poised and friendly.
"Hello, everyone," she said, bowing her head respectfully. "My name is Sinith. The Lord has told me a lot about you all. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Sinith was once a commander from the fleet sent to confront Carter after he devoured their stars. Unlike her fellow commanders, she alone sought to negotiate, hoping for an agreement despite Cartee thinking her attempt was borderline naive. Her courage in reaching out moved Carter, and before creating his sentinels, he summoned her soul to his haven. There, they spoke, and he made sinith under why he summoned her, Sinith vowed that if he granted her another life, she would stand by his side as his sword. Carter agreed, crafting a new body for her and bestowing upon her the title of sentinel.
As Carter observed his sentinels, he sensed a surge and he sensed a familiar link, instinctively understanding what it meant. A smirk tugged at his lips. "Alright, everyone," he began, "get to know Sinith better and oversee the training of my guardians. Also, the Ordinary Haven and Reincarnation Grounds are now off-limits. Only standard deceased followers' souls should be in those realms for the time being."
The sentinels knelt, with Ralak leading, his voice steady. "As the Lord commands."
"Good. I'll be away for a while but will return soon." In an instant, Carter vanished, teleporting out of his haven and high above his planet's surface, overlooking his entire domain. And there they were—his planetary clones, finally returning from their journey of mass accumulation.
"HAHAHA, about damn time you bastards decided to show up!" he laughed, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Even from the edge of his Zone Vision, their immense sizes were unmistakable. Each of the ten clones had reached the scale of Jupiter, their accumulated mass over the years staggering. And on the other side of his zone vision, shining radiantly, was his sun. Its light washed over him, immense and powerful, a stellar body one-third the size of a full-grown yellow dwarf star.
"Haha, you all arrived just in time."