The Sanctuary Side-Story (17/17)

--Nova's Perspective--

"Nice work on The Sanctuary, Nova. I was worried you'd actually grown attached to those people and would have trouble wiping them out." Genesis explained to me.

"No, I'm not that sensitive. They had to die for the greater good, and tools of war are meant to be used." I elaborated for Genesis.

"I'm impressed, you know? Seeing you so smart, being so manipulative, and waiting for the right moment to strike. Kire fell into every trap we laid out for him, and in the end, he would be finished off by Illya, leaving no trace of The Sanctuary. We did well. And remember, weakening those Isles is important for becoming a superpower on Earth. The fewer Isles, the less of a chance that Sky Asterio would reincarnate on one and challenge you." Genesis explained.

"That name... who is he? Even if you know my potential, you still think Sky Asterio is a worry for somebody like me?" I asked Genesis.

His look turned grim and he stared at the ground, clutching his fist.

"Unfortunately, that man is much more powerful than both of us combined. He's a runner-up for the position that my brother is in, Eirikr Asterio. He was a force to be reckoned with, and it took every last person on Planet Earth to kill him back when he turned against us. With those Isles being up, acting as Trials for Deity Candidates, Sky has a chance to spawn, awaken his strands, and reclaim his status as the strongest man alive." Genesis told me.

"If he's that much of a problem now, how do we completely prevent him from reincarnating? Should we destroy The Charred and The Pinnacle as soon as possible?" I asked Genesis again, with my tone growing more worried.

"The Charred, being as big of a desert as it is, would alert Eirikr to our plan, and effectively ruin it completely. We were able to disguise the destruction of The Sanctuary to be related to a tyrant ruler who wanted more power. We got away luckily, but next, we will head for The Pinnacle. That's the highest chance of reincarnation for Sky." He said.

Genesis pointed to a board in his rickety, wooden house, and drew a line from The Charred to The Pinnacle.

"The snowy biome up front would be a perfect place to reincarnate more candidates... to fulfill my plan to its fullest, we need to get you a child that you can hand off to one of the candidates on The Pinnacle. He'll raise it in your stead, as long as you give birth to it, and we use that to kill what's important to him, thus putting him as a dangerous front if and when Sky awakens on that Isle. Do you follow me?" Genesis asked me.

"You're asking me to get pregnant in order to push a Deity Candidate to a destructive state after I catch him raising my child? I'll kill his wife or kids, and then I'll be able to push Sky out of that Isle when he reincarnates on that Isle?" I asked for clarification, and Genesis confirmed my statement.

"Precisely. You'll have an heir to your royal throne, Sky is kept out of my hair, and we can focus our efforts on The Charred. Between the time you raise your kid and we attack The Pinnacle, that should be enough time to force you into royalty down on Earth. You change your name, stay hidden from anybody who might know about us, and wait to make our strike." Genesis told me.

He really did think about this a lot... well, if it's what he says, then I guess I'll have to listen.

"I can do that. Then, are you ready to head down to Earth?" I asked him. He nodded, walking toward the transporter.

"With Hikari grabbing Ra, we also have another teammate we could raise. Considering he's a part of a Wiped Out Family as well, he could be pretty powerful. With an Eternia and Asterio raising him, he might even be more powerful than you, Nova." Genesis said with a slight laugh.

"Possibly. If he has his father's determination, he definitely would be." I said, staring at the ground.

Hikari popped out of Genesis again and knelt down by my side while holding onto Ra.

"What's wrong, Nova? Are you upset about something?" She asked me.

"No, I just wish the species I share wasn't so stupid," I confessed.

"You weren't wrong, about wanting to clean the Arkian species up. A lot of them are stupid, after all, but some of them aren't. The easiest way to clean the species up is to let the stupid people do it to themselves. You're intelligent, and a leader. Use that to clean up, instead of killing them all. That will get you hated, but nobody will hate you if you stay out of conflict and let them do it to each other." He explained to me.

"I didn't think about that... I'll have to do that with the people on Earth then. So, it's just a waiting game now, for that kid, Sky Asterio?" I asked one last time to clarify with Genesis.

"That's right. But, that kid isn't just a kid. I saw him when he was the Deity of Earth four hundred years ago. His fighting style is unrefined, but everything that seems pointless always matters. Attacks he misses on purpose building up energy for the next... he's insanely powerful, and I couldn't stand a chance against him. That's why I'm so careful. If he regained that power, he would eviscerate my efforts, and then the rest of the planet in one strike." Genesis said again.

This guy... Sky Asterio.

I've had my fair share of opponents, and I'm sure this Sky person is just another pebble in a huge rocky road. He means nothing, not as long as I'm here.

But, in case he does want an audience with me, and he makes it out of the trap Genesis and I will set in the future, then I'd love to see him go against me.

Bring it on, Sky! You won't beat me.

--SIDE STORY END--