The King Killed Her!!

Joshua watched in silence as the barbarians defiled Bella's lifeless body, their crude actions a stark contrast to the elegant garden. His gaze then shifted to Matilda, who was calmly walking towards the towering castle.

"Why did you kill her? And in such a way?" he demanded, his voice laced with a mix of disgust and confusion.

Matilda halted, turning to face him with a sneer. "You're the commander, but still dumb." Her eyes, cold and calculating, fixed on his.

"Everyone in the castle knows the emperor is currently in this garden, and he wants to be alone..."

A cruel smile twisted her lips:

"What do you think will happen when they see her body tomorrow in this state? Killed and raped." She gestured with a dismissive wave towards one of the men who had just climaxed on Bella's corpse.

"Forget all that... Come to my chamber tonight. After our fun, we'll enjoy the show tomorrow." She began to turn away, then paused, a wicked thought crossing her mind. "Send these guys to get rid of her family. I heard she has a baby brother... Kill them all."

With that chilling instruction, she continued her walk towards the castle, leaving Joshua alone with his thoughts.

Joshua stared at her retreating figure for a moment, then looked over his shoulder at the barbaric men. He exhaled slowly, a heavy sigh escaping his lips, before turning and walking away, leaving Bella's desecrated body behind.

____

[Starship.]

"Achoo!"

Sunny sneezed, a sudden, sharp sound that startled Josephine awake. She sat up on the bed, her eyes blinking open to find him standing near the small window, gazing out into the inky blackness.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.

He turned, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You worried about me?"

Josephine glared at him, a flush creeping up her neck. She promptly lay back down, turning to her side and pulling the blanket up to cover herself completely.

'You fucking bit me! It seems like the bond is getting to effect! If this continues, I will completely fall for him!'* she thought, her mind racing with a mix of annoyance and something akin to a growing affection.

Sunny chuckled, a soft, knowing sound. He returned his gaze to the window, once again lost in the swirling expanse of stars.

'What is this feeling?' he wondered, a strange feeling blooming in his chest.

Josephine, unable to resist, turned slightly and peered at him through narrowed eyes.

'Is something wrong?' she mused, a flicker of concern touching her.

____

[Pirates' Stronghold - Next Day.]

The sleek starship settled silently a few meters from the small, rugged settlement. Sunny, Josephine, and Nioh disembarked, walking towards Blood Eye, who stood amidst the gathered pirates—a motley crew of men and women, excluding only the children and the elderly.

"So, what is your decision?" Nioh asked, his voice calm.

Blood Eye didn't even spare him a glance, her eyes fixed solely on Sunny. "We accept," she declared, her voice rough but firm.

Sunny urged her on with a subtle nod.

She returned the gesture, then produced a scroll and a gleaming dagger. Before the watchful eyes of the three newcomers and her own people, she slit open her palm, then clenched her fist, allowing drops of her blood to fall onto the scroll. It glowed faintly, illuminated by an ethereal light.

She released the scroll, and it floated gently towards Sunny, who caught it with ease. He then drew his own dagger and made a small incision on his palm.

"Hmm..." Josephine grunted softly, a flicker of pain crossing her face. Sunny looked at her, concern in his eyes. She exhaled, giving him a reassuring nod.

Sunny nodded back, then allowed his blood to fall onto the scroll.

BAM!

The scroll shot into the air, shattering into two pieces of intense red light. These fragments streaked towards Sunny's and Blood Eye's foreheads, instantly merging with their skin.

"AHH!" Blood Eye screamed, clutching her head. She stumbled back a few steps, her face contorted in a mask of pain.

{Subordinate Bond has been created... The subordinate function has been unlocked.}

Sunny raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, his gaze fixed on Blood Eye, who shook her head for a couple of seconds before exhaling softly, visibly calming herself. 'What was that?!' she thought, before speaking aloud.

"From now onwards, you are my king... My troops will follow you."

Sunny nodded, and with a flick of his wrist, another scroll appeared. He passed it to Nioh, who stared at it in surprise before taking it. With a deep breath, Nioh cut open his palm and let his blood drop onto the scroll, Sunny doing the same.

{Second Subordinate added.}

Sunny nodded as Nioh dropped to his knees, a painful expression on his face, clutching his head. Sunny then turned to Blood Eye. "You can see... You aren't the only one," he said, gesturing towards Nioh, who was still on the ground.

"My king... We have a situation and hope if you can handle it," Blood Eye said, bowing respectfully.

"What is that?" Sunny asked, his interest piqued.

"There are two more factions on this planet. Both factions are a lot stronger than us, and they are also our enemies. If the King can get rid of them, we will be grateful," she explained.

Sunny listened intently, then slowly nodded his head. "What are the strengths of their leaders?" he asked.

"The strongest faction leader is a Heavenly Rank, Stage Four, while the second is a Heavenly Rank, Stage Three... They have more than 500 troops each," the young man quickly interjected, providing the details.

Sunny nodded and turned to the scar-faced man among the pirates. "Why don't you show us the way...? Let's visit these two factions today," he suggested, already walking towards the starship.

The man frowned, clearly hesitant. But seeing Blood Eye and the second pirate following closely behind the three, he sighed and joined the group.

At that moment, all the pirates' cosmic brains chimed with a notification: ten thousand galaxy crystals had been credited to their accounts. A total of 500 people, even the children, had received ten thousand each.

'He just spent five million like it is nothing... Who really is this man?' Blood Eye thought, her mind reeling, as she silently followed behind Sunny.

'Wow... I can't believe I will enter a starship in this life,' the young man thought, a wide smile spreading across his face, while the scar-faced pirate looked a bit worried.

___

[Star Empire Court Hall.]

Meanwhile, as Sunny and his group journeyed to the other factions, chaos reigned in the Star Empire court hall. Bella's body lay on the ground, reverently covered with a piece of golden cloth.

The air was thick with a heavy mix of sadness and tension. Every person present had their gaze fixed on Bella's covered form.

"Are you sure about this?!" an old man roared, his voice trembling with disbelief, at the young guard standing before them.

"Yes! I swear with my vow to the Star Empire!! The king did this, he raped and killed Miss Bella!!" the young man yelled back, his conviction unwavering.

"You have any proof?!" Matilda, seated on her opulent throne, shrieked, her face contorted with murderous intent. "Remember!! It is your emperor you are accusing!" she added, her voice chillingly cold.

The guard swallowed hard but nodded. "I know, but he isn't my King with what he did!!" he declared, his voice ringing with defiance.

Joshua strode towards the guard and seized his collar, his eyes blazing. "If you dare lie! I will kill you right here!!!" he hissed, a palpable threat in his words.

"I will never lie in the court!!!" the guard yelled back, meeting Joshua's furious gaze.

Joshua stared at him for a few tense seconds, then released his grip. "Okay! Do you have any proof?!" he asked coldly, while everyone in the hall stared expectantly at the courageous guard.

"I do!! I have proof!!!" the guard bellowed, his voice echoing through the stunned silence of the court.

"....?!!!"

A collective gasp rippled through the assembled nobles.