Bang! A loud and unmistakably sharp gunshot echoed through the enclosed conference room. The projection of Councilor Goethe, who had been standing with a furious expression, ready to accuse the others of deceit, now displayed a conspicuous hole in the middle of his head. A trace of disbelief lingered on his face as his projection slowly collapsed and then vanished from the room before it hit the floor.
"Ahem, I think this meeting should take a brief pause. It seems Councilor Goethe encountered a bit of trouble, and it was only right for us to assist in resolving it," a councilor remarked with thinly veiled sarcasm. Several others rolled their eyes, as Goethe's problem was much more than a minor inconvenience—his head had a gaping hole, and his body was likely cold by now.
"Councilor Goethe has been assassinated!" shouted the Speaker as Goethe's projection faded. Anger burned openly on his face as he looked at Councilor Hera and those nearby.
"This is outrageous. Earth has gone centuries without such a heinous act. I will investigate this thoroughly. Whoever is responsible will pay with their life," he declared before his image vanished, departing the room in frustration. The Speaker was genuinely furious, seeing the audacity of those who had dared to assassinate a participant mid-session with such blatant disregard.
"The Speaker is furious. Seems this really rattled him," one of the councilors remarked.
"It's inevitable. The man was killed right in front of him! Couldn't you have at least waited until after the meeting to get rid of him?" another retorted.
"That man's constant meddling has been a nuisance for too long. Now, I can finally have some peace," one added smugly.
"Be careful. You've also riled the Speaker. If he finds any evidence tying this to you, you'll be the next to go."
"And so what? You think he isn't tempted by eternal life too? He's reached this position, and I don't believe he's content to die like an ordinary mortal."
"I've hinted at it a few times, but he's always kept his opinions to himself. Our dear Speaker is still a reserved one."
"If he won't join us, then we'll simply have to replace him. It's time for one of our own to take that seat."
"His term isn't even over yet. And besides, he hasn't provided any scandalous material we can use against him."
"That's easily fabricated. However, simple scandals won't shake him, so we need a more fundamental solution."
"What are you suggesting, trying to deal with the Speaker directly? Don't be reckless. Your men couldn't break through his security."
"I may not be able to, but that one who can single-handedly take down a Glory-class warship surely could."
"What are you thinking?"
"Could we lure our dear Speaker into Pandora somehow, then let that god deal with him?"
"Are you out of your mind? None of us here would even dare go to that world. Do you think the Speaker would?"
"True enough."
"However, I seem to recall that this god's attacks can reach outer space. If we can get the Speaker up there..."
...
"Your Majesty, King Ul, a councilor from Earth wishes to speak with you," a Phantom Knight reported as Muria, seated beneath the Great Tree, opened his eyes.
"Which councilor?" Muria inquired.
"Jorge Viotti."
Hearing the name, Muria immediately pictured a burly, bear-like man with boundless ambition. "I understand."
Two hours later, Muria walked casually into a technologically advanced communication room, looking directly at the hologram in the center.
"Great King Ul, have you finished your training? You seem even stronger. Even across such a distance, I can feel the pressure you exude!"
"Enough flattery. Get to the point. I'm not interested in idle talk," Muria replied, already impatient with this ambitious man's theatrics.
"Very well, King Ul. Three months from now, I would like you to launch an attack into space."
"What exactly are you planning?"
"Three months from now, the highest leader of our Earth civilization will be holding a grand military parade in space. I would like you to use your strongest attack to eliminate him then."
"Are you aware of what you're asking, Jorge?" Muria, for once, raised an eyebrow, finding the request unbelievably audacious.
"Of course! You know his attitude well, Your Majesty. He may currently lack the intelligence on Pandora to justify an invasion, but once they understand the situation, he will certainly order a war against your world."
"So, you want me to kill him?"
"Precisely. Three months from now, over sixty percent of our civilization's fleet will gather for inspection at his command, which shows his intention of preparing for war against Pandora.
"So, in the interest of peace between our worlds, I will provide the exact coordinates of our leader's location during the parade. You can then launch an attack at that location to kill him. After his accidental death, we will elect one of our own to his position, and I assure you that under our leadership, no war will occur between Earth and Pandora."
"I understand your intentions. I'll verify your information, and if it proves accurate, I'll make my move in three months."
"Great King Ul, I am sincerely grateful for your efforts in preserving the peace between our worlds."
Muria closed the communication, watching Jorge's false smile disappear as he pondered, "Three months from now, sixty percent of Earth's fleet will gather for inspection. If I were to destroy these fleets in one blow, Earth would no longer pose any threat to Pandora."
"However, space is vast, and alone, a complete annihilation would be challenging."
As he considered his options, Muria's thoughts turned to Earth as an adversary. To him, Earth civilization was already classified as an enemy, and with enemies, his approach was ruthless—obliterate them completely to ensure no threat remained.
"Naturally, I must also guard against the possibility that these people are setting a trap for me."
He was skeptical about everything Jorge had said, but he also couldn't ignore it. In any case, he had ample power to handle any unforeseen situations.
"In the vastness of space, Earth's forces will have fewer restrictions, and they'll be able to unleash powerful weapons without hesitation."
"Hmm, I'll need a shield." With this thought, Muria left the communication room and went outside, where he instinctively looked toward the palace gates.
There, standing at the entrance, was a being with a humanoid upper body and snake-like lower body, twin horns on its forehead, and wings on its back. It stood tall and firm, as immovable as a towering mountain.
"This is precisely the kind of durable tank I need," Muria mused, eyeing the towering Seraphim warrior. "With that physique, it should be able to withstand hundreds of nuclear missiles without a problem."
"Seraphim, I hereby appoint you as my vanguard!" Having chosen his first line of defense, Muria approached Seraphim and gave his massive tail a firm pat.
Muria's current form stood at only about ten meters tall, while Seraphim, even with his tail coiled, stood nearly forty meters high.
"Thank you for your trust, Lord Muria!" Seraphim, thrilled by the appointment, immediately lowered his massive body in a gesture of deep respect, thrilled to finally engage closely with someone as highly esteemed as Muria.
In the world of Erathia, Seraphim had long since plateaued in strength, and as such, Muria had largely kept him on the sidelines. His unique body and soul had made further progress nearly impossible, so he was forced to seek other avenues.
"Three months from now, there will be a war. You'll lead the way for me."
"It will be my honor."
"I'll be watching your performance. When I leave this world, I'll find a way to help you overcome the limits that have stalled your growth."
"Thank you, my lord!" Seraphim prostrated himself on the ground, overflowing with gratitude and humility, embodying the very essence of loyalty and devotion.
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