"Hahaha, amazing! The Imperial Martial Sovereign and the Tyrannical Martial Sovereign have traveled three thousand miles in a single day, obliterating seventeen alien strongholds and killing an estimated ten million aliens, including eleven generals. This is a glorious victory!"
In the command center, the usually composed and stoic commander-in-chief laughed heartily as he read the triumphant report in his hands. This was undoubtedly the most spectacular victory since Muria's previous feat of slaying five alien generals.
"This level of success is insane. How long has it been since the empire achieved such a victory?"
"When was the last time? I can't quite remember. It was mentioned in our history textbooks, wasn't it?"
"Twenty-six years ago, during the Great Cyria Victory. The empire killed nine alien generals and five million alien soldiers. But that came at the cost of five titled star-armored warriors and nearly three hundred thousand of our soldiers. So much death. When I first learned about those losses, I couldn't even call it a victory."
"But this time, it's different. We didn't lose a single person on our side."
"These martial artists are terrifying! I watched the combat footage—they never once targeted the aliens directly. All these results came from the aftermath of their fight."
"It was intentional, though. Didn't you notice? Their path led straight through those alien fortresses. That's the only way they could have achieved such a decisive victory. These two martial sovereigns had a plan all along."
"No doubt about it. This victory is monumental and deserves to be recorded in the annals of history."
"We must publicize this triumph. It's not our job to decide how, though. Our biggest task now is to mediate between the two martial sovereigns and figure out why they fought in the first place."
"Sir, they don't seem to have any conflict. They claim it was just a sparring match."
"A sparring match?"
At these words, most of the officers and communication staff in the room wore expressions of disbelief, as if they'd been told a bad joke.
"A sparring match, you say!" Even the typically steady commander-in-chief twitched at the corners of his mouth. "If that's the case, could you ask them if they'd be interested in sparring every day?"
A single sparring match had cost the aliens ten million troops and eleven generals. If such 'sparring' continued, the martial sovereigns wouldn't even need human armies to annihilate the alien race. Of course, the commander knew such a scenario was pure fantasy.
"Commander, with the aliens suffering such devastating losses, why didn't their kings step in?"
"The alien kings must have wanted to intervene, but we humans also have beings who can rival them. Neither side dares to make the first move. Generals can be replaced, but if an alien king falls, their entire race risks extinction. The same applies to us."
...
After his sparring match with his father—which conveniently included the destruction of numerous alien forces—Muria returned to the Norman Defense Line feeling rejuvenated. He was naturally greeted with a sea of awestruck, reverent gazes. Having grown used to such attention, he paid it little mind.
Soon after, Muria learned that the results of his sparring session with his father had been widely publicized by the Flash Silver Empire. The empire emphasized that the two martial sovereigns had merely been sparring, and the aliens were killed incidentally.
The dramatic nature of this victory caused morale within the imperial military to skyrocket. It also elevated Muria and his father to the status of legends among both the army and the empire's citizens.
The aftermath of the battle spurred the empire to establish a martial arts research initiative. Plans to promote martial arts began to take shape. While the empire was optimistic about eventually recruiting Ansoral, they recognized that he was not one of their creations.
As such, they could only entice him with benefits, which wasn't a reliable long-term strategy. The empire decided it would be far more dependable to cultivate its own martial artists of similar caliber.
Time passed quietly. A month later, Muria received a call he had been expecting.
"Muria, have you missed me?"
"Not at all," Muria replied flatly before cutting to the chase. "When are you coming here? The empire is experiencing a martial arts craze. You could ride this wave to open your martial arts schools in the empire. With my father's name backing you, your organization should establish itself quickly."
"The empire, huh? Leave that to your father. I've got no time for it. I've found something interesting in the church."
"What is it?" Muria asked, intrigued by her sudden disinterest in their shared goals.
"Take a guess."
"You've discovered traces of a True God. And there's something seriously wrong with this deity. You see an opportunity to exploit it."
"Smart as ever, Muria. That's my boy!" The golden dragoness laughed before continuing, her excitement palpable. "Do you want to know what I've uncovered?"
"Go on."
"The Church of the Stars does have a god. But this god has no consciousness of its own!"
"What?" Muria was taken aback. Gods born from faith were inherently sacred and omniscient. The idea of a god lacking consciousness was unheard of, except in cases involving primordial deities.
"The god's lack of consciousness is entirely due to the church's deliberate manipulation. Humans never cease to amaze me with their audacity—even daring to tamper with a god."
"Stop teasing and tell me everything."
"From what I've gathered, the Church of the Stars created this god themselves. When it came into existence, they somehow erased its consciousness."
"So, the church is controlling a god without self-awareness?"
"Exactly! Those fools have no idea how to properly harness divine power. They're wasting it on crude, simplistic applications of the god's abilities. It's a travesty."
"And you, being so benevolent and resourceful, are determined to help them, right?" Muria quipped, his gaze amused.
"Haha, you get me, Muria! A god like this, left in the hands of those ignorant humans, is such a waste. Such power should belong to beings of our caliber. Only then can it reach its full potential."
"How difficult will it be to seize control of this god? Do you need me or my father to help?"
"No need. I can handle this alone. Those so-called clergy, who only know how to steal divine power, are no match for me. I'll take care of them with ease." The dragoness waved her hand dismissively, brimming with confidence.
"Good luck, then."
"Luck? Please, Muria, when have I ever needed that? Once I succeed, I'll become the True God of this world! Hahaha!"
"Don't overreach," Muria cautioned. For beings like them, divine power was a seductive yet dangerous poison.
"Relax. I won't approach the god with my true form. I'll separate part of my consciousness and take control of its vacant vessel."
"Understood."
"Alright, let's wrap this up. Inform your father about my plans. I won't be coming to the empire; I have my own matters to attend to."
"Got it."
After ending the call, Muria sat in thought. A fascinating pattern was emerging.
As the most talented member of the Douglas family, Muria was almost certain to inherit the family's leadership, giving him control over a quarter of the Federation's influence.
His father, temporarily serving as a Grand General in the Empire, could secure the position permanently at any moment, wielding immense authority.
With Muria and his father dominating two of humanity's three great powers, the Church of the Stars was the last piece of the puzzle. The golden dragoness's ambition to seize control of the church's god meant their family could potentially claim all three factions.
When a conscious True God seeks to rule a faith-based state, what could possibly stand in its way?
"Ruling the world as a family?" Muria envisioned this future and couldn't help but smile.
_________________________
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