Chapter 2: Arbus
Arbus, the last surviving Renegade on the large and now nearly lifeless planet, stared into the horizon with a crestfallen expression coloring his face.
Terytl-B had long been celebrated as one of the most beautiful planets in the N-0 Starseeker Galaxy.
The star system had twin suns, one a radiant yellow, the other a brilliant scorching red.
The planet itself had a total of twenty-three moons orbiting it, each taking on a different hue, illuminating various parts of it in a surreal glow. It was one of the many attractions of Terytl-B that drew in various travelers from across the star system, and sometimes beyond.
Arbus had always hated the fact that the main Renegade base of the planet—where he was stationed to be observed, and where all other branches reported to—was located at the only point on the planet where night never fell and where no moon ever reached.
Only an endless day that offered no reprieve or contrast.
He recalled how he'd always enjoyed his solo patrol missions away from here.
Over the last nine months of being here, he had come to find the scenery a bit more pleasant than he had originally—the way a prisoner might find some level of comfort in the familiar cracks of their cell wall.
However, he couldn't see anything pleasant about it at the moment.
All he could see now as he stared vacantly into the distance were the lifeless corpses of his comrades scattered across the landscape.
He slowly turned away, his jaw clenching in rage and regret.
The day had begun like usual—his fellow Sentries relentlessly making his life far more difficult than it had to be.
That was until a few hours ago, when the human had appeared in front of them without warning, after he had already massacred the planet's populace without their knowledge.
A battle had ensued immediately, resulting in the death of everyone. Everyone besides him.
Throughout his time on this planet—his fellow sentries, the administrative staff, and even his superiors—had all treated him with open disdain and hostility.
Despite all of that, he had never hated any of them. It was easy for him to understand why Renegades would hate him.
In fact, he couldn't say with certainty that he wouldn't despise someone like him too. Someone with the blood of the enemy flowing through his veins. Someone with a life as regretful as his.
After a bit, his hollow gaze slowly drifted to a specific heap of bodies. The same one where the corpse of the now deceased commander of this planet lay broken and discarded.
Commander Mits, a blue Mornan from the Mornan species, the most common beings in the entire universe.
His once radiant blue skin now lay dull and drenched with his own dried blood. He had been one of the most powerful and hardworking people Arbus had ever known.
A steadfast Renegade, relentless in his dedication to protecting this planet and its people.
He was also the only person in the base who had treated Arbus like an actual person.
Although, Arbus could still detect the subtle undercurrents of unease and tension in his gaze from time to time.
He didn't mind that as much as he would have a few years ago. After all, it was an instinctual fear and hatred the people of this universe had for humans, that no amount of rational thought could fully erase.
Despite that, Mits had done his best to treat Arbus like any other Renegade.
That alone had made him different from the others, who couldn't be bothered to hide their disgust when Arbus walked into a room.
Mits had been the only reason Arbus had managed to defeat Ronin. If he hadn't pushed the Reincarnator as far as he did—causing him to run dry, Ronin would have most likely tossed him into the sun after figuring out he could heal.
Arbus's reddened eyes dropped to the ruined floor as he went back to trying his best to contain his emotions.
He had already reported all the events that took place here, including the death of the Reincarnator. The communication systems had somehow stopped functioning the moment they noticed Ronin's presence. But now, they were back to normal, as if reactivating the moment he died.
The report had naturally shocked the bored sentry on duty at the time—leading him to immediately connect Arbus to a Renegade in an administrative position in the hold.
The Renegade had found his claim of killing Ronin impossible to believe for a long time, so he had been forced to convince him to an extent by sending over a few images.
Arbus understood their bewilderment. Ronin, the demented demon who had slaughtered countless innocent lives across multiple galaxies, was dead—and by the hands of a mere sentry like him.
All Arbus had to do now was wait for the fleet of Renegades that would be dispatched. He was tired. Not physically, since the cursed blood of Joren Kaelen, the immortal human, flowed in his veins.
But mentally and emotionally. He had seen enough and had enough. An incident like today was enough to permanently break the spirit of most Renegades he knew.
For him, it wasn't even his first time experiencing it.
The memories of his layered past gave him a slight headache, so he did his best to shove them aside, turning his focus elsewhere.
He glanced toward his hand vacantly.
".....I did it. I finally killed another Reincarnator," Arbus whispered, his expression unreadable.
The ever-growing hole in his heart, from seeing the state of his comrades—and imagining the state of the rest of the planet—was almost enough to drown out the catharsis he felt from killing Ronin.
Almost.
.....
He had won.
Once again, he had managed to defeat a far superior opponent despite the desperate situation he had found himself in.
And once again, he had survived.
While everyone else.... was dead.
VROOM!
Arbus's eyes shot upward as he noticed a Renegade ship part the magenta sky above him.
It bore the golden symbol of the Renegades on its bow—an immaculate shield with a glistening shard embedded into its center.
A hint of surprise appeared in his expression for a moment before vanishing in the next.
It seemed like the Renegades were still not fully convinced of his report.
It made sense for them to only send a single ship, considering the unusual situation.
This could have easily been a trap concocted by Ronin, who was known for his sick and twisted games.
Eventually, the ship landed loudly several meters away from where Arbus sat.
The loud hiss of the ship's door sliding open reached Arbus as he watched a Vanguard accompanied by five knights disembark cautiously.
They were all clad in form-fitting white armor reserved for Renegades of the knight and Vanguard rank.
Their faces were completely obscured by helmets—most likely as a precaution against the currently volatile air of the planet that Arbus hadn't even taken note of until that moment.
They all scanned the area slowly, taking in all the carnage and horror.
Arbus noticed as a few of them made gagging motions as they did their best to control themselves.
After a long while, the Vanguard leader finally glanced toward his location in the shattered remains of the second floor of the destroyed base. He was still drenched in his own blood. But even with that, it was easy for the Vanguard to recognize the unforgettable texture of his skin.
The skin of a human.
In the next instant, the Vanguard vanished from his sight, suddenly appearing right beside Arbus. A dim purple glow emanated from them, reflecting in Arbus's surprised eyes as he faced the Vanguard.
The Vanguard's weapon was trained on him, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
He understood what had just occurred. The heart essence coming from the Vanguard confirmed his guess of the ability being connected to a Heart Shard.
A moment later, a cold female voice came from behind the mask.
"Your name and your rank."
Arbus remained silent for several moments as he stared at her.
He had never seen a Vanguard with such a unique Heart Shard ability before.
Mits was a stage 3 commander, and no doubt stronger than this Vanguard, and yet even he hadn't gained one. It was very rare for a Renegade to develop a unique Heart Shard ability, especially at the early levels of attunement.
Which meant that this Vanguard was no ordinary Renegade.
Arbus regained his composure a moment later.
"I already reported everything to the Renegade administrative personnel I'd contacted. I don't think there's anything left for me to say."
The Vanguard remained still for several moments. Then the intensity of her weapon shot up, as she set it to level two.
"I won't repeat myself again," she replied, her tone just as cold as before.
Arbus's brow pulled together in a frown as his eyes narrowed. He had just killed a human for them, and yet he was still being treated like he had just committed the same crime as him.
He couldn't help but feel indignant.
He let out an audible breath before responding.
"Arbus, my name is just Arbus."