Tense silence echoed in the Martial Zone as all our attention converged on the brimming light that was the Constellation, Aries.
I had a lot of questions coursing through me, but there was only one that mattered now.
"What kind of test are you giving him?"
For a moment, no one said anything. Perhaps they too wanted my question to be answered.
~It is none of your concern. The conclusion is merely that he needs to grow stronger.~
"And how long will it take to complete the test?" I further inquired.
~Do not worry. Time is relative in this world, but even then the process is just about to be completed. Perhaps it is by chance you arrived at this exact point.~
'So this Constellation is implying that we'll be able to see the results very soon?' I could feel anticipation building up within me.
~This is a fair arrangement, no? That Edward's friends may look over him at his moment of failure or success.~
When Aries put it like that, it felt a bit intrusive.
"Are we really supposed to be here for such a private moment?" Kuzon blurted out, his face connoting some form of seriousness.
~Ah, I see. You had your session with Leo privately. We are currently communicating now, and according to him, he preferred it that way. But, Constellations have different personalities.~
"I see..." Kuzon's words echoed across the room, and everyone fell silent at that moment.
I had a maelstrom of thoughts coursing through me.
'If Edward succeeds, he'll have a Constellation—just like Kuzon does—and that'll make him immensely more powerful.'
According to what Crazy Neron told Kuzon, Neron's plan for this excursion was to cause us to attract the attention of the Constellations.
So far, only Kuzon and Edward had gotten them.
What about me, Aloe, and Ciara? We hadn't had any experience remote to a Constellation experience.
'I'm not complaining or anything. I'm just really curious.'
What exactly was Neron's endgame in all of this?
>VWUUUUMNMMMM!!!<
An overwhelming pressure suddenly coursed through the room, causing me to let go of my thoughts and focus more on the reality around me.
~It is time...~ Aries whispered into my—no, our—thoughts.
The stars around slowly began to converge in a single location. The nebulae, as well as the brilliant radiations that gracefully decorated the space suddenly began to draw closer to the same location—like a magnet.
'This is—?!'
I could feel a familiar presence at the epicenter of the converging stars. I could see flashes of the person within, but I couldn't completely decipher is identity.
'Is that...'
~Edward. The process is almost done. All that remains is the complete integration of the Martial Zone and his own Soul.~
"What does that mean?"
~He will make the power of the Martial Blade God his—at least, the power before arriving at the Primordial Realm.~
What did Aries just say? Edward was going to be as strong as the Martial Blade God?!
~If I choose him as my host, he will be able to surpass the Martial Blade God's power in Transcendence. Whether or not he will be able to reach the Primordial Waters... that is beyond my power.~
"And? Are you going to choose him?" I blurted out in both intimidation and expectation.
The power that rapidly converged in his location was overwhelmingly vast.
"Can he handle it...?"
~Edward has been in this Martial Zone for centuries of meditation and closed cultivation. He has been tempering his body and absorbing power for that period. I have lent him my power as a foundation and base, and he has built up layer after layer.~
"No way..." That was even longer than I trained within three years.
Edward used a mere couple of months to achieve that level?!
'Impressive...'
Suddenly, I began to hear cracking sounds, and looking around me, I noticed the very space around us was beginning to collapse.
~You will have to leave the Martial Zone now. It will all be fused with his Soul, after all.~
In a bright surge of light, we were propelled out of the dimension, and we found ourselves in the stone temple from earlier.
The sudden transition caused my body to feel strange for a few moments, but I quickly acclimated.
I instead looked at the floating sword before me and narrowed my gaze on it.
'Edward... good luck!'
********
Darkness.
In this realm of darkness and complete void, a certain being sat at the center.
He had a meditative pose, with his eyes closed and his heart open, he felt his own existence being born and began to ask questions.
'Where am I...?'
His lips did not move, but his thoughts echoed across the vast expanse around him.
'Who am I...?'
The silent solitude of the space was crushing—almost despairing.
He had spent enough time outside the bounds of identity to recognize his own identity.
He had thrown away all his personal attachments and biases to achieve this state... following in the footsteps of the Martial Blade God.
... But there was a stark difference between him and his ancestor.
"My name is Edward Karl Leon." He uttered his true name, his eyes slowly opening up to reveal the blue sparks in his eyes.
They shone like supernovas, like exploding stars and nebulae.
He could never give up his Identity. His dreams, his aspirations, his friends, and all of his connections.
He could never do it.
"I will not trade my most precious treasures for power. That is my legacy!"
In the end, he chose a different path from the Martial Blade God.
And while this would mean he could never achieve the sort of power to be gained by throwing away all the baggage of the self...
~Very well.~
... It also meant he had enough will to decide his own path for himself.
~You pass the test. Edward Karl Leon, I the Constellation Aries has chosen you as my new host.~
The path of the Martial God King.
