~VWUUUUSSSHH!~
In the vastness of space, supposed to be adorned by countless stars and blossoming planets, I and my allies appeared.
We were meant to witness the otherworldly beauty of the world beyond our planet. A place brimming with life, wonder, and energy.
Stars would radiate in their distance, and the nebulae would stretch on for as long as the senses could feel. We were meant to see orbiting planets, and perhaps the sun that held them together in a gravitational cycle.
However… all of that was missing.
Instead, what we witnessed was an empty void of darkness that seemed to stretch on forever.
The stars seemed to have dulled or completely vanished, and there seemed to be no planet in sight—just pure darkness and emptiness.
Other than the warbling blue light that accompanied us due to our teleportation, no brilliance of any sort occupied this world.
And all of this was thanks to one thing.
"The Hive." I whispered
Floating before us, like an overwhelming fortress that threatened to swallow the entire space whole, was a giant mass of Nether.
Its blackish purple form was so dense that it had taken on solid form, serving as a habitation for whatever monstrosities dwelled within it.
The Hive was a massive sphere, but it was much larger than any planet I had ever seen. It was not only bigger than a regular sun, but it had grown so large that it was more than big enough to occupy an entire solar system.
How many planets had been devoured by this mass of energy? How much energy had it absorbed already? Just how much more could it grow?
The fact that there were no stars or planets in sight meant it had attracted everything into its orbit and devoured it all.
Even though it was subtle, nearly imperceptible, I could see it grow bigger in mass and power with every second that passed. It must have had the chance to fester like this for ten years, so I imagined it would take a few more before it finally became large enough to consume a galaxy.
From a galaxy… it would go after an entire universe.
'If left unchecked, it could completely consume the Aether Tree…'
Of course, that wasn't going to happen now that we had caught wind of it.
"Well, here we are…" I turned to focus on my allies, who were also plenty distracted by the massive construct of Nether before them.
Since they could all use Aether, they were able to maintain their bodily functions in space, and they also had no problem perceiving all I was saying.
'The most worrisome aspect about all of this is the gravitational pull of that thing. But, I suppose that is a part of their training.'
The closer they got to the mass before us, the more they would be sucked into it. They risked being absorbed and integrated into the Hive, so I had to maintain a close watch on the people engaging in this mission.
"Just as we planned, you'll all take your respective positions around the Hive. Once you get closer, a defense mechanism will be triggered and enemies will begin to come out in droves." All of this information was obtained from Gawain, who had helped me investigate the Hive thoroughly.
"Your mission is simply to attack the creatures and ensure you do not get sucked into the Hive. Once all the creatures in the Hive are eliminated, your mission will be complete, and we'll proceed with the destruction of the Hive itself."
The mass before us was much larger than an entire solar system, and it was nearing galaxy size. It was probably too much for them to handle, so after they were done with taking care of the Nether Beasts, and I was satisfied with my observations, Kuzon or Edward would help to destroy the Hive completely.
'It's best I save my energy for when necessary…'
"Gawain." I called out, and instantly a blue distortion in space manifested not too distant from my side.
From within the spatial breach, my Automaton appeared.
"I have arrived, Master." He bowed his head, placing his right hand on his chest in obeisance.
"Are you done scouting the surrounding areas? Are there any surviving planets? Any life signature?"
"None at all. This seems to be a deserted corner of the universe."
Well, that made sense. The Hive would have destroyed anything close to it, and the fact that it was allowed to expand to this extent showed there was no sufficiently capable life form nearby to stop it.
"Well, you heard him. You are free to go all out in your battles. Ensure you do not get in the way of each other. There should be more than enough opponents to go around."
Kuzon, Aloe, Ciara, Edward, and I would sit back and enjoy the show. Gawain would also serve as a spectator.
"Your safety is a priority, though we will not interfere unless you specifically ask for help, or your life is almost forfeit," I added, noticing Jerry's body tense up as my words reached him.
'Of course, it goes without saying that anyone who gets rescued isn't fit for the mission at hand.'
I wondered how many people would pass, and how many wouldn't.
"Serah, Maria, Ana, Aurora, Lemi, Jerry, Z'ark, Beruel, and Gerard; all nine of you will begin your tests at the same time, so it'll be fair. There'll be no complaints or excuses afterward. There'll be no second chances too."
The mission to stop Legris was too important to be taken lightly.
"This is it, everyone." I returned my gaze to the imposing mass of Nether before us, smiling as I stared at it.
It was finally time to see what ten years had done to these people.
"You may begin."
~WHOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHHHH!!!~
In an instant, before I could even blink, every single member of the team rushed forward, each parting from one another at intervals as they charged towards the Hive.
For some reason, it caused my grin to grow even wider.
"Haha! This should be fun."
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
I'm excited to see what our nine contestants will display.
Who do you think is the strongest? Rather, how would you rank them based on ability?
I'm curious.
