Chapter 4: Sub: the meeting..
The skies above the Grand Capitol Dome were painted in deep shades of crimson.
Thick clouds drifted across the horizon like rivers of blood, casting long shadows over the heart of the Gigantic Senate. Hundreds of airships circled the massive governmental complex, while countless lights illuminated the sprawling megacity below.
At the very center of it all stood the office of the Supreme Priority.
The office itself was enormous. Vast glass windows overlooked the capital, offering a view of a civilization that stretched for miles in every direction. Ancient artifacts rested on display shelves. Magical relics sat carefully preserved behind enchanted barriers. Weapons once wielded by kings, archmages, and conquerors decorated the walls like trophies.
Behind a desk carved from black crystal sat Gaia Priority.
His attention was fixed upon a holographic tablet floating inches above the polished surface.
News reports.
Economic reports.
Military reports.
The endless responsibilities of governing an empire.
Gaia rubbed his temple as another article scrolled past.
Then the office door opened.
Without looking up, he already knew who it was.
"John."
The Supreme Priority sighed.
"What are you doing back here? I thought you were on your smoke break."
John Smith casually closed the door behind him.
The man wandered across the office as though he owned it, eventually collapsing onto an expensive velvet couch positioned near the window.
A thick cigar rested between his fingers.
He lit it.
Inhaled deeply.
Then released a stream of dark smoke toward the ceiling.
"I was," John replied. "Then something interesting landed on my desk."
Gaia finally looked up.
The expression on his face immediately told John he was being annoying.
Again.
"John."
"What?"
"If this is another report about some self-proclaimed god-emperor trying to conquer a frontier world, I'm going back to work."
John smirked.
"It isn't."
The smile slowly vanished from his face.
His posture straightened slightly.
And suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed.
Gaia noticed immediately.
"That serious?"
John removed the cigar from his mouth.
This alone was enough to get Gaia's attention.
John almost never stopped smoking voluntarily.
"Our intelligence networks intercepted reports from the Backwash Sectors."
Gaia leaned back in his chair.
"And?"
"A legend."
Gaia blinked.
"A legend."
"That's what I said."
Gaia exhaled through his nose.
Slowly.
Patiently.
The expression on his face clearly communicated that he was regretting this conversation already.
"There are thousands of legends running around the Multiverse."
John nodded.
"True."
"There are hidden treasures on every third planet."
"Also true."
"There are magical weapons buried underneath every other dungeon."
"Still true."
Gaia folded his arms.
"Then where exactly is the urgency?"
John took another slow drag from his cigar.
Then smiled.
"Because this weapon belongs to somebody specific."
For the first time, Gaia's interest visibly increased.
"Go on."
John reached into his coat and removed a holo-file.
A projection materialized above the table.
An image of an ancient sword rotated slowly in the air.
The blade was elegant.
Simple.
Yet unmistakably powerful.
Gaia's eyes narrowed.
John spoke.
"The Sword of Octen Tenda Roada."
The room became quiet.
"So..." Gaia said after several seconds. "OTR."
"OTR."
A faint smile appeared on Gaia's face.
Truthfully, he looked more amused than concerned.
"I thought you were about to tell me Blade Lord Excalibur's sword had resurfaced."
John rolled his eyes.
"Not everything is Excalibur."
"I like Excalibur."
"That's because you beat him."
"He challenged me first."
John ignored him.
"Anyway."
He pointed toward the projection.
"This isn't just another historical weapon."
Gaia's expression became more focused.
The casual amusement disappeared.
"Explain."
John leaned forward.
"The reports are incomplete, but the historical records all describe the same thing."
The holographic blade slowly rotated between them.
"It contains the accumulated battle experience of its previous wielders."
Gaia said nothing.
John continued.
"The wielder doesn't merely use the weapon."
"The weapon teaches the wielder."
"Every sword technique."
"Every combat instinct."
"Every battle memory."
John's voice lowered.
"And that's only part of what makes it dangerous."
Gaia's eyes remained fixed on the projection.
"What else?"
"The blade can cut souls."
Silence filled the office.
The storm beyond the windows seemed distant now.
For several long moments, neither man spoke.
Finally, Gaia stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
His chair slid backward across the polished floor.
The projection reflected in his eyes.
No longer amused.
No longer curious.
Concerned.
"You're certain?"
John nodded.
"As certain as intelligence reports allow."
Gaia turned toward the enormous windows overlooking the capital.
Millions of citizens lived beneath those crimson skies.
Millions more across hundreds of worlds.
The Senate was already stretched thin.
Foreign conflicts.
Political unrest.
Border engagements.
Economic pressures.
A weapon like this appearing now...
The timing could not have been worse.
"If someone obtained that sword..."
Gaia spoke quietly.
Almost to himself.
"They would gain centuries of accumulated combat skill instantly."
John nodded.
"That's the concern."
"And if the soul-cutting legends are accurate..."
"Then even powerful immortals become vulnerable."
The room fell silent again.
Gaia's gaze remained fixed on the city below.
Then he turned sharply.
Decision made.
"John."
The older man stood.
"Yeah?"
"I need this sector placed on high alert immediately."
His voice carried none of its usual humor.
None of its usual laziness.
Only authority.
"I want every intelligence agency monitoring this situation."
"Every observation network."
"Every local contact."
"Everything."
John's expression matched the seriousness of the order.
"Understood."
"And one more thing."
John paused at the doorway.
Gaia's eyes hardened.
"I want you to oversee this personally."
That earned a raised eyebrow.
"Personally?"
"Personally."
Gaia looked once more toward the image of the ancient sword.
The weapon slowly spinning above the desk.
A relic from an age long past.
A relic that should have remained forgotten.
"It cannot be allowed to fall into anyone else's hands."
John studied him for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Got it."
With that, he extinguished his cigar, turned toward the exit, and left the office.
The massive doors closed behind him.
Leaving Gaia alone once more.
The Supreme Priority stared at the holographic blade in silence.
Outside, crimson clouds gathered over the capital.
A storm was coming.
And somewhere in the distant Backwash Sectors, buried beneath forgotten sands and ancient ruins...
History was beginning to stir.