CHAPTER 43: THE LUNARIS (5)

[A/N: This Chapter would be a little bit slow because of a few paragraphs of into dump..]

The coliseum fell into a chilling silence the instant the Lunaris revealed themselves.

The bright lighting on the coliseum structure shone on the extraterrestrial threats, revealing their distinctive appearance.

There were exactly three different types, each bearing different auras and body structures.

They were the Lunaris nobles; only three of them were present amongst the thousands of Lunaris currently floating above the ground.

The nobles had humanoid body structures like the other Lunaris, but they stood tall at over seven feet in height. They had lean, athletic physiques, their skin was scaly and bright purple in color, and their long, sword-like ears had glimmering black earrings on them, which seemed to represent their status. Adding to their appearance were the comfortable and colorful red robes that adorned their bodies — simple yet sophisticated in ways indescribable.

The nobles flew in front of the others, their eyes staring down at the humans below with pride and arrogance so thick that even the smallest child in the crowd could feel it.

And behind the three Lunaris nobles were twenty-six generals. The generals towered over eight feet in height — taller than even Gigaman, who was considered a giant by human standards. Their builds were muscular and bulky, their skin a darker shade of purple. Unlike the nobles, they had no earrings, and they wore sleek black armor beneath red capes that wrapped around their massive bodies menacingly. The capes fluttered gallantly in the night wind as they descended.

Their eyes gleamed with power and experience, the kind born from leading hundreds of wars to victory. Their auras were menacing, and every ordinary human who dared to look into their eyes collapsed instantly.

And lastly, amongst the caste of Lunaris that arrived were the soldiers — numbering more than a thousand and floating behind the three nobles and twenty-six generals.

The soldiers stood at the same height as the generals, though their muscles were not as developed. The generals looked like bodybuilders on steroids, while the soldiers’ bodies were slightly less defined. Their skin color rested between the bright purple of the nobles and the darker hue of the generals.

They wore black armor without capes, their presence sharp and disciplined. Even though they looked inferior compared to the other two castes, their appearance alone was enough to invoke terror in the eyes of those who gazed upon them.

The wind began to howl faintly, swirling dust through the stands as the crowd’s fear deepened.

Children who had only seen their depictions on TV or in newspapers clung tightly to their parents, trembling with fear. Even with their young, unformed minds, they knew of the destruction these aliens once brought—and dread naturally filled their hearts.

For the adults, the weight was even heavier. The return of the Lunaris could only mean one thing—Arden was about to face the same nightmare that struck twenty years ago. And this time, without Axel Storm — the man whose arrival had ended that war — they feared the Lunaris might finally succeed in their bid to dominate their world.

But two people watched them with a deeper understanding than everyone else in the arena—and perhaps in the entire world.

Norian Sterling looked unnaturally calm for such a situation. His ocean-blue eyes watched their arrival with unwavering focus. He knew why they were here and it was far different from what everyone else thought.

Beside him, Crimson Sterling’s eyes, which had turned golden due to her innate skill, watched with the same calmness. But beneath that composure burned hatred for what they had done to her parents and to Sylon.

The other hunters and guardians around the two stood tense and ready for battle.

But battle was not what the Lunaris sought this time. It was connected, but not as devastating as an actual war.

As the Lunaris reached a certain distance, they halted, only a few meters of air separating them from the hunters’ defensive wall.

The three nobles at the front analyzed the powers of those lined up against them and smirked mischievously. Then one of them muttered with arrogance and pride, "Is this how you guys welcome a former friend?"

His voice echoed across the arena, breaking the silence. Though he spoke casually, countless hearts froze at the sound of his voice.

But the hunters reacted differently.

"Y-you..."

"What have your kind come to look for on our planet this time?"

"Have the results of the last war not warned you enough to never return?!"

The hunters barked, their voices fueled by hatred and rage from their previous encounter with the Lunaris. Like many others, they had lost loved ones, and even Oswald Ashleigh had suffered heavy losses in his aerospace company during the war.

More hunters were about to join in the shouting when Norian raised his right hand, casually releasing his aura across the gathering, issuing a silent signal for them to stop.

They obeyed immediately, though every one of them burned with the desire to fight. Their voices fell quiet, but the hatred in their eyes only grew.

Norian then turned toward the three Lunaris nobles with an expression impossible to read. His gaze briefly swept over the generals and soldiers behind them before returning to the three at the front. Then, in a calm, almost casual tone, he said, "Welcome..."

Though his voice was gentle, it rippled across the entire arena.

Confusion spread through the crowd as murmurs rose. Why was he welcoming these monsters?

Marlon and the other trainees standing directly below the confrontation had the same reaction. What could the vice president be thinking? they wondered.

Crimson and the hunters beside Norian exchanged uncertain glances, their faces showing the same confusion. But Norian didn’t seem to notice, or care. His eyes stayed fixed on the three nobles, especially the one in the middle. That was the one who had sent the message a few nights ago.

"Seeing how calm you are compared to your fellow humans, it must be that you were the one who received our message, correct?" the noble in the middle spoke with a grin, the same twisted grin that had irritated Norian when he first saw it.

But Norian kept his emotions in check and gave a single, measured nod.

That simple nod made every hunter and everyone watching shiver. Questions filled their minds. What kind of message had he received? And more importantly, why were these aliens here again?

"Great..." the noble said with mock delight. "Then it must mean you’ve accepted our peaceful request, right?"

This time, no one could hold back their outrage. The entire arena buzzed with voices, and the hunters beside Norian immediately bombarded him with questions.

"Request? Since when do we take requests from these bastards? Have you forgotten what they did to our world?" a high-ranking hunter shouted, his voice trembling with fury.

"Vice President, what message did you receive? Why weren’t we informed?" Walter Whitlock demanded, a deep frown on his face.

"This concerns our world’s safety, yet you kept it from us?" another guardian added, his body glowing faintly with a green aura.

Crimson looked at her brother, waiting for an explanation. Even she hadn’t been told about any message or any request. Her confusion was just the same as the others.

While the hunters berated their leader for withholding the truth, the Lunaris nobles stood watching with amused smirks, clearly entertained. Even the generals behind them, usually expressionless, wore faintly satisfied smiles.

Norian waited for the noise to die down. Then, with a calm breath, he turned toward them and spoke.

"I agreed to a deal," he said in his usual gentle tone. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Our newly awakened... against theirs."

"W-what?!"

All the hunters, including Crimson, roared in disbelief.