The Bloodline System

Chapter 1604: Internal Division

Authorʼs Note: Unedited Chapter

---------------------

Their appearances spoke volumes of the hardships theyʼd endured—bruises, cuts, and exhaustion visible on both of their faces—but a sense of triumph radiated from them nonetheless.

E.E wore his usual grin, despite a slight limp while Elevoraʼs third eye shimmered faintly. She didnʼt seem to have obscured it this time.

”Well, look who decided to make it back in one piece,” Aildris called out, striding forward with a smirk. ”Couldnʼt stay out of trouble, could you?”

E.E chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. ”Trouble? That was just a warm-up. You should see the other guy. Well… whatʼs left of him, anyway.”

Elevora rolled her eyes, though a faint smile played at her lips. ”It was a bit more than a warm-up, Iʼd say. But we made it, and thatʼs what counts.”

Angy stepped forward with a look of concern as she took in their battered appearances. ”Are you two alright? You look like youʼve been through a war.”

”Feels like it too,” E.E replied, stretching his arms with a wince. ”But yeah, weʼre fine. Nothing a little rest wonʼt fix. Tis but a flesh wound.”

Elevora nodded in agreement. ”We took down one of the Gustavo Allianceʼs top enforcers. He chased us across half the galaxy, but heʼs gone now. We made sure of it.”

Endric clapped a hand on E.E.ʼs shoulder, grinning. ”Good to have you back. Weʼll need everyone at their best for whatʼs coming.”

E.E glanced around, his expression becoming more serious. ”So, whereʼs the big guy? Donʼt tell me heʼs off on some grand adventure without us.”

Endric nodded, his gaze shifting to the stars where Gustavʼs ship had vanished. ”Heʼs out there, hunting down the vestiges of his power. Weʼre sticking around here to find the sword—though itʼs been like looking for a needle in an intergalactic haystack.”

Elevoraʼs gaze followed Endricʼs as she looked out at the endless expanse. ”Then weʼll be here when he gets back, ready to finish this.”

E.E grinned, clapping his hands together. ”Alright then. Looks like weʼve got ourselves a mission but first I need good food.”

...

...

E.E slumped into a chair, letting out a heavy sigh as he crossed his arms.

A slight frown etched across his face. Elevora settled next to him, giving him a sympathetic glance.

It had been a grueling few weeks for both of them, with endless chases, brutal battles, and a narrow escape from the Gustavo Alliance. But despite the relief of being back, E.E. couldnʼt shake his disappointment.

”I canʼt believe I missed him again,” E.E muttered. ”I didnʼt see him for six months, and now heʼs off on another quest to get back his powers. This whole timing thing really isnʼt on my side.”

Endric leaned against the table, arms crossed as he regarded E.E with a sympathetic smile. ”Yeah, I know. But Gustav didnʼt have much of a choice. Heʼs got to retrieve those vestiges if weʼre going to stand a chance against Nocturnis.”

E.E. nodded, understanding but still visibly disappointed. ”I get it.”

Elevora placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ”Relax E.E. your boyfriend will be back soon. Iʼm sure he misses all your banter and terrible jokes too,” she said with a small smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

”Hahaha!” The group let out a burst of laughter.

”Terrible jokes? You wound me, Vora,” E.E. replied with an exaggerated pout, finally cracking a smile. ”But hey, itʼs good to have you back. I know you went through a lot in the Gustavo Alliance.”

At that, the room grew more serious. Endric nodded at Elevora earnestly. ”Now that youʼre here, can you tell us what you found out while infiltrating them? We need to know everything.”

Elevora gathered her thoughts as the others listened intently. ”Alright. While I was with the Gustavo Alliance, I went by the name Vora. To them, I was a trusted ally, someone who believed in their vision for Gustav. But the truth is… the alliance isnʼt as unified as it appears.”

Angy furrowed her brows, leaning forward. ”What do you mean?”

Elevora continued with a look of intensity. ”The Gustavo Alliance might claim they serve Gustav, but in reality, theyʼre fractured. Thereʼs one side that truly loves Gustav as the Outworldly. They either want him to rule the universe or bring an end to it, believing that he should repossess his power.” She paused briefly before resuming. ”But the other side? They want to return to the old order.

They want the universe back under the control of deities— the want what Nocturnis is trying to do.”

Endricʼs eyes widened in surprise. ”Youʼre saying some of the Gustavo Alliance willingly serve Nocturnis? Even with everything we know about him?”

Elevora nodded grimly. ”Yes. They see Nocturnis as a means to bring about a new reign for the deities, a return to the so-called ʼglory daysʼ when mortals and worlds bent under their will. Theyʼve been infiltrated, and some members even willingly allowed themselves to be infused with Nocturnisʼs power to gain strength. They still have their minds intact, but their loyalty belongs to him.”

E.E.ʼs eyes narrowed. ”So what youʼre saying is, theyʼre even more dangerous than we thought. Theyʼre not just worshipping Gustav like fanatics; theyʼre strategically split and willing to play with powers they donʼt even understand.”

Elevora nodded. ”Exactly. The fight we had with Haraxis? He was a prime example. Theyʼre training soldiers under Nocturnisʼs influence, and itʼs only going to get worse.”

Angyʼs eyes flashed with anger as she stood up, hands balled into fists. ”Then we canʼt allow this to continue. The Gustavo Alliance has to be stopped—destroyed.”

Aildris nodded with a resolute expression. ”Agreed. If theyʼre playing both sides and working with Nocturnis, theyʼre an even bigger threat than we realized.

E.E chipped in. ”Weʼll need a plan, though. Theyʼre powerful, and Haraxis was proof of that.”

Elevora looked around at the group. ”Then itʼs settled. The Gustavo Alliance has to go. We canʼt let them keep manipulating Gustavʼs name like this.”

E.E. cracked his knuckles as his usual humor was replaced with a steely resolve. ”Iʼll be more than happy to help tear them apart. And when weʼre done, there wonʼt be anything left of their so-called alliance.”

---

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, Gustav was soaring through the vast expanse of space, making his way to the second location where a vestige of his power was supposed to be.

His journey had taken him far from the known reaches of the universe, and he could feel the gravitational density increasing as he approached his destination. This alone told him he was close; the distortion in space-time was strong, and it resonated with a familiar energy that thrummed through his core.

The first vestige on Planet Humbad was the first he absorbed which awakened something within him—a fragment of his former power, a whisper of the cosmic strength he once wielded.

Now, as he approached this second location, he felt a similar pull, a quiet, potent energy calling him forward.

”Almost there,” Gustav murmured to himself as he focused on the faint, distant shimmer in the void ahead.

He could feel the vestige, like a heartbeat reverberating through the darkness, drawing him closer with each passing moment.

He tightened his grip on the controls, bracing himself as his ship shuddered slightly under the immense gravitational pull.

This was no ordinary place; it was a location where the very fabric of space seemed to bend, where the rules of reality twisted under the strain of ancient forces.

”Just a bit closer…” he muttered, feeling the energy intensify as he closed in on the shimmering point.

---

Back on Earth, the group had gathered around, strategizing how they would proceed in their mission to dismantle the Gustavo Alliance.

Aildrisʼs eyes were sharp as he looked around at the others, formulating plans.

”We canʼt just go in guns blazing. They have one too many bases. We need to find a way to strike at their core, take out their leaders,” he voiced while tapping his fingers on the table.

Elevora agreed. ”Theyʼre powerful, but they have their weaknesses. The Alliance is fractured, remember? If we can exploit that division, turn them against each other… it might just give us an edge.”

Endric nodded thoughtfully. ”So we need to figure out who leads each faction. The side that wants Gustav to rule, and the side serving Nocturnis. If we can sow distrust between them…”

Angy eyes gleamed with fierce excitement as she spoke. ”Divide and conquer. I like it.”

E.E smirked while nodding approvingly. ”Then itʼs settled. We gather intel, identify the leaders, and play them against each other. Once theyʼre weakened, we move in and destroy the Alliance for good. Taking out the leaders should be our main objective. ”

”We donʼt need to gather any intel... You have me remember?” Elevora voiced, referencing her time spent infiltrating the Gustav alliance.