The Martial Unity

The Heaven Sect lived up to its words. With the declaration of a draw, it lived up to the outcome that it promised.

It would agree to cooperate with Solution of Harmony in exchange for the Hellbringer model and the breakthroughs.

This was good enough.

“You should have done this from the start instead of risking my son’s life.” Emperor Rael’s rich voice was unyieldly firm. His tone was powerful.

His sharp golden eyes bore deep into Elder Diana’s gaze.

He had not been pleased when Rui challenged a Martial Sage, but he understood that his son was simply indulging his desire to fight. What he didn’t appreciate was the Heaven Sect not only accepting the battle, but not making any attempt to guarantee his son’s safety from a Martial Sage who clearly wanted to kill him. If his son had died, he would not have been as gentle with the Heaven Sect as he had been with the Nest of Terra.

There would have been hell to pay.

“We don’t have to do anything,” Elder Diana’s tone was arrogant. “Your son came into our nation, violated our laws and then challenged a Martial Sage. This all of his own doing. However, I will adhere to our word. The Heaven Sect does not engage in low-life deceit. We will cooperate with your Solution of Harmony in exchange for his precious services and gifts.”

Emperor Rael simply gazed at her for a few moments. “It is good that you have decided to honor your agreement. I can assure you, the price of not doing so would have been… severe.”

With twenty-five Sages who were essentially free, the Kandrian Empire did not have to pursue harmony at the cost of other important things. Though Emperor Rael still ensured that he lived up to his track record of credibility and reliability and only retaliated rather than conquer aggressively, he was not going to forgive blatant bad faith surrounding a matter upon which the future of human civilization was contingent.

“Then, let us discuss the exact terms and conditions to the T,” Emperor Rael calmly stated. “I will have you form agreements with not just me, but also the other leaders on this panel.”

He gestured around the round table to the various projections of the leaders of various Sage-level powerhouses. Prime Minister Edward, the Partriarch of the Shinken Clan, President Amelia, Queen Lianiala, Bodhisattva Maitreyi, the Consuls of Terra, the Martial Pontifex and Blood Lord Vrukshus.

“We are all equal stakeholders in the Solution of Harmony,” Emperor Rael reminded all of them with a firm tone. “I may have conceived of the solution as the only solution that completely protected humanity from quasi-Transcendent beasts and monsters, but that doesn’t mean that I own this enterprise. We are all contributing massively to it. And you will be swearing not only to me, but to all the leaders here.”

His gaze grew more powerful. “Remember that when you swear to us to partake in the Solution of Harmony.”

Elder Diana’s expression hardened. “…I will keep that in mind.”

In the face of so many powerhouses peering at her with a sharp gaze, not even she could could bring herself to snap back haughtily. The deliberations between Heaven Sect continued as the various Sage-level powerhouses ironed out the terms and conditions of the Heaven Sect’s participation.

“We definitely will not depart from the Heaven Sect until our Masters our Sage independent,” Elder Diana coldly stated. “We have acquired most of the siege weapon upgrades that the Esoterist showcased in the Human Summit, albeit not all. As long as your solutions allowing Masters to deal with Sage-level beasts and monsters are enough, we will not move from the Heaven Sect.”

This was a fair demand.

Asking the Sage to leave before the sect was ready to deal with their absence was nothing short of a death sentence.

“Then, we will expedite the supplies of the President’s technological innovations to ensure that you are wholly and entirety ready to depart from the Heaven Sect when the time is right,” the vice president of Esocline Federation shifted her glasses back. “With that, there should be no problem, yes?”

Elder Diana stirred as she heaved a sigh. “Very well then. I accept these terms and conditions.”

And thus, the Heaven Sect joined the Solution of Harmony officially.

With that, most polities had reaffirmed and ratified an agreement officially detailing their participation in the solution. The only ones that remained were the Gu, and the Marinaera Kingdom, and the Namgung Dynasty.

“I believe that these three no longer have any choice,” Emperor Rael remarked. “The Dawnbringer will likely not need to go through much resistance, especially with the latter two as they are extremely dependent economically on the world, and that can be used to twist their arms into cooperation. The only problem is…”

Emperor Rael’s eyes sharpened. “The Gu.”

The Gu was everything that the Sekigahara Confederate wished it was.

It was not an exaggeration to say that the Panamic Martial Federation’s largest responsibility was keeping the Gu in check. And while the international organization had been rendered rather useless in the Era of Darkness, the Gu thrived in its element.

“Out of all the powerhouses in the world, the Gu is the most ideologically inclined against the Solution of Harmony,” Prime Minister Edward calmly retorted. “You will be thrusting an impossible responsibility on your son by having him enter that hellhole. I suggest not including them in the plan entirely, we should be able to compensate with the Kandrian Empire’s growing power. However, risking the Dawnbringer’s death is not worth it.”

“But would the Gu actually try to kill the Dawnbringer?” Queen Lianiala raised an eyebrow. “The Kandrian deterrence is powerful. I don’t think that Gujincan Asmodeous will go out of his way to kill him just to sabotage the Solution of Harmony.”

“Do not be too certain of that,” the Martial Pontifex remarked. “There is a reason that they call him the Demon of Asmodeous.”

The air grew cold as history reminded them of itself.