Michael had always planned to visit the Tritan Alliance again before it was too late. Not much has linked him to the Tritan Alliance anymore, but it was where he grew up and met many interesting people. Michael was curious how much the Tritan Alliance had changed after he left it with enough support for them to stand up for themselves.
Michael could visit the Tritan Alliance again since he was not yet a full-fledged Divine Lifeform. Maybe he could return in a few hundred years, once the Torn Firmament was back at full power, but he was fairly sure to never return after this time.
Entering the Tritan Alliance hadn’t been that easy for Michael and Alice. Michael was already stronger than any Higher Lifeform, which was something the Torn Firmament showed openly. His Divine Shell, the presence of his Divinity Fragment, and the three God Curses put tremendous pressure on the Torn Firmament.
The Firmament didn’t rip further apart, but Michael had to hold back from using too much power. Otherwise, he may actually destroy the Tritan Alliance by accident. And destroying the Tritan Alliance and the people he liked was certainly not on his to-do list.
After rescuing the Tritan Alliance, Michael didn’t want to destroy it, especially since Alice’s parents were still living there. Fortunately, Michael didn’t rip the Torn Firmament apart even though it was close. He was still a Tier-6 Higher Lifeform, which was somehow registered even if his presence and Divinity suggested he was a Divine Lifeform or, in fact, already about to attain godhood.
Michael and Alice appeared in the solar system, holding hands to teleport together. Once they arrived, Alice let go of his hand and turned away. He couldn’t see her face but heard her heart instead. It beat slightly faster than usual, bringing a smile to his lips.
‘It was a good idea to go with you. Thank you for asking, Alice.’ He spoke in his mind with a smile.
Even though Alice was not in love with him just yet, there was something. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact cause, but Michael hoped Alice was curious about him. Michael could hope for progress if she was curious about him and not completely uninterested. That was exactly what he did. He chose to behave normally and wait patiently.
Thus, Michael searched for familiar energy fluctuations and used Cosmic Stride at its lowest energy output to teleport the pair to familiar people.
Michael and Alice appeared in the middle of a grand meeting held by the Berserkers, Warlock Centaurs, and several family heads. This included the remnants of the Zeus family, the Matriarch of the Seraph house, and Katharina Zenovia. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
The High Awakened at the meeting unsheathed their weapons and manifested their Artifacts near simultaneously, bringing a smile to Michael’s lips.
“Sorry about that. I should have informed someone about our return,” Michael said into the meeting hall with a smile. Kraft Viton approached Michael with a bright smile and embraced him tightly.
“It’s good to see you again, kid. You spooked the shit out of me, but seeing you alive makes up for that!” “Alice!” Katharina exclaimed, tearing up when she saw her beloved daughter. Michael had told the Zenovia Matriarch that he’d found Alice and what he had to do to rescue her. He kept her up-to-date with Kaleb’s help and made sure Katharina would be informed whenever something unexpected happened. Zeke had also returned to the Tritan Alliance with Lincoln’s body, which had already been a few months. Michael was unsure where Zeke was at that moment, but the young Awakened would be fine. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about. “How is everyone?” Michael asked while watching Alice under her mother’s scrutiny. Katharina studied every spot of her child, ensuring she was safe and sound. Alice’s memories might have suffered, but she still remembered her mother. The only confusing part was that her mother had never been like this. Not in the memories Alice had retained, at least.
“Everyone is doing fine. Our situation is much better than expected. We might have lost the Sacred Desert a few years back – which you already know all about – but the Barren Wastelands are not barren anymore and definitely not wastelands. We are in a better situation than ever and secured two more Beginner Regions. After some back and forth, we focused on working together much more than we used to. That includes not only our time outside the Origin Expanse but also our time inside it. Many Lords moved together and formed alliances to expand outward with the help of more Rookie Lords who would establish new main defensive forts to…” Kraft Viton was excited and spoke for more than ten minutes about the economy of the Tritan Alliance and how much the Cosmic Shop helped them up their game. The Tritan Alliance might not have any DIvine Lifeforms yet – they were still far from their first Divine Ascension – but their improvements were visible. Michael had already noticed that there were far more Higher Lifeforms spread across the planets and that the number of Awakened had also increased drastically. It was all thanks to Michael’s support. If not for him, the Tritan Alliance would have ceased to exist several years ago. Most Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs would either be dead, escaped into the Origin Expanse, or the Supreme Human Alliance would have enslaved them. That didn’t happen, and Michael was glad about that. It was even better that the Tritan Alliance would have enough time to grow stronger. Maybe their power was needed to fight the Supreme Human Alliance in the future. Michael heard someone approach them and turned around. Katharina Zenovia walked toward him and embraced Michael tightly. “Thank you for bringing my little girl back to us. I know you did your best, but…I wasn’t sure if you would make it after we heard about Lincoln,” She released him for a moment and planted a kiss on his cheeks, “I’m glad my little girl found someone like you. I think you’re the best that could have happened to Alice and Kaleb.” She embraced him again and didn’t even think about letting Michael go. Alice stared at the scene unfolding before her in shock. Her eyes widened seeing her mother so affectionate with anyone. If it had been a surprise for her that the Zenovia Matriarch embraced her, seeing her mother like this with a stranger was tens of times more confusing and shocking. Alice tilted her head. Well. Michael wasn’t exactly a stranger. She had seen some memories of Michael at her request and knew they had been together. Kaleb had also mentioned a lot about Michael, though her brother had also forgotten everything about him when he was cured from Blood Incursion. Still, Kaleb talked about Michael often.
However, both Michael’s memories of showing them as a couple and Kaleb’s praising Michael to the moon and beyond weren’t as impactful as seeing how her mother treated Michael.
Everyone liked Michael. The powerhouses of the Tritan Alliance treated him with respect and surrounded him to ask questions and chat with him. Some chatted lightly like friends with Michael, while others were far more respectful. Michael responded to everyone with a smile. Seeing Michael like that, Alice couldn’t help but think about his territory and how the people there thought about him.
She tried to recall some truly bad comments about Michael, but there was nothing like that. A few subjects disliked him for telling them to work, but that was the minority of the minorities.
Alice tilted her head. Almost no one disliked Michael. If anything, those who disliked him were jealous of his powers.
Michael noticed Alice’s gaze lingering on him and smiled at her, but before Alice could respond, his expression distorted slightly. His smile cracked as his eyes fell upon a young woman and her mother.
Alice turned to the mother-daughter pair and recognized the duo right away. The younger lady was known for her calm and composed behavior, her gracefulness, and her majestic behavior at all times. She was also known for her emotionlessness, which created a hue of mystery around her. It was Maria Seraph, the beauty of the Seraph family. Yet, instead of looking calm and composed, Maria Seraph was on the verge of tears, her eyes glued to Michael.
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Giuliana Seraph glared at Michael but sighed deeply after a few seconds when she noticed what was about to happen.
Michael’s left hand glowed vibrant golden as he pressed his palm firmly against the back of his right hand. His expression distorted in pain, and blood gushed from his nose and mouth.
The High Awakened looked at the scene in shock and surprise, but Katharina smiled. She walked up to her daughter, whose eyes had widened in surprise.
“Kaleb must have forgotten to mention it. Michael manifested Maria’s Mark of Fate when Dark Heavens attacked before the Interdimensional Flag War. I know you remember none of it, but you should know that Michael was always loyal to you. He is a good guy,” She pointed out and Alice nodded slowly when Michael appeared before the Seraph Matriarch and Maria.
“I know.”
Michael could have returned the Mark of Fate to Maria without saying a word, or he could have kept it, but that was not who he was. He was already ashamed that it had taken him so long to return it in the first place.
“I’m sorry for being so late. Please accept the Mark of Fate. I was too late to return everything to you. I hope it didn’t cause too much inconvenience,” Michael asked for forgiveness.
You will find someone better. I’m sure of it,” He added, but Maria couldn’t utter a word. She cried bitterly, fully understanding the situation.
Maria Seraph hated herself for this, especially since she had already received most of the Mark of Fate. It was just a tiny portion that had clinged onto Michael, just like the owner of Archangel’s Grace. The Mark of Fate clung onto Michael just like Maria would have loved to cling to him.
Alice looked at the pair and felt something. Staring at Maria, an otherworldly beauty about Michael’s age, she couldn’t help but feel something. She swallowed hard as the tension between them rose, not even realizing that she had subconsciously whispered her thoughts.
“I…might like him…”
**
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