BAM! Hedric slammed his hand against the table, the metallic surface trembling under the force. "You want to withdraw even more of my planetary equipment? Have you completely lost your mind?!"

Whether it was forcing his enemies into retreat, recruiting new allies, or carrying out covert operations deep behind enemy lines — everything in his empire revolved around a single currency: planetary gear.

The thousand or so pieces Hedric had painstakingly collected over hundreds of thousands of years had been reduced to nearly half within just a few decades. Each fragment represented not only wealth but also centuries of conquests and victories.

Of course, he still used them freely in war. But technically, most of them weren't even his anymore — he owed them to Theo. The man could, at any moment, demand their full recall. Hedric knew he should be grateful Theo allowed him continued use of them. What truly haunted him was the fear that Theo might someday impose a 10% usage tax or something similarly outrageous. That was why he avoided bringing the topic up entirely.

"My Lord," Theo responded swiftly, his tone polite but cutting, "this war has cost you dearly, yes — but hasn't it also rewarded you beyond measure? Those enemy fleets you fought weren't ordinary soldiers; they came armed for a cosmic war, each one brimming with planetary weapons. You can't possibly hide the fact that you've scavenged no less than three hundred pieces of equipment from them since this campaign began."

"Even my spoils are under your watch now?!" Hedric clenched his hands tightly, veins bulging under his armor. "...Fine. Explain your proposal in detail before I lose my temper."

"I need three years." Theo raised three fingers calmly. "Just three years — during which you must hold off that southern army by any means necessary." He clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing with the ease of a man confident in his plan. "You can go personally if you wish, or you can detach part of your main force. Personally, I recommend summoning a detachment from Verilion's garrison to deal with them, leaving only the Crimson Soldiers to defend Verilion and reclaim the territories of the Crumbled Meteors Empire."

He paused, then continued with quiet conviction. "During those three years, I'll summon a Swarm from the True Begining Empire to stop the advance complete. This operation can annihilate this southern front and then march alongside you on the frontlines against those 1,600 enemy fleets."

He gave Hedric a brief moment to digest the words, then added with deliberate calm, "All I ask in return is for you to provide Nexus State supervisors to coordinate with the incoming Swarm. They will take command of either your right or left flank, and I guarantee you absolute security from that direction."

Theo's lips curved into that same faint, almost mocking smile. "Of course, your Excellency will pay the usual currency — or whichever form of payment the Sky Opening City or the Headquarters demands. The total fee will be... one planetary gear per year. No more, no less."

BAM! Hedric slammed the table again, this time hard enough to make the nearby attendants flinch. "One planetary gear per year? Do you think planetary gear grows on trees or lies scattered in the streets for children to collect?!"

"Lord Hedric," Theo said firmly, maintaining that eerie composure, "I am offering to erase an entire threat and secure the right wing of your main army. That means I'll continue pouring resources and support to halt any advancing foes from that front. This will drain the True Beginning Empire's forces — and don't forget, we are heading into a Cosmic-scale war ourselves in just four hundred and sixty years. Don't you think we're already sacrificing enough for your sake? And only because you are His Majesty's partner?"

Theo's words landed like weighted stones, his expression unchanged. "Besides, you're gaining planetary gear with every passing campaign. Frankly, I don't see how our price could be considered excessive."

"..."

At the mention of the upcoming Nihari War, Hedric fell completely silent. His fists loosened, and the flames of anger dimmed in his eyes. That was the war he had personally sworn to join — a vow sealed by his own will and soul.

Damn it... why did I ever take that oath?

Finally, he exhaled a heavy breath, leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. "...Fine," he muttered, voice low and bitter. "Let's say you succeed. You stabilize the southern front and reinforce the western line. What then? What about the reinforcements coming from that Cursed Behemoth... and the Savage Behemoth?!"

"...."

Theo seemed utterly disconnected from the question — not because he ignored it, but because his mind had already drifted deep into the storm of analysis and calculation.

Every neuron within him blazed with purpose. He wasn't merely thinking; he was constructing a grand strategy in his mind, weighing possibilities, faces, and the unseen pieces that might alter the balance of the coming cosmic war.

He knew perfectly well that the True Beginning Empire had the capability to dispatch an army of unimaginable scale. After all, ever since the revolutionary designs introduced by the reshaping engineer Zoha, the empire's shipyards had turned into roaring furnaces of production — fleets upon fleets were being forged every cycle, each more sophisticated and terrifying than the last.

And then there was the Burton Family Academy, a military institution that had become a legend in itself. Every single day, it released new officers and generals into the void, disciplined and burning with ambition. Over a thousand S-class planets now thrummed with energy, hosting entire oceans of soldiers — all trained, conditioned, and awaiting the command to unleash devastation upon the stars.

Yes, the True Beginning Empire could send such a force.

But the question that gnawed at Theo's mind was far heavier than logistics or production.

Who would lead them?

Who could possibly bear the burden of commanding such an army — one destined to march into the heart of a Cosmic War that would reshape entire galaxies?

Peon. The name resonated in his mind like a tolling bell.

The strongest commander among all the Special Forces across the three empires. The second man in Caesar's army — loyal, lethal, and legendary. He was the spear that struck where Caesar pointed. And currently, he was leading the offensive against the empire that had meddled in Hedric's war.

If anyone was capable of such a command... it was him.

But still — Theo's instincts whispered that Peon would not leave his post.

So who else?

Servon, perhaps? Or maybe the Three Sorceresses?

No — impossible. They were currently overseeing the Third Army's relentless invasion of Young Sector 99. Replacing them would cripple the entire campaign. And beyond that, none of them possessed the commanding presence or strategic brilliance necessary to lead an army of this magnitude.

Then perhaps the second-tier commanders — Elizabeth, Kandal, and the others.

They were competent, sharp, loyal. But not enough.

They lacked the raw charisma, the magnetic authority that could make entire legions follow them into annihilation without hesitation.

The truly great leaders — Caesar, Aro, and Sakaar, the three Marshals personally recognized by His Majesty — were irreplaceable. None of them could possibly abandon their posts, not even for a moment.

Especially Sakaar.

He was not meant to be seen — not by the masses, not even by his allies.

No matter how advanced their cloaking technologies or psychic dampeners had become, no one could ever guarantee safety when standing before a Monarch or a cosmic warden. For someone like Sakaar to appear openly was an act of suicidal arrogance.

So again the question echoed in Theo's mind — Who?

Who could possibly command that army?

"Hey!" Hedric's voice snapped through the silence like a whip. He clicked his fingers twice, irritation clear in his tone. "Are you still here, or did my question scare you into silence?" His eyes narrowed, sharp as blades. "'Under your proposal, what am I supposed to do about the reinforcements from both galaxies?!"

"Oh." Theo's faint smile returned, calm and controlled, as if he were drifting back from another realm. "You prevent them from entering the sector, of course. That's the defining line. The moment they step through, every plan we've built turns to dust."

He adjusted his stance slightly, the air around him sharpening. "Since you've refused help from your brothers, dismissed your father's hand, and clearly have no partners or blood allies to turn to… the best I can offer you is to erase the southern threat and reinforce the western front. The matter of the two Behemoths—that lies beyond my reach."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hedric growled, his brows knitting together. "Were we talking in circles this entire time? Spinning a spider's web to stop a runaway train?!" BAM! His hand slammed down on the table, the echo reverberating across the chamber. "What use is this agreement if it doesn't include the Behemoths? They're coming no matter what we do!"

"That," Theo replied bluntly, his calm composure cutting sharper than any weapon, "is your problem, Lord Hedric. I can only offer my insight — a possible way to stop them. The execution, however... depends entirely on you."

Hedric leaned forward slowly, his eyes narrowing with a predator's intensity.

"...And what is it?"

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