PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

The breastplate of the armor was a large piece of dark gray metal covering the entire chest area to the pit of the stomach designed with convex angles to deflect impact. The shoulder pads were composite plates that fell straight down covering part of the arms, with a smaller, tighter plate underneath that functioned as an armguard.

Starting from the waist down, the belt seemed simple, apart from the small plate protecting the pelvic area. At Desmond’s sides, two composite plates fell from his waist to the bottom of his knee, heavily guarding his thighs, something Desmond was grateful for since losing mobility was a death sentence in a fight.

Last but not least, the armor’s shin guards were a cascade of composite plates separated in certain areas to allow for mobility. Covering from the upper part of the thighs to the greaves, one could almost say that this armor prioritizes the protection of the legs over the rest of the body.1

In addition to the armor, Desmond was wearing his new toys, appearing to be fully prepared for battle. Concealed in a holster on the inside of the plates that cover the side of Desmond’s waist and thighs, was what could only be a huge black metal pistol lined with ghostly green glass; it was the last gift Aisha gave Desmond.

Being the weapon fanatic that he was, Desmond could hardly wait to put his new toy to the test in a fight. Still, given the power the weapon displayed when using it a few minutes ago, Desmond knew that this thing could only be used to kill, not fight.

It was due to the enormous firepower, as well as the black metal the weapon was made of and the spectral green flame-like effect that occurred during each shot that Desmond ended up naming the weapon KX-01-Hades. It should be noted that the first two parts were the code used by Aisha for the weapon when she created and stored it, and Desmond simply decided to keep it.

In addition to the pistol concealed in a holster on his thigh, Desmond had his trusty and incredibly sharp sword strapped to the back of his waist inside his scabbard. Last but not least, Desmond’s hands were equipped with his new gloves, where the navy blue magatama stand out quite a bit.

Although by nature, Aisha wasn’t the type to gawk at someone with loving eyes, she still had to admire how good Desmond looked at that moment and how dangerous his presence felt. A small part of the blacksmith was very proud to see Desmond outfitted with things she had made, especially the pistol and gloves. Yet, another part of her was not entirely pleased with the armor, the quality of which paled in comparison to the rest of the equipment.

.....

Even a wolf would have to bow their head at how keen Desmond’s senses were, so there was no way he wouldn’t notice the expression on Aisha’s face upon seeing the armor. “Don’t think too much about it; this is by far the best armor I’ve ever worn. I know you feel like it’s not up to your skills when crafting other types of gear, but you shouldn’t dwell on it. Your artifacts are amazing because you love creating them, and you have a passion for complicated things and making the most of your inscription abilities and alloys. That makes you who you are.”

While Aisha’s emotional spectrum was different from the human standards Desmond was used to, his words were sincere and warm, finding insightful ways to encourage the blacksmith. Unbeknownst to Desmond, his words of encouragement added a slight touch of endearment to the natural passion in Aisha’s heart. Not to mention, these reaffirmed the girl with lava in her veins’ belief that Desmond would definitely have to be the father of her future daughters.

“Maybe in five hundred or a thousand years.” Aisha thought naively, with a notion of time that seemed impossible to consider reasonable for a human with a life expectancy of less than a hundred years.

Snapping out of her fantasies, Aisha went over to Desmond and gave him a simple and quick kiss on the lips, more affection than passion at this point. “I don’t plan on taking up any more of your time; go ahead and do what you must do. But don’t forget to come to see me and go through that alchemy furnace.”

Desmond nodded with a smile and simply gave Aisha a quiet hug before saying goodbye. Knowing that it was her time to shine, Myrilla focused on this occasion, differentiating the red threads tied to Desmond’s soul, finding those that belonged to Claire, Revna, Cecilia, and Sasha. With a snap of her fingers, a portal opened, this time connected to the Martial Sovereign World.

Though he wasn’t looking forward to experiencing it again, Desmond and Kyuru passed through the portal before being followed by the angel of love.

Watching Desmond disappear, Aisha felt a slight sadness that quickly faded like candlelight; it wasn’t in the nature of the hot, passionate girl to get depressed or overthink things. Quickly new ideas and projects began to appear in Aisha’s mind. “I just hope I have time to work; I don’t know when mom will come back and take me to the temple of the forge to train.”

Farther and farther away from Aisha’s home world, inside the portal, Desmond and Myrilla were having a conversation involving the blazing girl. “You even meeting a girl like that? Are you secretly the bastard son of the goddess of luck?”

Of course, Myrilla had no way of knowing that Desmond had a bad habit of hypocritically cursing or praising the fictional goddess of luck. So, she was surprised when she saw the strange expression on Desmond’s face upon hearing the question.

Cogh *Cogh* After coughing to clear his throat and thoughts, Desmond explained. “It was just a coincidence. I met Aisha on one of my trips, she was in danger, and I decided to help her just to selfishly satisfy my growing pride, nothing more.”

Myrilla looked for a second at the sad expression of the fairy on Desmond’s shoulder who didn’t like it when he talked bad about himself. “I see; certainly a selfish and proud man, going around saving people, putting his life and sanity on the line to lead others out of the darkness he is so afraid of getting lost in.”

Even if he used his new gun to think, Desmond would have detected the sheer sarcasm in Myrilla’s words, but he chose not to respond. Myrilla, on the other hand, hadn’t finished. “You are truly a stupid and pessimistic man if you don’t see beyond your flaws. You are also a selfish man, not for saving others, but for overlooking those you must return to. As for pride? I think you have a right to be proud of many things, more than you give yourself credit for.”

Being lectured didn’t sit well with anyone, even when you knew the other person was right. However, Desmond appreciated the angel’s good intentions and tried to take her words seriously. It’s not like he wasn’t aware of his flaws.

Seemingly changing the subject, Myrilla asked a question out of the blue. “Tell me, Desmond, what is your greatest pride?”

Puzzled by the question, Desmond didn’t know how to respond, but Myrilla wasn’t impatient. “Do you take pride in your affinity for mana? That will certainly pave your way to greatness and power. Your battle prowess is also a point of pride; I can imagine what awaits your enemies now that you have new toys. We also cannot leave out your luck or good looks; they have helped you a lot so far. I’ve heard that your mind isn’t necessarily less sharp or dangerous than the weapons you carry with you now; that too can be a source of pride. Tell me, Desmond, what is your greatest pride?”

As if it had been planned to be that way, Desmond stepped out of the portal just as Myrilla repeated her question. On the other side of the portal, Desmond found himself immediately surrounded by people in a place he didn’t know.

The faces were unfamiliar, as was the location, yet, the vibe and atmosphere there were quite familiar to Desmond, as was the overall layout of the place.

Seeing the stadium he was in, as well as the boisterous atmosphere, Desmond knew immediately that he was in some tournament, not entirely unexpected given the incredibly competitive nature that prevailed in martial overworld society.

Without Desmond noticing, Myrilla was gone, leaving only him and Kyuru. Curiously, although the angel was no longer there, her question was still on Desmond’s mind. Yet, he no longer had the need to continue meditating on his answer, not when his answer was standing proudly on the stage.

One look was all it took Desmond to realize that his greatest pride was having earned the love of the women who were now about to fight on stage. Being loved and loving Claire, Sasha, Cecilia, and Revna was only part of it; they themselves were part of Desmond’s pride. None of them was just a pretty, empty vase, they were all extraordinary girls, and Desmond couldn’t wait to see them in action.