Unaware or simply not caring about the possible misunderstanding Michael could have created with his use of words, he continued to his quarters.
Along the way, he felt something in his soul trembling. For whatever reason, his soul weapon wanted to be summoned, so Michael did just that.
The second the sword appeared in his grip, it spoke. 'You really have a devil's tongue. Even I am unsure if you are teasing the women intentionally or if this is just your natural charm.'
Michael chuckled, finding the sword's comment amusing. Then a second later, he stopped in his tracks, his gaze studying the greatsword giving off a neon light.
"This is it! I have been thinking about how to name you, but Devil's Tongue has to be the best fit for you. You either want to drink the blood of my enemies or make perverted jokes all the time! Thanks for the suggestion, I would have never come up with this on my own!"
'...' The sword remained silent. For the first time in its existence, it found itself speechless before a human.
Taking it as a sign of agreement, Michael's smile turned into a grin.
"Well, glad to have you, Devil's Tongue!"
Not waiting for the retort of the soul weapon, he made it enter his body again.
Entering his assigned room, he undressed before taking a well deserved shower. After eating several protein bars he kept in stock, he was allowed to finally relax in peace.
With all of his work done, he didn't shy away from collapsing on his bed, entering deep sleep.
Approximately nine hours later, Michael woke up naturally. Scratching his messy hair, he yawned before standing up and stretching to warm up his body.
"It has been long enough. Victoria would have either gotten her orders, or she will act of her own free will." He mused. After quickly fixing his appearance, he was about to head out until he realized he had forgotten to speak with his sister.
"MICHAEL! You didn't call me for so long! I thought you died!" Once the call connected, she shouted so loud that she awoke the people sleeping in the nearby quarters.
He spent the next ten minutes reassuring her that he was alright and had just forgotten to call her.
Once that was done, he went towards the gathering area.
"Sir, can I have a moment of your time, please?" But to his surprise, a woman with a microphone approached him in a hurried fashion.
"May I ask you a few questions about the recent battle? Especially about your contribution?"
This was, of course, Skylar, wanting to make a personal interview. She had followed the soldiers to the base, not knowing Michael had remained on the battlefield to cultivate.
"I am sorry, I am too busy. You may speak with my general if you wish for any details." Michael calmly declined, feeling sorry for putting more burden on Victoria than necessary.
'I am sure that she knows how to politely decline these people.' He figured.
Once Michael reached the gathering area, he was pleasantly surprised to see that all of the people present looked like experienced soldiers. He could hardly tell who was a cadet anymore.
"To think they have matured so fast… This is good progress indeed."
He took a peek at Bryce, who was close to the center of the platform.
'Now that reminds me, I haven't spoken to him about his granddaughter. Who could have thought that she was the White Angel herself?'
"Glory to mankind!" It didn't take long for Victoria to appear on the platform, stealing all of the attention with her arrival.
"Hey, is it just me, or does the general look even more beautiful than usual?"
"Now that you mention it, it's true. If before she was like a model, she now resembles a fairy."
A few soldiers took note of her appearance. Since she had taken Michael's advice to rest, her looks had turned even more mesmerizing than before.
"We have received our orders!" Victoria's voice boomed once more.
"Since the command alien ship is proving to be an obstacle too tough for the allied factions to handle, we are to go and assist them to the best of our ability! Since the said ship is currently stationed at the other side of Triton, I plan to assist any base along the way. I hope that I can continue to have your constant support!"
"Glory to mankind!" The soldiers shouted in unison after her speech. Their spirits burning brighter than before.
Victoria subconsciously searched for Michael's figure. Once she found it, she found herself averting her gaze against her will.
'With this innocent expression he is wearing all the time, I don't know what he is feeling.' She sighed bitterly.
Meanwhile, Ava, who had been searching around the area, finally found what she was looking for.
"Michael, did you receive the orders?"
"Just now." He nodded, looking at his communication device. The personnel were organized into several formations.
At the center, the soldiers would be the safest, with minimal exposure. On the outer edges, the melee fighters were stationed, ready to engage. A team of captains was positioned in four directions: north, east, west, and south. They were tasked with overseeing the formation as a whole and getting rid of the biggest threats.
Naturally Victoria was going to be in the front, wanting to face the biggest dangers herself. While Michael had been placed at the very rear. Since she couldn't be everywhere at all times, she had placed Michael and Ava, the two people she trusted the most, at the back in case something dire were to ambush them.
"Hmph, at least she knows who and where to place!" Ava said, puffing out her chest.
Not paying her much attention, Michael looked at who else he was going to travel with.
'Leo is with us, no surprise there. Surprisingly Amelia is also with us, and… Enzo?'
While Michael didn't have problems with the other captains, from the way he had seen Victoria treat Enzo, he got the impression that Enzo was hot-headed and untrustworthy.
'I hope that I am wrong about my observation.' Not wanting to waste time, he organized with the other captains.
The soldiers sprang into action. They gathered only their most valuable possessions before departing for the tough journey ahead of them.
Michael climbed upon the roof of his ride, watching the scene in silence. These were thousands of people that had previously died under the alien invasion. The only reason they were still alive was due to his actions. Naturally he felt prideful and mostly glad that his efforts were paying off.
Once he was done surveying the scenery, he entered the vehicle again.
The other captains minded their own business, not bothering him. Even Ava seemed a little dejected anticipating the battle ahead.
The only one that didn't seem to think too deeply about things was Enzo, who was glaring daggers at him.
Finally Michael couldn't ignore him, as he asked.
"Is something wrong?"
Enzo looked at him in silence for a few seconds.
"I want to fight you!" He blurted out a second later, leaving Michael speechless.