Ragnar walked forward slowly. Methodically. Each step deliberate as death itself.
His aura swirled thicker, blue and black energy crackling around his massive frame. The frequency rose, a deep thrumming that made the air vibrate. Juli could feel it in his broken bones, in his bloodied flesh, in the very core of his being.
This was real power. Unfiltered. Absolute.
"Tell me your name," Ragnar said, voice carrying across the clearing. "Your full name, young warrior."
Juli coughed blood but forced the words out. "Julian... Weiper."
"Julian Weiper." Ragnar repeated it like a prayer. "I shall remember that name until I return to the great cycle, until my bones crumble to dust and my essence scatters across the cosmos! You have earned that much and more."
His aura peaked. The ground cracked beneath his feet.
"Resonance Skill: ..."
A figure materialized behind Ragnar.
Just appeared. No warning. No sound. No aura signature.
One moment empty air. The next, Unit Head Ruskovitz stood there, massive antlers silhouetted against the dying light, one hand resting casually on Ragnar's shoulder.
Ragnar's words died. His head turned slowly, eyes wide with genuine shock.
Juli blinked. He hadn't seen anything. Hadn't felt anything. It was like the deer-like alien simply existed into reality.
"Evening," Ruskovitz said pleasantly.
Soldiers poured into the clearing from all sides. Twenty members of Unit 212, weapons raised, forming a perfect perimeter. Combat suits gleamed. Energy rifles hummed with lethal charge. Medics rushed toward Vela and Juli.
Ragnar's aura flared. His golden eyes locked onto Ruskovitz with pure murderous intent.
Ruskovitz didn't flinch. Didn't move. Just stood there with that same casual energy, like they were discussing the weather.
"Leave," Ruskovitz said simply. "Before things get even more messy than they already are."
Ragnar looked at the weapons pointed at him from every angle. At the soldiers ready to fire. At the unit head who appeared from nowhere.
His aura slowly dissipated.
"You've killed my mood," Ragnar said, brushing Ruskovitz's hand off his shoulder. "How disappointing."
He turned and walked away. Just walked. Through the perimeter. Past the soldiers. They parted for him, weapons still trained but no one daring to fire.
Was he really that far beyond even Unit 212's capabilities? Strong enough to just leave whenever he wanted?
Nobody moved to stop him.
Before disappearing into the jungle, Ragnar glanced back at Juli one final time. Their eyes met across the blood-soaked clearing.
The look said everything. We'll finish this properly someday.
Juli, barely conscious and drowning in his own blood, managed a cheeky, defiant grin.
Ragnar's scarred face broke into a genuine smile.
Then he was gone.
...
Some Time Later
Juli woke to white ceiling tiles and the smell of disinfectant.
Hospital bed. Medical equipment beeping steadily. His entire body wrapped in bandages and regeneration patches. Everything hurt, but it was the dull, managed kind of hurt that meant strong painkillers.
Ruskovitz sat in a chair beside the bed, antlers nearly scraping the ceiling. He was reading something on a datapad.
"You're awake," the unit head said, looking up. His scarred face softened into something almost grandfatherly. "About time, kiddo. You've been out for two days."
"Two days?" Juli's voice came out raspy.
"Yep. Your instructor Vela filled me in on everything." Ruskovitz leaned back, chair creaking under his weight. "Said you went toe to toe with the Blue Butcher himself. Landed clean hits. Made him work for it. Stalled him just long enough for us to arrive." He chuckled, a warm sound. "Hell of a thing for a cadet to pull off."
Juli's face fell. "But those instructors... they all died because..."
"Stop." Ruskovitz's voice wasn't harsh, just firm. "I've been doing this job for thirty years, kid. I know how guilt works. I also know the math." He pointed at Juli. "If you hadn't intervened when you did, Instructor Vela would be corpse number six. You saved her life. Don't forget that part while you're beating yourself up over what you couldn't do."
Tears welled up in Juli's eyes. He tried to blink them away but they came anyway.
"You did good, Julian Weiper." Ruskovitz stood, his massive frame casting a shadow across the room. "I'm filing a full report with my Squad captain about your actions. Chances are the other Squad captains will hear about it too. Word travels fast in ARMADA." He grinned. "You're gonna be one of the hottest prospects in the tournament. Every squad's gonna be itching to get their hands on you."
Juli blinked through his tears. "Wait, the tournament? But the qualifiers got cancelled, right? Everything went..."
"Oh, didn't anyone tell you?" Ruskovitz laughed. "I had a chat with Instructor Vela. Told her to handpick your team for the big show. Tournament's in two months. You're in, kiddo."
"Wait, WHAT?!"
"You earned it." Ruskovitz moved toward the door, then paused. "Get some rest. Recover properly. And put on a bright showing when the time comes. I'll be watching."
He left before Juli could respond.
The door opened again almost immediately.
Kade burst in first, eyes red and puffy. "JULI!"
"You IDIOT!" Pam marched in behind him, arms crossed, but her voice shook slightly. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was?"
Tessa followed, her usual nervousness replaced with genuine joy. A smile stretched across her face, something Juli had never seen before.
"Guys..." Juli tried to sit up but his body protested immediately.
Kade was full-on crying now. "We thought you were dead! The guards wouldn't tell us anything and then we heard about the fight and..."
"I'm fine," Juli said, grinning despite the pain. "Takes more than a giant furry philosopher to kill me."
"Furry philosopher?" Pam raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, the guy who tried to murder everyone. What was his name again?"
"Ragnar," Kade said, wiping his eyes. "The Blue Butcher. You fought Ragnar and lived. That's... that's insane."
"He was pretty tough," Juli admitted. "Definitely gonna need a rematch."
"You're not fighting him again!" Pam snapped.
"We'll see!"
They talked for another hour. Kade recounted every failed escape attempt from the Safe Zone in dramatic detail. Tessa quietly mentioned how worried she'd been. Pam scolded Juli approximately fourteen more times but never moved from her spot by his bedside.
Eventually, Instructor Vela entered. Her left arm was in a heavy cast. Her shell showed visible cracks covered by medical patches. But she was alive, standing, and her yellow eyes were clear.
"Instructor!" Juli tried to sit up again.
"Stay down, cadet." Vela's voice was softer than usual. She pulled up a chair, moving carefully. "I wanted to ask you something about what you said during the fight."
"What I said?"
"About the hero. The one with red hair who saved you and your mother."
Juli's hand went instinctively to his chest, touching the flame emblem beneath his hospital gown. "Yeah. What about him?"
"Do you even know who that man was?"
Juli blinked. "Uh... a really strong ARMADA fighter guy??"
Vela actually smiled. A rare sight. "He saved my family once too. Years ago. Different sector, same selfless courage."
"Wait, really?"
"Juli." Vela leaned forward, her yellow eyes intense. "You must have heard about the twelve Squads in your classes, yes? Each with their own captain and units spread across the sectors?"
"Yeah, the Constellation Squads. They're like the main military structure of ARMADA."
"Correct. But above them all, at the very top of ARMADA's hierarchy, stand four individuals who command authority that even the squad captains bow to." Vela's voice dropped, reverence creeping in. "Four legends who shape the modern galaxy. Four warriors who call the shots when it matters most."
The room went silent.
Kade's ears perked up. Pam adjusted her glasses. Tessa leaned forward slightly.
"The Four Great Titans of ARMADA," Vela said quietly. "The pillars holding the entire organization together. Each one a living force of nature."
Juli's eyes widened. "And the guy who saved me..."
"Is one of them now." Vela's smile grew. "The man with red hair who saved you and your mother now sits among the four most powerful beings in known space."
Juli's hand gripped the emblem tighter.
"Let me tell you about the Titans. And about the man who saved us both."