MartialMan.

Deep in the centre of Crescent Sun city, in the Mirage of protection, in the illusion of prosperity and the lies of absolute power, a formation of deceit, hiding a threatening truth, a flimsy barrier keeping everyone away from the truth of impending ruination.

The Imperial palace, the most secure and highest seat of authority and power, is struggling to hold its line against a grave threat.

At the very centre of this impregnable fortress of unquestionable power lies a blood-soaked, red desert, a desolate warzone filled with blood fog.

In the bloody sand, seven identical golden armoured silhouettes of Golden Phoenix with spears were holding their ground against a humanoid bestial creature. Blood was seeping from every gap in their armour but they were not showing any sign of weakness.

”Did The Great Illustrious Kingdom of Man run out of men that they have sent their mothers and wives to fight and die? ” The creatures hoarse voice mocked his opponents from his dark drooling bestial jaws oozing vomit-inducing dark liquid.

”Our men have better things to do than waste their time with useless things like you. ” Said one in a muffled voice through her helmet.

”Enough of this farce. ” The creature dived into the centre. All seven attacked at the same time like they were one mind.

The creature deflected the long-range spear attacks with his bare scaled hand to reach his prey but no matter what he tried, there was always another spear he needed to avoid.

*BOOM*

He punched the ground creating a shockwave of sand deflecting three of them and grabbed one of the spears to pull into his attack range. She let go of her weapon the moment he grabbed it as if she knew about it.

He swung the spear in his hand and threw but another spear came from his blindside and hit his shoulder, messing up his aim. The spear instead of hitting his target looked like he tossed the weapon back to his owner.

He gritted his teeth and threw himself towards the one who messed up his aim like a pissed-off animal disregarding any damage.

Multiple spears were waiting for his patience to run out as one targeted his limbs to unbalance him and the other to wound him. One targeted his hands to deflect and another his ribs.

The creature ignored their cheap tactic and focused entirely on the one he deemed the leader of this group. The seven spears pierced him from every side but didn hinder him at all, instead their spears got stuck inside him.

”You women think you are clever but you all are just cheap and honorless. There is no answer to true power, all tricks and schemes are worthless. Watch and Behold…*COUGH!*

An eighth spear came out of nowhere of blood fog and pierced his neck. The spear was a signal as all the armoured women ran in the opposite direction.

The spears lit up and exploded before the creature could give the demonstration of true power. Every spear was in a place to hinder him to reach for the eighth spear in his neck.

Blood, bone and flesh vaporise in a blink with a soundless flash of explosion leaving only a dark orb.

Eight golden phoenix-armoured warriors returned to the explosion point. Seven of them are still bleeding. The eighth one took off her helmet and tied it to her waist. She bent down and picked up the dark orb.

”You are right, we are honorless, only our men had the luxury. We have none for you. No more our sons and husbands will die for you. ”

They all removed their helmets and sighed. They all had multiple bruises and fresh bloodied cuts on their face. They all smiled seeing the dark orb, their achievement.

At the edge of this blood desert, there were several giant pillars in an encircling pattern surrounding this giant desolate dead world creating a shimmering dome of the golden web keeping the desert a secret.

Hundreds of golden armoured women walked out of the desert and took a long breath of fresh air and the wounds on their faces and bodies healed rapidly leaving no mark at all, returning them to their flawless beauty.

Several maids ran towards them and started assisting them to remove their armour. Several elderly nuns in white religious garb came forward as they took the dark orb one by one from them with immense respect.

They took the dark orbs and reached to distribute them among them and took each to one of the pillars. The tall white chalk pillars were a very simple rectangle structure with no signs or patterns on them at all.

They raised the dark orbs and touched the pillars and like a hot knife in butter, it entered the solid material of the pillar with ease.

The pillar gave a golden glow for a moment and returned to normal, strengthening the golden dome.

”The quality is deteriorating. ” Said one of them as she observed the pillar. If only we could have increased the output. ”Mindless sacrifice is also not a good long-term solution. ” Said another.

The warrior beauties who felt they did a good job felt it was not enough. ”Don push us sisters, its not healthy at all. ” Said one of the Elder ones.

”We know, we have no complaints with spears daughters but if only you had more hands to help you. ” Said one of the nuns.

”If we could get enough hands then we can end this for all in one sweep. ” Said one of the immature younger warriors who was getting dressed by maids in a beautiful palace gown.

Everyone sighed. ”What? Did I say anything wrong? In fact, that beast was right about absolute power. It will solve every problem in one sweep. ”

They all looked at each other and then looked at the immature one like they were looking at an idiot.

”Absolute power is an illusion and its pursuit is the key to corruption, the creatures we are fighting, do you think they are pure and sacred? They are mad in corruption, the corruption of power. Thats why they fight like idiots, thats why they fall to our tricks every time. Do you think you would worry about your defence and exploiting your opponents weaknesses if you had absolute power? Would you calculate the strength in your every strike if you had absolute power? ” The words of her leader strike like a hammer.

”Do you think you will respect and follow my orders if you have more power? Do you think you would pay respect to anyone if you had absolute power? Do you think you will follow rules and law if you had absolute power? ” Her words reverberated like a gong of enlightenment for everyone who had similar thoughts.

”Pursuit of absolute power is the first step into corruption, we don need absolute power, we need the power of unity, power of trust. As long as we watch each other back we can fight anyone. ” She grabbed the younger one and hugged her as she had tears of guilt in her eyes.

They all smiled with affection. ”Lets go, lets celebrate. ” They all clapped like flowery girls, they have been all completely transformed into royal ladies who spend their days in gardens, tea ceremonies and gossip parties by their maids.

They all left giggling and waving their paper fans but only one nun stayed behind. She looked back at the desolate blood desert as a slow thump walked towards her.

A dark red armoured individual slowly walked towards her with an even darker halberd in their hand. The armour had several dents, tears and damage with dark liquid mixed with blood seeping through it.

”What a lovely ideal, if only I had these ideals earlier if only someone had scolded me in my younger innocent days. ” A pain-filled sweet voice echoed everywhere.

The nun kowtowed with immense reverence. ”Grand Ancestor Matriarch! ” She kept her head down.

With several thuds, a pile of dark orbs rose near the nun. She still kept her head down and reheard the slow thump of footsteps walking away from her deep into the blood desert.

The nun stood up with tears in her eyes as she took each and every dark orb and inserted them into pillars.

————

In the imperial harem in a secret location, a door opened and each and every warrior beauty exited the door silently to their own courtyard to rest.

A maid was standing in front of a mature woman in a revealing dark purple undergarment surrounded by various men sleeping soundlessly.

”No casualty this time also Grand Matriarch. ” Her voice had a hint of pride like she personally achieved this feat.

However, the Grand Matriarch sighed which confused the maid. ”Whats weighing you down my Matriarch? ”

”Do you think I have become useless? ” She said in a sad, heavy tone. Her warm calm voice which calms down even a fierce beast is now uncertain.

”Not at all my Matriarch! Why do you say that? ” The maid had a hint of panic in her voice. Its her duty to keep her Matriarch happy, she is the main pillar of power.

”They all are out there risking their lives and here… ” she caressed the cheek of one of the men with love. ”…I am enjoying them. ”

”They have their duty and you have your duty, none are smaller, in fact, you have a greater one. ”

”And yet here, I have failed to conceive even in a third week. ” Her voice filled with uncertainty.

”Maybe they are not compatible. ” The maid pointed at the men.

”You dare blame them for my failure? ” Her doubts-filled voice turned stern but she kept her voice low to not wake up sleeping ones.

The maids knees gave up as she kowtowed. ”I ask for mercy my Matriarch. I had no intention of shifting blame. I was only trying to convince you that you are also not part of the blame. Have mercy! ”

”Keep in mind girl, shifting blame is the sign of weakness and taking responsibility is the true character of strength. Go, do your responsibility instead of flattering me. ” She scolded her out of the room.

She calmed down her mood and with a smile looked at the men sleeping around her, she stood up and slowly slipped in between them and kissed one of them deeply, waking him up.

Outside the room, the maids guarding sighed a breath of relief when they started hearing the pleasure-filled moans of her Grand Matriarch.