“Huh? A battle among the Catastrophic Generation?”

Lushun, Flameheart Residence. The Infamous Servant of the Flameheart Clan Jeffery has just given Joesph and Darwin a report.

“Yes. Apparently, there will be an event tomorrow. The goal is to decide who will become the leader of that generation.”

“This gotta be one of Miko’s plans.”

Darwin sighed.

“It’s not a bad idea to try and conquer the rest of his generation now. It will be easier to do it now than when they’ve developed into established warriors.”

“However, for him to remain their leader he must show an overwhelming difference between them. For example, he needs to defeat everyone by himself and break their wills. But that in itself is a problem. He could end up destroying his generation and creating a gap of talents in the clan.”

“Hmm….Jefferey. Have you heard what kind of format their battle will take place in?”

Jefferey bowed his head to Joesph.

“A battle royale between the branches. The last one standing will be the leader….”

“What is it? You seem like you have more to say.”

“I don’t know how authentic this info is so I wanted to refrain from sharing it.”

“Go ahead.”

Jeffery nodded.

“I heard that the Primus Branch desires to fight all the other branches simultaneously and has allowed them the option of teaming up.”

“What? Is Miko really planning on dominating everyone else?”

Darwin frowned. Joesph spoke after a moment of silence.

“Did the others accept?”

“Yes, with the condition that Miko’s apostles are allowed to compete to even the odds.”

Joesph nodded.

“So it isn’t Branch vs Branch, but rather Dragna Vs Miko battle. He intends to defeat the Dragna younger generation to send a message.”

“Don’t compare me to everybody else, I’m in a league of my own. That’s the message, right?”

“That’s right, Darwin.”

Joesph chuckled.

“To think this would happen the moment Luka left. I would like to have her compete against Krul and Ashur. Those two are perfect to help her become more aggressive.”

“She’s with her mother and that Hina girl. I’ve already told Lisa where to go to train and who to challenge. They’ll be fine.”

“I know.”

Joesph smiled.

“I’m looking forward to how they’ll grow.”

Saevus Residence, Vera. Markus Saevus was in his home getting dressed by a group of servants.

“Status report.”

“Reconstruction of the country is 80% complete.”

“Considering the lack of manpower at our disposal and the fact that the aim is to make the country stronger than ever, we’ve made great progress.”

The servants finished dressing him and placed a mirror in front of him. He loosens his tie.

“My apologies, but I’ve been feeling a bit stifled lately.”

“No apologies are needed, My Lord.”

“Naturally, you’d feel stressed out.”

Markus nodded while staring at the mirror.

(Of all the countries in the empire Vera took the most damage during the defection. This is because the traitors here had power greater than any other.)

His grip tightened around his tie.

(The ring leader of the traitors here was my idiotic son. Since Leon wasn’t here, his authority was only second to my own. This allowed him to comfortably plot against us. I knew that he was an idiot but not like this…)

Markus sighed.

“My incompetence has led to our current situation.”

The servants looked at each other a bit before speaking.

“How about we change the topic?”

“We heard that your grandchildren are fighting in a competition to decide the strongest of their generation. You’ve naturally been invited to watch.”

“Watching your grandchildren’s growth will surely lighten your mood.”

“….Well, I suppose so.”

(Miko is planning something again.)

He smiled.

“I guess it’s time to forget the past and look towards the future.”

Dragna City. Members of the Dragna Clan became busy after news that Miko’s generation would compete to see who would become the leader of their generation.

“Has anything like this happen before?”

“I don’t think so. There has been competition in generations but nothing like this. No one has ever become the official leader of a generation.”

“Her Grace is endorsing this competition.”

“Then it’s one of Miko’s schemes.”

“I gotta admit that I’m getting a bit excited.”

“Me too. There’s a lot of talented kids in that generation. Anyone can end up the winner.”

Such chatter floated around the five branches. The leaders of these branches were gathered together as if holding an informal meeting.

“A battle to determine the strongest of their generation, huh? I think I know what Miko’s trying to do.”

Alexus took a sip of the tea he was holding.

“You’re not thinking of stopping it, right? Such competition is good for their growth.”

Andreas took some of the snacks near him and threw them in his mouth.

“I’m not going to stop them. The news of this battle has improved the mood of the three clans. Everyone is excited to watch it.”

“So it serves as a good source of entertainment, huh?”

Andreas laughed and smirked.

“So, who do you guys think will win?”

“It’s hard to say. It depends on the lead representative of each branch.”

Rouge spoke up.

“Look who finally decided to speak again.”

Rouge clicked his tongue while Ecko laughed.

“Don’t worry, we won’t press you to become Clan Leader anymore. We’re just here to hang out.”

Rouge sighed.

“Like I was saying, the winner will depend on the lead representative of each branch. Namely, Miko, Rin, Renatus, Krul, and Ashur. I don’t know if it’s because they’re all our grandchildren but their dynamic is identical to ours.”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

Alexus put down his empty teacup on a table in front of him.

“If you ask who was the strongest among us, a lot of people would say Gamiko because of his notoriety. However, there’s no straight answer to that question. That’s because each of us specializes in different areas of combat so it’s hard to say who would win in a fight.”

Rouge nodded.

“It’s the same for our grandchildren.”

He started listing them off his fingers.

“I’m #1 in speed and swordsmanship (Rin). Alexus is #1 in skill and technique (Renatus). Ecko is #1 in strength and hand-to-hand combat (Krul). Andreas is #1 in firepower and marksmanship (Ashur). Lastly, Gamiko is #1 in tactics and strategy (Miko).”

Rouge paused for a bit before continuing.

“If anything separates us it would be the fact that Gamiko is the most balanced of all us. He doesn’t beat us at our specialties but because he’s so balanced he can easily change his style to fight us at our weak points. This is what makes him such a huge threat.”

“So in other words, you think that Miko has the advantage?”

Andreas asked.

“In a sense, yes. However, that doesn’t mean that he’ll win. The favorite is still Krul but only because of the 5-year gap where Miko laid around doing nothing. Six years if you count the period he was imprisoned and in a coma.”

Rouge smiled.

“That said, don’t count out Rin. That boy’s talent for swordsmanship rivals Kirika’s and my own. Plus he’s been training himself intending to defeat Miko and Krul.”

“If you’re gonna say that then it wouldn’t be strange for Ashur to win. His ferocity matches his beastly bloodline.”

Andreas said.

“Well, if he gets serious there’s no reason why Renatus would lose.”

Rouge turned to Ecko.

“I’m sure you’re confident that Krul will win.”

Ecko grinned.

“Actually, I want him to lose.”

“Oh? That’s surprising. Why?”

“Because that kid is a pain in the ass. He acts like one thing but is actually the complete opposite. His parents spoiled him too much. I hope Miko kicks his ass.”

Andreas burst out laughing.

“Quite the harsh granny aren’t you?”

“Call me that again and I’ll smash your face in.”

Ecko frowned and then started smiling again.

“It’s just tough love. He needs to be knocked down a couple of notches, that’s all. It’s just that Miko is the perfect person to do it.”

The following day. The news of the competition had spread to all of the three clans. Everyone had different opinions on how it would turn out but everyone was excited.

Quartus Domain, a beautiful land filled with light. Exotic creatures owned the sky while majestic fishes swam in the shining rivers. Luminous plants could be seen everywhere. It was a land of light.

“Damn, this must be the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”

Ace spat out. He and the others were heading towards the venue for their battle along with Miko.

“It does have a certain charm to it.”

They walked for a bit before spotting Alec waving at them.

Oh, Miko! Over here.”

They approached him who was grinning from ear to ear.

“It’s about time you guys got here.”

“Is it done?”

“Of course. Just who do you think we are?”

Alec snapped his fingers and the ground trembled. The earth opened up and an enormous structure emerged. It was an azure and gold stadium with the Dragna symbol on it.

“Behold, the Dragon's Nest! It’s a full state of the art stadium with the world’s latest technology engraved into every inch of it. It is also sturdy enough to withstand a battle between Divine Level warriors. So you l should be able to cut loose as much as you want. Also, Kirika and I modified it a bit to fit the conditions you ask for.”

He smirked.

“You’re all in for a fun experience.”

Meanwhile, in the Primus Domain. Sasha Dragna was laying down on her bed in her hospital room. She was alone so only the sounds of medical equipment could be heard. Without anyone there to see it, Sasha…moved her fingers.