Night descended upon Osiris as Galko returned to the top floor of the Kryon Tower for the last time. A part of him was glad he wouldn't have to stay in the Supreme Leader's quarters. Bulasi was by far the better choice.

  And besides, being here reminded him of the friend he had lost.

  The Supreme Leader's quarters were circular with a 360-degree window and beneath the tower's tallest platform, offering a spectacular city view. During the morning, the room would have a large desk with many tables and chairs surrounding it. During the night, it changed into a double bed at the centre, with a large bar nearby. Galko sighed and moved towards it, now regarding the metropolis that never slept, seeing it illuminated with millions of neon lights from the surrounding towers and buildings. He could also see the shifting lights of all the ships moving within the aqua-blue travel lanes, moving as though nothing had happened.

  Life must continue, Galko considered, before pulling himself a non-alcoholic beverage from the tap at the bar and taking a sip. The drink had a charcoal-like edge when it reached the back of the throat, while its scent reminded him of Gaiuan flowers. He'd never liked the taste of alcohol, and that made it difficult for him to connect with many of Osiris's top-ranking officials, military or scientist. Thankfully, Bulasi had accepted the position of Supreme Leader from him. Still, it didn't mean Galko would sleep easily tonight.

  For tomorrow, he would begin his mission.

  Galko sighed at the notion. Sure, he had acted so boldly before the others, fuelled by a feeling he still didn't understand. He could still sense it now, content, almost sleeping. Considering it, Galko turned and leaned against the bar, staring at his drink, wondering what he was about to do.

  'I'll try, Ero,' he said, 'I'll try to show them we need the Guardians, somehow…'

  'I believe you'll do more than that, Galko Bastille.' An unfamiliar voice emerged to his right, causing Galko to almost spill his drink as he spun and backed away a few steps, raising his hands to fight by instinct. However, he wasn't prepared for what he saw next, his eyes widening almost instantly.

  For an Odian-like being stood before him.

  'How did you…' he began, looking around. No one else was there, and Galko regarded the Odian-like being. His armour almost appeared like a tuxedo of mostly black with silver etchings. The figure only possessed a single silver eye, while on his head sat a strange, tall hat. Galko, as per his training, scanned the Odian-like being for any sign of a weapon, seeing none.

  He realised it was delusional to think he could fight an Odian.

  'I wonder…' the figure said, drawing his hands towards each other, linking them together through his fingers. 'Is this by her design? Was he supposed to die, so that I'd choose you instead?'

  The figure turned, taking a few steps towards the window, appearing deep in thought. Galko, despite himself, relaxed, watching the figure as he moved.

  'Does she act for my benefit, or against me? I guess I won't know. Either way, I guess you are the one she wishes for me to choose, Galko Bastille.'

  He stopped and looked back.

  'It would seem that you are to be my new champion.'

  'What?' Galko said, unable to hide his confusion. 'What are you talking about? Who are you? How did you get here?'

  'You ask questions that require different answers. We have little time to waste, Galko. The one who killed Ero, she travels to hunt down the others. We must act with haste if you are to succeed in your mission.'

  'My mission?' Galko asked.

  'Yes, to honour your mentor and best friend, no? Am I incorrect? Did I not watch you swear before your kind that you would carry on his will and unite the Guardians of Odia?'

  Galko said nothing to that, stunned. Who was this man? What did he want? Yet, Galko found himself unable to utter those questions. Something else in the man's words was more important.

  'You know who killed him…' he said.

  'I do,' the Odian-like figure said. 'But I cannot stop her. Odia is watching, Galko Bastille. She wishes to see how the changes in the Guardians affect her universe, but I wish to stop the corruption before it spreads any further. Your mentor was correct. The Guardians have stopped representing that which they are supposed to represent. They need reminding of what they are. They need to unite to fight this new threat.'

  Despite himself, despite not knowing who this figure was, Galko agreed with what he was saying. As though sensing this, the Odian-like figure stepped towards him.

  'Tell me, Galko, why do you wish to honour your fallen mentor? What compels you?'

  'I…' Galko answered, before it surprised him to feel the strange sensation rising within, as though it wished to speak in its own voice. Of course, it couldn't.

  But he could. He could speak his truth to why this all meant so much to him.

  'Because someone has to do it,' he said. 'I cannot let Ero's last words go unanswered. Ero believed in me, when no one else did, and I believe in him. I believe in what he sought to do.'

  The Odian-like figure nodded, as though understanding.

  'Ah, now it makes sense,' he said, before glancing towards Galko's chest, as though he understood the strange sensation that seemed to come from it, from his very soul.

  'Loyalty,' he said, causing the sensation within Galko to quiver, as if finally being acknowledged. It almost caused Galko to become breathless, which caused him to frown. He looked towards his chest.

  'This sensation,' he said. 'You—'

  'See it? Yes, I can. No doubt Ero saw it too; hence why he trusted you, Galko. That sensation marks you as a unique individual, someone who possesses a quality or trait that defines who they are. Only a few possess such a defining trait.'

  'What is it?' Galko asked.

  'Something that I fear is slipping from the universe, Galko,' the figure said, moving his hands behind his back. 'Or, rather, they are changing. Once, those sensations, the Virtues of Odia, were clear in their representation, but now individuals rise who are twisting them, causing them to enact the opposite of their true meaning. However, the Virtues of Odia were created to compel individuals to inspire, to defend, to protect, to represent good in the universe.

  'They were created to guide the universe and inspire beings to become better. In order to perform this function, Odia created tools to aid them in this effort, armour and weapons to ensure that they could perform this duty.'

  'The Odians…' Galko said, understanding. The Odian-like figure nodded.

  'Yes, and you possess a Virtue of your own, Galko Bastille. That sensation, it is the source which enables a bond between an individual known as an Anubian, and the Odian weapon that forms into the armour which they bond to. Together, they create the Guardians known as Odians. You are an Anubian, Galko Bastille. You harbour a Virtue.'

  'Of Loyalty,' Galko said, recalling what the figure had said earlier.

  'Loyalty to a friend. Loyalty to principles,' the figure said. 'But perhaps more important, Loyalty towards an ideal, towards what the Guardians represent. Without an Odian of your own, you seek the other Guardians of Vegeta to unite them as one. If that isn't a demonstration of your Virtue what else could it be? It is why I'm confident in doing what I'm about to do, Galko. It is why I believe Odia wishes for me to choose you for this…'

  The Odian-like being swiped his hand and summoned a pink portal that pulsed with electrical sparks, reaching into it and withdrawing a beautiful golden and silver rapier with an ornate hand guard. Galko recognised it at once, his eyes widening.

  'Salkon!' Galko said, stepping towards the figure as his warp hole disappeared, and he turned towards Galko, holding the weapon. Upon almost reaching him, Galko forced himself to stop, realising what he had been about to do. Shame filled his heart before he looked into the single eye of the Odian-like figure.

  'Is he…'

  'No, he is not dead, Galko. Odians cannot be killed or destroyed easily. They are eternal, passed down from Anubian to Anubian. The one who killed Ero, she had sought to capture Salkon and give him to a new Anubian. She seeks the same with all Odians, believing her own corruption must be stopped from spreading.'

  'Her own corruption?' Galko asked.

  The Odian-like figure sighed.

  'The Virtues are undergoing a kind of corruption in some individuals. They are now using the Odians for purposes they were never meant to represent. Shakiri, the one who killed Ero, she recognises her own corruption, and seeks to restart the Guardians, so that they do not become like her. It is such a twisting of perspective that it encapsulates the corruption. She and the other corrupted must be stopped, before they destroy everything. If the Guardians fall, so will the Odia Universe…'

  He paused, as though allowing the gravity of his words to settle.

  'This is your battle, Galko,' he said. 'The corruption is spreading. You must unite the Guardians. What you seek to accomplish is just the beginning. That is why I am here. Since you have taken up the mantle alone, I wish to aid you in your mission.'

  'By giving me Salkon…' Ero concluded, watching as the Odian-like figure held out the rapier towards him. However, Galko didn't take it. He regarded the rapier, sadness rising from his heart.

  'I'm so sorry, Salkon,' he said. 'I don't know if you can hear me, but I wish I could've done something. I'm not Ero… Even then, you were perfect for him. You both inspired me so much…'

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  With that, the Odian-like figure glanced towards the rapier, as though sensing something.

  'He appreciates that, Galko. Even through his hurt and his pain, your words comfort him. He has always admired you too, especially for your loyalty to Ero. That's why I made this suggestion. You are the correct choice to make the bond and become the next Odian of Osiris. You are worthy to carry on his vision, and unite the others…'

  Galko took in a breath. The strange sensation, his Virtue, it sung with happiness and pride. It wished for him to make the bond. Yet…

  'What if I'm not good enough?' Galko asked, regarding the Odian-like figure. 'What if I can't do it?'

  'Let him answer that,' the Odian-like figure said, holding out the rapier towards Galko again. This time, Galko gave himself a couple of seconds.

  Then he reached out and took it.

  The contact caused Galko to stagger, his eyes widening as he dropped to one knee, numbness washing through his entire body. Grief. Hurt. Sadness. It all came flooding into him, like another soul entering him, its emotions and presence aligning with his one.

  They fused into one.

  Galko blacked out for a couple of seconds, gasping for breath. All around his body, he sensed something wrapping around him, like someone was putting a second skin on every part of his body. Soon, his breaths fuelled a new presence within him, calming his fear, taking away the numbness.

  As sight returned to Galko, he saw he was now an Odian.

  'Salkon?' Galko muttered, almost holding his breath as he did so. In response, something emerged within, fuelled by his Virtue. Though it still filled Galko with its grief and anger, it was these emotions that also fuelled another sensation.

  Of becoming one under a single cause – to honour the memory of Ero Kalid.

  'We shall bring meaning to the Virtues once again,' both Galko and Salkon said, their voices somehow aligned, united as one. Galko saw a white glow on his grey armour and felt stronger than ever. Power radiated through him, further strengthening his conviction. The Virtue that bound them together empowered Salkon and joined their souls.

  'Ah, now it makes sense… the Odian-like figure said, causing Galko to look up, breaking the sensation of power and singularity. His armour lost its white glow and returned to a plain grey colour with no decorations. There wasn't even a cape draped around his shoulders. Galko could see Salkon's rapier attached to his left hip.

  'You're wondering why you look different from Ero,' the Odian-like figure said, as though reading his very thoughts. 'Apart from the obvious size and height difference between you two, you've also bonded with Salkon in his beginning state. As you both learn and grow, his form will change, as well as his abilities.'

  'And… What just happened before?' Galko asked, wondering what the white hue had been, alongside the sense of singularity.

  'Hmm…' the Odian-like figure said, becoming thoughtful, 'That was perhaps a hint of why she seems to have guided my choice towards you, rather than Ero. It's so rare to see. Tell me, what did you sense?'

  'Like… we were one,' Galko said, sensing another presence agree from within, not his Virtue, but something more connected to him, through the Virtue.

  Salkon.

  'Hey, Salkon,' Galko said, feeling stupid for speaking the words aloud. Yet, affirmation and relief met him, along with warmth.

  Hello, Galko, Salkon said. Galko rose to his feet, regarding the Odian-like figure who was watching him.

  'I assume Ero felt the same?' he asked. Confirmation met Galko, before he nodded. The Odian-like figure raised a hand towards his chin.

  'I didn't believe it was possible,' he said, sounding as though he were speaking to himself more than Galko, 'but, if I'm correct, this changes everything… Though, it makes me more suspicious of her intentions. Did she influence events to play out this way? Or am I looking too much into it?'

  'Who are you talking about?' Galko asked. The Odian-like figure didn't answer. That surprised Galko, as he frowned within his armour, not doubting his now faceless helmet (which felt like he wasn't wearing one at all) had a similar small horn across the top of his head. He folded his arms, which made the Odian-like figure sigh.

  'I can only share so much with you, Galko,' he said. 'You tread upon forbidden territory. As for what's just happened between you, I'd guess you've just touched upon something only a few have done, and even then it only lasted a few seconds. However, it is evidence that you are the correct choice for this mission, Galko. Your Virtue, alongside your mind and Salkon's, may possess the ability to become one, granting great power. Such complete alignment in purpose and resolve is rare, something only a few Guardians will ever reach.'

  'But what does it mean?' Galko asked, not understanding.

  'You have the potential to access the power of the Complete Bond, Galko, reserved only for true Odians who protect the universe and all its beings.'

  The Odian-like being held out his hand then towards Galko.

  'Hold out your arms,' he said. 'Seeing that gives me the confidence that you can use these for good.'

  Despite himself, Galko did so, as the Odian-like being appeared to summon two tiny warp holes above his arms. They glowed then, as Galko sensed weight being added to them.

  Galko stared at the heads of two creatures that transformed into gauntlets on his arms after the Odian-like figure threw his hand away. The Odian-like figure nodded towards the gauntlet on his left arm first.

  'The Sword of Dragons,' he said, almost reverently as he spoke. The gauntlet didn't seem to possess any kind of blade, having formed into a large golden dragon's head with tri-horns rising from its skull. The Odian-like figure then nodded towards the opposing gauntlet.

  'And the Beast's Cannon,' he said. Galko regarded it, seeing how it formed into the head of a fierce mammal, harbouring wolfish features with a long nose, sapphire in colour. Again, Galko saw no weapon from it. He looked towards the Odian-like figure.

  'They will emerge when called upon,' he said, as though anticipating Galko's question before he asked it. 'However, I will ask you only do so as a last resort, Galko. These weapons are special, part of a group of weapons normally protected by an ancient guardian, only to be granted to those who they deem worthy.'

  'So why give me these?' Galko asked, glancing towards the gauntlets.

  'Because you showed the capacity for the Complete Bond,' the Odian-like figure said. 'Because I'm convinced you possess the ability to face what is to come. Since I cannot interfere directly, this is the best I can do. Your journey will be one full of peril, Galko. You must unite the others, no matter the cost. The corruption is spreading as we speak. Soon, I fear it may bring great tragedy upon us all…'

  'What do you mean?' Galko asked. 'What's responsible for the corruption?'

  'I… wish that I knew,' the Odian-like figure said, though a part of him almost sounded rueful. 'If I did, then perhaps… No, I cannot think that, not yet. What matters is that I can act to protect this universe. So, I have chosen this path to aid you in your mission, because I believe both you and Ero are correct. To fight what is to come, this universe needs its Guardians to become one…'

  Galko found himself taken aback by those words, his mind considering.

  'Who are you, truly?' he asked. The Odian-like figure regarded him.

  'I am merely a servant,' he said. 'But you may regard me as the Void Walker. Now, you must go, Galko. Begin your journey. Unite the other Guardians and stand against the corruption taking place among them.'

  'And what of Shakiri?' Galko asked, before a spike of anger arose, emerging from Salkon. Galko was surprised by his sudden turn. It seemed to cause his Virtue to drift away too, as though such emotions repelled it. That drew concern from Galko.

  'I know she will pursue you, especially when she discovers what I have done with Salkon,' the Void Walker said. 'She will hunt for you, along with the others.'

  'I hope she does.' Salkon's voice emerged from Galko's lips, surprising him by how quickly the Odian seemed to take control of his entire body, relegating him to just a mere presence within. Anger and pain emerged from Salkon, and Galko found it almost impossible to resist. Salkon then caused his body to tense.

  'She will pay for what she did…' the Odian said, which gained a curious glance from the Void Walker, before he shook his head.

  'Salkon, the reason I chose Galko was because I knew that despite his ties to Ero that he wouldn't betray his Virtue of Loyalty in order to avenge him. To honour him is to carry on his mission and unite the Guardians. Killing Shakiri will not bring Ero back. Do not forget what you are supposed to represent. The Complete Bond is not possible when Anubian and Odian aren't aligned. Galko is now your Anubian, and you are his Odian. Do not fail him. Do not fail Odia…'

  The Void Walker held out a hand and summoned another larger warp hole then, stepping towards it.

  'Farewell, Galko Bastille,' he said, as Galko's control of his body reverted to him. 'I wish you the best with your mission.'

  The portal vanished then, along with the Void Walker, while Galko felt the last remnants of frustration emerging from Salkon. Galko looked towards his hands then, towards his now armoured figure.

  He tried to fill himself and Salkon with calm.

  'It's alright, Salkon,' he said. 'We'll honour Ero, by succeeding in his dream.'