Clusters of stars cast their brilliance across the universe. The stars that could be considered small dim from time to time, falling to the damnation of the Antimatter Legion.
As for the stars that could be considered big, they suffer a different fate. These stars became the product of an organization that can neither be considered good or evil. The Interastral Peace Corporation.
Although the word "Peace" is in their name they are far from peaceful. Stars such as Aeragan-Epharshel amongst others were stripped naked of its resources, its people either dead or turn into slaves to drill the diming star dead.
Of course there are different stars that these colossal figures are apprehensive to touch. Stars such as the Xianzhou Alliance and a few others. However, they are far too few compared to the myriad of stars in the universe.
In this world where the gods are indifferent, a man on a distant star had his eyes closed. This star sky was lit red, giving it an eerie feeling.
The people of this planet did not mind the red sky as they continue their business. On this star were multiple spacecrafts hovering on the ground or in the air. Some of these spacecrafts quickly took off and vanished to another distant star.
This star does not have a true name, instead it is called Zone #9320 and is one of the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine Planets occupied by pathstriders known as Trailblazers.
There used to actually be an additional planet. However, it was destroyed long ago by a hollowing mess whose figure is engulfed in masks.
"Go to planet Aedos and assist its people to establish connection to the outside world." The man whose eyes were closed had a stoic voice play out in his head.
This voice plays whenever it feels like giving out a task. The man have no idea whose behind this voice. All he knows is that its an individual whose very powerful. A person who goes by the title 'Emanator'.
The man sighs. "You can travel from one solar system to the other in the blink of an eye. Why must you torture us with these task?" He asked as he look at the coordinates that was sent to his brain.
From Zone #9320 to Planet Aedos was a very far distance. One that would probably take a jump equivalent to a dozen solar systems to reach.
With the spacecraft he could afford it would take him at most two months to reach his destination.
"As a follower of Akivili it is your duty to travel the vast world and help those in need." The voice finished causing the man to grumble. He could tell the person behind the voice had already taken their leave after it said those words.
The man couldn't help but sigh once more.
The man goes by the codename, Ketchup and nothing more. He never got to know his name because he was abandoned long ago by his parents who are also Trailblazers.
The only thing he even knows about his parents is the one message they left him.
Forge your own path and with the luck brought to you by Akivili, we will meet again.
When he grew old enough to read that message he was filled with determination to find his parents and give them the rightful slap on the face they deserve.
Reminded of his parents Ketchup huff in annoyance. He long grew tired of following the path of trailblazing.
Ketchup believe everyone who follows this path are a bunch of lunatics. The Data Bank will say those who follows The Erudition are the true intellectual species while those who follows The Elation are nothing but brainless idiots, but Ketchup believe otherwise.
The true fools are those of The Trailblaze.
Those who follows the Path of Trailblaze will in the end suffer an early death. Their ambition to explore every corner of the universe is a frightening curse that left Ketchup speechless.
Ketchup believes that Akivili, the Aeon of this path met their end this way. Though many refuse to admit it, the Aeon has already vanished for many Amber Eras.
And yet their followers still continue this deadly expedition while shouting praises for Akivili, believing that they only disappear because they found something interesting in the vast universe.
Ketchup let out a sigh again this time letting out one that made him feel exhausted. He was once like them, that is until his one and only friend who was also an Trailblazer met her end to The Nihility!
"I should have stopped you." Ketchup let out a sad laugh. He believe his friend was crazy.
This friend of his went with a purple-haired woman to The Nihility. An Aeon whose body is an expanding void!
It would've been nice if all she wanted to do was stare at the damn thing. But you know what she did? She jumped right into that abysmal mess.
All for Akivili they say? Well two days later this same purple-haired woman who give off the impressive of an formidable warrior came to tell me my friend was devoured whole by IX.
I cursed this purple haired woman for not trying to stop her. Although the sword around her waist gave off the feeling that it has cut many powerful foes before, Ketchup mind was already taken over by rage to even care about what she could do to him.
That was two years ago. Ketchup and his friend would always go trailblazing together. But that day was their last. Ever since she died an empty void was left in his heart.
If it wasn't for the fact that he was still determined to find his parents and give them the slap they deserve for abandoning him to continue this stupid trailblazing expedition he would have long given up on the path of trailblaze.
Finish reminiscing about the past, Ketchup began heading to his spacecraft while reading the news.
The IPC have discovered traces of what they believe is a Lord Ravager causing havoc across the cosmos.
The Astral Express brilliance in Penacony... read more to find out!
A faction that goes by the name Omen Vanguards says "The prophecy is drawing closer." What does this mean?
"A Lord Ravager huh?" Ketchup eyes quivered in true fear, his face going deadly pale.
The mention of this name brought back memories he wish he could forget.
A traumatic experience. To watch stars after stars being engulfed one after the other in a white void, bringing a part of the cosmos into white-darkness...
He recalled seeing hundreds of rainbow-colored shooting stars zoom pass him at speed that could bend space, creating a void that alters the very will of reality.
And yet, those same shooting stars were devoured by that white-darkness.
Those shooting stars were some of the strongest Galaxy Rangers to date. The same ones that defeated the Lord Ravager - Zuto.
"I guess I am quite lucky." He shook his head. The only reason he lived was because the white-darkness seized the moment it reached him.
Maybe it was dumb luck, maybe it was destiny or maybe it was just a coincidence.
Or maybe that man by the name Zephyro thought watching another - the last survivor fall into despair was entertaining.
That wasn't the first time Ketchup met a Lord Ravager. As a follower of Akivili you will eventually meet one or two as you continue your trailblazing expedition.
However, this one was the most traumatizing one of them all. Ketchup would rather deal with Phantylia little schemes or Asat Pramad games than face absolute annihilation once more.
"Well at least if I die it would be painless." He joked, skipping the remaining content while grumbling at the Astral Express accomplishment.
The Astral Express crew are practically celebrities to the Trailblazers. Bringing back one of Akivili's lost relics back to life and using it to travel across the cosmos is a feat many Trailblazers and factions across the cosmos admire.
Although their feats are few, just what they did in the Xianzhou Alliance - Luofu and Penacony has already marked them as one of the strongest factions out there that many need to pay attention to.
"That Astral Express is truly the symbol of Trailblazers. With the power of friendship even an Aeon will fall to them one day." He laughed at his stupid joke.
"Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury nor do I care about making friends. Just like the IPC, I believe in making connections with those I can profit from than making friends who will only grow to become a liability in the future." He stated while thinking of his stupid friend who sacrificed herself to IX.
Right after saying those words his watch vibrated as a robotic face lit up and a static robot voice filled with sarcasm rang out.
"Albert I didn't ask for your opinion." Embarrased that someone or something heard his melodrama he said.
"I paid good money for you only to end up with a bastard like you when I wanted a ladies soothing voice that could cure my worries and put me to sleep at ease." Ketchup replied while clenching his teeth at his companion Albert words.
"Uhhh! Whatever, let's just get this over with quickly and get drunk for the next Amber Era or two!" Having enough of Albert's ranting he ran to his spacecraft with the determination to finish his mission quickly.
Albert is an AI branded in a watch created by a previous Trailblazer who joined the IPC just to create this AI.
The AI only works for Pathstriders of the Trailblaze and is connected to a very wide network across the cosmos.
Each time a Trailblazer lands somewhere that isn't apart of the Knowable Domain, the watch scans the entire area before adding it to the network.
With this AI watch, Ketchup missions have been going very smoothly since all he needs to do is let the watch scan the planets he goes to, add it to the IPC network and let the IPC come deal with the rest.
Although Ketchup believes the IPC is scamming these planets that just got added to the Knowable Domain, theres nothing much he could do about it but warn them to be wary of them.
Compared to the IPC, he's just a small figure and doesn't have the same courage the Astral Express has to face them head on.
Arriving at his spacecraft he commanded Albert to start the engines before taking off.
A month later...
"I should really save my money to buy a faster spacecraft but here I am, gambling it all on this stupid game out of boredom." Laying back lazily in his seat Ketchup yawned as he gamble 80 star rail passes on trying to get this new Quantum character.
The screen flashed yellow!
"F$&#!"
Ketchup screamed in rage. He lost the damn 50! This was his tenth time losing the limited 5 star character and he was pissed.
"What is this garbage luck!" After a few fits of rage he calmed down and sighed, "She's not good anyways, I will just continue using my current Erudition units to clear Pure Fiction. I mean there's no way they can make Pure Fiction any harder right?"
Hearing Albert words of spite Ketchup saw a screen lit up before him with a character with a snake coiling around her.
"You....!!!"
Ketchup didn't know what to say. While he just lost his tenth 50/50, Albert just won his tenth 50/50!
"The world isn't fair, no its more like the world is truly balanced! Is this what those followers of Equilibrium meant all this time?!" He laughed, but it wasn't one of joy.
After gambling his remaining money on those pulls just to lose his 50/50 it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Hopefully Aedos have some food to give me." Rubbing his belly like a poor beggar, he began looking forward to the Planet Aedos.
Another month later he finally saw a planet that was covered in purple texture.
"A purple planet, that's new." Ketchup stated while hovering his spacecraft towards the planet.
Just when he was about to land two bright lights flashed across his face, blinding him in the process.
"No..." He wasn't fazed by being blinded by the light, neither was he angered by whichever fool thought it was funny.
No - he was afraid, for those lights were something he was far too familiar with.
The white-darkness and rainbow-colored light alongside a new light.
Red-darkness flashed from time to time.
"Albert move at full speed away from here!" With his vision still not cleared, he commanded in a rushed tone.
Albert asked and Ketchup immediately fell into despair.
What is one of the Trailblazers many rules?
They don't cower away from danger. Especially on a mission.
At this very moment Ketchup realized:
Its either do or die!
"Full speed towards Planet Aedos!" He yelled, he couldn't believe what he just said but with no other option he let adrenaline take over.
Albert fired up the engines and at a speed the spacecraft couldn't handle, it sped pass the three blinding lights.
At that very moment, Ketchup eyes cleared up and he saw everything.
A person he could neither tell if they were man or woman held a bow, their entire body covered from head to toe in rainbow light.
This person fired arrows at locations that narrowly miss Planet Aedos. Each arrow causing the cosmos to shake and distorting space itself.
That person was obviously a Galaxy Ranger. These people were very vengeful and for there to only be one it could only mean one thing.
It was the Leader of the Galaxy Rangers, La Mancha.
Then his eyes flash towards where the arrows were heading.
A woman with long white hair held a very long sword that looked similar to an odachi. Each time she swing her blade a part of space was torn open.
Ketchup eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. That woman blade ruptured the very laws of space, creating wounds across the cosmos that not even a Denizen of Abundance could heal.
Each swing of her blade nearly made him black out. He felt at any moment, he would meet face to face with IX themselves!
And the person who was taking on her rampage made Ketchup nearly piss his pants.
The man from head to toe was covered up but Ketchup would never forget this person who caused his most traumatic experience.
Zephyro!
It felt like moments ago when he said he never wanted to see this madman again.
Zephyro easily parry the woman sword with ease, having moments to even flicker the arrows heading towards him away.
His combat experience was absolutely frightening. Although Ketchup was no expert, he could tell that every swing of that woman blade was precise and aimed to kill.
As for The Leader of the Galaxy Rangers, La Mancha, their arrows were always aiming at Zephyro blindspots and yet - he was completely unfazed.
"What a monster." He muttered to himself. As expected of the number one Lord Ravager and the currently known strongest Emanator in the universe.
He wasn't even fighting back, it was as if this battle was mere child's play.
As he was watching them fight, Zephyro turn to stare at him.
The two gazes met and time itself froze for Ketchup.
In those mere seconds time was frozen he recalled all his 20 years of life experience.
BOOM!
With one swing of Zephyro blade he pushed back the white-haired woman and before she or La Mancha could react he used that momentum to send white-darkness in the opposite direction.
The white-darkness didn't devour like last time but continue its way towards Kechup spacecraft before cutting its way through it.
The next moment, the spacecraft exploded. Zephyro didn't even look back to see the results.
All he did was raised his blade towards his two opponents.