From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Caelum placed a hand over his chest and dropped into a slight bow. "Sorry for the interruption, sir. There are some critical situations that need your attention and guidance."

The captain glanced at his wristwatch, then walked over to a table beside the punching bag. He grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Alright, go ahead and tell me. I've been ready for a good fight and some sparring sessions for a while."

Caelum nodded, his expression serious. "I guess things are still unconfirmed, but Kieran is down on Earth right now. She reported that the Vale Universe has invaded the planet and likely hundreds of other Earth worlds."

The captain put a hand under his chin, deep in thought. "Kieran... I still remember when her soul arrived here. You know she had less than a 1% chance of reforming a body after entering the fountain. She might stumble and fall on her face a lot, but if anything, she's persistent."

Caelum nodded. "I have seen her a handful of times but not enough to form a solid opinion on her. She seems very bubble-headed and quick to make mistakes because she doesn't think things through and instead rushes in. She is also way too emotional and lets that dictate her actions."

Walking over to his desk, the captain sat down on a black chair and opened a drawer, pulling out a black folder held together by white string. "While all of that might be true about her, she does have a lot of growth to go through. Perhaps we could aim to have more emotions ourselves. We, as the strongest race, often get tied into getting stronger endlessly and keeping the Devil Martyr at bay.

Sometimes we don't slow down for the little things."

Caelum asked, "What's the folder for, sir? And what good could having strong emotions really do for us? It would lead to actions that don't follow a logical flow and, in turn, put people at risk. Personally, I lost enough people during the last war when we submitted ourselves as the superiors.

If we ever slip off that path, we could open ourselves up to be vulnerable, lose that spot, and create another war."

The captain leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady on Caelum. "My dear Caelum... What would you do if the day came when we were the weakest race? What would you do if you were flooded with emotions of love, care, empathy?"

He spoke these words while unfolding the folder, glancing at an image inside, a slight smile crossing his lips as he brushed his black hair to the side.

After a pause, the captain's tone hardened. "That isn't just a hypothetical question, Caelum. I want an answer."

Caelum straightened, considering his response carefully. "Right, sir. Well, if we were somehow reduced to being the weakest race, I would fight tooth and nail to regain our position. I would do whatever it takes."

The captain smirked. "And why is that?"

"Well, my pride in being part of the strongest race and knowing that we—and I—can always be better, of course," Caelum replied earnestly.

"And you think that desire will push you to new heights?" the captain pressed.

"Of course, sir. Whatever it takes," Caelum affirmed.

The captain nodded thoughtfully. "That lies in the reason why emotions are so vital, Caelum."

Before Caelum could respond, a beeping sound came from his pocket. He pulled out a small cube and placed it on the captain's desk. It synced up with the larger cube, creating a particle of blue electricity between them.

Caelum watched as a hologram rose above the cube, the blue lines casting an eerie glow that turned the captain's skin-tight black shirt into a translucent blue. The captain's long white haori, which barely touched the ground, swayed as he focused on the screen.

"What is it, Janice?" Caelum asked.

"Hel-hello Vice Captain Caelum and Captain Ishiro. I have terrible news," Janice's voice trembled through the hologram. "I have finished a partial investigation of the planet Kieran is on, and her accounts are correct. On top of this, we are not finding any of the other human worlds intact; many have been destroyed."

Captain Ishiro's expression darkened as scans from a drone speeding through space showed shattered planets.

Captain Ishiro brought his hands together, closing his eyes in contemplation. Janice's voice was strained with urgency, "Please give us the next course of action here, sir. I really don't know why none of this is showing up on our monitoring system. Despite all the damage, it's invisible on our end."

"Thank you, Janice," Captain Ishiro stated, opening his eyes. They gave off a cold, almost pissed-off demeanor. "Please stay on standby and don't leave your facility room until I give you the order. "Caelum watched as the Captain reached over ending the call as it zipped closed and the chain from the small cube to the large cube broke.

Captain Ishiro sat in silence, his eyes narrowing in thought. He finally broke the stillness. "So, Caelum, why do you think our systems haven't detected anything happening in the human worlds?"
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Caelum's mind raced through the possibilities. He took a deep breath before replying, "We have a traitor. Or a few."

The captain nodded, his expression grim. He reached into his desk, pulling out a pen and tossing it to Caelum. "Head down to them and wipe all of their memories. Then call Kieran and let her know backup will arrive shortly."

Caelum caught the pen, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Yes, sir, I will get this taken care of.

As Caelum turned to leave, the captain's voice stopped him. "You don't care why I ask this of you?"

Caelum turned back, meeting the captain's gaze. "Sir, you know I don't make it my business to question your orders. I believe that's one of the reasons you chose me as your second in command."

The captain's stern expression softened slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. Caelum gave a sharp nod and left the room, determined to carry out the orders swiftly and efficiently.