Advent of the Three Calamities

268  Megrail [1]

"…..Emperors have dignity." The voice whispered into the dry air. It was soft, yet it filled the space with an unsettling presence.

Clouds dotted the gray sky, with beams of white light piercing through, casting a contrast of light and shadows across everything beneath.

Tak—

The voice was followed by a heavy step as a figure appeared atop a tall and flat platform. A grand cityscape stretched out below the platform.

Castle-like structures and towering spires pierced the sky, creating a vast, majestic landscape. Bridges stretched from the structures, connecting each building as a crowd stood beneath. It was an imposing city that stretched toward the far distance, only stopping before tall and majestic black walls that encircled the entire city. The sheer scale of the walls and the faint cracks on them added to the sense of dread that now filled the air.

Flutter~

Clad in dark, imposing armor and holding a tall black sword, the figure quietly overlooked everything below as his cloak fluttered gently in the air. "....Soldiers have faith." All eyes were focused on the figure that stood atop the platform as he gazed towards the faraway distance. The air was filled with despair and tension. With both eyes closed, the figure in black slowly brought the sword down with both hands. Ting! A crisp sound echoed as the sword touched the platform. Flutter~ Within the silence that took over, the only sound that echoed was the quiet flutter of his cloak. "....And citizens have peace." The sense of impending crisis heightened as the voice grew more hoarse. In the unknown distance, his gaze was locked onto something.

Beyond the towering pillars of light and the tall mountains.

08:03

...The end of it all.

Clench. Behind the dark mask he wore to hide his face, he clenched his teeth as he felt something boil over within his chest. It was slowly rising as his entire body started to tremble. Then, as if sensing his own doom, he repeated the same words from before.

This time, he didn't hold back.

With each sentence, his voice grew progressively louder. "Emperors have dignity!" "Soldiers have faith!" "And citizens have peace!"

As his voice grew dry, he shouted at the top of his lungs. ".....But all I have is nothing!!!" An Empire of Nothing! Clenching tightly onto the handle of his sword, the Emperor slowly brought it up to the air as he shouted toward the unknown distance. "Come!!" His voice pierced through the air as the gloom surrounding the cityscape intensified. It reached the ears of the thousand upon thousand beneath, and yet... "You've already taken everything from me! I don't fear you!" None of them uttered a single thing as they blankly stared in his direction. No, toward the ring on his finger. "Com—!" Voom! A gentle, yet quiet light suddenly pierced from the gray sky above. The world turned silent the moment it cast down upon the world. The Emperor's mouth was still moving, but no words could be heard. It was as if the entire world had been silenced. "....." Then, as if a stair of light had formed within the pillar, a figure began to emerge, slowly walking down the illusionary steps.

The light was blinding, almost too pure for mortal eyes, and yet the figure descended with an eerie grace.

Tak, Tak—

Each step echoed in the Emperor's ears, a slow, rhythmic beat that seemed to synchronize with the pounding of his own heart. The figure's features were obscured, shrouded in the intense glow, but a pair of yellow eyes burned through the brilliance. With every step, the atmosphere grew colder. An unnatural chill seeped into the air. The air felt thick, and suffocating as a clear sense of dread began to spread.

"Haa... Haa..." The Emperor's breath quickened beneath the mask as sweat trickled down the side of his face. His grip on the sword tightened until his knuckles turned white.

"Y-you've finally shown yourself." In a hoarse voice, he addressed the figure in the sky as he found his voice again. The once grand and imposing cityscape, with its castle-like structures and towering spires, seemed to fade into the background as the figure's presence overshadowed everything. Casting his gaze on the figure shrouded in the light, all he felt was dread.

Despite the majestic city beneath and the thousands of soldiers... he felt his own insignificance. Clench! The light dimmed, gradually revealing a pale face and blonde hair that seemed to match the two piercing yellow pupils.

Basking in the glow, he seemed to embody the sun itself. His hair, like strands of molten gold, flowed around his face, further accentuating the feeling. His features were hauntingly beautiful, almost angelic, and yet, the Emperor saw a certain emptiness within those eyes.

It made every hair on his body rise. Drip! Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he bit onto his tongue to keep himself from losing focus.

He took a deep breath and raised his head to evenly meet the figure's eyes. "I've waited for you..." Raising his sword up high, he hoarsely shouted. "....Dawn!" The words echoed across the platform, carrying the Emperor's defiance. Wooom! His sword, now held aloft, caught the remaining light, gleaming like a beacon in the surrounding darkness.

The figure paused, a ghostly smile appearing on his soft features. "You were warned before, Emperor." The words were soft, almost like a gentle caress... yet they carried a weight that seemed to press down on the Emperor's very soul.

The smile on the figure's face was devoid of warmth, chilling the very soul of the Emperor. "You took something that you shouldn't have taken. I am only here to collect what you stole." Casting his gaze toward the surrounding scenery, the bright figure shook his head. "....I have no interest in anything else." Pausing, he shook his head. "No, that's not right." Looking down, he slowly descended. "It's not that I don't have any interest... It's more like 'he' doesn't have any interest in anything else." "He...?" The Emperor's voice quivered as he watched the figure slowly descend in his direction. ....The closer he came, the more despair the Emperor felt. Every part of his body screamed as a formidable pressure bore down on him, forcing his joints to creak under the strain.

"Ah!!!" Shouting at the top of his lungs, the Emperor hacked in the direction of the approaching figure.

It was his last stand.

Woooom!

A powerful glow burst forth from the sword as he brought it down. He poured everything he had into the attack.

The blade cut through the air with a resounding roar, its light flaring brightly as it clashed against the approaching figure. Cra Crack—! The ground beneath the Emperor's feet trembled, cracks spiderwebbing outwards as the sheer power of his desperate strike reflected against the platform. For a brief moment, the dark shadows that were cast all over the world faded as a brilliant light covered the entire world. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

It surged outward from the platform where the Emperor and the figure stood, spreading like a wave across the landscape, expelling the shadows and illuminating every corner of the world with a clarity that seemed almost unearthly.

"Ahhh!" The Emperor shouted as the muscles on his hand tore apart and blood leaked from all his orifices. He poured everything into his attack. At the same time, he ordered the people beneath to attack. Wooom! A bright display of light littered across the sky as an overwhelming amount of spells were thrown in the air. All of them were thrown in the direction of where the bright figure once stood. "Ahhhh!" 'I-s it working...?'

For a brief moment, the Emperor looked up at the blinding light before him. It seared his vision, causing pain to lance through his eyes, but he forced himself to look ahead. Through his agony, he strained to see if his desperate attack had made any impact.

But...

"Ah."

The moment he raised his gaze, all he saw was an approaching hand.

Its movements were slow, and yet, the Emperor found himself unable to react to it as his body froze. Before he even had any chance to react or muster any resistance, the hand reached for his throat and the world froze over. "Kh!" The Emperor gasped as he lost his breath. Shortly after, a figure emerged from behind the light. With his gleaming golden eyes and hair that fluttered under the wind, he stood before the emperor. "Uekh...!" Under the man's grasp, the Emperor could do nothing but flail in despair. In the end, he only managed to mutter a single word. "W-why?" What wrong had he done for him to do this to them? Was it because of the blood? Indeed, he had taken it and given it to his people. The blood had the special ability to extend one's lifespan. As an Emperor of a large Empire, he felt compelled to share such treasure with his most trusted people. But... Who would've thought such blood would bring forth such calamity? If he had known things would've turned out like this, he would've never touched that blood. Never! "....It's just how things are. The blood originally belonged to us, and we're just here to collect it. Since you've consumed it, then you have no choice but to die. Consider yourself unlucky."

"Ukh!" Gasping for breath, the Emperor grasped the forearm that was gripping his throat with both hands. He didn't exert any force and merely looked down beneath him. There, thousands upon thousands of eyes were looking at him. They were familiar faces, and yet they were also foreign faces. None of them had a clear mind and were merely mindless monsters. This was the result of his desperation. To fight the figure before him, he spared nothing. He sacrificed everything. And yet... He had lost everything. "Uhhh...!" Gasping for his last breath, his gaze locked onto the two brilliant yellow pupils. That was the last thing he saw before he heard a soft whisper in his ear. "....Rest well." Cra Crack—

A cracking sound echoed, and the Emperor's body went limp in the man's hand. The world suddenly turned silent as his yellow pupils glowed brighter. They grew so intense that the world around them turned white.

Woosh! The Emperor's body scattered into fine pieces of dust shortly after as his armor and accessories fell down on the platform. "....." In silence, the man closed his eyes. Turning around, he looked beneath the platform where thousands of people appeared. They all seemed lost and unresponsive. "This won't do." Taking a step forward, he appeared before one of the people beneath. He was a young man with a robust body. Short red hair and hazel eyes. Staring at him, the man tilted his head. "Hmm, not bad." Then, bringing his hand forward, he pressed it against the young man's head. Once again, the world dyed in a brilliant color as it spread toward the surroundings. It didn't last long, and no real changes appeared to the man. No real changes besides his pupils... They were no longer hazel in color. They were now...

Yellow. "Dorset Gaius Megrail." Muttering the name, a smile spread across the figure's features. ".....It's an interesting name. Yes, you will do." Turning around, the man nodded in satisfaction and massaged his face. The glow in his eyes diminished, and his features became more 'normal'. "Say..."

Once he was done, he addressed Dorset who still seemed like a mindless zombie. "What name should I give myself?" "....." Dorset remained silent for a brief moment before opening his mouth. "Atlas." "....Atlas?"

Mumbling the name faintly, he nodded quietly.

"Hmm. So be it. That's what I'll be called from this point forward." Turning around, his eyes traced the surroundings.

"Atlas Megrail. That'll be my full name..." His body froze shortly after as his figure and the surroundings started to change. Time-shifted, and the landscape transformed.

Buildings crumbled into dust, replaced by the scars of countless wars between both humans and beasts.

Trees sprouted and spread, reclaiming the land that it had lost. A new city of imposing structures emerged not far from where the old one had stood, and soon, a thick forest enveloped the area.

Chirp! Chirp~! As birds chirped in the air, a certain rustling echoed. Rustle! A young figure emerged within the bushes, stopping before a certain area. "Hm?" Looking down, they caught a glimpse of something bright. They naturally reached out for it. "What's this...?" It was a ring. A silver ring with intricate patterns.  

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