The now youthful Nero stared down at the group, his body steaming red. Kry swallowed in fear as he looked at Nero.

"I have not witnessed such magik..it is so powerful that his body is leaking the energy in the form of steam..such a phenomenon only happens when you are pushing your magik to its limits or when one is filled with emotion, yet I fear this isn't his limit!"

Konstantine started to shake. "That pig...used my blood! HE USED ME FOR HIS NEW FOUND FORM!!!"

She swiftly aimed and sent a bullet enchanted with lightning at Nero, who extended his arm out, summoning a red gauntlet around his hand that absorbed the bullet.

"W-What?! No..." Hugo's eyes widened. "He's..he can summon! Split up!"

The group split up and all stared at Nero, who desummoned the gauntlet and slowly looked over at Konstantine.

"I must thank you."

Nero spoke to Konstantine, before slowly looking at Hugo with his red eyes.

"You. I have read reports about you...a spellsword from the Oligarchy of Magik, yes? Hugo wasn't it? You are rather well known."

Hugo grimaced and extended his battleaxe in front of him.

"Why should I answer you!? You are nothing but a psychopath seeking to destroy Homstala! Classic inhuman emperor!"

"Hm."

Nero glanced at Altara, keeping his eyes on him for a few seconds, before looking back at Hugo. He extended his arm forwards and summoned a red katana in an instant. Hugo's eyes widened at the sight.

"I myself have researched such things. During the Supreme War I fought on the frontlines with this magik, I slaughtered many of Titus' dogs with this blade."

He pointed the katana at Hugo.

"Let's dance, spellsword."

"You three, leave this to me!" Hugo shouted to the rest of the group as Nero slowly started to walk towards him. Hugo observed his stance, knowing that because he was approaching Hugo first he must have an aggressive fighting style. 

Once Nero was a few meters away from Hugo, his movement became swift. He launched a slice towards Hugo's throat which Hugo blocked with the pole of his battleaxe. Hugo then sent a headbutt at Nero who parried it with an equally powerful headbutt. The two then separated from eachother, Hugo summoning a dagger as they did and throwing it at Nero. Nero blocked the dagger with his katana before running at Hugo once more, aiming a vertical strike to his head. Hugo blocked it with the head of his axe, swiftly kicking Nero in the stomach before he could react. Nero grimaced but sent a swift cut to Hugo's leg before he could retract it, giving his calf a small but deep cut.

The two stared at eachother before starting to circle.

"Hugo, you fool!" Kry thought as he watched the two clash. Altara meanwhile was watching in worry with Konstantine, who aimed at Nero as him and Hugo started to circle. Altara grabbed and lowered her weapon slowly, shaking his head at her. "No.."

Hugo looked down at his wounded calf, "I gotta be faster!" his eyes then narrowing at Nero. "Tsk, cheap.."

"Cheap? Heheh..No. I am simply playing to win, spellsword."

"And so am I, I guess I was a fool to think you had honor in a fight. But who am I kidding, I'm fighting a psychopathic emperor!" 

Hugo summoned a curved dagger in his other hand and leaned his battleaxe on his shoulder. He then glared at Nero once more. "Come on then!"

Nero grinned and dashed at Hugo, swiping at his stomach with his blade. Hugo used the dagger to parry the blow, quickly forcing his axe down on Nero's position. Nero summoned a buckler shield and blocked it just in time, Nero then summoned a dagger in place of his katana, thanks to the blade being shorter Hugo's parry was nulled and Nero planted the dagger into Hugo's chest. Hugo coughed blood and staggered back, looking down at the knife wound in his chest.

"One inch to the right would have ended your life."

Hugo looked at Nero whose body was still steaming red, Hugo was hunched over slightly.

Altara looked at the wounded Hugo, especially at the wounds in his chest and calf. He hesitated for a moment before running in, his red greatsword in hand. He stood in front of Hugo facing Nero.

...

Nero and Altara glared at one another. Altara felt a somewhat familiar feeling when staring into the wolven's eyes. 

"Alt..what are you doing?!" Hugo planted a hand on Altara's shoulder from behind.

"Not letting you die." Altara pointed his greatsword at Nero who was a dozen meters away.

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Nero drew a cocky grin across his face as he saw Altara defend Hugo.

"Heheheh...good Altara!" 

Nero desummoned the buckler and dagger, summoning instead a red greatsword that was similar to Altara's.

"How does he know my name?" Altara thought, pushing the thought to the side.

Konstantine and Kry stood beside Altara, the three nodding to each other.

"Then I guess I have no choice...."

Nero's eyes suddenly beamed out a large, blinding, and aggressive red.

"EMPEROR!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"There it is...his Braveye." Konstantine aimed her fully automatic pistol.

"Do not waver, his power is still unknown." Kry stood with his hands extended in front of him.

Altara simply glared at Nero. He was beyond scared, but he didn't let his fear control him.

Nero's eyes were beaming red, so much so that it was hard to look him in the eye.

"Let him make the first move! We must study him!"

Nero's movement was slow, his katana in his right hand pointing to the ground. He then slowly extended his left palm upwards. An orb of red magik appearing. 

"Is that...what I think it is?" Kry mumbled.

"What is it?" Altara asked, getting into a defensive stance with his greatsword. 

"Lethal Magik...and not a normal sort that simply hurts or kills. It is red..Evil Magik. An all-consuming Magik which is usable by those whose morals have become nothing but evil in the eyes of the universe..the Gods. No doubt he can use it." Kry frowned as he explained to Altara.

Nero then flicked his wrist, the orb flying towards the group. Kry dashed out the way and tackled Hugo over, using his gravity to cause the orb to miss them by adding an orbit to his own body, causing the orb to curve around him. Altara and Konstantine ran to the side. The orb curved over Kry and Hugo and exploded in the close distance, the result was a large crater. Hugo swore under his breath and looked up at Kry who stood up, pulling Hugo up with him. Hugo grunted from his wounds. "Hugo, you okay?"

"I'm fine. I can fight now!" Hugo grunted out.

"Be careful." Kry patted Hugo's shoulder, nodding before facing Nero. Altara and Konstantine were already stood up again. 

Kry walked next to the two as did Hugo, all of them looking at Nero. "We need to split apart, we don't want such a thing to hit us!" Kry shouted out, adjusting his glasses.

The four split up, circling Nero. Nero grimaced and looked at the four. He then focused on Kry, his Braveye flickering.

.....

Kry's eyes narrowed, and to the other three, they saw Nero appear behind Kry. Kry looked down and saw Nero's red greatsword stabbed through his chest from behind. The greatsword then was twisted before being ripped out. Kry's eyes widened. He was shocked, slowly looking in front of him at Altara, Hugo, and Konstantine who looked at Kry, blood leaking from the side of his mouth.

"Stick together..he can pause reality for everyone...except the one he looks...at..."

Kry's eyes fell dark, and he fell to the floor. Nero stood over his body, looking at the others.

Hugo's eyes shook with rage, his body steaming blue as he looked at his friend fall. He looked at Nero. Everything became blank..except the urge to kill the wolven emperor. 

Altara, who was filled with fear, watched as his fellow friend and astrologist fall. He grimaced and looked at Hugo, seeing him start to run at Nero with his battleaxe extended across his body.

Konstantine ran behind Hugo, her pistol sparking with lightning as she shot forward at Nero, the bullets flying past Hugo as he swiped at him with a roar. 

BWAHHHH!

In the eyes of Konstantine and Hugo, reality paused around them. The world Nero wasn't observing became completely gray, the birds in the sky stopping in place, the branches of the dead trees ceased their slight shaking with the wind and the blood leaking from Kry's wound behind Nero stopped pouring. Altara was paused looking at them charge with a fearful expression across his face. Hugo and Konstantine were confused but kept charging. They knew this is what Kry had seen before he fell. Hugo's blow became useless as Nero looked away from him as did Konstantine's bullet, literally closing his eyes as to not observe him. This caused Hugo and Konstantine to be paused with the rest of the gray reality Nero had created. Nero then drove his greatsword into Hugo's back whilst still closing his eyes before walking to Konstantine and slicing across her rib as his eyes still remained closed.

Nero opened his eyes, the red striking through his slowly opening eyelids as the Braveye's effect deactivated. Hugo and Konstantine's bodies both falling to the floor.

To Altara's eyes, it wasn't even a second before he saw his two friends fall with Kry.

...

Altara started to panic, his breathing becoming fast as his body shook, tears streaming down his face. He looked at Nero who slowly looked at him. "Hahhh...hahhhh..." Altara pointed his greatsword at Nero.

Step...step...step...

"Now then...nephew....."

Altara's chest gripped with shock and confusion at the word he referred to him as.

"W-What?" Altara's tearful eyes locked onto Nero's glowing eyes as the youthful emperor stood a few meters away from him, Altara was hunched over in fear, still pointing his greatsword at him.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL MEEEEE?!"

> Braveye Profile: Emperor

> Braveye User: Emperor Nero

>

> This powerful Braveye allows Nero to pause reality excluding what he is observing, allowing him to drag people into a paused version of the real world. If Nero closes his eyes whilst this is active all of reality is paused, however he cannot see, as expected. Therefore he barely does this. This Braveye can be used in conjunction with other types of magik such as Spellsword Magik. It affects the entire universe.