"We need to form a strategy... to take over the world."
A crippling silence followed these words, spoken by the businessman who sat at the head of the conference table.
Shock filled the expressions of not only the newcomers, but even of some older members of the group.
"Take... over the world?", George whispered, as if to instill the reality of these words into him.
"How... no... not even how... why would you do such a thing?", Eclaire asked. "Do you have any reason-"
"Why is it that nobody has ever been able to take over the world?"
Leaning forward in his seat, Marcus posed this question to all present, slicking back his hair as he spoke.
"We see so many stories where villains desire to take over the world. It's viewed as an evil action, something that only a morally bankrupt person could possibly hope to achieve. Yet this world has no shortage of people who are so morally corrupt, so why then has world domination never been attempted?"
With these words, the man grinned as he spoke with a heavy tone.
"The answer is simple. Taking over the world is no task that someone who wishes to live in luxury would ever possibly desire."
Looking over to Eclaire, Marcus continued.
"Gerard was a selfish man - one who wished for nothing more than to build his own miniature paradise, reigning over it as a King. So long as he sat on a throne, the rest mattered not. Of course, he certainly wanted to expand his throne, but there comes a point where the effort to expand outweighs the benefits of doing so."
As he said this, Marcus stood up, pulling out some documents from his coat as he laid them upon the table.
"My desire to control this world is not one that stems from my own pleasure, but one that stems from... a vision. And as such... I am willing to do everything necessary to achieve this goal."
"And what is this vision?", Eclaire pressed as Marcus laid out a series of maps in front of the group.
"Consider this. Right now, we are in the City of Shortenmire in Stronvardia - the Capital. Roughly 95% of humanity was wiped out during the Calamity, leaving roughly 5% of all humans remaining in this world."
As the man spoke, he spread another map in front of the people - one of the City they inhabited.
"Eclaire. Per Gerard's orders, you gathered survivors in the general vicinity, searching out those small groups of people that had formed following the start of the Calamity. Correct?"
"That's right.", Eclaire replied with a nod.
"Can you mark up exactly which areas you scouted and found people?"
"I can't remember exactly... but I guess I can show you generally."
Handing Eclaire a marker, the woman began to write on the paper, circling places of interest and drawing the limits of her exploration.
"Excellent. When you found those people in the City, you always found them in small groups, correct? Likely somewhere between 3 and 10 people on average."
"That's right. What of it?"
As Eclaire looked to Marcus with a confused expression, the man continued his explanation.
"It has been roughly 1 week since the beginning of the Calamity. In that time, small groups have formed, but some larger groups have likely been formed at this point. Groups between 20 and 50 people. This is of course the case all over the world, not just in our City."
As if he were a General discussing strategy with his commanders, the man held complete control of the room.
"Now let me ask. Among these small groups that have formed - what is a characteristic that is all but certain to be in common among them?"
"A leader and subordinates."
Speaking up without hesitation was Isabella, at which Marcus nodded.
"Exactly. There have been people who were weak or stupid who died almost immediately from the undead, or even those who were simply unlucky. Of course, I am among them, but fortunately I was given the ability to survive even death."
Holding his heart, the man seemed to recall his past experiences with a nostalgic expression.
"Even so, those who do survive are in no good position. They will have to struggle just to put even the slightest amount of food on the table. They will have to fight just to get away with their lives. Some will abandon their comrades. Others will fight one another over food or resources, or even shelter."
With a grim tone, the man made a prediction about the status of the world.
"This new world... it is one of survival. And yet it is also one which will put human nature on display for all to see - for in it, the greed of humanity will no longer remain hidden behind the cloak of wealth and prestige. Instead... this naked cruelty will be exposed before all."
And as he lowered his voice, a bitterness seemed to overcome him.
"What once caused wars among nations will cause conflicts among small factions. What once provoked the creation of weapons of destruction will influence the common man, down to the level of the individual."
Looking up, the man met Eclaire's eyes with a deadly gaze.
"And when each individual is given a choice to fight or die - every man on this earth will soon become a murderer."
As he said this, the room became silent for a moment, at which the man stood up from his seat, and began to pace around the table.
"The weak will be thrown aside, unable to even so much as survive without clinging to the strong. The strong will use this, forcing the weak to serve them as if they were a King - and at some point, this world will be composed of a million little nations."
With a sly smirk, the man eyed the maps on the table.
"These nations will fight one another, desperately attempting to gain power, land, and wealth. A culling will occur, and what was once a group of small nations will become a larger one - made of the single victor and the numerous defeated."
Holding up his hand, the man's flesh began to mold itself as the point of a blade formed.
As a knife took shape from his flesh, the man's hand soon reformed, now holding the very tool that had emerged from his body.
"And among those victorious - who else will take control but those humans who have been reawakened?"
And as he said this, the man threw the knife onto the table - as it landed directly on the location of the hotel.
"I tell you this - to each and every person in this room. There will come a day when every nation in this world is ruled by a reawakened person. And that day is not far off. For this power, which has been granted by some strange magic upon humanity, will be treated as a godlike gift. Now imagine this, for a moment."
Holding up his hands, the man closed his eyes as he painted a picture into the minds of those present.
"A man awakens in this world. Suddenly, he realizes that he has a special power that nobody else has. He gathers allies, and eventually realizes that his power makes him superior to everyone around him. Without him, these people are unable to survive. Without him, these people will die brutal deaths in this apocalyptic wasteland. And so, the man becomes a ruler."
Making his way back to his seat, the man continued.
"The man protects his people from enemies, slaying his foes and easily winning any battles. He continuously expands his kingdom, and more and more people flock to his protection - all worshiping him and revering him as a superior being."
As he stood in front of his chair, the man stood up, his eyes still closed as he stood with all eyes on him.
"Then one day, after he's been given a higher status than he has ever had in his previous life in this world, the man comes face to face with another who has a power that rivals his."
Opening his eyes, the man posed a question with sincerity.
"What would this man do?"
And with a chuckle, the man fell into his seat with a wry expression.
"He would panic, and deem this person his enemy. He would resolve to rid the world of such another blessed person, so that he may be the only one."
And as he sat down, the man took a demeanor that made every person in that room pause for just a moment.
For the wicked way he carried himself - was most certainly that of a ruler.
"And so... a dictator will be born."
Raising a hand, the man crossed one leg over the other as he glanced around the room.
"And then, what of the moment when a thousand dictators remain in this world, each with their own domain as large as a City?"
At that moment, the man snapped his fingers - and all around him, a thousand knives formed in thin air.
Then with another motion - these knives all flew directly towards the man, gouging his flesh as a rain of blood surrounded him.
"They will all destroy each other... until a single one remains."
He was pierced in every direction, torn apart by the weapons - yet even so, the man snapped his dislodged fingers once more as the knives reformed with his flesh.
And then - slowly but surely, the thousands of pieces of flesh which had been rendered began to form a single mass with one another once more as they regenerated - once more taking the shape of a man.
"I wish to become the Dictator to end all Dictators - and I ask of you all to assist me in this endeavor."
----
'Is this man... sane?'
'No... what am I even asking?'
'I'm nowhere even close to sane myself.'
'But... there's something about him.'
'Something... exceptional.'
'Something... that makes me want to follow him.'
Eclaire found herself at a loss.
The Dictator to end all Dictators - wasn't that just using a selfish reason to do selfish things?
In the end, there wasn't anything different between this man and the others, so how could he pride himself like he was better than them?
"What is your plan?"
"So you've accepted it this quickly? Perhaps you aren't as heroic as you seemed. Or maybe I'm just that convincing?"
"I'd like to hear what you have in mind. You said it yourself. It isn't easy to take over the world. It's a stupid dream - something that a child would think up. There's no real point in taking over the world if you're in it for yourself, given how much work it would be to manage an entire world. A villain would be much more fit lounging on his couch, drinking wine and surrounded by women."
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"Exactly so. The key will be the reawakened people. Every single person in this room, barring George and Isabella, are reawakened - and have been given an ability beyond human comprehension. That makes seven of us total. Among those seven, four people have the powers of the human calamities, though whether we can use and control those is something else altogether.", Marcus stated.
"Basically what he's saying is that we've already got an entire military here in this room.", Sylvia summarized. "If you're willing to cooperate, we'll be able to run our operations out of this hotel and expand our search radius, locating even more groups of survivors and hopefully finding more reawakened ability users."
"What if those ability users aren't willing to cooperate?", Eclaire asked.
"We will provide them with good reasons to cooperate. There are many options. Hostages, blackmail, or even simple military force. If they still refuse... then I suppose we'll have to eliminate them."
"Isn't that setting yourself up for rebellion?", Eclaire pressed.
"Indeed."
As Eclaire asked this question, the man suddenly grinned, as if he were expecting it.
"But if such a rebellion does occur... is that not an opportunity to make an example out of such people?"
Evil.
He was evil beyond belief.
What could have tormented this man to bring him to this point?
His schemes were wicked, putting no concern for human life.
"Heh..."
And this - made Eclaire laugh.
"Heh... heh..."
"Quite creepy, aren't you?", Bradley commented as Eclaire's demeanor suddenly changed. "I guess she has a few screws loose, doesn't she? I understand why you don't like her."
The man spoke to himself - or rather, to the creature inside him, out loud.
"I'll help you - Marcus Coran."
However the declaration of the woman overrode any other small talk as she leaned forward, taking the attention of the room.
"You want to take over this world? You want to destroy all of the dictators who create their own little paradises? Fine."
And with a demented grin, she folded her hands as she sat across from the man - as a negotiator.
"Just make sure that whatever rotten bastards we destroy are completely ruined."
"It seems you finally understand my intentions."
With a smirk, the man gazed upon the woman, and the two seemed to come to a mutual agreement.
"I had every intention of doing so."
----
"First and foremost, we will need to share information with one another - particularly that of our abilities. However it's best to keep that information known to as few people as possible, given that mind control or mind reading are likely things that exist in this world. For this reason, I alone will carry the knowledge of each person's abilities and strategize accordingly."
Marcus made this declaration to all, at which Eclaire immediately spoke up.
"Why you?"
"I already know everyone's ability except for yours, and I will be coming up with strategies. Is there any more reason needed?"
"No, I suppose not. Fine."
With this, each person was ordered to leave the room, and Eclaire and Marcus remained alone.
"You have quite the handle on the others. I guess they accepted pretty easily?"
"Not exactly. I had to work quite hard to convince many. But please understand that these methods - they are both of my own choosing, but also not. They are not methods that I would prefer to use, but methods that I know are most efficient."
Gazing up to the ceiling, the man let out a sigh as he took on a soft demeanor - one that he had not shown in the conference room before.
"I am working to minimize the suffering in this world. Yet in order to do so, there are places that I have to accept - and even create more suffering."
"And somehow doing these evil things will minimize suffering?"
"Strange as it is, yes."
Standing up, the man looked to the window, gazing out once more as he did earlier.
"A world without suffering will create a race of people who have no comprehension of what it means to suffer. They will become entitled and spoiled, unable to exist without being granted their every wish. You've surely experienced such people."
Letting out a sigh, the man seemed tired as he spoke.
"I simply wish to create a world that is rid of such people - where nothing is taken for granted."
With a wry smile, the man looked back to Eclaire.
"And if I have to become a villain to do so... then so be it."
----
"Retry... eh? It's no wonder... this all makes sense."
Nodding in approval, Marcus stood up as he finished his conversation with Eclaire.
"You've worked hard. Thank you."
With these simple words, the man took his leave, heading towards the door.
"I didn't do it to be thanked."
"But even so, I'll thank you. It's only proper."
Stopping before the door, the man halted himself.
"How many times have you died?"
He asked this final question, at which the woman tensed up.
She gazed to the ground, desperately attempting to find an answer, yet none came.
"Too many to count."
"The madness... it's sickening, isn't it?"
And as the man said these words, the woman looked at him with surprise.
"You..."
"I'm no stranger to death myself. Keep trying. Results will follow."
With these final words, Eclaire was left wondering as the man exited the room.
"And if they don't... then I'll make them."
----
"Hey... I heard that something is going on upstairs."
"There was a major commotion, wasn't there?"
"Do you think... that something happened? That... we might be able to escape?"
"Don't."
While some of the prisoners in the basement made small talk amongst themselves, Gus cut them off with crude words.
"Ain't nothing good ever comes of hoping. If somethin' good is gonna come, it'll come - even if you're devoid of hope. But if you hope and nothin' good comes, then you're just gonna be even worse off."
Sitting back in his cell, the man spit these words, which made some of the other inmates lower their heads in defeat.
"Unless you do somethin' with yer own two hands, ain't nobody gonna come save you."
"Exactly right."
However, just as the man said this, a door opened - and the voice of a stranger filled the ears of all those present in the basement.
"Indeed, one must be capable of taking care of themselves. Those who speak of teamwork and relying upon another know nothing of what it actually means to be a part of a team."
The footsteps of a man walking down the hall could be heard, and his voice caused each of the imprisoned men and women to turn their heads with a combination of suspicion and interest.
"After all, are not the people on a team who rely on those around them the ones who cannot even carry their own weight in the first place?"
As this man walked down the corridor, each of the people gazed upon him - wondering just who this man was and what his purpose was in this place.
"If yer just here to spit words like that, then you can go back to where you came from."
Not impressed, Gus laid these words into the businessman - who now stood right before his cell.
"Is that so? But I haven't merely come to speak. I've come to decide your fate."
Stroking his hand to his chin, the man continued to pace as he spoke.
"You see, the owner of this hotel is no longer with us. And I happen to have... yes, I suppose I have inherited the rights to this place. As such, I am considering what to do with you all."
"Let us free!!!"
"Please!!! I'm begging you!! Let us out of here!!!"
The moment this man made this statement, a number of the prisoners shouted out shamelessly, begging for their freedom.
However, this strange man was no saint.
"Why should I do that?"
Silencing the crowd with this question, the man continued his pacing, laying his calculating glare on one person after another.
"If I were to keep you all here, then I would be able to enroll you in my personal labor force. By letting you all go free, I would lose any potential gains from such a labor force. Then, please tell me - is there any reason that I should allow anyone here to leave?"
"We won't do shit for you!"
"All you're doing is pissing us off, you bastard!!"
"Let us go right now! Or we'll kill you!"
Suddenly, bloodlust filled the crowd as they shouted and jeered towards the man.
"I see. So your offer is that by allowing you to go free - that you won't kill me?"
However this man was no mere man.
Maintaining his composure even as they threatened him with death, the man merely chuckled as he analyzed the scenario - from the perspective of a businessman.
"It's not a very appetizing offer, I'll be honest. Do you have anything else to sweeten the deal?"
"This asshole..."
"He's just fucking with us..."
"You bastard!!! If you don't let us out, you'll regret it!"
The threats and shouting continued, however at this the man's tone suddenly shifted as his words became deadly.
"And what exactly will I regret?"
Continuing to walk, the man's demeanor changed in an instant.
"Do you all think that you're capable of killing me?"
And suddenly - something shifted.
It happened in an instant - and not a single person knew what had happened - but it was as if reality around them had changed.
For in that moment, every single door opened at the same time - and looking into their own hands, each person held two things.
A gun, and a knife.
"Then... let's make a deal."
And with a sinister tone, the man held out his arms as he spoke with grandeur.
"If anyone can kill me... then you all are free to leave."
Suddenly, the people realized the situation, and all of them rushed out of their cells, grins on their faces.
"And if not - then you will all obey me... for the rest of your miserable lives."
----