The Coming Of Darkness

10 days happened since the Universitalities of Yore Universal Land fell to the dark. The last images known to the rest of the world were those of the Heraxle Clan's Patriarch, his existence already devoured, but Heian Ciemnosc still held him with his darkened, enlarged left claw. His head ⅓ disfigured, and his eyes hung from their sockets. It was that image, and that of countless innocents burning in the flames of war as never-before-seen Elemental weapons exploded everything into incurable messes, that struck the rest of the world with unknown terror.

Seeing the catastrophic damage the Universitalities of Yore Universal Land suffered before becoming engulfed in darkness was hair rising. The Flora-Sweet White-Heavens Dynasty and Bluenet Nation packed their borders with well-known forces facing the darkness, not going to give them a chance.

The black monster was known to be unprecedented, and that he could attack the farthest enemy from their last target or their position. While the Bluenet Nation had no actual hatred that the President couldn’t let go of, the Xue family was a little different. Besides, Xue Yoler was seen in the Universal Land war, leading an enormous ‘fleet’, before everything went dark.

For example, in the Bluenet Nation’s capital, the Overline Existence, its core was now congregated by their most important leading figures. The President held an urgent meeting after devising several methods with the council. The Bluenet Nation had many ways to go, and they could partake all of them with due time.

Of course, that was if they weren’t attacked next, but the black monster had just attacked the Universitalities of Yore Universal Land, so they would spend time to prepare. After all, they always took time after every operation or war. Thus, the Bluenet Nation had spent a few days in the meeting, discussing everything, with accepted or postponed proposals by the President.

“Our Mega-Hypa Constructor Divine Art can help in this matter! We have already contacted the Xue family. They’ve begun debates to decide the routes. After all, we don’t know how much of the Neutral Existences will move or not.” - “We don’t even know if there’s still a Neutral Existences! What if they’re all in his hands?” - “That’s impossible!”

“Enough!” The President, a Lizard Feline Beast, Zhao Peng, shouted. The others became silent before staring at their President. He rose his right arm after attracting everyone’s attention and declared, “That is a matter of utmost importance. It can be decided now or later. I’ll only approve its discussion now if you behave and stop nagging at each other, speak only of the matter at hand. Nothing else! Can you at least do that?”

“I agree!” A positive voice sounded, making the President nod his head in fervor. He looked towards the direction of the voice to see a young man with his right hand lifted all the way up. “Well said, son. Does anyone else have the same th- WHAT?!”

As the others also rose their hands, following the young man’s example, they suddenly saw their always cool and collected President react strongly out of nowhere. His straight back and soft fur became stirred as he bent forth and supported his body on the edge of his desk on the opposite side from where he sat.

Everyone followed his gaze to the young man, an overly pale young man whose attire was simple, somewhat stylish, but somehow humble. The long dark coat and strange dark energy at its lower end were vivacious and appealed to his charms. He was Heian Ciemnosc.

Murmur, murmur, murmur…

The people immediately widened their eyes, but they didn’t become crazed or lashed out at Heian Ciemnosc. Everyone knew no strong organization from the Fifth to the Sixth Step survived in the Universitalities of Yore. However, they also didn’t kill Heian Ciemnosc’s mother, nor forced him to go through things they didn’t even know about. They believed the ‘hate’ between them wasn’t to the same point as the black monster and the no-longer Heraxle Clan.

“Well,” Heian Ciemnosc shrugged his shoulders and walked forth, throwing the cup in his right hand to the side, where it fell on someone’s feet, spilling some of its contents on his shoes. The person in question showed a frown and was a being. Soon after he expressed his disgust, his body melted downwards before the tip of a little dark, shapeless limb showed before meekly scurrying under the floor back to Heian Ciemnosc.

“Hello, my Shadows declare war on the Bluenet Nation. Your organization is the best among any other in this world, and your Divine Art is also incredible. Now, now. I came here to deal with stuff. I want to tell you that your organizations will be disbanded, and you’ll join new ones under my Dictators’ leadership in the future. For now, after I deal with Peng Peng and you all collectively surrender, oh, and once I beat you hard enough, you can form part of my Existential Sixth Step organization: the Forbloffende Traes Sect.”

“You… you’re really just a being!” Zhao Peng exclaimed as he looked at Heian Ciemnosc, who casually strolled towards him after calmly uttering those ‘nice’ words. Heian Ciemnosc nodded and titled his head, like looking at an idiot. Zhao Peng didn’t waste any more time and said, slowly recuperating his cool. “But you still came here, just like before… What… do you want?”

“You, me, fight. You die, your subordinates die, done.” Heian Ciemnosc calmly said, feeling a little bothered. The President looked at him and felt ridiculous. However, they weren’t like the Heraxle Clan, Uster Orion Grotto, or the Axe-Filany Sect. Their wisdom acclaimed their place as the Existential Sixth Step organization to have the best management, besides the Divine Art that allows even citizens to ‘talk’ with machinery or even just structures was too unique throughout history.

Of course, Heian Ciemnosc would want that for his people. Besides, if he let the Bluenet Nation run free, they could become the world’s perfect route to supply any Universal Land in the future. Achieving victory once with the previous sudden sneak offensive would only perfectly work once. The rest of the time, it would only become a slightly faster-paced war.

“If we surrender?” The President made a choice as he knew everyone’s medallions and emblems were heating up so much they could burn holes in their clothes, armor even. His feline eyes darted around for a few times in a second before staring at Heian Ciemnosc strictly.

“Did I say anything about surrender to you or your Bluenet Nation? Only them. All of your people, along with you, die.” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the President with his head still tilted leftwards. He placed his hands slightly clasped below his tummy. Heian Ciemnosc was calm as he looked like a senior giving a bad kid a well-deserved punishment.

“…” Zhao Peng’s chest heaved up and down, filling with air as he could only look at the darkest eyes of the black monster in trepidation. At last, he peacefully closed his eyes before echoing with a voice, not moving his mouth, that spread throughout the meeting room, appalling those from the Bluenet Nation who didn’t want to die.

“I wish the Bluenet Nation, be it still existent in the future or not… Falls in hands more capable than the Nation could have ever accomplished.” With that, the Lizard Feline Beast nodded to Heian Ciemnosc before departing. He ignored his Bluenet Nation’s people as some of them directly began burning their Essence and using it to nurture their Universal Land. It would distribute through the following Eons, and it would give birth to other beings and existences.

However, the others didn’t want to die still, no matter what. Thus, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t even glance at them, swung his left palm from below to up, facing the ceiling, before disappearing from the meeting room. A few days later, with the Bluenet Nation crippled to the point of collapse, the Universal Land war in the Overline Universal Land finished.

… The Uster Orion Grotto and the Axe-Filany Sect were the only ones to immediately set off, seemingly waiting for the moment the Shadows appeared outside the darkness again. However, when they were still a couple of weeks away from the Overline Universal Land’s borders, they received news, as did the other Existential Sixth Step organizations.

“The Overline Universal Land is no more!” - “Darkness has shrouded the Universal Land!” - “The Bluenet Nation fell to the Forbloffende Traes Sect! Is this the end of the Universal Lands?”

Both Existential organizations had met at the bottom left corner of the Uster Orion Grotto’s Universal Land, where the Grotto waited for the Axe-Filany Sect’s people. If the Grotto hadn’t done so, they might’ve gotten into a few battles or so, but they didn’t.

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They could now continue onwards or retreat. The Sect Master and Grotto Master couldn’t know what happened after the darkness took over, they could only fear the worst. Nevertheless, they decided to continue onwards. After all, another Universal Land war in less than a month was a toll no one really imagined how it could even be possible. The Great Sage spent a few Ages before initiating one Universal Land war after another, not days.

Thus, they arrived in between the darkened Overline Universal Land and the Neutral Existences, in the vast ghost space in 14 days. They stopped any actions and wanted until the 23rd day, when they finally moved against the Overline Universal Land. Thirst was met with a steel plate.

The Forbloffende Traes Sect didn’t wait the enemy to land even their rockets on their darkened barriers. Several hundred Grand Fleets were the first batch to meet the enemy head-on. The Axe-Filany Sect and the Uster Orion Grotto came prepared, forming a small front while protecting the rest of their forces, almost seamlessly.

It would’ve been fine on their side and endure for hundreds of days before maybe pushing forwards, if it wasn’t because amidst the battle in the first week, the Neutral Existences acted. The darkened barriers undulated before hundreds of thousands of Shadow Fighters flew towards them from the side and rear.

It was fine, the enemy thought. They could deal with such a little force like it was nothing. However, when they sent a plethora of missiles to overkill these hundreds of thousands of Shadow Fighters, they witnessed ‘bombs’ like no other before. These not only contained an Element within their encasement… they also perfectly exploded, disrupting the Element within.

The first thing the enemy saw was a Darkness-based Eltar missile. It exploded with a surge of devouring, pulling force, globbing every projectile the enemy sent. The missile traveled faster than the enemy projectiles and even a Mothership’s maximum travel speed. Ensuring the Darkness element Eltar wouldn’t hit the Shadow Fighters.

But when the Shadows sent Light-based element Eltars, their noiselessness and beautiful brightness baffled them. Meanwhile, the bullets, shells, missiles, and rockets were disintegrated into nothingness, turning back into pure light as it maintained its form and blinded even the enemy’s Spirit Sense.

When the barrier of Light dissipated, the enemy was flabbergasted to see tens of millions of Shadow Fighters already flying behind the first batch of Fighters, followed by countless Carriers slowly exiting the darkened barriers. The Forbloffende Traes Sect… hadn’t yet used all their forces?! The world hoped these were garrison units, but as the other Universal Lands attempted to assault the Neutral Existences, they got the same threat level than before.

After the Shadow Fighters and their armada Grand and Mothership Fleets from the Neutral Existences closed in, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning element Eltars, colored the empty blackness of the universe. The enemy Sect and Grotto began losing.

Meanwhile, as if that wasn’t enough, the Forbloffende Traes Sect used several mobile rings. They transported from the Overline Universal Land to the Roseltio Incandescent Universal Land of the Axe-Filany Sect and the Limited Ferverscence Universal Land of the Uster Orion Grotto. The war came to their very home, and yet another 2 Universal Land wars commenced.

The remaining 3 Universal Land felt precipitous. Things happened just too suddenly. They had no time to do anything about it. Just a month later, the Axe-Filany Sect and Uster Orion Grotto’s Universal Lands fell. Their leaders all fell, although some were forgiven due to their warring and dueling against Heian Ciemnosc.

For example, the Axe-Filany Sect's Sect Master was killed by the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s Sect Master, Heian Ciemnosc; also known as Darkness and black monster. However, Sect Master Ixi Roawr’s death brought his wish along. Heian Ciemnosc spared the Celestial Promising Daughter, Felicia.

She was a half Horse and Black Turtle, while her father was a Half Donkey and Minotaur. Felicia had incomparable intelligence, on par with Olivia Clark, beauty; as she had humanoid head and a beautiful hair lining downwards from her head to below her nape, and terrifyingly intuitive. A perfect candidate for daughter-in-law, but Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t planning to betroth her to Liliam, or any of his other daughters.

Heian Ciemnosc had long reunited with his sweet Elena, now Headmaster, and Blauw Shuna and Ishikyy. After their lovely reunion, of course, Heian Ciemnosc had to continue, so he only spent about 10 days before going to the Bluenet Nation. Fortunately, he wasn’t too bothered with the enemy Sect and Grotto’s offensive, and it instead sped things up.

Now, only 1 remained. It would have been 3, but even now, the Est Soul Empire refused to acknowledge other Universal Lands. Furthermore, nobody knew how, much less why, but the Emperor contacted Heian Ciemnosc just 3 days before Heian Ciemnosc scheduled in his mind to give the order to attack.

Heian Ciemnosc had nothing to lose, so he shrugged his shoulders and met with the fella. That was Emperor Proque, whose appearance was slightly old, but wise. Heian Ciemnosc met him in his throne hall. There, Heian Ciemnosc was almost alone with the Emperor, as his daughter accompanied him, Est Sol.

This was the crown princess, which was once willing to marry Pinor Heraxle for the sake of an alliance. Of course, that was her choosing. Now, she was there, witnessing the man whom her father told her he’d either die against… or overcome the legends with. Of course, she didn’t know what that meant.

Without further ado, Heian Ciemnosc and the Est Soul Empire’s Emperor disappeared from the throne hall and went to battle elsewhere. Their duel wasn’t exciting, but the marvels the showed, using only Soul Divine Arts, was beyond breathtaking. At last, the winner was Heian Ciemnosc as they hurried to the throne hall again, where a surprised, crestfallen Est Sol watched his father return with ⅓ of his body gone. The rest was amidst disappearing at a visible speed.

“Father!” Sol wanted to rush at him, but she was stopped by a swing of his sleeves. All she could do was watch as Heian Ciemnosc walked to stand before her father with a calm, impassive countenance.

“This is the end for me… I guess this is the end for those who… for some reason… always thought they could get… to be you… to take that power and… status from you… Forefather.” Est Proque said, learning backwards on his throne, and his last throes of life.

“You don’t get any pity points from discovering the truth before I made it public. However, you got a fine daughter. One would’ve thought that living twice is already enough. Wouldn’t you say so?” Heian Ciemnosc spoke, treating 2 different matters at the same time.

Emperor Proque was glad that Heian Ciemnosc took a liking to most likely the next Empress of the Soul Empire, but he also felt sheer shame when Heian Ciemnosc mentioned the Est Soul Empire’s secrets. Of course, after becoming, Heian Ciemnosc might have very well seen through any living being that stepped, flew, and breathed in his world; their thoughts, emotions, and actions. Nothing could ever hide from him.

The Emperor had nothing to hide, though. He stared at Heian Ciemnosc as more shame became apparent in his Soulish eyes. Heian Ciemnosc came closer and looked at the Emperor like looking at a student one knew they would end up badly without proper guidance, and in the end, it happened, even with proper guidance.

“The Soul-exalting Old World parchment was never yours.” Heian Ciemnosc commenced. The punishment felt as heavy as the ancestors had foretold if they went astray. Their creator… was disappointed in them. Heian Ciemnosc went on, “Each time you confiscated it, a little bit more of nature was trimmed to pieces. Nature became tired of even you, who were supposed to know how to lead. Yet…”

Heian Ciemnosc crouched, tilting his head to the right to look at the Emperor without pity or nostalgia. It was a completely empty treatment. “You had your chances, more than thrice. But you decided to invest on a thing. Well? Did learning how to pass your Soul to the next Emperor and its cost resulted worthy? No. Just like everything else you did, you’re failures.”

“The parchment was the ticket to learn how to build a Lord every Archeon, but you were too busy wanting to live forever, past one’s near death. Now, you’ve been nothing but second-rate powerhouses in this little world. Pathetic and vile.” Heian Ciemnosc said and shook his head before standing up. He faced Est Sol, when the Emperor spoke for the last time.

“We failed to see ahead of the hints, thinking ourselves… divine.”

“Hmph,” Heian Ciemnosc smirked and gave the Emperor a final glance as only his Soulish face remained. “For your achievements in this little world. It makes no difference. Die, do so in regret. No one else from my world will needlessly die like every single one of you have made possible.”

“…ah…” The Emperor’s sigh sounded as Est Sol silently teared up. After a few seconds, Heian Ciemnosc placed his hands behind his back, faced her, and asked. “Will you submit, or do you want me to kill you, too?”

“Will you? Is my father’s last wishes not enough?” Est Sol spoke up to this man whose identity she clearly became aware of now. Her mind was messy. She didn’t care anymore and felt like her thoughts and ideas didn’t matter. Heian Ciemnosc shrugged and said, walking outside the throne hall. “Nothing anyone does or has done matters to me. Decide, or your head drops when I step out of here.”

With that, Heian Ciemnosc walked towards the exit. However, just a second later, Est Sol dropped to her knees, bawling as she could only remember her father’s last longing with her face filled with wet tears. “I do, I do… The Soul Race submits to the Forefather, Shadow. We’ll follow you until death, from now on. We follow you as we were meant— sob, to be…”

“… Good.” Heian Ciemnosc ultimately coldly uttered before taking the last few steps outside the throne hall with a casual demeanor. She continued sobbing but had already notified the whole Demi-Eternal Soulgrounds Universal Land. She also became the Empress, albeit a weak one for now. However, Heian Ciemnosc would ensure she was seen in a solid position. Est Soul prepared the funeral her father at least deserved.

As for news of Heian Ciemnosc’s identity, she didn’t worry about them being exposed to the remaining enemies as darkness began engulfing them.

Now, Heian Ciemnosc had something else to worry about. Since his Shadows couldn’t be fed with 1 Universal Land this time, he’d use 2 Universal Land to pamper them. Time was near.

…