----- Headquarters of the Pendragon Alliance -----
----- Emperor's Supreme Monolith -----
A messenger entered a vast, cavernous hall, where the weight of silence pressed down like a suffocating fog.
The air was thick with a foreboding energy, and the only visible feature in the oppressive darkness was the monolith—a towering, jagged structure.
It jutted upward like a wound carved into reality itself, its surface shimmering faintly, as though alive.
The room reeked of mystery and dread, a place where shadows dared not linger for long.
The messenger advanced hesitantly, his every step echoing into the void.
When he reached the foot of the monolith, he knelt, trembling uncontrollably, his forehead nearly touching the icy floor.
Messenger: “My lord… I bring a message of the utmost importance.”
The monolith quivered, emitting a faint, otherworldly hum.
Then, from within its depths, a voice erupted—ancient, wrathful, and commanding.
It was less spoken and more felt, a sound that rattled the bones and pierced the soul.
Emperor (Emerging from the monolith): “I KNOW!”
The hall erupted in thunderous echoes, the sheer force of the Emperor’s voice scattering the silence like fragile glass.
The tremors rippled through the chamber, causing the messenger to wince and clutch his chest, as though the words themselves might crush him.
But the messenger pressed on, trembling more fiercely now, his resolve faltering under the weight of the Emperor’s wrath.
Messenger: “What… are your orders, my lord?”
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from within the monolith, a sound that seemed both alive and wrathful.
Slowly, a form began to emerge from its shifting surface—an indistinct silhouette at first, then sharpening into something humanoid yet alien, wreathed in tendrils of dark energy.
Emperor (Emerging from the monolith): “The Red Cult nears the conclusion of its mission… but it seems the Red Beast is engaged..”
The word carried venom, like a curse spat into the void.
Emperor: “Engaged... in a fight with this damn kid.”
The Emperor’s fiery, formless gaze bore into the messenger, who dared to raise his head slightly, the beginnings of a smug smile creeping onto his face.
Messenger: “So... it’s over for him, then... isn’t it? Surely the Red Beast will destroy him—”
Emperor (Emerging from the monolith): “Silence!”
The messenger flinched as the command cracked through the air like a whip, his fledgling confidence extinguished in an instant.
Emperor: “A cosmic creature could snuff him out like a flickering candle... yet he still breathes. Still fights. This blue boy… there’s something about him. Something unnatural.”
Messenger: “W-What? How can that be possible?!”
Emperor: “I suspected there was a mystery about him… but alone, he is no real threat to us.
He is merely an ember. It’s those around him—those who fan that ember—that we must extinguish.”
Messenger: “Then… what are your orders, my lord?”
The Emperor loomed closer, his form expanding as if the monolith itself were shifting to accommodate his anger.
Emperor: “Find these collaborators—those foolish enough to stand with him. And show them…”
his voice dropped into a growl so low it seemed to vibrate in the messenger’s bones
“…the power of the Pendragons.”
Messenger: “Yes, my lord. And… the boy?”
The Emperor’s growl deepened, his form seeming to fracture, jagged edges of energy slicing at the air.
Emperor: “Inform the master of the Camelot Project. If he survives this fight, accelerate the process.”
A sinister pause lingered in the air.
Emperor: “And prepare a Soul Killer.”
The messenger bowed deeply, his forehead brushing the cold floor, his body trembling not just with fear, but with awe.
Messenger: “It shall be done as you command, my lord.”
----------------------------------------
The hall fell silent once more, save for the faint hum of the monolith.
The messenger rose shakily to his feet and turned to leave, his steps echoing hollowly as he disappeared into the darkness.
Yet, as he departed, the air around the monolith shifted, and a low murmur resonated in the void.
??? (Voice from the monolith): “Do you think he’ll intervene?”
The Emperor’s form flickered slightly, his jagged silhouette growing sharper as he responded.
Emperor: “I… do not know.”
For the first time, there was something in his voice—a tinge of uncertainty, almost bitterness.
He paused, as though weighing his next words.
Emperor: “But I imagine…
He must be laughing from his golden perch in that private little dimension of his.
Damn you.. Sun God.”
----------------------------------------
----- On Arthur Pendragon's side, next to the bridge leading to Artand's kingdom -----
Arthur planted his legendary sword, Soleil, into the fractured stone ground before the bridge leading to Artand’s kingdom.
The blade radiated golden light, sending waves of stability through the chaotic desert winds.
Around it, a radiant dome of energy unfurled, a legendary shield, impenetrable and unwavering even in the face of the raging storm.
Arthur’s Thoughts:
My knights are safe, I know it.
They don't need my help..
He glanced back at the glowing dome, faint shadows of his horses flickering within its protective barrier.
But William… Siegfried… and Geirford…
His gaze shifted to the churning sands before him.
The cries of suffering carried on the wind, faint but haunting, each scream pressing against his chest like a hammer blow.
Geirford... he was already so badly wounded. I must save him. I must try.
With a deep breath, Arthur gripped the edges of his golden cape and pulled it tighter around his shoulders, stepping beyond the safety of Soleil’s barrier.
The sandstorm raged against him immediately, howling with unnatural ferocity, tearing at his armor, his face, his very soul.
But Arthur did not falter.
Every step was a battle as the wind howled, stinging grains of sand slicing across his skin.
Yet his resolve burned brighter than the storm.
His boots pressed into the cracked, shifting earth, each step deliberate and unyielding.
He clenched his fists tightly, his voice steady in his own mind.
No storm will stop me. No darkness will break me.
I am King Arthur Pendragon, and I will not let this kingdom fall.
As Arthur pressed forward, the cries of suffering grew louder, piercing through the howling winds.
They were cries of pain, of anguish, of people trapped in a nightmare too cruel to imagine.
The desperation in their voices clawed at Arthur’s heart.
What’s happening out there? What could possibly...
His thoughts broke as he stumbled. His boot caught against something, and he fell to his knees with a grunt.
His gloved hands hit the ground, catching himself just before his face met the cracked earth.
It was then that he saw him.
A familiar figure, lying broken and battered in the shifting sands ahead of him.
Arthur: Eyes widening in shock "Geirford?!"
The ruler of Artand lay crumpled on the ground, his once-proud crimson armor tarnished and shattered.
Blood seeped from his wounds, staining the sand beneath him.
His chest heaved weakly, and his face, streaked with sand and tears, barely turned toward Arthur as he approached.
King Geirford: His voice faint, barely more than a whisper
"You... must... leave...
My... kingdom... is already..."
His voice faltered, choking on the words as fresh tears rolled down his weathered cheeks, carving paths through the sand caked on his face.
Arthur: Dropping to his knees beside him, his voice filled with desperation
"King Geirford! Don’t speak! Save your strength! I’m not going to leave you here.
Just stay with me—I’ll save you!"
Geirford’s head shook weakly, his lips trembling as he tried to form words.
Arthur placed a steadying hand on the man’s shoulder, but even his touch could not quell the trembling of Geirford’s broken body.
King Geirford: "It’s... over... They’ve taken... everything... The.. Pendragons..."
Arthur: Gritting his teeth, his voice turning defiant
"No! It’s not over! I won’t let this kingdom fall! Do you hear me?!
You will live to see Artand rise again!"
But even as Arthur’s words burned with conviction, Geirford’s eyes dimmed, his strength faltering.
His hand reached out, weakly clutching at Arthur’s cape as his voice dropped to a dying whisper.
King Geirford: "Please... save them..."
With those words, his body fell limp, his hand slipping from Arthur’s cape and falling into the sand.
Arthur: Voice cracking "Geirford!"
No.. He's gone..
Arthur bent over the fallen king, pressing a hand to his chest as if willing his life to return.
His golden aura flickered, surrounding Geirford’s body in a desperate attempt to heal him, to pull him back from the brink of death.
But the damage was too great, the light too faint to undo the horrors the Red Beast had inflicted upon him.
As the storm raged around them, Arthur closed his eyes tightly, bowing his head in grief.
His shoulders trembled under the weight of his failure, but the cries of the kingdom called him back, louder than ever, demanding his attention.
He gasped sharply, his vision swimming.
Fragmented memories clawed at his consciousness, memories that weren’t his, yet felt deeply familiar.
??? : "I WILL BECOME A GREAT HERO!!"
A child’s voice, bright with conviction, echoed through his mind.
The scene shifted—he could see a shadowy figure standing before him, speaking with a voice both commanding and cold.
??? : "That's right.. but before that, enter the machine"
The memory warped, twisting like smoke.
A new voice, desperate and pleading, surged forward.
??? : "Master, we must stop the experimentation! The Sun God will kill us all if we—"
Arthur’s eyes snapped open, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.
His heart pounded in his chest as he stared into the storm, his golden cape flapping wildly in the wind.
The memories faded as quickly as they had come, leaving behind a hollow unease that churned in the pit of his stomach.
What was that?
Those voices... that child... the Sun God?!
He shook his head, trying to anchor himself to reality.
No... focus, Arthur. This isn’t the time for madness. Whatever that was... it doesn’t matter now.
You are strong. You fear nothing. Remember that.
Arthur rose slowly, his golden armor glinting faintly against the gray storm.
He turned back to Geirford’s lifeless body, his expression hardening.
He stared at the fallen king for a moment, the weight of his promise settling deep in his heart.
I couldn’t save you, Geirford... but I will save them. I swear it.
The wind howled louder, as if answering Arthur’s declaration.
He turned toward the cries of Artand’s people, his steps steady as he pressed forward.
Behind him, Soleil’s golden barrier flickered like a distant star, its light unyielding against the storm.
----------------------------------------
Ao vs Red Beast
Tournament Automated Voice:
"And now… the final fight begins!
John Smith, from the Kingdom of Sweets...
Versus...
The Red Beast—an impossible creature from the ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓."
The desert roared with the sound of battle, every blow shaking the blood-soaked sands.
Ao was unrelenting, his aggression wild, his moves sharp and unyielding.
But his recklessness was taking its toll—each counterstrike from the Red Beast landed with bone-shattering force, leaving Ao’s body riddled with cuts and bruises.
Blood poured freely, soaking the ground beneath him.
But Ao didn’t falter.
He didn’t dodge.
He didn’t defend.
He just smiled—a manic, unwavering grin—as he pressed his relentless assault.
His techniques chained together with deadly precision.
Ao : “Star Kick, Oroboros Embrace, Celestial Fire”
Ao strings together more and more techniques,
Star Kick, sending a glittering flying kick that explodes on impact,
Oroboros Embrace, a physical submission technique in which Ao places himself behind the target and wraps his arms and legs around the target's neck, stomach, arms and legs with extraordinary force.
And Celestial Fire, igniting Ao and the target in a divine blue fire, which seems to heal the user's superficial wounds, and burns the target's body with unspeakable brutality
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
All this while smiling frantically at the increasingly abnormal body of the red beast's disguise
Ao: “What’s wrong, Red Beast? Is that all you’ve got? What are you waiting for? Kill me!”
⚝: “UUUAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
With an ear-splitting scream, the Red Beast erupted, its patience shattered.
A burst of pure force sent Ao flying backward, skidding across the sand like a ragdoll.
But even as he rose to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth, the manic grin never left his face.
⚝: “I’M GOING TO SLAUGHTER YOU—”
Ao: “BLAH.”
A straight punch slammed into the Red Beast’s face, cracking the mask-like illusion.
It reeled back, its crimson pupils glowing with fury.
Ao: “BLAH.”
A left hook followed, shattering the beast’s jawline further, bits of its disguise falling away like shards of glass.
Ao: “BLAH!”
A devastating kick exploded into the creature’s chest, sending it staggering back, its monstrous aura flaring wildly.
Ao stood tall, his fists clenched, his breathing heavy but triumphant.
Ao: “I know you’ve done something stupid, Red Beast!
Your disguise is breaking apart!”
The Red Beast’s illusion cracked further, its “human” eyes bulging unnaturally from their sockets.
Beneath the broken mask, blood-red pupils glared at Ao with a fury beyond words.
Ao : “You did say you'd found the one that will kill me, didn't you?!
Why, a divine creature like you, would care about an insect like me, and turn into a human, to get her paws dirty?! Huh?!!”
⚝: “To... understand...”
The red beast seems to have gone from fury.. to tears?!
A great sadness grips the beast, as he speaks cryptically
⚝: “Why? Why?! What does the master see in you?
What is it you have that we don’t? What makes you so special?
YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A DAMN MONKEY!!!”
Ao : “What are you talking about?!”
The words trembled with envy and anguish. For a moment, Ao saw something unexpected—a creature consumed not just by rage, but by jealousy.
But the moment of vulnerability didn’t last.
The beast’s fury reignited like a blazing inferno.
⚝: “ENOUGH!!! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!!!”
A deep, guttural voice overtook the beast’s feminine tone, rising like a storm from the depths of its core.
⚝: “YOU’RE RIGHT.. WHY DID I STOOP TO YOUR LEVEL?
I SHOULD KILL YOU LIKE THE REST…
LIKE THIS WHOLE DAMN KINGDOM!”
The body disappeared in a black and red aura, as the red beast grew... again and again... and revealed its true appearance
A monstrous devil loomed over the battlefield, its massive horns piercing the storm-filled sky.
The black and red aura radiating from its body twisted the very air, turning it heavy and suffocating.
The sands beneath them scorched and cracked as if Hell itself had emerged from beneath the desert.
The Red Beast was no longer hiding its true nature—this was its full, unrestrained power.
image [https://i.ibb.co/BTDzKpy/00009.jpg]
Ao's Thoughts:
He said… like this kingdom?
No… Don’t tell me…
Ao: “Artand’s kingdom…”
His voice wavered as the realization settled in.
His face twisted in grief, but even as despair clawed at his heart, he forced himself to stand tall, glaring at the beast with defiant eyes.
⚝: “MY MISSION IS NEAR ITS END... BUT BEFORE I GO…”
Ao: “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE KINGDOM OF ARTAND?!!”
His voice cracked with fury, but beneath it, there was a tremble of desperation.
He could already feel the answer looming in the beast’s twisted grin, but he asked anyway, his heart clinging to the hope that he was wrong.
⚝: “THEY PAID THE PRICE FOR DEFYING THE PENDRAGONS...
DESTINED DEATH, THAT IS THEIR JUDGMENT!!”
----------------------------------------
A N G E R _ I S _ T A K I N G _ O V E R—
Ao: “SHUT UP!!!!”
For a moment, his voice cracked again—not with fury, but with the pain of loss.
“Geirford…”
The name lingered in the air like a fragile thread, carrying with it the weight of memories.
Ao’s mind flashed with images: Geirford’s booming laugh, his steadfast loyalty, the kindness he offered even in the harshest of times.
Another friend… another life stolen by the flames of war.
Another loss to the Pendragons’ cruelty.
⚝: “AND NOW DEATH COMES FOR YOU, AOTAHI!!”
Flee
Ao: “No… You’re the one who’s going to die!”
His voice carried a new weight—raw and unyielding.
The tremor of grief was still there, but it had been forged into steel.
His gaze burned with a indomitable determination.
⚝: “HAHAHAHA!!! AN IMPOSSIBLE CREATURE CANNOT DIE!!!”
Flee
His blood boiled, his heart roared, and the storm within him erupted into a singular, hellish resolve.
The despair, the fury, the sadness—it all coalesced into a fire that burned brighter than ever before.
With trembling hands, he folded them into a sign, his fingers moving with precision, the motions carrying a gravity that seemed to pull the very air around him as he murmured.
Ao :
"Upon the stage of my mortal frame,
I summon the voices that bear my name.
Not the world, nor the crowd, nor the fleeting din,
But the council that dwells deep within."
The Red Beast sneers, her monstrous grin widening as she prowls closer, her claws digging into the molten earth.
⚝: "What is this nonsense? Do you think your poetry will save you, mortal?
Do you think these pitiful words will stop me from ripping you apart?!"
Ao: ignoring her entirely
"My Body, the pillar of clay,
The vessel that toils by night and day.
It speaks with aches, with scars, with strain,
The keeper of pleasure, the harbor of pain.
"I am your strength, your armor, your shield—
But even stone cracks, and flesh must yield.
Treat me kindly, though I am but dust,
For without my frame, your dreams will rust.""
The Red Beast growls, her patience fraying as Ao continues his chant.
A low, insidious voice begins to worm its way into his mind—a deep, venomous whisper that echoes through his thoughts.
⚝ (Insidious Voice): "Why do you fight, little star? Your fate was written before you were born.
Your death will be slow. Your agony… eternal. Accept it, Ao. You cannot escape destiny."
But Ao doesn’t flinch.
He doesn’t even acknowledge the voice invading his mind.
Instead, he speaks louder, his words quickening, his tone filled with defiance.
Ao :
"Then comes Imagination, wild and free,
The painter of worlds only I can see.
It speaks in colors, in visions untamed,
It bends reality, it cannot be framed.
"I am your wings, your boundless flight,
The spark in the void, the star in the night.
But beware the abyss, where dreams may fall—
For I can lift, or consume you all.""
The Red Beast’s laughter shakes the ground, a deep, guttural mockery that echoes across the battlefield.
She tried to attack Ao with her claws glinting with a crimson glow, but escaped every move as he continued to murmurs.
Ao :
"And now, Intelligence, measured and keen,
The architect of all that has been seen.
It speaks in reason, in logic, in plan,
The master of knowledge, the map of human.
"I am your tool, your sword, your light,
Your anchor to truth, your guide to what's right.
But wield me with care, for pride makes me blind,
And wisdom is knowing the heart and the mind.""
The voice in Ao’s mind grows louder, more insistent, seeping into the cracks of his soul like poison.
⚝ (Insidious Voice): "Why resist? You are but dust. Your body fails. Your blood spills. Even now, Artand burns, and you will burn with it.
You are nothing."
Ao’s heart pounds, the weight of the Red Beast’s words and the whispering voice pressing down on him like an iron cage.
But he keeps moving, keeps speaking, his voice now a roar, as if to drown out the insidious voice in his mind.
Ao :
"Last, my Soul, the eternal flame,
The voice without shape, the force without name.
It whispers of purpose, of life’s vast sea,
It humbles the self and beckons to _be_.
"I am your core, your song, your fire,
The thread that binds your deepest desire.
Through pain and joy, I remain whole,
For I am not flesh—I am your soul.""
The Red Beast stops in her tracks, her mocking laughter replaced by a growl of frustration.
Her crimson eyes narrow as she realizes something: Ao’s words, while incomprehensible to her, are doing something.
The air around him begins to hum, faint tendrils of blue light curling from his body like threads of raw star energy.
Ao :
"Together they guide me, a storm and a star,
Reminding me always of who we are.
For though the world may scream, demand, and divide,
The council within is where I reside."
⚝ This poem… I’ve heard it before. But where? When?! ⚝
The Red Beast’s snarling façade cracked.
Her crimson pupils flickered, scanning Ao with a growing sense of dread.
The mortal boy—this so-called Ao Starbreaker—was stirring something within her, something long buried.
She couldn’t afford to let him finish whatever he had begun.
With her voice dripping venom, the beast unleashed her final, deadly whisper—a cursed sentence meant to unravel the threads of Ao’s very existence.
⚝: “May your destined death find—”
Thunderous Voice, whispering in The Red Beast Mind:
“DARE FINISH YOUR SENTENCE, CREATION OF REALITY.”
The air itself seemed to freeze, the clouds above splitting apart as rays of golden sunlight pierced the oppressive gray sky.
The battlefield, once consumed by chaos and darkness, was bathed in a blinding, divine glow.
The Red Beast froze in place, trembling violently, as if an unseen hand had gripped her very essence.
⚝ WHO… WHO DARES INTERRUPTS ME?! ⚝
Ao’s Thoughts:
The voice… it stopped.
The beast… trembling?
What’s happening?
Thunderous Voice, whispering in The Red Beast Mind:
“YOU WOULD DARE TO DEFY MY AUTHORITY?!”
The voice was low, boundless, and utterly unyielding
“WHAT WOULD A CREATURE LIKE YOU DO IF THE WARMTH OF THE SUN DECIDED NEVER TO TOUCH YOUR CARCASS AGAIN?!”
⚝ THE… THE HEAT OF THE SUN?! YOU ARE… ⚝
Voice, whispering in The Red Beast Mind:
“SUN GOD”
For the first time since her creation, the Red Beast felt an emotion foreign to her being: fear.
Her massive form trembled as though her very existence was being unraveled by the presence of the Sun God.
⚝ Why… Why protect this child?! ⚝
Sun God:
“THIS CHILD. IS MY APPRENTICE.
AND I WILL NOT LET AN UNJUST GOD END HIS PILGRIMAGE.
ONLY I, AND I ALONE, CAN SO DECIDE.
IS THAT CLEAR, REALITY CREATION?!”
The golden rays of sunlight intensified, pouring down with an unrelenting fury.
The Red Beast howled in agony as the divine light burned her blackened flesh, tearing through her aura of destruction.
Her cries were a mix of rage and desperation as she writhed beneath the Sun God’s judgment.
⚝: “WELL, YOU WIN THIS TIME, SUN GOD!!”
Ao’s Thoughts:
Sun God ?!!
The old wizard is helping me ?!!
This.. FUCKER !!
Ao: Shouting at the sky, voice raw with fury
“ARE YOU HERE, OLD MAN?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!!
I'M GONNA BEAT YOUR OLD MAN ASS”
The Red Beast staggered, her massive form cracking under the divine sunlight pouring from above.
But even in the face of her impending defeat, her crimson eyes glowed with hatred as she snarled.
⚝: “Aotahi!!
You’re lucky, I have to retire… but don’t think for one second our fight ends here!!”
Ao: Glaring at the beast with unshakable defiance
“Because… you think I’m going to let you go?!”
The Red Beast flinched, momentarily startled by Ao’s words.
She sneered, preparing to disappear into the void…
but before she could retreat, Ao moved.
In a flash, faster than lightning, Ao leapt toward her, his body glowing with the residual energy of his poem’s invocation.
He latched onto one of her enormous horns, gripping it with such force that cracks began to crawl along its surface.
⚝: “WHAT?! YOU FOOLISH INSECT! LET GO!!!”
The beast thrashed wildly, her gigantic body shaking the ground, her monstrous claws slicing through the air.
But Ao held firm, his determination burning brighter than the golden light streaming from above.
⚝ SUN GOD! CONTROL YOUR DAMN APPRENTICE! ⚝
Sun God : Calmly
“All you had to do was listen to the voice telling you to run away.”
⚝: Staggering as realization sets in
“What... the voice… was for me?!”
The ground began to tremble, the air shimmering with heat as Ao’s aura flared into a blinding blue blaze.
The energy around him swirled like a hurricane, gathering in his fists as he stared the Red Beast down.
With one final, unrelenting burst of energy, Ao unleashed it all.
His teeth clenched, his muscles burning, and his voice rose into a guttural roar that pierced the heavens.
Ao: “NOVA MAX!!”
The explosion was cataclysmic.
A massive wave of blue energy erupted from Ao’s fist, engulfing the entire tournament zone in an instant.
The air screamed as the shockwave shattered the sound barrier, sending ripples across the desert sands.
The ground beneath them disintegrated, the intense heat turning sand into glass, stretching outward for miles.
In space, the explosion was visible—a shimmering sphere of blue fire that glowed brighter than the sun for a fleeting moment.
The moon seemed to reflect the brilliance, as if acknowledging the catastrophic power unleashed below. And amidst the radiant chaos, the Sun God’s presence loomed, his omniscient gaze fixed on the battle.