As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting hues of orange and pink across the sky, the once magnificent capital city lay in ruins.
The towering spires that once touched the clouds now crumbled, their jagged edges silhouetted against the fading light. Smoke still billowed from the wreckage, carrying the acrid scent of destruction through the air.
Amidst the devastation, a figure descended from the sky with a grace that belied the exhaustion evident in every movement.
Rey, his naked figure cloaked in nothing but remnants of his energy, descended slowly, almost as if defying gravity itself.
His breath came in ragged gasps, each step a struggle against the weight of fatigue and desperation.
He tried to cling onto consciousness, all to no avail.
However, as he neared the earth, his eyes about to close shut forever, he felt a presence suddenly envelope him, and two warm hands suddenly grabbed a hold of him.
As the hands held him, the rest of his descent was smooth. He felt no pressure, no weight, and no pain. It was a sweet flow that caused him to smile a little.
After all, he knew who had just showed up.
"Good job, Master." The voice echoed in his ears, and as Rey managed to pry his eyes open, he caught a blurry glimpse of the red-haired man in the suit.
"Ater…" He murmured, unable to finish the rest of his words.
Thankfully, thanks to their bond, there was no need for unnecessary conversation between the two of them.
"I understand, Master." The fleeting voice sounded gentle and understanding.
Rey's smile deepened as he finally shut his eyes, feeling himself slip into the inevitable darkness that awaited him.
"... Leave the rest to me."
After that, everything went blank for Rey.
**********
"..."
As Ater gracefully held Rey in his arms, cuddling him as one would a child, he landed on the ground, his black shoes clacking against the hard, damaged ground.
His ebony skin gleamed under the darkening sky, and his handsome face seemed forlorn. He kept looking at his sleeping Master, complicated emotions playing all over his face.
"Forgive my incompetence, Master. I should have arrived much sooner." He whispered, though his voice wasn't all melancholic.
After those words came a smile, with his blood-red eyes glowing brightly.
"You exceeded my expectations, though. I didn't think you could, but you actually managed to beat that thing…"
Ater knew how powerful Divine Beasts were. He had warned his Master against ever summoning them, but who would have thought he would have to face one so early?
'It was too early, but… I suppose the results speak for themselves.'
The entire city was in ruins, and a few of his Master's friends even perished in the whole conflict. The arrival of the Dragons was inevitable, but it was surprising to see them arrive so soon.
'What a blunder on my part. It seems I was too focused on the bigger picture that I forgot to ask Master about little details like these…'
Ater made a deep sigh, releasing steamy breaths from his lips as he once again looked at the sleeping Rey.
"In any case, I'm glad you're okay."
Once he was done engaging in his sentiment, he cast his gaze on the humans who were a distance from his position and were approaching him at a cautious pace.
'A disappointing bunch. Hm…?' As he observed them, he noticed the sleeping Alicia.
She was being carried by Brutus, while the rest huddled together, with Adonis leading the march as they neared him.
'That girl. She's been cursed, huh?'
"Who are y—?!" Adonis quickly spoke up, but before he could say any more, Ater raised his hand and stopped any further words from being uttered.
"There's no time for squabbles. Master has left me in charge of you all, so you'll listen to all my commands and act accordingly."
Surprised gasps filled the faces of those he addressed, but Ater's calm face didn't display any form of emotion. He was neither intimidated, neither was he condescending.
He was simply acting according to what he deemed necessary.
"W-who do you think you are, talking to us like that?" Belle raised her voice, appearing right out of the small crowd.
As her blond hair swayed, she pointed at him and yelled once again. "Let Rey go! And introduce yourself we—!"
"Oh? How pathetic must you be to have forgotten so easily. Humans are indeed very fickle, aren't they?"
As he said this, Belle shivered slightly.
"Master ordered me not to use any of my powers on his allies, which is why I've restrained myself thus far, but your foolishness offers a temptation that makes my adherence difficult."
He cast his gaze on everyone, one after the other.
Then, after a moment of silence, Belle let out a small whisper, almost in surprise and fear.
"S-Sir Ralyks…?"
"Indeed." Ater sighed, running fingers through his hair as he carried Rey on one hand. "Now that you know that much, there are more important things to address."
"B-but I don't understand…" Adonis mumbled, but he was ignored completely.
"The city is in ruins, and there are many lives that are in danger as we speak. Some can still be saved, so we ought to get right on that."
As he said this, everyone straightened up.
No one could disregard him or ask any further questions as to his identity. His confident demeanor, otherworldly beauty, and incredible power… they all told of something deep and unquestionable about this man.
"Listen to my instructions and perform them to the utmost. I do not expect a lot from you all, so I will not request the impossible." He spoke awfully bluntly, but no one could utter a single word in their defense.
"Firstly, give me that girl. I'll take charge of both her and Master."
The moment he said this, a few eyes widened, and Adonis was about to protest, but Ater raised a finger to stop him that very instant.
"I'll be confiscating my gift to you as well. Belle, you're coming with me, as for the rest of you, your tasks will now be given."
Much to everyone's shock, he gave them incredibly accurate and precise instructions within such a short period of time.
Not only did he ignore the emotional burdens that they carried at that very moment, he disregarded their opinions and assigned them what he deemed to be their most optimal tasks.
The worst part was… every person's assignment was objectively the best that could have been given to them.
"Time is of the essence…" Ater said, his tone commanding authority.
Everyone nodded. At this point, he had completely assumed the position of authority over them and there was nothing they could do or say to resist it.
'I have no idea how long Master will remain asleep for. I have to make sure everything flows as perfectly as possible within that time.'
Ater found himself wishing he was present during the calamity. Things could have played out a lot differently after all.
'That dumb beast. It couldn't even adhere to a simple warning…' He sighed.
Alas, he too was busy with other assignments that would ultimately prove beneficial to his Master. Once he considered things in such a light, perhaps the death of a few thousand was of no real consequence.
"Let us begin."
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Thanks for reading!
As you can tell, the Arc is coming to a close in a chapter or two. I hope you enjoyed this journey.
Consider giving a nice review if you did.
Thankssss!
