Several centuries ago, in a universe far away…
Guraaah—!!!
A young man, adorned with locks of raven black hair and piercing red eyes, valiantly fought a swarm of humanoid creatures.
Instead of sporting a suit of armor, the young man dressed in regal attire — wearing a red tunic crafted from the softest of silk and ivory trousers — almost as if he was out for a casual stroll and not for a planetary battle.
These humanoids, tall and thin, possessed distinctive greenish skin, making their appearance grotesque.
But since they were clad in high-tech battle suits that exuded a polished white shine, their repulsive features were hidden from view, concealed beneath their sleek armor.
Pew, Pew, Pew—!!!
Some of them carried weapons that strikingly resembled modern-day mana guns crafted by humans.
Without waiting for a breath, they unleashed a relentless barrage of blue energy bullets upon the young man, each shot crackling with destructive power.
Tak, Tak, Tak—!!
However, as if an impenetrable, invisible barrier shielded the young man, every energy bullet fired by the humanoid creatures was thwarted, unable to even graze a single strand of his hair.
–"Squad Tetra, ready yourselves for close-range combat! Equip your Energy Sabers!"
–"Squad Geto, provide cover for Squad Tetra! Today is the day we must bring him down! We shall put an end to his reign of tyranny!"
–"Indeed! He has oppressed our world for far too long! This battle is for the sake of our world and our entire universe!"
–"Yes! We will defeat him before our king even arrives on the battlefield and give his head to him! The evil dragon will fall today!"
Surrounded by the greenish aliens, the young man could hear their voices intermingling as they communicated with each other.
Their call-outs, instructions, and self-motivation echoed in his ears.
Although he didn't know their language, he somehow understood their emotions, allowing him to grasp the essence of their words.
Almost instantly, a group of humanoid creatures placed their guns back into the hostlers on their waists and swiftly took out torch-shaped handles from their high-tech suits.
In the blink of an eye, brilliant blue laser blades erupted from the handles in their hands as they charged toward the young man.
Unfazed by their advance, a menacing smirk grew on the young man's face.
He stood there calmly, eagerly waiting for his enemies' approach, and as they drew near, he dropped the invisible barrier he had cast in front of him.
Engaging in close-quarters combat, he fearlessly clashed with the aliens, his movements swift and precise, countering their attacks with utmost finesse.
Swish—!!
Swiftly evading a horizontal slash from one of the laser swords, the young man dropped to his knees into a crouched position.
He then quickly thrust his hand deep into the abdomen of the audacious humanoid creature who dared to swing his Energy Saber at him.
Thwack—!!!
The force of the young man's strike sent the humanoid flying through the air until he collided with several dozen of his own kind who were coming to assist him.
The impact sent them sprawling, creating a domino effect as they all crashed to the ground, entangled in a heap of fallen bodies.
Pew, Pew, Pew—!!
Right then, in a desperate attempt to protect their fallen comrades, the gunmen standing at the back fired a barrage of energy bullets toward the black-haired young man.
"Idiots," but that only caused the smirk on the young man's face to grow even wider.
He lifted up his hand in front of his face and suddenly it morphed into what could only be called a giant dragon claw.
The claw was thrice the size of a normal human hand and four times thick. It was charcoal ash in color and was covered in what appeared to be reptilian scales.
Tak, Tak, Tak—!!!
The young man effortlessly blocked the incoming barrage of energy bullets with his claw by using it as a shield, leaving the humanoid creatures visibly frustrated and clenching their jaws in vexation.
Taking advantage of the distraction of the black-haired boy, the remaining members of the Tetra squad seized the opportunity to rush him with their Energy Sabers ready to strike.
Unfortunately, the young man was already prepared for them.
"Fools!" He yelled as he swiftly transformed his other hand into a matching dragon claw.
Kwish—!!
With a sweeping motion, he slashed through those who had approached, sending them hurtling back into the air.
"Playtime is over," he declared, his tone laced with an air of finality.
Before any of the humanoid creatures could react, the young man inhaled deeply, causing his chest to puff up before….
FWOOSH—!!!
A torrent of white flames erupted from his mouth, engulfing the battlefield in a searing blaze.
As the young man unleashed the scorching white flames, he did a swift spin, creating an arc of fiery destruction that burnt down everything in its path.
The intense heat devoured anything it touched, reducing both the humanoid creatures and their high-tech suits to nothing but ashes.
Despite the fire resistance features integrated into their suits, they offered no help against the young man's immolating inferno.
Those who did manage to survive that assault of hellish flames by the sheer stroke of luck, dissipated into light particles, their bodies disappearing into the thin air.
It was almost as if the white flames had snuffed them out of the very existence itself.
After a few moments, the black-haired young man was left standing alone on the battlefield.
His barren surroundings sizzled as the white flames slowly died down, leaving the ground scorched and piles of ashes behind.
As the embers flew all around him and the air crackled with heat, the young man let out a short sigh.
"Samael Gracefell!"
Just then, a sudden cry pierced the air, making Samael halt in his tracks.
Slowly, the black-haired young man turned, his sharp gaze darting across the battlefield to look for the source of the voice.
Soon, a figure emerged from the rising pillars of distant smoke and walked toward Samael. It was another humanoid creature.
Tall and gaunt, the creature had the familiar greenish skin like the rest of his kind.
Yet, this particular creature looked more human than others of his species.
Maybe it was because he didn't have any high-tech suits on him; instead, he donned a long brown robe that fluttered behind it, leaving his face open.
"So, you're their king," Samael Gracefell raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with a hint of slight mockery. "Back on my home planet, Earth, in ancient times, kings used to adorn themselves with precious metals and gems in order to set them apart from the common folk who wore ragged clothes and robes. Quite the opposite here, it seems. Ha!"
"You find this amusing?!" A flare of indignation ignited within the creature's eyes. Its words crackled with fury. "You've killed millions of my people–"
Samael interjected, his tone filled with audacious confidence. "And I will kill a million more. That is, unless you surrender to me."
Rage, disgust, and disbelief mingled in the creature's gaze as his eyes fixed upon Samael.
"Why?! Why are you going this far?!" The creature's voice trembled with intensity. "Have you not caused enough suffering, destroyed enough lives across countless universes already?!"
"I've caused suffering and destroyed lives?" Samael raised an eyebrow, a look of genuine confusion washing over his face. "No. I've conquered those universes and bestowed upon them tranquility! The inhabitants there now live in blissful harmony, living more securely than ever! They are happy under my reign, under my Empire."
"You've enslaved them! They've become your puppets! You've stripped them of their free will, you monster!" The creature retorted with fury. "And those who dared defy your twisted version of peace were killed by you! This is no peace, it's tyranny!"
"Obviously," Samael replied with a nonchalant shrug. "How can one challenge the will of God and hope to live through it?"
"The will of God?!" The creature let out a hysteric chuckle, his eyes gleaming with a spark of madness. "You really think you're some kind of God, huh?!"
"Yes," Samael stated matter-of-factly. "But let's shift the focus from me, yeah? You, let us talk about you. So tell me, are you one of the champions of Akashic Records?"
"Yes," the creature affirmed and tightened his grip on the hilt of his Energy Saber.
Instantly, the glowing red blade of a laser sword ignited and the alien king assumed a battle stance.
"And by that stance, I gather you're not going to surrender easily," Samael mused.
"Never," came the resolute reply from the alien king, causing Samael to let out a long exasperated sigh.
"All you champions are the same. Causing trouble until the end. You guys never ever surrender, even when victory is nothing but a distant dream," Samael shook his head, stretching his hands casually.
"I'll avenge my fallen comrades, Samael Gracefell! I am Beidara of the Kashi race, one of Akashic Records' three champions in this universe! It is my destiny to kill you, and I will happily fulfill it!" The creature declared.
Then, after a short pause, he continued in a low growl, "I shall take my Last Stand At The World's End."
In the next moment, he lunged forward at Samael.
The black-haired conqueror, now done with his stretch, faced his incoming enemy with lidded eyes. "Indeed, you shall try."
