In an underground lab several yards away from Amalgamation, a handsome young man was confined in a glass tube. The transparent surface exposed the contents of the tube and revealed the viscous fluid shrouding the young man. This young man was Mane. And the fluid surrounding him was a special herb extract that could accommodate Edict. And that was why Mane was still alive without any sustenance or air.
Next to the tube was a bed of straw. The bed was common yet uncommon. For though it as only made of straw, a strange cord connected it to a large battery. In this battery was stored the purest form of Edict; this was what maintained the figure on the bed. For upon this bed lay the unconscious figure of Ancestor Origin. The old man slept peacefully, furrowing his brows from time to time. Suddenly the peace he was experiencing was lost to the wind as his slumbering figure shook unstably upon the bed. Like a shivering leaf he clutched at the edges of his bed as his body fidgeted uncomfortably upon it. For several minutes he quivered and trembled, the bed bearing the brunt of his nightmare. Blood escaped his nostrils and mouth as his pain went on for a few more minutes until finally his eyes fluttered open.
Once those pupils gazed upon the world once again the space in the room twisted and turned like a dying snake. The dried up blood on his face turned into light particles that were absorbed by those eyes, causing them to shine even brighter. Immediately he awakened the Origin King reached for his eyes and felt them up anxiously. His dismay lasted but a few seconds until he realised that he could still sense that power – his power remained, coursing through his veins like the blood that sustained him. The Edict battery lit up once the Origin King awakened, bestowing the Lord of all Artefacts with strength and restoring his health.
Man had assessed that the Origin King couldn't use his full power because his current body couldn't bear the weight of his strength. And though he had been deceived into an illusion, the young Supreme was right. But he wasn't entirely accurate. If this flaw could so easily be seen by a teenager who had only fought him a few minutes, then surely the Origin King in all his vast wisdom had understood this long ago. And since wisdom was the outworking of understood knowledge, the Origin King searched for a solution. And that was what led to the birth of this room. This underground lab stored several precious materials that the Origin King converted into the battery that was currently keeping this body active. He had many lying around and constantly replaced the worn out ones. So though this body was weak, he could fight and overcome many – not all – limitations with the Edict batteries.
"Odin!" Ancestor Origin gritted his teeth in frustration, the memory of the fight in his Mind Scape a fresh wound. His voice was like a thunderous tide that drowned every sound. And the lab trembled a short while. The tremble however, awakened the young man confined within the glass tube. And he too opened his eyes.
*Boom*
Like the quaking of the earth and the shifting of the plates time trembled when those pupils were exposed to the world once more. Unlike the Origin King those eyes didn't battle with confusion and doubt when they were opened for that was not their luxury. For those were the eyes that were pure and true; and when they looked upon the glass tube that confined their host the containment was breached. For it trembled and realised its folly, and it let the Supreme go.
*Crack*
Mane landed stably on the ground, the sticky fluid that coated his body a remnant of his place of rest for the past few days. The young Supreme's eyes were glued to the seething Ancestor Origin. Those beautiful orbs which had free – yet controlled – reign over time were filled with alertness and chaos. And Edict was routed immediately as the young Supreme prepared to fight for his life.
"Aurora," Mane's voice was like a sweet melody, breaching even the most callous hearts. And the one it sought revealed herself.
"Master Mane," Aurora appeared right next to Mane with a gaze that told many stories. But in all of those stories, confusion was the only thing birthed; doubt the only end product.
"How did I get here?" Aurora wondered in confusion. "I was tailing Ancestor Fire so what happened?" she quizzed herself, trying her hardest to recall what wasn't. Mane frowned, realizing that the King of the Past had not only trapped him but Aurora as well. And she wasn't the only one.
"Crystal," Mane called out once again, his voice reaching into the depths of the illusionary maze to pull out the one whom it had trapped.
"Master Mane," Crystal also appeared with a frown, likely wondering what someone supposed to be tailing the Prince of Ancients was doing in a sketchy laboratory.
"He imprisoned us all," Mane sighed silently. His arrogance led him to believe that in this world there was nothing that could see past his trickery; no element that could divulge his secrets. And it was because of this blind confidence – no, arrogance – that he had to be rescued by his Great Grandfather. And though he learnt a lot from their meeting, he would rather it didn't happen again.
"Here," Mane stretched out his fingers and reached to his warriors. The light of understanding engulfed them and soon, Wraith and Eternal alike were as informed as the young Supreme. And both their expressions were mixtures of fear, anger and caution.
"He is the Origin King?" Crystal gulped audibly, understanding the threat that stood before them better than the wraith who belonged to this universe and couldn't comprehend the gravity of facing the man whose legends belonged to the True Universe.
"He is," Mane nodded. "And I need your help to break his bones," the young Supreme's eyes flashed with authority as he called on his power. Without any hesitation his strength as Mane Harbinger was revealed and his authority was established.
Takeover!
Basileus!
Brimstone!
True Flames!
Mane activated several Glows and Breaths in quick succession, not daring to look down upon the one whose power had drawn out the Allfather himself. He needed to be at his best from the very beginning lest face prosecution at the hands of a King whose pride had been wounded. Once Mane's power had been activated he felt a low rumble in his belly as the laws he had swallowed so gluttonously in the Origin King's Mind Scape integrated into his spirit. And the young Supreme felt a new Breath beckoning. Even before seeing it he could feel its strength. And without tapping into it he knew what it was. He could tell what it did. He called for its power, and it obliged.
"That which fills my lungs and penetrates my marrow. Inhabit me and sustain me. Activate Breath: Time Encapsulation."
*Wuuu*
The grey light of time engulfed Mane like a cloak and covered up his naked silhouette. The eyes of the young Supreme brightened as the power of those eyes that gave him light grew even stronger. Several cracks appeared on the walls of the laboratory as the building began to quake. Finally, the Origin King – the silent King of Old – turned Mane's way.
Those eyes were cold and merciless, the loss they had suffered only a few moments prior tossed out the window – and so was Mane's victory. When Mane gazed into them he could feel the rage and shame the Origin King felt. But most of all – strongest of all – was retribution. For only the blood of the boy standing before him would take away his disgrace.
"Get ready," Mane alerted his underlings once the Origin King was reminded of the young Supreme's presence. And both were right of mind to quickly nod their heads and prepare their strength.
Several yards away from Amalgamation was a forest. This forest wasn't large, but it was lush and beautiful. It was filled with several vibrant creatures that embroiled themselves in the laws of life and death each and every day. But it would soon be a vast wasteland. And the creatures that inhabited it would soon be turned to dust. They may have loitered between the laws of life and death but now they were going to take on the laws of death only. And it was going to happen…now!
*Boom*
With a loud quake the forest floor began to shake violently like a man experiencing a seizure. And soon under the frightened cry of the animals who fled in vain, the ground opened up and swallowed the forest whole.
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
Four figures escaped from depths below and landed stably on the destroyed ground. All around them trees had been destroyed – trunk severed from root – but neither paid any mind to that. The several bodies that littered the area around them evoked no sympathy for none had the time or space to consider anything but themselves. All the four knew was that they were the only things to have survived that disaster – a disaster they had wrought upon this world.
"I will kill you! And then when I get my body back, I will destroy Odin!" the Origin King screamed furiously as he pushed himself forward. His bloody gaze focused on the space that was before him and a gap was formed in it. The gap expanded quickly and soon the Origin King had disappeared into it.
"So that's what he is really after! Is his body in this universe? He didn't have to give me that information though." Mane thought to himself as he backpedaled furiously.
His movements were cheap imitations of what Odin had displayed back when he fought the Origin King. They weren't the best. For even Odin had ripped these movements off the God of Speed and Fury, Hermes, and Mane copying a copy meant that he was always aiming for the imperfect. But that was enough for now. Aurora and Crystal had been humbled by the fact that even with the Grim Reaper's blessing they were still vulnerable in this world. And both swiftly spread out to make use of the large battlefield. The Origin King might have the advantage in such a setting, but they were going to ensure that he wished he didn't.
The figure of the Origin King appeared in Mane's former position and with a deafening boom, the King of all Artefacts announced his intentions to the world.
*Bang*
Ash and grey lights flickered all around the ancient relic as the area that totaled about 20 square meters was disintegrated to dust. Death was usually silent. But destruction was loud and chaotic. And the Origin King was here to destroy.
"Strong," Mane silently wiped his sweaty brow as he gazed upon the carnage of the Origin King. But his 'appreciation' was short-lived. For the young Supreme had been waiting for the latter half of his gains from the Origin King's Mind Scape to be digested. And it finally was. As the laws of Space engulfed his figure, the black of Takeover and the grey of Time Encapsulation welcomed their new companion. For the young Supreme was compelled by the beckoning hand of space and obliged its anxious cry.
"That which fills my lungs and penetrates my marrow. Inhabit me and sustain me. Activate Breath: Shuttling Through Space."
*Whoosh*