Everyone stared at the figure in front of them in astonishment.
Cayn's body was a masterpiece.
Even Diana looked at it with eyes wide open.
Are those muscles, even normal?
"Let it be known to all of you. Now that you are under me, and me only. You shall never kneel before anyone else. And I shall stand tall, in front of anything that dare touch you. Even if I break and die!" Cayn's face was furious, screaming. His muscles flexed, you could hear cracking sounds as they roared. "I ask for forgiveness, for the lives that were lost because I was incompetent. I have no excuse." Cayn was englobed with dark energy that roared madly pushing the surprised Malik and all the angels far back. "But I shall be incompetent no more," he gritted his teeth. "As of now, I shall protect you all." Cayn's teeth started cracking with the strength of his bite.
The world roared with his aura.
Malik broke down. This, this guy took one look at him, and already learned more efficient ways to use the powers he cultivated for billions of years. Cayn's talent brought him to despair. And in less than an hour, he unblocked his mana paths forcibly and could stand as tall as the six supreme gods. Cayn brought him to despair, but he was proud, of his decision to follow such a man.
Cayn's body was breaking, shattering. His dark energy blocked the entire universe. He looked at those five coldly.
The five of them were decapitated in pieces. Without knowing what was happening. Their bodies already turned into nothingness.
Suddenly Cayn started screaming. His eyes became a bloody red. Pain. Intense pain.
His energy roared harder.
He gradually started screaming harder.
He Bitting his teeth trying to withstand the pain till they broke.
His skin tore, showing his red muscles and some of his broken bones.
Malik couldn't jump in. A wrong step could make him and his entire people disappear in a flinch.
He suddenly met Cayn's mad eyes. They were tearing up blood, his entire body was. Yet Cayn didn't blink, he stared at Malik.
This scene broke Malik's heart, he looked at Cayn, then kneeled without saying a word, putting his head down as if he prayed to him.
Cayn's pain intensified, and he screamed once again.
Malik raised his eyes to meet his.
Cayn's face skin was tearing apart forcibly. He screamed with all his lungs or what was left of them, yet he still stared at Malik.
Malik nodded. And only then, did Cayn close his eyes, as if he let go of his shackles, he roared, and the entire realm flipped.
Malik immediately created a barrier enveloping the entire world, protecting the angels and humans. He then moved the entire planet far away from Cayn who was left flying in space.
The entire universe shook and trembled at Cayn's voice and the energy that enveloped all of it.
Cayn's body was breaking down, reattaching again as his aura eased. Only to be broken again and destroyed.
Diana watched the process take an entire year and a half. Until Cayn's voice finally broke down.
His aura finally disappeared.
Malik felt it and made the planet and the entire realm come back to their original state. He flew next to Cayn that was flying in space unconsciously.
Everyone, angels and humans came running to his side.
They all watched this man held by Malik with complicated eyes, if not crying.
"He did it," said Malik to ease the people, especially a group of young men and women, who looked the age of Cayn.
Suddenly Diana found herself back in the tunnel of light with Malik kneeling.
Her eyes were teary, dim, and tired. She witnessed the entire year and a half of Cayn's pain. Not once, not even once did his expression change from rage.
She looked at Malik, who was looking at the ground.
She spoke in a low voice, "If it was you, would you, have survived the pain?"
Malik looked at the ground for a moment. "I am sure you know why every being has to build up the power of time and not rush. I cultivated that power in billions of years, and it took even more for the six supreme," he sighed. "For the first time using magic, to able to achieve that strength even comparable to the six supreme gods in merely a day, his bod-"
"Answer me," she spoke again.
Malik stared at the ground in silence. "He is monstrously talented, but he took short roads, and for that came the retribution-"
"Answer, me," her voice was shaking.
"I, am not confident, I can survive, under ten minutes of that pain."
Diana's voice cracked, "An-and, was that, just the beginning?" she asked.
Malik sighed, "He fought the six supreme beings, with their armies, and the entire realms together, alone while protecting us."
Diana staggered back, "W-why, was he, alone?"
"They were already getting ready to start a war of their own, which is why I came to that realm to seek shelter from the six supremes. When the mortal realm was known after this accident, it became the focus of their greediness. My lord was the only one, who could stand against them, while also helping us get stronger. He never wished, for even one life, to be lost in the middle of these wars."
"So that stupid man, fought alone?" She chuckled like a crazy woman.
Malik sighed, "Even if we got stronger, in four years. What can we do? What could the humans do? No matter how talented some of us were, we couldn't catch up to him. We are all lucky to have him, otherwise, we would be filling those beings' dinner table."
Diana didn't know what to say to that. She quietened down, sobbing.
She looked at him, "You won't show me any more than this, right."
Malik clenched his teeth and hands angrily, "I, am sorry. For it is, too cruel, for your eyes."
Diana smiled and put her hand on Malik's shoulder. "You don't have to be mad at yourself. You were also doing your best."
Malik raised his eyes to look at her surprised. His eyes watered.
"Eh?" He touched his cheeks, blankly looking at his fingers that wiped the tears.
"W-was he, a great ruler?" She asked.
Malik looked at her for a moment, as if he was reminiscing the moments. His eyes teared up harder. "He was the Emperor, everybody wished for. But also the one, everyone needed. He ruled with kindness and compassion, but also with fear and cruelty. He was the best of both worlds. He, was a perfect ruler, in every situation occurring. He, treated everyone generously, while also despairing his enemies. His dictation was a path, his voice was heaven. He was my Emperor." Spoke Malik with pride, yet sadness in his voice.
Diana smiled as she raised her eyes to the roof of the tunnel.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I, understand."
She stood there for a while, before finally looking back at him, "Take me back."
Malik nodded.
Diana found herself at the ball as if they were there the entire time.
She met Cayn's cold gaze from across the hall.
Diana's eyes, were different, as she walked towards him, taking two glasses of wine in her pretty hands.