"Oi. Are you the boss of those losers?" Monstrum widely smirked, looking down at Muhammad.
He couldn't believe it. Chaotically incarnated into disastrous flesh, Malum clenched his fists, increasing the output of his spiritual aura.
"Malum Monstrum!"
The Monster grabbed the Apex by the face and pushed him away, watching the man fly from the hole in the building before crashing through the other skyscrapers.
"There." He looked down at Atlas. "That helped, didn't it?"
Amit's eyes rolled. "You stupid bastard. I was going to steal his technique," he said.
"Oh right, I forgot about that. Well," he scratched his nape. "I didn't use my whole strength. He should still be alive."
Atlas stood up and invoked his Fate, automatically healing with the aura's imbued Restoration technique.
Malum looked down at him and grinned. "You didn't raise the barrier. Didn't you think about what'd happen if those Apex freaks got outside the designated area? Surely, your public status would collapse, right—?"
"Tch," Atlas sucked his teeth. "Don't you think I know that?" His fingers interlocked. The blackened Fate around him simultaneously increased once his eyes shut. "Barrier Deployment: Maximum Radius."
Around the area appeared a black square-like barrier 300 feet tall and 400 feet wide. Within the immense domain, the azure day faded—replaced by night's irrevocable shade courtesy of the veil that fell over the city.
"Impressive. And to think I still haven't met anyone as good as you at barrier techniques," Monstrum said.
The Progenitor glanced at him before rolling his eyes, looking back at the city. "You remember what I told you, yes?"
"Is that seriously even a question? OF COURSE!"
"Then go."
The duo destroyed the building with their leaps, soaring through the air—their contrasting hair shades swaying. The remaining signatures were stationed across the city; Monstrum could feel their auras seeping through the rooftops. But how? Only then did his eyes widen.
Three other signatures emerged from his rear. Twisting around, Monstrum spotted the trio, invoking his scarlet Fate and jumping away from them all.
He snickered. "You guys must be pretty confident if you're ambushing the Disastrous. Now then—" Malum raised his hand and beckoned them forward. "—come at me."
The Apex challenging him were triplets. The flow of their Fate was identical yet something about its contents screamed abnormality. The brother on the far right and two sisters on the middle and far left had long black hair; not to mention their auras as well.
'Predestined Power: Our Lunar Ruler!'
Apex #4, #5, and #6: The River Siblings.
The Rivers are tied by the same Fate and therefore awakened to an identical Predestined Power. Like Luna and Muhammad, they're the illegitimate children of the former Apex Head, but each psychically tied by destiny.
Psychic sibling connections manifested through Fate are extremely rare cases. The only known examples are the Amit Family through the deceased Archer Amit gifted with Blessed Freedom and of course, the Rivers.
Their Predestined Power, 'Our Lunar Ruler', is named after this older sister: Luna Amana. As long as she continues living in this world, their Fate is strengthened and they can easily switch between different abilities.
The older brother is specialized in offensive skills. The middle sister is specialized in defensive skills. But the little sister is the strongest—for she is a master in supportive skills like Restoration techniques.
The older brother, despite his affinity for shields, invoked some of his sister's energy and smashed the roof with his fist. The surrounding platform started collapsing and clouding with smoke. Flying back from within the mist, Monstrum's palm raised, spawning a single-edged blackened spear—lunging it at the siblings.
The lance pierced the air, spawning multiple copies while flying, raining down on the Siblings below. Surprisingly, the middle sister charged, catching one of the weapons and punching his face. Monstrum caught her fist with his fangs, tearing off her hand with one bite.
The Disastrous snatched the girl by the throat and started clenching. Then, her little sister exited the smoke, firing an arrow from her fingertip that entered her sibling's back. The following rejuvenation detonated her sister's aura, effectively blinding the Monster's many eyes. Using the brief opening, the Rivers sister punched his face, engulfing her knuckles in destructive enough Fate to launch him across the city.
The brother and sister left white trails from their feet as they flew through the sky, soaring over the building Monstrum crashed through. The Rivers brother felt his skin ignite as he morphed into a fiery meteor that pierced through the air and appeared over Malum's descending form, cocking back his fist to punch him in the chest.
The huge mouth with demonic fangs on Monstrum's stomach opened to catch the fist. Its fangs chomped into the Rivers' wrist and tore, chewing the flesh for it to spurt into his eye. The Disastrous warped across space, manifesting behind his foe to smash into his skull with one Fated punch.
The impact dispersed the gathering clouds above them, sending the Brother into the cityscape for him to embed into a rooftop, profusely bleeding from the head. Malum landed on his chest with a stomp, crushing his internal organs and ribs, and causing the man to cry out in pain.
"Oh, don't die yet!" Monstrum bent over and smiled at his victim's bloody face. "THE FUN'S JUST GETTING STARTED!!"
His little sister exited the clouds with one raised leg that destroyed the rooftop structure. Monstrum smirked, flawlessly blocking the blow with his forearm—effectively destroying the storefront they were atop.
She jumped back after the kick and landed before the Disastrous, punching at his face, which he easily dodged. Nevertheless, the girl relentlessly attacked while Monstrum continuously weaved.
'These three were nothing to write home about. As long as their leader exists in this world, they'll receive stronger Fate as a result of their emotions being heightened because of her existence. It's quite easy to bypass—if their savior dies, their technique will vanish, and so will their Fate.'
The Disastrous smiled as he caught her fist and pulled her closer, biting a chunk from her neck before kicking her in the gut. As she flew through the air, he warped behind her, touching her back with one open hand.
'Veil.'
Her body split into bloody cubes that splattered onto the street below. The final sister screamed in despair at her sibling's demise.
"SAM—"
The Disastrous landed beside her, covering the sister's mouth. His demonic talons sunk into her pale skin and drew blood, muffling her screams to which he grinned. Finally, he released her from his grasp, letting her flail upward. The eventual trajectory of his throw sent her beyond the clouds and into the upper atmosphere.
But her view of space's countless stars was brief. As she fell back, the Sister's eyes shut closed and her parted lips followed suit. The sound of her frozen body shattering behind him as Monstrum's feet dangled off a billboard sent him to sneer.
"Shameful. And here I thought this era of Fate users was something special."
He examined the Rivers' sister's body through the bloody cube she was sliced into, chewing the flesh after biting. Then, his eyes widened.
'Our Lunar Ruler' only has one condition. Following the Siblings' brutal demise, if Luna Amana remains in this world, they won't die. Instead, they'll increase in strength, conjoin, and…
As their hulking shadow peeked over Monstrum's form, his long white hair and eightfold eyes admired the Beast. A literal Goliath fitted with insurmountable aura and Fate capable of challenging even the Unconquerable. Or at the very least, that's how the Disastrous viewed it.
"Incredible." Monstrum smirked widely, releasing his aura for all the world to see. "SHOW ME THAT STRENGTH!!"
…
While weakened Fate bolts rapidly fired at his little brother, Samael watched with shocked eyes as Apollo bent his body to stylishly dodge the blazing blasts.
'What the—?!' He reflexively stepped back and covered his face. 'It's like he's a different person!'
Samael, a Master of Fate, was sent to chills at the scent of his little brother's malicious signature. Moloch's silhouette with only emerald eyes swiftly appeared and threw his fist, feeling it smash into Sam's forearms. Andras felt himself slipping, and with widened eyes, started falling to the ground. This was because of Apollo's simultaneous movement; when he punched Sam's arms, he also swept his legs.
Apollo caught his foe's throat and smashed him into the ground. His older brother was all but helpless. He couldn't make sense of it. The pain numbed as his skull was continuously grabbed and smashed into the concrete ground, leaking blood from the cracks his head formed upon being rapidly shattered.
'You useless older brother… you saw the way they treated us time and time again. But you never did anything. You were too scared. Why? Were you that tied down by yourself that you hadn't the strength to take us from their grasp? If we could've lived with you then maybe… maybe—' Apollo grinned. 'Actually, forget it. I do not need disappointments like you anymore.'
Moloch raised his brother's bloody head between his fingers with a sinister smirk and blazing green Fate.
"Goodbye, big brother. You were nothing but useless your entire wasteless life."
If you'd asked Samael how he thought he'd die, this would be the very last thing on the list. But it was alright. His consciousness had faded long ago. Nevertheless, the remnants of Fate lingering in his body meant his body still lived. That all changed the moment Apollo's fist clenched—turning Sam's head to dust. The rest of his putrid sibling turned into ash, the same as the skull, and flew into the wind, leaving nothing but the distance across from Apollo.
It wasn't empty ground. He recognized who stood behind Samael and watched everything unfold: it was Raven.
With widened eyes, the girl's pink hair moved the wind, letting the tears wet her cheeks as they poured down her face. Everything else in the world turned to darkness as but her soul illuminated the corruption. The malevolence invading Apollo completely faded once he fell forward into his sister's arms, who easily caught her dear older brother.
"W-what happened? Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Apollo kept apologizing.
"Alright, that's enough." Atlas pulled Aella back and held his sword to her throat. "Stab her in the gut."
Moloch cracked his knuckle, letting Fate engulf his hand. "As you wish, Master." He pierced her in the gut with one hand. "Sorry, sis. I love you but…" he gazed into her eyes with the widest grin that stretched into his cheek. "THIS FEELS SO GOOD!!"
Atlas grabbed both of their shoulders and sent them into the same black portal cut into space beside them. As the splice quickly closed, the Progenitor leaned back, shoving both hands into his pockets—letting his black locks flow in the wind.
That was so long ago, he couldn't even remember it now. A liberating day amid many boring others. With his memory robbed amid Fate's Realm, what more could he do but lose his mind and spirit? In reality, all he's ever been is a gruesome murderer. One who destroyed all in his way to reach whatever end he sought. Even when his darling sister tried comforting him, he attempted to exterminate her as well.
'How ironic…'
All it took was a simple step. Apollo's mere steps after exiting stasis shook the Gate City's very foundation. Everyone felt his signature resonate throughout the location, sending chills down their spines.
Fitted with all-black torn clothing despite the intact cowl attached to his back, Moloch smirked, gazing up at the bright blue sky reflected in his pupils.
"Looks like the situation's escalated quicker than we anticipated. It was all set to begin when I awoke, right..?" Apollo's arm extended, sliding his fallen phone on the ground with a telekinesis technique. He called Atlas. "Master, do you read me?"
The Progenitor ducked under a clean slice from his opponent's blade, sliding under the attack and stopping behind the foe. His sword masterfully unsheathed in less than a second, cutting apart the Apex, and leaving him mutilated in a puddle of blood.
Atlas put a hand to his earpiece. "Apollo," he smiled. "nice to see you're awake and with us. How do you feel?"
"Better than ever. Tell Monstrum this—"
The Disastrous jumped out of the way from Goliath's slash, flying into the air and watching their movements. The claymore they weld cleanly cut apart the many buildings behind him while Malum already moved, punching into the Giant's right cheek. A shockwave resonated through their skull so they could fall back from the impact, crashing into the unpopulated city below.
He landed atop a rooftop and looked down, perking his head at the sound of static in his ear. "The hell—?" The following voice was familiar. Then it hit him. 'Moloch!'
"Come to me, Disastrous. This is when we both… destroy everything."
Monstrum's Fate released like a whirlwind that engulfed everything in its path as it stretched into the skies. All eight of his eyes glowed red, his arms raised as he screamed through the city.
"YESSSSSSSSSS!!!"