The world that once knew serenity now lies in ashes and dust alongside the ever growing flames of war and destruction.
Its inhabitants remember an azure sky above the horizon and the flourishing life that once lived upon this earth and soon, the memory of the world known as Myrrah will fade away in the river of time.
Inside an oakley furnished study sat a middle-aged man reading reports on his desk while listening to the red thunderbolts and raging rains occurring outside.
'Four of the seven strongholds in the outer ring have fallen. The scouts and the generals mentioned that the enemy will come knocking down onto the inner ring within the hour.'
*Crunch*
He crumples the report papers as he stands up and faces the tall window behind him with a solemn look.
'These blasted pandemonium scum never run out of schemes. The fact that they're taking half the time to reach here really goes to show the extent of their power and influence.'
Glancing at the other reports left untouched on the table, the man then slowly realizes exactly how the enemy is currently at their doorstep.
'World's ending and these damn cretins are still busy backstabbing and trying to switch sides. As if the enemy would spare anyone.'
Sighhh
The man took a deep sigh and pressed his index and thumb on the bridge of his nose.
"Commander"
A voice from within the room hidden in the darkness reaches out.
"The scout regiment has returned with only one survivor and has given us a rough estimate of the enemy numbers."
The commander gestured to the hidden voice to continue with her report.
"There are at least a hundred thousand at the vanguard with ten million on the way. They outnumber 100 to 1. The surviving avian scout also could see more beyond the horizon."
Silence filled the room for a few seconds for the severity of the situation to kick in.
"Looks hopeless doesn't it, Merlin?"
"That's because it is."
A short exchange between the commander and his most trusted aide, Merlin.
The commander then proceeded to open his mouth again and his gaze reached nothingness from beyond the view outside his window.
"Thirty years. I've started working to prevent this outcome for thirty, long, bloody years. To think that I once believed that the culmination of achievements of humanity's united front for the past decades would finally give us a fighting chance against the invaders."
Merlin's gaze never left her commander as she watched the man who has worked harder than any mortal she has ever seen crumble and face frustration akin to a man watching his whole life burn in front of him to nothingness.
"Commander, mortal greed and selfishness knows no bounds. If it wasn't for the-"
As she tried comforting him, the commander immediately cut her off.
"The ones who came before me knew. Their knowledge lives on within me. I carry THEIR legacy. All these lives knowing exactly what to expect and still failing. That. Merlin. Is what frustrates me."
As Merlin tries to think of a reply, he continues.
"I care not for how they think or feel because I believed I knew how they would act. The unpredictability of mortals. No matter how many lives or how many cycles pass, without overwhelming strength, Myrrah burns at the end of the day."
Merlin remembers the origin of her commander and shuts her mouth. Instead, she slowly walks beside him as she follows his gaze outside the window and into the stormy night.
"Gather the Ultima, we will make our last stand near Sector 3."
A command that sounded no different than hearing the death penalty came out of the commander's mouth and Merlin knew that their time for one last push had come.
Sector 3. Also known as the World Core, or at least what remains of it. Without the support of this mystical object, the world would collapse on its own and embrace eternal darkness.
Three robed individuals were waiting within the area as Merlin and the Commander arrived.
Clang! Boom!
The sound of fighting and explosions drowned out any other sound. One of the robed individuals was tinkering with a magic device in his hand as various explosives stored within cylindrical canisters were being launched towards enemy troops.
"At this rate, our ammunition and supply of magic gems would probably run out before the final fight can even happen."
Another robed individual on a wheelchair observed and commented. He was playing with a deck of cards on his lap.
"Don't you think I, of all people, should know that Damian? Dammit. If only I got the remaining few pieces I could've…argh! To think the great Tristram would fail to reach his "
The tinkerer showed visible frustration and just started hammering his devices with his hand.
"Should've, could've, would've. We've all wept and cried because of those words Tristram, nothing new. This damn world clearly wants to end itself with its never ending source of bad luck."
Answered the last robed individual who showed a calm anger through her red velvet eyes.
As the trio noticed the new arrivals, they all turned their attention onto the commander. Pain and anger could be seen in each other's eyes.
"Bad luck has always been our best friend, Stella. It is our strength and will that triumphs over our foes."
Tsk.
The commander said as he heard the mage reply by clicking her tongue but started paying attention to what the commander said right after.
"That aside, the Trifecta has decided to encase the World Core within the Eternal Ice and they gave us the responsibility of stalling for time until they can finish the spell."
The commander shared the war plan given to the group of individuals that were once known as the world's greatest heroes, the Ultima. Now reduced to this. Disabled, incomplete and scarred.
As the commander gives out a detailed plan of their supposed last stand, an explosion occurs in the nearby walls that was supposed to be nigh-impenetrable from any form of attack.
Bwahahahaha!
A comically-evil laughter echoed out from the other side of the hole that used to be a wall.
"And here I thought that the legendary wall of Mitrium the Architect was special but apparently…it couldn't even withstand a single bomb of ours! Hyahahahahaha!"
A dark-blue skinned person with sharp ears like an elf and the height and body of a demi-titan laughed as he slowly got out of the hole and made contact with the five.
The commander's eyes sharpened and an indomitable aura surrounded his body. From thin air, a broadsword twice the size of his body materialized as he caught it with his left hand and disappeared on the spot.
Slash!
The intruder's body was immediately cut diagonally in half. Or so what it looked like but it soon became clear that it was an after image as the intruder reappeared in another location.
"Tsk. You've always been fast on your feet Kritoa."
Scorn could be seen from the commander's eyes as he locked his gaze with a very annoying enemy.
Kwuahahahaha!
"Oh that stare, it rivals even that of our Monarch. I really can't match you in that aspect Mr Commander."
The intruder laughed maniacally yet again as three of the four remaining Ultima members surrounded him while Damian, who was on a wheelchair, started chanting magic verses as his deck of cards glowed, levitated and revolved around him.
"What a rude way to welcome a guest! Kikiki…while I may not be a match for any of you and I die here today, the time for your demise is nigh. Or actually, it's already here! Kyekeke-"
The intruder's laugh got cut off alongside his head as the commander slashed a second time with his sword. This time, the results were real.
As the intruder's body fell on the ground, an ominous feeling came over the five as they all directed their gaze on the hole in the wall.
Step. Step. Step.
Heavy thunderous steps could be heard as well as the screaming of soldiers as a malicious aura seeps into the area.
A demonic being of unfathomable might reached out towards his exit and came into full view.
[Hmm…so this is the true world core]
A voice not spoken through physical means but could be heard from all directions boomed into the minds of the five heroes.
[And so we meet again, one final time, dear members of the Ultima]
As the being kept talking, the mage, Stella, had bloodshot-eyes as an indescribable rage filled her. She then started chanting a spell at supersonic speed.
『 𝕌ℝℕ𝕀ℝ𝔸 ℕ𝔸ℚ ℝ𝕌ℕ𝔼𝔾𝕌 ℙ𝕀𝔹𝔸𝕐ℕ𝔼ℂ𝕌𝔽𝔼ℝ𝔸 ℕ𝔸ℚ 𝕆ℝ𝕀𝕋𝔹𝔸ℝ 』
A glowing circle with six inner rings indicating a six-circle spell appeared in front of Stella. One of the most powerful spells known to mages - the Collapse of Heaven and Earth has locked onto the demonic being.
"You will PAY for what you did to Marcus!"
As Stella was about to release her magic, the other four expressed panic and concern with their eyes as they knew that upon casting, the caster of this stage-six magic would die.
However none stopped her, as all knew and understood her rage, her determination and her last will. The will to send that demonic being responsible for the deaths of many of their friends and family straight to hell.
[Childish grudges will get you nowhere. Time and time again have I proven that your camaraderie and love for one another is your greatest weakness.]
The demonic being said in a deeper voice as he internally prepared to shield against this attack that could threaten even him.
"Your side will regret looking down upon such people one day. Demonspawn."
[Oh really? Then since all of you look like you're ready to die here and now. Allow me to show you the end. The end of your world.]
Damian taunted in defiance while the demonic being retorted. As this occurred, the being raised up his right hand and snapped.
As the commander, Merlin and Tristram came into close proximity of the being and was ready to unleash all forms of attack, the sky disappeared.
Literal darkness overcame the land.
As sword, dagger, magic, device and artifact stab through the being's body, a chuckle could be heard as he stood strong with the three melee personnel somehow stuck, unable to move with their weapons attached to his body.
Hahaha…
[You really are fools, even until the end. Anything you do from this point onwards is pointless.]
The heroes could not understand the sudden changes to the world as their information told them that the world core needs to be accessed in order for anybody to tamper with the natural law and order of the world.
[If you believed that I needed to physically touch the world core in order for me to access it, your information of this item is severely lacking]
And there it was, the realization that everything they knew about their world was incomplete or false.
[Hrrriiyaa!]
The being shouted as he erupted with power and launched the 3 heroes into the ground far away from him. The alchemist, Tristram, died upon impact while Merlin and the Commander survived the outburst of power.
Then he started walking towards Damian who still remained protecting the world core behind him. A craze slowly seeps into his eyes as he realizes he's at the end of the line.
He retrieves the world core with his levitating cards and makes a decision.
"You've finally pushed us to a real dead-end corner. You know what they say, even a cornered rat would bite the cat. And since we can't have this world, then I believe the right thing to do is to make sure nobody can."
A really crazy decision.
As the smirking demonic being observed Damian preparing to destroy the world core alongside every inhabitant on it, the commander gave Merlin a command through his gestures as he shouted.
"Damian, it's a trap! The world core was never-"
But before he could finish his sentence, a sword made out of dark-violet energy shot out and pierced his throat, ignoring the various defensive spells, artifacts and passive skills that the commander had activated. The legend of Myrrah fell down with a face full of disbelief.
'Im-possi-ble'
Just like that.
[Now now, we can't ruin your friend's only chance at being a 'hero' can we?]
The demonic being snickered as he watched the greatest hero fall just like that.
When Merlin saw this, she screamed and initiated her Life and Death assassin move that exchanged her life for another.
Her body started wilting and turning into ash as she completed the technique.
She felt at peace knowing that her life was used to destroy the Fourth King of the Pandemonium Forces, Yar'tath and save her commander.
However, as her body fell and her vision blurred, she saw the King take out an inauspicious mirror hidden within his armor and started smiling.
Merlin's last moments were spent in despair realizing that a precious item that was known to be destroyed by one of her closest friends was used to deflect the effects of the legendary Life and Death move.
As Damian saw all of his companions of many years die in front of him, grief and sorrow welled up within him as he stared at Yar'tath with eyes full of hatred.
"I. WILL. END. EVERYTHING. HERE. AND. NOW"
As he shouted that, he could see the fourth King just standing there and smiling while mouthing some words to the still bleeding out commander.
And the world, Myrrah, was lost forever.