"…Everyone… they're gone." Bertram would lay on the floor, unable to move a muscle, his body was slowly deteriorating into data particles, where he would die for the sake of his friends.
But now… it was all in vain.
He risked his life for them, just to have them die in the end.
What was the point in all of this?
The barbarian would lay there in the incinerated cafeteria, crying.
Tears wouldn't stop streaming down his face, they dried his eyes out whilst Bertram accepted his fate.
"…In the end… I'll be reuniting with you guys in the afterlife."
"Reuniting?" The Grim Reaper scoffed, "It's too bad. Their souls have been washed away from this world, erased from existence. They can never go into the afterlife—I can assure you that."
"Erased… from existence? What are you saying?" Asked the weeping Bertram.
"Isabella's divine blessing, Hell flames, deconstructs the body and soul, preventing anyone from crossing over into the afterlife." She lifted her hand, conjuring blue flames, "It's simple; they possess no soul to crossover into the heavens, because I destroyed it."
"…No… how could you… you fucking bastard?!?" Bertram shouted, attempting to stand on his two feet, but fell back down to his knees, "Honora… Archibald… Dorothy!" He squeezed his eyes shut, shedding more tears, "I failed you all. I could've stopped the attack from reaching you… but I was too weak!" Bertram lifted his arm, slamming his fist into the ground, "Too weak to do anything!!!"
"At least you admit your own weakness." Proclaimed the fraud Isabella.
"Indeed, admitting your own weakness is a sign of strength and potential."
"….." Bertram lifted his head, facing the foreign voice that made itself known, "…That… insignia." The person who approached them was in all black, with a hood over his head, and glowing red eyes. Their hair was quite long while a scar was on the left side of their face, going down their forehead, over the eye. They had ten individual rings on their fingers, each one being a level infinity item.
Anyone could tell who this person was.
It was obvious.
"I can't believe it…" Muttered Bertram, "Why are you here, Emperor, Ruler of mankind?"
I stopped in the middle of the room, gazing upon the barbarian class player.
I could see his MP was low, and his health bar was at one life point.
Very soon, he was going to die.
"I see, so you used devotion. Your body must be dwindling away, is that right?" I asked with a smirk.
"Yes, I'm… dying," Bertram looked away in shame, "But that doesn't answer my question. Why is someone like you here?"
"It's simple, I'm here to save someone precious to me. I'm sure you can understand basic logic, right?"
"Someone… precious to the likes of you? A tyrannical villain?" Said Bertram, shocked.
"Tyrannical villain? Kuhuhuhu… I see, so that's how people address me now?"
Well, shit, I guess everyone thinks of Emperor as some oppressive supervillain.
Guess I'll just go with the flow.
"It can't be… it's… you!"
I didn't even notice that the Grim Reaper possessing this girl's body, was scared.
Their eyes were full of dread.
Their muscles shook, while they slowly backed away, distancing themselves.
"The one who exists outside the authority of the gods… Maverick Lionheart!"
"Oh? So you know my real name? Have we met?"
How odd, this spirit knows who I am.
But then again… Emperor has made himself known across the entirety of Isekai World Online.
I paid attention, hearing what they had to say.
"There's not one single spirit within the Ethereal plane that doesn't know who you are, alongside the other Four Great Kings!" Shouted the Grim Reaper.
"The… Ethereal plane?" Bertram looked at us in confusion.
"Indeed. The Ethereal plane is a mirror of our own world, but for the spirits; all around us is a spirit world that we cannot see, and it's a reflection of our material plane. Everything in our world casts a reflection into the Ethereal plane, allowing spirits to interact with us through said reflections." I responded.
"…So that's the realm that the spirits come from?"
"Time, Halt." I lifted my hand at Bertram, entrapping him in stopped time, he wouldn't be dying anytime soon, I made sure of that. But I still allowed him to function, and talk.
"I can't die here—I escaped the Ethereal plane from my summoner… and with this body, I can finally live in this world, and be free from the chaos!"
"Humu," I snickered, "Free from the chaos? Do you truly believe that I'll let you freely explore this world, after what you've done to Dorothy?"
"Dorothy…?" Asked Bertram.
"So that girl belongs to you, does she?" The Grim Reaper frowned, balling up their fists, "Damn you!!" From the looks of it, they accepted the outcome.
They accepted that I wouldn't let them escape, thus, they had no choice but to fight back.
She manipulated the blue flames inside her hand, creating hundreds of fireballs in the air. They swirled and grew larger, causing devastating effects around them.
Standing near them felt like standing next to an active volcano.
They were indeed dangerous.
"Fuuu…" But with a simple sigh, the flames would spiral out of control, swirling around each other until they exploded from impact.
"Gaaaah!" The Grim Reaper was launched backward, rolling on the ground, "Tsk! What just happened?!" She looked up, seeing her flames explode into one another, "Impossible."
"It's only natural that every spell within Isekai World Online spirals out of control in the presence of a Great King," I walked forward, "Be it Celestial, Elemental, Defensive, Necromancy, or Debuff Magic, they cannot function properly in our presence."
"But… it's none of those. It's a divine blessing, completely separate from all magic categories!"
"Do you think that matters to the people who exist outside of divine authority?"
"…Hraaaaaahhh!!" The Grim Reaper, enraged, stood up, and ran towards me with no strategy.
They conjured a blade.
I'm assuming it was a weapon from this girl's personal hub that they took over.
It was easy to analyze its information; the weapon was that of an Epic Grade weapon.
It was powerful in its own way… but to me, it posed no threat.
I summoned my own Epic Grade weapon, clashing with their blade.
The sound of metal clanked against each other, as I stood there, barely trying.
But for her, she used every ounce of strength to push me back.
"The one that even the gods fear… I'm not afraid of you! There's nobody in this world that can scare me!!"
"Is that so? Just a moment ago, you were shaking in your boots." I scoffed at her, driving her angry.
"Haaaaahh!" She lifted the sword, swinging it towards my neck, but I blocked it.
She proceeded to twist around, going for my hip, but I blocked that as well.
She kept pursuing me with attacks, and each one was defended against.
This wasn't the skill of this Isabella person, but rather the skill of the Grim Reaper itself.
They were a master swordsman, I could tell from the way they fought.
Kendo, martial arts, swordplay, she mastered all of it, and it still was no match for me, or any other Great King.
Each attack I blocked and parried, forcing them on the defensive.
"D-Damn it…!!" She was stepping back after I started attacking her with a flurry of strikes, "How are you… so strong?" She started to lose her focus, failing to block most of my attacks, cutting her legs, gashing her arms and cheeks, "Nghhh…" With her wide open, I kicked her into the gut, knocking her back, "Goah!" She spat out blood, rolling across the floor in pain as her blade fell from her hands.
"Is that the best you can do?" I approached her as she looked up at me, one eye open.
"I can't… possibly win. It's like fighting the god of combat themselves!"
"God of combat?" I stopped midway, "Athena, the god of wisdom, craft, and warfare was no match for me, so what makes you think you had a chance from the start?"
"Even… Athena? She's known for her strategic skill in warfare and combat, how is that possible?"
I pointed my blade towards her face, "Chaos Inducement," Using A-tier Arcane Magic, this spell allowed me to put enemies into a chain of chaos, causing anything they do, and will do, to either malfunction or end up killing themselves.
It was chaos itself, bestowed onto the enemy.
As the Grim Reaper grabbed their blade once more, it suddenly broke apart, "H-How is… this possible? Just a moment ago, it was fine." She watched her Epic Grade weapon shatter, so she tried standing up to face me with her fists, however, her legs gave out, and she fell flat on her face, "Ghhh!"
"Everything you do is pointless. This is chaos." She looked up at me, realizing the situation she was in.
Fear poured inside her body.
I could feel it from my level infinity item, Dark King Satanel, a ring located on my left pinky finger.
Those who are fearful of me will have their souls under the influence of my own volition. With this ability active, I can change, manipulate, or tamper with the souls of my victims to my liking.
And as the king of darkness… it allowed me to control the concept of evil itself.
She stood no chance.
"I'll be sending you back to where you belong. Tell the other spirits to never enter the material plane unless they're summoned—otherwise, they'll have to face me."
"…I…Understand."
She accepted her fate. Good.
I raised my hand, tampering with her soul, "Dark King Satanel, do your thing." As I closed my palm, the grim reaper's soul suddenly vanished from Isabella's body, appearing within the Ethereal plane once more.
("No one in this world can beat him, it's impossible. He effortlessly destroyed her every move and resisted her divine blessing. He's truly a monster.") Bertram could only watch, sitting there in awe.
"Now then, where is Emerald and Christopher? It's not like them to be late. This place should've been in ruins moments ago." I looked around, seeing nobody in sight, "The Grim Reaper must've annihilated every player here, but no matter, I already found three of them, and Angelica is interrogating them at the moment."
"Three other guild members?" Said Bertram, "Who could've possibly survived her attack?"
"I'm uncertain of who they're. One is an injured elf, the other is a gunner-class player, and the last one is an archer-class player. They seem to be friends." I responded.
"…Ah, Jacob, Alice, and Legolas. So they survived huh? Damn…"
"I'm assuming that means your other friends are dead?"
"Yeah… every last one of them."
"I see."
That was sad.
I felt kinda bad…
Well…
Haruto Akechi felt bad.
Emperor could care less.