It had been decades since the Order came to earth. Over the span of many years, humankind had developed all aspects of science, including conventional weaponry.
The arrival of Cosmic Gates however, brought a significant change to humanity. Forced to the brink of extinction, man had to bend to the will of the Order.
Attack, Subdue and Devour!
At the age of nine, Aiden's homeland was raided by devils. Perhaps, coming to the Forbidden zone was the greatest mistake of his life.
The Forbidden zone, was more like a continent. Covering 30% of the entire planet, it stretched out to several countries. This zones were marked out as forbidden due to it being the epicentre of opening gates. So as to protect civilians, this zones were isolated and tagged forbidden.
"To enter the Forbidden zones, you would have to be at least an Elite"
Rules were rules.
Aiden could still remember, the overwhelming aura of a devil. It was a power that forced him to bend.
He hated that feeling!
He hated his dad for sacrificing himself!
Perhaps....he hated himself.....
"I'm going to get stronger, I'll surpass the old man!"
It was a long term feat, considering that his dad was an Epic ranker. Nevertheless, he was going to achieve it.
He wasn't going to stop there, he would scale through the ranks and defy the powerful.
He was never going to be dominated by anyone again!
Or so he thought....
[The Monarch 'Lord Of The Tournament' is gazing down at you]
Aiden gritted his teeth. He couldn't move an inch. Once again, he felt thrashed around by the powerful, dominated by the strong.
"That's how it is huh?"
[Global Announcement: The event 'Lord of the Tournament' has commenced¬
Entry Requirements: Master Rank
~~ Battle to the top and become the Lord Of The Tournament!~~
Goodluck!]
"Heh?"
It was the second time, the entire world was plunged into confusion.
*********
_Shikoku, Japan.
"We meet again, Old man"
A young man in white shirt and black trousers stepped into view. The surroundings were plain with no sign of civilisation in sight.
Like a desert, dry and devoid.
The hot wind blew harshly, raising clouds of dust into the atmosphere. The vast landscape stretched far and wide, as the sun dipped below the horizon.
"Old man? Can't say you're wrong but it's Daiki!"
A second character came into limelight. An aged man with wrinkled features and a slightly hunched back. White hair fell down to his back, firmly clutching the sides of his face.
The young man smirked, gazing down at the old man. He had red falling hair barely reaching his neck. However, his looks were amazing.
Red irises and a straight nose, along with two ears that gently peeked out the sides of his hair. A boastful look remained on his face, one that could make any guy's stomach churn in disdain.
"To think you're the one supposed to coach me! Hilarious!!" He blurted out, throwing a mockful gaze.
"What can I say? I myself don't consider you to be the heir!" The old man replied, unmoved by his words.
"There's a reason I called you here Old man! Clairvoyant or not, there's nothing that can't bend to brute force!"
"What planet is this?"
"Hah? How does that even matter?"
The old man swept his gaze around, observing his location. An expression of disinterest was evident from his actions.
"I shall take my leave now!" The old man said dismissively.
Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed to drop several degrees.
"Hey....." The young man's voice had gone a lot colder, thickening with resentment.
Crackle!
Large amounts of mana began to whirl around him. Daiki could feel the strong murder intent coming from the distance.
"Old man Daiki..."
Bzzzt!!
"You f*cking piss me off!!!!"
Boooooommmm!!
Upon releasing his aura, several miles of land were blown to bits. Black flames burned, spreading like wild fire. Everywhere it touched, destruction remained
This was the power of the Paragon rank!
"I take it that you want a fight"
The aged voice of the Old man echoed amidst the rubble. Two wisp o willows were carved out of the smoke cloud, like the eyes of a wolf. Blood chilling terror!
"You can't defeat me kid!...." His voice, layered with a sense of superiority, sounded loud and clear.
"Hah!"
The battle commenced!
The young man blasted off, leaving a trail of catastrophe as he went. He clenched his fist, packing in as much power as possible. The full force of a Paragon ranker was enough to bring a continent down to ruins!
But the Old man just stood there, not moving a muscle.
Huge waves blasted out, bursting out into rippling shockwaves. Shards of rock flew around, sinking the plane into desolation.
Yet he stood there....
The young man hurtled a fist at the Daiki, mana wrapped tightly around it.
But as he approached, an overbearing force engulfed him. For the first time in a long while, Kyle's heart was shaken.
At that moment, time seemed to stop!
Old man Daiki suddenly seemed to be everywhere: The land, the sky, the seas, the entirety of his being!
Sssss! The deceptive hiss of a snake!
Kyle sensed a strong wave of bloodlust, emanating from one of the various 'Daikis'. It was like the snare of a snake.
"Behind!"
['Eyes of truth' has been activated]
Nothing was there!
"F*ck! A decoy!!"
Kyle tried to react, but it was too late. A thin wrinkled hand extended from the abyss. Like a predator clutching it's prey, it grappled unto Kyle's face, freezing him in time.
"What is....?!"
Space warped and shifted. Kyle's reality began to contort.
The land and sky vanished in a flash, replaced by nothingness.
In an instant, Daiki and Kyle were standing in the void.
"Kurgh!!"
Kyle's eyes widened in a mix of shock and despair. Anguish washed over him like an unwanted cold bath.
He was crushed! Utterly humiliated!!
"It is apparent that you do not know this, but I'll make it clear to you!" Daiki said, still grabbing unto Kyle's face.
Kyle gulped, unable to move. Being partially frozen in time, this was the most he was able to accomplish. His fist was still hung in the air but his mind was devastated.
"Out of the 7 billion humans on earth...
I'm the only Transcendent!"
Kyle's fate was decided from the very beginning. Although the ranks were just one away from each other, the capabilities differed by a wide margin.
Logically, one shouldn't be offended if he lost to a higher rank....
"I could kill you right now, you know...."
In the empty darkness, a thin white line slowly strode down, inscribing itself onto the void. The line, which seemed to stretch eternally, slowly slid towards Kyle.
*sigh*
Flash!
A bright white light shimmered, enveloping the void. Reality began to piece itself back together. Everything was back to normal in a jiffy.
Kyle fell to the ground, collapsing under his own weakness. His face was sunken in a pool of his own sweat.
"Huff! Huff!!"
His chest rose and fell, his breathing unstable. It was Daiki's turn to look down on him.
"If all you have is brute strength, then you can dream of defeating me."
With those words, Daiki turned and walked away.
[Global Announcement: The event 'Lord of the Tournament' has commenced¬
Entry Requirements: Master Rank
~~ Battle to the top and become the Lord Of The Tournament!~~
Goodluck!]
"It's started already huh?"