The air was thick with tension as Neato and the Messiah stood facing each other amidst the ruins of the crumbled pyramid. The Messiah's chest bled profusely from the gaping hole Neato had punched through moments earlier. Neato's right hand was severed, but his cold eyes betrayed no pain, only a dark resolve.
The Messiah, struggling to remain upright, looked at Neato with a pained expression. "This world... it didn't use to be like this, Neato," he began, his voice trembling. "It used to be a world filled with life... green plants at every corner, a world where—"
Before the Messiah could finish, Neato moved with inhuman speed. In a blur, he sank his teeth into the Messiah's head, tearing away a massive chunk. Blood and brain matter splattered across the ground as the Messiah collapsed, his body twitching violently. Neato, without hesitation, continued to devour him piece by piece. The sounds of crunching bones and tearing flesh echoed ominously through the desolate surroundings.
Neato ate until there was nothing left of the Messiah—no flesh, no bones, not even a trace of blood. As he consumed the last remnants, Neato's body began to undergo a grotesque transformation. His hair grew long and black, flowing like a dark river down his back. His eyes turned blood red, with pupils shaped like ominous triangles. His skin paled to a ghostly white, and all emotion drained from his face, leaving him an embodiment of cold, calculated malevolence.
He now appeared as a 16-year-old boy, his new form both eerily youthful and terrifyingly powerful. Standing naked in the midst of the destruction, he exuded a presence that was both commanding and chilling.
"Astran," Neato's voice was devoid of emotion, a stark contrast to the sinister aura he emitted. "Bring me a cloak."
In an instant, Astran appeared beside him, kneeling in submission as she offered a white cloak. She looked up into Neato's crimson eyes, her expression a mix of fear and reverence.
Neato's eyes narrowed as he gazed down at her. "I see you don't value your eyes," he remarked coldly.
Without warning, his claws extended and slashed across Astran's face, blinding her instantly. Blood poured from the wounds, but Astran did not scream. She merely twitched, fighting the pain as she bowed her head in silent acceptance.
Neato donned the white cloak, its pristine fabric a stark contrast to the blood-stained ground beneath him. He walked with an air of finality toward the remains of the pyramid, his steps slow and deliberate. The throne, untouched by the surrounding devastation, stood waiting for him.
Neato approached the throne and sat upon it, his expression still emotionless. The moment he settled into the seat of power, Astran took her place behind him, blind but ever loyal.
Four figures in black cloaks appeared, emerging from the shadows as if summoned by an unseen force. They knelt before Neato in perfect unison, their voices echoing as one. "The Darkened One, we are here to serve."
Neato looked down at them, his eyes devoid of warmth. "I have killed your Messiah. Are you not angry?" he asked, his voice calm yet menacing.
One of the cloaked figures lifted his head slightly. "No," he answered, his tone unwavering. "We only lived for the Messiah, and now we live for you."
A twisted smile crept across Neato's face, though his eyes remained cold. "Since the Messiah and I have merged, I now know everything," he stated, his voice resonating with dark authority. "Is the army the Messiah commanded you to prepare ready?"
"Yes," the figures replied in perfect harmony.
"Good," Neato said, his tone almost casual. "I want you to go to every city, every town, every village, and slaughter everyone. Anything that moves and looks human—slaughter it. Do not stop until every last human is dead. Do you understand me?"
The cloaked figures bowed their heads deeply. "Yes, Darkened One," they replied in unison.
Neato leaned back in the throne, the white cloak draped around him like a shroud of death. "This is a new era," he declared, his voice filled with a twisted conviction. "For I am HOPE."
With that, Neato threw his head back and let out a sinister laugh, the sound reverberating through the desolate ruins. The cloaked figures remained bowed, while Astran stood silently behind the throne, her bleeding eyes a testament to her unwavering loyalty.
The new era had begun.
END OF CHAPTER 41
End of volume 2