When did everything start going wrong?
Pain.
Was it when the earth incessantly shook? No.
I can't breathe.
Was it when light left the world and darkness took its place? No.
It's hot.
Was it when people combusted and burned alive? No.
The smell.
Was it when the Great Lake turned red? No.
Mana.
Was it when it started raining blood? No.
I need to put out the fire.
Was it when those traitors sought salvation and forgiveness? No. She killed them.
Water.
Was it when that red beast appeared in what used to be the Empire? No. It simply laid down and slept by the forests of Lumisade.
No. Not water.
Was it when that beast rose up from the earth? No. She killed it… but it destroyed the Kingdom of Ajeyo.
Oxygen?
Was it when that beast rose up from the sea? No. She killed it… but it destroyed the Republic.
No. I need to breathe.
Was it when that dragon descended from the skies? No. It ran away… but it destroyed the dwarven homeland.
Heat.
Was it when locusts emerged from the north and decimated everything in their wake? No. The locusts died with the sacrifice of the elves' tree.
Heat. Fast.
Was it when… No. What event preceded all of these?
I need to slow it down.
Was it when those four devastated the four corners of the Empire? Maybe. Their arrival heralded the era of suffering that came after it.
Cold.
Ah. No. It started way earlier than that.
Ah. Finally.
It was six years ago when she had that dream. The dream that set everything in motion. The prophecy that she couldn't finish interpreting.
How did it go again?
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Her sense of hearing was the first to recover.
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Nearly stumbling, she finally regained her sense of balance even against the rumbling earth with the recovery of her cochlea. She touched her forehead with her left palm, ignoring the sizzling pain that came with it.
▯▯ ▯▯ ▯▯ ▯▯
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Her head throbbed as she forced herself to remember.
When ▯▯ help and heal
She could feel the mana within her working overtime, trying to restore what was lost. Her scattered mana, bereft of their original purpose of assisting the recovery of those around her, rushed back to her. Her burned skin recovered their original luster.
The ruler given grace
With it, information over her surroundings entered her mind. She swayed to the left as lumps of mass rained down on her. Her golden hair grew back.
It's hot and its exterior is slowly losing shape. Judging from the heat transfer, the contrasting lack of heat from the mass itself, and the gradual consumption of mana; it's something that melts and it's on fire with the mana surrounding it acting as fuel. It's probably hail and fire again.
▯▯ ▯▯ ▯▯ ▯▯ ▯▯
Her eyelids, once melted shut, were replaced anew. Her vision returned as her eyes regrew and pushed out the dried out eyeballs. She took another step back as another large piece of hail fell from the sky.
I was right. I hate it when I'm right.
Only then can salvation be claimed
A deafening roar sounded out. It was familiar. The fiery hail was its harbinger. The overgrown lizard finally came back for more. Learning from her previous failure, she prepared for its advent.
"Joy spurns wrath. Grace snubs smears."
"Rule."
She gripped her whip tightly as it burned aflame. Seeing it charge headfirst, she cracked it towards the dragon's middle head. It immediately pitched high, clearly remembering how it lost two heads due to its arrogance.
"Tired of running?" Her voice, though weak, reached the dragon.
Its eyes, furious, glared down at her as it descended back to earth. She straightened her whip as it turned into a staff.
"I will take great pleasure in tying your neck in a noose made with your entrails. I will hang your toes and fingers as pendants with your hair as the cord. I will burn your liver and watch as you partake in its taste. I wi—"
Its monologue halted as it saw her approach. She was far too languid for its liking. That's not how she's supposed to act. That's not how she reacted before. Sensing something wrong, it flapped its wings as it tried to escape her, quickly ascending to the atmosphere.
"Stop."
It was a faint and lethargic mutter. So quiet that it ordinarily wouldn't be heard by someone standing a meter away from her. Yet it carried a certain gravitas that demanded attention.
Try as it might to climb up, it didn't rise any higher. It was stuck in place no matter how much it flapped its wings. Seeing that its wings were failing to generate enough lift on its own, it tried manipulating the wind to help its ascent. Again, nothing happened. It was as if everything was under her rule.
It exerted even more mana in an attempt to wrestle control over the atmosphere, but it was futile.
"H-h-how? Why?" It stuttered, its current state a long cry from its initial bravado. "You were just burning alive. You were just on the brink of death. How are you fine?! How can you generate this much mana?! And why are you unaffected?!"
So that's why it had the gall to show its face.
"Fall."
She lightly jumped as her staff made contact on its central head. A heavy double-handed strike. She followed through with the motion until she cratered the dragon into the ground.
Making it fall is easier than holding it in place.
It tried to swipe at her with an arm imbued with mana. She dodged it with a graceful step back.
With its middle head smashed to bits and chunks of gore, both heads beside it were the ones to scream out. One in panic, the other in rage.
"No, no, no, no, no. I'm not supposed to die here. I'm not supposed to die to you. You're not him. You're not my doom."
"APPOLYON, YOU BASTARD! YOU SAID IT WAS SAFE SINCE HE'S NOT HERE! YOU COCKSUCKING BALLGARGLING TORTURE LOVING MOTHERFUCKER! DISGUSTINGLY INDOLENT FUCKING PISS-SMELLING HOBO, YOU CAN'T EVEN GET MY FUCKING DOOM RIGHT?! FUCKING USELESS NE'ER-DO-WELL! GOES TO SHOW YOU CAN'T FUCKING TRUST SOMEONE WHO'S TOO BUSY WITH HIS DICK STUCK IN ICE AND SNOW!"
Appolyon? Who's that? And 'He'? Who's he?
Tuning out its tirade, she reformed her whip and wrapped it around the remaining four necks together. With it in her mercy, she had a bit of a reprieve to get it under her control. Since she was dealing with something of this level, she had to really specialize her mana to deal with it.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
"Control. Dominate. Rule."
She extended her mana outwards, asserting control over everything it covered. She restrained its entire body, preventing any semblence of movement. Her mana trampled over all of its attempts of resistance.
She stomped on its gathered heads. Grinding it into the ground, she started her interrogation.
"Who's Appolyon?"
Its eyes blazed in anger. "IT'S THE DICKFUCK WHO SAID THIS WAS MY CHANCE! KILL THAT FLIPPANT UNWASHED BALLSACK FOR ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT!"
"No. Don't. Stop. Keep your pride. Revenge only tastes sweet if we're alive to taste it."
"How many more of your ilk is there?"
"ARE ALL OF YOU FUCKING DUMB OR WHAT?!"
"Stop. Stop. Stop." Its other head tried to resisting the restraints to silence the unruly one.
"Aside from you, there's four more."
"OB-FUCKING-LY! DO YOU HAVE SLIMES FOR BRAINS OR SOMETHING?!"
So, I was right.
Its other head stayed silent, resisting its incited compulsion to answer.
Its resilience is surprisingly tough.
"Therefore, I proclaim, I rule over those I help. I bare to thee mine intentions to relieve thee of thy burdens."
"HAH! HELP?! HOW IS THIS CONSIDERED AS HELP?"
"Now, answer."
"Who's he? Who's your doom?"
"FUCK IF I KNOW!" She squeezed her hand.
"WAIT YOUR NECROTIC ASS FILLED WITH ROTTING FECAL MATTER UP YOU FUCKING IMPATIENT HORSEFUCKER! FINE! SOME STEALING SNIVELING FUCKFACE WHO'S TOO HIGH ON HIS OWN FECES TO RECOGNIZE HE'S COVETING WHAT'S MINE!"
Someone who has what's his? He's probably an ally? Since he's its enemy and all. If he's supposed to kill this though, then where is he?
"Appolyon said you weren't my doom and it's clear since you don't have it. You're not supposed to be able to resist me. So how? How are you unaffected? Where is it? Where is your — Huh. Why can't I stop talking?" It stopped.
She held her blank stare.
"YOU DARE DEEM ME UNWORTHY OF A RESPONSE? YOU RE—" She tuned this head out and focused on the more sensible head. This head, which realized the futility of resisting, was much more agreeable.
"So you're aware of what's mine. No matter. But the question remains. How?"
She tightened the whip, once more lighting it on fire.
"Help comes to those who submit."
"Ah."
Her mana changed once more. Some of its eyes filled with fear as it realized what she'd done.
"Inhuman."
"Tell me something I don't know."
Its sensible head drooped down, resigned to its fate. She motioned to decapitate all its heads at once.
"EVEN STILL! YOU STILL CAN'T KILL ME YOU FUCKING DUMBHEADED DIMWITTED NIMROD WITH AN AIR-FILLED BRAIN!"
"Why?"
"OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH IT DUMBFUCK!"
"You'll be the third."
"YOU DON'T GET IT, DO YOU?! HE WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS! YOU'RE NOT MY DOOM!"
"Just finish this; and with it, you'll be placed in his purview." It laughed mockingly. "It's a shame, I won't be able to see his descent."
Just as she cut off all of its necks, it left with its parting words. "Tell him; Diabolos sends his regards."
And as its heads fell, the world turned white.