Chapter 157

Arc 15 - Dead Men Rising - Part 10

Xiem, Vanaha Space, Andromeda Galaxy:

All across the Vanaha Space, neither the zombies nor the people could move save for two people; former emperor of the Vanaha Empire, Iket and the current emperor of the empire, Kiet.

The two emperors stoof face-to-face, but one of them was scared and confused, but the other stood tall and mighty.

“” Iket spoke in a heavy tone. “”

“”

Kiet swallowed his saliva in fear of that question.

He has done amazing things for his empire, but it will never compare to what his father has done.

“”

But Iket is also dead, Kiet thought. He could not save himself so he failed and Kiet is still standing tall.

“” Kiet spoke in a stern tone.

“”

“” Kiet narrowed his eyes in a serious manner. “”

Kiet turned around and walked away from Iket.

He sat grandly on his luxurious throne and smiled proudly.

“”

“” Iket smiled a thin smile. “”

“”

Kiet arched his hand, facing upwards. In his palm, he created a red rose.

“”

The rose flew up from his hand and floated in front of his father.

“”

Iket took the rose and smelled it.

“” he spoke loudly in an angry voice that shook the entire building. “”

“” Iket chuckled, but he was not amused.

He clenched his hand tightly on the flower and squashed it.

""

Kiet clicked his tongue.

""

The room tilted left and right, causing Kiet to swallow his saliva.

""

Iket walked closer towards his son's throne.

""

For so long, he was in the shadows of this man, always lowering his head to him and his standards, but no more.

He was confident enough he could be his own man and stand tall in his empire.

""

"" in a snake-like voice and laughter, Iket spoke slowly.

Kiet was confused, he wanted answers.

""

Kiet scoffed.

""

The room expanded and expanded as the two of them were pushed away from one another, it was as if space was added to it.

Iket clicked his tongue as he glanced around him from the corner of his large eyes.

""

Iket clenched his fist tightly and the room condensed around him, so small that the two men were now standing face to face, with not even fifty centimetres apart.

""

Kiet tried to push the space back, but it was too late.

Iket got ahold of his head with an evil smile.

""

Iket placed his other hand on Kiet's shoulder.

""

Iket increased the strength in his right hand and started to pull away Kiet's head from his body as if he were pulling vegetables out of the ground.

KRT!

KLRT!

""

Kiet screamed in pain as Iket pulled out his head from the body.

The body fell lifelessly to the ground and Iket held the head of his son in the palm of his hand.

""

He looked closely at the head which was about to come back to life again and create a new body for it.

""

Kiet's body stopped regenerating completely. A minute passed and nothing changed. He should have been revived but that was not the case here.

""

Iket continued to make changes to the very existence of his son for a short while.

Any father would have been sad or angry, but Iket was laughing like a maniac.

He endured the disrespect of this lowly citizen - his son - for far too long.

But…

"" he shook his head. ""

The world trembled as King Iket walked towards the throne and sat on it with an accomplished thin smile.

He glanced at the head which was not regenerating.

""

He relaxed in this luxurious throne and let out a long sigh of relief.

"" he spoke to every citizen of the Vanaha Empire.

Since the moment of his return, he was broadcasting what he was seeing to every citizen of his empire, so they could know of his return.

They were frozen, but once they return to normal, this is the first thing they will see.

""

He raised the head in the palm of his hand.

The head that was constantly dying with no peace in the horizon.

""

❢◥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◆ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◤❢

Duluria Space:

Hial, the emperor of the Duluria Empire was being thrown through the dark space by his zombie father.

"" Hial just laughed, despite the little pain he was feeling. ""

The old grey zombie was slowly regaining his mind and his true form.

His will was not as good as Iket, but it was not as weak as the commoners.

""

Hial forced his body to stop moving and creates a forcefield with technology hidden in his body.

""

"" he cupped his right ear with his right hand, gesturing that he is trying to listen very closely but struggles to hear.

""

Hial clicked his tongue, causing the comical expression to fly off his face.

""

Hial's disgusted and cold words stabbed into the half zombie.

""

Hial went closer to the half zombie looked him in the dead eyes.

""

Hial spread his arms widely.

""

The old man did nothing but mumble to himself.

Hial body moved forward like a rocket and kicked the zombie in the abdomen, splitting it in half.

""

"" the zombie that was slowly regaining himself forced out those words in an ugly voice. ""

""

Hial laughed hysterically.

""

Hial held his hand up to the heavens, creating a white ball of energies.

""

They say, when a child hears something terrible like this from their parent, they get hurt so much they start to cry. Even if the parent is joking, it hurts the child so much, it can even traumatise them.

But Hial was different.

When he heard those words, he smiled thinly and understood.

He was a prince, a king to be one day, and everything was a fair game in politics.

""

The white ball of energy flew right at the zombie, trying to disintegrate him.

However, the old man slapped away the ball of energy.

He did not say anything but stared angrily at the son he had raised and the one who stabbed a sword into his very back.

""

Hial let out a sigh.

""

Power is everything in this universe. Power makes people and empires, it makes the horizons and the skies, the water and air. It makes everything something.

To have power is to be valid in the eyes of the stars.

But to have no power, it is no different than being dead.

""

Hial’s father, the former Emperor of Duluria Empire, Hoel, was the only monarch in the history of their empire who was born weak, weaker than anyone. But his military intelligence proved to be greater than anyone.

However, even then, people of his empire looked down upon him.

So, with the help of technology, he was able to become someone they could respect.

“”

Hoel shot himself at his child once again, attacking him.

But Hial was unfazed.

He stood still as his father punched him and then kicked him and then attacked him with an energy beam.

But it was useless against the current monarch of the Duluria Empire.

“”

With a grunting sound of disappointment and defeat and sadness, Hoel continued to hit his child.

While his voice was beastly, Hial could feel the hint of wailing cries.

“”

Hoel’s crying voice entered the ears of his child, but he laughed in return.

“”

“”

“”

The man who was still half zombie, willed himself to speak his mind as freely as possible.

“”

The former monarch glanced down with watery eyes.

“”

“”

“” Hoel pleaded to his child. He wanted no revenge; he just wanted this child of his to have a good life, but politics will lead him down the path of doom. “”

“” Hial smiled thinly. “”

Hial clenched his fist.

“”

Hial punched a hole through his father’s chest.

“” Hial spat out in anger.

Through the broken chest, his father forced out these words, words that will one day haunt Hial, “”

Hial clicked his tongue and ignored the words of his father.

He tapped his hand a few times and a screen popped up in front of him.

While Hial was operating through the screen, Hoel started to regenerate.

“” Hial spoke slowly.

He created a slip in the space stream and a large spaceship appeared, which released a large cold beam and froze the body in the dead space.

“”

Hial flew through the space, leaving his father in the middle of nowhere.

❢◥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◆ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◤❢

In an unknown world, inside a small town, a white-haired teenage boy with red eyes - wearing a leather armour with metal pads and chest piece - looked at the golden sun in the blue sky.

“Gah!”

For a split second, he forgot how bright the sun was.

So, he raised his hand to create a cover for his eyes and shielded it from the bright sun.

“What’s wrong?”

A cute girl of the same age with blue skin and golden hair spoke to him.

He turned around and looked at her sparkling crystal cyan-coloured eyes.

“Isn’t the sun so beautiful today?”

“But it’s always the same,” another girl with orange fox ears and long orange hair rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Jul, you have to look at things with different eyes."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The three of them stared at each other blankly.

"! Oh."

He realised something.

"I only have one eye," the girl named Jul replied angrily.

"I am sorry," he clasped his hands together and bowed deeply and shouted from the bottom of his heart. "I did not mean any offense by that."

"... Tch, forget it."

The girl with fox-like features walked forward in the mountain.

In the distance, she could see a small town, so it filled her with a sense of relief.

"We are tired from the quest, fighting those damned wolves was hard, so let's just rest here."

"Ahem!" with her cheeks puffed, the other girl - Lo - placed her hands on her hips angrily. "I am meant to be the leader, and I make decisions."

"..."

Jul stopped moving.

She turned around and looked Lo in the eyes.

"..."

Letting out a heavy sigh, she did not bother refuting against Lo. It was useless to do so because she always ends up crying like a child.

"What do you want us to do, fearless leader?" Jul placed her right hand on her left chest and bowed slightly.

"Mm-hmm," Lo puffed out her chest and flicked away her hair with a smug and accomplished smile on her face. "We go to the town and rest."

"..."

The veins in Jul's temples popped out in anger.

She wanted to snap at her team member but instead, she kept her anger in check.

With her chest puffed out, Lo skipped in front of them while humming.

"One day, I am going to kill her, that damned royal."

"Now, now," the boy patted Jul on top of her head with his eyes closed and wide smile. "You don't mean that at all. She is your precious friend after all."

"You… suck."

With a 'hmph' sound, she jerked away her head and walked away.

"Why am I stuck in such a weird place…?" He asked himself with his shoulders hung low.

After them, he walked tiredly.

Friends can be a pain sometimes.

With loud groans, he walked into the town.

Seeing so many kinds of people, those who looked like humans, those who looked like animals, some that were combination, the boy sucked in a breath.

With his chest welling up, he looked around excitedly.

"So this is the capital of--"

"Ohhhhh," with great excitement, Lo screamed loudly, stealing everyone's attention. "This inn is so cheap! We need to go in here now! Let's stay the night!!"

Seeing how she was pointing at the price list like a small child, Jul and the boy naturally looked the other way and walked away.

"We don't know her," the two of them muttered to themselves.

How can a royal be so cheap?! the two of them tought at once.

With teary eyes, Lo ran after them.

"Wait for meeeeeee~"

လလလ

Later that night, the whole town had gone to sleep.

The teenage boy with red eyes and white hair was sleeping in a small room in the cheap inn.

Until very late, he could hear the bickering from the two friends in the room next to his but after a long time, he finally fell asleep and couldn't be happier about it.

Everything was good until a dark energy flew to every corner of the multiverse and the death rose.

The zombies moved in random directions and people panicked.

But that's for later. Very later.

လလလ

Just as the energy flew across the creation, the white haired and red eyed boy gasped for breath as he sat up.

He covered his right eye with his right hand.

"How…?"

His body was shaking in confusion and horror.

What just happened?

How did this happen?

What is the meaning of this?

"A lifetime spent…"

The boy took a deep breath and quickly sorted through the memories of never-ending life.

A moment ago, he was just a normal person in this world of his. A man who was just average.

But now he knew his true self.

He was anything but average.

He was the greatest.

He was powerful enough to bring a God down to his knees.

"It can't be…"

He held universes in the palm of his hand, flew through the darkness and saw lights that were ignored by most.

"I-- HRK!?!?"

Before he could speak his mind, he widened his eyes in pain.

Within his mind, another man with white hair and red eyes appeared.

He intuitively knew who it was.

Nazar.

He shouldn't, but he did.

"You woke up too early," the Nazar which only he could see spoke to him. "You remembered for too long."

In the hands of Nazar, a black scythe appeared, which reeked of death.

"No, no, no," the boy fumbled back in his bed in fear. "Puh-please, I am so--"

"It has to be this way. This is the end for you. You made a mistake by making me - the Supreme God of Everything - your enemy..."

Nazar swung the scythe.

"And now…"

The boy was once again sent into a state of confusion as he saw the scythe come down and slowly steal his vision.

He knew what he or the thing in his memories had done wrong, but what had he done wrong?

He was a nobody, an average boy who never hurt anyone innocent.

Why did he deserve a fate like this?

"DIE!"

The scythe of death came crashing down upon this body and it killed him, even his body vanished from the very existence.

လလလ

"GAHHH?!"

A short while later, in the Sixth Dimensional plane of existence, Eseme felt an intense pain in her heart as she sensed a certain energy signature. Her physical form was gone, she had no body, but she was feeling intense pain.

"Esme!" Mira, the small colourful fairy shouted in a worried manner. "Are-- Are you okay?"

"That… that energy… it…".

Esme's voice slowly diminished, so the fairy could no longer hear her.

“Mira....”

The fairy flew up and looked at Esme in the eyes.

“It… It couldn’t be...”

From across the stars, she felt an energy she never thought she would feel again.

She did not expect him to be revived.

But if the fairy, who ceased to exist in front of her returned, then it would not be very weird.

But if he is back, then why is she feeling this intense pain?

“It was...” she said with a broken voice. “He came back for an instant but--- Ah, found it.”

The world twisted and a portal appeared in front of the two of them.

“I think… I think...” in a voice full of complicated - confusion, surprise, bewilderment and happiness - she flew towards the portal.

“Wait for me,” Mira, confused, flew after her as fast as she could.

လလလ

On a small unknown world, a portal ripped open in the time-space continuum as a Goddess and a fairy walked through it.

“Esme, please stop being so rash and think this through,” with all her strength, the fairy Mira forced out those words. She had no hopes that Esme would listen to her, but it was worth a try. “Please.”

“Mira, please, it’s...”

Esme rushed into the cheap inn and went to the second floor.

She ignored the zombies and the confused people and entered a room.

In the room, she found a white haired and red eyed teenage boy who was lying dead on the bed.

“Arias...” Mira said as sadness and confusion clouded her face.

Thousands of years ago, before Esme died, she went to a small world where she met a man with white hair and red eyes. She lived with the man and the fairy, but one day, the man died, leaving the two of them behind.

“Yes, but how? How can I feel him from...”

Next to the bed, two teenage girls were grieving about the death of their friend, so they did not notice Esme or Mira.

“Esme, what are you…?”

“I...”

Esme looked at the teary face of the fairy, she could not stand that look on her face.

So, she steeled her heart and spoke in a stern voice.

Prolonging this conversation could cause Mira to feel sadder and more confused, so one of them had to think straight.

“This boy is-- was Arias. But I do not know how that can be.”

Esme tried to bite her thumb as she thought vigorously, but she realised her body was gone, so she made a clicking sound.

“He was not back at all, his life--!!” Esme widened her eyes.

She swept her hand across the air, looking at every life in the multiverse, those that exists and those who long have ceased existing.

“He never had a soul...” she muttered under her breath. “No life or soul.”

She placed her vapor-like hand on her vapor-like forehead, she was not sure if she should let her complicated feelings come out.

Esme let out a depressed chuckle.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this?”

“Esme?” Mira stared at the body of her old friend - or someone that looked like him - with teary eyes.

“I...” Esme steeled her heart once more, pushing down her human-like emotions. “I need to--- I need to find the essence of Arias. We have to go back through time, Mira.”

“...”

Mira, still staring at the boy with teary eyes, did not question anything Esme said and just nodded.

“Okay.”

❢◥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◆ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◤❢

Nazareth, Israel, Earth:

Sitting atop the thousands of angels and Gods, Nazar snapped his fingers.

“Vilramore.”

He called upon the manifestation of the universe and it answered him instantly.

『Yes, master?』 the universe answered.

“Any news on him?”

『I am afraid I have no answer for you, master. In the next moment, I will be beginning a council with other universes to converse with the return of… of...』

Vilramore is a conceptual being, so Nazar narrowed his eyes once he noticed the hint of emotion in his voice.

Was he scared? Or were there other feelings dwelling in the universe regarding that being?

“I see...” Nazar nodded.

『I apologise for that, master, it shall be fixed immediately.』

“Hm, don’t mention it.”

『Then I will take my--』

“Vilramore, can I ask something?”

『...』

The universe was confused, why would the master of the universe ask him for permission? And why was his tone full of guilt?

『Yes, master.』

“First of all, how is the situation across the universe?”

『The number of zombies has increased significantly, and it is starting to leak throughout time. Some people are being resurrected in their own time. If this continues any further, it could destroy the very fabric of the multiverse.』

“Hmm. Say, if the universe returns to normal, will the people of the past forget what happened?”

『That is not something I can answer, but in the council, I can bring up the matter to Daya. After all, his control over the multiverse is exceptional.』

“Make sense… But that’s not what I wanted to ask,” Nazar chuckled bitterly. “I was going to tell you something terrible.”

『... Then please give me the honour of hearing what you have to say.』

“Is it bad that I am happy what is happening to universe,” Nazar looked around the universe. He saw the people suffering with fear because of the zombies, but he was the only one who smiled blissfully.

『!』

“This event has turned out… amazingly for me. I couldn’t be happier that it happened today.”

『May I ask… Why?』

“After so long, I met my older sister, I reunited with my first mother and I think I might have made a new friend,” he stared at the setting orange sun and smiled faintly. “That makes me a terrible person, no?”

『...』

Vilramore was not sure what he needed to say in this situation.

The universe was at a loss for words.

『In the eyes of some, I assume you would be seen as such.』

“You know, I have no concept of bad or good. What happened today… This was a blessing from...” Nazar trailed off and laughed. “Well, I don’t believe in a greater power, but maybe, today was the day fate smiled upon me.”

『That is good to hear, master. It is good that fate smiled upon you.』

This being has no emotions, but Nazar could sense a little anger in its words.

However, he ignored it for now.

“I have no concept of good or bad-- but if something hurts me, that must be bad. So, I guess I do have a concept of good and bad, huh? Weird,” Nazar nodded with a complicated smile. “Life can be confusing, no?”

『...』

Once again, the infinitely large universe fell silent.

“As I was saying, I am really happy today. So, that’s why...”

With a tired groan, Nazar slowly stood up.

“If there are people in this world that can look me in the eyes and smile at me, a shithead like me, no less, then...”

He clenched his fist as he sucked in the frigid air.

“No matter what happens, I will save this universe of ours.”

『Thank you, my lord.』

“No, don’t thank me. I just want to save the universe for the sake of that woman who smiled at me all those years ago. I won’t let her suffer or feel guilty about something like this.”

The universe wanted to say something, but Nazar did not give him a chance.

“If I don’t save the universe now, those who I cherish will be hurt for a long time to come. So, for their sake, be assured, I will save you all.”

Seeing the sad smile on his face, the universe said, 『Thank you.』

“I said--” he swallowed his words and let out a soft groan. “Whatever.”