Amidst the fervent stares of the city's people, the giant gear in the sky vaporised all the Demon beasts in the city, from the shadow wolves prowling in the streets, all the way to the shadow birds hovering in the air. Though the Shadow humanoids were not able to be destroyed, they were weakened considerably, to the point where even a Level 1 (Tier-1 – the people of Aesold count power levels in Levels, as Natsuki unfortunately found out the hard way...) bard could wack them into oblivion using their instruments.
And all the while, Natsuki stood in the centre of the whole mess, looking as if the messiah had returned
Well, that was until he crumpled to the floor, much to the townsfolk's horror...
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Urgh...
Head feeling woozy, Natsuki slowly rose, arms feeling heavier than lead. Looking down, he found out that both his arms were filled with needles of all kinds:
Big, small, yellow and green-
Okay, now I know I'm tripping balls when I see yellow needles. What am I hooked to this time, cocaine?
It was only after he took a closer look that he finally realised that the green needle wasn't used to deliver the traditional sort of fluids, it was more like a...
Concept...?
As he began tracing the line up, trying to find out what they were juicing him up with, his eyes met with another's:
Wizened beyond years, filled with wrinkles and...
Worry
"Kid, you okay?"
Voice, surprisingly, soft, for the first time in Natsuki's life, Knoxis looked down at the hero, face filled with concern at the sight of the young man who had forced himself to save people he didn't know. Though faint, Knoxis could see the shadows of his former comrades...
Comrades, who, whatever their orders may be, follow what they believe, even if it damned them to eternal damnation
Now getting creeped out, Natsuki couldn't help but scooch to the side, a lot. "Okay old man, what are you playing at this time? I'm not gay, by the way..."
Smack!
"Stop with this farcical nonsense! I was genuinely concerned about you, for what you did could have easily killed you! Had it not been for the Eternium you used as your first foundation, the sheer strain of your suicidal move would've not only killed you, but instantly annihilated your very soul itself! Also, I am very much into women, and not young boys like a certain group does..."
Rubbing his head (whether in shame or pain), Natsuki sheepishly asked him what was going on right now. Face filled with joy, Knoxis turned his gaze towards the window, where groups of people could be seen lugging all sorts of materials as they began fixing the city after the devastating attack. Though many a life was lost, this did not diminish their spirit; on the contrary, life seemed to burn brighter than ever, their eyes spitting flames everywhere.
"And as answer to your question:
Why don't you look outside?"
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The sky had no beginning, nor end. All that it had was a white space, where not a blemish was seen. And that was how it was for an uncountable time...
Until a small dot appeared
At first it was a line, then a paper-like silhouette, until finally, a thin, wiry old man, radiating power equivalent to a Tier-5 'Inner Sanctifier', formed itself in the blank space. Tilting his monocle up, the old man smoothed out the wrinkles in his leather coat before leaving the door that had materialised in the white room.
"Yes my Lord, I shall decree your orders to the saviour..."