[Finale to the 3-Part Interlude. I hope you enjoyed this!]
He's. . . unbeatable! What were we thinking?
Rumble!
A lifeless black beam of energy soared across the battlefield and struck Icas. The hefty power launched their opponent backward.
The foreign darkness shuddered and diminished. Iberis Tetrarch was panting, his hand gripping his claymore. "I am a Vizier!" he roared. "Ranked at the Lining! Failing is no option, especially at the hands of someone like you! The Bersebus Empire is the conqueror; we will not falter!"
"We will not falter! Long live the Crown! Hail Emperor!"
Icas's face warped. "That Bersebus deserved everything that came at him!" He spontaneously pointed a finger at Frederick, who exploded immediately.
"Frederick!" Jareer and Arin cried. It was no use. He was dead.
Jareer ducked and aimed for Icas's knee. "This is for Anna!"
Feeling the air change insignificantly, the Servant of Contrivance glowered at Jareer and stomped on his sword.
Shatter!
The sword broke on impact, leaving Jareer terror-stricken. "Revert to the true Liege. All Julius did for you was blindly lead you to your doom!"
Before Jareer could speak, or the frozen men from behind could move, Icas brought his foot down on Jareer's face. Squishing. Squelching. Blood smeared across the gravel.
The rest of the men froze in shock, unwillingly listening to Jareer's screams. Jareer did not cry for forgiveness; he cried for the pain to persist, for it to end his suffering.
"Liege! Anna! I hope to see you in the land hereafter!" he screamed with what little of a mouth he had left.
Dead in seconds.
Jareer... I never realized how miserable you were. Arin Maylor, who had backed off slightly after Jareer dove for Icas, tapped the emblem on his heart five times, tracing the shape of a crown
They could not afford to mourn Jareer's abrupt death yet; the job wasn't finished.
Icas surveyed the victims. "'Pitiful,' like my Master would say." He flexed his fingers outward, then slowly and wickedly curled them into a fist.
Sonic shockwaves blasted all around them.
Detonation into a million pieces. Their screams were useless. Vizier Squad 12 had been all but defeated.
Iberis, the only one left alive, crumpled. "No—" His weapon fell, his bravery with it. "Why? Why. . . are you doing this?"
"Because Contrivance is Infinity. You will get that in the next life if you are accepted into Moribund." Icas menacingly approached the hysterical vizier. "Only eleven more to go."
He celebrated, "Goodbye, Iberis~"
. . . .
Through a vortex of dark, terrifying colors, another figure emerged. She stepped out of the opening with little emotion, staring apathetically at Icas, her form dignified and powerful.
The latter beamed and blushed: Lady Lucille!
Lucille wore a classical blue robe, looking around with dichromatic eyes—one aqua, the other crimson. She brushed her long black hair out of the way and acknowledged his presence.
"I see that the land known as Preole Grye wasn't necessarily Preole Grye." Her voice was discreet. "W—"
"Lady Lucille, the entire squad died at my hand!" Icas interrupted.
Lucille glared at Icas. "Don't interrupt me again." He quietly bowed his head and shrank.
"Alongside Resurgence's demise, an Almighty Emperor is set to awaken." Lucille Cheralaten trembled for the first time. "This is not good one bit."
Lucille sighed and walked around; her figure was slender yet modestly cloaked. "It's not a matter of versus battles." Her long lashes batted. "After the Bersebus Empire fell, the balance of this world returned. And now that the Resurged Era has ended, the Liege cannot afford to ignore another Almighty Emperor awakening. He has spent too much time mending the crater Bersebus left."
Icas's eyes spun dazedly. "So many titles for the Emperors; how do you remember all of them, Lady Lucille?"
Lucille pulled back her sleeve, revealing a faint image of the bone-like key—the same one Icas had possessed. This time, though, it was larger and more pronounced.
"Within the Grand Titles—the Usurped, Blest, Forgotten, and Almighty—they each have four Lieges. The Tyrants are their own separate Entity and do not possess power that scales to the Grand Titles."
Lucille's silky black hair fluttered in the wind. "After the War of Emperors, their titles developed greater meaning. Even with Usurped Emperor Maisedes setting up his curse, it will not affect the new Almighty Emperor. It is sad that the War of Emperors ended the way it did."
Lucille woke Icas from his daze. "It just means that war is inevitable, and with that, millions of deaths are certain. Usurped Emperor Maisedes will most likely descend and battle the new Almighty Emperor himself."
Lady Lucille, so knowledgeable! Icas stared at the woman in front of him in admiration. "Will we take part in it?"
"I don't know."
She peered at her awestruck colleague. "Return to the Latent World; the Meeting will start soon. He has sent me to clean everything up here."
Icas nodded like a puppy and left immediately. As he walked away, a portal of twisted magic erupted, opening in front of him. He waved at Lucille. "I love you!" before vanishing into the Latent World.
Lucille didn't bother replying to him. Instead, she tapped her foot on the ground.
The floor fragmented and dissipated completely.
What remained was a field of pure blue.
A calm mutter: "The Sacrificial Era will, unfortunately, begin."
She raised her foot before lightly thumping the sky, which propelled her upward. Below, many dark purple lines—like pathways to a maze—formed.
With one final step, Lucille Cheralaten, Fourth Servant of Contrivance, disappeared.
Along with the very island itself.
. . . .
Yet again, a chuckle that resounded from everywhere and nowhere surfaced. This tranquil yet vile voice, belonging to neither Icas nor Lucille, jested,
"Long Live the glorious Crown, let it bask in the illusion of prosperity and bliss."
After a short pause, it continued, as if reading off of a scroll.
"Long Live the Usurped who filch it. Long Live the Forgotten who succumb to it. Long Live the Blest who envy it. Long Live the Tyrants who fear it. Long Live the Almighty who shall destroy it.
"Hail Emperor."