"Today," Somnus said. "Everything changes."

The troops s.h.i.+fted slightly, listening closely to Somnus—hanging on every word.

"With wicked weapons, we embrace our true nature. We are the ruin of all things! We are the broken cog in the great mechanism of life!" Somnus spoke, voice even and cold. "Today, all things that sought to control us will end. Through the cause of Violence and War, we will reclaim our rightful place in this world. I will set you free."

Somnus turned towards the Gateway and stepped through.

After a moment, the strange dimension within the Gateway gave way to Somnus's destination. The first thing Somnus noticed was a ma.s.sive city in the distance. Silver spires pierced the sky, like the ones in the Gram capital. A large stretch of open plain and farmland separated Somnus from what appeared to be the Empire capital.

An army, hundreds of thousands strong, was deployed in the distance, kilometers away from the Gateway. These were not just soldiers, flying the banners of the Midland Empire, but other groups were there as well.

The Ashborn Knights, followed by the Deathbringers started pouring out of the Gateway, maintaining their formations. They were seemingly ready for anything. Somnus's earlier speech did not register in their mannerisms. Today, they were cold-blooded killers—entirely focused on their task.

"It seems the Empire has also hired the adventuring companies, my liege," Peron said, recognizing some banners that did not fly the Midland colors.

"I also sense Fragments. There are Vessels like me," Gemma added, coming to a stop slightly behind Somnus.

The numbers they faced didn't seem to bother either of them.

"It doesn't look like they're here to fight us, initially," Somnus said.

Peron looked at Somnus, his expression betraying his confusion.

Somnus pointed at the army in the distance. "Their formation… this atmosphere… they are here to clean up after I am dead."

Somnus had seen this many times before. The battle of two Autonomous Machine a.r.s.enals often left conventional troops and weapons of war to watch helplessly from the sidelines until a victor emerged. There was no point throwing lives and equipment at Autonomous Machine a.r.s.enals. The enemy was Seraph who also knew how the wars of the future were fought and these tactics were exactly that. Seraph recognized Somnus as an existence equal to or exceeding an Autonomous Machine a.r.s.enal; There was no point throwing lives or equipment at him.

"This is how I wanted it anyway," Somnus said. "Stand by and observe, Peron."

"Sire, at least let us send some Ashborn Knights with you," Peron insisted.

"Stand by," Somnus commanded.

Somnus began advancing towards the enemy, as Peron reluctantly gave up on trying to a.s.sist his liege.

With each step, Somnus came closer to his own metaphysical being. He felt a strange sensation burn in his body, registering even in his fingertips. It was like electricity. Was it fear? His heart pounded so hard Somnus thought it might explode. This was not fear. It was excitement. He finally found what he was looking for in this world. An opponent who was worthy to receive Somnus's blessing of death and destruction.

"Come, Seraph," Somnus squeezed through his teeth and jumped forward.

[Mana stabilizers deployed.]

[Combat configuration A.]

His silver, blade-like wings s.h.i.+mmered into existence, casting off glimmering dust that caught the first lights of the sun like fragments of gla.s.s. A cloud of vapor formed around Somnus as he broke the sound barrier and took off flying towards this existence that was supposedly equivalent to his.

A flash of light in front of Somnus heralded an imminent attack. He barely caught the glimpse of a golden s.h.i.+mmer before something collided with his chaos barrier, throwing sparks into the air.

[Autonomous evasion system activated.]

Just as the announcement came, Somnus reflexively flew backwards, subjecting his body to extreme G-forces, as a bolt of silver lightning cascaded down from above, barely missing him. The flash of light partially blinded Somnus, and the G-forces nearly caused him to black out.

Somnus felt dizzy. His human body could not handle the extent of his power, even though it was fortified through spells and his connection to the divine realm. Even so, Somnus could not help but wonder what just happened.

[Perimeter breached.]

Somnus felt Aeon usurp his thoughts, directing them away from wonder and towards evasion. The wings around Somnus released a waterfall of pure mana as they strained to carry Somnus away from the imminent, invisible threat.

[OPCOM: Threat level 10.]

[OPCOM: Evade. Escape.]

Somnus felt an incredible heat pa.s.s by his head. Somnus's view was conquered by a pure white brilliance, as if he was staring into the sun.

[OPCOM: Evade. Escape.]

[Mana limiter disengaged.]

Aeon's halo appeared above Somnus's head, the malevolent wheel turning lazily. A constant flux of power channeled into Somnus's body through the halo. The halo grew in size, opening the fissure into Aeon's dimension wider and wider. Fully released, the halo made Somnus feel like he could crack the world open with ease.

[OPCOM: Escape. Escape. Escape. Escape. Escape. Esca]

Somnus closed his eyes, suppressing Aeon's voice in his mind. His heart pounded even harder than before. Was it still excitement, or was it fear now?

Somnus cracked a dark smile.

"No escape. No retreat," Somnus said out loud. "No mercy."

Several moments pa.s.sed by, before Aeon's notification invaded his mind.

[Autonomous evasion system disengaged.]

[Mana output: 200%]

Aeon's wings trembled as they attempted to stabilize the staggering amount of mana pa.s.sing through them.

[Connecting to higher dimension.]

[Commencing Apotheosis.]

The halo stopped turning, its outline catching black fire. The fire spread over the surface of the halo and then solidified into another ring around the original ring. The two rings began rotating, each in a different direction. Somnus felt his conscience connect to another dimension through the halo, this one even more primal and destructive than the previous one.

A pulse of power ran through Somnus, setting his nerves aflame. Black cracks formed on Somnus's skin. He could feel the fissures in the depths of his spirit. The destructive influence of the new dimension was changing his very spirit, like an affliction of the soul. It was poison. It was power.

Somnus realized then; His body was turning into pure mana.

[Apotheosis Engine: Apotheosis: 49%]

So this was why the halo was called an Apotheosis Engine. He was becoming a true divinity—a metaphysical force. A celestial mechanism of this world: Ruin. The Destroyer.

[OPCOM: No escape. No retreat. No mercy.]

Consciously, Somnus could feel his mind swimming in an empty black sea. There was no sense of time or s.p.a.ce, only continuity. He felt as if he was a being of two worlds now, one half in the physical realm, the other in this new and strange dimension. Through this black sea, he could sense things the way Aeon could—by their imprint on the Information Dimension. Through his black sea, Somnus could see his opponent.

Shrouded in a nimbus of glorious gold light, across from Somnus stood a man that looked exactly like him. They both had the same black hair, and the same eyes through which one could see the light of falling stars.

What shocked Somnus wasn't the fact that his opponent was him—Somnus always a.s.sumed that Seraph would be himself. After all, that version of Somnus was sent into the past a thousand years to resolve the continuity conflict. What shocked Somnus was the fact that this was not Seraph.

"Who are you?" Somnus asked.

Somehow, Somnus could sense that this creature was neither human nor himself. It was as if Somnus could identify the creature's soul, and it did not match his own.

"Expression," the creature spoke, its word carried on currents of wind and mind, as if it was speaking directly into Somnus's mind. "Expression of Order."

A strange sense of familiarity came with the name. He recognized it like a distant concept, or something he heard an eternity ago.

"You must," the creature spoke. "You must die. Must stop… Must stop Destroyer's Apotheosis."

The creature struggled with its words, as if the very concept of putting them together confused it. Like a child reading a book out loud, phrase by phrase.

The creature suddenly screamed, releasing a howl infused with annihilating energies. The howl obliterated the clouds above Somnus, as Expression of Order launched itself at Somnus.

"Abyssal Blade," Somnus spoke, reaching his hand into the dimension opened by his halo. From the emptiness within, Somnus withdrew a blade that he instinctively recognized as [Eclipse]. This strange sword was not visible to the naked eye. It did not exist in the physical realm, because it was a paradox.

As if possessing a mind of its own, [Eclipse] launched itself into the path of Expression of Order's attack. Though the sword was not visible in the physical realm, Somnus could clearly see its burning-like outline in the Information Dimension. Truly, it was like looking at the shadow of an eclipse. Somnus understood then; [Eclipse] was the sun behind the shadow—that was the source of its paradox. The nature of the sword—and its lack of physical manifestation—begged the question: If it cannot be seen, does it truly exist?

Expression of Order's burning, golden sword seemingly struck empty air and bounced off. The creature slashed again, the hypersonic attack forming vapor trails around the sword's edges. [Eclipse] did not move through s.p.a.ce. Somnus clearly saw what happened as he parried again. Before Somnus's arm even moved to parry, the Record that the attack was parried already existed. Somnus's arm merely followed "fate".

[Eclipse] subverted causality itself.

The impact of the two swords caused a roaring explosion that turned the water in the air into vaporous mist. The megawatts of heat pouring from Expression of Order's sword caused the mist to catch fire.

With each strike, the fireball forming around the two increased in size, shedding heat and pulses of radiation on the ground hundreds of meters below them. Somnus did not even have time to worry about the state of those he brought with him here. It took everything he had simply to resist Expression of Order's attacks.

The heat from the creature's attacks washed over Somnus, barely even registering in his mind. However, if he was directly struck by that sword, Somnus was sure that he would instantly die.

"Structure," the creature whispered. There was no spell circle, or even mana involved. The creature spoke, and Somnus felt his imprint in the Information Dimension disappear. As if he was erased.

Then Somnus felt the current of causality pulling at him. Finality was closing in, creeping in through the cracks in his consciousness.

Instinctively, Somnus flew backwards. With each meter he crossed, he felt the tugging at his soul lessen. Through the black sea, he could see the stream of possibilities unfolding before him, each one leading towards death. Like an edict, Expression of Order's words forced the universe to dispose of Somnus, and the universe strove to oblige. In theory, Somnus was already erased, reality just hadn't caught up yet.

Somnus was foolish. He should've realized from the moment Aeon suggested that they run. He should've realized the moment he heard that cursed creature's name. There was no spell circle or mana because Expression of Order was literally that—an expression of Order. It was a mechanism of the world. If it willed Somnus dead, there was no escape. There was only prolonguing the inevitable.

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The only way to avoid annihilation was to continue resisting. Every action left a imprint on the Information Dimension; Expression of Order's edict was forcing the world to erase every one of those Records. So long as Somnus could outrun the Edict, he would remain alive.

Running was not enough.

Somnus reversed directions, and charged at Expression of Order.

Like fire and oil mixing in his veins, fear and excitement burned in his heart. He finally felt like his purpose was given meaning. As if he found his place in this world. He didn't want to lose that feeling.

Somnus closed his eyes. He didn't need to see for this part. This wasn't a battle fought with sight and skill. The outcome had already been decided. This was a battle of causality.

Expression of Order was just that—an expression. Somnus was the true sovereign of this world and its Order. Only Somnus's word was Law. Somnus felt a shackle on his soul snap as he chanted this mantra of existence deep within his soul.

Somnus felt a shock run through his arm as it absorbed the forces of impact. He had reached Expression of Order and struck at him. Their swords must have collided, Somnus concluded.

Somnus willed his body to attack again, and more impact shocks ran through his body. With each strike, Somnus felt the power of the Edict wane. With each strike, the Edict's influence over the world subsided.

The next impact felt softer and lighter.

Somnus slowly opened his eyes. [Eclipse] was burried halfway into Expression of Order's neck. The power of the Edict disappeared at that moment, and seven-colored lotus petals fell around the two like cherry blossoms. Each color was that of the rainbow, in perfect order.

Somnus felt causality restructuring itself, trying to make sense of what just happened. How can something that does not exist kill a mechanism of the world?

Somnus felt this sensation before when Gemma used the power of her Fragment to reverse time.

Expression of Order smiled at that moment, as reality rejected his fatal wound, and thrusted his sword into Somnus's chest.

[OPCOM: Fatal damage received.]

[Apocalyptic Apotheosis achieved.]

[Directive: Exterminate. Exterminate. Exterminate. Exterminate. Exterminate. Exterminate.]