FAMILY ABOVE ALL: BATTLING AGAINST GODS

 

Within one of the thousands of lower worlds populating the Lunar Galaxy, a small village rested peacefully in an isolated region.

A large field could be seen in the immediate surroundings of the village, with a few figures surrounding two couples.

A golden-haired woman whose face was covered by a veil sat on the grassy field as she wove the needles in her hands to form a cloth, which, upon further observation, was a golden scarf.

The woman's hand shook constantly, showing her restless state of mind, yet she pushed through her anxiousness and finally completed her work. Releasing a sigh of relief, she shifted her head to her front. A short distance away from her was a silver-haired man whose body was perfectly perpendicular to the ground, with his legs pointing towards the skies. With just one finger, he pushed his entire body off the ground as the tight muscles on his bare torso contracted and relaxed with each of his movements.

"Ten thousand and fifteen..."

The sweat running down his upper body lined his well-sculpted chest, tight abs, and ripped arm muscles.

The golden-haired woman looked at the full moon in the sky before she shifted her eyes back to the man before her as she spoke with a shaky voice tinged with myriad complex emotions.

"Arthur, it is time."

Pain, fear, guilt, and many more. But among all these emotions, longing was the most palpable.

The silver-haired man who had been pushing himself off the ground as he counted suddenly seized all movement. After a short moment, he pushed him back to his feet with a graceful movement.

"I know!" he said as his right hand disappeared into the space beside him. With a pull, a silver shirt appeared in his grasp, which he immediately put on without hesitation.

Looking at the few figures around him; a bald-haired man, a fiery red-haired woman with a sensual figure, a fat woman with makeup on and on high heels, and finally a dark-haired woman with beautiful features, the bright silver eyes of the silver-haired man rested on the golden-haired veiled woman last.

A powerful light shone in his eyes as he smashed his right hand behind him.

There was no sound of explosion nor was there any shockwave generated, instead a long crack silently appeared in space, and without any hesitation the silver-haired man stepped into it, followed by the golden-haired woman. It wasn't until after this duo entered that the remaining group followed suit.

There was no need for words at this point. This was something they had been expecting since almost a decade ago after all.

.....

The Lunar World.

On the vast plain, a few kilometers from Nightingale.

The air blew lightly, sending a cold shiver down the back of a stunned man.

With this stimulus, his eyes seemed to regain focus, but soon after his teeth clattered and his mouth trembled.

A feeling of fear never before felt before engulfed Emperor Razor. Not even when he faced his lord did he experience such an intense feeling.

When he turned his head stiffly to his sides, Emperor Razor's pupils contracted into pin-size.

"Gone..." he choked out.

"...They are all gone." his body trembled profusely, as an unpleasant smell pervaded the surroundings.

He had wet himself.

A whole acclaimed Emperor had wet himself out of fear, not to mention that this being was even a corrupted, known not to show much emotion.

But he wasn't to be blamed.

In but an instant, the terrifying army behind him, and all the corrupted in the Lunar world had disappeared along with Arlo's voice.

They were all gone.

No!

Perhaps it was more apt to say they had turned into dust that the lightly blowing wind had scattered.

All in an instant!

What kind of notion was that? That kind of power had already left the realm of reasonable and had well enough entered the realm of impossible.

The only corrupted remaining within the Lunar world was the lone Emperor Razor, no..., the lone Razor who was gazing into the sky with a look of pure terror.

Arlo raised his other hand, causing Razor to fall on his rear in fear. While he didn't plead for mercy nor forsake his lord, the deep fear that had pierced into his bones caused this once dominant figure to tremble like a fire flickering within a storm. 

Arlo, on the other hand, merely watched the figure who once seemed unreachable just a day ago.

<<Boy...>>

"I know." Arlo cut Old Bro off. He didn't need to listen to his words to know the danger gathering above him. Ever since his awakening started, lightning of different colors started gathering above the skies.

Now, multicolored lightning engulfed the entire sky of the Lunar world.

'It seems the world is rejecting me...' Arlo thought to himself as his eyes remained transfixed on the trembling Razor who didn't dare to harbor any thought of resisting.

Not willing to waste more of his limited time, Arlo tugged at the remaining milky essence within him before unleashing his second innate talent. He didn't need to use such an overpowered ability to handle Razor, but he still wanted to. Only then could he find satisfaction.

Space essence erupted from his body before gathering at his left hand. Soon, a pure silver ball appeared within his grasp.

"Space bead!"

Within this silver bead lay a small world, one whose laws were completely under his control, making him no different from a will-bearer.

Stretching his other hand towards Razor, Arlo spoke.

"I will make sure you never die. You will be continuously struck down by lightning, engulfed by molten lava, and swallowed by the sea. Yet you will find no death, at least not until I allow you to. This world shall forever be your prison."

"Ah..." Razor seemed to have lost his senses as he looked dumbly at Arlo. He wanted to plead for mercy, but the will of his lord wouldn't allow him.

Without caring for his broken mental state, Arlo waved his raised hand, and the bead sucked Razor into it. With but his will, he sent it into Seraphina's mental world.

Like that, one of the strongest figures of a higher world disappeared without a trace.

"Now..."

Using his mana, Arlo gently sent the surrounding bodies into the distance. When his spiritual energy had covered the world, he noticed something he hadn't before due to his roiled emotions.

His friends had not died. Only Khan...and Evangeline had.

With a small tug of his mana, two heads flew into his hands.

<< Arlo...>> Old bro pressed.

" Even if I die, I wish to save them."

<<...that is impossible. >>

Arlo ignored Old Bro's words as if he hadn't heard them in the first place as he mustered the few bits of the essence of reality he had left and had regenerated within this short time.

However, no matter what he tried, his wish simply seemed impossible to accomplish.

"Why?"

Arlo couldn't tell, but ever since he awakened, his aura completely changed.

His still baby face possessed an absolute charm, and yet hidden within this charm was a lofty and immovable presence that exuded an unparalleled and dignified demeanor. Yet this figure, who looked like a baby immortal out of a painting, was now shedding tears.

"Why? Why can't I save them? Am I not a god?"

Arlo truly felt like he could hold the whole universe in his hand, and even that seemed not enough.

He was weak!

<<... Technically, you are not a full god. >> Old Bro hesitated before clarifying.

"I-I don't understand."

<<Sigh, you are being restrained by this world and can only reach the peak of the yellow core stage. If not...>> He didn't continue his words, but he didn't need to.

The smart Arlo could already get the gist of the matter.

He hadn't broken out of the cultivation of the mortals. In fact, he was far from the peak. It would only be abnormal if he could already accomplish feats only a god could.

Arlo felt a stifling feeling suffocating his heart. Unable to bottle these complex emotions within himself, he raised his head and roared to the heavens, only for his body to be sent down to the earth by a black lightning that had abruptly smashed into him from the skies.

RUMBLE!

A phenomenal sight played out as the lightning engulfing the entire skies of the Lunar world moved in the same direction.

Above Arlo.

"Ah!"

A golden streak rose back to the skies at unmatched speed. Now that he had awakened, Arlo's disposition had undergone a fundamental change. It was just like when he had first encountered Bon and Judi at their father's castle. Pressed underneath the former's foot, he had erupted with great might, and his aura had completely changed. He gave off the feeling of a god disdainfully looking down at an ant.

It was simply the pride of a higher being...

...the pride of a god!

Abruptly struck to the ground had stoked Arlo's pride, not to mention that he had been feeling a pent-up rage due to his inability to revive his master.

Therefore, Arlo released all his anger on the heavens.

At least that was what he tried to do...

Looking at the skies, the fast-moving Arlo who had easily broken through the sound barrier slowly came to a stop.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Claps of thunder shook the earth, as the entire skies of the Lunar world covered in lightning snakes exuded a tangible pressure that shook the planet.

Arlo could feel it!

It wasn't like when he was in a secret realm. At that time, while the lightning tribulation seemed like it wanted to destroy, the truth was time the heavens still gave him a way out, its power restricted to the same or a bit higher realm as his. In a word, one could describe it as a 'trial'.

But this time, things were different.

The heavens really wanted to erase his existence!

The power of the lightning gathering in the skies had long since surpassed the limit of the yellow core stage, and its power was still building up.

Instinctively, Arlo knew even with the strength he currently wielded, he would die.

However, just because he knew he would die didn't mean that he wouldn't struggle to survive.

Raising his hands, Arlo erupted with his full might. Despite the depletion of his essence of reality unique to a god, Arlo still had access to his mana. Unlimited mana!

Unlike humans who were restricted to a single core, Arlo currently had tens of cores, each of them filled to the brink with the power of a peak yellow stage mage, which was the highest cultivation allowed in the dark galaxy.

Boom!

Half of his body became engulfed in silver mana, with the other half covered in golden mana. The two distinct mana surrounding him rose to form a pillar that pierced through the lightning above him.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The clap of thunder reverberating across the world increased in intensity! The heavens were angry!

But Arlo didn't care. He was also angry!

The two distinct mana surrounding suddenly blended.

Boom!

A shockwave that rippled across space-time spread out. The lightning disaster roaring in the skies came to a stop as if frozen in space. Then quickly but silently, they were expelled into the void.

The skies above the Lunar world regained their clarity. However, that was only for a split second.

As if an illusion, the lightning storm reappeared, and before Arlo could react, countless lightning arcs pummeled his body.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

His body was sent back into the earth once again, causing a massive crater thousands of meters wide to form on the earth.

"Ack!" Arlo, who felt the air knocked out from his lungs, didn't even bother to protect himself, as he struggled to use his space abilities to send his unconscious friends far away from his location. Evangeline's and Khan's heads were also sent into Seraphina's mental world.

<< ARLO!>>

Old Bro's anger shook his mind. Very rarely did this Artifact spirit call him by his name, and Arlo could tell why.

A magical sight was playing before him.

The lightning snakes covering the world were falling towards him. From above, his sides, back or front, lightning of different colors surrounded him. The sight looked like a scene out of an apocalypse. His eardrum shook from the clap of the approaching disaster.

Arlo felt a feeling of powerlessness overcome him.

He could only watch as his body was pushed down and further down into the earth as his body was struck by lightning. The strikes were unending. The power in each strike was unimaginable.

Arlo's dragon tail swinging around to form a barrier was quickly enveloped in the lightning storm. The protective mana covering his body was broken through easily. The dragon form he had prided himself in was easily ripped out.

Slowly but surely, Arlo could tell that he was dying. His Simmon's anxious cries couldn't reach his mind.

The lunar world experienced an unprecedented disaster. One that seemed even scarier than the appearance of the corrupted.

The enemies had abruptly disappeared, but before the inhabitants of the Lunar World could even celebrate, the skies were swallowed by kaleidoscopic lightning that swarmed in one direction. And then the earth started quaking as if the world was experiencing a worldwide earthquake.

Buildings toppled to the ground, and the dying cries of the inhabitants reverberated across the world.

A higher world, one of the few ten, seemed on the verge of destruction.

Just as the eyelids of the culprit fully closed in surrender, his mind was suddenly awakened by a heavenly voice.

<< Sigh...even after preparing for it, the situation seems unstoppable. >>

Old bro could feel Arlo's emotions...

<< Do not be mistaken. The heavens don't hate you. What is happening to you right now is simply the natural law. Gods cannot exist outside their realm, that is the 'order'. If not, if such a thing was allowed, wouldn't the mortals have long ceased to exist? Alas, you are just an irregular. To think two mortals could birth a deity, such a thing is supposed to be completely impossible. But it happened. That is why I merged with you and have suppressed your status since your birth. But even I have my limits. Still...>>

The dim eyes of Arlo, who was completely submerged by the lightning storm started gaining their light.

<< There is still hope. >>

The saber imprints on the back of his bloodied hands suddenly released a bright glow.

<< I am the greatest treasure in the realm of the gods! All these years, I had hidden my aura from the heavens, appearing no different from a normal weapon.>>

Arlo finally understood why Old Bro never helped him, even when his life was in danger.

<< Even though I had merged with you, I had to focus my powers on suppressing your cores. But now, things are different. >>

The bright light flashing from the saber marks suddenly turned into sparks.

<< I am the Chaotic twin Saber! At least, that is the current form I am assuming. And as my wielder, you have access to my powers.>>

The sparks forming on Arlo's hand suddenly turned into lightning snakes...golden lightning snakes that covered his body.

<< I am Chaos! The ruler of the five primary elements! >>

Arlo, who had now fallen into a pit thousands of meters deep and tens of thousands of meters wide, was uncontrollably raised by the golden lightning enveloping him.

The multicolored lightning striking upon his body caused no effect and was instead assimilated by the golden lightning.

<< Water, Earth, Air, Fire, and Lightning. >>

Golden sparks filled Arlo's eyes as lightning arcs of matching color snaked around his hair.

<< I rule them all! >>

An arrogant voice shook Arlo's mind.

<< Now, you do too! >>