The Judgment of Aetheria
In a single, terrifying heartbeat, Japan died.
Streetlights flickered and died. Skyscrapers went black. Every bulb, screen, and appliance across the nation was extinguished instantly. The only thing left was a suffocating, absolute darkness that blanketed the country.
Cars ground to a halt as engines died. Confusion turned to panic as people stumbled out of their vehicles and homes, their eyes drawn upward. The sky was no longer black; it was churning with a sickly, bruised mixture of blue and purple gas. Thunder rattled the windows, followed by jagged arcs of lightning that tore through the clouds.
Then, they descended.
Six figures, the Great Sages floated down from the tear in the sky, hovering above Kyoto with the indifference of gods looking down upon insects.
Below, the city fell into chaos. Some people froze in shock; others fell to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the asphalt, convinced this was the End Times.
"Who are they?" a woman screamed, pointing a trembling finger.
"Is... is that God? Is that Jesus?"
"Oh Lord, please! Forgive me!"
"It's Judgment Day! It's real! Oh god, I have to fix it... I have to return everything I stole! Please, let me live!"
The cries of repentance and terror spread like wildfire, a chaotic noise rising from the streets.
The Sages ignored the ants beneath them. Their glowing eyes scanned the sprawling city of Kyoto, searching for a single signature.
"Where. Is. The. Mortal. King?" one of the Lords demanded. His voice didn't just travel through the air; it boomed like thunder, vibrating in the chests of millions.
The civilians stared at each other, confused by the title. Whispers of confusion rippled through the crowd.
"ENOUGH!"
Another Sage barked the command. The soundwave physically shook the city, shattering glass in nearby buildings.
"Are you afraid to face us?" the Sage mocked, his voice dripping with ancient arrogance. "Show yourself, so-called Mortal King."
Deep within the crushing mass of panicked people, Renji stood quietly. He wore a heavy hood pulled low over his face. Slowly, he stepped out of the throng, creating a small circle of space. He reached up and pulled the hood back, revealing his sharp features and calm eyes.
Nearby, Shinjo and Hikari were huddled in the crowd, watching him.
"Shinjo," Renji whispered, his voice cutting through the noise, grave and serious. "I want you to take Hikari and get out of here. Now."
"What?" Shinjo snapped, his eyes widening.
"I can't just leave you here to fight them alone!"
"I said take her and go!" Renji shouted. The command was absolute, leaving no room for argument.
Shinjo gritted his teeth, frustrated and worried, but he grabbed Hikari's hand and pulled her back.
Renji didn't look back. He defied gravity, lifting gently off the ground and flying upward until he was face-to-face with the six hovering Lords.
"Are you six looking for me?" Renji asked. His tone was level, his focus entirely on the threat. He stood before them not as a victim, but as a King.
One of the Lords, an elderly figure radiating immense power, drifted closer. "Oh... I see. So you are the boy the prophecy fears."
Renji stared him down, his eyes hard. "I don't need to answer your questions. Tell me why you are here."
The six Sages drifted apart, encircling him in a perfect, inescapable trap.
"Your power reaches into every dimension," the Elder Sage said cold. "It disturbs the balance of our universe. We are here to take it back."
Renji laughed. It was a sharp, confident sound. He clenched his fists, and his aura exploded a violent clash of blue and purple energy that pushed back the clouds.
"Then come and take it."
The Sages didn't hesitate. They attacked as one. They extended their hands, unleashing a synchronized blast of concentrated blue light energy so hot it incinerated the oxygen in the air.
Renji became a blur. He sprinted through the air, dodging the beams by millimeters. He closed the distance and launched his own counterattack, a flurry of fists and kicks powered by his Monarch strength.
CRASH!
Renji moved like lightning, striking the six entities in a blur of speed. But these were not ordinary beasts or dungeon bosses.
They were Supreme Beings. They absorbed his punches with their barriers and retaliated with crushing force.
The sky above Kyoto turned into a strobe light of destruction, flashing different colors as the titans clashed.
"Who do you think you are?" a Sage roared, blocking a kick.
"Mortal King? Ridiculous!" another spat, firing a bolt of magic.
The fight raged on. The impact of their blows sent shockwaves downward, cracking the pavement and flipping parked cars like toys.
Renji landed a solid blow, knocking one, then two, then three Lords out of the sky.
They crashed into the city below, crushing vehicles and cratering the streets, only to fly back up seconds later, bruised but furious.
However, the Sages quickly realized that brute force wasn't working. The Mortal King was too fast, too durable. They stopped their assault abruptly, pulling back to surround Renji in a wide circle.
Renji paused, floating in the center, confused by the sudden cease-fire.
"What are they doing?" he whispered, watching their hands move in complex patterns.
They began to chant. It wasn't a spell; it sounded like a dark scripture, their voices merging into a singular, oppressive drone.
"By the roots of Aetheria, we bind the shadow. By the laws of the First Flame, we cage the soul. Iron of the Void, heed our call."
Renji felt the atmosphere shift. He sensed the danger instantly. He tried to rush the nearest Sage to break the circle, but he slammed into an invisible wall. He was trapped inside a high-tier Ancient Array.
"What is this?!" Renji yelled, pounding on the barrier.
"It is the Hex of the 30-Minute Cage," a Sage intoned. "An ancient array designed to hold gods. You cannot break it."
Renji punched the barrier. He launched blasts of necrotic energy. He screamed and struck it with everything he had, but the array didn't even vibrate.
Then, the Sages raised their hands to the heavens.
The sky above the array twisted into a massive tornado. From the eye of the storm, Legendary Chains, thick, purple links of metal larger than semi-trucks descended like serpents. They phased through the barrier and wrapped around Renji.
First his left leg. Then the right. Finally, they coiled around his torso and arms, pinning him in mid-air.
Renji roared, channeling every ounce of his Monarch power to shatter the metal, but the chains held firm. Not even a hairline crack appeared.
"These Sages..." Renji muttered, struggling against the crushing weight. "They have artifacts and techniques I've never seen."
The six Sages looked at their captive with triumphant sneers.
"Now we have the Mortal King," the Elder barked. "The world will soon be ours."
Renji strained against the bonds, his muscles screaming, but it was useless. Below, the people who had started to hope that Renji would save them gasped in horror. Their savior was captured.
The Sages extended their hands again, and a final chain descended, coiling tight around Renji's neck.
The metal rattled as Renji fought, his eyes blazing with a defiant purple fire.
"You may have captured me," Renji choked out, glaring at them. "But you can't rule this world while I am still alive."
The Sages sensed the truth in his words. As long as he breathed, he was a threat.
One of the Lords summoned a Giant Sword from the ether. It hovered above the array, massive and humming with executioner's energy.
He raised his hand, dissolving the top of the barrier. The sword dropped.
It descended like a guillotine.
BAM!!