When Naoki learned that his big brother had been deceived and used like a pawn, something inside him snapped. He could no longer control the rage that boiled in his veins.
As a mere mortal, he committed the unthinkable, he killed a celestial being. But the one he struck down was only a subordinate of the true mastermind. Before he could reach that higher power and confirm the identity of the one who had orchestrated it all, the Heavenly Principle took notice of him.
Though it had lain dormant for thousands of years, Naoki's defiance was enough to wake it from its silence. In a single, chilling moment, it placed a curse upon him, sealing away his mana. And in that vulnerable span of time, several celestial beings descended together to pin him to the earth.
As a mortal who dared to spill divine blood, he was dragged to a platform beneath the open sky, where judgment awaited. Now, stripped of power, betrayed by those he once trusted, and bound in chains, Naoki could only watch as the hour of his execution drew near.
* * *
In front of the Imperial Capital…
Millions had gathered, eager to witness the execution of the heretic who had dared to defy divinity.
Thousands of priests from various faiths stood united, chanting divine mantras that echoed through the air like an ominous hymn.
All eyes were locked on the massive execution platform, where a man's neck rested beneath a raised blade.
It was Naoki… no, it was Naoki in the body of Aether von Noctvain.
When he died back on Earth, he was reincarnated as Aether Von Noctvain. From that moment on, he lived not as Naoki, but as Aether.
Now, standing before the cheering crowd, Aether clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"To think my brother did so much for these people..."
Then his gaze shifted to the side, toward his companions. Every single one of them wore a strange grin on their face.
Aether's eyes narrowed.
They were his friends, but to think they were the puppets of the celestial beings. It was heartbreaking. Their betrayal hit him harder than he expected. Then
Boom!
A loud explosion rang out. Aether turned toward the source of the sound, and for the first time, his calm expression twisted into fear.
Boom!
Another explosion came from a different direction.
Boom. Boom.
Multiple blasts echoed throughout the capital. Chaos erupted as battles broke out across the plaza.
Aether couldn't sense who was fighting, his mana was sealed. But his heart sank with worry.
After some time, the sounds of battle began to fade. The clashes grew fewer.
Clang!
The crowd stood frozen in tension, until a voice rose above the silence.
"We've subdued the rebels. There's no need to panic."
The one who spoke was none other than Zeke, the Mercenary King. One of Aether's companions who had betrayed him.
"Bring those heretics!" Zeke commanded.
Knights moved, clearing a path through the blood-stained ground. And then, the aftermath of the battle unfolded before Aether's eyes.
His breath caught.
Many had fought for him, specially the warriors from house Noctvain, the household he was reincarnated. people who still believed in him. But his gaze locked onto the center of it all.
There stood a middle-aged man in luxurious knight armor, holding a spear high in a victory pose.
Aether had never seen this man before. He didn't recognize him.
But what shocked him...what broke him was what hung from the tip of the spear.
Four severed heads.
As his eyes focused, blood began to weep from them.
Because those heads belonged to his siblings.
In this world, Aether had two sisters and three brothers. His eldest sister had been killed long ago. That had left him with three remaining siblings, his triplet younger brothers and a younger sister.
And now, even they were gone.
"Aether!"
As blood streamed from his eyes, Aether heard a familiar voice calling out through the chaos.
He looked up and saw her.
Cierra von Ophelia.
His fiancée.
"I'll save you," she cried.
She was fighting her way through the knights, her body soaked in blood, her movements desperate and wild.
"I exist for you. I love...."
Before she could finish, a spear tore through her face. With a brutal pull, her head was severed.
The man who severed her head was none orher than that unknown luxurious amor knight.
The unknown knight finally open his mouth. mockingly he said
"Opps, I should've let her finish. Now I look like the villain in some tragic love story"
His smile stretched far too wide, almost reaching his ears. It was unnatural. Twisted. A smile filled with pure evil.
Aether's eyes turned blank.
His consciousness trembled, drifting between reality and madness.
He had already lost his sister back on Earth. So when he came to this world, he made a promise to protect his sister in this world.
But he had failed.
He has triplet brothers. bright, kind, full of admiration for him. One of them once said with a grin:
"My friends at the academy were talking about superheroes. I told them about you Even if this world exploded, my brother would save everyone and told them about your powers. Now the whole academy wants your autograph. Hah…it's hard to be hero's brother."
"Hahaha…"
Aether had laughed so hard that day. That moment… it felt real.
He truly wanted to be the hero they believed in.
But he wasn't a hero. He was cursed.
"If only I hadn't been their brother… they might still be alive."
Everyone who cared about him is dead.
Everyone he held dear, gone or betrayed him. Even the world itself had turned its back.
"I'm just a castaway of fate…"
Aether looked up at the sky. Filled with rage.
His mana was still sealed by the Heavenly Principle. And yet, through sheer will alone, he forced open his eyes to see beyond the veil.
He could see them, the Celestial beings looking at him, mocking, laughing.
Mana began to surge in his pupils, unstable and furious.
"It's your fault… all of you… I'll kill you… I'll kill you… I'll kill you!"
Dark, sinister mana erupted from his body. so thick, so malevolent it made the ground tremble.
The apostles of the Celestial Beings and even his former companions staggered backward in shock. They knew his mana was supposed to be sealed.
"Wasn't his mana blocked?!"
The unknown knight, the one in luxurious armor broke out in a cold sweat.
"Shit."
He sensed something was horribly wrong.
Without hesitation, he rushed toward the platform, intending to behead Aether before it was too late.
Then time stopped.
The world froze in place.
Colors drained from reality, leaving everything in shades of ash and silence.
Only one figure moved.
Aether von Noctvain
He rose from the execution platform, slowly ascending into the sky, emotionless.
His mouth moved, over and over.
"I'll kill you… I'll kill you… I'll kill you… Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill…"
His voice was hoarse, echoing endlessly into the dead air.
Then, he screamed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I'LL KILLLLLLLLLLLLLL EVERYONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEE!!"
His cry tore through the stillness like a blade.
The dark aura around him exploded outward, surging like a tide of shadows. It rose higher and higher until it swallowed the sky.
And then…
BOOM.
The entire world shook.
The skies collapsed. The earth fractured. The sun vanished.
Like a black hole ripping through existence, his hatred consumed everything.
Mountains crumbled. Oceans boiled.
Cities were erased in an instant.
As if even time itself screamed.
A single moment. A single soul.
And Eloria ceased to exist.
Not even a spark of dust remained.
Only darkness.
Even the Celestial Beings, those who masquerade as gods trembled.
They can destroy things but to erase existence itself…that lies beyond even their divine reach.
And in that moment, they beheld something far more terrifying than chaos.
They witnessed
the wrath
of a castaway of fate.
.
.
.
.
To be continued...