"Behold the measure of man! How much he may endure, how he may triumph, suffer, or utterly fail. Yet, our Divine Lord Crach enacted all things more than us. When the Void reigned supreme, He stood, crafting the Three Realms: that which holds our life, our consciousness, and our eternal soul. From His own essence, He wrought two absolute Lords, beings of power akin to His own glory. But these soon turned their gaze in doubt upon the Great Lord's boundless compassion for humanity. They raised their spears against the children of light and declared the Great War upon our great lord. By the grace of Lord Ikzalious, they were smote for our salvation. But in that killing, He paid the ultimate toll: He surrendered His heart's love for us. And what is our penance? We stand idle, witnessing this creeping destruction. Come back to the enlightenment for them," a priest proclaims in front of a thousand kneeling believers.
The faithful listen intently, their eyes tightly closed in reverence.
Richard is also there, flawlessly disguised as a devotee. His mimics their devotion, his eyes tightly shut. Then, he subtly opens one eye, observing his surroundings with sharp, hidden intensity.
Richard suddenly spots a suspicious individual moving swiftly toward the priest. "Ah, another one," Richard thinks with quiet certainty.
The man draws a knife and sprints to attack.
"Halt! I have you, idiot," Richard announces loudly.
Richard snaps his finger. He activates his personal dimension. "Colosseum." The world shimmers and shifts, transforming the temple grounds into the vast, ancient arena of the Colosseum. Then Richard casts another spell, "Illumina sword form." A sword of bright, pure light materialises instantly in his hand.
Richard levels his sword at the assailant. From the towering, crumbling walls of the Colosseum, numerous members of an order stream into the arena.
"The Order surrounds you. If you make any movements, the consequences will be severe," Richard warns him.
"You devils cannot comprehend this! There are impure souls here who blaspheme against our Lord. These churches, these priests, these rituals are a mockery of worship. All will change soon. Our Lord has arrived." His body begins to swell ominously as he speaks. The distinct symbol of the Dark Lord burns onto his forehead.
Thick, unnatural tentacles sprout from his back.
"What is that? Did you promote me just to face this monster?" an Order member near Richard exclaims.
"Indeed, little lady," Richard replies with a thin smile.
The member is a 15-year-old girl named Kaeli. Her body is trembling with fear.
All Order members attack the possessed man with their weapons simultaneously.
"Holy Denken," the possessed man roars. His voice is utterly monstrous.
The man's human form shatters. Bone, sinew, and shadow coalesce into a towering, grotesque monster—a harbinger of pure corruption. The Dark Lord's symbol on its forehead pulses with hateful, crimson light. The creature sweeps its enormous, multi-jointed arm across the arena, a casual motion that sends a shockwave of dark mana ripping through the ranks.
Four Order members are instantly crushed against the Colosseum walls, their shields splintering and their bodies falling limp and silent. The remaining members stumble back, their defence broken by the overwhelming force.
Richard recognises the devastating power gap. He casts "Arcane Shield", wrapping himself in layers of shimmering blue energy. Simultaneously, he unleashes power, a focused light from his free hand, momentarily blinding the monster. The monster bellows, its tentacles lash out blindly and tear huge gashes in the stone floor.
Richard moves quickly into the area. His Illumina sword strikes the monster's leg, cutting deeply into the corrupted flesh. The light burns the wound, but the monster regenerates it in seconds. Thicker, blacker tissue replaces the damaged area. The monster slams a fist down where Richard just stood.
Richard fires two rapid energy bolts from his free hand, targeting the dark symbol on the monster's head. The bolts impact the symbol, causing a burst of feedback energy. The creature shakes but continues its assault. A tentacle impales another Order member who attempts a flank attack. Before his attack hits the monster, a tentacle pierces his chest.
Richard is barely saved from an attack and lands near Kaeli, the dimensional mage.
"Kaeli! This foe is too strong—our mana is not enough! Use your powers; otherwise, no one can go alive from here." Richard commands, his voice sharp and loud.
Kaeli crouches, her hands trembling. She immediately dismisses her fear and rushes toward the towering monster. Kaeli channels her mana, shouting, "Lumia!" Multiple bright portals open in the air around the creature. Intense, raw mana flows from the portals, converging and forming a concentrated mana ball in Kaeli's hands. She hurls the volatile orb directly at the monster.
The impact is catastrophic. The monster's head cut out in a silent explosion of light and dark energy. The headless body, however, staggers. Its remaining tentacles continue to lash out, attacking the nearby Order members instinctively.
Richard seizes the momentary paralysis. He executes a rapid sequence of slashes, his light sword striking the monster's body multiple times. In a fraction of a second, the creature's massive body disintegrates. Its parts spread across the ground as a decaying black mass. Silence falls.
Kaeli stands alone amidst the debris, her chest heaving. In her hand, the creature's severed head, now shrunken and lifeless, rests.
"The symbol of the dark lord," Kaeli says in anger, staring at the mark on the head. "How do they worship Lord Ikzalious in the words of the dark lord?" She grabs the head tighter and tries to break it.
Richard appears instantly and stops her hand. "Hold on! This is important for our investigation."
"Richard, do you ever worship any lord?" Kaeli asks in despair, dropping the monster's head.
"Oh, I could sleep in him in my arms when the Knowledge Lord was a little baby, and the Lord of Life is my childhood best friend," Richard replies confidently.
"Mmmm! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! You definitely have lost your mind," Kaeli laughs out loud.
"Hey, believe me." Richard is annoyed and walks away from the debris.
After some time, a portal appears near him.
"What now?" He looks back, expecting Kaeli, but he finds it is Freya.
"Freya, what happened now?" Richard asks her
"This is an emergency. We found a boy who is a Maripian." Freya says, and she is worried.
Richard shocks.