Twelve men gathered around a long oval table, shadows flickering in the half-light. Their presence pressed on the air, making it almost unbreathable, while assistants fought to keep their nerves steady under the unseen pressure.
"In front of you," a voice rang out, soft yet steely with a chilling resolve beneath it. At the front of the table, a man's head slightly shifted, his red robe obscuring his facial features which were lined in a dark shadow.
"Before you is the detailed image of Kupali Fortress, the heart of planet Oxala under Revered rule. We have traced the 12th Pillar to this very place after his escape." Eyes darted around the room, each glance heavy with unspoken apprehension.
"The Blood of betrayal runs thick, and the consequences are heavy. The last thing they'll be expecting is an assault, especially so soon after. But that is what we must do." The cadence in his voice climbed as his sentence ended, his azure eyes glistening in the darkness, two blue orbs floating in the darkness under his hood like twin stars.
"Our goal-" He spoke again, this time standing up. His robe flapped at the motion of his body, yet it still clung closely to his body. "Is not to take over the planet, nor capture the Twelfth Pillar. Our mission is to slay him and depart. Nothing more, nothing less." Every pair of eyes latched onto the domineering atmosphere of the man speaking, and no one was excluded.
His authority was unmatched, and only one other Heretic had more control over him, their own God.
"On your holoscreens, you'll find all the necessary details about the planet and this operation. I want the 5th Pillar and his troops to run a reconnaissance, and the 3rd Pillar to personally spearhead this operation as our frontlines. The rest will do their duties as needed. Provide ground support, act as a QRF team in case reconnaissance goes wrong. I shouldn't have to explain the significance this operation holds, as the 12th Pillar held the most information out of all of you. His mere existence is a threat to the Heretics. Eliminate him. Do it at any cost."
The glistening irises intensified, a waft of azure traveling as a wisp through the air before dissipating. "Don't disappoint me." His voice rang out once more before a quiet echo of footsteps resounded in the corridors leading outside, leaving the 11 Pillars to themselves.
A nervous exchange of glances was traded between the Pillars, and the unsaid words suspended heavy in the air.
This wasn't a simple operation; It was a mobilization of all 11 of them for a singular planet. Calling it an overkill was an understatement. This would be a one-sided massacre with no hope of any soldier who goes against them to leave alive.
Importance wasn't solely pinned on killing the Twelfth Pillar, as the planet itself was an important milestone in expanding their territory. It was rich in resources, carrying a balanced amount of each element important for cultivating strong warriors.
Personally, however, everyone had their eyes set on the particular mission to execute the Twelfth Pillar.
The Heretics, as they were called by the wider universe, had one simple motto. It wasn't anything grand or meaningful, but it was acted upon no matter what.
"Return it tenfold."
For each soldier who perished under the 12th Pillar and his deception, every soldier vowed to kill 10 of their enemies before they died. It was unwritten, yet every soldier knows of it. It was a rule of life for the Heretics, and they had no plan of abandoning it now. Some wished for more; To kill him by their own sword.
The Pillars weren't called that for their sheer strength. Strength had minor relevance in becoming one.
Without pillars, a building would crumble. Each Pillar represented a support beam for the Heretic Cult, keeping it afloat.
They kept the dreams of the people alive.
They kept the yells of their people loud enough for the universe to bear witness; their weapons exhibited the determination to survive with each clash.
They didn't fight for valor, riches, or fame. Each battle was a testament to their will to prevail, to ascend their Cult into something better.
To survive.
The 1st Pillar spoke first, his eyes glancing around those in the room. "This is more than a mere assassination operation. There'd be no need to mobilize all 12 of us." He voiced out loud, the stares of his peers falling upon him.
Silent glances were exchanged between eachother. No words were spoken, yet the feeling was neutral between them all. They knew it was overkill.
The room remained awkwardly silent before the 9th Elder spoke out,
"Read the holoscreen, and you'll quickly understand why, 1st Pillar."
The 1st Pillar diverted his gaze, his pupils falling upon the 9th Pillar, who connected his stare with his. There were no facial expressions before the two of them, simply staring into each other before the 1st Pillar blinked and looked down at the table, his eyes focusing on the screen in front of him.
His eyes darted between the lines, scouring the information for something warranting a full mobilization of all the pillars for a single planet.
Of course, someone holding a great deal of information which directly put nearly 70% of spies in danger was a drastic possibility, one the cult wanted to avoid at any cost. But it wasn't dangerous enough to elicit this response from the Vice-master.
His thoughts remained the same until his eyes fell upon a certain string of words, one of which made his heart pause for a singular beat. 15 Emperor-tier warriors, a statistic so alarming that the seeds of doubt began blossoming in the depths of their hearts, were stationed at Fortress Kupali.
The Universal Scale was simple:
Aspirant → Awakened → Ascendant → King → Emperor → Paragon → Demi-god → God.
From left to right, they each signified a different tier of strength, one far stronger than the one before.
The Heretic cult alone had 52 Emperor-Tier warriors, while the Revered had 65. A similar number, yet the gap was wide at the same time. Each Emperor warrior lost was a wincing blow to their forces; each loss was an unforgivable memory planted in the minds of the people in the Heretic Cult.
Underneath the statistic, a note was attached, [You are free to gather 15 Emperor-tier warriors to join you on this mission. Choose wisely.]
Each Pillar read the text, and each one exchanged another set of uncertain glances.
—
(Heretic Barracks Meeting Courtyard, 7/5/2230, 2:19 PM)
The atmosphere was dull and lifeless; the frightening presence of nearly 20 Emperor-tier warriors seated in the same area caused the light to dim slightly, the stagnant bloodlust becoming palpable. The First Pillar had his robe off, replaced instead with the outfit befitting a Military Commander.
His golden hair had streaks of silver dashing to the back of his neck, the forthcomings of age becoming apparent on his face. Yet, his power swelled with newfound determination, his aura tamed into a mere flutter around him.
Dozens of eyes were locked onto his figure, and he calmly stared back, meeting each gaze with a fierce resolve of his own.
A traitor, apart of a civilization where people weren't shunned for their strength, disregarded for their lineage, but instead built upon the philosophy of helping anyone as much as you possibly can, was a grave crime, far more than any Revered scum could think.
Money was of importance, but no one cared that much; Children got free food, and families were offered free labor.
The Heretic Cult wasn't built on money or importance; it was built upon the foundation of helping each other, becoming better together rather than alone. No one starved, no one lived without a roof above their heads.
Everyone in this courtyard knew that, so the vines of anger from the Twelfth Pillar's betrayal burrowed deep into their beings, igniting a fiery rage that threatened to spew out like a volcano.
The First Pillar cleared his throat, the ears of multiple Emperor Warriors perking up. "As you know, an operation is to be underway within the next few days. They have 15 Emperor-tier warriors stationed on the planet, as for why? We are unsure. Our only guess is the protection of the Twelfth Pillar, after his..." His sentence trailed off as the words died in his throat. The rest understood what he said without it being articulated.
He exhaled and continued speaking, his eyes narrowed. "Vice-Master Orion has called for the mobilization of all Pillars to launch an assault on Fortress Kupali, Planet Oxala. This attack is intended to have nearly a few hundred million soldiers partaking in it.
It'll be bloody. Death will surround you; even some of you may fall. However, each death is not without purpose; each death reminds the people of what is at stake.
Each death is a motivation to ascend the Heretic Cult into something greater, dwarfing what it is now. May it be soldiers or civilians, no one will lack; everyone will pick up the slack and move forward as we always have.
Now, it is time for what I came here for.
I need 15 of you to come with me. It will be a standard assault, and as you can expect, each of you will have to fight one other Emperor. The Fourth Elder, the sole Emperor of our council, will be partaking in this battle; however, he'll be offering support to our King-tiered troops and below, assuring they can advance and break into the fortress.
The rest of us, however, expect there to be more Emperors by the time we arrive, and we are sure they will try their absolute best to relocate the Twelfth Pillar as soon as possible once the attack commences. Our mission is not to capture him, destroy the base, but to kill the Twelfth Elder. Simple as that."
His statement ended there, and the hearts of each Emperor began thumping, the blood in their hearts coursing through their body faster than before.
Each hand present raised, not a single man or woman kept their arm at their sides. The First Pillar let a grin pull at his lips, as he eyed their determination in awe. "Figure it out amongst yourselves, and report to me in due time." He calmly said as he walked off, his assistant trailing closely behind him.