A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.
***
Prince Valerian staggered to maintain his balance. He stepped away from the Emperor who was, though pale, have a cold expression on his face. How unreadable: the Prince can't tell if he's apologetic, regretful, or what. Maybe none of the above. Emperor Ohms is stern.
None of them can utter a word. They were speechless...and his parents were disappointed.
Voltage Xirquit stepped back from his eldest. He slowly shook his head as they keep eye contact; he didn't want to believe it. It must be an illusion. A dream. His son, his eldest... Will never do such thing.
Emperor Ohms look down, then away. Unfortunately, the place where his eyes landed to is on his brother who just stepped out of his office, suit up in The Grey.
All of them couldn't bear to look at him. Now they share the same guilt and realization as to why the First Prince hate the Emperor. He knew, that's why.
"Mom? Why are you crying?"
His helm retracted and showed his straight face. His eyes reflected his worry and confusion. He glide his sight to the others and they all looked away, looking guilty and sorry for something...or for him.
"What's the matter?"
He finally turned to see the Prince, then found Lord Feryzen behind his brother and noticed that he's stepping on his shadow. He assessed the situation and quite get it:
"How many times do I have to ask? Lord Feryzen, why are you stepping on my Kuya's shadow? Your Imperial Highness the Prince, what enraged you?"
He stepped forward.
"What did my brother possibly do to be in this situation?"
He stopped beside the Emperor who flinched upon his presence. That's when he knew that something 'big' is going on.
Prince Valerian felt his throat too dry to speak. What should he feel at this point? He feel numb. He couldn't believe that the Emperor would do something so horrible to his sweet brother.
Their Side Ohms Tesla Xirquit would never.
"N-Noth... Nothing. There's nothing wrong."
Watts Xirquit clenched his fists. There is definitely something going on that is about him and they don't want him to know. They don't want to talk about it and it frustrates him.
"There is, so tell me. What did you do?"
"It's about Zodiac---"
Emperor Maxism covered Prince Maximilien's mouth and spinned him around.
"Zodiac?" Watts walked to them, "Let the Prince go, Uncle."
"Watts---"
Emperor Maxism felt chills run down his spine when he saw the expression on his face. It made him gulp.
"You are draining my patience. If it's not very obvious, then I will tell you directly that I am not in the mood, that I'm itching to kill. So, if you don't want to die by my hands, LET THE PRINCE TALK."
Prince Maximilien removed the Emperor's loosened hands on him and jumped away. He faced Watts Xirquit, loading his gun after.
"You can't consider these people your family if they don't have the balls to tell you the truth. I care for you, so I will show you."
"MAXIMILIEN!"
Emperor Maxism stood on his way to take the bullet, but the bullet evaded him and followed where its target is. The bullet buried itself in Watts Xirquit's forehead, showing him the truth about his son's identity.
"Celia, protect me!" Ordered the Prince when they tried to catch him. Celia appeared in front of him with her weapons drawn.
"Maximilien!"
"Don't worry, the bullet is not cursed! I only implanted the memory in it and nothing more!"
Well, he would've if only he's not Watts Xirquit, the father of his eldest brother. He's afraid what Prince Zodiac will do to him if he learns that he shot his father with a cursed bullet.
Soon, the stiff and cold expression of Watts Xirquit's face weakened. The first drop of his tears cascaded down his cheek from his left eye.
Prince Valerian tapped the Lord's back and they stepped aside. They will leave it on Watts Xirquit's hands. What he will do, they don't know. They have no idea why he's suit up in The Grey in the first place. And then this. Oh, he might murder his Emperor brother.
A storm of emotions raged within him. The sting of betrayal cut deeper than any blade ever could. This wasn't just treachery; it was a wound inflicted by the one person he had trusted most, the one person meant to stand beside him, not tear his world apart.
When he opened his eyes, they were consumed by sadness. He thought of the Prince Zodiac; now he understands why the Prince is cold towards his brother. The poor child found out. Now he understands why the Prince keep on saying that he's his only father. It's because there was another.
Watts Xirquit covered his face with his hands as he collapse to the floor on his knees. There he sobbed, so excruciating to hear and witness. The bond he shared with his eldest brother now felt tainted, a cruel lie wrapped in the guise of brotherhood. The bond they had worked tirelessly to protect and preserve had been fractured by the one he had once called his greatest ally, his second father---Ohms Tesla Xirquit.
"B-But w-wh...why?"
He raised his tearful face to see his eldest brother, "Why?" He asked, almost inaudible from how shaky and broken his voice is.
"Watts... Brother---"
Tears brimmed in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. The Emperor's sadness was too profound for weeping; it was the kind of sorrow that seeped into the soul, leaving a scar that would never heal. His brother's silence was deafening, and the space between them, once filled with love and trust, now felt like an unbridgeable chasm.
Now, all they could see in his eyes were unforgiving rage. When he stand up, he pulled his sword out and cut his brother's flesh deeply.
"WATTS!"
Franchetti Xerene forcefully pulled back her husband when he tried to run to his eldest. She held on him tight, not blinking.
"Don't."
"But Xerene---" Her grip tightened, silencing him. He get it. He understand.
"How many times?"
Emperor Ohms touched his wound, "Let's talk about this---"
"HOW MANY TIMES!?"
Watts Xirquit pointed the tip of his sword against the Emperor's neck. It's shaking. He's shaking.
"I'm sorry---"
Not getting the answer he wanted, he slashed his brother again.
"She's my wife! You! You took advantage of her weakness! What made you different from Princess Lorreign? A rapist like her! A TREACHEROUS RAPIST!"
Lord Feryzen protected the Prinsiaze. He wanted to cover his eyes but the Prinsiaze wanted to see and hear all of it.
Watts Xirquit, who's been patiently bottling everything up, is finally letting himself burst once again.
"I am not! I love Azarese---"
"SHUT UP!"
Instead of his sword, the Emperor met his brother's fist. Watts Xirquit dropped his sword and pulled his brother by his collar, shaking him.
"Before you, there was I! Your brother! You loved me first before you loved her! Why? Don't tell me you're sorry, because you were not sorry enough when you're doing it! YOU NEVER WERE, BROTHER! Do you do it every night? While I'm working my ass off in my office in hopes to save the Empire!? TELL ME, HOW MANY TIMES! You disgust me, you rapist!"
Watts Xirquit screamed as he threw punches against his brother. Every hit, Emperor Ohms took it like a man. He's beaten to pulp. The strength of his little brother is no joke at all.
"The Grey, release."
But Wattroid didn't want to, so he began hurting himself.
"I SAID RELEASE, WATTROID! RELEASE, GODDAMMIT! STOP PISSING ME OFF AND GET THIS SHIT OFF OF ME!"
The Grey collapsed, setting him free.
No more weights.
"This is for sleeping with my wife."
Emperor Ohms coughed up blood, with some of his internal organs, when he received an unimaginable blow to his stomach.
"This is for fooling us both."
His head turned around a couple of times.
"This is for betraying me, our name, our dignity, principles---FOR BETRAYING EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE IN!"
Emperor Ohms raised his hand to ask for a break, but his brother buried his fist against his face.
"Bring a healer now, Celia. If this trash dies, I will kill you next."
Celia tightly closed her eyes when she bowed down. In a second, she's back with a potion and poured it on the Emperor. It restored his health and body completely.
"Watts---"
He crushed the Emperor's head to shut him up.
"It's all my fault. It's all because I was weak."
He pulled the Emperor's collar close to bring his exploded head close to his face.
"Did you do it because I was a fool? Because I was a weakling? Yes. Yes, that was it. Because I can't use magic. I don't know how to use magic. Because I'm an idiot who only relied to his smarts. An idiot who can't awaken himself. A coward. It's because I'm all that, that you had the guts to stab me in my back and pleasured yourself using my innocent wife. That's you. You can't even be called a snake. You are a rapist. You and Lorreign belong together, because you are both rapists."
King Liorei clenched his fists tight and bit his lower lip until it bleed.
His tears began to fall again.
"You never truly loved me. Because if you do, you will never do that to me. You may be my brother, but you're not my Kuya. My Kuya O-Ohms... He won't hurt me that way. He will never hurt me. So, bring him back. I want my real Kuya back. Get out of his body. RETURN MY KUYA TO ME, YOU RAPIST!"
He slammed the Emperor's body to the ground consecutively until his bones were loose and broken.
"GET OUT! THAT'S NOT YOUR BODY! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY KUYA OHMS'S BODY! MY BROTHER IS NOT A RAPIST! MY BROTHER IS NOT A TRAITOR!"
The Ki'zaar reverted into his Ancient form and carried the egg. He was shocked from the sight that welcomed him when he got into the scene.
Celia poured another potion on the Emperor.
"Watts---"
Emperor Ohms was dumbfounded and overwhelmed by the sight of his brother looking down on him.
Watts Xirquit's eyes sparked blue. His aura surrounded him like a fiery blue flame and they couldn't handle the pressure.
The strings of fates began to swirl and dance around him.
"I'm going to kill you."
Emperor Ohms's eyes widened.
"So, tell me: in what way do you want to die, brother?"
"Watts, let me explain---"
The string moved and tied itself around the Emperor's neck. A vibration and movement of his Adam's apple will behead him.
"I am to blame. My weakness gave you the pass to step on me. I let you walk all over me. That's why I always fall so easily. My smarts are not enough. I need power. Power to destroy you, them...the power to protect my wife and son."
He tightened the string of fate around the Emperor's neck.
"What's the cruelest way to hurt you, I wonder?"
The string of fate coming from Emperor Ohms glowed red to get his attention. It traveled and he followed where it wants to go... And connected with Prince Vars.
"Your son."
He nodded.
"The Vision is under my possession and my wife is unconscious. I will take advantage of her weakness, like you did, and use the Vision on her to forget about the Prince's existence completely. Or, we can just tell her. Do you think she will love your son the same? My son, the first Prince, is her heart. Yours is a stranger. A nobody. It's fair, don't you think so? That's the least mercy I could give you."
"Watts, don't be ridiculous! Allow me to explain---"
Emperor Ohms's head slid from his neck and fell.
Watts Xirquit stepped on it, "Explain what? That you sneaked in our chambers, took advantage of my wife's innocence while I'm gone, and raped her? You, of all people, should know what it's like, but you did it anyway. Ah, should I give you as an offering to Lorreign instead? I will seal your strengths and magic. I will leave only your weaknesses and traumas. That will be great to see."
He crushed the Emperor's head. They gasped and flinched.
"I am the blood of Aloisia and Calamity. Don't act so surprised if I can be this ruthless and heartless."
He lifted his foot. Celia went down to wipe and clean it.
"Let it be your son to suffer the consequences of your sins."
He smiled emptily at the Emperor, "By the order of the First Emperor, by my name, Watts Nikola Xirquit-Warlock, I am removing Vars Hertz in the family register of Xirquits and Warlocks. And so, I reclaim his name, now he shall be nameless. Any mention about his existence is punishable of death; I swear this curse to these strings. The child is dead to us."
The threads of fates gleamed and swirled according to his will, remembering his words to its every fiber.
"Y-You can't do that!" Prince Valerian stepped in, "Var---"
Lord Feryzen immediately covered his mouth before the Prince could complete the name he's about to speak. The Ki'zaar joined them and hid his son behind him.
"What's the meaning of this? You... What are you, Watts Xirquit?"
Instead of answering, Watts Xirquit brought his attention back to the traitor. He bent over slightly to place his fingers on his head. Then, he slowly pinched the soul residing in his brother's body. He stripped the Emperor's soul out of it and took the soul of true brother. It was kept and preserved: it was never absorbed nor destroyed.
"Stop it, Watts! This is madness! At least let me explain---and you will need me! You need me in this fight!" Emperor Ohms tried to talk it out but Watts Xirquit's mind closed its doors for him. For everyone.
Watts Xirquit looked through him. His eyes---he could see. He can see.
"I know," was his response after seeing, "---You certainly are. You are powerful, strong, wise... But I have no use of you anymore. I don't need you anymore."
He gently and carefully laid his Kuya Ohms's soul in his body.
Ohms Xirquit lightly opened his heavy eyes and clung on his brother.
"S-Son..." He breathlessly, lowly, called him, "Spare my boy. I'm begging you... A child...must not carry the sins of their parent."
He lost his consciousness again, leaving Watts Xirquit in the edge of insanity. He's lost: both his tainted and pure morals and principles are clashing against each other. Not to mention the toll his barely awakening phase is putting on him---he feel like breaking apart.
Watts's lips trembled as he try to hold back his tears.
"But how about me?"
Yes. How about him?