Rebellion Against Heaven - Part 16

Chapter 16: A Mysterious Member

After hearing the names and stories of each—Sergei Volkhov, Brad Clayton, Arkady Rubaskoj, Kaira Thompson, Amber Lee, Chad Blake, and finally Sylvian—Ryuusei remained in a dense, almost meditative silence. It wasn't a question of whether he could convince them to join his cause, but how to do it.

Money? A mirage of control. Wealth only bought flimsy loyalties, always subject to the offer of a higher bidder. Power? He appealed to the ambitious, but the truly strong seldom knelt before another, unless they saw in him something that transcended force itself. The old desire to conquer the world? A utopia withered before it even germinates.

Dominate the world. The words echoed in his mind like a distant, almost ridiculous echo. An idea that had seduced kings, generals and gods, only to lead them to ruin. Governing was a paradox: the instant you think you have reached the top, the inevitable descent begins. For absolute power was nothing more than a perpetual struggle against rebellion, betrayal, greed of those who, like hungry wolves, lie in wait for the first sign of weakness.

What was the point of sustaining an empire if, sooner or later, its very existence became a constant war against its own people? If each alliance was a chain, and each victory, a debt to history? If every man who bowed to him did so with a dagger concealed in his sleeve?

No. That was not what I was looking for.

He had seen enough of the world to understand that true power was not in ruling it, but in not needing it. In not being a slave to a destiny dictated by others, in not depending on thrones, armies or titles to justify its existence.

What Ryuusei really longed for was not to be found on top of a palace or in the shadow of a flag. It was something more elusive, more ethereal: peace. Not the superficial peace of a treaty signed with trembling hands, nor the false harmony of a people subdued by fear. But a real peace, the one that could only be found within oneself.

But could a man like him reach her?

Throughout his life, he had been many things. A murderer, a warrior, a wandering specter in search of something that even he did not know how to define. He had taken lives without hesitation, had seen faces fade into nothingness, felt the weight of dried blood on his hands, the coldness of death whispering in his ear. Could someone with his history aspire to peace?

Perhaps, if he could fade from the world, if he could erase his name from the memory of history, then he could find the answer. Perhaps, in oblivion, he would discover his true essence.

Who was he really? Was it just a shadow shaped by fate? Or did he have the power to defy him in his hands?

Before he could sink deeper into his own reflection, a voice emerged from the darkness.

All those thoughts vanished when Lara spoke.

"Ryuusei," Lara murmured from the darkness, her voice whispering.

Ryuusei didn't flinch, but a faint glow crossed his eyes.

"Speak."

Lara took an elegant and flirtatious step, you could say. In his hands, the scroll of fate floated with an ethereal glow, its edges consumed by an energy that oscillated between reality and oblivion.

"Ryuusei," Lara murmured, her tone a whisper that seemed to slip through the shadows.

He didn't flinch, but a faint gleam crossed his eyes.

"Speak."

Lara advanced with calculated and elegant steps. In his hands floated the scroll of destiny, radiating a faint glow, as if reality itself struggled to contain its essence.

"The scroll has changed," he said with unwavering gravity. A new name has appeared.

Ryuusei cocked his face slightly.

"Who?"

Lara unrolled the parchment with deliberate slowness. The words were etched into the air with ephemeral fire.

—Ezekiel Kross.

A name without time. An echo of something that should never have existed.

"And what's so special about it?" Ryuusei asked, hiding his interest behind a mask of indifference.

Lara looked at him for a moment before answering.

—He was born in Germany... but its origin is not the important thing. It's what made him what he is now.

Ryuusei turned completely towards her.

"Explain yourself.

Lara let out a sigh, as if telling the story robbed her of a part of her own essence.

"Ezekiel Kross was not born. It was created. An experiment in a military laboratory destined to bend time itself. An attempt to mold soldiers who could manipulate reality at will.

Ryuusei said nothing, but his gaze sharpened.

Many died in the process. Children torn from their homes, forced to endure inhumane trials. Some aged to dust in a matter of seconds, others were trapped in endless cycles of birth and death. Only one survived.

"Ezekiel," Ryuusei murmured.

Lara nodded.

"He endured what no one else could. They called it a miracle, but it was a curse. Not only could it resist time distortion... I could control it. At first, they were only small alterations: slowing down a bullet, stretching a moment of pain or peace. But over time, his power grew.

The flames of the parchment intensified, reflecting the tragedy contained in the story.

"General Koenig, the architect of the project, saw in it the opportunity to create the ultimate weapon. But he made a mistake. He tried to tame a hurricane.

Ryuusei folded his arms.

"Let me guess. Everything went to hell.

Lara let out a faint smile.

When they tried to subdue him, Ezekiel turned back time at the base, trapping the soldiers in an inescapable cycle of death. They fired, but their bullets never reached their target. They tried to run, but they always came back to the same point. The basis became a living paradox.

The night wind whispered between them, as if it brought with it the wails of the fallen.

"The scientists tried to escape. Ezekiel trapped them in an endless loop of terror. They died, woke up, and died again, until their minds collapsed.

"And General Koenig?" Ryuusei asked quietly.

Lara was silent for a moment before answering.

"He didn't run away. He stood in the center of the base, waiting for him.

Ryuusei narrowed his eyes.

"A man willing to die standing."

"Maybe. But his death was not quick. Ezekiel forced him to relive his execution hundreds of times, each with a different pain. Until his body became an unrecognizable mass of flesh and fragmented time.

Silence reigned among them. Ryuusei looked away at the city.

"And then?"

"Since then, Ezekiel has wandered like a specter of time. It does not belong to any era, it cannot remain in one place. Its very existence is an anomaly that the universe is trying to correct.

Lara looked up at the sky.

"His axe is his only connection to reality. Every blow of his not only cuts flesh, but subjects his victims to centuries of agony in an instant. But it is also their greatest burden.

Ryuusei closed his eyes for a moment.

"A man caught in an endless war.

"Yes. Until now.

Ryuusei looked at her.

"Why do you say that?"

The scroll burned even more.

"Because two anomalies cannot coexist without consequences.

And he... has started moving towards you or you can find it first in Germany.

Ryuusei felt a faint chill run down his spine, but his reaction was an almost imperceptible smile.

"Interesting.

Lara watched him in silence.

"You can't escape this, Ryuusei. Sooner or later, their paths will cross.

The killer stood up, stretching his shoulders slightly.

"It's going to be very useful to me if you can control the weather in your favor."

Well, Ryuusei, after you've heard all this, you need to pay for it, you know.

Ryuusei was scared because he knew that Lara at any moment could say that she would pay for it with her life, or for something even worse.

— Ryuusei, from this very moment you stop being a "Bastard Herald", along with Aiko you are free, if you could say so.

Ryuusei froze upon hearing this.

Ryuusei looked at Lara again, his expression unperturbed, but his mind agitated.

"Why do you say that?"

The scroll burned even more, as if the words that emerged from it consumed the air itself. Lara's voice became solemn, almost prophetic.

"Because two anomalies cannot coexist without consequences. And he... is moving towards you. Or maybe you'll find it first... in Germany.

A shiver ran down Ryuusei's spine, though his reaction was only a smile, slight and indecipherable.

"Interesting.

Lara watched him in silence, with the certainty of someone who knows the destination and only waits for its fulfillment.

"You can't run away from this, Ryuusei. Sooner or later, their paths will cross.

The assassin calmly stood up, stretching his shoulders slightly, as if the threat of an unknown enemy was nothing more than a game.

"If you can manipulate time..." Maybe it will be useful to me.

But Lara wasn't done. His voice became firmer, charged with an unmistakable intention.

"Now, Ryuusei, there's something you have to pay.

For the first time, a hint of tension was reflected in his eyes. He knew Lara too well to rule out the possibility that "paying" meant his life... or worse.

"Ryuusei, from this moment... you stop being a "Bastard Herald". You and Aiko are free... if freedom is even possible for you.

Ryuusei froze. His mind processed the words, but his heart refused to accept them immediately.

"This isn't one of your stupid jokes, is it?"

"No. This time I'm serious.

Lara took a step forward, her expression oscillating between amusement and contempt.

"From this moment on, you are no longer under my protection. And I'll explain why.

He paused, enjoying the revelation as much as the bewilderment on Ryuusei's face.

"When I met you at my tournament, I knew that the idea of killing would not be pleasant to you. But that didn't stop you from doing it. I saw with my own eyes how you murdered the Black Herald... How you eliminated my precious beast, even though it was barely a baby.

Lara smiled mockingly.

"You massacred Haru and Kenta... and you tortured Daichi in such a sadistic way that, I'll admit, I found it quite exciting.

"What the hell are you saying?" Ryuusei frowned, bewildered.

"Oh, don't think about it so much. The important thing is this: you are the first human to destroy the order of the Heralds. And that's why... I banish you.

The silence became heavy. But Lara still had more to say.

"I almost forgot... two more things.

She leaned slightly toward him, with a gleam of cruel amusement in her eyes.

"Daichi is still alive. It came to me... begging me to kill you. But I told him no.

Ryuusei did not answer. He didn't need to do it, he already knew where Daichi would go the moment he escaped.

"In return, I gave him a thousand Heralds at his disposal. Now he's my puppet... and will do the impossible to see you dead.

He paused, enjoying the moment before delivering the final thrust.

"Ah, I also sent you all of Haru and Kenta's goods and inheritance before I destroyed your house. They are in your name. Consider it a... Farewell gift.

Ryuusei looked at her, his expression growing more somber.

The crack of his knuckles echoed in the gloom. His breathing became heavy, each inhalation an attempt to contain something that threatened to overflow.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" His voice vibrated with suppressed anger, like a volcano about to erupt. Do you know who lived there? It wasn't just my house!

His gaze lit up with pure fury.

"My servants... They were not soldiers, nor murderers, nor enemies of yours. They were people who only served me loyally! And you—" His jaw tightened. You condemned them to die as if they were nothing.

"Why are you doing all this?"

Lara smiled indifferently.

"Because I don't want to see you anymore." I had enough fun with you, Ryuusei.