Chapter 188: Go... Andronicus

Chapter 188: Go... Andronicus

At the sounding of the third cosmic knell, the veil of time parted and the vision manifested.

He saw a magnificent city, basking beneath the gaze of the golden sun. White towers, piercing through heavens, rose above crowded streets, their windows reflecting a light that seemed incapable of fading. Through the vast avenues surged thousands of mortals, utterly blind to the colossal shadow creeping across the horizon.

High above the distant horizons fluttered sixteen banners, representing sixteen mighty realms, created by their grand rulers. Like locusts drawn to a single flame, their eyes were fixed upon the jewel-like city with a gaze that only wanted the divine city’s destruction... perhaps, due to the fear.

At the heart of the metropolis stood a man clad in solemn vestments of sacrificial clothes. Though the fog of divinity obscured his visage, his posture held the stillness as he surveyed a vast map spread across an altar. Red markers hemmed the metropolis from every quarter, a ring of impending doom.

He was the brother of the grand ruler, playing chess with the emperor while continuing to study the map altogether.

Before both brothers, a tempest of anxiety raged, messengers disputed, generals trembled in anticipation, and sealed scrolls accumulated upon a platter. Yet, beyond the grand arches, the earth itself groaned under the distant stride of approaching legions.

Upon the throne of magnificent carving sat the emperor. He wore the outfit of a traditional ruler. Arrayed in majestic clothes with a long blood-red cloak that flowed down his broad shoulders, and upon his brows rested a crown studded with a diamond that made the star forget their light. One of his cheeks bore a conspicuous mark of blazing flame, and at his thighs rested a sword of divine craftsmanship, nestled in a leather sheath.

Even when the cosmic tides shifted, the monarch remained undisturbed and merely moved a carved piece across the checkered board of ivory and ebony.

It was then that his prime minister arrived and rushed forward, his voice trembling with a hint of unnamed anxiety. "O king of kings, O foremost among sovereigns! A calamity approaches our blooming empire! The sixteen nations have united their strengths, marching their countless hosts to bring about your ruin, O Majesty!"

The emperor paused, his hand hovering in the air. With an utter composure, he picked a single pawn forward that almost reached the end of the board and spoke in a deep voice that resembled a rain-bearing cloud. "Let them advance, Minister. Let them come to witness the unyielding glory of my Lord, the Lightless one."

Beside the throne, a sight unfolded that caused Mo Fei’s Astral body to shake violently. Seated upon a seat of celestial majesty was a silhouette of a man — a spiritual presence way too vast and terrifying that those sixteen nations appeared as mere specks of dust in ’His’ hand. Although the divine countenance remained hidden, Mo Fei still felt the Primordial gaze, pierced through millennia and settled directly on his consciousness.

Soon he realized a terrifying truth... those weren’t merely a vision... They were memories.

The City of Light stood besieged by sixteen nations, yet the emperor’s will remained unshakeable.

Rising from his grand throne, Andronicus called his legions. He lifted his right hand, his fingers spreading as if trying to catch the string of destiny. As the emperor’s voice echoed, the illusion of the grand hall began to ripple.

Mo Fei felt his spiritual intuition trigger a frantic warning.

"Assemble."

The people of the assembly stood abruptly as one body, raising their hands in invocation to summon the commanders. Soon, the sound of beating drums emerged from outside.

When the hall emptied of mortals, Andronicus the Great approached the Celestial chair where the tall silhouette sat. The divine sat with sublime nonchalance — one hand rested on ’His’ cheek, and the other rested upon ’His’ left knee. While ’His’ foot pressed lightly into the soft fabric of the throne’s cushion.

The emperor dropped down to both knees, drawing his gleaming blade out of its sheath. Holding it flat upon both palms, he raised the weapon as a sacred offering toward the dark figure.

The silhouette rose softly, and the Divine jewelry clinked against ’His’ skin with a sound like silver bells.

Taking the sword with a slow movement of ’His’ hand, the being spoke softly. The voice was melodic, ancient, and infused with a serenity so profound that it seemed to warm the cold air around. It was a voice of absolute majesty, carrying a high-pitched, ethereal sweet resonance that bordered on the feminine, yet held the authority of the cosmos.

"No, Andronicus."

The emperor closed his eyes, bowing his head until it touched the dust. "Why, O Divine One? What is the judgment of cosmic law? What greater deed must I perform, and how may this servant please you on this day?"

The figure let out a tranquil laugh. He touched the flat of the blade to the emperor’s shoulder, letting it rest there like a blessing. "Today, Andronicus, you shall offer the ultimate sacrifice of your devotion. Today I shall become your grand charioteer... but harken well, my devotee... I shall not raise a weapon, nor shall I strike down your foes. You shall stand alone in the tempest of battle, and be your hand shall you fulfill your destiny."

Boom!

An invisible shockwave blasted outward from the grand throne. In Mo Fei’s vision, the colors of the City of Light bled away, swallowed by a dense primordial darkness that rose from the cobblestones. It was a sacred darkness that did not oppose the golden sun above but rather absorbed it, casting long shadows that stretched towards the horizon where the sixteen armies marched.

From the shadow of every white tower, from the reflection of every stained-glass window, and from the very ground beneath the crowded avenues, figures began to coalesce.

Finally, the darkness receded. The First came the heavy infantry, thousands of figures clad in armor, their faces hidden behind visors. They held shields embossed with the sacred emblem of the Lightless: a crescent moon that acted as a smile and two U shapes on both sides with eyes closed in cosmic medication. As their boots struck the ground in perfect unison, a thud reverberated through Mo Fei’s consciousness, threatening to tear his astral body apart.

Mo Fei watched in a mixture of horror and awe as figures stepped out of the land, marching toward armies of four hundred thousands.

The army of Andronicus was ready with diverse weapons of war, gleaming spears, armored war elephants, and horses. Holding their spears and sword tightly in resolve, they waited for the word of command.

High above the metropolis, the clouds parted. The golden sunlight poured down through the clouds, illuminating the whole battlefield.

The sixteen armies in the distance suddenly halted. Their grand momentum, which had seemed capable of crushing the metropolis, instantly withered under the suffocating weight of Andronicus’ army.

From the heart of the army, the emperor turned his head slightly. Though his face remained a blur of historical fog, Mo Fei could feel the indifference in his gaze. To this ruler, the sixteen nations were not a threat worth his attention.

He sat now within a grand, golden chariot, and just before him, the majestic silhouette of the Lord held the golden reign of steeds. A playful, enigmatic smile curled on the divine figure’s lips. The vast spiritual presence of ’Lightless’ slightly shifted, and the ancient gaze that had been fixed on the emperor’s army suddenly expanded, enveloping the whole battlefield.

Mo Fei felt his vision begin to blur, patches of black scales threatening to erupt from his skin just from watching this memory.

The figure of the Lightless removed ’His’ one hand from reign, speaking to Andronicus behind ’Him’. "Tell me Andronicus, does your heart hold no doubt? Are you certain you can achieve victory without my blade? Remember..." The lord laughed in a melodic tone that shifted the air to turn a comfortable cold. "I am but your charioteer today."

Andronicus bowed low within the chariot, his hands pressed together. "What do you speak of lord? The mere sight of your form upon this chariot is a shield over this land. I am but an instrument of your will, walking the path of your divine design."

"Well then." The figure’s playful smile widened into a more enthusiastic one as he finally uttered the final command.

"Go... Andronicus."