Lord of Annihilation

"She will be fine, right?" Ka'lor'ah asked worriedly.

"As long as she's not dead or has lost too many limbs, it's a pass." Without a single change in his tone, Lucius replied unconcernedly.

"You're still going on about the test! Just admit that you completely messed up!" 

"I have no idea what you're talking about." 

Silence descended between the two as they rushed back in the direction of the city of Pandemonium. 

With his ascension into Stage 2 and the recent meal of a Stage 3 body, Lucius' physique had undergone another change. Currently, his physical body was comparable to a Stage 3 existence. 

That is to say, attacks from Stage 2 beings will no longer be fatal, and could easily be shrugged off in most cases.

His natural gift of speed had also undergone an upgrade, finally allowing him to enter a supersonic state for extended periods of time. (Note: This will heavily depend on environmental factors. Heavier gravity or higher air density of the other planet will slow him down. Also, areas with greater spiritual energy concentration will restrain him. This will be explained in the future.)

"Lucius, there's something that I have to say." 

As they continued to move in silence, Ka'lor'ah suddenly started to talk. Her tone was serious, highlighting the importance of her words.

"Our 'plan'…its magnitude and difficulty are beyond any logical estimation, border lining on the impossible. Whether you want to admit it or not, it's not something that the two of us can complete on our own, even at our peaks. Our opponents are quite literally, beyond the bounds of the Universe."

"To even have the most minimal chance of success, we will require…no, we will NEED the help of others. Others, who hopefully share our goal."

"As much as you like to do everything alone and hate to seek help or depend on others, you will have to make exceptions. You will have to change."

"What are you trying to say?" Cutting directly to the point, Lucius asked.

"What I'm trying to say, is that this is no longer a solitary struggle. Our enemies are a group and we need a group of our own."

"We can collect the Forgotten Warriors." Lucius retorted.

"I admit that the Forgotten Warriors are very useful. However, they have their limits and do not have the creativity and ingenuity of living beings." Ka'lor'ah unhesitantly shot his proposal down.

Continuing her speech, her tone turned passive as she spoke.

"Look, I'm not telling you to make friends or forcing you to become a team player. I'm just saying to have an open mind and not be averse to the idea of relying on others."

"Sometimes, people can be more reliable than you might think. You can count on others!" Saying this much, Ka'lor'ah stopped her speech and awaited Lucius' response. 

The latter continued to run with an impassive expression on his face. Just from seeing the look in his eyes, it seemed as if he had not heard anything.

The silence continued for a few minutes before Lucius finally worded a reply.

"No."

It was a straight refusal.

"I agree that the execution of the plan will require outside support and participation, and I will not stop you from seeking that. Refusing to address such an obvious problem would be foolish."

"However, relying on someone else is something that I will never do. Even if that someone was you."

"Lucius…" Ka'lor'ah tried to speak up but fell silent. 

It was evident from her tone, that she was hurt by his statement. Lucius was unbothered by her reaction and continued to speak.

"You will play your part, as I will mine."

"I will simply do, as the cost requires me to do, all for the successful execution of the plan."

'Even if that cost is my death.' This part was left untold by Lucius; however, both of them clearly understood this.

Forgetting about the obvious crisis that they were currently facing and other mishaps that had happened along the way, even if everything had gone exactly according to their plan, there would be a time in the future where Lucius…had to die.

Why?

It was because the plan demanded it. 

While the exact reasons behind this requirement couldn't be revealed yet, Lucius' death will play an important role in the successful triggering and execution of the plan.

One could even say, he was the lynchpin that held it all in place.

While Lucius himself was unbothered by this requirement and had accepted it without any complaint, the same could not be said for Ka'lor'ah. 

She obviously loved Lucius. Lucius was special to her. Lucius was…family.

And the fact that she had to kill her only family for the success of her plan was unacceptable, to say the least. But what else could she do but accept it? If this was the cost required, then they had to pay it. 

After all, everything that the two of them had done so far. All of their hard work, their sacrifices, everything was for the successful execution of the plan.

Thinking about this, Ka'lor'ah strengthened her resolve once again. 

'You may be able to accept this cost, but I cannot. I will do everything I can to help you evade that final fate.'

'That future that we worked so hard for, we will view it together.'

----------

"We are almost there. I sense movement up front." Slowing his speed, Lucius spoke up.

The duo had been moving for a grand total of twenty-two hours without pause. The sheer distance that they had covered in total was equivalent to covering the entire width of Europe, twice! (AN: 6000km approx)

Looking at the familiar tall iron gates at a distance, Lucius heard his companion voice her surprise.

"Wow! This is the first time I'm seeing such a low-level settlement." Ka'lor'ah's curiosity was sparked and her tone turned excited.

Ka'lor'ah had spent most of her life, staying on her home planet. She had never once left it, for she had no reason to do so and also because she hadn't the time.

From the moment she was born, Ka'lor'ah was a slave to the Lords. She was constantly occupied with the task of managing all the lesser races within the Universe, while also doing random errands for the Lords.

Her only activity of leisure or the only thing that she found comfort in was the endless collection of books and knowledge that her predecessors had left behind. (There was also her habit of collecting.)

Having never left her planet, her knowledge of the Universe was only limited to the descriptions and pictures which she had read and seen in her books. 

This being the case, personally seeing the settlement and structures was an entirely new experience for Ka'lor'ah.

"Wait, no! This is not the time for exploration! Let's find my disciple first!"

As usual, Lucius paid no attention to her soliloquy and approached the large iron gates.

Approaching the settlement closer, Lucius noticed that the walls were taller, thicker, and more reinforced than he previously remembered. Rusty iron bars had been replaced with newer ones and the previously obvious holes had been filled in.

Another thing that Lucius noticed was the attitude of the guards atop the walls and behind the gates. 

There were 'guards', as in plural. 

Not only were there multiple guards, but also, their postures were straight and their eyes were sharp. Their equipment also looked better and more uniform. They also seemed to be performing their duties properly. 

Looking at the scene of careful gate checks and well-organized patrols, Lucius started to grow doubtful. He couldn't help but recall the last time he was here. The stark contrast between the two scenes further confused him.

'Am I in the right place?'

"Hey, are we in the right place? This doesn't place look like the Pandemonium that you've told me about." 

Lucius' thoughts and Ka'lor'ah's doubts were in sync. Lucius looked within the Void once more and confirmed that the two Forgotten Warriors were within this settlement.

"I sense the both inside this settlement. This has to be the place." 

Saying so, Lucius joined the line of people trying to enter the city of Pandemonium.

----------

Some amount of time passed and it was finally Lucius' turn to undergo checks.

During the course of the wait, Lucius had carefully observed the behavior of the guards and had analyzed their patterns. These were the points that he had noticed.

1.    The guards performed their duties seriously. There was no trace of half-heartedness.

2.    Judging from the way they moved and carried themselves, Lucius confirmed that these guards were properly trained and possessed an admirable amount of skill. 

3.    Their pieces of equipment were better than Lucius' initial estimation and had equaled the level of a common soldier's garbs found in the official army of a higher tiered species. That is to say, the equipment was expensive and these guards were properly equipped.

4.    None of the guards accepted any bribes. The people in line who offered a bribe in exchange for evading the checking were collectively beaten up before being thrown outside.

5.    The checks performed were thorough. Those who cooperated were treated amiably while those two who resisted were thoroughly suppressed before being thrown out. Also, weapons were not confiscated. This allowed Lucius to retain his scythe on his body.

"Next." The guard in charge of the checks called upon Lucius.

Stepping into the specified area, which was in form of a tent, Lucius awaited the guard's instructions. There was little point in resisting as it would only serve to delay his time.

"Weapons and armaments to be placed on the table in the left, while other artifacts and devices are to be placed on the table in the right. They will be returned if no problems are found." Another guard instructed.

Lucius complied and did as asked, placing his scythe on the left and the crystal on the right. He carried no other object on him.

"Please remove your hood and step forward to be searched." The Terran guard continued.

Lucius did so and removed the hood covering his head. 

The very instant his hood was removed and his devilishly handsome face was revealed, the sounds of gasps and sharp breaths resounded inside the tent. The guards' in-charge of the checks found their eyes widened and their jaws slacked.

Silence permeated within the air and nothing happened. Lucius started to grow annoyed as he spoke in his bland voice.

"What next?"

The guard in charge of performing the physical checks managed to shake off his daze. He then approached Lucius closer, still feeling a little absent-minded.

It was then, that a voice interrupted.

"Captain, wait a minute! Doesn't this guy match that description?"