Chapter 16: Invictus

The president and CEO of the largest mega-corporation was not recognizable wearing this full armor. In this galaxy, so far from M-0, SII meant nothing and Rex Schwartz was unknown. His alter ego, however, Invictus Rex was remembered. Even though his reign had ended billions of years ago. The legend of the First Empire and its god-like leader was still told, not that the surviving stories had anything to do with what happened.

One of these legends claimed that survivors of the terrible conflict between the Loyal Imperials and the forces united under the lead of Imperia Regina arrived here, colonized this world and eventually became the Avondurs. Now that Rex had full access to all the memories of his alter ego, he knew this was partially true. The woman claiming to be his daughter was a fraud, as he never sired a daughter and never designated anyone to be his successor.

The sphere of survivors did arrive here, but Avondur was not void of sentient life.

Rex sat brooding in his restored throne. As an immortal he had developed a sense for things that were not accessible to mortals, and now since he had merged with the consciousness of a true entity he too had felt the disturbing pulses of Cosmic Power that rippled the Omni Ether. The first one, reached his mind while he was still in the M-o Galaxy and very recently, a second cosmic pulse of utter darkness disturbed his truly evil foundation.

The first pulse proclaimed to all creation that the JUDGE was one with the Dark One. This trans cosmic proclamation was not made by a voice or uttered in words anyone could understand, yet all who were sensitive to these matters, instantly knew who the JUDGE was and that this was indeed the age and universe where the Dark One was to resurrect. The second was even more disturbing, the Dark One reclaimed his dominion over the Antiforce of life ... the Antiforce of Existence.

The ultimate power of judgment and the final answer to life had been given to one entity, one source.

Until now he was convinced that he was the most suitable contender of this condition, second perhaps only to the One behind it all. He conceded to the fact that everyone claiming to have a stake in gaining this power had come to Avondur.

Netherworld lords, entities existing long before this reality cam to be and a dozen more he knew little about. He was all that much concerned about these others.

He was the sum of Rex Schwartz; the most ruthless Terran Human ever to exist; and a being that used the title Invictus Rex.

Invictus Rex once was a mage of a long-gone precursor universe. While there was that belief held by a handful of Cosmic Elders, that he was a follower of Sateer, and belonged to that ill-fated brotherhood. He never associated with the High Father of the Brotherhood, also known as Saeth.

Unseen by anyone, as his face was now hidden beneath the fear-inducing mask helmet of his armor, a cold grin curled his lips. Saeth, was fading away in a desolate and otherwise dark and empty plane. Sitting imprisoned in the Stronghold of the Fallen. The Brotherhood wiped out and destroyed.

His hidden smile did not last long, as his mind remembered his own origin.

When the Dark One was defeated by Crea and her Alliance, the first of all Universes was destroyed and new realities took its place. In one of these realities. The now unbound consciousness of SATA, the original personification of Evil, the opposite of Good took form in a being known as Nefarious.

In this early realm of reality, a world brought forth a species of humans and one of its sons, an exiled prince accused of the most heinous crimes with the name of Krohatar, found the hidden dwelling of Nefarious and was accepted as an apprentice and introduced to the ways of Evil incarnate. His master granted him immortality and showed him the way onto the Plane of Eternity.

There Krohatar, learned about the fate and the prophesized return of the Dark One. There on the Plane of Eternity, he escaped the destruction of his universe.

The Voice of the RULE approached him at the dawn of this, the Prime Universe to become an Elder of the Universe, to observe and assure the resurrection of the Dark One.

After receiving call and powers, he rejected or rebelled against the Rule as he wanted to become the vessel of the reincarnation of the Dark One.

Entering the new Universe in a new body, he observed an Nnnth. Rejected by its kind to join the new amalgam of Nnnth and the Arth, creating and rising an Empire of unparalleled size.

Krohatar, slew that Nnnth and replaced the Emperor. Now known as Invictus Rex he conquered and destroyed millions of civilizations in order to find the 12 tokens and to prevent any other society to bring forth a suitable vessel for the Dark One, other than himself.

At the height of that First Empire he realized that all his efforts to find the tokens were fruitless and he no longer had access to the Plane of Eternity, he decided to go the same path as the Narth and ascend to a higher level of existence. Using a then expanded consciousness to seek and find the Tokens.

However his efforts were flawed and instead of emerging as a higher entity, he exiled himself in a death-like sleep.

When Rex Schwartz relocated the headquarters of SII to the planet Onyx, excavations for the foundations of the SII Needle uncovered Invictus Tomb.

When it was shown to Rex Schwartz, its kindred spirit stirred the sleeping Invictus, and after a short time, the two became one and Invictus existed again.

The gigantic business empire embedded deep in a mega society known as the Union was the perfect seed of secretly growing Empire.

The metaphysical aspects of the Omniverse, guarded and predicted by the mysterious Urd, appeared to had a hand in him meeting Shea, the daughter of Luc.

Proth was the leader of the Black Hoods, silently remained sitting on his chair, while his declared lord and master were deep in thought.

While Rex was thinking about all this, a third pulse disturbed the fabric of the Omni-Verse. Rex instantly knew that the force he wanted to secure for himself, was restored. What all these entities including himself had assumed did not happen. The essence of the Dark One did no longer need a vessel to resurrect, the Dark God had found its shell.

No one would inherit or become the new embodiment of this Force Cosmic, the Dark One had come into his own.

All those who had planned, schemed and endured countless eons, instantly became aware that it was all for naught.

The reason for Cosmic Elders to exist had ended, there was only one aspect left. One token of power to be reunited.

The part of Rex, that expected to become the new Dark One felt cheated and Rex screamed in utter agony of defeated agony. This tremendous outcry swept Proth of his seat and made the strong walls and floors shake as if subject to a strong earthquake.

--””—

Rex was not the only one feeling the same way. Crimsor and his master Sata also knew their quest to become the Dark One had failed. They all became instantly aware that they had wasted all their existence on a false path.

Lumis was not spared. He too felt the reunification of the Dark One’s essence with his true shell. However, he did not seek to become the Dark One, his task appointed by Crea herself was to defeat the Dark One. Slay him again and this time slay him for good.

He had failed to do so, while that foulest of entities was still in a mortal shell and far from complete. Now the mortal shell had been dropped and this Dark God dwelled once again in his true shell and body. No power, no force not all the weapons of the Universe able to slay him.

Except for the WEAPON.

Crea, the goddess who instilled him with promises of power and hope had fled. She was no longer with him, that connection he shared with her suddenly felt vacant. The very last he felt was her fear. The fear of a goddess knowing the time of Judgement had drawn near was unlike any fear and horror any thinking being could imagine.

Lumis dropped to his knees, in utter despair. Only a few of his Knights had remained and those who still stood on his side distanced themselves as fast as they could from him. For there was no doubt, before the Dark One would carry his vengeance to Crea, he would come to him.

In all his agony he suddenly knew, without doubt, the Dark One had arrived on Avondur.

He knelt in the dust not far from where the forces of the Tomradi and the representatives of the Seven Circles had gathered.

The Red Knight approached him, and with him was Sata, the high lord of Netherworlds, the one who conspired with Crea and betrayed the Dark One. He too experienced fear as he knew he too was to face the Dark One.

Sata spoke.” Lord Lumis, you are still the champion and the chosen one. The Dark One is yet not complete and the WEAPON can slay him, I am certain.”

Lumis spread his arms. “How can I be that champion when Crea has left me and I do not know where the WEAPON is?”

“The WEAPON has arrived on Avondur, she is the daughter of Angela. Angela was spawned by us to steal the WEAPON. She was successful and had eluded us and foiled all attempts of ours to find her daughter.

That daughter is here, and whatever she is was is of no significance. She carries my seed and must obey, I will command her to give control over the WEAPON to you.”

--””—

The winged creature expelled another blast of icy breath. Even though I was able to evade this second blast and my angry shout at that flying monster regarding my Nilfeheim nature. I could feel the deep freezing effect, as it covered more ground with bluish ice.

The branch I had gathered was of satisfying length and had a good weight, but I was too far from the thing to even hit its feet.

I hated to run, but run I did. I dash as fast as I could between those alien trees, tried to ignore the sharp rocks and stinging thorns that penetrated my bare feet.

Why did it always have to be me, running naked from someone or something that wanted to do me harm?

While I ran, I turned my head and sure enough that flying ice demon thing was following me.

However the trees provided obstacles to that creep, and he could not fly as fast as it most likely could. I hoped there weren’t more of them.

It was not long enough in my recent past to forget, the time when I ran bare feet across the cracked Duro-Crete surface of a Sin 4 spaceport, littered with wrecks and garbage, pursued by bounty hunters and similar scum. Back then, I at least had my good old .45. I wished I could send a few slugs towards that winged Ice demon.

Not that this was the only time I had to run for my life, with nothing in terms of clothing. My adventures on Jarsumat abducted not knowing where I was, stripped of everything I owned. Back then it was blisters, now it was sharp rocks and thorns. “Brother if you can hear me if you still feel my thoughts. I give a hoot what kind of Dark God you are. I am going to shove that ax so far up your arse, you feel it in your throat.”

An ice blast hit a tree to my left and shattered like glass as the flying demon hit it with his mob-like stick.