Chapter 81: Appreciating Fireworks

Zero chuckled as he stepped forward, not in a rush, as if he was taking a slow walk through a peaceful garden. His hands were still behind his back. His steps made no sound, but every movement made the warriors below feel like the world was getting colder.

Garosero stood firm. The Omega Excalibur in his hand gave off a strange light. The ground beneath his feet cracked from the energy it gave off. The other warriors moved behind him, ready to give support. Though they were scared, their will did not shake.

“You don’t want to surrender?” Zero asked again, smiling. “Very well then.”

With just a snap of his finger, the sky turned red. Huge black metal cubes fell from the spaceship like bombs. When they landed, they opened up, revealing giant machines, each the size of a small building. They had long legs and thick arms, with red lights glowing where their eyes should be.

“These are Hell Units,” Zero said. “Each one can erase a city in ten seconds.”

“Send them to the nearest village,” he added without emotion.

“No!” one of the warriors screamed. “There are children there!”

But it was too late.

The machines leapt into the air and flew at high speed. A few seconds later, far in the distance, giant fireballs rose. Then a wave of shock hit the land. The sky turned dark as black smoke spread.

Everyone froze.

Zero yawned. “If you won’t give me the Helixes, I’ll take your homes, your families, your sky, and your ground. I will erase your history. That’s what happens when ants shout at the emperor.”

Garosero gritted his teeth. “Monster…!”

The other warriors had tears in their eyes. They knew the flames in the distance were from villages, maybe even their own.

Ray Wtrk, still weak, managed to raise his head. “You… you’re not an emperor. You’re a plague.”

Zero turned his head toward him. “What did you say?”

Ray didn’t answer.

Zero pointed at one of the soldiers. “Throw that weakling into the Sun Converter.”

“Yes, Lord Zero!”

A loud hum came from the ship. A hatch opened, and a beam of light dragged Ray’s body into the machine. Seconds later, a soft crackling sound was heard. Ray’s body was turned into fuel.

The warriors couldn’t believe it. One of their greatest, gone just like that.

“You still want to fight me?” Zero asked with a fake smile. “I’m giving you a chance to be smart.”

Garosero took one step forward. His eyes were full of rage, but clear. “You said we’re monkeys. But we feel pain, and we protect each other. That makes us better than you.”

Zero’s eyes turned sharp. “Then die with that pride.”

Zero floated higher into the sky, his body wrapped in a red aura. His fingers came together slowly, and in his palm, a dark ball began to grow. It started small, no larger than a stone, but it pulsed like a heart. As he poured more energy into it, the sphere turned black with lines of red lightning dancing across its surface.

“This…” he whispered to himself, “is the final star… the last sun your skies will ever know.”

The air twisted. The ground cracked. The ball grew as wide as a mountain, now heavy with destruction. Below him, even his own soldiers looked up in fear. They had seen this before on other planets. No one ever survived it.

“Let the ashes of this world be your tombstones,” Zero said, his voice soft and calm. “May your screams rise with the smoke and touch the stars.”

He raised the death ball high above his head, a twisted smile on his face. The light from the ball reflected in his eyes, making them glow red.

Down below, Garosero screamed, “EVERYONE! TOGETHER! WE MUST STOP IT!”

The warriors, those still standing, gathered in the air. Even weak ones who could barely fly rose to help. Mothers, fathers, and young fighters with shaking hands all came together. Thousands of hands lifted, each sending their remaining power into the sky.

The planet’s last defenders poured their energy into one single glowing shield, forming a huge blue wall of light in the sky. They knew it would not be enough. But they had no choice. They couldn’t just watch.

Zero watched from above, amused. “How touching,” he said softly. “Like moths to a flame.”

Then he dropped the death ball.

It moved slowly at first, like a falling star, but the closer it got, the faster it spun. The red lightning around it cracked the air. As it hit the shield, a massive sound roared out, like the planet itself was crying.

The shield held… for two seconds.

Then it began to break. One by one, the fighters pushing the barrier began to vanish in bright flashes. Their energy was being eaten alive.

Some screamed. Some cried. Others shouted their loved ones’ names. And some just closed their eyes and waited.

From high above, Zero watched it all in silence. Then he sat on a floating metal chair his nanobots had shaped for him. He took a sip from a silver cup filled with red wine.

The death ball finally hit the planet’s surface.

BOOM!

The world is split in half. Oceans boiled. Mountains exploded into dust. Cities vanished in fire. The sky turned white for a moment, then black. Only the Omega Excalibur remained intact.

Zero leaned back and smiled as the explosion lit his face.

“Ah…” he whispered to himself. “Every end has its own music. Yours is the sound of silence after the last breath.”

“Retrieve the Super-Grade sword. Unfortunately, that monkey couldn’t exert it’s true strength. Perhaps, he would have a change against me.”

He really didn’t have interest on using the Omega Excalibur because it required a justice centered heart. Does he have such a crappy thing?

Behind him, his soldiers stayed silent, eyes wide. None dared to speak.

Zero simply sipped his wine and watched the fireworks of death below.

…

As the flames of the destroyed planet slowly faded into space, Zero remained seated, sipping his wine with a calm face.

One soldier stepped forward, bowed deeply, and spoke with a trembling voice, “Lord Zero… watching you destroy a world is like watching a god paint the sky with power. Your will moves the stars. Your breath shakes the heavens.”

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