Outside, the two figures hovered in silence while a book with a worn cover and ancient symbols lay open, radiating a turbulent spiritual aura that stirred powerful winds.
The silence was soon broken when the blue eyed man lowered his hat before descending to the ground.
A few moments later, the worn book closed on its own, and the world returned to normal.
Their presence seemed to have carried them into a historical realm from thousands of years ago, but there was a specific reason behind his actions.
"Forget it, why don't you just enter that ridiculous historical tale of yours?" the man said, his teeth chattering while his right hand busied itself adjusting his hat.
The man still hovering above him let out a buzzing sound like a cricket, his eyes remaining tightly shut as though to ward off any disturbance to his concentration.
"To hell with your stupid fairy tale." With that, the man turned and walked away, leaving his companion alone amid the chaos that still remained.
One thing was certain, he had succeeded in bringing back "them" who had been dragged into that ancient historical realm as a result of the attack; the attack by Andreas Nesta.
....
At a pivotal moment in world history, just as Celeste Samano was contemplating how to resolve this "problem," she was intercepted by two rulers from different continents.
At first, she intended to make a declaration befitting a true emperor, like her predecessors, but her determination to carry out that intention did not entirely align with the vision in her mind.
Remembering the bloody battle taking place outside that had brought her here, she did not want to waste the sacrifices of her loyal soldiers.
She abandoned her intention to leave the hall as she raised the sword high above her head like a crown.
Aaron Kwok knew that his body and soul had overlapped with the body of a female emperor named "Celeste Samano," but none of that mattered when the "Puppeteer" turned him into a character in a fairy tale.
There were only three people in the hall, along with a large window and long, pale white curtains rippling in the roaring wind.
Not long after the sword was raised, Celeste Samano lunged toward the two rulers in front of her. Before the sword could pierce one of the men, Luciven grasped the female emperor's silk soft arm.
Herman Chiquato opened his eyes and whistled, sensing a romantic tension between them. His mind was filled with a strange turmoil as a voice in a language unlike that of his homeland called his name repeatedly, along with additional words he could not understand.
He did not know what it was. It was clear that Leonard Horowitz was struggling from within, trying to free himself completely from the "story manipulation" of the Puppeteer's ability.
"Calm down, my dear," Herman Chiquato said with a faint grin. "Do you really want to fight me?"
"For the sake of the empire and in the name of Naerass, I am willing to fight bastards like you alone and send you to hell."
Herman Chiquato felt profound regret upon hearing the vile words spoken by the woman of indescribable beauty. He knew that his invasion of Chynoria and the slaughter of the "other eyed" race could not be forgiven by rulers such as them.
Moreover, Najasma was a continent isolated from the rest of the world; traveling to this vast region, located between the continents of Chynoria and BlackLand, required at least twenty days by ship.
Several of his soldiers had died, or even killed one another, simply to obtain supplies to survive the horrors of the Hatt Ocean before reaching this place.
He had no intention of staying here for long; a great intercontinental war was raging, driven by leaders elsewhere who were consumed by greed for power, territory, wealth, and women.
In the end, his arrival here was motivated by the desire to seize control of the resources of Chynoria and BlackLand, territories currently ruled by the two of them. Fertile land was good land for clothing and food.
"At least we are not fighting each other before the other six rulers arrive," Herman Chiquato said in a monotonous voice, speaking in the Wahin language.
The Wahin language had been used since the first year of the Lunar Era, a time when the world was ruled by nonhuman beings and supernatural entities roamed freely alongside them!
The muscles in Celeste's face tensed as she growled and released her grip. Luciven casually spread his palm wide, then stepped back two paces, adjusting the collar of his robe before looking at them.
The three remained wary of one another; clearly, there was no trust between them, considering the actions they had taken against the territories each of them ruled.
The war had broken out the day before this coincidental meeting, yet for a moment, after ordering their soldiers to stand guard outside, their swords were raised, but none of them moved.
The hesitation lasted only briefly, disappearing quickly after the heated words exchanged moments earlier.
The atmosphere grew heavy as each of them gripped their swords with firm resolve, surrounding their opponents before moving in the same direction in unison.
Tap.
Their footsteps created a steady rhythm across the luxurious marble, while their swords clanged like an afternoon drizzle, steady and relentless.
A sword swept past Celeste, but she deftly tilted her head to the side as Luciven lunged at Herman Chiquato, standing to her left.
As the two men clashed, Celeste seized the opportunity to strike Luciven's left chest from behind.
Sring!
Steel clashed against steel as Herman instinctively spun around, sacrificing his palm, which was pierced by Luciven Voldemort's sword, to deflect the attack.
"Ah..."
He suppressed his scream, determined not to let the soldiers he had brought storm into the hall and violate their agreement, at least for now.
His jaw slackened and his teeth chattered, contrasting sharply with the sound of Luciven Voldemort's sword clashing against Celeste's, while his breathing became ragged despite the battle having lasted only a minute.
Herman Chiquato grabbed his sword before rolling away; moments later, he veered sharply to the left as a gleaming blade as sharp as a razor headed toward his head.
Seeing the attack miss, Celeste quickly spun her own sword, the two blades clashing before changing directions and causing both of them to lose their balance.
Meanwhile, blood splattered across his luxurious black robe. Herman Chiquita suppressed a groan as he glanced at Luciven, who moved in perfect rhythm with him on his right.
Luciven's sword spun briefly before sweeping horizontally toward him. Herman's pupils widened for a moment; instinctively, he ducked and grabbed a crescent dagger from the Lunar Calendar era hidden inside his robe, pulling the blade downward with it.
However, Luciven calmly opened his palm, allowing the blade to fall before catching it again. The crescent dagger fell onto the marble, leaving the hum of steel ringing longer than it should have, momentarily holding both their thoughts still.
Herman's reaction was too slow; an unavoidable thrust came toward him as the blade met his chest, Luciven holding back a smile.
Time seemed to slow as his helpless body lay upon the marble, unarmed, staring at the approaching blade. For a moment, he imagined his death and the people he would leave behind. Even when his mind wanted to surrender, his hands said otherwise, choosing to fight until the last drop of blood, reaching for the sword lying to his left.
Yet because of Luciven's speed, a last second defensive reaction, considering it nearly impossible to wield twenty five kilograms of steel while seated, was futile.
With no other choice, he was forced to let the blade pierce his chest as the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of Celeste lunging toward him.
Sting.
The sound of steel piercing flesh and then tearing through bone rang out. It was not his chest that had been pierced, but Herman Chiquato's right hand, which had already suffered a slash wound, was shattered by Luciven's sword.
"I knew the ruler of BlackLand would be formidable with a sword." Herman forced a smile as he clenched his teeth, trying to pull his hand away from the sword's blade.
Even Celeste lost her footing after witnessing Herman's feat.
The battle came to a brief halt, as though the three of them had been given a chance to breathe before truly exhaling their last breath in a world this beautiful and aesthetic.