Lichtreich General
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Quincy. Written as 滅却師 in Kanji. Romanized as Kuinshī which means "Monk of Destruction".
2000 Years Ago at the Royal Palace
People, cloaked in black had arrived, bearing strange blades that changed shape when certain phrases were spoken. No two blades were similar when they changed nor were any phrases identical. Horror, guards were slain, cut down by these people in black bearing strange blades. A young boy is ushered away from the violence, his existence kept secret from everyone, including these people in black. Noise, the sound of the violence approached his father’s chambers quickly, his father sitting idle, defenseless, accepting his fate. A smile, the final visage this young boy will ever see of his father before the people in black arrive and begin to dismember him without hesitation. Pain, the boy cries out as his heart aches from seeing this happen to his father, however, his voice is silenced as Shadows encapsulate him and drag him away. The people in black investigate, they find a woman who appears to be nothing more than an Aid, she is cut down as well, no mercy.
Darkness, the boy falls through darkness, tears falling away from his eyes as he plummets. Darkness, humans in the living world experience a sudden darkness as people are selected at random, pulled away from their homes, their world. Darkness, it is isolating, scary, the boy does not want to endure this alone and so he reaches his hand out and Takes, he acquires people to cure his loneliness. Together, he and the hundreds, no, thousands of humans he has taken fall together in this darkness. No longer is he alone but with no home to call their own and these thousands of people are essentially alone. Home, a new home, a place to hide away from the people in black, those gods of death. A home needs a name and names, as the boy had just recently learned, hold power.
Lichtreich. Written as 光の帝国 in Kanji. Romanized as Rihitoraihi which means "Empire of Light". German for "Light Empire”.
This name shall hold the power to ward off the darkness, to ward off the people in black. They will be safe here, hidden in the light. The people that fall with him will populate this new kingdom, he will impart to them pieces of his soul, granting them longevity and power. Names hold power and so He and his people will be known as..
Quincy.
The Beginning
Light bursts forth from the Darkness as the people are scattered about this new haven, this Lichtreich.
They have no memories of who they once were but know what they are now, Quincy. There are those who landed with a strange boy who had no hair and whose blue eyes were split into threes on each eye. They felt his energy, his Reiatsu and it resonated with theirs, this boy granted them a gift and he was their leader, their god. Those who were studious began writing this down while others knelt in respect. But before they knew it he was gone from their sight.
Time went on and through some mysterious means they began to unlock new knowledge, knowledge of the Shadow and of Reishi Manipulation. This was a result of the young boy shedding more of his soul to grant them further abilities and understanding.
One thousand years later
The Quincy would learn about the world outside of their Empire, catching glimpses of horrible monsters that were poisonous to them and the fabled people in Black who fought them. They did not engage with either party, nor did they ever let their presence become known to them. It was not until the rise of the False Emperor that these little excursions came to an abrupt halt. This false emperor claimed to be the same child from the stories that created the Quincy, stating that he held all of the same power and used the bluff to keep everyone in line and locked within the Lichtreich. His rule created a divide, one that created a Civil Cold War among the Quincy where small battles would be fought on the outskirts of the Empire with a few battles being fought within alleyways or underground.
On one side were the Loyalists, those loyal to the False Emperor out of fear or out of belief that he is the true emperor. On the other side were the “Rebels” , those who follow the true calling of the true Emperor. “The king would regain his heart after 900 years. 90 years later, his intellect would return.” A song which was to tell the Quincy when the True Emperor would return, once believed to be a children's song was now adopted as a belief during these trying times for the isolated race. Anyone heard reciting it was swiftly arrested, tortured, then executed for attempting to deny the current emperor.
900 Years Later
After 900 years had passed there was no sign of this emperor returning as everyone assumed he would radiate with divinity and Authority but no such person appeared. During the two factions were silently named as if a line in the sand was finally drawn. The first being Vorbild (Lit. Guiding Light) The name taken by the Rebels who believe in the guiding light of the True Emperor. The other being the faction of the False Emperor, Schattenlicht (Lit. Shadow Light). Vorbild strives to make improvements in Quincy Technology and methodology which is seen as blasphemous and heretical in the eyes of the False Emperor. Because of the Schattenlicht prefers the use of relics such as the current model of the Sanrei Glove that employs the one time use of Letzt Stil along with promoting the useage of Bows and Arrows as main forms of combat. This is enforced within the Schattenlict faction as a means to keep the Quincy under the False Emperor's rule oppressed and to keep himself at the top of the pecking order.
89 Years Later
As of now 89 years have passed and the False Emperor is slowly succumbing to the beliefs of that song himself because any day now the true Emperor will awaken and challenge him to take back the throne.
His paranoia is so great he created a secret army to protect him against that foreboding return. This group has no name but it is built out of 26 of the most elite Quincy in Lichtreich and among this group is a man simply known as Ado. This young man does what he is told and carries out his tasks with startling efficiency, namely the pacification of Rebels. The story now opens up for the Quincy as they struggle to survive this final year under the False Emperor’s rule. What side will they take when the definitive line is finally drawn? Will they kill the true emperor before he regains his intellect and remembers who he is? Will they join the False Emperor for the fateful battle? Or will a Quincy rise up, slaying both the True and False Emperors and claim the throne for themselves? Only time will tell and time is limited.
2000 Years Ago at the Royal Palace
People, cloaked in black had arrived, bearing strange blades that changed shape when certain phrases were spoken. No two blades were similar when they changed nor were any phrases identical. Horror, guards were slain, cut down by these people in black bearing strange blades. A young boy is ushered away from the violence, his existence kept secret from everyone, including these people in black. Noise, the sound of the violence approached his father’s chambers quickly, his father sitting idle, defenseless, accepting his fate. A smile, the final visage this young boy will ever see of his father before the people in black arrive and begin to dismember him without hesitation. Pain, the boy cries out as his heart aches from seeing this happen to his father, however, his voice is silenced as Shadows encapsulate him and drag him away. The people in black investigate, they find a woman who appears to be nothing more than an Aid, she is cut down as well, no mercy.
Darkness, the boy falls through darkness, tears falling away from his eyes as he plummets. Darkness, humans in the living world experience a sudden darkness as people are selected at random, pulled away from their homes, their world. Darkness, it is isolating, scary, the boy does not want to endure this alone and so he reaches his hand out and Takes, he acquires people to cure his loneliness. Together, he and the hundreds, no, thousands of humans he has taken fall together in this darkness. No longer is he alone but with no home to call their own and these thousands of people are essentially alone. Home, a new home, a place to hide away from the people in black, those gods of death. A home needs a name and names, as the boy had just recently learned, hold power.
Lichtreich. Written as 光の帝国 in Kanji. Romanized as Rihitoraihi which means "Empire of Light". German for "Light Empire”.
This name shall hold the power to ward off the darkness, to ward off the people in black. They will be safe here, hidden in the light. The people that fall with him will populate this new kingdom, he will impart to them pieces of his soul, granting them longevity and power. Names hold power and so He and his people will be known as..
Quincy.
The Beginning
Light bursts forth from the Darkness as the people are scattered about this new haven, this Lichtreich.
They have no memories of who they once were but know what they are now, Quincy. There are those who landed with a strange boy who had no hair and whose blue eyes were split into threes on each eye. They felt his energy, his Reiatsu and it resonated with theirs, this boy granted them a gift and he was their leader, their god. Those who were studious began writing this down while others knelt in respect. But before they knew it he was gone from their sight.
Time went on and through some mysterious means they began to unlock new knowledge, knowledge of the Shadow and of Reishi Manipulation. This was a result of the young boy shedding more of his soul to grant them further abilities and understanding.
One thousand years later
The Quincy would learn about the world outside of their Empire, catching glimpses of horrible monsters that were poisonous to them and the fabled people in Black who fought them. They did not engage with either party, nor did they ever let their presence become known to them. It was not until the rise of the False Emperor that these little excursions came to an abrupt halt. This false emperor claimed to be the same child from the stories that created the Quincy, stating that he held all of the same power and used the bluff to keep everyone in line and locked within the Lichtreich. His rule created a divide, one that created a Civil Cold War among the Quincy where small battles would be fought on the outskirts of the Empire with a few battles being fought within alleyways or underground.
On one side were the Loyalists, those loyal to the False Emperor out of fear or out of belief that he is the true emperor. On the other side were the “Rebels” , those who follow the true calling of the true Emperor. “The king would regain his heart after 900 years. 90 years later, his intellect would return.” A song which was to tell the Quincy when the True Emperor would return, once believed to be a children's song was now adopted as a belief during these trying times for the isolated race. Anyone heard reciting it was swiftly arrested, tortured, then executed for attempting to deny the current emperor.
900 Years Later
After 900 years had passed there was no sign of this emperor returning as everyone assumed he would radiate with divinity and Authority but no such person appeared. During the two factions were silently named as if a line in the sand was finally drawn. The first being Vorbild (Lit. Guiding Light) The name taken by the Rebels who believe in the guiding light of the True Emperor. The other being the faction of the False Emperor, Schattenlicht (Lit. Shadow Light). Vorbild strives to make improvements in Quincy Technology and methodology which is seen as blasphemous and heretical in the eyes of the False Emperor. Because of the Schattenlicht prefers the use of relics such as the current model of the Sanrei Glove that employs the one time use of Letzt Stil along with promoting the useage of Bows and Arrows as main forms of combat. This is enforced within the Schattenlict faction as a means to keep the Quincy under the False Emperor's rule oppressed and to keep himself at the top of the pecking order.
89 Years Later
As of now 89 years have passed and the False Emperor is slowly succumbing to the beliefs of that song himself because any day now the true Emperor will awaken and challenge him to take back the throne.
His paranoia is so great he created a secret army to protect him against that foreboding return. This group has no name but it is built out of 26 of the most elite Quincy in Lichtreich and among this group is a man simply known as Ado. This young man does what he is told and carries out his tasks with startling efficiency, namely the pacification of Rebels. The story now opens up for the Quincy as they struggle to survive this final year under the False Emperor’s rule. What side will they take when the definitive line is finally drawn? Will they kill the true emperor before he regains his intellect and remembers who he is? Will they join the False Emperor for the fateful battle? Or will a Quincy rise up, slaying both the True and False Emperors and claim the throne for themselves? Only time will tell and time is limited.
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A chilly spring air washes over the Lichtreich. It's a breeze welcoming to some, damning for others. For the past few decades the Emperor has been sending out hunting parties to deal with those who blaspheme against him, in his own kingdom. This silent war is raged unbeknownst to the other spiritual realms. Almost like a mirror of events where the Shinigami had their civil war, so too will the Quincy, although their war has gone on for far longer. Two opposing factions, one loyal to the current emperor and the other loyal to the “true” emperor who has not been seen since the initial birth of the Quincy.
However this story is not about factions it is about one particular Quincy and his two friends and their struggles during this Civil War. Victor Berglicht, Ida Blumenkranz, and a man simply known as Ado. This trio grew up together, joined the ranks of the Quincy military and climbed said ranks. They became the top rebel hunters and are often praised for their effectiveness as a unit. However, the past few years has been a cause of strife for the trio as they have started questioning their actions and the more they question their actions a scary realization is slowly being born in their minds. What if they begin questioning their loyalty?
Their effectiveness has dwindled as more and more rebels begin slipping away from them and both sides have noticed. The “rebels” bide their time hoping to approach them in hopes of recruiting them for their cause. Meanwhile the Emperor grows weary of their dwindling success and plans on giving them one final chance at redemption.
Five Days Before Holy Selection
Deep in the forests that surround Lichtreich is a series of seemingly abandoned buildings, mostly destroyed from previous battles and bombardments from the soldiers of Schattenlicht. Left as they were to be a monument and a sign of failure for the rebel’s useless efforts. The rebels, their organization being known as Vorbild, have failed much in their ceaseless battle against the false Emperor, but they continue to fight as they believe the true emperor will rise up once again and guide them out of the darkness of the Shadow’s and into the light. Ironically it is they who are forced to hide further into the darkness such as right now as they hide away, underneath these abandoned buildings. The hunting trio of the Schattenlicht have scouted these ruined buildings for some time, long enough to see people come but never go as if this area is some sort of entrance rather than an exit.
”The Emperor won't be pleased if we just turn this area into a crater, we’ll have to find where their entrance is exactly and pull them out by the roots. Thoughts, Victor? Ado?”
Ida looks to her two friends, waiting for their input on how to approach this situation.
”Ahh… It’s not a bad idea, but they are bound to escape before we get a chance to round them all up. And Emperor knows just how crazy their network must be under there, could be a whole city, could just be some tunnels. They got the advantage whether we like it or not.”
After Victor speaks there is a long silence from Ado who has been rather distant in the past few days. In times like these he would have a sure fire plan on how to tackle this situation but he seems hesitant, almost as if he sympathizes with the rebels considering how he has been allowing many of them to flee from him. Ida and Victor look at one another and Ida is the first to speak up and break the silence.
”Ado, you got any ideas? We can’t-”
”It doesn’t feel right.”
The orange haired man speaks up, interrupting Ida even. She’ll scold him for that rude gesture later but right now his string of words spark intrigue in not only her mind but Victor’s as well.
”We are all Quincy, all of the same race, same powers, and yet we hunt and kill each other, for what?”
”Cause these rebels think our Emperor is a fake? That our great creator will return to us one day and take the throne back or whatever. I’m not sure they get it but our Emperor IS our great creator. Not to mention- Wait… Wait, wait, wait, wait, Ado, man, you aren’t having doubts about our Emperor, are you? That's blasphemy of the highest level…”
Victor speaks the last sentence in a hushed whisper but Ado stares at the abandoned buildings, not budging or flinching at the thought of blasphemy. Ida listens silently, wanting to hear Ado’s side of things.
”What? Am I not allowed to think from my eni… from the rebel’s perspective? Or am I not allowed free thought? We’ve been at this for decades, we have superior numbers and superior fighters yet these rebels, this Vorbild, struggles on. What is it they have or believe in that makes them blind to the reality of their situation? We fight because we have our Emperor, we see him, hear him, know of his power… But all this lot have is old falsified scriptures and texts that misrepresent the Emperor’s past, so much so that they say that he isn’t the TRUE Emperor. I want to understand them and their way of thinking.”
”Then use what you’ve learned to finally break them once and for all?”
There is a long silence as he continues to stare at the buildings, waiting for any sign of movement between them and the overgrowth that covers them.
”I’m not so sure yet…”
The trio go quiet, pondering Ado’s words and consulting their own thoughts as well. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, these three embody this saying down to the letter. While their powers can be traced back to the Emperor they hold their loyalty to each other higher than anything else. It is why they can speak so freely with each other and why Ado was able to speak his mind the way he did without fear of persecution or fear of either of them telling the Emperor what he said. They silently come to an understanding of their next move and it is Ado who takes the lead, his Hirenkyaku taking him away from their hidden location in an instant and in that same instant he has ensnared a rebel. This young man was trying to be discreet and to give credit to him, he was. He would have been able to sneak into the hidden base if not for the fact Ado had his senses honed to a needle’s point looking for any sign of life. The other two catch up with Victor making a comment on Ado’s speed.
”Did you get faster? I swear we were about the same speed before.”
Ado pauses for a moment and thinks because Victor is right and he himself felt the difference in his speed.
”I… I just sort of figured out a more efficient way to use Hirenkyaku is all…”
Victor chuckled and shook his head as Ado laughed a bit with him but in truth Ado lied to him. The knowledge of how to properly use his Hirenkyaku was already there or rather it made itself known to him as if it were natural that he was always that fast. That mind bending puzzle aside, their newly acquired hostage has his heart sink to the pits of his stomach, he fears and knows death is approaching for him. He closes his eyes and awaits the end. He feels them grab his hands, perhaps they will bind him before finishing him. They guide his hands to make a bowl with them and he feels three items fall into his palms, three Quincy Crosses. His eyes dart open once he recognizes what the items are and oddly enough they aren’t trying to hold him down so he uses this moment to gain some distance between them and himself. The Quincy of Schattenlicht only use bows and without their crosses to form a bow they will be forced to do combat in ways they are unfamiliar with. He opens his mouth to speak but Ado interrupts him before he can begin.
”We surrender ourselves to you, for the time being. I… We are doing this outside of the Emperor’s knowledge because I wish to understand you lot. What pillars of faith are propping you all up that have kept you all aloft for all this time? It makes no sense to me and I want to- no, I must know what it is and why!”
The young man stood in stunned silence, he had no reason to believe Ado, this could be a trap for all he knows. But Ado spoke with a commanding authority and a level of sincerity that is rarely seen by the zealots who serve the Emperor. He was either speaking the truth or a good liar.
”Let them in, I want to know their specific questions. These three have shown us some leniency in recent times, enough for me to take a chance on them.”
An older woman emerges from some overgrowth, her eyes fixed on the trio as that same trio now realizes they are surrounded on all sides by the rebels. They can barely count the ones they can see and sense let alone those who may be hiding themselves. A path is made in the brush and the group is led down into the rebel’s base.
The trio are blindfolded and led into the underground base, in their minds that's all they can picture it being without visual aid. Multiple turns are made, sometimes the ground feels like gravel, then tile, back to gravel, then concrete. The inconsistency of the ground makes them wonder just how much of a patchwork this place must be. Their heels make contact with tile again and it seems like this must be their destination. They sense multiple Quincy around them, a few are heard yet not sensed, they are suppressing their Reiatsu fully. The blindfolds come down and they are greeted with the sight of five individuals, one of which being the older woman from earlier. Ado surmises that these must be the leaders of Vorbild, however, none of the individuals radiate with the same presence as the Emperor. Together or alone none of these people seem like a threat, like a hidden trump card that can show up and turn the tide of battle. Neither himself nor his friends allow their guards to be lowered by mere appearances but they have been in conflict for a long time, they know what fighters look like, how they carry themselves. The five people before them seem more like scholars than fighters.
Realizing this, Ado uses this moment to take control of the conversation before it has time to begin.
”Where does your faith reside? Upon whose back are your prayers carried? Because for all these centuries you have been a thorn in the Empire's side. Empty faith and hollow prayers don’t get very far nor can they reinforce this many people’s wills for this long.”
The five scholars talk amongst themselves before allowing the older woman to project their thoughts as a singular voice.
”Our faith resides in the true Emperor and our prayers are carried on the back of that very same person. What you call heretical teachings or falsified information is what we know as truth and facts. The true Emperor’s powers are varied and many, but the pretender has done nothing to prove that to be the case.”
”What do you mean our Emperor is-”
”A powerful Quincy in his own right, nothing more. He is strong enough to strike down anyone who questions him or stands up to him. Being that strong is enough to have people believe him and rally to his lies. Why not expose this to the rest of Lichtreich? Because he won’t play that game with us or anyone. He’ll say things like ‘why would a God have to prove something to mortals?’ then proceed to use his combat prowess to annihilate those who question him.”
She goes silent, the other four scholars look to her and realize she is about to tell more than she should. They are hesitant to stop her, as there are truths that must be told not only for the trio from the Empire but for those in Vorbild as well.
”No one in our ranks is strong enough to fight the Emperor to the point where he has exhausted all his Quincy techniques.”
”What do you mean, exhaust his techniques?”
She looks directly at Ado then down toward the ground.
”As I said the true Emperor’s powers are vast and many, to prove his legitimacy we would need to force him to use one of his holy powers to prove to us he is who he claims to be.”
”Sounds like you have some doubts as well, that our Emperor may indeed be this so-called ‘true’ Emperor you speak of.”
”Perhaps. Unlike your camp we encourage free thinking here and an interesting theory came about. What if the Emperor is playing a long con? Trying to rid the Empire of those who are not faithful to him only to eventually cleanse the entire empire in one fell swoop. Why else would he bar our use of the Shadow? He wants to make sure that when we finally do march out into the world that he won't be stabbed in the back by one of his own. It seems like a reach but it is a possibility we have to consider and the only reason why we haven’t been wiped out is because our faith strengthens him in some way, he recognizes us as true followers and believers…”
She goes silent, mulling over this possibility in her mind, that perhaps these three are the olive branch they may have been waiting for to join with the Emperor, that maybe he is ready to end the facade. Before she convinces herself of this Ida speaks up.
”But you can’t agree to that theory because of the inconsistencies that keep coming up. What you believe and what you see creates muddied water, which is why your group is more of an annoyance to the Empire rather than a full blown threat.”
The five scholars sit in silence and that silence is the loudest answer Ida could have received. They are unsure of their own cause, it is an uncertainty where they can end up dooming themselves if they lean too far in one direction and end up being wrong. They want to serve the real Emperor, not a pretender. Until their stories bear actual fruit that is all they will be, is stories. But it is those same stories that have kept them afloat for so long.
Ado has remained silent, just listening and observing not just the elders but the other Quincy here as well. As decreed by the Emperor, Quincy are only to use bows for combat, however, the men and women here seem to have a variety of weapons with only a few of them wielding bows. Victor has remained on edge, ready to spring into combat should the moment arise. He isn’t a dumb man by any means nor is he a meat head, he prefers to live in a blissful ignorance to most things, following the guidance of his two friends who keep their thumb on the pulse of things like this.
”Tell me about your Emperor. Educate us on your beliefs so that we may understand where your head is in all this mess.”
His choice of words, referring to this situation as a mess, didn’t go unnoticed. Ado has doubts of his own from his perspective as well, perhaps with some learning from the Quincy here he can piece something together that makes sense.
”Then lets start with this then:
The sealed King of the Quincy. Over 900 years, he shall recover his heartbeat. Over 90 years, he shall recover his intellect. Over 9 years, he shall recover his power. And over 9 days, he shall recover the world.
This is what we call the Kaiser Gesang or The Emperor’s Song. It is a holy song for us, one that tells us of how our Emperor shall return to us and reclaim the world.”
”Who made the song? Some lunatic from eons ago I assume?”
The woman allows herself a small chuckle at Ado’s words before correcting him.
”This song was made by the Emperor himself, he laid out his own destiny in front of the first Quincy he created. He was but a child then but his words carried weight and power well beyond his years.”
”Hmph, so I'm to believe the entire foundation of your faith is built upon a string of words said by a child?”
”One Thousand Years.”
Ado raises a brow at the words just spoken to him. For the first time since this conversation began the woman spoke with an air of authority. She said those three words as if they were absolute.
”Our Emperor shall return to his full power in one thousand years. Would you like to know what the time table currently looks like? Why we cling to our faith stronger than ever?”
Silence fills the room, Ado looks on in skepticism while Ida and Victor listen on, their intrigue in all this finally piqued.
”900 years have already passed for his heartbeat to recover, being reborn. 90 years will soon pass for him to regain his intellect. This year marks the 90th year and any day now he shall remember who he is and will step forward.”
”But it will take another 9 for him to regain his power so he would still be weak.”
There is silence in the room again but for some reason the rebels seem rather arrogant all of a sudden, like they know something the trio doesn't, something that would make them feel infinitely small. She then speaks a single word that sends chills down the trio's spines.
”Auswählen.”
”HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT WORD!?”
Victor screams at the five scholars, taking a few steps forward before a guard grabs his shoulder to halt his advance. Ida went on to explain how that word is sacred and a feared word, not something to casually be brought up in conversation. It is an ability the Emperor possesses that only his holiest of knights know about. Hesitation grows on her words like algae on a rock in a pond. She continues to say how he has never onced used it, only used it as a threat. Hearing this allows the gathered rebels a bit of reprieve in their belief that the man currently on the throne is indeed a false emperor.
”Auswählen, it is the most holy of our Emperor’s abilities. But the fact that you fear it means it is used as a threat- no, a deterrent against any would be traitors. Auswählen is not something to be feared, it is something that gives our Emperor and other chosen Quincy a chance to continue fighting, to become stronger. While those selected may die they can die knowing their soul and power are being put towards a greater cause.”
The trio had never heard that perspective before, in fact the way it was described to them originally that it was a technique used to instantly kill Quincy. Like being struck down by the light of God so to speak.
”That is all we shall discuss today, since it seems like we finally have your attention.”
Her eyes shift towards Ado who has been the most studious of the three, hanging onto every word spoken. The trio were blind folded and escorted to the same location they had been observing earlier. With trust and faith the rebels return their tools to them. Ado looks at the men who returned their tools to them and speaks.
”We cannot return empty handed, his majesty will not be pleased with this.”
”Not our problem, non-believer, get lost, you had your audience.”[/color]
Victor was about to speak out of turn when Ado placed his hand on his shoulder, halting him from saying anything further. In silence the trio leaves and once out of earshot of the rebels Ida finally speaks.
”We should be far enough now and the damage it will cause will only wipe out this entrance. We still have an empire to serve.”
Ado draws a Seele Schneider from a holster on his back, activates it and stabs it into the ground. With no guards above ground the rebels stationed in this location would never see this attack coming. The leaders of the Rebels had a feeling something would happen, but it was a sacrifice they had to make as they know the souls sacrificed on this night shall return to the true emperor.
”Sprenger.”
That final Seele Schneider was all that was needed to complete the pentagon-shaped seal that formed across the totality of this Rebel encampment. Shortly after speaking these words and dropping condensed Reiryoku from his Ginto tube onto the Seele Schnider a pillar of blue energy would erupt high into the sky. All of Lichtreich would be able to see it, including the current Emperor who looked on with a devious grin on his face. All that remained in the aftermath would be a massive crater, any and all evidence of a Rebel encampment being here had been erased from existence. The trio would continue the rest of their trip back in silence as they had much to think about.
However this story is not about factions it is about one particular Quincy and his two friends and their struggles during this Civil War. Victor Berglicht, Ida Blumenkranz, and a man simply known as Ado. This trio grew up together, joined the ranks of the Quincy military and climbed said ranks. They became the top rebel hunters and are often praised for their effectiveness as a unit. However, the past few years has been a cause of strife for the trio as they have started questioning their actions and the more they question their actions a scary realization is slowly being born in their minds. What if they begin questioning their loyalty?
Their effectiveness has dwindled as more and more rebels begin slipping away from them and both sides have noticed. The “rebels” bide their time hoping to approach them in hopes of recruiting them for their cause. Meanwhile the Emperor grows weary of their dwindling success and plans on giving them one final chance at redemption.
Five Days Before Holy Selection
Deep in the forests that surround Lichtreich is a series of seemingly abandoned buildings, mostly destroyed from previous battles and bombardments from the soldiers of Schattenlicht. Left as they were to be a monument and a sign of failure for the rebel’s useless efforts. The rebels, their organization being known as Vorbild, have failed much in their ceaseless battle against the false Emperor, but they continue to fight as they believe the true emperor will rise up once again and guide them out of the darkness of the Shadow’s and into the light. Ironically it is they who are forced to hide further into the darkness such as right now as they hide away, underneath these abandoned buildings. The hunting trio of the Schattenlicht have scouted these ruined buildings for some time, long enough to see people come but never go as if this area is some sort of entrance rather than an exit.
”The Emperor won't be pleased if we just turn this area into a crater, we’ll have to find where their entrance is exactly and pull them out by the roots. Thoughts, Victor? Ado?”
Ida looks to her two friends, waiting for their input on how to approach this situation.
”Ahh… It’s not a bad idea, but they are bound to escape before we get a chance to round them all up. And Emperor knows just how crazy their network must be under there, could be a whole city, could just be some tunnels. They got the advantage whether we like it or not.”
After Victor speaks there is a long silence from Ado who has been rather distant in the past few days. In times like these he would have a sure fire plan on how to tackle this situation but he seems hesitant, almost as if he sympathizes with the rebels considering how he has been allowing many of them to flee from him. Ida and Victor look at one another and Ida is the first to speak up and break the silence.
”Ado, you got any ideas? We can’t-”
”It doesn’t feel right.”
The orange haired man speaks up, interrupting Ida even. She’ll scold him for that rude gesture later but right now his string of words spark intrigue in not only her mind but Victor’s as well.
”We are all Quincy, all of the same race, same powers, and yet we hunt and kill each other, for what?”
”Cause these rebels think our Emperor is a fake? That our great creator will return to us one day and take the throne back or whatever. I’m not sure they get it but our Emperor IS our great creator. Not to mention- Wait… Wait, wait, wait, wait, Ado, man, you aren’t having doubts about our Emperor, are you? That's blasphemy of the highest level…”
Victor speaks the last sentence in a hushed whisper but Ado stares at the abandoned buildings, not budging or flinching at the thought of blasphemy. Ida listens silently, wanting to hear Ado’s side of things.
”What? Am I not allowed to think from my eni… from the rebel’s perspective? Or am I not allowed free thought? We’ve been at this for decades, we have superior numbers and superior fighters yet these rebels, this Vorbild, struggles on. What is it they have or believe in that makes them blind to the reality of their situation? We fight because we have our Emperor, we see him, hear him, know of his power… But all this lot have is old falsified scriptures and texts that misrepresent the Emperor’s past, so much so that they say that he isn’t the TRUE Emperor. I want to understand them and their way of thinking.”
”Then use what you’ve learned to finally break them once and for all?”
There is a long silence as he continues to stare at the buildings, waiting for any sign of movement between them and the overgrowth that covers them.
”I’m not so sure yet…”
The trio go quiet, pondering Ado’s words and consulting their own thoughts as well. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, these three embody this saying down to the letter. While their powers can be traced back to the Emperor they hold their loyalty to each other higher than anything else. It is why they can speak so freely with each other and why Ado was able to speak his mind the way he did without fear of persecution or fear of either of them telling the Emperor what he said. They silently come to an understanding of their next move and it is Ado who takes the lead, his Hirenkyaku taking him away from their hidden location in an instant and in that same instant he has ensnared a rebel. This young man was trying to be discreet and to give credit to him, he was. He would have been able to sneak into the hidden base if not for the fact Ado had his senses honed to a needle’s point looking for any sign of life. The other two catch up with Victor making a comment on Ado’s speed.
”Did you get faster? I swear we were about the same speed before.”
Ado pauses for a moment and thinks because Victor is right and he himself felt the difference in his speed.
”I… I just sort of figured out a more efficient way to use Hirenkyaku is all…”
Victor chuckled and shook his head as Ado laughed a bit with him but in truth Ado lied to him. The knowledge of how to properly use his Hirenkyaku was already there or rather it made itself known to him as if it were natural that he was always that fast. That mind bending puzzle aside, their newly acquired hostage has his heart sink to the pits of his stomach, he fears and knows death is approaching for him. He closes his eyes and awaits the end. He feels them grab his hands, perhaps they will bind him before finishing him. They guide his hands to make a bowl with them and he feels three items fall into his palms, three Quincy Crosses. His eyes dart open once he recognizes what the items are and oddly enough they aren’t trying to hold him down so he uses this moment to gain some distance between them and himself. The Quincy of Schattenlicht only use bows and without their crosses to form a bow they will be forced to do combat in ways they are unfamiliar with. He opens his mouth to speak but Ado interrupts him before he can begin.
”We surrender ourselves to you, for the time being. I… We are doing this outside of the Emperor’s knowledge because I wish to understand you lot. What pillars of faith are propping you all up that have kept you all aloft for all this time? It makes no sense to me and I want to- no, I must know what it is and why!”
The young man stood in stunned silence, he had no reason to believe Ado, this could be a trap for all he knows. But Ado spoke with a commanding authority and a level of sincerity that is rarely seen by the zealots who serve the Emperor. He was either speaking the truth or a good liar.
”Let them in, I want to know their specific questions. These three have shown us some leniency in recent times, enough for me to take a chance on them.”
An older woman emerges from some overgrowth, her eyes fixed on the trio as that same trio now realizes they are surrounded on all sides by the rebels. They can barely count the ones they can see and sense let alone those who may be hiding themselves. A path is made in the brush and the group is led down into the rebel’s base.
The trio are blindfolded and led into the underground base, in their minds that's all they can picture it being without visual aid. Multiple turns are made, sometimes the ground feels like gravel, then tile, back to gravel, then concrete. The inconsistency of the ground makes them wonder just how much of a patchwork this place must be. Their heels make contact with tile again and it seems like this must be their destination. They sense multiple Quincy around them, a few are heard yet not sensed, they are suppressing their Reiatsu fully. The blindfolds come down and they are greeted with the sight of five individuals, one of which being the older woman from earlier. Ado surmises that these must be the leaders of Vorbild, however, none of the individuals radiate with the same presence as the Emperor. Together or alone none of these people seem like a threat, like a hidden trump card that can show up and turn the tide of battle. Neither himself nor his friends allow their guards to be lowered by mere appearances but they have been in conflict for a long time, they know what fighters look like, how they carry themselves. The five people before them seem more like scholars than fighters.
Realizing this, Ado uses this moment to take control of the conversation before it has time to begin.
”Where does your faith reside? Upon whose back are your prayers carried? Because for all these centuries you have been a thorn in the Empire's side. Empty faith and hollow prayers don’t get very far nor can they reinforce this many people’s wills for this long.”
The five scholars talk amongst themselves before allowing the older woman to project their thoughts as a singular voice.
”Our faith resides in the true Emperor and our prayers are carried on the back of that very same person. What you call heretical teachings or falsified information is what we know as truth and facts. The true Emperor’s powers are varied and many, but the pretender has done nothing to prove that to be the case.”
”What do you mean our Emperor is-”
”A powerful Quincy in his own right, nothing more. He is strong enough to strike down anyone who questions him or stands up to him. Being that strong is enough to have people believe him and rally to his lies. Why not expose this to the rest of Lichtreich? Because he won’t play that game with us or anyone. He’ll say things like ‘why would a God have to prove something to mortals?’ then proceed to use his combat prowess to annihilate those who question him.”
She goes silent, the other four scholars look to her and realize she is about to tell more than she should. They are hesitant to stop her, as there are truths that must be told not only for the trio from the Empire but for those in Vorbild as well.
”No one in our ranks is strong enough to fight the Emperor to the point where he has exhausted all his Quincy techniques.”
”What do you mean, exhaust his techniques?”
She looks directly at Ado then down toward the ground.
”As I said the true Emperor’s powers are vast and many, to prove his legitimacy we would need to force him to use one of his holy powers to prove to us he is who he claims to be.”
”Sounds like you have some doubts as well, that our Emperor may indeed be this so-called ‘true’ Emperor you speak of.”
”Perhaps. Unlike your camp we encourage free thinking here and an interesting theory came about. What if the Emperor is playing a long con? Trying to rid the Empire of those who are not faithful to him only to eventually cleanse the entire empire in one fell swoop. Why else would he bar our use of the Shadow? He wants to make sure that when we finally do march out into the world that he won't be stabbed in the back by one of his own. It seems like a reach but it is a possibility we have to consider and the only reason why we haven’t been wiped out is because our faith strengthens him in some way, he recognizes us as true followers and believers…”
She goes silent, mulling over this possibility in her mind, that perhaps these three are the olive branch they may have been waiting for to join with the Emperor, that maybe he is ready to end the facade. Before she convinces herself of this Ida speaks up.
”But you can’t agree to that theory because of the inconsistencies that keep coming up. What you believe and what you see creates muddied water, which is why your group is more of an annoyance to the Empire rather than a full blown threat.”
The five scholars sit in silence and that silence is the loudest answer Ida could have received. They are unsure of their own cause, it is an uncertainty where they can end up dooming themselves if they lean too far in one direction and end up being wrong. They want to serve the real Emperor, not a pretender. Until their stories bear actual fruit that is all they will be, is stories. But it is those same stories that have kept them afloat for so long.
Ado has remained silent, just listening and observing not just the elders but the other Quincy here as well. As decreed by the Emperor, Quincy are only to use bows for combat, however, the men and women here seem to have a variety of weapons with only a few of them wielding bows. Victor has remained on edge, ready to spring into combat should the moment arise. He isn’t a dumb man by any means nor is he a meat head, he prefers to live in a blissful ignorance to most things, following the guidance of his two friends who keep their thumb on the pulse of things like this.
”Tell me about your Emperor. Educate us on your beliefs so that we may understand where your head is in all this mess.”
His choice of words, referring to this situation as a mess, didn’t go unnoticed. Ado has doubts of his own from his perspective as well, perhaps with some learning from the Quincy here he can piece something together that makes sense.
”Then lets start with this then:
The sealed King of the Quincy. Over 900 years, he shall recover his heartbeat. Over 90 years, he shall recover his intellect. Over 9 years, he shall recover his power. And over 9 days, he shall recover the world.
This is what we call the Kaiser Gesang or The Emperor’s Song. It is a holy song for us, one that tells us of how our Emperor shall return to us and reclaim the world.”
”Who made the song? Some lunatic from eons ago I assume?”
The woman allows herself a small chuckle at Ado’s words before correcting him.
”This song was made by the Emperor himself, he laid out his own destiny in front of the first Quincy he created. He was but a child then but his words carried weight and power well beyond his years.”
”Hmph, so I'm to believe the entire foundation of your faith is built upon a string of words said by a child?”
”One Thousand Years.”
Ado raises a brow at the words just spoken to him. For the first time since this conversation began the woman spoke with an air of authority. She said those three words as if they were absolute.
”Our Emperor shall return to his full power in one thousand years. Would you like to know what the time table currently looks like? Why we cling to our faith stronger than ever?”
Silence fills the room, Ado looks on in skepticism while Ida and Victor listen on, their intrigue in all this finally piqued.
”900 years have already passed for his heartbeat to recover, being reborn. 90 years will soon pass for him to regain his intellect. This year marks the 90th year and any day now he shall remember who he is and will step forward.”
”But it will take another 9 for him to regain his power so he would still be weak.”
There is silence in the room again but for some reason the rebels seem rather arrogant all of a sudden, like they know something the trio doesn't, something that would make them feel infinitely small. She then speaks a single word that sends chills down the trio's spines.
”Auswählen.”
”HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT WORD!?”
Victor screams at the five scholars, taking a few steps forward before a guard grabs his shoulder to halt his advance. Ida went on to explain how that word is sacred and a feared word, not something to casually be brought up in conversation. It is an ability the Emperor possesses that only his holiest of knights know about. Hesitation grows on her words like algae on a rock in a pond. She continues to say how he has never onced used it, only used it as a threat. Hearing this allows the gathered rebels a bit of reprieve in their belief that the man currently on the throne is indeed a false emperor.
”Auswählen, it is the most holy of our Emperor’s abilities. But the fact that you fear it means it is used as a threat- no, a deterrent against any would be traitors. Auswählen is not something to be feared, it is something that gives our Emperor and other chosen Quincy a chance to continue fighting, to become stronger. While those selected may die they can die knowing their soul and power are being put towards a greater cause.”
The trio had never heard that perspective before, in fact the way it was described to them originally that it was a technique used to instantly kill Quincy. Like being struck down by the light of God so to speak.
”That is all we shall discuss today, since it seems like we finally have your attention.”
Her eyes shift towards Ado who has been the most studious of the three, hanging onto every word spoken. The trio were blind folded and escorted to the same location they had been observing earlier. With trust and faith the rebels return their tools to them. Ado looks at the men who returned their tools to them and speaks.
”We cannot return empty handed, his majesty will not be pleased with this.”
”Not our problem, non-believer, get lost, you had your audience.”[/color]
Victor was about to speak out of turn when Ado placed his hand on his shoulder, halting him from saying anything further. In silence the trio leaves and once out of earshot of the rebels Ida finally speaks.
”We should be far enough now and the damage it will cause will only wipe out this entrance. We still have an empire to serve.”
Ado draws a Seele Schneider from a holster on his back, activates it and stabs it into the ground. With no guards above ground the rebels stationed in this location would never see this attack coming. The leaders of the Rebels had a feeling something would happen, but it was a sacrifice they had to make as they know the souls sacrificed on this night shall return to the true emperor.
”Sprenger.”
That final Seele Schneider was all that was needed to complete the pentagon-shaped seal that formed across the totality of this Rebel encampment. Shortly after speaking these words and dropping condensed Reiryoku from his Ginto tube onto the Seele Schnider a pillar of blue energy would erupt high into the sky. All of Lichtreich would be able to see it, including the current Emperor who looked on with a devious grin on his face. All that remained in the aftermath would be a massive crater, any and all evidence of a Rebel encampment being here had been erased from existence. The trio would continue the rest of their trip back in silence as they had much to think about.
Two Days Before Royal Selection
After his talks with the rebel leaders Ado began watching things more closely, specifically the Emperor. He goes by the name Elohim, a strong and solitary name meaning Creator and Mighty. There are other Quincy in the Empire with singular names as well, but with such power and a name of such prestigious stature it is understandable how Elohim is the Emperor and god of all Quincy. He came into power about one thousand years ago while the throne was empty. He claimed it with ease as there was no one to challenge him, in contest for the throne and in battle. Above all Quincy he stands out as an oddity as he is host to a tremendous amount of Reiryoku and has great skill in manipulating Reishi, so much so that it is hard to deny his claim as being the one true ruler of the Quincy. However, despite all his power he lives in a very paranoid state of mind. He refuses any Quincy to leave Lichtreich under any circumstance and as such their knowledge of the outside world is wholly unknown, only bits of data exist which were gathered before he came into power.
Paranoia weighs so heavily upon him that he even believes the legends the Rebels spew out, about the return of this “true” Emperor. Though this is one half of his belief, the other half is that any day now he will regain all his memories and become even stronger than he is now. In the past one thousand years there has not been a single Quincy born stronger than him. He has grown to the point that his will needs to be established and felt throughout the Empire and so he created a secret and nameless group of knights that number twenty six in total, no more, no less. Should one die in the line of duty they are quietly replaced, only those within this group and the Emperor himself know of its existence. Three individuals in said group are Ado, Ida, and Victor, a stand out trio who are viciously effective in carrying out the Emperor’s will, or rather they were until recently.
Their reports of rebels escaping from them more and more has become concerning, enough for the Emperor to keep a close eye on their activities. Either the Rebels have gotten much better in evading his holy knights or this trio of Quincy are good at hiding their treachery. Their recent destruction of a Rebel outpost was a good bit of news to receive. The site was properly examined by a separate group of knights who managed to recover dozens of rebel bodies along with traces of an elaborate set-up they had built underground. Perhaps the trio were working on a long term plan, one where they could gather all the rats in one place and bury them all at once, it certainly seems that way but once again the Emperor is a paranoid man and won't easily believe that. A second opinion on the site is needed, his own opinion. It is rare for him to leave Silbren, the central most building located in Lichtreich and when he does it becomes a big deal. For the Emperor to personally put his eyes on something must mean it is very important.
Victor rushes into Ado’s room, he looks around and spots Ado laying in bed, clutching his head with one hand.
”Ado! Are you alright man!? I don’t know if you got a headache or what but I got bad news! The Emperor is on the move and he is going to go look at the Rebel outpost we blew up a few days back.”
Ado opens an eye and looks at Victor, his face scrunched up with concern about what the Emperor could possibly find out there. The reason Ado is incapacitated like this is because he has been dealing with hallucinations as of late. Ever since a few days ago when they met the rebels these hallucinations or visions have been getting worse and they are nothing good. Everytime he glimpses certain scenes he is filled with a crushing sadness, dread, fear, and anger. He doesn’t relay any of this concern to Victor as he sits up out of bed and sighs, looking around for where he left his jacket.
”Okay, let’s umm… Let's head out there and see what he is snooping around for.”
”Are you alright man? You seem really scattered brained right now and I’ve never heard you stutter while making a sentence before.”
Ado nods and waves his hand dismissively to let Victor know he is fine. Once his jacket and boots were on the two began making their way to one of the exits within Silbren.
”What about Ida? Where is she?”
”She was selected along with a few other knights as the Emperor’s personal guard for his trip. Also to probably question her on what happened there. If we’re quick we can get over there and at least observe what is going on.”
Once outside the duo vanish using Hirenkyaku, racing towards the Emperor’s location.
Meanwhile the Emperor is on a knee, moving around a few bits of rock and rubble, his eyes scanning around the crater.
”And you said you observed Rebels coming and going from this location quite frequently? And it wasn’t until the day you decided to destroy this spot that you took one hostage and interrogated him about what lay beneath the surface?”
”Yes, your Majesty. I warned Ado that you would not be pleased with leaving just a crater but as the tactical mind of our little group he went against that.”
Despite her choice in words Ida is not throwing Ado under the bus here, in fact she is saving herself some form of reprimand because the Emperor does favor Ado higher than most. So if Ida said that Ado was the decision maker behind this crater then the Emperor is likely to trust his judgment. This would normally be the case if he wasn’t feeling suspicious about the trio to begin with. Ida stands silently as the Emperor kicks a few rocks and stomps a few locations before conjuring his bow and obliterating a large section of the ground. As the dust settled a tunnel could be seen, not made by Elohim’s arrow but a tunnel hand made for human travel. Ida maintained her composure while looking at the tunnel and said nothing, despite knowing the truth. This tunnel can take the Emperor straight to the Rebel’s main base of operation, not only that it will take him to their leaders where he can wipe them out once and for all and end their rebellion for good.
”I take it that you three didn’t know about this?”
”No, your Majesty. When Ado used Sprenger we sensed so many Reiatsu signatures vanishing we didn’t consider the possibility of this place leading anywhere else.”
”Ah, so your hostage conveniently left out that detail when you interrogated him? I find that hard to believe, Ida. If it were just Victor here alone, yes, but all three of you together, unable to get every last drop of knowledge out of a single, weak rebel? I highly doubt that, no, what I believe is that you’ve been working with the Rebels, plotting to overthrow MY Empire from within!”
”Your Majesty, no, we would never-”
Ado and Victor arrive just in time to see Emperor Elohim fire an arrow through Ida’s torso. Unable to contain himself, Ado screams out and rushes over to catch her before she hits the ground. There would be no last words for her as she died near instantly. Ado hugs her lifeless body with tears running down his face as the Emperor returns his bow back to Reishi particles. He gives a signal for the remainder of his Holy knights to charge down into the tunnel and clear out every Rebel they find. As they make their way to the tunnel they have to run past Ado who is still crying and holding onto Ida’s body. If it were anyone else but the Emperor who did this Victor would have flown off the handle but he is petrified and too scared to even say a word. In fact the Emperor passes right by him, patting his shoulder and speaking to him even.
”Good to see you Victor. I look forward to your continued support and loyalty.”
And like that the Emperor and his personal guard vanish from sight leaving Victor and Ado alone with distant sounds of combat happening deep within the tunnel. So stunned Victor drops to his hands and knees and exhales, sweat dripping from his face and onto the ground. He somehow finds the strength to stand so he can walk over to Ado who is now sitting alone… Without Ida’s body anywhere in sight.
”Wh-where is she? Where is Ida?”
Ado, with tears drying on his face as he looks up towards the blue sky answers the strange question with an even stranger answer.
”She’s with me now…”
Unable to process the totality of what was going on Victor helps Ado up so they can begin their trek back to Silbren. Victor believes that Ado is in a catatonic state from the shock of watching Ida die in front of him, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Ado is catatonic from sheer rage and anger, so much of it tried to boil over and out of him that it sent him into a neutral shocked state. After a bit of walking through the woods Ado began walking on his own and after a bit of time walking the two men used Hirenkyaku to expedite their return to Silbren, to serve their Emperor.
[Day of Ascension]
Explosions ring out in the throne room of Emperor Elohim. Pillars are destroyed, other bystanding Quincy are caught up in explosions from being too close to the battle or trying to help their emperor.
[Day of Holy Selection]
Elohim smirks as he jumps out of a plume of smoke, almost as if he is impressed by this person combating him. Like a professional harp player he strums the string of his bow five times, unleashing powerful arrows after each strum into the smoke he just exited. They explode one after another, shaking Silbren and the central district of Lichtreich to its core.
[Return of The True Emperor]
Leaping out of the smoke and explosions is a battered and injured Victor who has been putting up quite the fight against Elohim, longer than most. Even the Emperor is impressed by his skill and strength. Victor lets out a battle cry as he uses Licht Regen in an attempt to overwhelm the Emperor with sheer fire power. It is effective against the walls and inanimate structures of the throne room but against Elohim himself? Not so much. The Emperor is wise and powerful, there is a reason he has held this position for so long without anyone directly challenging him. The only reason Victor is fighting him is because he finally found the nerve to do so. After watching him kill Ida and Ado falling into a strange silent state where he seems almost distant from everyone and everything he was left alone to enact his rage and vengeance. Sadly it is futile as Elohim dances across the ground and air avoiding any and every attempt Victor makes to damage him. However, the Emperor has no issue damaging Victor, if not for his tenacity and resilience he would have been dead by now.
The other twenty three selected knights watch on from various locations. Being the most elite Quincy in the Empire it is easy for them to avoid being caught up in the battle, although some of them wonder just where Ado is during all this. Some assume he is hiding, waiting for a chance to strike the Emperor and others assume he is just hiding with no plan of attack. Their theory crafting goes on until they hear a solid THUD hit the floor, drawing their attention. Victor is laying flat on his back, gasping for air as he is utterly exhausted in terms of stamina and Reiryoku. His chest heaves heavily as he tries to gather as much air into his lungs as possible so he can rise to his feet and keep fighting, but it is meaningless, he has nothing left to give. The Emperor appears, looming above him, a smile of pride etched onto his face.
”Victor, give up, I’ll let you live and serve as part of my Royal Guard. Your strength is more than enough to live up to such a prestigious title.”
”Kill me… Use Auswählen and kill me.”
The room is silent, the selected knights fix their gaze onto the Emperor, awaiting his response with baited breath. He stares at Victor before laughing hysterically.
”Why would I waste such a holy power on someone who is at death's door!? This is why people like you can never be a ruler, you would use your most sacred abilities in public, never thinking about saving them for a real enemy!”
Victor starts to chuckle and laugh at the Emperor.
”Today marks ninety years. The Emperor’s memories will return today! So how about, Elohim! Are you remembering the before times yet!? You fra-”
Victor explodes before he could finish calling the Emperor a fraud. He must have really angered the Emperor because nothing of him remained in the explosion, not only that but a quarter of Silbren was obliterated in the process. He stands in silence looking down at where Victor once laid and the memory bothered him. Beaten, broken, gasping for air and yet he looked so triumphant, so victorious. Elohim won the battle, easily, but he still feels like he lost and he can’t shake the feeling as to why that is. Then a chill runs down his spine, a primordial fear rising within him as he hears an all too familiar voice, yet it is the tone of that voice that scares him.
”Forgive me, my friend.”
Elohim turns, breaking out in a cold sweat to see Ado, walking across the air via Reishi footholds. With a portion of Silbren destroyed the only way to access the throne room was by air. Ado sets his feet upon what is left of the throne room, holding his right hand to his chest, as if he were clutching something. Elohim catches a glimpse of it, it flickers briefly but it is a small blue light, Reiryoku most likely.
”Kill him!”
Elohim shouts, giving the order for the other chosen knights to attack Ado. They rush in simultaneously but before any of them could conjure or fire their weapons they are struck by his Reiatsu.
Adonai
They hit the ground like stones, forced to kneel and submit to a power they had never felt before. Elohim still stands because the Reiatsu is not targeting him. The light in Ado’s hand vanishes as he lowers it. Not taking any chances Elohim lets loose an arrow much stronger than the one used to obliterate Victor. It races towards Ado only to be swatted away into the sky, exploding high above the kingdom like a super powered firework to grab their attention. Elohim is shocked and appalled, not because Ado managed to swat the arrow away but because of what he used to do it with. His arm still outstretched from swatting away the arrow, allowing his Spirit Weapon to be raised proudly about his head, Sternnagel (スターネイル; Sutāneiru; Star Nail).
”What!? Quincy are only supposed to use bows! What sort of blasphemy is this!?”
”When did I ever decree that?”
Elohim’s face twitches at the tone and authority in Ado’s voice, it was almost as if he was being scolded but this can’t be right, he is much older than Ado and much stronger. But if that is true why does he feel so small when compared to Ado currently?
”Elohim? Hmm, no that isn’t your name, Arnulf Bartholomäus. That was your name before you pretended to be me.”
Elohim- no Arnulf frees himself from his dazed state to notice Ado standing right in front of him. The cold chill down his spine turns sub zero as his long forgotten name returns to the light of day, so easily too as if it were common knowledge to Ado. He screams and fires off a barrage of arrows, each one exploding with more potency than the last until the upper structure of Silbren had been demolished, forcing him to use Reishi platforms to remain in place. The smoke begins to clear and the first thing he sees is an outstretched palm, Blut coursing through it and behind that palm is an unharmed Ado who looks on with empty and passive eyes. It is the sort of look one gives a child when they are misbehaving when they should know better. Thinking quickly Arnulf draws a Seele Schneider swiping the air a few times in order to make use of the Anhäufer (アンホイファ, Anhoifā; German for "Gatherer") ability it possesses.
”I’ll just take your Reiatsu and Reiryoku and use it to my advantage then!”
Ado’s eyes narrow, a sense of anger could be felt radiating from him.
”You take my history, my kingdom, my people, and now you wish to take my power? Does your desecration know no end? Have you no shame or pity?”
”I am the Emperor of the Quincy! The True Emperor! How I decide to wield power is left to my will and judgment alone! Not yours!”
Arnulf readies himself to fire his Seele Schneider which is now being bolstered by the ambient Reiatsu Ado is letting off.
”You are lost to delusion. There is no saving you.”
The Seele Schneider is let loose and pierces through Ado’s chest. He staggers backward while Arnulf fires five more Seele Schneider down below, predicting where Ado is going to fall. Once he does, Arnulf locks eyes with him and he shivers for a moment because what he saw was not a dying or injured man but instead a man whose eyes were filled with disappointment. Ado landed where he predicted and he quickly went to work using a Ginto tube to trigger Sprenger. A giant pillar of Spiritual Energy erupts within its borders. Arnulf sighs with relief as there isn’t a single Quincy within Lichtreich who could survive a Sprenger from him.
”Do you fools get it now! I am the one true God of the Quincy! There is no one before or after me! All you bore witness to was the disposal of two other powerful Quincy who could have lived on in my glorious Empire! But now they are dead! By my hand. Kneel before your God!”
Son of The Soul King
Arnulf hears a sound before him and he turns to fire his bow only to be struck in the stomach by two arrows that only had a strange concussive power to them. He drops to a knee holding his stomach, gasping for air.
”A God? What is it called, then, when a God forces another God to kneel?”
”How… How are you even alive right now!?”
Ado narrows his eyes and cascades his Reiatsu down upon Arnulf, enough for him to see a visage of an effigy that represents Ado’s power.
”How in the… Who- What are you!?”
”I am Adonai (Lit. Lord over All), Son of the Soul King, God of Quincy, The True Emperor.”
”Noooo! I refuse! I will not give up what I have worked so hard to earn and protect!”
”You mean steal and destroy?”
Arnulf screams and leaps back, creating a dense orb of Reiryoku and Reishi.
”Surrender or I’ll use Auswählen to kill everyone!”
The gathered Quincy witnessing this spectacle shiver with fear as they had never seen Arnulf create a construct like that before. The power coralesing inside of it gives them all good enough reason to believe it is indeed Auswählen. However, Adonai stares on, looking at the orb then to Arnulf.
”Then do it, trigger your ‘Auswählen’.”
”Do you want me to kill all your people!? What sort of god are you!?”
”One who proves his godhood when it is called into doubt.”
Auswählen
Adonai holds his left hand up, the sky darkens as an orb, drawing in Reiatsu and Reishi forms in his palm.
”Raise them! Silver emblems, ashen meadows, circular path buried in light. Eye of agate, tongue of gold, skull cup, coffin of Adnyeus. The object we raise is your heart. Auswählen!”
The orb explodes in his palm, blinding all who bear witness to the explosion for a brief moment. When their vision returns there is a new light in the sky, a giant blue Halo that encompasses the entire kingdom of Lichtreich. Arnulf lets go of the orb he was charging, jaw dropped, and awestruck by what he is seeing and experiencing. Mighty bells ring out as beams of light cascade downward and begin striking Quincy, seemingly, at random. Even some of those in the chosen knights are struck while others are spared of this all consuming rapturous light.
”Those who served you knowing you were a false ruler, those who supported you from the shadows, backstabbing their own for advancement in society, those who happily killed their own kind out of sheer enjoyment, all those who have sinned in your name willingly, shall become nourishment for the True Quincy.”
Adonai’s sword returns to his medallion as he extends his hands outward, they are then engulfed in blue flames as a pillar of energy erupts behind him, reaching up into the center of the massive Halo.
”Ha! Why haven’t I been struck yet!? It's because I’m the true Emperor! The true ruler, Auswählen cannot target me because I’m the true God!”
”I thought showing you this power would snap you out of your delusions, but it seems like I was wrong. Die.”
Arnulf is struck by the light of the Halo, first he feels his power slip away and then he feels his flesh leaving his bones before finally the light of his life is extinguished as well. The light downpouring from the Halo retracts as the Halo then collapses into a ball. It explodes into a bright light and in its wake is a flat disc of blue energy that begins to cause Reishi to rain down on all of Lichtreich. Those still alive are empowered, those that were recently killed are revived, and Adonai can feel his power returning as well. He looks at his hands, a grey-ish black Reiatsu covers his body. He conjures his blade yet again to use as a mirror, peering at his own eyes, which are split into threes.
He looks out to his Kingdom, those split eyes hauntingly gazing at everyone and thing in Lichtreich.
”There is much work to be done here before I can begin focusing on taking revenge for my father. And, I need to honor the passing of my friends, properly.”
This story took place nine years ago and during the course of those nine years a lot of what Arnulf sewed into the Empire had to be undone. Mostly correcting old scriptures that replaced Adonai with Arnulf under the guise of Elohim. Also, much retraining needed to be done to allow Quincy to see that they can use more than just bows and arrows in combat. The revived “rebels” were a great aid in accomplishing this as they had spent centuries fighting with unorthodox weapons, unorthodox from the False Empires’ perspective at least.
With the empire rebuilt under the guidance of their true Emperor they can finally set their sights towards the outside world. Bit by bit without either Shinigami or Arrancar being able to notice, Quincy have been infiltrating the World of the Living. Setting up stores, living normal lives amongst humans all while documenting all of the battles that take place in the living world. Adonai has not given the signal for war yet because he senses something else, something that angers him deeply. Someone, somewhere, is using the body parts of his father like augmentations, like weapons. He can only ever catch brief glimpses of them whenever they use both of his Father’s eyes at the same time, but one day he will be able to fully see them and on that day he will stop whatever desecration they are doing with his father’s corpse.