Fifteen beams of red light form behind Ketchup in a ring-like formation.
These beams of light and the aura surrounding him made him look like a Starry Emperor of Red.
An Emperor of Madness.
The crazy look on his face didn't help further that impression.
With his gun raised he pulled the trigger.
"Counter-attack!"
He shouted and instead of a bullet leaving his pistol, the beams of light behind him shot up into the sky.
And then... the entire sky went red. The wind raged and the clouds went into a frenzy before disappearing.
At the same time, fifteen consecutive booms rang out before bouncing another additional fifteen times.
Finally the madness consumed everything in the sky revealing the outside world.
The madness was that of an apocalypse, bringing disaster that breaks reality and commonsense.
The Doomsday Beast were dead.
But the damage they did to Planet Aedos was already done.
In truth they served their purpose as weapons of destruction.
"Hell..." Ketchup huffed feeling a great deal of exhaustion take over him.
"That was... too much." He exclaimed as he try to catch his breath.
Soon he coughed up blood and his entire complexion went pale.
Taking on the Doomsday Beast beams of destruction was something even the IPC wouldn't take on head-on.
Its a surprise he was even still standing.
"This power is truly too much." He repeated, he felt sore everywhere.
Unlike the past, he was conscious during the entire fight but the madness was too much so he was unable to control himself.
"But I might have found a way to control a tiny bit of this power." He smiled while staring at the destruction he caused.
Where he shot those fifteen beams was completely torn apart. It was as if the sky was unveiled, revealing what's inside.
Or rather outside.
As Ketchup stare he saw the same red and white colors clashing with one another.
"They still fighting..." Terror flash across his eyes as he wonder what will be the outcome of Acheron and Zephyro fight.
At that moment, Albert calming voice spoke.
"Go on..." Ketchup soon calmed down when he heard Albert reassuring voice.
"Well that's relieving." Ketchup sighed in relief. He dislikes the geniuses of the Genius Society but Dr. Ratio? That man could be considered a true genius amongst geniuses and a beacon of hope for the cosmos.
While the Geniuses of the Genius Society remain indifferent to the world's affairs, the Intelligentsia Guild works towards making the cosmos a better and safer place.
However, making the cosmos safer comes with a cost and so many of the things they create are extremely expensive.
Enough to destroy lowly civilizations and bankrupt mid-intermediate ones.
"In that case I can just abandon this mission?"
"Great, them I guess I am stuck here."
Ketchup watch flashed and a screen showing the number 'one' showed up.
"But doing so would be taking a gamble on whether the Stellaron awaken before they leave or not."
"Even if I can survive I will eventually die out there with the limited amount of oxygen I have left." He noted and Albert screen flashed to show his remaining oxygen storage.
Albert mocked, showing his 20% storage of oxygen left.
"Now is not the time for your dumb remarks!" Ketchup yelled in anger. Yes, he was a brokie. There were times he couldn't even afford dinner.
Which is why he went mad when Zeohyro destroyed his ship.
"You said there are people left on this dying planet?" He asked. He found it unbelievable that there were still people alive.
He thought with three Doomsday Beast this planet people were dead.
"How is that possible?" Ketchup exclaimed in surprise. He couldn't believe there are people on this planet able to withstand three Doomsday Beast.
"What...!" Before Ketchup could fully process what Albert was saying his instincts screamed.
He moved just a tiny bit and before he could fully react a spear came plunging down into the earth.
Boom!
The earth ruptured once more and Ketchup was sent flying miles away.
"Not again!" Ketchup screamed. He just barely dodged that spear and never thought it would blow him straight into the sky.
Albert shouted again and the same spear was thrown right at him!
Eyes of Rage!
Ketchup reacted in time and activated the madness. His eyes blinked and they became dark red.
His face distorted in anger as he raised his hand in a catching posture.
Like a baseball, he caught the very tip of the spear and it shot him even further up into the sky.
"Damn that hurts!" He roared, the Eyes of Rage as he like to call it was a weaker version of the madness.
Unlike before when he could handle even an attack from Zephyro, now he can't even catch a spear being thrown at him.
The spear tore through his hand but didn't go too deep.
"That's a strange power you have there Trialblazer." A voice entered his ears that shook him.
When he looked above he saw a dark-skinned creature staring at him curiously with its bright yellow eyes.
The creature has short white-hair and a robust build.
"Nanook?" Ketchup couldn't help but exclaimed. The creature looked very much like the Ruins Author.
"Haha! No, that's such a blasphemous thing to say." The creature laughed before saying a shocking revelation.
"Do you know how The Remembrance have its own children called 'The Pure Children of Anãsrava?' Well... you could call people like me..."
"The Cursed Children of Annihilation!" The creature bellowed before grabbing its spear out of Ketchup hold and sending a kick right into his abdomen at the same time.
Ketchup was sent back down to the earth like a shooting star.
With a loud thud he crashed into the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood in the process.
His complexion became even paler. He had no energy spared to deal with this so called Cursed Children of Annihilation after dealing with those Doomsday Beast.
So instead of trying to escape or fight back he spoke, "Are you saying you were created to replace Nanook?"
The dark-skinned creature fell down from the sky with a soft thud.
The creature whose a man laughed again, "Are you trying to buy time to recover?" He asked, but Ketchup didn't react.
He knew he couldn't fool this man. If what he claim is true then his intelligence would be on the same level as the Lord Ravagers.
"Heh, I am starting to like you." The man yellow eyes showed interest at how indifferent Ketchup was acting.
He then sat down right beside Ketchup, resting his spear in his lap.
"Even if you were to fully recover right now I wouldn't fear you so I will entertain you until your ready to fight."
"Underestimating your enemy? That's not something a true follower of Destruction would do much less a so called Child of Nanook." Ketchup sneered as he sat up and also sit down in front of the man.
He closed his eyes and slowly recovered, feeling very relaxed. The injury to his hand slowly began to heal as Albert used a healing lotion on it.
His calmness surprised the man but he soon shook his head. "Mocking me won't have any effect but it was a nice effort."
"But to answer your question, I am indeed a Child of Nanook. However, we were denied of his grand power unlike those Lord Ravagers." At the mention of the Lord Ravagers he scoffed, his eyes showing much dislike before he covered it up.
But Ketchup saw it all. Although his eyes were closed, he still had Albert who was keen at stuff like this.
"Still, although we are below the Lord Ravagers we are born gifted with The Blemished One strength and are given the chance to fight for the throne of Destruction."
"Which is why you should just give up and die." The man uttered as he clench his fist and then open it.
Albert couldn't speak and Ketchup himself was also silent.
A void was left in place of where the man clenched his fist.
"You destroyed space with your own bare hands and yet you say you were denied of Nanook's power?" Ketchup reacted indifferently, but couldn't help but ask.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I may not be an emanator but don't forget what I said."
"We are the true children of destruction."
"So why be surprised if we can use the very laws of destruction?"
What the man just did was unlike the attacks the Doomsday Beast released. Those attacks may contain the power of destruction but they were skills engraved into their soul.
They do not showcase destruction that comes from Nanook themself but instead the destruction that came from their path.
The same as Ketchup using the path of trailblaze to use his guns.
However, what the man did was clearly the same power Zephyro used to destroy his ship so he couldn't understand how this man claim not to be an Emanator.
"This makes no sense." He concluded.
The man chuckled. "I told you we are given the right to challenge The Blemished One for the throne of Destruction."
When he repeated that sentence Ketchup opened his eyes.
From the moment the man appeared and he sat down his face changed.
"You created... your own kind of destruction."
"Now you get it!" The man clapped his hands with a smile as if congratulating Ketchup.
"Now its my turn to ask..." The man stopped clapping and his face turn serious.
"Are you one of them?"
The man questioned, confusing Ketchup. "What do you mean?"
"You don't know or are you acting ignorant?" The man stood up and held out his spear.
Ketchup also followed him, feeling a lot better than before.
"Well it does not matter if your one of them or not." The man stretched his back before getting into position.
"You will still die to my...!" Just as he was about to finish his sentence Ketchup took out his pistols and shot him right in the face.
The shot landed but didn't do any damage.
"You can even manipulate destruction around your body." Ketchup click his tongue. What the man did was similar to the red aura but instead of madness it's destruction.
"A sneak attack isn't very honorable for a Trailblazer!" The man chuckled, spinning his spear with a relaxed smile.
"Well I don't really consider myself like those suicidal maniacs!" Ketchup responded with a yell before gaining some distance.
The man was already on him with his spear dancing every corner of his body.
Eyes of Rage!
Ketchup eyes went dark red again and the incoming thrust slowed down a great deal. He dodged the attacks while shooting his guns into the man eyes in an attempt to blind him and denying him of gaining the upper hand.
At the same time Albert checked his storage and activated a blue gem.
"Haha! How laughable! If you weren't just like them, why come to this dying planet!" The man laughed finding Ketchup joke funny.
"What do you mean?" To buy some time Ketchup asked.
Hearing his question the man stopped for a while with a raised eyebrow.
"You're telling me they didn't tell you that this planet will fall under our control?"
"Hmm, how very interesting. It seems like that Emanator doesn't value you Trailblazers lives." He said as he raised his free hand towards Ketchup.
"I know. He's playing with me." Ketchup sighed as despair wash over him.
His teleporting device was destroyed with just a raise of the man hand.
"Did you really think you could escape?" The man showed a mocking grin.
"No, but you know... I actually managed to escape from the hands of Zephyro twice." He remarked about his accomplishments.
"That's truly impressive, but if that's truly the case that just shows how incompetent of a leader that man is. Even now, he still can't get rid of those two pest."
"The 'number one emanator in the universe'? What a laughable title." The man said, staring into the sky as if he was trying to pierce a dagger right into Zephyro heart.
"To me, it sounds like your jealous." Ketchup retorted as he close his eyes.
"Trying to buy time again or have you submit to your fate?" The man didn't answer.
"Both actually."
"Heh, I truly like you human. If you weren't a Trailblazer and one of them I would have very much love to recruit you onto the path of destruction." The man sighed, showing a tiny bit of pity.
"You know that's still possible..."
"No-no its not. If you we're just a Pathstrider of The Trailblaze I would try but you're also one of them." He shook his head before continuing, "There are two things in this universe The Blemished One hates the most. The Aeons, especially that fool Aha and... them."
"I still don't have the faintest of a clue who 'them' is."
"Still acting ignorant even at death doors." The man said as he raised his hand once more.
Ketchup also raised a hand. Not one, but two. Holding his two pistols in both hands.
He attached the two of them together.
The pistols quickly drained his remaining path energy, including his madness.
"Meaningless struggle, Annihilation Sweep."
"Twin Dragons Soars The Cosmos!"
A wave of destruction hover around the man hand. He then placed it onto his spear and with a strong thrust he sent it straight towards Ketchup.
As for Ketchup, his pistols transformed into a fiery and icy dragon. The two coiled around his hands before launching themselves at the man.
The two apocalyptic attacks met each other.
Snap!
But nothing happened. They both disappeared into the wind as if they were mere illusions.
Ketchup and the man faces both reveal shock.
Hahaha!
Hahaha!
Hahaha!
At the same time a laugh broke them out of their shock.
They both turn towards the laughs that were echoing throughout the world to see a man standing a few steps away from them.
The man wore a strange mask and an outfit that looks like he was on the way to a circus.
Hidden behind his mask you could see his cunning green eyes that sent a chill down the two spines.
Looking closely you could see he have bluish short hair and and a muscular yet skinny build. His posture was rather bad, but Ketchup couldn't help but gulp when he saw it.
The man was full of openings, but at the same time he wasn't.
He also got this feeling the man was in between both fiction and reality
What a lovely couple you two are!
The man stopped laughing and spoke in a rather cartoonish voice which caused Ketchup and the dark-skinned man to click their tongues.
'Who the hell is this clown.'