Chapter 7: Nothing but a Show of Power
"Having power and not being able to use it is foolishness."
— Kiyotaka Ayanokoji
The Empire of Jaune – Aurelia.
For the first time in over 50 years, Rougeria, Vertia and the Jaune Empire were seated together in one room.
In fact, for the first time in over 200 years, all the world's nations were seated together to discuss matters of mutual concern.
The most shocking of it all was that there were three Ascanians present.
Their purple crystal-like skin shimmering.
Their arrogance and unwillingness to be here almost tangible.
After all, they were the most powerful and oldest force on Gyndal, their race as old as the Age of the Dragons and Giants.
The Supreme Ascanian Clan.
They would be the heads of the meeting today.
To the left of the meeting hall, their horns and beastly forms taking up most of the space.
The Alkekulan, the beast tribes of Sahariel.
To the right, a multitude of gyn stood with five crowns.
The Nations of Nyoria.
By them were the nations of Aurelia — Grayra, Rougeria, Jaune, Vertia, and the Kingdom of the Liberals.
"I'm Calison the 115th of the Clan of Ascania, and I now officially commence the Conference of Gyndal." The middle Ascanian said, not even bothering to stand.
Zizzle.
Thunder rumbled outside.
Calison looked up at the door.
Adrian walked in, and following behind him were Lira, Ignis, Valhalla, Chris, and Tobey.
Tobey's eyes observed everyone present, but Adrian only looked at two groups of people — the Ascanians and the Theocracy of the Divine Court.
"The meeting today deals with the issue of the new alien body above Gyndal, which several here today claim is yours," Calison said. "I'd like to confirm whether or not that is true."
Adrian and his company took seats by Vacia, who had recently started taking part in Gyndal's political affairs.
"Yeah, that's true," he nodded.
"I'd also like to state that three parties here today have an issue with you and would gladly go to war if left alone."
"I understand." Adrian nodded, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk.
"High Judicial Owen, Igneous IV Dynus Vermillion, and High Priest Van of the Jaunean Lucienne, please state the reasons for the implied wars."
"I'm certain that I'm speaking for us all when I say he is the cause of the Anulian incursion," Owen said. "Then also, on a much more religious matter, he slew our Grand Oracle and has been cursed by our Holy Triune."
"Cursed by who?" Adrian chuckled. "Those little children?"
Everyone except the Ascanians paused. They knew Adrian as a blasphemer, but not to this extent.
"How dare you!" Owen roared, his mana flaring into the sky.
The Lucienne also looked at Adrian with frowns. Slowly, all the powers present unleashed their mana on Adrian.
Sigh.
A footstep. Then another.
A man walked through the doors. White hair tied in a ponytail. Red eyes that didn't seem to focus on anything. He wore no armor— just a simple black coat and the kind of smile that made guards reach for their weapons without knowing why.
Behind him, eleven figures in matching grey cloaks.
All the accumulated mana dissipated.
Calison's eyes narrowed. For the first time, he looked interested.
"Sorry for my lateness," the man said.
Adrian looked at him, curiosity filling his gaze. Did he just nullify all the mana?
Not only that, Adrian couldn't sense an ounce of mana emanating from him.
'Can't you enter a room without creating trouble for once?' A voice tore into his ears.
'What did you just do?' Adrian asked.
'Turned off the mana.' Aryan said.
Adrian turned to face him slightly. He just had a small smile plastered over his face, no other expression.
'You found each other relatively quickly,' Aryan said again.
'Do you know something I don't?' Adrian turned to Lira slowly.
'A lot actually. Might tell you some later.'
"Mr. Aryan Yujiro Vaelthore, if I may presume?" Calison asked.
Adrian turned — Vaelthore — as in Ravon's relative.
"Yep."
"Your lateness today is pardoned. Please don't repeat this anywhere I'm present," Calison added.
"Sure."
"Back to the matter at hand. What do you have to say about their claims?"
"You say I'm the cause of the anti-energy surge, but if you say that, it only shows how shallow your understanding of anti-energy is," Adrian said.
"Anti-energy is the energy of excess. So if you want to blame anyone, blame the so-called Triune." Adrian's smile had turned into a slight frown.
"They are the cause of all your misfortune."
He stretched out his hand and mana gathered.
"Now pay attention."
The mana began condensing.
Crackle.
All the mana in the vicinity flew toward his palm.
"Stop it!" the rulers roared, realizing this was going to attract Anulian.
The mana gradually lost its color until it became null energy.
"This is it. You guys are parasites, and null energy is just your leucocyte."
The null energy became brighter and turned back into mana.
"Too much of one causes the other. That is the law of null energy," Adrian concluded.
"Can you send us back to our world now?" Calison asked after a short pause.
"Huh?" Only then did the world leaders realize that they were no longer on Gyndal.
Adrian nodded, and the outside scenery changed once more.
"I have a suggestion," Aryan said.
The room turned to him. Reluctantly. Like people turning to face a storm they couldn't outrun.
"We unite. Not as enemies. Not as reluctant allies. As something new."
He walked toward the center of the hall. No one stopped him.
"Rougeria has the Red Protection Society. Westeria had the Light Corps. Both failed. Not because of weak people — because of division."
He turned, addressing everyone at once.
"The Anulian don't care about your borders. They will kill your children, burn your cities, and erase your names from history — and they will do it while you argue about who rules what."
Silence.
"I propose the Erasure Initiative. One organization. One command. One purpose. To study the Anulian. To remind the world that we are still one people when something bigger comes to eat us."
He stopped.
His smile returned.
"That's my suggestion. Take it or don't. I don't care either way."
A pause.
Then, slowly, the room began to nod.
'The charisma of a natural born leader,' Adrian thought, noticing that even his subordinates — especially Lira — were lost in his words.
But then, he had something important to attend to.
Something he could only do on Gyndal.