Previously...
Igor's armor was breaking. His movements were slower. His once-monstrous strength had begun to wane.
Dark: (thinking) This fight's already over.
Igor lunged, swinging God Killer with everything he had left. His blade tore through the air, splitting the ruins apart, but Dark had already moved.
A flicker. A blur.
Before Igor could react, Dark's knee crashed into his ribs, right where his armor had cracked before. The force behind it sent Igor flying, his body slamming into the wreckage of a fallen pillar.
The ground split apart beneath him.
Igor coughed violently, blood leaking from his mouth. His grip on God Killer was weak, his hands trembling. His body, despite his refusal to fall, could no longer keep up.
Dark landed a few steps away, rolling his shoulders.
Dark: (thinking) He's still trying to stand? Damn, this guy's stubborn.
He exhaled, gripping the L-shaped pipe that Kyuketsu had taken the form of. His fingers tensed around it as he walked toward Igor, step by step.
Igor, still coughing, still trying to force himself up, could do nothing but watch as Dark closed the distance.
Dark stopped in front of him.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then, Dark raised the pipe—
And brought it down onto Igor's helmet.
A deafening crash echoed through the ruins.
The ground beneath Igor collapsed.
His visor flickered violently—and then, for the first time since the fight began—it dimmed.
Igor's entire body slumped.
His hands, which had been gripping God Killer so desperately, finally loosened. The massive blade fell to the ground, the impact kicking up dust.
Silence.
Then, after what felt like an eternity—Igor lowered his head.
And he spoke.
Igor: My Emperor... I acknowledge you.
Now...
The battlefield was dead silent.
Igor, once an unbreakable warrior, was kneeling—his massive frame battered, cracked, but unyielding. His armor, once unshakable, now bore the scars of defeat. And yet, despite the damage, despite the pain—his voice held no regret.
Only conviction.
Dark stood before him, the L-shaped pipe still in his grip. His expression unreadable. His crimson eyes locked onto Igor.
Dark: (thinking) ...He really said it.
This wasn't the first time someone had surrendered to him.
This wasn't the first time he had crushed someone completely.
But this felt different.
There was no desperation in Igor's words. No fear. No resentment. Only acceptance.
Dark: (thinking) What the hell is this feeling?
His grip on Kyuketsu tightened for a moment before he exhaled and loosened it.
Ace, still standing far off, leaning against a broken pillar, let out a low whistle.
Ace: Well, damn. Didn't think you'd make him kneel.
Dark turned his head slightly, his eyes flicking toward Ace.
Dark: Neither did I.
Ace smirked, stepping forward.
Ace: So... what now? You gonna give him some grand speech? Maybe tell him how he's your first follower in this "Emperor" journey you got going on?
Dark clicked his tongue, looking back at Igor.
Dark: Hell if I know. I didn't plan this.
Igor, still on one knee, slowly raised his head. His crimson visor flickered, locking onto Dark once again.
Igor: I will follow you. Serve you. Fight for you. Until the very end.
Dark: (thinking) ...What the hell is happening?
But before he could respond—
The air shifted.
A feeling. Something beyond words.
Dark's heart skipped a beat.
For the first time in his life—he felt as if something was watching him.
Somewhere, far beyond the battlefield. Beyond the ruins. Beyond even the sky itself.
Something—or someone—had taken notice.
And they were waiting.
Dark: (thinking) ...What was that?
The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came.
Ace, watching Dark's expression shift, raised an eyebrow.
Ace: Something wrong?
Dark's eyes flickered. He shook his head slightly.
Dark: No. It's nothing.
He turned back to Igor.
Dark: You really mean that?
Igor: Without question.
Dark exhaled, glancing up at the sky.
Dark: ...Fine. Welcome aboard.
Ace: Hah. Just like that? No ritual? No ceremony?
Dark: What do you want me to do, throw a party?
Ace chuckled, folding his arms.
Ace: Just sayin'. This is the moment you officially step into some big shit. You've already had people who fought by your side—Leona, Tier, Gilmuar, Lara, Cron—but this?
His golden eyes gleamed.
Ace: This is the start of something way bigger.
Dark remained silent.
Ace: You don't even realize it yet, do you?
Dark: Realize what?
Ace smirked.
Ace: The world's watching you now.
Dark narrowed his eyes slightly, but before he could respond—
A deep, echoing sound rumbled through the air.
A sound not from the battlefield. Not from this world.
A sound that came from somewhere else entirely.
A place that should have remained undisturbed.
Ace's smirk faded slightly.
Ace: ...Oh.
Igor, still kneeling, suddenly tensed.
Dark gripped Kyuketsu again.
Dark: (thinking) That sound... what the hell was that?
And just like that—the moment of peace was over.
The world had already started moving.
And Dark had no idea what was coming next.
The deep, echoing sound faded into the air, but its presence lingered—an unnatural disturbance, something that did not belong.
Dark's fingers tensed around Kyuketsu.
Dark: (thinking) That wasn't from here. That was... something else.
Igor remained kneeling, but even in his weakened state, his body reacted. His visor flickered erratically, as if trying to process something beyond its understanding.
Ace's smirk was long gone. His golden eyes, usually full of amusement, had sharpened.
Ace: That sound. It came from beyond the walls of this world.
Dark didn't respond. He already knew.
The air itself felt... off.
Like something had shifted.
Like something had noticed.
Dark: (thinking) Am I imagining this? Or did that sound have intent?
He exhaled, forcing himself to relax.
Dark: If something's watching, let it watch.
Ace let out a short laugh, shaking his head.
Ace: You really don't get it yet, huh?
Dark's eyes flicked toward him.
Ace: You think you just won a fight, got yourself a new follower, and that's that? Nah. This... this is bigger than you know.
Dark: ...Explain.
Ace stretched his arms, tilting his head.
Ace: You're stepping into Emperor territory now.
Dark's expression didn't change, but something in his chest tightened.
Dark: (thinking) Emperor territory.
Ace: Whether you like it or not, people are gonna start looking at you differently. The ones who already knew about you—they're gonna take you seriously now.
Dark: (thinking) The ones who already knew about me?
Ace: And the ones who don't? They're about to find out.
Dark exhaled slowly.
Dark: Let them watch.
Ace chuckled, shaking his head.
Ace: That's the thing, man. You don't understand what happens when Emperor-level beings take interest.
Dark remained silent.
Ace: You remember how people reacted to the previous Emperors, right? When their names were first spoken? The fear? The chaos? The wars that broke out just because they existed?
Dark: (thinking) The previous Emperors.
The six of them.
The ones whose names were either lost to time or buried in legend.
Dark: (thinking) And four of them... frozen in time by Sukojo.
Dark's jaw clenched slightly.
Dark: So you're telling me, because of this fight, because Igor called me "Emperor"...
Ace grinned.
Ace: The world's gonna have something to say about it.
Dark scoffed.
Dark: Let them talk.
Ace: They won't just talk. Some will come for you. Some will test you. Some will try to stop you before you rise any further.
Dark exhaled, shaking his head.
Dark: And?
Ace's eyes gleamed.
Ace: And that means you don't get to slow down.
The words settled in.
Dark: (thinking) I was already planning to keep pushing forward. Nothing changes.
Ace: Don't get it twisted—this is just the beginning.
Dark rolled his shoulders.
Dark: Good. I'd be disappointed if it wasn't.
Ace whistled, amused.
Ace: Man, you really don't give a damn, huh?
Dark: What's the point? People are always gonna be watching, always gonna be making their own conclusions. Let them. I don't care.
Igor, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
Igor: It is not just about being watched, my Emperor.
Dark turned toward him.
Igor slowly rose to his feet, his body still damaged, still recovering, but his presence undiminished.
Igor: Those who fear your rise will come. They will try to kill you before you reach the throne.
Dark: Then let them try.
Igor's visor flickered.
Igor: That sound we heard...
Dark's eyes narrowed.
Igor: It was not just an omen.
Dark remained silent.
Igor: It was a response.
Ace clicked his tongue.
Ace: So you felt it too.
Dark: ...A response to what?
Igor: To you.
Dark: ...
Ace let out a slow breath.
Ace: Welp. There it is.
Dark tilted his head slightly.
Dark: What the hell does that mean?
Ace: That means—congratulations, Dark.
Dark: For what?
Ace's smirk widened.
Ace: You just got the attention of the real monsters.
Silence.
The wind howled through the ruins.
Dark remained still, his eyes unreadable.
Dark: (thinking) The real monsters, huh?
For the first time in a long time, something in his chest stirred.
Not fear. Not doubt.
Excitement.
Dark exhaled slowly.
Dark: ...Good.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked forward.
Ace watched him go, shaking his head with a grin.
Ace: No hesitation, huh? Damn, I think I really do like this guy.
Igor, still standing strong, bowed his head slightly, before following Dark.
And somewhere, in the depths of the unknown, beyond the reaches of reality itself—
Something took its first step forward.
The world had seen the Rise of the Future 7th Emperor.
Now, it was only a matter of who would challenge it first.
End of Arc 5 Chapter 5