As the champion of Fate dragged the bleeding young woman halfway across the stage, Daniel quietly observed the two. Deep frown lines marked his glabella, a feature caused by the confusing nature of the feelings provoked by the presence of the two individuals. It had been awhile since the presence of another entity had changed his calculative and calm state of mind, and yet, such a feat appeared all too easy for the two of them.
The natural hostility he had felt towards the champion of Fate was almost instinctive, and had caused Daniel to childishly lash out in a situation where, if in his natural state of mind, he could have simply bypassed with an insincere show of politeness. Yet, something about this young man had bothered him beyond reason.
What Daniel did not know, at first, was that the same was true for the champion of Fate himself, who, despite his well cultivated ego, had also enough pride to contain himself.. In fact, anyone who knew him previous to this event, would have expected him to ignore Daniel's impolite words and treat him like the insignificant ant he believed him to be, rather than to lower himself to Daniel's level, and let his anger get the better of him.
The strange connection of familiarity and hostility the two had felt was poisonous to their mind, like an embarrassing memory that crept his way out of a melancholic moment, or an extremely bitter aftertaste.
To an observer, Daniel seemed to have simply acted out of ignorance against a childish yet important individual, but deep down, he knew that without his mental fortitude, he too would have lashed out as aggressively as his opponent had. This hostility, Daniel was soon able to guess, was caused by the natural opposition between the power of Fate, and the power of Karma.
While Destiny existed as a true opposition to Fate, the two were also connected-to a point where the distinction between them could be considered a matter of perspective. Karma, on the other hand, was a power that existed outside of the realm of Fate, as its influence was solely dependent on the free will of conscious creatures. The difference was the same as the one between two unlike-minded twins, and two unlike-minded enemies.
What made things worse for Daniel, was the presence of one of Iewah's children.. The yielder of a system which, like his own, could pinpoint the general location of another child of Iewah in a matter of moments.
As he observed the two move towards the podium, Daniel inconspicuously examined the intricate nature of the pocket dimension that surrounded him, and quietly prepared himself to force its collapse in case his fears turned into reality.
—–
"Due to the discovery of a breeding ground of Destiny's champions, the domain of High Lord Fate allowed the use of the Seeker." Said the champion of Fate after reaching the pearly white podium. He then pointed his finger at the young woman, whose hands were resting by her waist, seemingly unbothered by the blood that trickled down her nose.
Most of the domains' representatives seemed to understand what the young man had just said, while the rest appeared puzzled. "Your highness, what does that mean?" Asked the champion of a mid-sized domain.
The champion of Fate did not bother to explain. Instead, he turned towards the Overlord of Horror's domain, and gave him a faint nod.
The very moment the Overlord noticed this aloof gesture, he enhanced the power of his voice, and explained, "Many of you are new to this, as not often breeding grounds for Lord Destiny's champions.. When that happens, the domain of High Lord Fate may send a representative. With him, said representative will bring the decision of the high domain of Fate."
The confusion had yet to leave the faces of the champions, yet, no one dared to ask any further questions, as it seemed that the Overlord was not done speaking.
"As you all know, the champions of Destiny are blessed with extraordinary abilities.." Said the Overlord with a palpable sense of envy. "One of which is the ability to create a path that leads to what they desire.. Or the desires of the ones who control them." As he came to the end of the explanation, the Overlord casually pointed his arm at the young woman.
"SHE IS ONE OF THEM?!" Barked out a man who appeared to be in his nineties, but whose real age was among the youngest of the cultivators present.
Similar reactions came from different tables within the pocket dimension, by which just as many frightened cultivators were sent in an uproar.
"Why are you keeping one of them alive?!"
"What if she escapes??"
"ENOUGH!" Shouted the champion of Fate in anger, causing the entire hall to quiet down instantly. "These shackles contain the power of the High Lord. As long as she is bound, none of her powers will work.. For those worried about a possible escape, let me show you why your worries are unnecessary."
As he finished speaking, the young man reached for his wide sleeve with his left hand, then lifted it, uncovering his right arm.
The skin of this arm was smooth and muscular, just like what anyone would expect from a cultivator that had likely trained for as long as he had lived.. Yet, this arm was not like any other. Right in the middle of the forearm was a patch of white skin, from which emerged a light that emanated the power of fate, as well as the heavy chain that was attached to the young woman. His hand was tightly wrapped around the chain at all times, ready to pull it whenever necessary.
Seemingly convinced of the safety of the situation, the cultivators once again began to relax.. But alas, that did not last long as, as soon as his right arm was shown, the young man released the hold on the chain, and used the fingers of his left hand to cut through it. Following this simple action the chain fell on the ground, and the white patch on the young man's forearm began to fade. Soon after, the chain began to disappear as well, freeing the young woman of his control.
Shocked gasps filled the room as many prepared themselves to fight the young woman- Even Daniel made up his mind to leave as soon as there was a chance.. And yet, what he saw next stopped him and the others in their tracks.
The young woman did not appear to rejoice in her newly found freedom, nor did she seem moved in any way. Instead, she stood as quietly as she had been while chained, almost as if the idea of running was the very last thought that would ever cross her mind.
For the following two minutes the members of the thousands of domains observed in silence, and at no point in that time did the woman show any intention of leaving.
"The Seeker is unlike any other champion of Destiny." Said the champion of Fate before stepping closer to the young woman. He then added, while moving the hair that flowed down her left shoulder behind her back to show her graceful appearance, "While her kind use the power of Destiny to bring chaos, she is the opposite. The power she was bestowed with is the power of Peace."
Surprised about this revelation, the cultivators kept looking with suspicion. The domain of Fate had spared no effort in demonizing the champions of Destiny throughout the entire multiverse, to a point where that impression was not something that could be easily changed with a few words.
That was not the case for Daniel, however, who could confirm the truthfulness of the young man's claim by looking at the number that was hanging above the woman's head-An emerald-colored number that, at the very least, confirmed that she was an anomaly among her warmongering kin, just like Daniel.
"Even if harmless, what if she escapes?" Asked a man whom everybody immediately thought of as 'the most innocent cultivator present'.
"She can answer this question." Said the champion of Fate before stepping behind the young woman. He then grabbed her arms from behind, rested his head onto her visible shoulder, and asked with closed eyes and a relaxed tone, "Mirah, tell them how many people died the last time you have escaped?"
This question seemed to hurt the young championess of Destiny more than the physical abuse, or even her companion's creepy behavior had. Her expression now marked by sorrow, her voice broken before it could even emerge from her mouth. Before she could speak, a sharp pain came from right above her elbows, right where the young champion of Fate had started to squeeze with enough power to break bone. It had become a habit of his to pair physical pain with the emotional one during the thousands of years the two had spent together as jailer and prisoner.
The young woman cleared her throat, and said emotionlessly, "Eleven trillion, five hundred and twenty-five billion, nine hundred and thirteen million, four hundred and seventy-six thousand and eighty-one lives." The coldness of her voice was completely opposite to her emotional aura which, unfortunately, she was unable to control. This aura brought an unprecedented feeling of sadness throughout the entirety of the pocket dimension, causing the less coldblooded and more humane cultivators to cry.
"Splendid.. You never make a mistake, no matter how many times you have to say it." Said the champion of Fate while releasing the grip over her arms. He then turned towards the crowd, and added, "See, it is good that she came back after only a few minutes, or the number would have been much higher."
Almost satisfied by his performance, the young champion of Fate took a step back, then traced a small line on his right forearm with his left index finger, causing the white blotch of skin to appear once again. He then inserted his fingers into it.
When he pulled his fingers back out, a chain was being held between his thumb and index finger, which he used to once again chain the young woman. Once done, the young man casually walked back on the podium.
By the time this happened, the observing cultivators regained their composure.. All but one.
Daniel was now sitting quietly. His eyes closed, his lips quivering as if trying to contain himself from speaking words he wouldn't be able to take back. From the corner of his eyes small droplets of watered blood formed, then streamed down his cheeks as he tried to contain the palpable layer of enraged aura that was emanated by his body, to the vicinity of his table..
His odd appearance quickly began to grab the crowd's attention, which gradually turned in his direction. The Overlord was the first among the people on stage to notice Daniel, followed by his companions.
The young woman named Mirah suddenly turned towards Daniel in confusion, an action that was followed by her cruel companion-who prepared himself to once again reprimand Daniel.. However, before he could say a word, Daniel's voice resounded throughout the pocket dimension. "One word.. And you die."
Shocked by Daniel's sudden threat, which was clearly aimed at him, the champion of Fate lost his mind. Who do you think you are?!-he intended on asking.. But before he could finish saying the word 'who', the viscous essence that surrounded Daniel's body disappeared, and his expression relaxed.
To match this calm, was the endless quiet that had filled the pocket dimension. Time seemed to have suddenly stopped, as the eyes of each and every cultivator present were glued to Daniel, not daring to take a single breath. If any one of these cultivators could find the courage to speak, they would swear that that day was the day of their execution. That their life was in the hands of the young man they were forced to look at, as he held the blade which could be brought down on their necks whenever he chose to.
That was the same for the champion of Fate.. as the natural hostility he had felt towards Daniel had been completely erased.. In its place was a feeling of infinite terror, as the voices of the uncountable people he had killed began to resound in his ears.
His eardrums broke instantly, his eyesight darkened, and his mind became foggy, only capable of processing the heartbreak he had caused whenever he took a life, only to feel it stop again and again. An eternity of pain, grief, regret and sorrow that stretched the fabric of time, forcing one brief second to last thousands of years.. But only for him.
The red number above the champion's head decreased by one whenever a life was lived, and lost.. Until finally, the number reached zero, and the young man regained his consciousness.
"I accept the punishment.." he muttered humbly as his skin cracked and turned to a sickly grey color. Moments later, the artificial breeze contained within the pocket dimension struck the young man's body, turning it into a cloud of ashes.
