Author Fighters: Wrath of the Emperor
Chapter I: The War of Two Brothers

The Kingdom of Mana. Long lost to the rest of the world after its destruction and the loss of millennia of culture to the abyss of time, the Kingdom had once been the center of a system far more advanced than others for its age: a system of heroes, chosen by the Manastream, the source of all the kingdom's life-force and magic known as 'Mana Energy', for their spirit and power, to protect the Realm of Light from falling into oblivion in the aftermath of the ancient Keyblade War. For thousands of years, the Kingdom of Mana's chosen warriors, the Imperial Sorcerers, fought and strove to protect the worlds whilst maintaining world order whilst trading their secrets and enlightening themselves through studying other cultures, implementing their teachings into their own.

However, just over five thousand years ago, command of the Kingdom was usurped by one corrupted by the darker sides of Mana; forbidden magic locked away in the earliest days notorious for corrupting and destroying those inflicted with it. This tyrant king, known by the people as 'Azazel', forced his fierce regime onto the people; expanding the Kingdom's armies ten-fold and declaring war on the rest of the worlds, aspiring to create an empire of ultimate military power and, from that, a world of chaos just as twisted as he.

Rebellion swiftly rose as the wars raged on, however, under the command of Azazel's own younger brother Aryeh; resulting in a thirteen-year long civil war with grave losses on either side... and a final battle, as the last of both armies met on the battlefield on a dying world, tainted by war and chaos, for a final battle to end either side. But it did not matter which side won... for the Kingdom of Mana would have died either way, its land no longer sustainable for mortal life...

Through one man's rule, an entire world had died...

. . .

Fierce heavy winds beat down onto the vast wastelands that had once been rich green meadows, blazing surges of black fire raining down and consuming the dry earth in a blaze. The decaying corpses of thousands of soldiers limply lay on the ground; most of them clad in ebony-black armor, cracked and rusted, implying they had died many a year ago, with the emblem of a crown of fire decorating the chest-plate. The other still-large percentages were clad in white-gold armor, edged with bronze, which bore a glowing crown and two angel wings as its crest. Limbs were twisted in irregular positions and a sea of blood rippled slightly as the winds washed over it.

Loud roars of bloodlust rang out as an army of soldiers – around fifty-thousand in total – rushed across the desolate ruins of battle, clad in the same black armor of their fallen brethren, however much better kept if caked in blood. With little regard for their dead, heavy metal boots crushed bone as they ran at a much smaller army – around five thousand in number – clad in white gold armor, crimson splattered across it. Swords and spears clashed as men strove to kill the other, energy blasts flaring as one crossed his arms and chanted out a cry, several blades of razor-sharp wind pressure surging forward and tearing through his black-clad enemies before one took the liberty of exhaling a stream of flame, absorbing the air before exploding as it hit the ground, incinerating a group of twenty at once.

Many more golden-armored soldiers ran forward, one drawing his spear as lightning sparked around it, the tip beginning to vibrate, before he drove it through the armor plating of another, managing to rip through it, despite the great struggle, and cut through the man's heart; sending his enemy plummeting down with a gasp. "Hail Aryeh!" the victor roared before turning and firing a wave of electricity at other soldiers. But this time, however, one of them performed a motion and lashed his arm forward; a barrier of wind spiraling in front of him, the electricity fizzing out as it hit the wind, before sending it rushing forward to tear through the men.

And so, this was how it continued. The men of Aryeh tried their best to fight off the larger army, however, the endless bombardment their enemies delivered shattered their defenses with ease. One by one, they were obliterated, cut down, impaled or torn apart until not a single gold-clad warrior remained standing. "H-h-hail Azazel! The TRUE rightful King!" one of the black-armored men roared, thrusting his weapon into the air; the men cheering loudly, unaware of a shadow swiftly approaching them... until...

"ROAR!"

A large flash of glittering white lightning struck down on the black-clad army, many howling as the electricity surged through their armours and cooked them from the inside as others were burned clean through, some even vaporized. A large powerfully-built beast, its glowing pale-gold head avian in appearance with molten gold-yellow eyes and an onyx-black beak, a thick lion-like mane of amber-orange sprouting from its neck and shoulders. The body was built far more feline-like in appearance, golden fur decorating it, with talons sprouting from its paws and two large pale-gold feathered wings sprouting out from its back.

"This madness has gone too far..." its rider mumbled softly, glaring down at the army. Only a young man, he was dark-skinned, a common trait of the Kingdom of Mana, with his raven-black hair cut just above his shoulders; fiery gold eyes staring down with a hawk-like precision from atop his familiar, a griffin. His armor was a shiny gold, marked with pure-white edging, unmarked by blood nor dirt – having spent most of the war leading aerial assaults – and, resting in his grip, was a long claymore blade. "Now, for the brothers you have slaughtered, the sisters you have butchered and the children you have massacred... you face my wrath..."

"It's Aryeh!" one of the remaining soldiers, the apparent leader, growled; his scarlet cape swaying in the wind. "Take him out! Now!" Men aimed their weapons, glowing with Mana Energy, at their opponent – the man known as 'Aryeh', leader of the resistance and formerly the King of the Kingdom of Mana – as they awaited the command. "...Aim... FIRE!" Bursts shot out, the griffin roaring as it flew up into the sky; the cold glare on Aryeh's face making it clear that, on this day, he was going to end the war once and for all.

Aryeh leaped down from his beast's back towards the army as they charged, his claymore glowing brightly as white lightning and glowing sapphire 'water' spiraled around the blade, fusing together into a vibrant pale-blue watery form, sparking wildly before he swung his blade forward. "Tonitribusque!" Bullets of the glowing sparking water struck down, bursts of lightning following as the roar of thunder erupted across the battlefield. Bursts of conducted water swept through the wasteland as the lightning tore through men with ease. Before the remaining brigade had time to retaliate, the griffin flapped its wings wildly, sending a fierce gale raining down; knocking men flying. Some landed on their fallen comrades' weapons, gasping as the blades ripped through their vital organs before exhaling final rattled breaths, whilst others were killed instantly by their necks snapping with impact on the ground.

"I think I have made my standing pretty clear... it's over," Aryeh coldly stated as his griffin descended beside him, the beast snarling as it glared at the remaining two-hundred survivors of the onslaught. "You are the last few of your men left and I have more than proven myself capable of tearing through your forces. Now tell me..." He stepped forward, some of the soldiers fearfully stepping back at the sight of this one man... no... this being that had just destroyed their comrades without breaking a sweat. "Where is my brother...? And I want the truth..."

The griffin growled as it glowered down at the shaking guards before a blur caught its attention, the stench of brimstone filling its nostrils as it suddenly cawed loudly. Aryeh turned in surprise before his griffin suddenly swept him onto its back, flying upwards into the air to the soldiers' confusion. Aryeh gasped as he hang on tightly before noticing a blaze of pitch-black fire piercing through the dark clouds, incinerating the remnants of the army as the flames spread across the battlefield, the dead instantly igniting and burning away to ash. Aryeh watched in horror as the valley, his homeland, was consumed in the gluttonous flames; bowing his head silently and crossing his heart before glaring towards a large figure that descended. "...Brother..." he spat, the griffin growling. "Willing to kill even your own remaining troops? Have you no honor?!"

"Men are easy to replace," a dark cruel tone chuckled darkly as the figure swooped down to face the griffin. A titanic reptilian beast, dwarfing even the large mythical beast of Aryeh's with ease, snarled; body covered in jet-black armor-like scales, dark bone spikes protruding from its back as well as two horns curling outwards on each of its three reptilian heads, as two sets of thick leathery wings fiercely flapped in the air, keeping the titanic beast airborne. Six blood-red eyes glared at the griffin, who snarled in retaliation, as the voice continued. "And, with what I have planned, I no longer require mere mortal men..."

Standing atop the central head was a fully armor-clad man, black spiked plating with blood-red flames decorating the chest-plate, his shoulders blazing as two wings of dark-indigo flame flared and rippled from his back. Crimson-red eyes, framed by deep black pools of what were meant to be his 'whites', glared in Aryeh's direction as the onyx crown on his brow glinted slightly in the light of the flames. The beast roared before both of them held their hands outwards. "Gehennae!" Two torrents of black flame, surging with blood red excess energy cackling, exploded out towards Aryeh; whose eyes narrowed as he and his Familiar prepared their counter-attack.

"Charybdis!" Aryeh countered, his hands glowing a vibrant blue before firing a glowing sphere of 'water'. The sphere, as soon as it collided with the black flame, burst and expanded to form a large vortex; sucking in the attack and extinguishing it, steam rising up, before releasing several streams, each stream taking the form of a serpentine creature. The griffin swooped forward, jaw opening before it exhaled a stream of wind forward.

Azazel merely glanced down at his dragon, as if giving a silent order. The dragon snarled before swooping out of the way, its three demonic heads opening as molten hot spheres formed. With a roar, each head released a stream of lava, flying up before floating over Aryeh and the griffin's head. Azazel held his hands out towards the lava before gripping tightly. "Infernus Funere!" The lava descended down, black flame bursting to life around it, towards the golden-clad warrior and his Familiar.

Aryeh's eyes widened in horror before he quickly tugged at the griffin's mane, the majestic beast swooping down towards the blazing wastelands as the lava continued to rain down towards them. Swiftly, it flew to the left at the last second, letting the lava crash down onto the burning land, before swooping back up, Aryeh glowing a radiant gold. "You've allowed chaos to rule you, brother... now, it is time for you to once more see the light!" he declared, thrusting his hands out. "Lumen Gladii!" Several sparks of dazzling white energy flared to life around Aryeh and the griffin before flying forward, extending into blades, before stabbing into the dragon.

The dragon howled in agony as flame burst from its stab wounds, snarling as it fell back a little, Azazel clutching his own bleeding chest, several blades having stabbed through his armor. "...Heheh... y-you really think you can stop me? Look around you!" Azazel grinned darkly, "it is dead! The land, its life... it's all DEAD... and I thank you for it..." Aryeh's eyes widened in horror as Azazel declared those words. Could it actually be possible? Did his brother truly want to destroy their home, their birthright, through all this? "Don't you see?! Its death was my plan from the start..." The Emperor formed a hand seal as dark-red flames surrounded him. "And now, the true conquest begins..."

"Recro Oscurorum Phoenicem!"

A shroud of Mana surrounded Azazel, taking the form of a large dark-red phoenix, eyes glowing jet-black, before it descended down; his dragon rippling as it was dismissed, fading away into shadow to await when it would next be summoned. The phoenix dived into the flames, sending a scarlet-wave across the wastelands. Aryeh's eyes narrowed before slowly expanding in horror, the man visibly paling, as wisps began to travel up; taking the form of men, both former comrades and enemies alike, before twisting and shifting, their bodies expanding as they became more and more demonic in appearance. Eventually, they solidified as Azazel reformed beside them.

"I have exceeded mortal restrictions, Aryeh... I have found a way to create perfection from the dead!" Azazel declared, "I have mastered the Forbidden Arts of Chaos! Don't you see?! I am nigh unstoppable!" The beasts roared before mounds of flesh began to burst from their back, large leathery wings forming, as they flew up at Aryeh. The griffin smashed wildly with its claws, tearing through beast after beast only to find, to its and his master's despair, that they would reform themselves each time, before bursts of black fire rained onto them; the griffin roaring as Aryeh's eyes widened, he himself glowing jet-black as he was thrown off of his Familiar, the griffin screeching one last time before shattering into wisps.

Aryeh plummeted through the air, his body covered in horrific burns as molten gold dripped from his armor, as he breathed heavily. '...Concentrate... concentrate...' he thought, glowing a vibrant yellow before his eyes snapped open, 'I need to do this... what other option do I have?' "...Adonai... brother... you have truly fallen... and all I see left of you is this monstrosity that calls himself an 'Emperor'. Today... I free you..." he mumbled, flashing a bright gold as a rainbow spectrum of energy began to surround him. "Whether I fall or not doing so..."

"Mystic Form, Awaken! Sanctum Gryphem Eques!"

The rainbow spectrum continued to spin around Aryeh as his armor shattered away, a new pale-gold suit taking its place. Wings of blazing white energy sprouted from his back and a helm shaped like a hawk's head formed over his face, gold eyes narrowing behind the eyeholes, as he dived straight into the flames where the undead army awaited him. Spinning his blade, he cleaved through one of them, his sword sparking with lightning, as the flames licked against his armor with no effect. Another, more skeletal-looking with its ribs visible and poking against its pale skin, opened its jaw, extending it to unnatural lengths, before exhaling a large black sphere of energy.

Aryeh leaped over it with a grunt, flipping in the air before his sword began to glow brightly. "Caelestis Ardere!" A wave of blinding white flame washed down onto the beastly army, incinerating some of them as Aryeh landed, grinning in triumph... before noticing, to his horror, the ashes spiraling and reforming into the apparently-destroyed creatures. Before he could strike again, Azazel darted forward and smashed a burst of spiraling black-and-indigo energy into his chest, sending him spiraling back.

"Did you honestly think you could prevent this from happening?" Azazel spat, "heroes are doomed to failure in the end... because they never accept the consequences of their actions... they always try to believe that they're 'doing good' or that 'it was the right thing to do'. So long as you restrain yourself, brother, you can't win..." He rushed forward to slash at Aryeh, who blocked before leaping back.

"...Then it is time to stop living in a world of glass and being careful," Aryeh began solemnly, "and time to show you the full extent of what I can do."

Rushing forward, he noticed more of the undead charging him. With swift precision, he cut through the ranks one by one before striking at Azazel, who blocked and leaped back before releasing a wave of ebony-black flame. Aryeh slammed his blade down, the flames around them flashing scarlet-red and blazing orange before spiraling around Aryeh, absorbing the black fire before flying out at Azazel as whips. The Emperor cleaved through them as his undead exhaled a barrage of blasts, Aryeh slashing through them as he ran forward again.

Another of the creatures, spider-like in build, exhaled a string of energy webbing at Aryeh, who disappeared in a flash of bright yellow before reforming above it, descending down and slashing it in half, leaping away as the two halves reformed into two smaller spiders. "...There are too many of them..." he mumbled, glancing around at the rapidly growing army, breathing heavily. "But maybe..."

Azazel held his clawed gauntlet out before releasing discharges of black lightning, Aryeh countering with his own lightning discharge, creating a small explosion, sending dust and flame bursting out; obscuring their vision. Azazel breathed heavily, glancing around as he stepped forward, his creations sniffing the air for Aryeh's scent... until...

Azazel turned at the last second and stabbed his fist, blazing with his hellish flames, just as Aryeh's blade impaled through his chest. Aryeh's eyes widened as he felt Azazel's arm stab through his stomach and emerge through his back, shuddering as blood trickled from his wound. "...So... t-this is it...?"

"For you, perhaps..." Azazel gasped, coughing for air, "but I will not let myself end in such a pathetic way... I... I will achieve immortality... and you will watch from whatever afterlife your damned soul goes to... as I plunge the entire Realm of Light... into chaos..."

Aryeh was silent before glowing one last time, a blazing sigil burning into his forehead as he snarled in pain. "...How do you plan to do that... when you're dead?" he calmly asked, Azazel's eyes widening in shock as Aryeh's sigil blazed. "I know fully well your army is tied to your body, Adonai!" His hands swiftly gripped Azazel, glowing brightly. "And without you, they will fall to oblivion... IT'S OVER, AZAZEL!" With those final words, he blazed wildly before exploding into a burst of energy, Azazel roaring in agony as his own body was ripped apart, vaporized by the attack, as it spread and tore through the army and flames...

'It won't... end... this way...' were Azazel's last thoughts as he faded away, Aryeh bowing his head quietly as his body burned away to nothing. When the light cleared, there was no trace of either army. Just a large smouldering crater, the ground cracked and burned, was all that remained of the battle... the Kingdom of Mana had died... destroyed in the blaze of war... or so it initially seemed.

A black wisp of energy fluttered out of the crater, shuddering and glowing before it took the form of a dark-red phoenix, the bird cawing as it flew up, releasing its flames down onto the battlefield. Seconds later, an armor-clad figure slowly emerged from the flames, breathing heavily as he glared up at the sky. "...I warned you... Aryeh... I would not come to my end like that..." a reformed Azazel breathed heavily before grinning under his mask, "and this time... NO ONE shall stop me..." The Emperor slowly stood up, glancing around at the ruin of his home world. He had a lot of work to do... and an entire army to create... but he had faith in his success. It was his destiny...

Okay, some of you may have wondered why I am revamping this... AGAIN. I will answer you honestly: the other version was terrible. Grammatical errors throughout, the first few chapters were of REALLY low quality, I never explained Mana Energy fully (I will actually have a chapter devoted to this early on this time) and half of it was improvisation. Now, I have a much clearer plan for the story's three acts and have improved my writing style ten-fold. First off, though, to explain some of the abilities and attacks used in this chapter (I will not explain the Mystic Form YET due to it playing a key role in the story)...

Attack Database...

Aryeh -

- Tonitribusque: Latin meaning 'Thunderstorm'. A hybrid Mana Art between the elements of Water and Lightning. The user summons forth Water Mana Energy before channeling lightning into the conjured 'liquid', iodizing it. The user them launches the iodized water in the form of powerful energy bullets at the opponent.

- Charybdis: Taken from the name of a sea monster of Greek mythology. A high-level Water Mana Art. The user creates a sphere of spiraling Water Mana Energy before releasing it forward, the sphere breaking down and forming a whirlpool barrier to pull in and dispel other attacks before releasing several whips, shaped similarly to a serpentine creature, at the target.

- Lumen Gladii: Latin meaning 'Light Blades'. A mid-level Holy Mana Art. The user creates several sparks of Holy Mana Energy around them before releasing the sparks forward, the speed build-up causing the sparks to extend into dense energy blades.

- Caelestis Ardere: Latin meaning 'Celestial Blaze'. A high-level Holy Mana Art. The user builds up heat and pressure from the surrounding air and their own bodies before forming a white-hot fire attack, capable of melting down metals such as steel with ease.

Azazel -

- Gehennae: Latin meaning 'Hell Fire'. A high-level Chaos Mana Art. The user, similarly to Caelestis Ardere, builds up heat and pressure however this is done through one's own rage and hatred before releasing a blaze of black fire; capable of igniting nearly all known substances with a temperature akin to the Amaterasu of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

- Infernus Funere: Latin meaning 'Hellfire Funeral'. A high-level Fire Mana Art. Through manipulating lava previously generated by another attack, the user infuses it with Mana Energy, increasing its heat and making it easier to control, before sending it crashing down onto the opponent; incinerating them using the lava. Azazel also combines this ability with Chaos Mana.

- Recro Oscurorum Phoenicem: Latin meaning 'Revival of the Dark Phoenix'. A forbidden high-level Chaos Mana Art. Through the use of specially designed seals infused onto the body (seals created to replace the sacrifice of blood needed for Blood Mana Arts typically), the user can create a blood-red flame, often shaped into a phoenix, capable of absorbing the souls of the dead within the nearby area and resurrect them in bodies of solid Mana Energy. When used on a being of weak spirit, it twists and deforms them into monstrous beings known as the Nefaria (Latin for 'abominations'), however, when used on those with strong spirit, they can retain a human form and be granted with abilities on-par with, even exceeding, a Natural-born Mana-Caster. When the bearer of these seals perishes and they have knowledge of the Recro Oscurorum Phoenicem, it is possible for the user to resurrect their own being through the destruction of the seals releasing their energy. However, use of this removes the seals from the body upon rebirth and can be removed if the user knows how to dispel a seal, preventing the rebirth effect.

Not much else to say now aside from... hope you enjoyed and stay tuned! Because this shall be one wild ride...

Lion's Edge signing off!