Sniper used to be just a simple man, an unnamed assassin working for the underworld. He was just a cog in the system, just as any other person. Yet, as fate wills it, he was bestowed with a world-shattering potential within his blood. However, what will push him to become what he is today will not be swift and painless. In the cruel, uncaring world he lives in, his line of work will eventually collide with his own personal life. When that happens, only tragedy and catastrophe would ensue.
Sniper was his given nickname because of how many shots were fired through his rifle. The delicate, lethal professionalism of the man has earned him a reputation in the underworld, which inspired both respect and hatred. Being a bit too careless with your trigger finger often lands you in more trouble than wealth. On top of that, you are not the only assassin in the underworld. Just as others can perish under the sight of a scope, so can you.
There was a time when the Emperor of the National Empire cared and wept for others. A family torn apart by the savage rounds of a machine gun. A wall full of pictures covered in the blood of those they depicted. A man, running away from the comfort of his home, carrying nothing but the very weapon that brought him this luxurious life, and now brought his doom and ruination. The prey ran and ran through the unforgiving rain, which reminded him of the sorrow of his loss. No more normalcy, no more love or feeling; Only survival matters now for a man too broken to even process his pain.
As he became cornered by his pursuers, Sniper embraced his weapon, now empty of bullets. This is the end of the road, the place where fate wants you to be, without any chance of going a different way. Sniper waited, yet the sweet release of death never delivered him from the sensation of his flesh. Then, looking up, he will notice three towering figures, Gods as he would view them at that moment. On their chests, massive shining blue crystals illuminated the darkness of the night like beacons of hope.
Sniper could only gasp in fear and awe as he witnessed the gruesome death of each and every one of his enemies. Yet, the three diety didn't make use of any conventional weapons. It's like dark magic. From the abrupt combustion of the pursuers to their demise through sudden, unstoppable drowning in masks made of water, these Gods showed Sniper a power few could ever imagine. However, what shocked Sniper even more was the hand that was offered to him by these Gods, not out of compassion for his pain, but out of respect for his invisible crown.
The order of the Horsemen of Fate, a cult created so long ago, humans were constructing a bunch of primitive societies. They made use of the crystals, a mysterious element that didn't follow physics or the laws of this universe. Yet, certain individuals can be compatible with the secrets they hold through a binding ritual where the crystal is connected to the brain. In the past, this would rarely succeed as the injuries from this operation would often be fatal. However, with modern technology and medicine, it was made possible by linking the crystals to the brain through wires and nerve links.
Sniper, once a man bound by his mortality, gained a power unimaginable to all the crystal users that preceded him through his unique gift. Even the three towering Gods, old as the existence of human civilization, had to bow before Sniper. In a few short years, as Sniper became more acquainted with his power, he was ready to begin his plan to tear down the old world that wronged him. However, he will not use his power to make the world submit to him. Instead, he will urge the world to reflect on itself and ultimately understand its mistakes. Sniper will give those who suffered like him a chance to break free of their chains and join him in his grand plan to ascend humanity past their own pitiful conflicts.
Suddenly, Sniper was pulled awake from his dream by his trusted advisor, Judge. Slowly, the yet-to-be Emperor opened his eyes to the sight of his subordinate kneeling before him below his throne.
[Judge] - "My lord! I came to report a major issue with our investors. "
[Sniper] - "Speak! "
Said Sniper in a commanding tone.
[Judge] - "The construction of our armies and ships has to be stopped because some of our investors declared that they had nothing more to spare for your great plan, my lord! "
[Sniper] - "These men must've lost their minds. I suppose the experience of my visit to them ten years ago began to erode inside their memory. "
Said Sniper calmly, unbothered by the revelation.
Sniper gradually stood up from his throne and descended the throne, while Judge remained on his knees.
[Sniper] - "Rise, my old friend! "
The will in Sniper's voice held such power that Judge immediately stood up without any of the usual formalities. As Sniper began to walk, Judge silently followed behind his master like a scared puppy. The two men walked silently through a set of long underground hallways before emerging into the light. Instinctively, Judge shielded his eyes, not from the blinding sunlight, but instead from the millions of lights on the ceiling of the gargantuan facility.
[Sniper] - "Please describe to me the state of each of my fleets, so I can better measure my response to the treacherous acts of these ignorant heretics. "
Said Sniper as he leaned against the railing of the suspended catwalk.
Judge approached the railing, yet there was clearly an air of unease in his eyes. One wrong step, and the Judge would be falling for 13 whole seconds before he could meet his end against the ground. Looking up, approximately the same distance of 800 meters separated him from the ceiling of the place. To allow the conquest of Earth by the hands of those faithful to Sniper's plan, the proclaimed Emperor allowed the construction of 10 initial fleets, with another 11 planned during the crusade itself.
Each fleet consists of one three-kilometre-long air carrier with a triangular geometry and armed with 24 fusion-drive plasma cannons, capable of shooting plasma shots that can annihilate multiple city blocks in a single shot. Alongside the monstrous main guns, the carriers are armed each with 3680 point defence gun emplacements, 7800 vertical missile launch wells, 120 000 umanned drones of different roles, and 3790 secondary guns ranging from energy weapons to kinetic projectiles.
For defence, the carriers are equipped with 1200 shield generators capable of deflecting projectiles moving at a speed beyond 700 m/s alongside a heavily armoured hull. For complements, each carrier can hold upwards of 1200 jet fighters, 1000 tanks, 250 Xenomorph-class titans, 50 Nimbus-class titans, 4 Storm-class titans, 250 000+ soldiers, 120 000+ fleet marines, and 2000 drop pods of different types. Finally, to pilot each carrier, a crew of 100 000 - 200 000 men is required for the task. All these stats, and not even counting the massive complement of battleships, cruisers and support ships in a single fleet. Each fleet is an army made to conquer countries, blessed by the will of Sniper himself.
[Judge] - "However, my lord, maybe this place isn't the best place to talk. My sincere apologies, but I can barely even hear myself. "
Screamed Judge above the industrial noise as he pulled a tablet screen from his belt.
Below the two men, a massive storm-class titan walked through the factory floor. Each step of the 300-meter-high monstrous beast shook the place with the force of a magnitude 4 earthquake. Frustrated by the distraction of the chaotic noise from the facility around him, Sniper raised his arm in the air and activated his crystals.
[Sniper] - "Silence! No one moves until I leave! "
Yelled Sniper as his voice echoed across the borderless facility.
Each engineer, worker and crewman felt Sniper's words in their heart and were compelled to obey his command as if their souls were hijacked by his order. Immediately, the entire factory fell silent with little as the distant noise of the wind above ground. Even machines such as the titans and automated robots stopped in their steps to await permission from Sniper to move. Shocked, Judge pulled himself together and quickly began to meet his Emperor's demands.
[Judge] - "My lord, here are the ten fleets you had ordered and their status. "
Said Judge, while trying to hide his fear.
1st fleet: The First Risen
Carrier: The Emperor's Verdict
Status: 68% complete
2nd fleet: The Ashen Storms
Carrier: Ruin Forger
Status: 66% complete
3rd fleet: The World Bearers
Carrier: The Day of Reckoning
Status: 68% complete
4th fleet: The Martyrs of Dunes
Carrier: The Heavenly Oasis
Status: 60% complete
5th fleet: Blitz Marines
Carrier: The Imperial Decree
Status: 61% complete
6th fleet: The Ice Krakens
Carrier: The Blizzard Summoner
Status: 51% complete
7th fleet: Sons of the Crescent Moon
Carrier: The Divine Retribution
Status: 49% complete
8th fleet: Pillar of the Eastern Skies
Carrier: Dawn's First Light
Status: 44% complete
9th fleet: The Falling Spartans
Carrier: The Merciful Wrath
Status: 21% complete
10th fleet: Ascended Leaves
Carrier: The Unapologetic
Status: 30% complete
With all the fleets listed in their current status, Judge breathed a sigh of relief. Upon looking at Sniper, Judge felt the dread of the annoyed grunts from his master.
[Sniper] - "The fact that I had not displayed my power publicly is a mercy for the ignorant. Yet, the hubris of men will force the hands of the Gods. My fleet will be complete on time, no matter what foolish act these men may perform. My revolution will not be stopped! "
Said Sniper, his voice leaving aftershocks within Judge's psyche.
[Judge] - "My lord? "
[Sniper] - "Send our investors letters of invitation to a conference in Paris. It's time they understood that they are but dogs before me. No one shall challenge my authority. "
Said Sniper with an aura of wrath in his voice.
With his final words spoken, Sniper turned around and left Judge alone on the catwalk. Suddenly, as soon as Sniper exited the facility, the machinery and men resumed their work, shocking Judge with the abrupt din of their actions. As the Storm-class titan resumed its steps, Judge felt the catwalk rock with the shock of each of the machine's steps. Holding onto the railing with his life, Judge prayed with all his heart for the catwalk not to break apart and send him to his doom. Yet, earlier, while Sniper stood alongside him, the shockwave of the titanic machine was strangely never felt by him.
The plan will continue no matter what happens, because it is the will of the Emperor. From underneath the sands of the Sahara to the depths of the oceans, the desert will stir, and the seas will boil. From under the ice sheets of Antarctica to the mountains of the Caucasus, the snow will burn, and the mountains will roar. The world will not sleep until it has been shaped to Sniper's vision. It is his divine mission as a God to turn the pages of history toward the next chapter.
Meanwhile, below the Pacific Ocean, a different perspective began to take root. These men saw Sniper in a different light than those who worshipped him as their God. As these traitorous members of the nascent empire gathered around in a secret room, a surprising guest would join these men today. He was the unexpected head of this fresh rebellion.
[Michele] - "Greetings, comrades. "
There he was, the Grand Knight himself; The only man on this Earth who possesses the power to challenge the proclaimed Emperor. The room answered him by standing up and showing him the respect he commanded through his name.
[Michele] - "This is the start of a war of our own, unclouded from the gospel of the tyrant emperor. I'm honoured to see this many of you have heeded my message and accepted my invitation despite the risks. "
Said the Grand Knight with sincerity.
Yet the room was hesitant. Many were only half-convinced by Michele, with others unsure of their ultimate allegiance.
[Marshal Connor] - "Grand Knight, I respect your bravery in the face of such adversity. Yet, I wonder... How could we ever hope to win? I'm all for the sake of humanity, yet a useless resistance will serve nothing more than to aggravate the beast. "
Said the marshal with a worried stare.
[Michele] - "Yet we must try! There is no other way! "
Yelled Michele firmly.
[General Xu] - "Try for what cause? We'd be riding to our deaths! "
Said the general, with his hands raised in protest.
[Admiral Sakomoto] - "Exactly, our combined forces only equate to 1/10 of the entire Imperial arsenal. If not by the hands of the Emperor's cyberknights, we'd be crushed by the regular Imperial forces. "
[Captain Kruge] - "I agree! I command barely a corps' worth of forces, and I'm not even sure if half of them will be loyal to our cause, not to mention my ship and crew. "
Yelled the captain while banging his fist against the table.
The room soon erupted in a flurry of chaotic discussion in an atmosphere of fear and doubt. There was no doubt how titanic the struggle ahead is, and with the size of their rebellion, the odds seemed impossibly low for the traitors. However, just as the order of the room began to fall apart, Michele activated his crystals and banged his fist against the table. In an instant, everyone felt the impact of the hit in the depths of their soul, yet the room remained unshaken from the impact.
[Michele] - "Please! A bit of calm, gentlemen! "
Slowly, Michele looked up at the men with a grim but hopeful look in his eyes.
[Michele] - "I know what you all are thinking. Yet, is that enough justification to let humanity fall into the hands of a brutal tyrant? Will you be content when each and every one of you has to submit to a self-proclaimed God? When he tears the world apart, killing millions without blinking, will you simply sit and watch, knowing you could've done something? "
Yelled Michele across the room.
The men quickly recoiled silently back into their chairs in shame, as they all knew Michele was right.
[Michele] - "I grew up under my father, and I know what kind of man he is. Just hours ago, I intercepted an order from him. This monster of a man will drown this world in blood if it means he can get what he wants. He had gathered our investors, the criminal organization leaders and other wealthy people under his control in Paris. And you people will see that I'm right. You'll see why I will stop him even if it takes the last drop of my blood! "
Said Michele in an intense voice.
[Marshal Connor] - "What does he plan to do with these people? "
[Michele] - "I don't care what he plans to do with these filths of society, what I care about is the innocent people who will be caught in the carnage. He wants to send a message which won't be forgotten for generations. He wants to write his commandment in blood for all to see. "
[Marshal Connor] - "I don't understand what you mean, Grand Knight. What exactly will happen in Paris? "
Said the marshal with a concerned expression.
[Michele] - "None of you understand how truly powerful my father is. The world, as a whole, remains ignorant of the cosmic terror within his palms. He will make an example out of this city to remind you all why you should fear. Yet, I want you to understand that whatever you witness tomorrow is not the end of all resistance. I want you to see and find your reason to stand against him. "
[General Xu] - "If he is as powerful as you described him to be, then how can we resist? "
[Michele] - "Because I will be right beside you in this fight. We won't fight alone! When the atrocities of his actions will surface, thousands more will join our cause. We are not fighting for just freedom; we are fighting to save the future of humanity. Once his power is concrete and set, all resistance will be truly futile. We shall strike now when we still have a chance, when the world has yet to be swayed by his rhetoric. "
The room listened to Michele's words with a grim aura in the air. Yet, no one will expect the type of atrocity Sniper is willing to commit to prove his point. As the days passed, many of the guests boarded their planes toward their final destination in Paris, unaware of what awaited them. On the other hand, neither the Parisiens are more aware of the carnage to come.
A God has no concern for the mortals beneath him, just as this world is indifferent to the suffering of many.
To be continued...