Chương 1312: Disdain
Around the same time that Vahn was giving Aoko a tour of Avalon, he also teleported to the holding cell where Scáthach had been storing her captives. At this point, she had crippled most of the Nobles associated with the summoning and, using the Strings of Fate, tracked down the designated heirs of each family. This included the heirs of the families that had surrendered to Kenshin's forces as, while Vahn wasn't necessarily fond of hostages, it was a lot easier to pressure people that prioritized their heritage over everything else by seizing their legacy.
The primary reason behind their capture, however, was so that Jeanne could determine whether or not the Magic Crests contained Demons. It quickly came to light that most of the older families had Demons sealed away in their Magic Crests as their Ancestors had contracted with them in the distant past, obtaining knowledge and power as everyone else grew progressively weaker.
Vahn knew that, with his ever-increasing karma, it was only a matter of time before some great evil appeared in response to his actions. This didn't mean he couldn't do everything within his power to prevent it, however, so he had already brought the matter to light with Solon and Zelretch. They had agreed to help him track down the 72 original Magus lineages, dating back to the Era of the Great King, Solomon the Wise.
It hadn't taken much time do discover the true nature of the Demons hidden in the Magic Crests as the crests themselves were something created by Solomon. The complexity of each crest made them virtually impossible to produce in modern times so, unless your Ancestors had received one around twenty-nine-hundred-years ago, the most you could do was create an imperfect replica. Still, the lure of passing on knowledge through a Magic Crest meant that every competent Magus family had one while, over the course of history, some had been lost to time.
Fortunately, Da Vinci had been able to analyze the structure of several Magic Crests at this point so Vahn wouldn't be required to completely destroy the legacy of each family. Though he did forcibly acquire the Magic Crests from the families that had conspired to effectively destroy the world, those that surrendered were given more lenient sentences. After all, he wouldn't charge children for the sins of their parents as, more often than not, they didn't really have a choice in the type of people they grew up to become. Expectations were a heavy burden and, with corruption rotting the very foundation of your family, they either complied or suffered tragic fates.
Understanding this, Vahn had the families that surrendered sign a binding contract, guaranteeing their lineage would not be destroyed in exchange for them accepting accountability for their past actions. This would ultimately result in their deaths, as Vahn wasn't fond of the idea of imprisonment, but it was a far better outcome than what awaited the more treacherous families. They too would be held accountable but, rather than be put to death outright, they would be tried by Azathoth, their minds splintered and egos shattered completely.
Vahn knew that, the darker a person's heart, the greater Azathoth's influence over them. They would be forced to spend the final few moments of their life experiencing unimaginable horrors as, despite granting most people the mercy of death, their crimes were simply too great. Vahn knew there was a good chance he would generate some negative karma as a result of forcing such an end upon them but, over the course of their centuries of existence, thousands of people, if not more, had suffered at the hands of these despotic individuals...
---
Currently, Vahn found himself face-to-face with a young boy of ten-years-old while a bound and gagged man kneeled at this side. If the female students of the Clock Tower were present, they would have been horrified to no end as the man bound was one of the top three most handsome men in the Clock Tower, the current Head of the Sophia-Ri Family, Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. His Great Grandfather had been one of the hooded Magi that participated in the summoning of Tiamat and, while not directly involved, the current Lord Sophia-Ri had been aware of the plot.
As one of the most influential families in the Noble Factions, the Sophia-Ri had been central figures in various schemes over the years. This legacy had been carried on by Bram himself and, like many of the other corrupt families, he had already passed on his Magic Crest to the young boy before hiding him away in a small village in northern Germany. Unfortunately for them, Scáthach had easily found the boy so the Sophia-Ri family now faced its reckoning. They would be tried later but, for the time being, Vahn had the young boy, Lord Sophia-Ri's nephew, in a daze as he extracted the Magic Crest from his forehead.
A stark contrast to his usual composed self, Lord Sophia-Ri was hunched forward as he jerked his body against the chains bind him. His eyes were bloodshot and, if not for the gag in his mouth, he would have been screaming at the top of his lungs. He couldn't accept that the family would end in his hands as, at least in his mind, he hadn't done anything to deserve this. Rather, he suffered various slights against his pride over the years, including having his fiancee stolen. Now, he could only watch as his favorite nephew's eyes glazed over as thousands of years of heritage was stripped away from him...
By the time the process had been completed, Vahn had a small oval gemstone in his hand. It glowed with the Magic Crest of the Sophia-Ri family and, as a result of the Demon sealed within, he was not able to place it into his Inventory. Instead, he placed it into a black box before passing it to Gareth and having her take it to Da Vinci's Workshop. At the same time, he put the red-haired youth into a very deep slumber before turning to the almost feral-looking 'Lord' Sophia-Ri as he asked, "I wonder if you are beginning to reflect on your actions...?"
In response to what he believed to be taunting words, Bram jerked at the chains as if there was any point to breaking free. If he somehow did manage to extricate himself from the bindings, the only fate that awaited him was pain as, despite being a Lord, he wasn't even remotely a match for anyone in the room. While he might indeed be very powerful amongst his peers, the difference between a modern Magus and a Heroic Spirit was simply too vast, especially when the slowest person in the room could accelerate to mach two in an instant.
Vahn could only shake his head after seeing the man's response, a scornful look on his face as he said, "I wouldn't have believed you anyway...you are an opportunistic man who places himself high above others. Whenever you face a setback, you pretend that it is the fault of other people, even if it was a direct result of the choices you made. You simply can't accept responsibility for your actions as your pride won't allow you to admit you were wrong. Now, you kneel before me, a mortal man with no status or authority to back you up...tell me, do you still feel superior to others?"
As Vahn asked his question, he forcibly ripped the gag from Bram's mouth, curious as to how the man would respond. He wasn't at all surprised when the latter tried to spit in his face, allowing him to easily stop the projectile mid-flight before rebounding it back into the feral man's face. Bram was so slow that he appeared to be moving in slow motion from Vahn's perspective so there really wasn't anything he could do to surprise him.
With his own spittle hitting him in the face, Bram looked like he completely lost his mind. He howled in rage as he exerted his meager strength against the chains but, no matter how hard he pulled, they hardly budged. The only thing he accomplished was tiring himself out as Vahn stood just outside of his reach, staring down at him with an unflinching expression of absolute scorn. It was obvious that the man had suffered a mental breakdown as, rather than try to plead or negotiate, he grunted and thrashed about like a child throwing a tantrum.
Deciding his time was better spent on other matters, Vahn raised his index finger slightly, drawing the attention of the crazed Magus for a brief moment. Then, with a simple flick towards the ground, the red-haired man was pressed to the floor as if he had a mountain dropped on him. He croaked like a frog as his ribs fractured from the strain, the air in his lungs being forced out in an instant. If his presence wasn't necessary during the upcoming trials, Vahn would have simply killed him then and there.
Now that the screaming had stopped, silence dominated the partitioned room until Vahn stated in a calm tone, "Take this fool back to his cell. As for the child, have Merlin probe his mind for any hidden information that could endanger himself and others. He is young so there is still hope that he will be able to redeem his family in the future."
No matter how much scorn Vahn held toward any particular person or family, he would never force the sins of one onto another. Only tyrants and cowards purged entire family lines as, when it came down to it, there was no reason to eliminate an entire family unless you were afraid of them. They were just normal people and, while they may have limitless potential, the same could be said for the rest of humanity.
If he started purging families just to prevent future enemies, he would drastically reduce the prestige of the Empire and, as was often the case in fiction, someone would slip through the cracks to rise up against him. This was part of the Karmic cycle so, knowing his enemies ahead of time was better than creating unseen enemies as a result of wanton slaughter. He wasn't some evil tyrant that suppressed others, not was he fearful of an uncertain future...
As Bram and his nephew were the last family to be dealt with, at least for the time being, Vahn had Alaya teleport him back to the Hanging Gardens. Dawn was fast approaching and Ark had already been sending data packages through every major network in preparation for Vahn's speech. Soon, his image would be broadcast on virtually every television, computer, and phone. At the same time, the transmissions and recordings of various schemes would be made public while a massive volume of information pertaining to Magecraft, provided courtesy of the Atlas Temple, had been uploaded to every interconnected device.
One of the first phases of Vahn's takeover was the complete shutdown of non-vital communications and, as the internet had long outlived its purpose, the coming dawn meant the end of what could effectively be called the 'Misinformation Era'. He would no longer allow news broadcasters to lie and manipulate the public with false information. Now, they would only be able to use their computers to access a massive library of information and, unless they were directly linked on the same network, it would no longer be possible to communicate with others on the internet.
Vahn knew that there would be a major outcry once the global network was crippled but, as it had not been serving its purpose for decades, he didn't see the point in keeping it around. The supposed intent behind its creation was to connect people all over the globe, allowing them to freely exchange information and knowledge. Instead, it became a marketing platform focused almost exclusively on monetizing its users and spreading misinformation. Most of the information shared by its users was pornography and other forms of entertainment while, behind the scenes, criminal organizations used it to distribute their 'products' globally while monstrous individuals treat it as a playground where they can freely take advantage of others.
As there was no sense in fixing something that was broken on a fundamental level, Vahn would rather be rid of it entirely. He would still allow people to use their computers to obtain information but now, unless they did a direct link or data transfer, 'sharing' anything would be impossible. The coming transition would already be chaotic enough so Vahn would rather have people focus on their survival than wasting their time being fed lies on the internet...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The echoes of Solomon','RIP Bram, you were a cunt, but not the worst cunt','I don't know how I feel about this...!')
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Chương 1313: Dawn
At approximately 7:28AM, the long night finally came to an end as the gentle rays of the sun crested the horizon. The once-dark city was now illuminated, destruction visible in several districts due to the wide-spread fires and rampant rioting. At a glance, it appeared as if a war had ravaged the land as, despite the chaos caused by the collapse of their command structure, the military was still making an effort to keep order. They no longer bothered with the flying fortress above the city as, despite the whispers and murmurs of an invasion, the transmission between Vahn and one of their high ranking Generals had been transmitted to all of them.
Though it was difficult to believe the fortress wasn't responsible for the damage that had been done, it was very apparent that there wasn't much they could do about it. The mysterious Empire had been able to withstand a direct attack from nearly two-hundred attack helicopters before disabling every aircraft and military vehicle within a 300km radius. They had been crippled in an instant, preempted by a single command from the man referring to himself as the Emperor. This showed in impossible to surmount difference in military might so, even if they wanted to fight for their country, their only option was analog weaponry as even the off-shore naval systems had been disabled.
For now, the standing order of all active-duty military personnel was, as Vahn had advised, to focus on the recovery effort. They were told to completely ignore the floating fortress, despite its looming presence and the existential dread such a craft brought with it. After all, most people automatically assumed it was some alien craft and, considering there was no such thing as the Aldrnari Empire, it was easy to conclude that the craft belonged to a foreign, presumably hostile, species.
What none of the standard military personnel and frightened citizenry expected was that, at exactly 7:30AM, their lives would be changed on a fundamental level. Electronics that had been fried by the powerful pulse of energy suddenly returned to life, bringing hope and excitement to those who had hidden away during the previous night's chaos. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered that the grid was still down and, despite some electronics being unplugged, the screens still illuminated as if they had a constant supply of power.
All throughout London and the surrounding cities, every television, computer monitor, and phone screen all showed static. The blaring emergency siren, which had been howling throughout the night, had now turned silent as the tension in the atmosphere became palpable. Everyone knew something major was about to happen and, for a brief moment, people all over the world shifted their focus to the image displayed on their screens. There, replacing the previous static, a handsome man could be seen sitting upon a stone throne with a dragon's visage staring back at them with eerie azure eyes...
The people who had been expecting to see some strange and foreign alien were among the most surprised by the scene they were witnessing as, soon after the image appeared, the man seated on the Throne stated in a deep and resonate tone of voice, "We are the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason..."
---
Considering the fact he was addressing the entire world, Vahn elected to use his actual Throne rather than the borrowed one within the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This was his seat of power and, with today's announcement, the existence of the Empire would become public knowledge. The Dragon's Breath Mist had been dispelled by Merlin so, while the projection of Avalon was still located in a sub-texture beneath the Surface, the physical body of the island had appeared in the real world with the coming dawn.
Vahn was no longer content to just bide his time so, while it would give his enemies a target to focus on, every attack they fended off would only further cement the Empire's power and authority. He did not fear nuclear weapons, orbital lasers, grand rituals, or deadly curses. None of these would be able to shake the foundation of his Empire thus, in order to establish Avalon as a bastion of hope for the beaten, downtrodden, and exploited, it must stand in the light without fearing the darkness...
Though he did not know the exact metrics, Vahn was certain he had nearly half the global population waiting to hear what he had to say so, the moment the broadcast began, he gazed toward the tripod that Da Vinci had set up and stated, "We are the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, Emperor of the Aldrnari Empire. Today marks the beginning of a new era, an era of peace, opportunity, and equality, not just for humanity, but all sapient races...for too long, humanity has been led astray by those who endeavored to secure power for themselves. You have been deceived, manipulated, and exploited to no end...now, all of humanity will learn the truth, the truth about your sins, the corruptive nature of your current society, and the forces that have ruled over you since time immemorial..."
---
Everyone had wondered what the man who introduced himself as an Emperor was going to say but, with few exceptions, none of them were prepared for the many revelations forced upon them. They weren't really able to understand the finer details, especially when Vahn talked about things like Gaia and the Age of Gods, but the more pertinent information got through.
They understood that Vahn was trying to convince them of the existence of Magic, Gods, Spirits, and other metaphysical entities. At the same time, he exposed the schemes of those who had shaped civilization from behind the scenes, bringing to light how they had been manipulated and providing an overwhelming amount of proof, much of which had already been uploaded to their personal devices. The most important bit of information, however, were the details regarding what they should expect in the coming days, months, and years.
Though it sounded like the ramblings of a madman to some, others could feel a burgeoning level of excitement and anticipation as Vahn talked about his vision of the future. He spoke of a world where Magic was commonplace, a world where anyone, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, had the opportunity to achieve their dreams...
At the same time, however, Vahn also mentioned the dissolution of the current system, the ways in which governments would be forced to comply, and the consequences of dissidence and violence. He also spoke about the collapse of the global economy as, in the world he envisioned, the existence of currency itself was a problem. It was not necessarily the root cause of corruption but, as a result of how it was manipulated, it became one of the enabling factors that allowed humanity to be so easily taken advantage of.
When he got to this part of his message, Vahn horrified hundreds of millions of people as he very calmly explained, "We are aware that these changes will result in the deaths of many people. If you wish to avoid becoming a casualty, every computer has all the pertinent information already stored within its hard drive. There, you can learn the cures to virtually every illness and, by following the manuscripts contained within, even learn how to use simple Magecraft in as little as a few weeks. We will do our best to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible but, considering what humanity has done to the planet that gave birth to them, this trial can be considered accepting responsibility for your actions...this planet is not your possession, it is not some shared heritage that you are allowed to exploit at your convenience...now, you will face the consequences of the society your ancestors had built, one that focused more on individual gain than appreciation for the environment you so wantonly violated..."
Vahn's words had different impacts on different cultures but, what everyone knew at an instinctual level was that they were in for some trying times. He had mentioned the abolishment of factories, assembly lines, fast food restaurants, and even food production facilities like slaughterhouses and chicken factories. Systems that produced unnecessary waste products would be abolished in their entirety and, while the Empire would provide access to food and water, options would be extremely limited until the transition had completed.
While most people didn't believe his words had any substance to them, as they simply couldn't rationalize such a drastic change, the people maintaining those facilities understood the truth of the matter. After all, at the same time that the broadcast was occurring, the factories themselves had simply started to vanish, seemingly dissolving into motes of dust that blew away with the wind. This was the result of Da Vinci's micro-golems which, with Maxwell providing functionally infinite energy, had been able to replicate in such vast quantities that they could blanket a country.
Now, these micro-golems, each less than .1 microns in size, were sweeping across the planet like a destructive wave of locusts, annihilating inefficient facilities that contributed more waste, pollution, and environmental damage than actual products. At the same time, dumpsites and landfills across the globe began to seemingly evaporate into thin air, serving as fuel for the ever-increasing mass of microscopic golems that were determined to devour everything recognized as 'waste' within their shared database. This included the infamous Atlantic Garbage Patch, the site that served as the first proving grounds for the minuscule micro-golems.
Vahn had felt utterly disgusted the first time he saw the veritable island of trash so it was the first thing to go. It had provided millions of tons of mass the wave of micro-golems so, in a strangely poetic way, humanity had directly contributed to the collapse of their infrastructure...
Unfortunately, due to the complete takeover of telecommunications by the Empire, news of this event was slow to spread. People were more focused on the broadcast itself and, while some had noticed the destruction, especially in countries like China, Japan, and the United States, there was little they could do about it. Even electromagnetic pulses had no effect on the micro-golems as they were not powered by electronic systems. They used the ambient mana in the atmosphere to power themselves and, so long as they had access to any form of matter, even simple silicon, they could reproduce infinitely.
The only truly unaffected areas were those protected by powerful Bounded Fields but, while the micro-golems could not enter, that didn't mean they had no use. Rather, every time they found a Bounded Field, they transmitted the information back to Ark so that it could be fed into CHADEAS' databanks. At the same time, they created a physical perimeter around the Bounded Field before leaving a message behind, informing the inhabitants that the Empire would be coming by to 'audit' them in the near future...
---
Eventually, Vahn neared the end of his nearly two-hour-long speech. He knew his final words would be the one's best remembered by the people around the world so he fell silent for several seconds before activating his Divinity. At the same time, he borrowed the auras of Alaya, Tiamat, and ORT to caused a pressure wave to descend upon the entire planet. If they hadn't believed him before, Vahn's blazing blue eyes and the very real phenomenon pressuring them made it hard to completely refute his claims.
Now with the entire world's attention focused on him, Vahn's voice became deep and solemn as he stated, "We would have liked to avoid this outcome. However, our hand was forced as a result of the machinations of a few individuals. Now, the system they have created will be destroyed to make way for a world where people coexist with other races, nourishing the planet rather than destroying it. If you must hate us, so be it...from the very beginning, humans were not the masters of this world. The only thing that has changed over the last two hours is that you now have access to the truth...use it wisely or face the consequences...either way, the Age of Man is now over."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'All your base are belong to us','Gray, gooey, ecophagy~','Times up, let's do this...!')
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