Emperor of the World

Wilhelm charged at the head of his horde of almost 1 million undead soldiers towards the Ougonite forces at Ort. The Orcs sortied from the city at the same time.

“Deus lo vult! Leave none of them alive!”

Thanks to the efforts of Synthara, the 200,000 strong Ougonite force were unable to take Ort before they were able to muster the undead army. Now Jupiter’s army lay on the verge of annihilation, beset by wyverns, orcs, humans, goblins, kobolds, and undead. All of them were thirsty for Ougonite blood.

As Wilhelm laid into the Ougonite rearguard, he saw a flash of lightning up ahead.

Morgan spoke in his head, he hated when she did that. “Your majesty, that man is the one who destroyed Rok and one of Ougon’s strongest warriors. We cannot let him escape! He’s badly injured, we won't get another chance like this!”

Wilhelm’s wrath, bottled up and released in disciplined bursts, exploded forth.

“You won't escape me!” Wilhelm channeled forced necromantic energy into his legs and leapt across the fleeing Ougonite army, crushing fleeing enemies beneath the impact of his landing.

Jupiter ran as fast as he could. No matter what the healers did for him, the scars from that fight with the goddess were only just barely healing. He was nowhere near as powerful as he was before. Every twitch of his body felt like it was on fire constantly. The pain was driving him mad. To top it off the reinforcements he was supposed to receive from the Cradle never arrived.

Jupiter was boiling in anger, at the goddess who ruined him, at his allies for abandoning him, and his enemies for forcing him into such a humiliating predicament. The only way out was to break through the Black Gates, which he heard reports was held by the enemy, most likely that bitch he fought. To think she was powerful enough to hold off reinforcements for so long…If he was to die today it will be to her! He will not allow his millennium long legend to end by being killed by some nobody!

“Hold off the enemy for as long as you can! That's an order!” Jupiter yelled behind him. Only a few of them obeyed. Most were smart enough to realize what was happening and wanted to retreat. If Jupiter had the energy he would cut them down for his cowardice.

Jupiter’s steps were large, even in his weakened state he could still run several times faster than a horse, but with each step he made he could hear two louder ones behind him, cutting down the men sent to stop down.

Eventually there was no one in the mountain pass except for himself and his pursuer, a small human boy who was somehow catching up to him.

“Dont come near me, human!” Jupiter yelled as he let out lightning bolts from Fulgora, which the child dodged.

“I will not allow you to escape! Come back and face justice!”

“Silence! You know nothing boy!” Jupiter yelled, suddenly he saw the gates before him, guarded by skeletons with strange weapons. He dodged their projectiles easily. Then the boy, in a great leap, got in front of him and stood with his back at the gate.

Jupiter thrust his spear forward to break through the gate. Wilhelm then grabbed his arm and stopped his momentum, the sudden forceful grip on his scarred flesh made Jupiter cry out.

“You’re too slow.”

Jupiter slapped away Wilhelm's hand, the motion sending a painful shock up his arm. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Jupiter put the last of his energy into defending against the boy’s attacks, who was easily keeping up with him.

He finally managed to get a hit on the boy and send him flying back. “If I am going to die, it will be to your demon goddess! MY LEGACY AS MORTALKIND’S STRONGEST WILL NOT BE STAINED BY LOSING TO A PISSANT LIKE YOU!” Jupiter began gathering energy into his palms and combining it with his Fulgora.

“SOLEMN ANNIHILATION!” It was nowhere near as powerful as it was against Synthara but it's still more than enough to break through the gates and disintegrate the boy in one blast.

“Fool, don't you remember you’re not just fighting me?” Wilhelm’s brief clash allowed the infantry on the gate walls to gather and prepare their guns. “

“This isn't a duel. This is war.”

The musketeer’s muskets were the straw that broke the horse’s back. Jupiter tried to maintain his posture to fire off his attack but the barrage of bullets tore through his flesh and the remnants of his armor, eventually his legs and arms and gave out and he collapsed, the energy from his attack about to explode from not being properly channeled.

The electricity exploded with enough force to shake the mountain.

There was nothing left, not even a corpse.

Thus, the strongest mortal, the oldest elf, met his end due to his own strength. Soon to be abandoned to the footnotes of history.

-

With the Ougonite invasion plan foiled. The Ougon Empire would have to spend time rebuilding its strength and enduring attacks from the Qin Empire, whom the balance of power would shift towards. The Qin Empire would be the Ragna Kingdom’s next rival.

Wilhelm walked proudly within the Schneizel castle court chamber, which was temporarily made the new royal palace, as Synthara decreed. The Schneizel clan were happy to receive the honor of being the frontline of Ragnarok.

Wilhelm walked down the aisle, all of the local nobility remaining in the Ragna Kingdom gathered to witness his coronation. There was also Jarl Zhuul of the Orcs who nodded in approval. Titania who solemnly watched until he came close by and winked at him. Morgan, ever mysterious, gave him a nod of approval.

Finally, Synthara, his goddess, waited for him with a welcoming smile. The crown of the Ragna Kingdom, a black spiky thing with a red jewel at its center, tattered and chipped, yet unbroken, lay on a cushion next to Synthara. As he approached, he kneeled before Synthara. Three Dark Paladins stood at his side and behind him drawing their swords and pointing them at his neck.

“Do you, Wilhelm Starrk, pledge to serve the people of the realm, now and forever? On pain of death?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Wilhelm Starrk, pledge your body and mind to defend this realm and its people, now and forever? On pain of the death of your line?

“I do.”

“Do you, Wilhelm Starrk, pledge your life and soul to me, Synthara, goddess of all the known world and all who reside in it? On pain of eternal damnation?”

“I do.”

Synthara smiled. She used her strings to lift the crown onto her hands and gently placed it on Wilhelm’s head.

“Henceforth, I dub thee, Emperor of the World. Let all in this world bow before you, knowing that any who oppose you shall answer to me. Deus lo Vult!”