ACT 10: A'rao

The Devourer of Darkness

“As his son, I will fulfill my duties with great excellence and perfection.”

“I wonder what B'tuin is up to?”

“I am not called the Devourer of Darkness for nothing!”

Nation: Sigma Asteria

Sex: Male

Birthday: Unknown

A’rao grew up listening to his father’s behest and teachings. His years were spent in classes, training, and drowned in books. He never experienced being free from the duties of an heir, like playing with kids the same age as him. People already expected great things from him, even as the youngest son of the god of power. Many have besmirched his name for his conceited and competitive nature; still, they trust him due to his honesty and fairness. Despite being pressured in the royal bloodline, he saw it as a privilege to serve and flourish their land into a wealthy one. His charismatic attitude is renowned throughout Sigma Asteria for capturing the hearts of ladies in a second. However, he is not yet ready to settle down at the time, as his main objective stands taller and unachieved.

The day that another son of the god entered their realm, all eyes were upon him. A’rao tried to disregard the bitter and indignant feeling that disturbed his composure, but the scene in front of him had dealt enough pain. He never truly knew himself; trapped inside the cage of his father’s expectations, he restricted himself from feeling the world’s wonders. Despite that, he was a leader that soldiers looked upon; the gentleness that cared for his people urged them to follow in his footsteps. Behind the austerity of their rule in Sigma Asteria, it did not hinder him from yearning for a parent’s love and attention. He was a child who wanted his father’s eyes to be filled with recognition and pride, to hear him praise his achievements and talents. Yet, every effort and sweat he puts into it will never be enough in his eyes.

THE PINNACLE OF THE CHAMPION

A’rao was born under the lucky star, given everything he could have needed and wanted at a young age. Raised as the perfect son of the god of power, he cannot act recklessly; that will destroy their reputation. All his life, he craved his father’s praise and approval. Left by servants to take care of him, he never experienced affection from his family. His brothers had problems to deal with while growing up; he had to figure it out alone. His naivety led him to assume to be his father’s favorite child, but he was wrong. Although they were similar in almost everything, his eyes would always be filled with disappointment. Still, he never gave in to the negative emotions and strived to be better than anyone, a champion in everyone’s eyes.

Days were peaceful when suddenly his father introduced an unfamiliar man to him; B’tuin, the son of the god of Immortality, was his name. Oblivious to their world and exiled by his father, A’rao underestimated the outlandish man; he was nowhere to his strength in comparison. However, the god of power became interested in his abilities. It did not bother him initially, but the doubts began to eat him inside; it took it not long for him to question his worth as the heir. Despite being born directly under his lineage, he was still weak and full of imperfections. He never expected those words to come out of his father’s mouth; his heart churned in pain to see him be more caring to someone he had just met. It made him more uncertain of his value; in the end, he just plastered a fake smile while leaving. He will never make his father looked at his way while a pathetic man still stands.

TWO PATHS CROSSED

Many months have passed, and Neko Sekai still stands peaceful due to the efforts of the gods and the holy cats. However, a disturbance was felt by the god of power, ominous energy flowing from Atrapax, where hellcats and the infamous god of the world were incarcerated. Distraught by this turn of events, hundreds of shadow angels were quickly ordered to scout the land of Neko Sekai, changing their form to avoid alerting the enemies. Alas, their nightmare did turn into a reality; the broken seal in Atrapax stood before them. The Shadow angels were about to leave the area and report to Cedora. To their surprise, even though they had changed their form and hidden their auras, they were still spotted. They were trapped by the Eirians, who were much faster and stronger than last time with their enhanced senses. Hundreds of their comrades were slain; in return was the arrival of the Guardian Angels. If the situation worsens, the gods will send the legalities, the highest class of holy cats.

Many hours had passed, and the guardian angels were being outnumbered and beaten; the safety of Neko Sekai and the entire Defverse Cosmos was put at significant risk. A’rao, who heard the commotion, quickly went to the battleground and lent his strength. Slaughtering everyone in his way with his mighty ax, no one stood a chance against him. The holy cats have regained their ground since the great Devourer of Darkness was with them. The god of the underworld saw that her army of hellcats and eirians was being conquered, so she decided to show up on the battleground. Everyone was surprised—even A’rao since that was the first time seeing her in person. The underworld god pointed her finger towards him, and a great ball of sinister, powerful energy was shot at him. He had no time to react and thought that was his end. Suddenly B’tuin showed up, absorbed the dark energy with his spear, and sent it back to the god of the underworld, who was quick enough to dodge it. The battle was no longer between them; it was a battleground for the gods. The god of the underworld smirked at him before vanishing into thin air, which left him in a state of confusion. He thanked B’tuin and realized that he was a friend that could be relied upon.

A FALSE FACADE

Since the god of the underworld vanished, B’tuin and A’rao thought the fight was over, and the holy cats rejoiced with them. A great shout of victory can be heard all over Neko Sekai. However, that triumph was cut off when the ground began to shake. Huge smoke was emitting from the Mont Paradeisos, the tallest volcano in Neko Sekai that could reach the clouds. Lavas and rocks were ejected from the volcano and hit the nations of Neko Sekai. The gods saw what was happening from Cedora, and they interfered. However, the god of power assured the two he could control the situation and descend. He used his abilities to control the magma below the ground to stop the volcano from erupting.

A’rao and B’tuin continued to fight the hellcats and eirians along with the holy cats. The god of the underworld’s prediction was correct, and they have fallen into her trap. The god of the underworld appeared once again, and the god of power was surprised upon seeing her face. Her face was full of anger that had her glaring at him; she could not wait any longer but kill him at that moment. The god of the underworld pointed her fingers and shooted dark magic at him that the god of power had no time to evade. Fortunately, A’rao quickly flew towards his father and deflected the attack with his ax, saving his father’s life. Alas, the god of the underworld’s surprise attack failed twice, so all of the hellcats and eirians disappeared along with her, retreating in defeat. The god of power successfully controlled the volcano and returned it to its sleeping state. The god of power thanked his son for saving his life, and he was pleased since his plans had been carried out, albeit at a high cost.