Kali originally had a home. It was a life she was perfectly content with. Living in poverty meant little to her. From a young age, she was noticeably sharper than those around her. She simply thought deeper.
Unfortunately, she had been subjected to the passive, unrelenting indoctrination of her homeland's native religious dogma. Or, more accurately, she had been completely brainwashed. Because of this, despite her natural brilliance, her mindset remained trapped within the vicious cycle of the caste system.
Of course, whether she realized these truths or not made little difference to the girl she used to be. Given her family's financial situation and the rigid social structure of her country, there was never any hope of turning their lives around. For young Kali, it was enough just to live and laugh alongside her parents.
Yet even that minuscule wish was crushed.
Starting a few months ago, the fates of many within the Dharavi slums were violently upended. People were forced into horrific new realities. Kali was no exception. Over the past few months, both her father and her mother had been reduced to what the corrupt profiteers called "consumables." They were harvested to manufacture serum. She herself was nearly murdered by those very same scum. That hatred was permanently branded into her soul. She would have her revenge.
But there was something else she could not tolerate. Heretics were parading a false god, defiling her true faith. That pristine white hall. That magnificent throne. She had only set foot in that domain for a brief moment, yet she had received the ultimate salvation.
On that day, having survived on the brink of despair, she discovered for the very first time that such breathtaking beauty existed in this world. Her brilliant mind experienced a sudden, massive expansion of its horizons. She was left utterly awe-struck. Therefore, she offered her deepest gratitude, respect, and absolute worship to the heavenly Patron who had granted her this opportunity.
And in return, the Deity answered her prayers. She was gifted with extraordinary power, enough to punish the wicked and the heretical. She became a "Divine Apostle," chosen to act as an executioner of evil on behalf of the heavens.
Through the divine knowledge passed down by this Patron, her sharp mind learned the truth about the mystical artifacts those heretics used to deceive the masses. They were called "Divine Keys." They were weapons forged by humanity after they murdered the Divine Apostles of other timelines and usurped their sacred authorities. In Kali's eyes, this was an unforgivable act of absolute blasphemy.
"I must grow stronger."
Kali had already prepared herself for a long, grueling escape. She needed to lie low. She would wait with absolute patience.
"I will wait until... until I am stronger than all of them."
With her resolve set, Kali bolted out of the Dharavi slums. She wore no shoes because she had no money for them. She didn't particularly like wearing them anyway. Besides, her physical constitution had already far surpassed that of an ordinary human. The body of a Herrscher boasts an incredibly high baseline defense. Under normal circumstances, she could completely ignore minor stab wounds or cuts.
Kali ran faster and faster. Strangely enough, someone with her newfound speed should have fled inland and vanished into the dense crowds. That would have been the optimal strategy. Yet her escape route was taking her straight toward the port. She was rapidly closing in on the ocean.
Finally, she reached the coastline. Without a single shred of hesitation, she found a spot near the water lined with small boats and took a flying leap. According to her understanding of her own Authority, and the application methods whispered to her by the Patron, the water ahead was her true safe zone.
Unfortunately, the anticipated sensation of a dragon returning to the sea never came. Kali froze. A single arm was currently wrapped securely around her waist.
Click. Clack.
Footsteps echoed over the rushing water. The uninvited guest carried her down and landed softly on a crude wooden pier. The stranger then gently set Kali down.
"You..." "!!!"
The moment Kali's bare feet touched the wood, she scrambled backward, putting a massive distance between them.
A streak of blinding fire descended from the heavens. Alarm bells instantly shrieked in Kali's mind, violently snapping her train of thought. She hadn't detected it immediately. It was a searing wave of fire plunging from a blind spot in the sky directly behind her. And it was aimed right at her!
At the most critical second... Clang!
The purple-haired woman materialized a long katana out of thin air. She effortlessly parried the lethal strike.
A wave of delayed terror washed over Kali. It was close. It was far too close. She had almost lost the body her parents had given her.
Right at that moment, an icy male voice pierced the air.
"Step aside, Raiden Mei."
Kali immediately scrambled to her feet and looked toward the source of the voice. A white-haired young man stood there, clad in a black trench coat and wielding a blazing greatsword. He was glaring coldly at the purple-haired woman.
So her name is Raiden Mei. Kali committed the name to memory. But at the same time, her eyes locked onto the weapon in the white-haired man's hands. A Divine Key. Here was another blasphemer! A look of absolute loathing flashed across Kali's eyes.
"Kevin, why are you here?" The purple-haired woman, Raiden Mei, asked in a heavy tone. "Why?"
"Why am I here?" The white-haired man, Kevin, took a step back and raised his left hand, pointing the blade straight at Kali. "She is a newly born Herrscher."
"..."
"History has already changed." Kevin's tone was grim. "The Third Eruption did not break out in Nagazora as scheduled. She is not necessarily the Herrscher of Thunder."
"No. She is definitely not the Herrscher of Thunder." Kevin looked straight into Raiden Mei's eyes and corrected himself. "Because that person explicitly stated that the Authority of Thunder will always be reserved for you. Your seat is waiting."
Kali frowned. That person? Who?
"..." Raiden Mei remained completely silent. Seeing her reaction, Kevin pressed on.
"Raiden Mei, I once granted you access to the classified World Serpent database. You should know full well that the Herrschers of my era possess absolutely no humanity. I once made that exact same mistake. I chose to trust..."
"I know." Raiden Mei finally spoke. Her emotional state seemed incredibly unstable. "Because of Elysia. She hasn't given up on her so-called 'brighter hope' yet. She is still here. She hasn't sacrificed herself yet, which means the Herrschers of this era cannot regain their humanity."
Kali stared blankly. ??? What were these two talking about? What did 'regaining humanity' mean? What sacrifice?
She couldn't comprehend a single word, so she opted to stay completely silent and just listen. She did, however, slowly inch her feet backward toward the water. She was desperately trying to retreat into what she believed was her absolute safe zone.
Shhhk.
"Eh?"
Her entire field of vision spun wildly upside down. In the midst of her utter bewilderment, Kali saw something standing on the dock. She saw herself. She saw her own headless body. And then, she saw the purple-haired woman sliding her katana back into its sheath.
"I'm sorry." It was Raiden Mei. She had struck without a single microsecond of warning.
Splash.
Kali's severed head tumbled into the water. Her collapsing, headless corpse sprayed blood like a fountain. Within seconds, the surrounding water was dyed a sickening crimson.
Right in that moment, Raiden Mei spoke again. "I am truly sorry."
Her tone of voice grew increasingly bizarre. It didn't sound like she was explaining her actions to anyone else. It sounded like she was talking to herself. Worse still, it sounded like she was desperately trying to convince herself of something. It was an incredibly eerie feeling. To an outside observer, it would have looked utterly deranged. She just kept muttering under her breath.
"She is coming soon." Raiden Mei stared down at Kali's headless corpse and spoke slowly. "You are a Herrscher. You are an unpredictable variable that could affect her."
"I didn't want to hurt you..."
"But Kevin is here. He found us."
"I have no way of taking you with me, so my only option was to eliminate you immediately."
"I wanted to save you too..."
"I'm sorry!"
"!!!"
In that fleeting second... Even stripped of its physical vessel, her fading consciousness experienced a violent surge of emotion.
Because she couldn't take me with her, she had to eliminate me? So that's how it is. That's how it is!
That whole speech about 'not wanting to hurt me'... it was all a lie! Liars! Die! All of you, go die!!
This wasn't a world where anyone could be happy. This was just a slaughterhouse. I want you all to rot in hell!!!
----
how was it?