The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order Chapter 2

More than a decade following the conclusion of the Crimson War of Extermination, the Great Star Kingdom’s capital, Neptuno, hosted a massive military parade. The air was filled with the sounds of music and cheering as fireworks burst overhead, celebrating the blue-clad soldiers marching through the streets.

Children sat perched on their fathers' shoulders to catch a glimpse of the passing troops, while every face in the crowd beamed with pride and offered respectful salutes to the men in uniform.

While many of the marchers held their heads high with smiles, a significant number possessed eyes that betrayed a deep, hidden sense of shame.

The citizens of the Great Star Kingdom viewed the Crimson War of Extermination as a brutal yet vital struggle to eliminate a race intent on invading their homes and slaughtering their families; however, the soldiers who lived through the campaign understood the grim reality.

There was only one word that truly defined the Crimson War of Extermination.

Genocide.

Suddenly, gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd as a young man was spotted walking directly onto the pristine road occupied by the marching military ranks.

.....

The street was strictly reserved for the military, making his presence a violation, yet that was not what truly stunned the onlookers. It was the young man’s physical appearance that sent a shockwave through the soldiers and civilians of the Great Star Kingdom.

He was a striking and handsome youth, radiating a fearless aura and a body overflowing with vitality. Nevertheless, it was his snow-white hair and crimson eyes that caused the most intense commotion.

It seemed impossible that a survivor of the Crimson People—the race supposedly wiped from existence—would show himself within the Great Star Kingdom, especially during a parade held to celebrate the very war that had eradicated his kind.

With a calm demeanor, the youth walked down the spotless street toward the approaching soldiers. As he passed, the crowd noticed two words emblazoned on the back of his robe.

RED KING.

A heavy silence fell over the area. Some civilians were simply unable to process the surreal sight before them, and in many ways, they were the fortunate ones.

While the common folk saw only a boy, the soldiers felt as though they were standing before a natural calamity—an indifferent force of annihilation destined to destroy everything in its path.

Driven to a breaking point by the psychological pressure emanating from the Red King, a young soldier panicked. He scrambled to load his rifle and pulled the trigger.

“Boom.”

The Red King halted his advance the moment the shot rang out. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the bullet neither pierced him nor bounced away.

Instead, the small lead projectile hung motionless in mid-air, suspended less than five centimeters from the Red King’s face.

Under the horrified gaze of the military and the public, the Red King plucked the bullet from the air with his fingers, causing it to glow with a menacing crimson light.

Fixing his gaze on the soldier who had fired at him, the Red King flicked the bullet back.

“BOOOM!” The force of the crimson bullet leaving his hand created an explosion akin to a tank's main cannon.

The sheer kinetic energy of the projectile tore through the ranks, blowing dozens of soldiers—including the shooter—into bloody fragments.

“?AHHHHH!”

Screams of terror erupted at the sight of the carnage, but they were cut short. The Red King slammed his palm against the ground, sending a wave of crimson light surging through the earth for hundreds of meters in every direction.

That blood-red glow was the final sight for those soldiers and civilians before jagged earth spikes erupted from below, impaling them all instantly.

The Red King watched the slaughter with eyes devoid of any emotion. Knowing this was merely the opening act, he shifted his attention to the fighter jets screaming across the sky.

The ensuing battle was a lopsided confrontation between advanced military technology and raw supernatural power.

Missiles, explosives, and high-caliber rounds rained down upon the Red King, who retaliated by summoning fireballs, arcs of lightning, howling storms, and corrosive acid rain among many other mystical arts.

Just as it had been during the Crimson War of Extermination—where one side held overwhelming power—the outcome of this clash was never in doubt.

Neptuno, the pride of the Great Star Kingdom and a metropolis of fifty-five million people backed by the world's strongest military, was turned to cinders in less than fifteen hours.

Only two living souls remained in the city, hovering in the sky above the smoldering ruins. One remained expressionless, while the other was consumed by total despair.

Sunit the Great, having witnessed the total destruction of everything he loved, could barely find his voice. His body had failed him; he only remained aloft because the Red King held him firmly by the scruff of his neck.

“Monster...”

The Red King glanced at Sunit, noting those were the first words the Star King had uttered since his capture.

“Monster, demon, a creature from hell sent to lay waste to my holy kingdom!” The Star King shrieked with all his remaining strength, his mind seemingly shattered by the loss of his empire.

The Red King merely shook his head at Sunit’s accusations.

“Mysticism and fairy tales. These are the crutches used by the weak and the ignorant to explain phenomena that surpass their intellect.

Only three days after I was born, I could comprehend language and observe my environment. Within a week, I was speaking and solving complex mathematical equations.

I kept these talents hidden from my parents, of course, knowing that an entity such as myself would only breed terror in normal humans.

By my first birthday, I sensed the fundamental force that saturates every corner of this world. Before turning three, I had mastered using it to manifest elemental spells and temper my physical body.”

Sunit could not grasp the nature of the force the Red King described, but the youth required no understanding from him.

“You... you are a devil. God will surely strike down your profane existence for what you did to my subjects.”

The Red King remained unmoved, shaking his head once more.

“So, in your logic, decreeing the genocide of the Crimson People was divine will, yet the destruction of your kingdom is an affront to God. I expected more from the ruler of the world's greatest power, but you are just another hypocrite.” Without another word, the Red King opened his hand.

“Ahhh!” The Star King of the Great Star Kingdom plummeted from the heavens, his scream ending abruptly as he slammed into the earth, every bone in his body shattering upon impact.

Ten days before his fifteenth birthday, the Red King had annihilated the Great Star Kingdom, the global superpower responsible for the massacre of his people.

Looking out over the ruined cityscape, the Red King realized he was now the most powerful being on the planet, yet the realization felt hollow.

As the night faded and the sun began to rise, the warmth of the star touched him, and a new, genuine passion ignited in his heart.

“This world is too small for me.” A smile finally touched the Red King’s lips as he looked up toward the vast celestial bodies shimmering in the firmament.