As Rias began to question himself, a melodious violin began to play in the air, or, to say it another way, in the entire world. After the short yet somber tune finished, a voice began to resound throughout the world.
"Hello~ lowly mortals of earth."
Rias raised his head, staring at the sky. His eyes widened in shock witnessing what was above.
A gigantic torso was floating in the sky with no head, no arms, and no legs. It had a round eye on its chest with shattered red pigment. On its bottom, several heads of humans and unknown creatures were stitched with mouths wide open.
"Hey, hey, hey. Don't get scared. How can you be scared of your only savior?" Its eyes glinted as if it were in joy. "You guys might be wondering what happened to everyone you know loved or hated. Well, first let me introduce myself."
"I am Aglyate, the overseer of the 858989056th Fable Wars. And what are the Fable Wars? It is the war where countless Shattered ones weave their own fable across the stars to satisfy the Aster Chronicle!"
"Through this war, one can shed their mortal body and can ascend to Godhood. And some can go even beyond, to an end no one has ever reached."
"Well, that is still too far, so let's not talk about that."
"Now, you might be wondering why everyone vanished, scattered away like dust. Hehehe… to gain something, you need to lose something first. So, they were sacrificed for you fortunate individuals to get marked as Shattered ones in the Aster Chronicle!"
"Now that everyone is registered as Shattered Ones, just call your name in your mind and you will find everything you need to know."
Rias digested all the information and called out his name in his head.
'Kyle Rias'
Instantly, a digital holographic page appeared before him.
[Name: Kyle Rias
Strength: 7
Stamina: 12
Speed: 8
Rank: Mortal
Title: None
Fables: None
Items: None]
"Hehehehehe…hahahahahha…"
"You saw it correctly, right? Yes, you guys have nothing, but don't worry. Now, your journey to heaven or hell will begin."
A short notice with a red alert sign popped up before Rias's eyes.
[Volume 0: Survive to Ascend
Time: 3 Days
Reward: Access to blessings]
As soon as Rias finished reading, Aglyate vanished. In its place, a blue portal opened in the sky with the size of an eight-story building.
From it a couple types of creatures began to drop. Rias's breath quickened as he saw hundreds, if not close to a thousand, creatures emerge from that portal.
With no further thought, Rias quickly went inside the police station. He picked up a pistol and wore a vest filled with magazines. Then he ran toward the nearest store to get a knife for close encounters. He also took some rations. He filled his bag with a few water bottles and some short snacks.
Now the only thing that was ringing in his mind was to survive. Survive the hell that was about to come.
Afterwards, Rias set his sight on the tallest building close to him, which was built by a mobile company named Chokia, and it was also the company he works for.
'Fortunately, the portal didn't open near to it. However, I also don't have much time to reach it. I can already hear roars coming from those creatures. Let's first get to a safe place temporarily.'
Rias began running toward the Chokia building with all of his strength. From childhood, Rias had always been an excellent runner. So, in three to four minutes, Rias was already nearing the Chokia building. Unfortunately for him, he began to hear the sounds of cars crashing, windows shattering, and growls of those creatures.
Without a second thought, Rias entered the building close to him and ran to the highest floor. This building had only four floors, so it didn't take too long for him to reach.
Rias saw only three doors, and all of them were closed. His eyes quickly fixated on the door with a lock on, as he didn't have the strength to force open a door that was locked from inside. He equipped his pistol and aimed the lock. Taking a deep breath to calm down his tense nerves, he pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Rias was forced back a bit from the recoil. Fortunately, he didn't miss his shot. The lock was broken, letting him enter the house.
After Rias entered, he quickly locked the door and went to close the windows too. However, it seemed the windows were already closed. Still, he had to close the curtains.
When everything was done, Rias got the time to take a breather. He toured this small home, which only had one bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Everything was neat and clean. He sat on the bed and picked up the picture on the dressing table.
It was a photo of a family of three. Rias saw a bearded man standing, hugging his still young-looking wife. In the middle was a girl, with a big innocent smile on her face. A healthy and happy family in this city with rats and vultures.
A smile also appeared on Rias's face in such an apocalyptic situation.
'If only everyone were able to live so happily.' Rias began to wonder about his and the world's future. 'I have lost everything. Everything was taken away from me. I just have to survive. But… but what for? I have no one to live for. No one was waiting for me. Everyone I know is gone. It's as if I am a plague. Everyone near me has an unfortunate ending.'
Rias had experienced too many heartbreaks and misfortunes since birth. So, nothing makes him cry or to be sad at. This leads to him having to end his own life to end this misery. Yet those words filled with gentle care and love make him continue to walk.
"Son, do not ever give up. Be gentle and full of love. Just like Mother loves you. So please, live on."
"Mother, did you know what I go through? For that reason you spoke those words?" Rias whispered, still looking at the family picture. "To live on, I seemed to have lost something, more than the people I know. I… I do not even shed a tear after you left me."