In the heart of the Holy City, nestled amidst towering chrome skyscrapers, resided a restaurant so exclusive that securing a reservation was akin to capturing a unicorn.
Yet, there sat Lord Nicholson, a man whose power transcended mere wealth and influence, indulging in a decadent feast.
He was a World Councilperson, a position that dwarfed the authority of the so-called elected president.
Surrounding him were two breath-taking women, each adorned in the finery befitting their aristocratic status. Their laughter, like tinkling crystal, filled the serene atmosphere as they savored the restaurant's signature dish – a mutated fish boasting iridescent scales and a taste that danced on the tongue.
Suddenly, the tranquil scene shattered.
A trusted servant, his normally stoic composure replaced by frantic energy, burst through the gilded doors. Beads of sweat clung to his brow, and his voice trembled as he announced the news.
"My Lord," he gasped, "there's been a development of… utmost importance."
Lord Nicholson, a man not easily discomposed, raised an eyebrow.
"The opera has been cancelled?" he inquired, a hint of annoyance flickering across his face.
He had promised his companions an evening at the prestigious venue, but rumors of revolutionary activity targeting performers who entertained the Holy City elite had been swirling for weeks.
"N-no, sir," the servant stammered, his voice bordering on a squeak. "Something far more… extraordinary."
Intrigue piqued Lord Nicholson's curiosity. His initial annoyance vanished, replaced by a flicker of genuine surprise.
When the servant revealed the sight of dark, ominous clouds hovering over Eden, a collective gasp escaped the trio.
Eden, the paradise ruled by the Ice Queen, a fellow council member, was a place shrouded in beauty and mystery. It was a sanctuary for women, a utopia untouched by the corruption that plagued the outside world.
Even the women, acquainted with the Ice Queen's ethereal beauty through holographic portraits, couldn't help but be captivated by the image conjured by the servant's words.
A steely glint hardened Lord Nicholson's gaze. He waved his hand and a holographic display flickered to life on the table.It showcased a live feed from one of his personal spy satellites.
The World Government, wary of the Ice Queen's fierce independence, wouldn't dare intrude on her domain with their official surveillance technology.
But Lord Nicholson possessed his own network.
However, Eden's defenses were formidable. The Ice Queen had implemented sophisticated technology that rendered the satellite feed useless beyond lush jungle canopies and snow-capped peaks – beautiful, but ultimately useless intelligence.
Yet, the satellite picked up on the anomaly – the menacing storm clouds roiling above the paradise.
The satellite's data stream provided an additional detail that sent a jolt through Lord Nicholson.
A terrifying level of power emanated from those clouds.
"The Evolution Domain!" he exclaimed, recognition flashing in his eyes. "That's the signature of Dr. NTR unleashing his full might."
His mind flickered to Kiba, a newcomer to the council.
To Lord Nicholson's knowledge, Kiba was a brilliant doctor, revered for his contributions to medical advancements.
At least that was his earlier belief.But then, he learned from his female companions that "Dr. NTR" title held a darker connotation – a whisper of a disturbing secret Kiba indulged in, one that preyed on unsuspecting husbands.
The memory sent a dark scowl flitting across Lord Nicholson's face.
"Dr. NTR must be locked in a battle with the Ice Queen!" Lord Nicholson exclaimed, a hint of glee lacing his voice. "It makes sense, though. Eden is forbidden territory for men! Earlier, when Lord Elliot informed me that Dr. NTR was going to Eden, I thought he was headed straight for death!
Looks like I was right!"
A chuckle escaped his lips.
"What?!"
His female companions felt as if the heavens had fallen.
Dr. NTR is going to be killed!?
Wouldn't that be unfair to womankind!
They had heard the gossipy details of the wonderful cock he carried in his pants!
And secretly, they wanted to test it...
Of course, it was only to confirm the rumours!
And not for anything else!
Lord Nicholson misunderstood their downcast expressions as shock of the happening at Eden.
"This is good news, my loves!" Lord Nicholson stated, attempting to bring smiles on their faces.
The prospect of either Kiba or the Ice Queen suffering defeat, or worse, injury, brought him a twisted sense of satisfaction. Both were council members who had earned their positions through sheer strength, a path Lord Nicholson vehemently opposed.
He, on the other hand, enjoyed the privilege of his noble heritage.
The council, originally comprising only nine members representing the founding Nine Great Families, had been forced to expand to accommodate beings of immense power like Kiba and the Ice Queen.
"Strength is not everything," Lord Nicholson muttered, a sneer twisting his lips. "They lack the noble blood, the lineage that defines true power! Even beasts are strong, yet we don't bow down to them."
A devious glint flickered in his eyes.
"If the Ice Queen is weakened in this confrontation… perhaps an opportunity arises. I could seize control of the World Fragment that forms the foundation of Eden, a symbol of the Mother Trinity!"
His companions' expression remained bitter.
They could only pray that the gods wouldn't be unfair to womankind by robbing them of Kiba...
*** ***
Back in Eden, amidst the chaos Kiba had unleashed, the reality was far from Lord Nicholson's gloating expectations.
Kiba wasn't locked in an epic battle with the Ice Queen; the only war he waged was against himself. Blood streamed down his back, a crimson stain blossoming against his once pristine white shirt.
The air crackled with the raw energy of the electrified whip, each self-inflicted lash a sickening thud that echoed through the clearing.
"Please stop!"
Tempest, her heart a hummingbird trapped in her chest, watched tears blurring her vision.
But who could stop him!?
The power of the Evolution Domain made it difficult to approach Kiba, let alone stop him!
A storm of a different kind raged within the hearts of the Dryad warriors. Their initial fear and anger had morphed into a profound sense of sorrow, a sorrow that threatened to drown them whole.
For generations, their tribe and for that matter, everyone on Eden, had clung to the belief that men were nothing but demons in disguise.
Plunderers, destroyers, the natural enemy of womankind.
It was a truth passed down through generations, whispered in hushed tones around crackling fires, a narrative woven into the very fabric of their existence.
When they first encountered Kiba, their biases were already firmly in place. His arrival, his undeniable strength, and their subsequent defeat at his hands only served to solidify these beliefs. Here was living proof of the monstrous nature of men.
But now, as they witnessed Kiba's self-flagellation, a horrifying spectacle of raw power and agonizing pain, the carefully constructed edifice of their beliefs began to crumble.
The sight of a man, a being of such immense power, inflicting such suffering upon himself defied all logic. It challenged everything they thought they knew about men.
An old Dryad, her face etched with the wisdom of countless seasons, spoke, her voice barely a whisper above the cacophony of the storm.
"Could this man be… the one spoken of by the Sirens tribe?"
A flicker of recognition crossed Penelope's face as the prophecy the elder referenced surfaced in her memory.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage.
"You mean…" she stammered, her voice thick with disbelief, "he's the one the gods promised…?"
Tempest, amidst her sorrow, was bewildered.
"Promised what?!" she demanded, frustration lacing her tone.
Penelope swallowed hard, the weight of the revelation threatening to suffocate her.
"The Sirens," she explained, her voice barely a whisper, "they prophesied… a man unlike any other would emerge. A bearer of a legendary title…"
"What title?!"
Tempest pressed, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Penelope met her gaze, her voice trembling with the magnitude of the word she was about to utter.
"The… The Feminist!"