Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

"Brother, I have a dream, this place would be the foundation for my kingdom! My civilization!!", he once spoke, standing atop a hill.

With his brother watching his back with a smile.

To Romulus, that was the last time he ever spoke to Remus, his brother. As the two went on to do their own things. One to end the era of gods, one to flush in the age of humanity.

From a simple camp in the forest to a small settlement, then a village, which quickly became a town in a few years... and over a few decades, it became a city. That city was named Rome.

At that moment, the man left in a storm. To leave his city, faking his own death.

But he never left his Civilization out of his gaze. Since then, he has grown alongside his city, watching it become a Kingdom.

And from a Kingdom, it turned into a Republic that lasted for over 500 years...

Then it grew so large, it became an Empire... one built upon aspirations, a nation— no, Rome became a Concept, a Concept of Unity, of Power, and Domination. But further than all, a Concept of Acceptance.

To protect this Empire, Romulus wandered around the world, picking up fragments - shards - of the gods his brother killed. He created Patchwork Gods, smashing the souls of different gods together and housed them in artificial bodies.

The defender gods of Rome, though they were not meant to defend against humans. They were made to defend against things like the Sea People, Eldritch Gods, Eldritch Beings, and if it comes to it... to fight against The Ego of the World itself.

Over a thousand years, he watched as his Empire slowly crumbled with a smile. As all things must end, the beginning always needs an ending.

Yet... even if his Empire shattered, those "fragments" his nation left behind became a part of all civilization. Rome the nation crumbled, Rome the Concept lives on.

For Romulus, this was his plan to safeguard humanity. The nation that will forever exist, it does not matter if its border changes, even if its name changes... the Nation calls Humanity... is the Nation of Eternity.

Now he sat on his golden throne, through the screens courtesy of the Eldritch God of Order and Creation, Welt Ealam the World Border.

He saw her conduct against the elven village, how she tricked them into accepting her out of desperation. It gave him quite the chuckle, seeing how she took pleasure in killing children and got bored right after, ending the whole thing and wiping out an entire chunk of the forest.

Her rage against the elves was real, and her prejudice against them even more. He learned that she viewed everything other than humans as beneath her care, something he can relate to.

Then the second trial, where she had to fight against the Jury of the Pale Court known as The Dino King. He was quite surprised to see not just a Herald, but a Dinosaur Herald. Charlotte was barely on their level, but her tenacity was on another front.

Romulus found it quite amusing, since all he did was give vague descriptions as per the Eldritch God's request. It had taken quite the creative liberty.

Kinda ironic how an incomprehensible being acted like... an overly enthusiastic gamer. Or maybe that is how he perceives that incomprehensible being, since the human brain always tones down to make complicated subjects comprehensible.

The third trial was an investigation mission, something to test out her intelligence. And as he expected, Charlotte was smarter than she looked, even if she was a brute by nature. She solved it relatively quickly if not for the time she thoroughly searched around the place.

Though he found her method to be inefficient, as she had access to the infinite library of humanity, she should have solved it the moment she learned of the location the castle was in. Charlotte wanted to have fun, unlike him who was all business in this era. It was certainly refreshing.

The fourth trial was an interesting one, Romulus only gave the prompt of "expressing the soul". A singing performance was unexpected, one with the audience being Eldritch Gods at that. Her singing was enjoyable, and he learned of what her soul was like.

An unrelenting fire that could burn for eternity, one that may as well consume the world if left unchecked. But at the same time, that fire could burn the enemy of humanity... Romulus could use that fire more effectively than a child.

But to rob someone of their power, what they were born with, is not the style of Romulus. He does not want to do that, instead, he wants to direct and control Charlotte. To Dominate her.

Though he knew the girl would never listen, she had too much pride in herself.

And the next trial proved it, the battle against her own reflection— the person she hated most. Romulus half expected her to be fighting a Replica of him, but what came out overridden the whole trial...

The Records of Earth, Sinclair Apocrypha, was the Charlotte of an alternative timeline. Someone who went mad because of Romulus, who was stubborn enough to keep defying him. Someone petty enough to destroy the world to spite him, to ruin what he wanted to protect.

Two people who wanted to protect humanity. But their ideals clashed...

He smiled, as he would not let Charlotte end up like Sinclair. He did not know what his alternative self did... but that does not matter right now.

Standing up from his throne, Romulus summoned a golden sword that glow like an ethereal touch.

Clank!!

And he clashed against the silver lance, countering her back.

"Welcome, Silver Princess of Humanity.", he smiled, fluttering his glossy bronze hair, and he spoke in a tone full of authority, in absolution, "I, The Progenitor of Civilization, Romulus the Son of Mars, challenge you to a last stand."

"A last stand, you say?", Charlotte smirked, her sharp azure gaze directed at him, like a Judge awaiting to give out the verdict... no, she was looking at his sword.

"Why do you have it?", she demanded, "Why do you have Excalibur?"

Romulus planted the golden sword into the ground, "Because it had chosen me.", he did notice her silver lance was... special.

"And from this feeling, that lance is Rhongomyniad. So that is the weapon your future self gave you...", he mused.

"It is called Quirinus, named after your god identity. Well, it can control the Concept of Storm.", Charlotte explained, "In the Name of Humanity."

Quirinus was what the Romans called him after he made one of his visits to the city. He found it ironic that the ultimate weapon against him held his name...

Wind gathered around the lance, and then sparks of electricity followed.

"Manifest Destiny!"

She appeared before Romulus, her eyes were wild with the craving for violence.

Clank!!

Their weapons clashed again, but the spiraling wind made the lance slip through. It struck at him— only to be blocked by an invisible barrier. Yet, there was some cracking, his barrier caved in for a single moment.

"Tch.", she clicked her tongue and disappeared again.

"Justice."

Then came a rain of blades and bullets hailed down upon the golden king. He of course did not dodge, as the barrier protects him from ever being touched.

His barrier is untouchable, as it is connected to Civilization itself— as long as humanity still follows what his nation brought, he is invincible.

And Charlotte knew it too.

Taking the initiative, Romulus swung his sword— sending a golden wave of fire at Charlotte. She stabbed her lance into the ground, creating a barrier of wind to pacify the golden flame of civilization.

Before the fire disappeared, the golden king dashed towards Charlotte, uncaring about the sheer number of blades and bullets raining upon him— he swung his sword down, crashing upon the Quirinus with the weight of human history.

Strong was an understatement, as Charlotte caved in instantly, her knees dropped down and a crater was formed.

"You cannot fight against human civilization itself, Charlotte.", he gave an ultimatum, "Just give up—"

He disengaged, avoiding the burst of blue flame that came out of her.

Charlotte merely smiled, scoffing almost, her eyes full of contempt and prejudice, "Give up? Me? GIVING UP?! Hehahahahaha!!! I am humanity itself!! We never give up! I never give up!! Someone as petty as me cannot give up—!!!"

She stood back up, pulling down her hat.

"Dear Golden King, I know you are practically omniscient, Civilization itself is your eyes. So, have you ever seen me comply with such a boring deal?"

No, the answer is a resounding no.

Romulus felt something bad was about to happen, he knew Charlotte was running her mouth to stall for time. She has a plan.

And he will not let her succeed.

Clank!!

Once again, their blades clashed. Romulus was an unrelenting storm, pushing Charlotte back with the weight and power of civilization.

He was faster than her by a long shot, and his power was more than enough to make up for anything he was lacking. All the girl could do was dodge and block.

She has to use Malice Flame multiple times to push him away, even if they did nothing, the flame of evil and rage was still hot enough to make him back away. Not that it would do anything to the Progenitor of Civilization.

"Open, Gate of Akasha! The Imprisoned Arsenal, Ouroboros Omniscia!!", she summoned the coffin of infinite weaponry, grabbed the chain she swung it at Romulus.

He, of course, deflected the heavy coffin. Only for it to burst into several rays, beams of energy shot everywhere, destroying the interior of his throne room.

"What are you trying to do?", Romulus asked.

She only answers with a smirk. The coffin opened from both sides, revealing eight glowing silver spears.

"Deconstruct.", she tapped the ground with her foot.

The ground beneath them broke apart, shattered into pieces with electricity crackling inbetween. This caught Romulus off guard since it happened almost instantly.

"Reconstruct.", and she reformed the pieces into a dome.

They should've been covered in darkness, but Excalibur in Romulus' hand, being true to its legends, lit up the dark world as if it were daytime.

"What are you trying to achieve.", he spoke with caution.

"Just making sure that you do not escape.", she closed her eyes with a smile.

"I am Charlotte Silvi.", she stepped forward— the world lost its color for a brief second.

And she opened her eyes, silvery grey eyes hollowed of any emotion, "Voyager of Destiny."