At this point in him, Marcel’s life, it isn’t an understatement to say that nothing can surprise him anymore.... even waking up on a floating island like he’d always been there!  

Yes, he’s angry, alright! Once again, here he was, kidnapped in his sleep by who knows what freak... no offense to any freaks out there, especially him, by the way.  

Anyway, he’s vexed, because this place seems familiar, but, um... also not. For a second there, he thought that he was at Alverona’s. Way to build yourself a strangely similar lair to the Dragon Empress, mysterious kidnapper! He doesn’t appreciate having mind games played on him. Hmph! 

Speaking of this mysterious kidnapper, here he comes now! 

As Marcel was busy ridiculing him in his mind, he suddenly appeared to stand right next to his bedside. Marcel was, obviously, flabbergasted by the figure’s flawless entry. He should have at least noticed some trace of his presence when he first entered, seeing how sharp he thought his senses had become. This figure, however, surprised his senses, impressing them, in fact, the little traitors. 

Speaking of surprises, this man is probably the best there is when it comes to surprising people with his sudden appearances. He’s a figure who can seemingly erase all traces of his presence, not only in his surroundings and the environment but from the very world’s record. He’s a true master of spatial and esoteric magic forces and seeing as he is also the only other dragon existence with numerous floating islands, you might have already guessed who he is. 

Since Marcel can’t actively seem to guess, seeing that this man is even stranger than his sister or a certain goddess’s earthly portion of a clone, I’ll just tell you... because he does tell Marcel. 

“I’ll be curt with the introductions! I’m Kardia Xapheras Dragos, the other half of Alverona Xioraha Dragos; the Dragon Emperor, as many like to call me. It’s an honor to finally meet you!” He introduced himself in what Marcel considered to be the politest way he’s ever heard a dragon announce their presence. He was handsome too, a combination that almost brought him to tears. He’s powerful, handsome, and polite. What more could he ask for when he met Alverona’s brother? He was deeply moved, especially whenever he took in this man’s appearance. 

Dragon Emperor Kardia, unlike his gaudy goddess-on-earth sister, had a pure, ‘ethereal being’ feel to him like he’d actually ascended to heaven and back. He had this feel of mysterious divinity, a magic aura that was indecipherable, unlike Alverona’s that radiated power and authority. For some reason, just being in his presence brought Marcel a feeling of relief and inner peace even greater than any other divine being he may or may not have met instilled in him. 

Now, back to his appearance...  

Emperor Kardia took on an appearance he thought Marcel would be comfortable with. He had long, white hair, and golden eyes; his physique, that of a tall, slightly built man with a fairly handsome ‘I’m the world’s no.3 in the male category’, kind of face. He wore regal, black attire that made him radiate a feeling of seriousness and grace. Emperor Kardia looked good enough that he made people who earned the privilege to meet him wonder what he looked like when he slept. 

He beckoned the young lad to get up, “Now, come! There’s a lot to do and discuss today. The universe shall only grant you the privilege to laze around if nothing is done!”  

Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?   

Marcel was puzzled by his choice of words. Was this some kind of quote he hadn’t heard before or was this guy just strange? 

“Huh? Okay, but can I please get some privacy? I need to change!” He studiously eyed the man, wondering what he was up to. After all, these kidnappings always had some kind of meaning to them. What did Alverona’s brother want from him? 

Unfortunately, staring too hard at the man caused his Spirit Eyes to activate, thinking that he wanted to learn Emperor’s secrets. He regretted seeing it! 

His Spirit Eyes showed him a trace of a force that Emperor Kardia kept hidden away; a force that told Marcel one thing. 

“This man is terrifying!" He thought when he saw that; a raging torrent and clashing of magic power around Emperor Kardia that caused even his body’s magic power and the forces within him to destabilize. This man’s power: it’s so frighteningly strong that, if he decided to kill him, he wouldn’t even have a chance at resisting. Sure, he felt the same with all the other divine-like existences he’d met, but this was different! This power instilled pure obedience and terror within him. 

The destabilization happening within Marcel could have been disastrous had the emperor not intervened. He placed a seal on the young lad’s body, commanding the forces to calm down. He realized that he’d gone too far; you know, showing the lad some of his power to make this go as quickly as possible. After all, they wouldn’t have much time together. He just hoped that it'd be enough to prepare the young lad for what was to come. 

“Are you feeling okay now?” He asked Marcel after he placed the seal on his body. Strangely enough, his body didn’t reject what it was given. It didn’t start destroying or purifying the seal as it usually did. It just stayed there! This man... he’s just weird! 

Marcel nodded, feeling calm. He couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. The shock still hadn’t worn off yet, but he knew one thing. He couldn’t defy this man at all costs! 

Emperor Kardia, when he responded, revealed a slight smile of delight, then spoke, 

“I’m sorry for scaring you!" He said, gently patting Marcel’s head. It filled him with that feeling of relief and inner peace once more. He felt like Emperor Kardia could never hurt him, which is probably why he quickly packed his vigilance and caution in a vault and tossed it under the ocean. He was happy, hehe~ 

His relaxed demeanor made it easy for Emperor Kardia to proceed. First, he took his hand away from patting Marcel’s head, then switched to an expression of seriousness.  

He then asked, “Say, would you like to become my pupil?" 

Huh, that’s what he asked him?! But why would he even ask him that? 

Fortunately, Emperor Kardia was thinking along the same lines as him. He explained why he said that, 

“Hmm... how should I explain this? Mm, you see Claude thought that he had taught you most of what he already knew, so, feeling like he’d almost finished his part of guiding your journey, he sent you my way.” 

“I see!” Marcel answered. 

“Say, would you like to learn True Spatial Magic, just for you?” Emperor Kardia enticed him further with an offer he couldn’t refuse. 

Marcel answered, “Yes, I would love to!” 

Woah, this was really moving quickly! 

“Then you’ll need this!" Emperor Kardia pointed his hand at Marcel’s forehead before he relinquished to him the knowledge needed to understand the basic overview of what he’d soon teach him. 

“Now, get dressed! I’ll be waiting outside.” Emperor Kardia then left the room, giving Marcel the illusion of privacy, making him feel relieved while he changed. He was happy that Emperor Kardia pretended that he didn’t know what was going on in his room. 

 

*** 

After Marcel had finished changing into clothes that Emperor Kardia had prepared for him, he exited the room to find out that he was on a secluded island, with the large building he exited being the only one around. Outside was just a cleared field of grass where he could train in peace. Emperor Kardia was very thoughtful, though, he would have liked it better if there were a bit more trees around. 

As he looked around, Emperor Kardia appeared out of thin air again, startling him. 

Marcel was ready and he had arrived, so Emperor Kardia thought it a suitable time to begin, until, Marcel suddenly posed a question, 

“I’ve been wondering about this for a while now, so I’ll just come out and ask. Why did Claude send me to you specifically, if he thought that there wasn’t much left to teach me?" 

Well, why indeed? It’s simple! 

“Because Claude is my pupil, and though he’s widely known as the Master of Teleportation, he has yet to master the true essence of spatial magic; tearing into the fabric of space without damaging it. I’m also the only one capable of teaching it to you, seeing as it’s an art I created. Dragon King Vernes, the Tyrant of Black and White, is the child upon which I bestowed this art’s nature, and he, Claude, inherited that same nature as one of Vernes’ children. Spatial Magic comes so easily to him that he’s failed to delve deeper into its essence, making it difficult for him to master that one last fundamental.” 

“So, he’s incompetent?” Marcel tilted his head slightly as he asked. 

“No! Claude’s future with spatial magic has nothing to do with this art, hence why he can’t seem to grasp it, so maybe, yes! He’s incompetent, specifically when it comes to mastering this part of the art. I do believe that, despite this, space and time shall still be his domain in the future. You, however, are different!” 

“Different, how?” 

“Despite your meager knowledge of how spatial magic works as a whole, I still believe that you possess far more potential if you’re properly trained. Dare I say this, but you are the perfect candidate to master this art, except for Arkteris’ father specifically created  to be one with the art.” 

Arkteris is Claude’s real name, by the way. 

“Hmm... that sounds interesting!” Marcel replied. 

“Yes, it is! I plan to help you unleash all that potential by training you in all forms of arts, specifically, unleashing the immense potential for spatial magic that you possess.” 

“Me?!” 

“Yes, though, if I’m being honest, all heroes possess some of it. Yours is significantly higher than the others. Even your body’s very nature gives you the potential to master various arts.”  

Again, his special body is making things easier for him. Don’t you just like it when the universe itself loves you? All the heroes are like that, but Marcel... well, it’s very complicated! 

Marcel was getting excited, “That’s great! Then I can’t wait to learn all I can from you.” He was quivering with excitement and anticipation for what he thought was going to be the next few days ahead of him. 

Emperor Kardia smiled slightly, a dangerous glint in his eyes that kind people usually possessed when they were going to make people suffer. The smile made it even creepier. Oh no, he’s done for! 

 

*** 

 

It’s been three weeks since he was kidnapped in his sleep and found himself at Emperor Kardia’s, and he, Marcel... has been loving it! 

In the few weeks that they’ve managed to spend together, he’s managed to work hard enough to be bestowed a skill for his many efforts at mastering the fundamentals of true spatial magic that Emperor Kardia has been trying to instill in him. He finally got the skill [Dimension Door], in his sleep yesterday. Vitalis was proud that he was working hard for his abilities instead of how it should be; with her just giving them to him whenever he requested them. 

As per the fundamentals of true spatial magic, the skill [Dimension Door], was a skill that allowed for spatial manipulation without damaging the fabric of space. It had two fundamental arts or subskills, as others would call it: [Switch] and [Teleport EX].   

[Switch] was created based on his understanding of spatial movement in relationship to another object. It allows him to switch places with anything, organic or not, within a mile radius from himself. This is only possible when the fabric of space within the path of the spatial movement is uninterrupted or broken. It basically makes it hard for Marcel to not implement Emperor Kardia’s teachings if he wants to keep switching places with stuff around him. Having the skill makes doing it half the work. 

As for the next art, [Teleport EX], well, as its name suggests, it’s the art of spatial transference. It’s a less body-straining version of the usual teleportation skill that everyone else is capable of acquiring if they have the space element and work hard enough. Another difference is that thanks to the space around its user not being damaged while teleporting, it also protects its user from outside influences during the transfer, allowing them to arrive at their destination with less to no bodily damage whatsoever. No dizziness or lack of orientation when using this skill, because the space you’re transferring through protects you. 

As Marcel was eagerly studying the efforts of a few weeks’ hard work, Emperor Kardia cast a multilayered barrier around him, designed to be thin enough to not be in any way noticeable. It was meant to keep him locked on his current spatial coordinates. Instead, he tumbled out of the barrier and fell.  

Huh? He hadn’t declared his intention to be moved from where he was standing. What was happening? 

“Um... did you just see that?!” He asked Emperor Kardia, hoping for an explanation for why he was suddenly falling on flat grassland. 

“Yes, I did! it seems that the [Dimension Door] skill has caused your body’s natural barrier-interference ability to change.” 

“Huh, natural?” Marcel was puzzled. He thought that he only gained that ability after his pseudo-demonic transformation. Just what is going on?! 

Emperor Kardia looked even more puzzled, “Oh... they didn’t tell you?” 

Marcel shook his head, unaware of what he was talking about. 

“Haa... What are they doing?! They should have at least told you about it.” 

“Tell me what?” Marcel was getting more confused by the minute. 

“They should have told you about your body’s natural ability to bend the laws of reality to its will. Anyways, what did they tell you that your ability to walk through barriers like they didn’t even exist was about?” Emperor Kardia wondered himself as well before he checked the world’s record and Dragon Link to discover what they did. 

“Those fools!” He sounded enraged, “Lock Opener? What kind of stupid explanation is that?!” He was getting angrier by the second. He quickly calmed down and told Marcel the truth. 

“One of the main reasons why I agreed to teach you true spatial magic is to make use of your natural abilities. How should I put this in the most understandable way possible? You are one blessed by the universe to the extreme! It loves you so greatly that it shirks its very fundamental laws to meet your desires.” He paused for a second to think afterward. 

“Hmm! Now that I think about it, they weren’t completely wrong to not tell you about it. With such power, you could dictate over all aspects of reality. Space, Time, the elements, who lives and dies. Even gods and immortals wouldn’t be safe from your influence. It’s the power of total existence control and the universe itself, would let you get away with it.” Emperor Kardia explained further. 

Marcel’s mind was blown and in complete shock. What the hell! Why the heck was he given such power? I mean, sure, he isn’t out to become the universe’s strongest or anything, so, this shouldn’t concern him that much, but really... who the fuck thought that giving him such a power was a great idea?!!! 

As he computed this knowledge with every brain cell available to him, he slowly drifted off from reality, being cut off from it entirely. Now that I think about it, isn’t this ability to just shut out all outside influence while he’s thinking also a part of his strange ability to control everything?  

Normally, anyone would be overjoyed to be Marcel, but not him!  

He... was starting to feel even more like a monster, cut off from all others in this world. He felt like he was some kind of great ancient force left to its own devices that all others worshipped. For the second, or maybe the third time in his life, he felt like an alien. He felt like even his goal of defeating the Demon Lord was superficial compared to what he could potentially achieve. Screw the Demon Lord, he could proclaim himself the ultimate power and nothing could stop him, not even this ultra-powerful man who took on the task to help him unleash his inner potential. He was—He was—alone! 

“Now, don’t be like that!” Emperor Kardia hugged the young lad who finally discovered the world-shattering reality of his existence. He knew exactly what he was thinking. 

“Relax! All heroes have the same potential you do, except, to a much smaller degree compared to yourself. They, however, live how they wish to, despite their monstrous potential.” He patted him on the air, like the gentle grace of the heavens and earth personified. He was here, and his mission, was to guide this young lad to better accept himself, despite all the troubles ahead. 

He continued,  

“In a way, I am very much like you; a being with all the potential in the world, yet... here I am. I live on a floating island with my children, roaming the physical and spiritual realms, garnering the attention of physical and spiritual beings everywhere. I manage the Dragon realm’s database because of my sister. I am content with how I live! I do what I want! I wished to bring you here, to teach you a bit about yourself, so I did.” He explained, feeling Marcel almost on the verge of tears. All he could do was assure him that, he was fine; that his existence was valid. Besides, this world harbors a fair number of ‘monsters’ already. It isn’t that much of a problem to have one more. 

After he spoke, he let Marcel cry his heart out. Sitting atop the grass, Emperor Kardia embraced the youth, with the spirits, the earth, and himself, to console him. Marcel might be a monster, but this world accepts him wholly.   

As he continued to cry, Emperor Kardia spoke some more, 

“My goal is to give you the foundation, and all you need to hopefully, someday, embrace all that you are. Your path won’t be like that of many others. You’ve already gained a lot, and many more shall you have, but, at the end of the day, it’ll all depend on how much you can improve upon what you’ve been given.  

“A freak of magic and ability, I am; the Dragon Emperor! My hope is to instill within you a foundation in these two, so that, you may reach your goals, mundane they may be. I hope that one day, you’ll look back to this day, however powerful you become then, and remember all the hard work you put in at this moment in time.” 

Sweet child, may this entire world watch over your precious, shining soul of glass.