[RULER'S DOMAIN - IOVOLLR]
After all the introductions were made, Suho proceeded with the meeting.
"The North Empire is marching towards us. A confrontation is unavoidable…"
Murmurs were heard from the gathered crowd
"I guess audiences behave the same no matter where you go." Adam White whispered to Jinchul.
Suho resumed, "We have learned a few important details about the North Empire. Its leader is an Itarim by the name of Ra."
More murmurs
Suho continued, "Ra is the Itarim who originally created earth…we presumed he was killed long ago."
"We killed him long ago…I was there…I saw it!" Shouted one Ruler.
Suho replied in a calm voice, "Yes, I know…we all thought he had died. The entire cosmos believed it…but it was all a ruse. Ra orchestrated his own death to set into motion this grand plan of his."
"How can that be?" asked another Ruler.
Suho took a moment to think of how to best explain this…he then said, "as an artist, we use tools to help enhance and further our art. Human artists use tools such as paint, brushes, chisels, pencils, etc…"
"Damn…we are in Kindergarten again." Thomas whispered.
"The art comes from here…from within…the tools are simply means to help us materialize our art. The Itarim are the same way. Their power is to create. However, think for a moment of the Divine tool Ra left behind when he supposedly died."
One Ruler replied, "The Cup of Reincarnation…the magic Chalice to turn back time."
"Exactly," Suho commented, "in an art studio the Chalice of Reincarnation is the same as an giant eraser…that is not the tool of a creator. It's a tool intended to wipe away art and start over."
The Rulers started nodding their heads…in the many years they served their God, they never saw him use his Chalice…why have it then? Perhaps it was a prototype? A means to test a theory?
Jinwoo interjected, "sorry to interrupt, I have spent a long time thinking about my power. It's an unusual power…one intended to start and maintain a cosmic war. No other Itarim in the entire cosmos has replicated this power because doing so would be suicidal…like creating a weapon to destroy oneself."
"I believe Ra intended to be "killed"…he intended the Shadow Monarch to grow in strength to the point where he could start and sustain a war with the Itarim. I agree with Suho. I believe Ra orchestrated the Monarch War and later the Outer Gods War."
Suho smiled…fathers are proud of their sons…and sons are proud of their fathers.
"Why? What for? Why take such a gamble?" Antares asked.
"That brings me to our next discovery…we have known for a while now that the North Empire is responsible for the defeat and complete destruction of over 100 Itarim and their universes. Previously, we assumed those Itarims and their respective universes had been devoured by Ra and his Itarim Generals in order to grow stronger." Suho explained.
"However, that is not entirely true. Most of the defeated Itarims and their universes were feed to a Colossal Chalice."
A roaring current of voices was heard.
"We believe Ra intends to use this Colossal Chalice to erase or wipe away existence as we know it. We believe he intends to turn back time across the entire cosmos to the very beginning…to before there were Itarim…we believe he plans to be the one and only Itarim in the entire cosmos."
Heated arguments erupted from the group.
"To turn back time that far back across the entire cosmos," one Ruler said, "would require mana far beyond one Itarim…it would require hundreds…maybe thousands…the power of thousands of Itarims."
"That I fear," Suho said in a solemn voice, "is the end-game unless we stand together and stop him."
Suho continued, "that is why we are gathered here today. Ra and his army are marching through the void and will arrive to our universe in one month…that gives us one month to prepare our defenses."
"Do we have an idea as to his forces?" General Kavar asked.
"Based on intel gathered from Arsha and Thalia, his current force exceeds 1 trillion soldiers. These numbers include a dozen Itarims that have pledge felty to him." Suho answered.
Bewildered, one Celestial asked, "can we really win this."
"Yes, we will." Jinwoo, Suho, and Thalia all answered in unison.