Esper Harem in the Apocalypse-Novel

Chapter 958  Lifeless World

Amidst the relentless clash, the cacophony of destruction was deafening. Buildings crumbled, streets shattered, and the very earth quaked under the duress of their battle. Yet, in the eye of this apocalyptic storm, the two superhumans traded verbal blows alongside their physical ones.

Rudy, hovering above the maelstrom of chaos, spread his arms wide, as if conducting a symphony of annihilation. "How does it feel to destroy city after city? Didn't you say you wanted to create a perfect world? All I can see you doing is bringing destruction."

"I am not the one who did all this!" George retorted, his voice a thunderous counterpoint to the devastation around them. "It was you!"

Rudy raised an incredulous eyebrow, his expression one of bemusement amidst the cataclysm. "What do you mean?" he scoffed, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. "I always fight in space so that no life would be lost. It was 'you' who came back to Earth, not me. It was 'you' who destroyed your house and my house and the surroundings with your energy beams, not me. It was 'you' who challenged me to have a melee fight which led to the destruction of cities, not me. I haven't done anything except defending myself."

George's face contorted in frustration, his words a fiery retort. "So what? As I have been saying, sacrifices are always needed for the greater good. Consider everyone who died as a sacrifice."

"Oh?" Rudy chuckled, the sound incongruent with the chaos below. "So everyone who dies because of 'you' is a sacrifice. Well, that's quite convenient, ain't it?"

Their exchange of words was punctuated by explosive bursts of power. George swung his fists like battering rams, sending shockwaves of force rippling through the city. Rudy countered with agile evasions and swift counterattacks, every move calculated to minimize collateral damage. Yet, it was clear that the very nature of their battle defied any attempt at preservation.

Amidst this epic showdown, the city below them lay in ruins. Skyscrapers that had once scraped the heavens were reduced to shattered husks, and streets were little more than debris-strewn warzones. Smoke and dust choked the air, making it difficult to discern day from night.

Rudy's words held a cold truth. While George had claimed to be fighting for the greater good, the wake of destruction he left in his path seemed to contradict that very ideal. It was a grim paradox of a battle between two superhumans, each with their own vision of the world's future.

With each punch and kick, each earth-shaking shockwave and sonic boom, their battle etched a scar across the city's landscape. It was a testament to the awesome power of their conflict, a power that seemed to have no bounds.

As the battle raged on, both men seemed unyielding, their determination unwavering. They traded blows that could level mountains and unleashed energy attacks that could eclipse the sun. The very earth trembled beneath their feet, and the sky itself seemed to weep at the devastation below.

In the midst of the relentless battle, Rudy's voice cut through the chaos like a scalpel. "Even if you consider all the casualties as sacrifices," he began, his fingers forming air quotes around the word 'sacrifices,' "what about the people who survived and see you as evil? Would they think your 'perfect' world is a paradise while they lost their loved ones for no reason and considered as a sacrifice by the creator of the so-called perfect world?" Rudy's words hung in the air, heavy with accusation.

"That doesn't matter," George growled, his eyes narrowing with anger. "Everyone who opposes my idea of the perfect world is my enemy. Everyone who tries to stop me will be annihilated, just like how I will kill you!"

Rudy chuckled, a mirthless sound that resonated amidst the ruins of the city. "Oh? So your perfect world will be built on the blood of the innocent and your lies?"

"Shut the fuck up!" George's voice trembled with rage. "You can't please everyone! Not everyone deserves a perfect world, of course!"

Rudy's smirk widened, and he clapped his hands mockingly. "Wow, you copied my line."

"What?" George's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Not everyone deserves a perfect world, nor will they ever admire it," Rudy quoted himself, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Why are you copying the idea of my dream world, huh?" He scoffed.

George's response was venomous. "Well, it doesn't matter. No one will ever know how many enemies I killed, and those who learn the truth will be killed as well. No one will ever be there to oppose me once I am done killing you!"

Amidst the relentless exchange of blows and the chaotic destruction they left in their wake, a disconcerting realization gnawed at George's consciousness. It was a gnawing feeling that had been there for a while, but it finally clawed its way to the forefront of his thoughts: the eerie absence of life.

In this battlefield of superhumans, George hadn't seen a single living being – no humans, no animals, not even insects. It was as if the cities they had razed were devoid of life, frozen in an unnatural silence. His keen senses, heightened by the power he had harnessed, could detect nothing, no heartbeat, no breathing, nothing that hinted at the presence of life.

Frustration and confusion welled up within George, and in a brief respite between their clashes, he couldn't contain his unease any longer. He turned to Rudy, his voice tinged with desperation, "What have you done? Where are all the humans?"

Rudy, hovering mid-air with an air of detachment, simply shrugged his shoulders in response. "They are where they should be, busy with their life, with their loved ones, working, sleeping."

George's brows knitted further, unable to comprehend the absurdity of the situation. "Then why aren't they around? Why is there no one here?"

Rudy's response was laced with mockery as he chuckled darkly, his expression smug. "Why would they be on a random, far away planet in another universe?"

A heavy pause hung in the air as George struggled to process Rudy's words. "What...? But this is Earth!"

Rudy's condescending tone remained as he continued to unravel the truth. "Of course, because I made it like that."

George's shock was palpable. His eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. He realized that the entire environment they had been fighting in was nothing more than an elaborate illusion, a replica crafted by Rudy's cosmic powers.

"I created a replica of our galaxy while we were fighting in space," Rudy explained casually, his smirk never leaving his face.

In that moment, it was as if the rug had been pulled out from under George's feet. The grand battle, the relentless destruction, the cities they had annihilated – it had all been Rudy's trick.

George felt like a clown, a pawn in Rudy's grand play. His righteous pursuit of a perfect world, his determination to defeat the Lord and achieve his vision, had all been reduced to a charade orchestrated by the very being he sought to challenge. The realization was a bitter pill to swallow, leaving him not just physically but emotionally battered.

As the truth settled in, George could only watch, helpless and bewildered, as Rudy continued to hover above him, the embodiment of power and deception. It was a revelation that transcended the physical battle, highlighting the intricate mind games woven into the fabric of their conflict.

"Did you truly think you would be standing in front of me in one piece if you had actually killed my beloved Rebecca?" Rudy asked in an emotionless voice.