Reduced To Atoms

**{A/N: Okay, this is the classic backstory chapter, but please don't skip it as it will have an effect on the future story, and the MC's personality is also explained here.

The total word count of this chapter is 3,669.

So don't you think I at least deserve some comments? And power stones?}**

"FOR OUR LORD AND SAVIOR!!!!!!!"

"FOR FREEDOM... FOR OIL!!!!!!!"

"RWAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Welcome to Earth—where humans, in their usual self-centered glory, believe it's the center of the entire universe.

Spoiler alert: it's definitely not.

Outside a ridiculously massive palace, made from metals so precious they could probably buy a few galaxies like you'd grab snacks from a vending machine, a sight of epic proportions unfolds.

Imagine trillions—yes, TRILLIONS—of soldiers, going at it, with each army unit boasting billions of fighters. Honestly, it looked like someone gave a toddler too many action figures and said, "Go wild."

In this cosmic brawl, there are two armies: the first is a shiny, golden-armored bunch, decked out in nano-tech gear that looks straight out of a sci-fi novel. Not movie—no, novels are cooler because you have to imagine all the fancy stuff.

Their armor screams, "We are coordinated and probably have team-building exercises on weekends." They're yelling crap like, "FOR OUR LORD AND SAVIOR!!!" because, yeah, they're just that brainwashed.

On the flip side, the second army... well, let's just say "organized" is a foreign concept to them.

Their armor? Nowhere near as cool as the gold gang's. Same advanced weapons, sure, but their stuff looks like it came from a yard sale for space barbarians.

It's like comparing a brand-new sports car to a beat-up station wagon with a questionable smell inside. You get the picture.

"I WILL KILL ALL YOU IMPERIALIST BASTARDS TODAY!!!" one dude with bright red skin yells.

Big mistake, because not two seconds later, some imperial soldier sneaks up behind him and promptly shoves a laser sword where the sun most definitely does not shine.

Yeah, that guy's day just got a whole lot worse.

So, what the hell's going on here? Let me break it down. In this world, some guy—let's call him "special"—popped up, united the humans, and crowned himself Emperor. You know, the whole 'all hail the ruler' type of deal.

And whoa, under his leadership, humans developed at warp speed, advancing so fast they left other races in the dust. And, naturally, they adopted the idea of being the "Master Race."

Not quite like the 1900s version, but let's be real, the vibes were pretty similar. It's the same "we're better than you" nonsense, just wrapped in shiny new packaging.

Anyway, humans did what humans do best: they conquered... everything. Planets? Check. Solar systems? Check. Galaxies? Hell, even that shady shop on your street corner wasn't safe.

Everything fell under their control. Naturally, they started oppressing every other race they encountered—because why not?

That's kind of their thing. And don't expect any "human rights" activists to show up, because, fun fact: those rights? Yeah, they only apply to humans. Everyone else?

They can take their grievances and, well, shove it where that poor red-skinned dude got his laser sword.

But wait, there's a twist. Just when you thought the humans would steamroll the galaxy without breaking a sweat, someone from the Emperor's own royal court decided to pull a 180.

This guy, or gal, or whatever they were, betrayed the Emperor and started helping the rebels. Cue the chaos. Now the whole universe is at war, from one corner to the next. Planets, worlds, and star systems are burning, all thanks to one well-timed backstab.

And if not for that betrayal, the so-called "master race" would've probably wiped out everyone else by now because, well, none of the other races could organize a pizza party, let alone a rebellion.

Inside the Palace

Inside the palace, in a room so massive it could be mistaken for its own world (though technically, it wasn't a world—just connected to some far-off corner of the universe, making it feel infinitely larger), a brutal hand-to-hand fight was raging.

The kind of fight that would make even Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes look like kids play-fighting at recess.

It was a 1v2 battle, and all three fighters were strikingly handsome or beautiful, each with silver hair that gleamed in the dim light.

Their movements were a blur, fists clashing, kicks being countered, the sheer intensity of their blows shaking the entire space around them.

"Is this all you can do after planning for eons?" the one being ganged up on sneered. He was none other than the so-called emperor of humanity, Azatharok.

His tone was dripping with sarcasm, as if he wasn't taking the fight seriously at all. His smirk was as sharp as his strikes, the cockiness radiating off him like a palpable aura.

Of course, "Azatharok" wasn't his original name. His real name? Pretty lame, if you ask him. So he ditched it, adopting something that screamed power and authority—something fitting for the god-like ruler he had become.

"Shut up!" Ignis, one of the two attacking him, growled in frustration. The insult clearly hit a nerve, and without hesitation, Ignis launched himself forward, aiming a punch at Azatharok's face.

But Azatharok, with lightning-fast reflexes, blocked the hit, and the fight quickly dissolved into another round of vicious hand-to-hand combat.

It was a flurry of punches, kicks, and counterattacks—each move executed with the precision of warriors who had been fighting for eons.

So, what's going on here, you might wonder?

Let me break it down for you. Once upon a time, there were three friends: Azatharok, Ignis, and Liquamen, or "Liqua" for short. These three weren't just any friends—they were the ultimate homies. They had each other's backs, no questions asked.

They even made a promise to achieve immortality together, and guess what? They actually pulled it off.

But, as millions of years passed, things got complicated. Azatharok, always the sly one, manipulated the situation and slowly overshadowed both Ignis and Liqua.

Through a combination of brainwashing, cunning strategy, and sheer ambition, he crowned himself the god of humanity.

He didn't just rule—he controlled, twisting human minds until they worshiped him as their savior.

Naturally, Ignis and Liqua didn't take kindly to this. Who would? Their so-called friend had stabbed them in the back and stolen the spotlight.

Now, after millennia of bitterness brewing between them, they were finally facing off against the one who betrayed them.

If you asked Azatharok about it, he'd probably give you the ol' "I didn't betray them; I never even thought of them as allies" line. Classic move, right?

"Let me ask you again—why did you two betray me?" Azatharok growled, his silver eyes locked on Liqua as he tightened his grip around Ignis's neck.

Ignis dangled there like a ragdoll, gasping for air after Azatharok had thoroughly trashed him in a brutal hand-to-hand fight.

It wasn't even close. Azatharok held him up with one hand, fingers digging into his throat, looking eerily calm—just like Itachi when he choked out Sasuke. Cool, collected, and completely terrifying.

Meanwhile, Liqua, whose neck had just been skewered by a solar sword like it was nothing, casually removed it as if he was plucking out a toothpick.

His wounds healed almost instantly, the skin knitting itself back together in seconds.

He stretched his neck, like popping a stiff joint, then turned to face Azatharok with an expression that was part confusion, part annoyance—like Azatharok had just asked him to explain algebra.

"You've committed sins upon sins, you bastard," Liqua finally spat, trying to sound all righteous, even though that weird look on his face made it hard to take him seriously.

Azatharok raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to hide his amusement. "Ohoho, says the guy who raped all the women in a galaxy."

He rolled his eyes dramatically, almost like he was talking about a minor inconvenience, not the absolute hypocrite standing before him.

Liqua always tried to act like he was the moral compass of the group, even though this guy had done every heinous act under the stars just because he felt like it.

Azatharok couldn't help but reflect on his own past. Sure, back in the day, he had been unnecessarily evil too, pulling off cruel stunts just for kicks when he was younger and far more immature.

But that was the old him. Over time, he'd stopped caring about these childish ideas of good and evil. Now? Now it was all about the benefits.

If being the bad guy brought him gains, he'd go full-on evil—no limits, no regrets.

But if being good worked out better, he'd be so good that even your own parents wouldn't care about you as much as he would. He'd out-good anyone, just to make a point.

Meanwhile, Ignis and Liqua were still stuck in that moral hamster wheel, running endlessly between 'good' and 'evil.' They just couldn't shake off those old concepts.

"Chigga, I've changed," Liqua replied, his voice suddenly taking on the tone of a homie who was trying to bond over old times.

{A/N: Chigga is their equivalent of N-Word} 

The kind of guy who just wanted to patch things up after some dumb fight. He grinned, as if they weren't about to beat the crap out of each other for the hundredth time.

Azatharok just chuckled, dark and low, shaking his head as he released Ignis, letting him fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"You didn't change," he said, his tone almost pitying. "Humans change. Monsters like us? Nah."

And just like that, the fight was back on.

"Your opinions don't matter, sinner!" Liqua snarled, his voice dripping with self-righteous anger. He lunged forward with a punch aimed squarely at Azatharok's face, and for a brief moment, he actually landed it.

Fist met flesh with a satisfying thud. But before Liqua could even feel the rush of victory, Azatharok who was casually grabbing Ignis—who was still recovering from the earlier chokehold—and hurled him right at Liqua like a human projectile.

"Whoa, what the—!" Liqua barely had time to react before Ignis's body collided with him, knocking him off balance.

As Liqua stumbled back, trying to catch his footing, Azatharok followed up with a swift, brutal kick straight to Liqua's balls.

The impact was immediate, Liqua's face contorting in pain as his knees buckled. He let out a strangled gasp, eyes wide as if questioning every life choice that had led him to this moment.

Azatharok just smirked, watching Liqua writhe. "What is a sin, really?" he mused, his tone disturbingly casual, like he was talking about the weather instead of morality.

"People think committing a sin means you deserve death, but that's just what the weak want you to believe. It's their naive little fantasy, hoping they can scare people into behaving.

They spread that nonsense around, hoping it'll keep them safe, but it's really just to protect themselves."

He crossed his arms, looking down at Liqua, who was still recovering from the nut shot.

"As for me? I couldn't care less. I want to commit every sin I can, and still walk around without a care in the world.

A demonic head, a king of slaughter, living life on my terms and enjoying everything this world has to offer." His eyes gleamed with the thrill of his own twisted ambition.

"..." Ignis and Liqua exchanged a look, both of them gritting their teeth. Azatharok wasn't even taking them seriously.

The sheer arrogance oozing from him was making their blood boil. Liqua could barely stand, and Ignis, still dusting himself off after being used as a weapon, was getting more and more frustrated.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Ignis muttered under his breath, glaring at Azatharok. He couldn't believe how easily Azatharok was brushing them off, like they were nothing more than an inconvenience.

"Focus, Ignis! He's mocking us!" Liqua growled, though his voice was a little strained, clearly still feeling the aftershocks from that low blow. They both knew they were in trouble, but there was no way they were going to back down now.

Not when Azatharok was looking at them like they were just some minor obstacle in his day.

Suddenly, Azatharok's amused expression twisted into one of pure, unhinged satisfaction.

His eyes gleamed with manic delight, and without uttering a single word, a ball of atomic energy began forming in his palm, glowing brighter by the second.

In just a heartbeat, he launched it at Liqua and Ignis, obliterating their atoms as it sent them flying who-knows-how-high into the sky.

They were vaporized on the spot—

Reduced to Atoms

And then very last atom of them reduced to nothing.

But of course, being the annoyingly persistent immortals they were, their bodies quickly started piecing themselves back together mid-air, regenerating like it was just another Tuesday.

"Let's end this now... I'm getting bored, and my goal is almost reached," Azatharok said casually, as if they were wrapping up a friendly sparring session instead of a cosmic battle for their lives.

A sword materialized in his right hand, gleaming with raw power. Without a second thought, he sliced through the very fabric of space itself. The tear grew and grew, stretching until it covered the entire sky above them.

Ignis and Liqua stared in horror at what lay beyond that rift. Their faces twisted into expressions they hadn't worn in eons—the last time Azatharok had seen them this terrified was during their fight with the demon Tenebris.

"T-Th-that thing is..." Ignis stammered, his voice shaking.

"This psychopathic motherfucker!" Liqua cursed, wide-eyed.

Azatharok chuckled at their fear, thoroughly enjoying the moment. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said mockingly, turning his gaze toward the broken sky with a satisfied grin.

What all three of them saw beyond the rift was no ordinary sight. Floating in that abyss was a pure white skeleton—massive, otherworldly, and absolutely terrifying. And this wasn't just some creepy Halloween decoration.

No, this skeleton was the embodiment of a plan Azatharok had been cooking up since they were still mortals.

To put it simply, this was the skeleton—the ultimate, custom-made replacement for Azatharok's own body. Its most impressive feature? It could generate an infinite—not "almost infinite," but truly infinite—amount of energy within itself.

Azatharok would be able to tap into this limitless energy, drawing power not only from within but from everything around him, including dark matter from the universe itself.

In other words, this was some Avengers-level shit right here.

Once Azatharok merged with that skeleton, nothing would be able to stop him—or so his plan went. After all, the guy had been plotting this for eons, and now, his long-awaited moment was finally here.

As the colossal skeleton began its slow descent toward Azatharok, Ignis's face twisted in rage and disbelief. He pointed accusingly, his voice cracking as he shouted, "YOU SAID THIS THING WAS IMPOSSIBLE!!!"

Ignis vividly remembered that bastard Azatharok saying, with complete certainty, that changing one's skeleton permanently was hard enough—let alone replacing it with something that could produce infinite energy. It was supposed to be impossible.

Azatharok didn't even flinch. He just smirked, the picture of shamelessness. "I, of course, lied," he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Without warning, glowing ropes shot out of the ground, wrapping around Ignis and Liqua, binding them tightly before they even had a chance to react. They struggled against the restraints, but it was no use.

These weren't your average ropes—they were infused with Azatharok's power, and they weren't letting go anytime soon.

"You... you lying piece of—" Ignis growled, struggling to free himself, his rage palpable.

"Oh, come on, Ignis," Azatharok chuckled, thoroughly enjoying himself. "I thought you'd be used to my lies by now. What did you expect? Honesty? Please."

He waved his hand dismissively, watching as the skeleton drew closer. "It's called strategy. You should try it sometime"

"But hey," Azatharok continued with a smirk, "you're so stupid, your birth certificate was an apology letter from the condom factory to your parents."

Liqua, still fuming and struggling in the ropes, spat out, "You absolute psychopath... You're actually going through with this crazy plan!"

Azatharok just grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Of course I am. Did you really think I spent eons planning this just to change my mind at the last second? What kind of villain would I be if I didn't follow through?"

He gave them both a mocking look. "And besides, I like to keep things interesting."

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Azatharok smirked, feeling like a kid in a candy store as the skeleton descended from the heavens—or, more accurately, from some nightmarish dimension he'd conjured up eons ago.

It floated down like it was starring in its own slow-motion action movie, adjusting its size to match Azatharok's 7-foot-2-inch frame. The perfect fit. Like a twisted version of Cinderella but with bones instead of shoes.

The moment the skeleton started slipping into his body—yeah, super sus—Azatharok felt his old dragon bones being replaced. It was like getting an upgrade from a rusty bicycle to a jet-powered mech suit.

Infinite energy surged through him, blending with the universal flow of every energy in existence. He could feel dark matter, gamma rays, cosmic radiation—basically, the whole universe was his personal battery now.

And let's just say, it felt really good.

"This is better than sex!" he blurted out, then blinked, wondering why that was the first thing that came to mind. He quickly dismissed it—no time for overthinking when you're becoming a literal god.

"Ahhhh… this power… it's intoxicating!" Azatharok dramatically covered his face with his right hand like he was auditioning for a villain role in some overly dramatic anime. He could already hear the epic soundtrack swelling in the background of his mind.

Meanwhile, Ignis was practically dislocating his shoulders trying to break free from the energy bindings that had him locked up. His eyes were wide with panic.

He knew if Azatharok succeeded, they were all done for. "No, no, NO!" he growled, thrashing around like a maniac.

Liqua, on the other hand, had already entered the "acceptance" stage of grief. He slumped against his bindings, sighing heavily.

"You know, at this point, I don't even care. If this lunatic could invent immortality like he was bored on a Saturday afternoon, why am I surprised he came up with this? Honestly, I'm just tired now."

"I have now become death, the destroyer of—" Azatharok started his ultimate power trip monologue, fully prepared to bask in his own godlike brilliance, when suddenly, his entire body went haywire.

His confident expression faltered.

"Wait… why do I feel like I'm about to…"

BOOM!

And just like that, Azatharok exploded. No poetic metaphor. No slow build-up. Just a big-ass explosion.

One second, he was the most powerful being in the universe; the next, he was a fine mist of blood, raining down on the battlefield like a violent piñata had just been cracked open.

Ignis froze, his mouth hanging open in sheer disbelief. He stared at the sky, waiting for the inevitable regeneration.

Any second now, Azatharok was going to pull his usual trick—reassemble himself in a flash and laugh in their faces. But no… nothing happened.

"...Did we just win?" Liqua asked, deadpan, still slouched in his bindings, not even sure how to process this turn of events.

Then, reality hit them. Hard.

Both Ignis and Liqua's bodies began to age faster than a hyper-speed montage in a bad movie. Wrinkles appeared, then deepened, then turned into craters. Their skin started peeling and sagging like old leather left out in the sun.

"Oh, come on!" Ignis roared as his once-muscular arms deflated like popped balloons. His voice cracked like an old man's, which, considering he was now rapidly becoming one, made sense.

"Ah, shit…" Liqua groaned, looking down at his now paper-thin skin. He was turning into dust right before his own eyes, flaking off like a decaying ancient scroll. "You know, I kinda thought we'd have more time than this."

"I'm not going out like this!" Ignis screamed, desperately trying to hold himself together—literally—but it was no use. His body was aging so fast, it was like someone hit the fast-forward button on his life.

Within seconds, both of them crumbled into dust, disappearing in a puff of irony.

And why, you ask? Simple. Azatharok had linked their immortality directly to his DNA. The second he blew up like some kind of cosmic firework, their immortality lock was lifted, and they were hit with centuries of aging in mere moments.

That's why they had turned on him in the first place. They wanted to break free from the "I-only-live-as-long-as-this-psycho-does" clause in their immortality deal.

They had it all planned out—betray Azatharok, kill him after getting him to remove this thing from their immortality, and regain their freedom.

But instead, they got this. Exploding villain? Check. Rapidly aging sidekicks? Check. And no one left to gloat.

Yeah, classic betrayal. Classic fight. Not a classic ending.

.....

"Hmm... Where is this? Where am I? Where's Liqua and Ignis?" Azatharok muttered to himself, standing in a darkness as deep as the void itself. He tried to look around, but there was nothing—just an endless sea of black.

He still hadn't realized that he'd died. Honestly, after dying so many times and coming back, death had practically become his bitch.

{A/N: Poor Thanos.}

"System Error." Suddenly, a voice broke through the darkness. It was Jarvis, sensing Azatharok's or in this case ultron's presence and attempting to communicate.