The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Immediately after hearing the senior's words, Klaus placed his sword in his space ring, fearing he might act on the suggestion.

He needed to calm his heart—and Nari—before making any decisions.

To do that, he first had to understand what was happening. Gently, he buried Nari's head back on his shoulder. Queenie and Old Lu remained frozen in shock.

This was the first time they had ever seen Nari affected by emotion. She was known to be incapable of such things, making the scene incomprehensible to them.
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<Senior, talk.>

Klaus turned to the one who could provide answers. He had always known Nari had issues, but he never imagined they were this severe.

[Listen well, brat. This lady is one of the Three Great Calamities.]

<I'll need more context, Senior.> Klaus wasn't holding back anymore.

[The Great Calamities are beings created by the universe to usher in a new phase—or, as most call it, a new generation.

You've heard of terms like "after the Primordial Era," "after the Chaos Era," or "after the Ice Age." These are all turning points in the universe's evolution. Each one came with immense devastation.

Naturally, the forces driving these chaotic changes come from the Three Great Calamities. They are beings designed for destruction. Even the Paragons who lived before your time mostly avoided them.

If you don't believe me, you'll come to understand as you uncover more about your past. They are similar to you, but they only act on impulse. I couldn't determine her identity before, but just now, showing emotion, I manage to see her true nature.]

<This is bad news, then.>

[Very...]

Klaus calmed himself down first, then gently began pacifying the calamity in his embrace. Slowly, Nari calmed down and returned to her previous self.

It was an instantaneous change that made Klaus sigh in his heart.

"You shouldn't try killing people you want to cry in their embrace," Klaus said, looking at the tear marks on her face.

"Who was crying? I just felt like you needed a hug after you didn't die. Good thing you're alive. Your friends are worried," Nari said with a neutral expression.

[She can convey others' emotions but not her own. Beings made for destruction are not meant to express their own emotions.]

The senior explained, making Klaus nod at his words. In fact, he never accepted all that emotionless nonsense—until today.

"I am leaving for a few months, Nari; you have to take care of my friends while I am away," Klaus said to her, knowing somehow Nari seemed to listen to him. It was like she obeyed him in her own way.

Both Queenie and Old Lu seemed to notice it, considering they were the only two who knew of Nari's situation.

"Huh? Where are you going?" she asked.

"Some dungeon. But I'll be back before you know it." Nari nodded, but one could tell she was disappointed.

"Don't worry. You can spend more time with Hanna and the others. Although they're in seclusion, they'll come out every few days to catch fresh air."

"Okay. You should come back early, or don't say I didn't warn you." Klaus could only smile, knowing he had no idea what she might do.

Her emotions flared for a moment, and she had nearly killed him.

"And sorry for trying to kill you," Nari said with a smile.

"Tsk, as if you had a shot," Klaus said, stepping behind Queenie before delivering the remark. Truth be told, Nari had scared the hell out of him.

After exchanging a few more goodbyes, Queenie sent Klaus to the inner section, a few clicks away from Lulu's apartment. Klaus didn't head over immediately. Instead, he found a quiet place and sat down.

He took out an apple and began eating.

<Let's talk, senior. How can I prevent her from destroying my world and perhaps all life in the galaxy?>

[Kill her.]

The senior wasted no words. Indeed, the only way to stop a calamity was to kill them before they assumed their calamity form.

But that wasn't an option for Klaus. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Even Queenie wouldn't. After all, she had been the one to stop Nari from going berserk when she became an Ascendent years ago.

She knew that this time, she might have to kill her. But she simply couldn't bring herself to do it.

<That is not an option, senior. I can't kill her, even if I have the means. Nari is my friend.>

[Ha. I figured as much. But you must know this: the three great Calamities are not benevolent beings. Sure, they may appear friendly for now, but the moment they awaken their true forms, things will change—and even I don't know how that will affect your current world.

For now, I can only predict the total destruction of this world and everything it contains. Such is the path of the Calamities.]

<There has to be a way.>

[There is indeed a way, but it's not something worth pursuing.]

<Tell me, Senior. Even if it's just a minute chance, I want to know.>

Klaus is desperate now. His world is Earth, where his mom, friends, and lovers live. He can't let it burn to the ground, but he also cannot bring himself to kill a friend.

[If you can somehow teach her emotions and make her feel them, then maybe, the moment she turns into her Calamity form, she may have some sympathy left in her.

That is the only way. But like I said, it's a long shot—even I don't know if it will work. And now that the heavens are getting more active, who knows what they will do.]

<Don't jinx it, Senior. Even though this is a long shot, I have to do something. By the way, do you have a way I can go about teaching a robot how to express emotion?> Klaus smiles slightly, taking a bite of his apple.

A few disciples pass by, but they each avoid him like the plague. Not that he cares. He has bigger fish to fry, and worrying about what his fellow disciples think of him isn't one of them.

[The easiest way to make her know emotions and freely express them is to make her fall in love with you. That is the only viable option. But I don't see that happening anytime soon.

In fact, it won't work because, while I don't want to spoil your mood, you should know that there was only one time the three Calamities didn't cause chaos, and that was because they were tamed before they could cause more harm.

But as to whether those reports were true or not, I don't know. So, for now, the only way for you to prevent her from going berserk is to make her fall in love with you.

As they say, love is a powerful emotion. If she thrives on hate, then make her feel love. That is the only way to pacify her wrath when she awakens.]

"I see. She is much more complex than I thought, and I don't see Nari falling in love. It's just impossible. She can care for other people's emotions, but she can't handle her own. Now, this is something I didn't see coming.

But thanks, Senior. For now, I have to take care of my own business before the heavens turn my hatred into their weapon to kill me."

[Your case is not that difficult to solve. All you have to do is make more ladies fall in love with you and sleep with them.]

"Talk to you later, Senior."

Klaus jumps down and heads toward Lulu's apartment.