The Return of the Monster Lords
Mana once was a great resource in the earth, air and sea. It was basically everywhere. However, it was during a millennium ago that the coalition of human lords known as the Council of Magi decided that mana would have to be limited in the world. By restricting the world's mana supply, new doors that could be opened from other realms would be impossible to create preventing invaders from the void. This collective decision was painstakingly made due to the reasons that all the paragons have left to defend the planet. They have all gone to the void to defend the last frontier before the conquering lords of the outer worlds could enter the earth realm. What made it worse that this mana reduction exponentially hastened as stronger magi used their arts and technologies to harvest the remaining mana left in the world to ensure they could keep their great strength even when mana becomes non-existent. The mana limitation led to a mana exhaustion in global scale which not only eroded the Magi culture but also the ecosystem of the great magical monsters. A great number of advanced human civilizations that depended on mana quicky fell through time either through inner turmoil or being conquered by what they used to regarded as lesser civilizations, the non-mana users.
This was also the era where martial users have learned to use inner force called as chi, ki or aura in different cultures. It is basically using the basic mana technics in converting body and life force to destructive force. So slowly the ages of magi disappeared on the world and simply became myths and folktales. Mages dependent on rich mana have passed on the arts of the inner force and martial prowess to their descendants instead as their life expectancy dropped due to mana deficiency. The stronger mages who have long disregarded the laws and ethics of men along with the monster lords (non-humans whose have consciousness equal or greater than ordinary men) used different sealing arts on themselves to keep them from dying but would rise again when mana eventually return in the world.
And unexpectedly that day was today.
It was Monday morning, and the weather was already very cloudy. An unexpected storm was brewing, and lightning flashes could be seen everywhere in the sky. The news said it was the north-eastern monsoon bringing heavy rains from the southwest, but the TV stations didn't mention thunderstorms. However, for the residents of Bay City who were used to cyclones they mostly ignored the unstopping flashes of light after all people need to work. Unseen from the normal eye, there was a blue rain that was pouring over the city. It wasn't made up of water since instead of splashing to the ground it simply passed through. It simply passed through anything it dropped on. If normal people could see this event, they would stare at this incredible phenomenon due to wonder but for mages and monster lords who have been starving of mana for centuries this is what they were waiting for.
In Freedom Park, one of the green areas of Bay City, the rain of mana was quickly converging to an old sewer system. If ordinary people could see it, the drops of heavy mana rain seemed to be vacuumed to the dark recesses of the half a century old sewer system. Strangely enough, the sewer didn't reek of stench and was simply a water catch basin for overrunning water from the park. This unusual occurrence lasted for hours until it was sucking about a third of the rain causing a violent whirlwind to absorb more mana. Though the whirlwind is invisible to most people, it could be seen by mana-sensitive people and powers from miles away. Even normal users would sense a strange feeling the closer they were at the park. The whirlwind evoked a sense of dread and helplessness for humans as if summoning them to sacrifice themselves to the creator of the whirlwind.
However, this wasn't an isolated case as two more adjacent cities about a hundred of miles apart from each other and Bay City also had whirlwinds of their own gorging down the seemingly endless mana rain. What differed at these places was that on one city, the whirlwind gave off a feeling of coldness and isolation and on the other city the feeling of freedom to die. These whirlwinds that evoke negative feelings in normal humans suddenly coincidentally ceased when the rain stopped.
Hovering on the sky over the green-forested mountains levitated the Gatekeeper who was deciding which city would he first visit as any of those places were halfway in his path. As he was wracking his brain to come out with the quickest solution to the problem, he suddenly paused. Then he looked up at a figure which suddenly appeared a little further from him, the Gatekeeper smiled.
"At least I won't need to think hard about what to do" the confident Gatekeeper smiled.
He took off his top hat and half-bowed to the figure a little above him to express his courtesy.
"A pleasant day to you Lord Iso. If I am correct, it has been 999 years since you have roamed the earth. I hope you remember that this period is the age of humans and according to the agreements of the past 1000 years, the age of humans will be assured for the next two millennia." Continued the Gatekeeper with a respectful glance still half-bowing.
"You despicable humans. We did agree on that but not on the total exhaustion of world mana! What do you think were your kind doing even before the consensus to seal the world's mana supply." roared Lord Iso.
The monster lord though fearful looking seemed like a humanoid black cat with golden green eyes standing on its single rear paw but was dressed in ancient armor full of gems that acted as mana storages and elements. The colors of its eyes changed with his moods along with the air around him.
"They were hoarding mana at such a scale that was enough to wipe us out if we weren't prepared!" the monster lord continued. "And they did hunt us down! And you have the gall to keep me from reviving!"
A dark storm cloud began to form above the monster lord named Lord Iso. The smiling of the Gatekeeper ceased, he stood up straight from his bowing position now frowning. His eyes which were initially hopeful was now melancholic before he hardened his gaze.
"Lord Iso, what some of my seniors did were unforgivable as a lot of us humans also lost their lives after the end of mana. Countless of advanced civilizations have fallen due to that. You shouldn't take out your anger to just any human you meet." The gatekeeper replied.
"You are not just any human. You smell very much like the human lords though you are still a hatchling." The incensed Lord Iso retorted. His upper body muscles have bulged making his body armor seem like skin-tight leotards while the dark clouds around him emitted purple and green. "Can't I have a little warm-up after centuries of long sleep? What do you say, Anu and Snow?"
The Gatekeeper's eyes dilated. Why didn't he sense it sooner as two more figures appeared suddenly behind him encircling him on the sky.
"Iso, you sure love to take long speeches. You could have killed him in no time without our help" replied another humanoid with a cat head and limbs. Unlike Iso who was covered in black fur, this monster lord had longer hair and had silver white fur. Her eyes a mixture of sparkling blue and emerald seemed bored. "Unless you have become so weak that you can't take him on alone." The white cat-human teased.
"Don't underestimate that hatchling Snow, he might not be a century old but look into his core and see that there is something strange." Interrupted the third monster lord who had the head of a golden-haired wolf who also stood on its hind legs also clothed in ancient armor with sparkling gems along with a golden rod he seemed to use as a walking stick. "Is this how the paragons have changed now? I was expecting one of our old friends to welcome us."
The gatekeeper was already sweating inside but outwardly he was projecting strength, after all he was the world's youngest paragon. He barely survived World War 2 as a soldier when he first stepped on the journey of being a powerhouse. Never would he have thought that even as a paragon he would be looked down by non-humans, surely these creatures were paragons of their own species. Since he still wasn't attacked yet he tried to play his last diplomatic card he had.
"Good day. I am the Gatekeeper, the guardian of the eastern isles." The Gatekeeper firmly but gently introduced himself resuming a half-bow now facing the newly arrived monster lords. His light bow emanated a sense of discipline and pride as a civilized human and his eyes seemed cheerful even when he felt the worst was about to happen.
"Well, hello there Gatekeeper, I am Countess Snow White, once known as the enchanter of the North." The white cat seductively smiled who now appeared as a Caucasian beauty with plump breasts pressed against her ancient armor and her long dangling hair that reached her feet changed colors between silver, black and gold. "I seem to remember the world was much colder back then. Now everything is almost dying from the heat. Surely you would need my help to cool down."
"Enough of your tricks Snow, you once convinced the humans you were a helpless princess against a dark magus queen" a laughing golden wolf interrupted again. It was ripped with muscles all over and its golden hair also emanated golden light. "You have fooled hundreds of beings before. Why can't you leave this chance for once. After all this hatchling is about to experience his first paragon three versus one."
"Anu is right Snow. This hatchling grew in a peaceful era" reasoned Lord Iso. "He would be dead in no time with one of your tricks."
Gatekeeper flinched. At first, he was intimidated by the growing countenance of the three monster lords surrounding him but by hearing the last monster lord's statement he felt he had no choice.
"Release" the Gatekeeper mumbled but all three monster Lords heard him.
Three asteroids of light appeared from the Gatekeeper and in less than a second hit the three monsters.
"Break!" the three monster lords almost shouted together.
The asteroids exploded without harming any of them. Anu and Lord Iso smiled but Snow now back in her cat-female form looked angry.
"So, this is what you're aiming for" Anu laughed while bulging his muscles more. "A pure melee fight?"
"I could say I'm not disappointed. I hope you'll last for a long while." Lord Iso grinned showing off his muscular body as if he had a perfect human body except for the cat head and the missing right leg.
"You hatchling think you could seal our arts?" roared the annoyed Snow who obviously relies on charm and spells to fight. She tried to break the seal on her soul but to no avail.
"I told you to look at the hatchling's core old hag" Anu was laughing now even harder glad that his companion was having a hard time. "This gatekeeper after all is blessed by the World's will."
"I hope you can satisfy as Gatekeeper" Lord Iso commented. "Or we would be taking it out our frustration to the cities."
"I hope you die hatchling" the angry Snow interrupted. "And never be reborn" as she powered up to join the melee every second now.
"Let's do this" the once anxious but still proud Gatekeeper commented.
At a great distance away, three flashes of light converged at the same spot causing a large explosion. The once green mountain ranges suddenly disappeared into the thin air. A few hundred hectares of mountains suddenly became small hills and zigzagging streaks of light continue to light up the air as if they were lightning strikes. Heavy storm clouds began to form even as these streaks of lights continued to bash against each other. This was spark of the new paragon war.