Perfectionist

Why

Keegan's POV.

Numb.

I felt numb all over as the smell of antiseptic filled my nose.

"Good god," I sat up the familiar sight of a hospital bed greeting me.

"Rise and shine Keegan." Sapphire's voice greeted me.

"What the hell happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"Nada."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

"Apparently the new empress is Alexis."

"..."

"Told you. You'd never believe me in a million years but be glad I managed to save your ass. You were shocked by lightning twice and almost got swallowed."

"...Are you sure it's her?"

"Hohoho? You doubt me? Well I hope you don't doubt the hundred and seventy-two testimonies from the survivors?"

"A hundred and seventy-two? Isn't that..."

"Oh, right. Five obvliate kings and two dukes were there. Shit hit the fan real quick." Sapphire answered casually,"So the moment they all went god mode, we were royally fucked in the ass. I doubt the general expected this and thus-To conclude the shitshow, we lost Toanerth and over ten billion men. The previous emperor had killed millions and has been responsible for hundreds of genocides but her? Oh boy. She's topped him in the span of less than two months and has effectively crippled the army."

"Crippled the army?"

"That whore's sabotaged her father's work. There's something in there that's crippled us."

"Huh?"

"We've been robbed of our abilities."

The reality of the situation hit me like a truck.

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I'm fucking kidding, Keegan?" Sapphire deadpanned, staring me straight in the eye, not a hint of a joke in her gaze.

"Is there a way to get back our...abilities?"

"Time. It'll take years for us to even get back to where we're average and even more to regain the power at our prime. But by then, who knows if our race will even be around."

"Do we have a back-up plan?"

"I hope. Effectively, everything Joel Niko's done has been gotten rid of, setting us back hundreds of years. Hell, even the amplite can't be used since it was the main material that boosted our abilities and we know fuck all about it."

"So we only have a small civilian reserve force that's never used their abilities before?"

"We have one more person that the general and the other leaders are deciding on whether to use."

"Who?"

"Giovanni."

"..."

"Yep. The obvliate's greatest threat right now is a madman that was the ex fiancé of the current empress. Hell, they don't even know if he's faking it and actually working on behalf of the obvliates."