As the Five warriors trudged their way back to Bel-Roth through the ravaged city streets, they soon came upon the large courtyard where Bel-Roth still remained. Atlas hurtled himself towards Bel-Roth and grabbed him by the throat and held him off of the ground as the others quickly came to join Atlas. Atlas threw him down onto the ground and said, "What is your purpose here?" Bel-Roth looked upon Atlas and the other warriors but remained silent. Reality stepped forward and said, "What is your purpose here? It would be wise to not upset these men." Bel-Roth said, "My purpose is done, you may do what you will to me, but nothing can stop what is to come, Kiernan will do his duty, and we will rebuild."

Reality asked, "Did you plan on Korick as well then?" Bel-Roth's eyes shot up to meet Reality's with a worried look and said, "You released Korick? You do not know what you have done, this is not good, not good at all." Reality began to ask another question when Atlas, much to the surprise of everyone there, said, "I know very well what you have done, I have seen the mind of Kiernan. I will destroy him myself. Whoever your masters are, I will destroy them too. I have what they do not." Bel-Roth asked, "What might that be Reaper?" Atlas laughed and said, "Them." Atlas motioned to the other Four and Bel-Roth began to laugh.

Bel-Roth then said to where everyone understood him, "You all pale in comparison to the powers you have brought upon yourselves, Kiernan and Korick will fight for eternity, neither will win. Now you have caused yourselves great pain here. They will come for you, and they will annihilate you and this horrid place." Wrecker asked, "Why is this place so horrid to you, your race are the ones that created it are you not?" Bel-Roth said, "Yes we are but, it has long since strayed from the path we wanted it to, it is need of a fresh start, and it will happen no matter what you puny ones may try."

Atlas laughed and said, "You think us puny? Then why is your plan hinged on us? You know nothing of us and the things we have done. We came here to change this place, and if we need to save it from a race of assholes like you first then so be it...." Atlas then got an idea, one that He knew would lead to their victory, but it would come with a heavy price. Atlas reached out and enveloped Bel-Roth with intense red energy, the most He's ever used for something like this. Bel-Roth began to scream out in pain. Atlas took his time with this one compared to the rest. He made sure Bel-Roth felt every bit of pain and suffereing he had caused ovr his lifetime, including that which Kiernan had caused up to the point where Bel-Roth was fully enveloped and consumed by Atlas.

The Four others stood motionless, all in fear of Atlas and admiration. Atlas turned to them and said, "Let's go kill ourselves some gods." He began to walk away when Reality said, "You should not have done that Atlas." Atlas asked, "Why is that Reality? I now have power enough to destroy Kiernan and Korick both, then whatever Bel-Roth's people could throw at us. He said we were puny, I will show them, I will show them all who is really puny in this Universe." The Four looked around at each other in bewilderment, but they knew Atlas would indeed do just that. Could they sit idly by and watch as Atlas consumed everything, or would they all help him do so?

It had been several hours later when a rumbling began to shake the city they were in. One being emerged out of an intense beam of light and they appeared down on one knee. They were clad in pristine white armour with fiery gold accents variously scattered over the armour. On the chest was a symbol, it was a very ornate and almost hard to understand at first. It was of two letters, that just the mere presence of in this world seemed to resonate a brilliant light from them, these two letters were SW. Atlas approached the figure and said, "What party tricks do you have I wonder." The being stood and said back to him, "I have no tricks you peon, I am Shunnereth, and you are who I have come for." Atlas laughed and said, "Me? You mean Us don't you?" Shunnereth said, "No, I have come for YOU...." Shunnereth pointed as He said this and His finger pointed directly at Reality.

The Four others then took their positions behind Atlas ready for a fight. Reality said, "You want me, come and get me." Shunnereth materialized a halberd that was just as brilliant as his armour, and equally covered in the same white and fiery gold accents that seemed to give off their own source of light. Atlas beckoned for the other Four to stay where they were and He said, "Leave this one to me, I haven't had a challenge in so long." Shunnereth laughed and said, "You feeble beings think so highly of yourselves you have made yourselves believe you could stand a chance against me. I will make quick work of this." Atlas laughed back at him and said, "I have destroyed galaxies, I am a Reaper of Death and Sower of Sorrow. None have bested me, and none shall."

When Atlas said that Wrecker tried hard not to snicker at it. Wrecker knew Atlas was not this dramatic but then again Atlas is unpredictable. Himself and the other Three stood their ground, curious to see what Atlas would do against Shunnereth but they did not lower their guards, and they were ready for anything. Atlas and Shunnereth circled around the somewhat sizeable courtyard they were in, much smaller than the one with the fountain from earlier but large enough for this encounter to carry on without hinderance from the surrounding buildings. None spoke in the moment, the very air seemed as if it hung on the edge of a blade, and even without moving would be cut in two in a split second.

Shunnereth was the first to move and he rushed towards Atlas, Halberd in hand. Shunnereth took a large swipe up from left to right at Atlas which Atlas parried with relative ease. Atlas said, "Now, now. At least make it a challenge for me." Atlas's goal was to anger Shunnereth and to make him unleash everything he had. Atlas took several quick slashes back at Shunnereth grazing his armour on his arms and chest. Shunnereth spun with his halberd extended and Atlas met his blade with a block and Shunnereth's momenum was stopped instantly. As they were locked blade to blade Atlas said, "I figured a superior being like you would have been able to beat me by now, seems as though you have underestimated me."

Shunnereth laughed and said, "No, you have underestimated me." Shunnereth broke from the engagement and powered his blade with energy. This energy was a fierce vortex of golden light, and the accents all along his halberd and armour began to eminate an immense glow of the same light. Atlas responded by igniting his blade in white fire that began to envelop more than just his blade this time, this time he let loose his power and the flames wrapped around his entire body. This made his armour shine a brilliant white that soon began to drown out the rays of gold given off by Shunnereth.

Atlas said, "Your not the only one who can put on a pretty light show, now lets see what it does shall we?" They once more charged at each other, sending flurries of blows at each other but neither seemed to have the advantage. After nearly a half an hour Atlas became tired of Shunnereth and decided to unleash His full power onto him. Atlas disengaged Shunnereth and sent him hurtling back but he soon found his feet again. Atlas brought all of the power He had ever absorbed to the forefront, and He began to grow. Atlas was soon lost in a blindingly white entity of sorts, nothing but a swirling mass of power and light.

Once this happened Reality said, "This is the moment Atlas wins." Wrecker asked, "Why is that?" Reality turned and said, "Atlas has the potential for infinite power, and that is something He learned long ago. He is literally becoming power, and last time this happened was when He first faught me. I won simply because He was not stronger than me at the time, but now, now is a different story. This time He will not lose." Wrecker looked back at Atlas, who was now nearly twice as tall as Shunnereth.

Shunnereth began to back away, the words He tried to yell out were drowned out by a deep hum. A hum that resonated from Atlas, the hum of power. Atlas said in a commanding and thunderous voice, "Your life has come to an end. You will never defeat those who have a purpose, because you yourself have no purpose. My life has been nothing but choices made for me, but no longer. When we first arrived here our lives became our own, and I am not about to become slave to another." Atlas raised His sword, a now massive pillar of blindingly hot white flame and He cut Shunnereth down.

When hit with the fiery blade Shunnereth sank down to his knees and began to be enveloped in red energy. Atlas had his hand outstretched and was taking every ounce of power Shunnereth had. Once Shunnereth was gone the only thing that remained was his halberd. Atlas reverted back to his normal self, now this time his armour had scattered gold accents that gave off a faint glow. He took the halberd and studied it. The hammer head was a simple yet effective weapon of war with a small baroque engraved on the sides and top of the body of the hammer, they were of pure gold. The axe head was much the same, simple yet effective. The spike of the halberd was shorter than most Atlas had seen before but it was a very deadly tool.

The main shaft of the handle where the axe and hammer connected was a pristine white metal. This metal stretched down a short distance to where it formed a sort of dragon scale pattern that the metal itself appeared like the scales of a dragon. When the dragon pattern ended came the remainder of the handle. Equally of a pristine white with a band of gold wrapped around the rest of the handle to the very bottom where the pommel sat. The pommel was like a flower resting, its intricate detail beautiful to any who ar ignorant to the weapons purpose. Upon closer inspection Atlas noticed an inscription upon the pommel and He eventually saw the same resting on the White steel that connected the hammer and axe.

Atlas took the halberd over to Reality and asked, "What do these runes mean? Even with taking all of his knowledge it remains a mystery to me." Reality took the halberd and closely inspected the symbols. Reality said, "They are not a word, but simply letters, two of them. It appears as if they read SW? What could that mean I wonder?" Reality handed the halberd back to Atlas and said as he did so, "This is a weapon made to destroy, it will do good in your hands Atlas." Atlas took the halberd and fashioned himself a way to carry it on his back and they carried on.

Atlas said as they began walking, "They are sending an army of others like Shunnereth, and when they do you will all need to do what I did to Shunnereth. The key to taking someones power is not if you are stronger than them physically, but mentally. I have many times taken power from ones stronger than me, and the pain is immesurable. You will need to do this in order for their plan to fall apart. There is somewhere where we can go here to wait for their first assault, and once we are ready I shall leave you."

Krium asked, "What do you mean leave us?" Atlas turned to him and said, "Once we have gained dominance here I will go to those who control the beyond, and I will annihilate them. Then you will all be free, but I will not. I will take the role of whoever is in power there, and start a new way of doing things. Once I have done that I will return, and you may join me if you like." Revian asked, "What if we choose to not join you in the beyond." Atlas said, "Then you are finally free." Atlas continued on ahead and the other Four were deep in thought. They each tried to remember what freedom was like and none of them could even remember what it felt like, they could not remember the time before they were tools in Realities plan.

Even Reality could not remember a time where He was free, free to research those in the beyond, his creators. Reality thought deeply on what Atlas had offered, would He take the chance to go when He was offered? The taste of finally being done after a long enough time that seemed like his life was always like this, His life was always revenge. This train of thought brought Reality to a profound epiphany. Reality took these very different yet the same unwilling warriors to help Him in his revenge. Why? He saw more of himself in these Four warriors than trillions of species and over trillions of years of searching. They were all the same species as well, and it seemed as if there was another controlling fate, His fate. Reality hated this feeling, and He inderstood what the other Four felt now, the feeling of a slave.

After an hour long walk in silence Revian said, "What about Kiernan and Korick? I forgot those titans were even here..." Just as Revian said that the two colossal beings slammed into the street in front of them, stopping Four of them. Atlas kept walking towards the two, Revian continued, "...Shouldn't have said something." Atlas began to float off of the ground towards the two and He stretched out both of this hands. He shouted to the other Four, "Prepare yourselves, this is going to hurt. The Four were confused as to what Atlas said, thinking He was talking to Kiernan and Korick but oh how wrong they were.

Atlas turned his body, one hand towards Kiernan and Korick, the other towards his four companions. Atlas shot an immense beam of red energy into both Kiernan and Korick, and another into the Four. Atlas took the power from both of the titans and transferred it into the Four. Reality, Wrecker, Revian, and Krium were dropped to their knees and filled with both an exhilarating and painful feeling. In doing this Atlas opened their minds to his own, and they saw everything He had ever done and felt. Atlas also gave some of his own power to them so they were not killed by this process.

As quickly as it started it was gone, along with Kiernan and Korick. Atlas lowered himself to the ground slowly and approached the Four who were still recovering. The first to stand was Wrecker, then Reality, and lastly in unison, Revian and Krium. Atlas said, "That is what power feels like, now you shall be ready for the assault, do not fear that feeling. Soon you will become numb to the pain, and you will feel only power. I will tell you the thing I miss the most from being a regular human. I miss the feeling the wind, and the cold rain. I have been numb for so long, but I will remain this way. You may not trust me, you may think I will turn on you all but I will not. When I said we were not so different Wrecker I meant it. We all had stories of revenge, and there is one still incomplete."

Atlas continued, "We will help Reality attain his revenge, then we will destroy this threat from beyond. You know what, I like the sound of that. The Beyond. Let's call it The Beyond from now on how about that? Rolls right off the toungue." Atlas then asked, "Where do we go from here Reality, we have some time until they find out Shunnereth is dead." Reality still trying to recover said, "We must head north, just beyond that tower there. Then we make our way up a mountain and to the doorstep of their fortress here which they are no doubt hiding in if Kiernan and Korick's fight did not already kill them." Atlas said, "With the power we posess they will not stand a chance." They began to make their way towards the tower and the fortress beyond, each of them walked and felt inherently more powerful than they ever had. Each would be lying as well if they said they did not enjoy the feeling, and Atlas knew that. Atlas knew that feeling all too well.