Chef in the Apocalypse

Chapter 111: Celestial Throne Room

In the realm between the twinkling stars and planets, an awe-inspiring throne room materialized, its grandeur transcending mere cosmic boundaries. The chamber seemed to expand infinitely into the boundless abyss, painting a breathtaking sight.

Three colossal thrones, sculpted from the very fabric of space, rested upon a dais of spectral marble. These celestial seats exuded an aura of immense power, their surfaces shimmering with radiant starlight and pulsing with arcane energies. From these thrones, three cloaked figures held dominion over this mysterious realm, their identities enshrouded in deepest obscurity.

A congregation of surreal beings were situated in front of the dais, their forms and statures as varied as the constellations that adorned the heavens. Some among them towered like titans, while others stood diminutive, their frames lost amidst the shadows cast by their more imposing peers.

Each one of these beings wore a mask with different markings, some humanoid while others depicted the faces of monstrous entities. Their faces were turned towards the thrones, as if awaiting instruction from those up high.

From the central throne, a voice, dry and hoarse, rasped with authority. “Bring him in.”

The chamber’s massive doors slowly parted, revealing the arrival of Rubick, shrouded in his shadowy cloak. The masked figures, far from reverent, sneered and jeered, turning to one another to exchange mocking jests and bitter quips.

Under the disdainful eyes, Rubick continued his advance, seemingly unfazed by the overt hostility of the gathering. He strode forward with measured steps until he finally came to a halt, his presence commanding the reluctant attention of the enigmatic trio seated upon the celestial thrones.

“Do you know why we summoned you?” the hoarse voice rang out through the chamber.

Rubick shrugged, “I dunno, but surely it wasn’t for that pissant Leo.” he replied nonchalantly.

At those words, a seismic wave of energy surged forth from the midst of the masked individuals, casting the chamber into chaotic tumult. The very air quivered with wrath and resentment, as a dangerous cry reverberated throughout the hall.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?” growled a voice that seemed to emanate from the very abyss, sending shivers through the room.

A sly grin curled upon Rubick’s lips as he basked in the satisfaction of having provoked such an incensed reaction. Yet, he remained aloof, granting no recognition to the voice or the furious energy directed at him. His sole focus remained steadfastly fixed upon the trio of thrones that loomed before him.

Then, an androgynous voice, neither distinctly male nor female, flowed from the leftmost throne.

“Silence.”

With this command, an overwhelming force of oppression descended upon the chamber, smothering the breath of all present. But amid this choking aura, one figure struggled more than the rest, the one who had caused the disturbance.

A strange, agonizing cry echoed, followed by the swift disappearance of the menacing aura, as if it had never existed. Sounds of bones being crushed and muffled moans filled the chamber, yet none dared to speak. They remained silent witnesses to the horrors unfolding before their eyes.

Soon, the source of the disturbance materialized beside Rubick, its form now compressed into a grotesque sphere. It was as though invisible hands had mercilessly compacted it into a fleshy meatball before depositing it alongside him.

Without a word, two shadowy entities materialized, collecting the fleshy meatball and swiftly ferrying it from the chamber. The only residual sound was the echo of hurried footsteps, as all awaited the continuation of the proceedings in tense silence.

From the rightmost throne came an exasperated sigh, its mellifluous tones weaving through the stillness like a soothing melody. “Those Beastmen truly are rude. I can understand why you killed one of them,” the voice remarked, its harmonious cadence casting a tranquil spell upon the listeners.

Rubick chuckled in response, his lack of reply a silent admittance of guilt.

“I couldn’t care less about the Beastman. But what he had claimed truly piqued our interest,” spoke the occupant of the middle throne. The voice, hoarse and raspy, stood in stark contrast to the melodious tones from the rightmost throne.

At these words, Rubick couldn’t help but click his tongue in irritation. It appeared that Leo had managed to convey a message to one of his Beastmen comrades before he had silenced him for good. Yet thankfully, if the enigmatic figures on the thrones had harbored suspicions about his involvement, they would have disposed of him already. Thus, he chose to maintain his silence.

“What do you say to the accusation of interfering with the Cataclysm?” The question came next, delivered in a monotonous tone by the androgynous voice.

A sweeping gesture summoned what resembled a colossal monitor before the three thrones. Upon it played the moment when the Void Bats met their demise, felled by a salvo of ranged attacks, fire, ice, and arrows converging in mid-air.

Murmurs and hushed conversations rippled through the masked assembly, their gazes boring into Rubick’s back with palpable malice and schadenfreude.

Rubick responded succinctly, without a hint of hesitation. “I plead not guilty.”

“Oh? Then how do you explain what transpired then?” A trace of amusement tinged the melodious voice’s response. The atmosphere grew taut, and all eyes turned expectantly upon Rubick, awaiting his explanation.

With a wide, knowing grin, Rubick offered a single word in response: “Luck.”

Silence filled the chamber, a palpable tension as masked figures exchanged incredulous glances, struggling to fathom the audacity of Rubick’s defense. Unspoken thoughts rippled among them, forming an unspoken consensus: Was he mad? It appeared as though he hadn’t even tried to mount a convincing defense against such a grave accusation.

“Hahaha!” The rightmost occupant of the thrones erupted into colorful laughter, a peculiar blend of amusement and satisfaction tinging their voice. “Yes! Luck is an incredible force indeed.”

Shockwaves of disbelief reverberated through the gathering, each member stunned by the response of the enigmatic figure seated on the throne. The incredulity was so intense that one of the smaller masked beings pinched themselves to confirm that this wasn’t some surreal dream.

It was then that the vision on the large monitor changed, zooming in to a spot on top of the ramparts. In clear view they could see a man wearing a chef’s outfit, standing upon a rock with a lit torch in his right hand and yelling out orders to the ranged group.

As he turned around to look towards the battlefield, he lost his footing, causing him to almost fall off the city wall. In that moment, the torch in his right hand was flung downwards as he tried to prevent himself from teetering over the edge.

Suddenly, the ranged units fired at once, sending the devastating salvo that met the Void Bats head on, catching them by surprise and culling their forces in one fell swoop.

The sound of hundreds of jaws opening wide at once rang out in the chamber as they stared at what had transpired on the gigantic monitor. What they saw could not be described as luck, it was a damn miracle. Never had they seen anything so ridiculous in their lives.

Rubick’s smile widened, finding the whole ordeal to be greatly amusing. Not only was he acquitted of any wrongdoing, he also got to see a great show, on the monitor and in the chamber itself.

“As you can all see, Rubick did not interfere with the proceedings.” The hoarse voice rang out, silencing the masses.

“However… I think we should even out the odds, don’t you think?” in an excited tone, the right-most throne added on, causing Rubick’s face to falter.

“Agreed.” Both the androgynous voice and the hoarse voice responded, leaving no room for argument.

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