The Grimm and the Spartans

In the land of Greece there exists a kingdom of warriors said to be descendent from Heracles himself.

Taught never to retreat.

Taught never to surrender.

When the monsters known as the Grimm first arose it was the Spartans who answered their challenge the loudest. The Grimm destroyed everything in their way but the path to Sparta was well protected by the largest of mountains with only a narrow entrance the only form of passage, making it impossible for any human to get past.

But the Grimm were far from being human.

They attacked, climbing up through the mountain and from the sky but the Spartans fought back fiercely. As the rest of Greece fought back against the Grimm the Spartans remained isolated. When the Emperor sent his warriors who had unlocked the powers of their Aura to unite the world against the Grimm the Spartans turned away all outsiders. It was during this time the Persian Empire under its King Darius began its first campaign into Greece but as soon as they took their first steps onto the land of Greece the Grimm had arrived, attacking both sides.

Darius I was fatally wounded by a Grimm and his army was massacred. Darius was taken back to his palace by his son Xerxes who could only watch as his father succumbed to his wounds in agony. His fleet commander, Artemisia had arrived and listened to Darius in his final moments.

His son Xerxes was present as Darius spoke his final words: "Only the Gods can destroy the Grimm."

It was then that his father's personal alchemist came forward, having extracted the poison that killed the king and studied it, seeing it as something not of this world and that it immune to all forms of poison, disease, and even immune to the elements. The alchemist then attempted using a special elixir mixed with human blood to see if something could be created from the strange essence. He used all of the mystic runes in his disposal to see if the substance could be destroyed. It was here the alchemist claimed he had found a way to gain ultimate knowledge and immortality, believing the Grimm were the key.

Xerxes had been manipulated by his father's right hand Artemisia to accept the alchemist's proposal, believing he would become a God-King and thus have the power to destroy the Grimm and take over the world.

And thus the alchemist began his plan.

Xxx

"You there…Hey you there!"

His vision returned to him and he realized he had been sleeping. "Oh no!"

"It's all right." A voice said, sounding strange and echo-like as if it was inside something.

He looked around, seeing himself in his master's private study, his eye settling on a glass flask with something inside. It looked like a sphere of dark matter or something like that.

"Yeah?"

"Come on. Aren't you gonna act a little surprised?" The…thing asked.

"What do I get for acting surprised?" The young man asked.

"You show no fear. I like that." The dark matter sphere noted. "What's your name?"

"I am Number Twenty Three." The young man asked.

"Not your number. I want you to tell me your real name." The creature said.

"I'm a slave. I don't have one." The man said.

"A slave?" The creature questioned. "You mean a person without any rights or freedoms? Someone deeded and treated as a possession."

The mean tilted his head slightly. "Deeded, what's that?"

"It's when a piece of property is transferred to another person." The creature answered.

"Huh…"

"Seems you're not all that bright are you?"

This caused the man to get mad. "Hey! Get out of here!"

The creature didn't seem to react at all to the man's temper. "How could I possibly have been born from someone as stupid as you?"

The man simply stared at the creature in the flask in confusion.

"You are the one who gave me blood right?"

The man looked at his arm. "I guess so. He said he was going to use it for an experiment."

"I exist today because you gave me your blood." The creature said as the man lowered his arm. "Thank you. Let's see…Number Twenty Three isn't going to cut it. I'll give you a name of your own."

"Give me a name? Who are you?"

"You want a noble sounding one, right? Let's see…Theophrastus Bombastus Van Hohenheim." The creature suggested.

"That's too long." The man retorted.

"Oh yeah, you're not very smart. Maybe we shouldn't put too many syllables in."

That only ticked him off again. "Hey you, I'm plenty smart!"

"How about Van? Van Hohenheim. How does that sound?"

The slave pondered the name. "Van Hohenheim huh? I think I remember that."

"It's spelled-Oh, you don't know how to read and write do you?" The creature asked.

"I don't need to read and write to do my work."

"Your slave work." The creature said, causing the man to go silent.

"Don't you even want freedom? Are you going to live out the rest of your life as a slave? Without the rights of a free man?" The creature asked. "In that case you are no different than me. Trapped inside this stuffy flask. But I can teach you, Van Hohenheim."

The man stared at the flask in slight awe now. "Hey, what are you? Who are you? What do I call you?"

That was when the sphere of darkness manifested two small arms and two eyes, both of them glowing red with black slits.

"I'll tell you what, Van Hohenheim. You can call me the Dwarf in the Flask, Homunculus."

Xxx

The Emperor slowly approached the gates of Sparta, watching as the guards barely paid him any mind as he stepped off his horse. He was told of the ways and thinking of Spartans during his journey here and expected that he would not receive a warm welcome. However just as the gate came within sight he saw Spartans fighting against Grimm invaders. The Grimm were in the form of bulls and were in large numbers.

The Spartans fought back with amazing ferocity, even managing to kill dozens of Grimm but they were still being pushed back. The Emperor spotted one young Spartan cut off from the rest and surrounded by the Grimm and reacted. Unsheathing his sword the Emperor leapt off his horse, the power of his Aura propelling him through the air and allowing him land in front of the outnumbered Spartan. He raised his sword and cut down the nearest Grimm with his sword.

The Spartans looked at the stranger who saved on their own but remembered they were in the middle of a battle and quickly focused on repelling the Grimm. The bull Grimm were brutal and strong but the welcomed addition of the Emperor the Spartans stood a much better chance now. Eventually the Grimm pack was cut down to their last remaining number with the Emperor delivering the final blow himself. He sheathed his sword, watching as the Grimm bodies evaporated and turned around, seeing some of the Spartans surrounding him.

"Bring him to king." One of them spoke.

The Emperor remained calm as he was escorted into Sparta, taking the chance to see the architecture of the kingdom, seeing how different it was from his home.

"Is this the one who I was expected to see?"

The Emperor stopped when he saw a man step towards him, a woman standing behind him with several guards standing close.

"Are you Leonidas, King of Sparta?" The Emperor asked.

"I am. And you must be the Emperor of the faraway land where demons have been said to run free." Leonidas stated calmly, taking in the Emperor's appearance.

He was obviously a warrior who had seen his share of battles.

"Here I am merely a visitor, come to speak with the king of this land." The Emperor bowed respectfully.

"You speak the same language as us?" Leonidas's wife, Gorgo asked.

"I had a good teacher." The Emperor replied with a slight smile.

"Indeed. Come, let us eat and talk." Leonidas said, gesturing for the Emperor to follow.

The Emperor respectfully followed Leonidas into an open courtyard where food and drinks where prepared.

"I believe you know what I have come to speak with you about, King Leonidas." The Emperor said as he sat down.

"You come because of the demons or as many are now calling them, the Grimm." Leonidas replied, taking a sip of his drink. "They say you wield great power because of your mystic sword."

The Emperor looked down at his sword. "The sword is merely a tool. What power does it have when compared to the hand that wields it?"

"Not a good many men with such a blade would have the sense to know that." Leonidas pointed out.

"I am not a good many men," The Emperor replied with a shrug. "I am but a man who has dedicated his life to ridding the world of the Grimm. Against that, all other desires but one becomes unimportant."

"And what would that one desire be?"

The Emperor smiled. "To see my family once more. Although my quest is just, it pains me to be parted from them for so long."

"They say that you've travelled to many places long before you ever set foot in Greece," Leonidas observed, "If you are seeking warriors as the whispers claim, you may have come to the right place."

"May have?"

"It all depends on the warriors you seek and what they desire."

The Emperor nodded slowly. "If you fear that I am here to steal men from your army, allow me to lay that fear to rest. I am here simply to pass on my knowledge of how to fight the Grimm, as I know that even the great Sparta has faced difficulty in repelling the Horde from its borders."

It was impossible to deny that the Grimm presented a new challenge altogether. Sparta had fought and conquered many foes, but they had been men, beast and the elements. These Grimm were something entirely different, razing entire city states that had stood for centuries in the span of a few nights. Sparta had only survived because the Grimm were preoccupied with some of the stronger cities including Athens, meaning that any Grimm to attack Sparta were few in number compared to the full might of the Horde.

And yet this man before him was rumored to have slain entire droves of them with his simple blade. If it was true then this was a gift from the gods, something that Leonidas could not afford to pass up. Ordinarily he would never accept help from an outsider, but if the few Grimm he had seen slaughtering his warriors left and right were but a taste of what was to come…he had to swallow his pride for the sake of his kingdom.

But first, to see if there really was any truth to it.

"If you are the warrior that you are portrayed as," Leonidas cracked a smirk, "Perhaps we should see some proof of your worth."

The Emperor matched the challenge in Leonidas' gaze with his own. "If that is your wish, King Leonidas. One ruler to another?"

"As it should be." Leonidas agreed and finished his drink at the same time as the Emperor. "Let us not waste any time then."

The Emperor stood up, facing Leonidas as he picked up his spear and shield while everyone else moved back to allow them room. The Emperor unsheathed his sword and readied himself while Leonidas held up his shield to defend himself and readied his spear. Both opponents were still as statues, gazing into each other's eyes, looking for the precise moment to attack. The wind blew dust between them…

And Leonidas made the first move by lunging forward, raising his shield up in front of his face as he shot at the Emperor like a bullet. The Emperor side stepped past Leonidas, remaining on the side where Leonidas held his shield and aimed a non-lethal strike at his back. Leonidas spun and slashed his spear at the Emperor who ducked and thrust his sword at chest of the Spartan King but Leonidas quickly blocked with his shield. The Emperor quickly fell back, dodging the spear aimed at his head as Leonidas thrust his spear out.

The Emperor swung his sword, bringing the spear down to the ground and leapt up, kicking at Leonidas who blocked with his shield. The Emperor used Leonidas's shield as a spring board and jumped off, landing several feet away. Leonidas brought his spear back up as both opponents circled each other, respect in each other's eyes. It was rare for someone of non-Spartan blood to be skilled enough to take on an actual Spartan and this man had lasted longer than any vagabond Leonidas had encountered.

The Emperor held his sword in both hands in a ready position. Leonidas held his shield up and then unexpectedly threw it at the Emperor who ducked as it sailed over his head and embedded itself in the wall behind him. That had been an attempt to distract him as Leonidas charged again; twirling his spear in both hands and thrust its bladed end at the Emperor's head. The Emperor fell back, parrying each strike but they were all very close to touching his face.

"Is this all?" Leonidas said, thrusting the spear at the Emperor's head again and again. "Is this the limit of your skills?"

The Emperor narrowed his eyes as an aura of azure light appeared around him for a brief second and then in a slash of bright light Leonidas's spear was broken in half. Leonidas stepped back; watching as the sword glowed briefly, showing an aura around the Emperor that faded.

"Does this better suit your expectations?" The Emperor asked, remaining on guard.

Leonidas nodded. "It does. It seems the power you wield is real after all and you are a skilled warrior."

"And you have shown why you are hailed as King of the greatest warriors in Greece." The Emperor acknowledged. "Am I to assume I have proven myself?"

"You have and we have much to speak of."

Xxx

As the years pass the newly named Van Hohenheim learned how to read, write, and even preform alchemy, even becoming his master's apprentice.

"All things are made from one and in the end all things return to one."

Van Hohehnheim watched as the sun rose, his master standing behind him with the flask containing Homunculus. "In other words one is all."

"Indeed and all is one as well." His master praised.

Hohenheim smiled and faced his master. "All is ultimately of the one. So if all is not included in the one then all is never."

"You have passed. You are now an alchemist, Hohenhiem. Well done."

"I am still only fit to be your assistant. My skills is nothing compared to yours, master."

Homunculus narrowed its eyes.

Xxx

The Emperor placed his hand on Leonidas's chest and focused his Aura that caused a surge of power to travel into Leonidas, touching his soul and awakening his own Aura that flared red. From that point the Emperor showed Leonidas how to use his Aura, channeling it through his body to become stronger and explaining the power of Semblance.

"The Semblance is created by your inner desires, your thoughts, and your wish. What is it you desire more than anything? What do you believe to be your greatest strength? And what do you believe you must face to become the greatest of warriors?" The Emperor asked.

Leonidas looked at the Emperor and remembered his training from long ago. "I know of such a place that may answer those questions."

Xxx

"I am grateful to you." Hohenheim said, looking out the window of his room with Homunculus' flask perched next to him.

"For what?" Homunculus asked.

"I live as well as I do now thanks to the knowledge you gave me. And I've also earned the master's respect. Thanks to you," Hohenheim faced the flask. "I'll even be able to get married and have a family of my own."

"A family huh?" Homunculus said. "I don't understand you humans. Unless you form communities and breed your species can't continue."

"Don't call it breeding and whether or not it's a concept your able to understand that's where humans find happiness." Hoheheim said, looking back out the window. "We live for the bonds that we form in our families. That's who we humans are."

"Sure, whatever you say." Homunculus said in disinterest.

"Okay, so what is it that makes you happy?"

"Well…I'd hate to be asking too much but I think I'd be happy if I could just leave this flask." Homunculus said, a longing in its voice now.

Xxx

However as the former slave continued to learn from his teacher the Grimm continued spreading and even began pushing into Persia. The Empire's armies were struggling to push them back but time was running out for the Empire. It was at that point the new Persian King Xerxes I summoned Homunculus to his palace.

"Immortality? The power of the Gods?" Homunculus remarked, its flask sitting before the throne of the king. "Do you not have all the power you need, King Xerxes?"

"Silence you creature or I'll smash that flask!" The King's right hand, Artemisia barked.

"You wouldn't dare destroy your only source of knowledge." Homunculus retorted.

"Enough!" Xerxes said. "Do you know the secrets or not?"

It was becoming too dangerous for the Empire with the Grimm continuing to grow in numbers. In order to stop them he needed the power to become…

A God-King.

That was the only way to become truly powerful.

"Growing impatient now that you've become king, young Xerxes?" Homunculus asked snidely. "How moment-able."

Homunculus grinned gleefully. "Very well, I will show you the secret to immortality."

All according to plan.

Xxx

"My Queen, I bring news. Something strange is happening in the Persian Empire." A messenger said as he bowed to Leonidas's wife and the Spartan Queen.

Gorgo faced the messenger. "What is happening? Is it the Grimm?"

"Yes and no, my Queen. The Grimm have been sighed in Persian territory but news has spread of Persians digging trenches stretching across the Persian Empire. There are also rumors of massacres in the outer cities of the Empire." The messenger answered.

"The Grimm?" Gorgo asked.

"We cannot be sure. All we do know at this point is that Grimm have been changing course from Greece to Persia." The messenger answered. "At the very least they are fewer in numbers here. I also bring news that Themistocles of Athens is urging to speak with all leaders of Greece, speaking of an alliance against the Grimm."

Gorgo frowned. "Have you informed the council yet?"

"No, my Queen."

"Good. Keep this information yourself." Gorgo ordered. "Nothing will be done until I have spoken with my husband."

Xxx

Leonidas kept his spear close as he traveled through the wild, the cold barely bothering him thanks to his endurance training and his Aura. He had chosen to step out into the dark wild he had been cast into as a child, believing it would be here he would awaken the inner power the Emperor spoke of.

The power created by his inner desire.

A growling sound caught his attention and he looked up, seeing a dark beast shaped like a wolf emerge from the shadows. This one was no animal he had seen before. Its body was pure black, its face white and shaped like a skull-like mask with red eyes and red markings.

Leonidas knew from its description that this was a Grimm.

"So, you've made this far." Leonidas said, watching as the Grimm growled and stalked towards him. "Perhaps I will be your first prey."

The Beowulf growled and lunged at Leonidas, baring its claws that were ready to skewer the King of Sparta.

Leonidas let out a bellowing roar that shook the entire valley as he thrust his spear at the Grimm.

Xxx

"Did you hear? More Grimm have been attacking the outer villages."

"This is horrible."

"Does this mean they'll be getting closer to us?"

"I hope the King has a plan."

Van Hohenheim listened to the conversations as he took Homunculus to the palace. "It sounds horrible."

"Yes, such a tragedy." Homunculus said with a hint of amusement in his voice that Hohenheim did not hear.

Xxx

"The blood crests have been carved and the circle is now done, my King." Artemisia reported. "The center of the circle has already been carved in the center of the palace."

King Xerxes stood up from his throne. "Finally."

Xxx

Leonidas has returned to Sparta victorious.

He had learned the knowledge the Emperor sought to pass to him and his people, allowing them to become stronger and face the Grimm.

His wife and the Emperor were waiting for him at the gate along with his bodyguards.

"Your training is now complete." The Emperor said, nodding in respect to Leonidas who returned it. "This power is yours and the decision to wield it alone or pass it onto any disciples is your decision and yours alone."

Leonidas nodded. "It will be used as every spear, sword, and shield in Sparta is meant to be."

"And now your work is done?" Gorgo asked the Emperor who nodded.

"My time here is done. I must move on. My disciples and I have many places to visit and the Grimm never rest." The Emperor answered.

"Perhaps but remember that you will always be welcome in Sparta." Leonidas stated, nodding in respect to the Emperor. "You are skilled as any Spartan and you understand honor as much as we do."

The Emperor smiled and bowed. "You honor me, King Leonidas. I only hope the rest of Greece shares the same honor as you and Sparta."

Xxx

In the center of the palace Xerxes had gathered his most faithful and closest advisors and guards, including Hohenheim and Homunculus who watched on as Xerxes took a knife to draw a single drop of blood and place it in the urn that was located in the center.

"Finally, the king shall be immortal." Hohenheim said eagerly.

"Yes, this is an amazing moment indeed." Homunculus agreed.

Artemisia stood close to Hohenheim, glaring at the flask of the creature the king's alchemist had created. She never trusted the creature calling itself Homunculus, believing it to have some sort of plan of its own. She wished to be the one in control, manipulating the young king to make war on Greece much like his father had originally planned but the arrival of the Grimm made it impossible for her to make her plan. She could only watch and keep a close eye on the creature, preparing the right time to strike.

The moment the blood dropped into the urn a flash of red light travelled through the circle throughout the Persian kingdom, gathering energy to fulfill its purpose.

Only what happened next was something no one could have predicted.

Massive hands of darkness rose up from the ground, soon followed by screams from all across the entire country. Hohenheim and Artemisia watched in horror as Xerxes and everyone else collapsed to the ground.

"What is happening?!" Hohenheim looked down at the flask. "Hey Homunculus! What is happening?!"

Homunculus's eyes settled on Hohenheim. "The spot the king was standing in was not the center of the transmutation circle. It is right here where you standing."

Hohenheim's eyes widened as he stuttered. "Right here?"

"That's right." Homunculus said with a wide grin. "I used your blood to open the gate. Right now we are in the center of everything, blood brother of mine Van Hohenheim."

"What have you done?!" Artemisia pulled out her sword to end the creature's life when a light traveled along the ground underneath them.

Hohenheim and Artemisia looked down and watched as a giant eye appeared under them. The eye was grey with multiple circles in the irises and it grew larger, engulfing the two of them and the palace itself. Both of them screamed as their bodies were swallowed into the air, Hohenheim screaming the loudest as his body was broken down along with the flask containing the creature known as Homunculus.

Xxx

"My king! Look!"

Leonidas, Gorgo and the Emperor watched as a great red glowing light was seen in the far distance.

"That light comes from Persia." Leonidas stated, scowling. "I never before seen anything like it."

"Nor have I." The Emperor said, sensing something wrong.

"There have been whispers of the Grimm making incursions into Persia and of something strange." Gorgo spoke up. "People speaking of Persian soldiers digging massive trenches all across Persia and villages being slaughtered."

"Does the council know?" Leonidas asked.

Gorgo shook her head. "I did not trust them to make decisions whilst you were gone."

Leonidas nodded. "I agree. For now this does not concern us."

"I believe I must go there." The Emperor said. "Even if this does not concern Sparta I believe it concerns me. An omen like this could spell great danger. Can you spare me a boat?"

Leonidas looked at the Emperor and nodded. "Of course." The King of Sparta suddenly smirked. "But I believe you will need a…Escort."

Xxx

It turned out the escort King Leonidas had suggested consisted of over fifty of his personal guard and best warriors on a boat that allowed them to reach Persia's shores in half a day. But when they reached the shores they saw countless bodies as the ship docked.

"What has happened here? It's as if a plague had struck overnight and left as quickly as it came." One of Leonidas's guards said.

Leonidas narrowed his eyes as he stepped off the boat. "This is no plague." As soon as they reached the shore Leonidas pointed in the direction of the capital city. "There it is. The Persian Palace. Move quickly and be on the lookout."

The group moved through the dead city, taking note of all the bodies they passed. They had no external wounds or looked like they had been sick before they died.

It was as if they gave up on living and death struck quickly.

Xxx

When he awoke he found himself alone.

"Majesty?" Hohenheim asked, looking around and saw his master. "Master are you…" He knelt down and checked his master's pulse but felt nothing. "No, this can't be."

Everyone around him were dead.

"Is anyone out there?" Hohenheim whispered, looking around the palace for someone and walked outside, seeing nothing but bodies everywhere.

All of them dead.

"There must be someone left." Hohenheim whispered.

"It's no use. All of their souls have been taken from them."

Hohenheim looked up, seeing someone dressed in royal robes.

"My king." Hohenheim quickly bowed,

"Tell me, your body. How is it feeling?."

Hohenheim looked up and saw…himself?! "You're…me? But how?"

"Using your blood I created a receptacle for myself." The man knelt down, smiling at Hohenheim. "Finally, I can walk on my own two legs."

Hohenheim was still as a stature, paralyzed in terror. "Are you…The Dwarf in the Flask, Homunculus? What is this? What have you done?!"

"To thank you for giving me your blood I gave you a name, knowledge, and now a body that will live forever." The duplicate said, smiling down at Hohenheim.

"Forever?" Hohenheim's terrified voice echoed.

The man pointed at them both. "Look inside yourselves. Can you not hear them?"

Hohenheim did not understand what he meant but then Hohenheim heard it.

The screams.

The screams coming from inside him.

"You hear them, don't you? The voices of all the people in this country who were offered in exchange for immortality. "The man continued, grinning malevolently. "Well, half of their lives were given to me."

"No…No…NOOOOOO!" Hohenheim screamed.

Xxx

The Emperor looked up at the palace, hearing a man scream. "Someone is alive."

"Spartans, move!" Leonidas ordered, rushing to the palace with his guards following him.

Just as they made it into the palace they saw two people.

The Emperor gripped the handle of his sword. "Halt!"

The man looked at the Emperor, watching as him and the Spartans surrounded the palace. "More of you and yet you do not wear the Persian garb. The circle should have absorbed the souls of everyone in this kingdom."

"Absorbed the souls? What do you speak of?" The Emperor asked.

"He's not a human! He killed everyone here and stole their souls!" Hohenheim shouted hysterically.

The Emperor looked up at the man, staring into his eyes and sensed that he was not human. There was a darkness in this man, similar to the Grimm and yet he showed the ability to think and reason. Since first gaining the sword and his powers the Emperor had gained the ability to sense the souls of others and right now he sensed a malevolent soul along with thousands, perhaps millions of souls screaming inside this man.

This was no human.

"I do not know what you are but the crime you have committed is unforgiveable." The Emperor stated. "Who are you and why did you steal all the souls of the people here?"

The man simply grinned. "How interesting to see so many humans appearing at once. I'd be more interested but I cannot allow any witnesses to live."

His body flashed with red lightning and spikes erupted from the ground towards the humans. The Emperor swung his sword, unleashing a blast of azure light that cut through the spikes before they could kill anyone.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. I see no alchemy in what you did. Perhaps I will keep you alive to study your ability."

"You have chosen this path. Life works in strange ways. Your choices have clearly led you here. As have mine." The Emperor said, levelling his sword. "I will give you a new choice. Leave here now and live, or stay and face your destiny."

"My destiny? How amusing to hear such words from a mere human, even one as interesting as you. As if you have the power to dictate the destiny of a being such as me." The man said in amusement.

"Very well. Your destiny is death." The Emperor said, readying himself for battle.

The man narrowed his eyes and sank into the ground. The Emperor narrowed his eyes and sensed the man's presence appear underneath him. Just as the man emerged from the ground behind the Emperor to stab him from behind the Emperor twisted his sword and thrust it back, stabbing the creature disguised as a man. The creature's eyes widened as the sword glowed as it stabbed through his body, channeling the azure light through the sword and burned the creature's body from the inside out.

The Emperor pulled his sword out and watched as the creature staggered back, shock on his face. "It seems I am not as frail as you believe me to be."

The Homunculus stared up at the Emperor, shock and anger appearing on his face as his body began bulging with energy blasting out from it. "Now I see…I'll kill you now and dissect your body later."

A spear suddenly stabbed him through his head, causing him to stagger back.

Leonidas, having been the one who threw the spear, unsheathed his sword. "That will be most impossible for you, creature."

The man let out a scream as his body exploded into a black like fluid that splattered across the ground. Everyone stared at the remains of the monster that had destroyed the Persian Empire, waiting a few minutes for believing it was dead.

The Emperor sheathed his sword. "It seems the monster is now dead."

The black ooze that spread across the ground started moving suddenly, causing everyone to react in alarm as it coagulated into a single ball with multiple burning eyes staring at the Emperor with hate. "This is not over! You can't kill me!"

It lashed out a tentacle at the Emperor but Leonidas unsheathed his sword and cut the tentacle.

"Spartans! Kill this monster!" Leonidas roared.

The Spartans that had come as the guards roared and charged the beast as it lashed out with more tentacles. However the creature seemed immune to pain and instantly regenerated its wounds. It's body constantly morphed and shifted from humanoid to monstrous as it tried to kill the pesky humans attacking it. It lashed out with many tentacles, grabbing anyone it caught and either smashed them into the ground or threw them away.

"Fools! Nothing can harm me in this form!" The creature screamed madly as it smacked many warriors aside with its tentacle. "I'll devour all of you!"

Leonidas stood his ground as several tentacles lunged at him and let out a roar that shook the palace. From his mouth came a shockwave that hit the liquid body of the Homunculus head on and splattered its body across the palace. However the creature's body simply regenerated again. What Leonidas had just done was through the power of his Semblance.

The Roar of the Great Beast.

It turned his voice into a weapon with the force of an atomic blast, able to rip apart an entire city. However the Homunculus simply regenerated its form and attacked again. Leonidas used his shield to defend himself, slashing at the tentacles with his sword. In response to that the Homunculus hardened its body enough that when Leonidas moved to cut another tentacle his sword shattered on impact.

"My boy is indestructible now! I can morph into any form of substance or liquid!" The Homunculus boasted.

The Emperor narrowed his eye and knew that they could not win like this. He twisted his sword in his hand and threw it at the center of the mass, stabbing it between the eyes. The creature named Homunculus screamed as it was absorbed into the sword, leaving the blade completely black with a pair of eyes blinking in confusion and rage.

The Emperor walked forward and picked up the sword, staring into the creature's eyes. "Now to destroy this evil abomination."

Hohenheim had been watching in awe the entire time, unable to believe the power of these warriors. The Emperor channeled his Aura into the sword, creating azure flames that began burning the Homunuclus who let out a scream as its liquid body was being burned to nothing, extinguishing the energy of the souls that it had stolen to create its new body. In its desperation to life the Homunculus channeled its power of the souls it still had along with its knowledge of alchemy directly at its own body, causing red sparks to clash with the azure flames of the Emperor's sword. There was a scream as the liquid darkness exploded, knocking the Emperor down as black smoke shot into the air, dispersing itself across the sky.

Hohenheim stared up at the sky, watching the creature he had known as his first friend vanish. "Is he gone?"

"I do not know." The Emperor said as he sheathed his sword. "The darkness I felt was like that of the Grimm and yet its will to survive was greater than anyone I have seen. It clings to life, even existing as mere air."

"Such a monster." Leonidas said, staring up the sky. "Is this what we expect to encounter, born from the Horde of monsters that continue to spread?"

"I do not know. This is the first I have ever seen such a monstrosity, even compared to the Grimm." The Emperor answered grimly.

"And it is perhaps only the beginning." Leonidas said with a small grin. "This world is in for great change. Sparta will be challenged in the years to come, to see what place it shall take in this new world. An age strife and survival, against the Grimm and perhaps more. The Age of the Grimm and the Spartans!"

The Spartans held their spears up and cheered for their king while the Emperor looked on stoically before turning to Hohenheim who had been silent.

The Emperor silently approached and stood next to Hohenheim. "What is your name?"

Hohenheim stared at the ground blankly. "…Number Twenty-Three."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow.

"It's all I knew and then…He gave me a name. And then he gave me knowledge. And now he's cursed me." Hohenheim stared up at the sky, trembling now. "He sacrificed this entire country, stealing the souls of everyone here and trapped them inside us. I can hear them, screaming inside me and I can't silence them. I'll live forever and so will they, trapped inside this cursed body, screaming for release."

The Emperor placed a hand on Hohenheim's shoulder. "Perhaps the first step is not to silence them but to speak with them."

Hohenhiem looked at the Emperor. "Do you know how many souls are inside me? Thousands! How can I speak to over a thousand?!"

"If you are truly immortal you have all the time you need. Perhaps together you can find a way to defeat this curse." The Emperor said, his voice calm and wise.

Hohenheim eyed the Emperor's sword. "Or you can take that sword and slay me as you slayed the Homunculus."

The Emperor shook his head. "This sword was made to strike down those who are evil and wicked and I have sworn an oath to never strike the innocent down. You are not a wicked beast or a monster like that creature was. From this point forward, the decisions you make and the actions that follow are a reflection of who you really are."

Hohenheim watched as the Emperor walked past him, leaving the palace, followed shortly by the Spartans.

Van Hohenheim spared one last look at the place that had been his form since he was child before making his decision. Taking what food and water he could he left the remnants of Persia, never looking back.

Xxx

High above the surface a black smoke that floated amongst the clouds, the consciousness that the cloud made up stewing in rage at what had happened to it.

How had this happened?

It was barely clinging to life as it was now.

A gaseous form of its original self that it had been forced to transmute itself into to save itself from death.

And now it was barely clinging to life.

It would not end here.

It would find a way to survive and then it would exact revenge.

'This is not over. I will find a way to exact my revenge. My knowledge and my power are endless.' It thought.

It would regain its body.

It would find a way to regain its powers and physical form.

And it would not be stopped.

Xxx

"And so, his duty done the Emperor left our kingdom to return to his home land and continue the fighter against the Grimm. This stranger, who became a brother, aided us in our time of need and struck down a great evil while preparing us for the new age of struggle. The Age of the Warrior." The former king of Sparta said, his family surrounding him on his bed. "The time when Sparta was truly tested as the Grimm spread themselves across the world, growing in numbers and attempting to destroy our kingdom. Our new brother's teachings were passed down to a new generation, allowing us to survive starting with one, then three hundred and then three thousand as we united with many more warriors against the Grimm. The three thousand plus one." Leonidas smiled. "And now the warriors become more than just defenders as many leave their homes, following the teachings of the Emperor, defending villages and hunting the Grimm. The warriors becoming…Huntsmen."