Ga Rei: Exodus Nine (IC)

[Spinach]

Saki
Space – Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"The idea of defeating me has become your hope. But I told you before, Ryuumonbuchi Saki, this whole world has already been slain by my hands. The moment I defeated Nakahara Katsuro, any chance of victory you possessed crumbled to dust. Do not think I am so foolish as to do something that would result in my own loss, it is already over, this is merely a formality."

“Crumbled to dust? A convenient fantasy for you.”

Accepting defeat only comes after being defeated. Time and time again it speaks as though the fight is already over, yet it does not deliver the coup de grace.

Perhaps it is something that Saki, as a human, cannot ever understand.

Among gods, it is a God. There is no need for formality between itself and humans. It shouldn’t have to lower itself to their level, fight them ‘equally,’ and crush their spirits so decisively that they accept their defeat. It shouldn’t care about its judgement being accepted. It should merely act to destroy them all.

Yet, still it doesn’t do so. Even now, it plays the part of a ‘fair’ opponent. Her own attack is returned to her. Her own strength, which had made use of its ‘Factor of Power’ in a limited capacity, held the potential to harm it. That spell of her own twists back, shining blue, a stark contrast to herself.

It’s mocking her.

First it mentions him, now it borrows the principles of his own power to fight against her.

Trying to incite her into a fit of anger? ? Reignite the rage and sadness it had already inflicted onto her before?

Such actions do not befit one of its stature.

But the narrowing of her eyes, the tightening of her fingers into a clutched fist.

If it wants Saki to get angry, she’ll do it. The Ryuumonbuchi heiress isn’t afraid to dig into her negative emotions and pull out the strength that can be found there. Fury is one of the spectrums from which humans can find what is necessary to overcome adversity.

But that fury of hers won’t feed into despair.

Just like she doesn’t understand the Great Devourer, it does not understand her. Not does it understand humans.

It ‘respects’ them, because it knows that they hold the potential to threaten its authority. In the same vein, she ‘respects’ its power which has upheld order for as long as it has. But Saki doesn’t understand that order; the Devourer does not understand that potential.

It admitted that Nakahara Katsuro was their chance of victory. The Devourer believes that defeating, killing him, erased that chance. That by snuffing out that life it had ensured no future threat to its decree of death. Even now, it doesn’t understand why Nakahara Katsuro was a threat. It believes it does not need to understand, only that it needs to know.

“That fantasy will be your undoing.”

Red chains of spiritual flame shoot out of gaps in space, creating a web-like shield between the blue drill and Saki. Layering upon each other, overlapping infinitely, they create an impenetrable shield reinforced with the ‘Factor of Power.’ A defense that could hold off any God or Demon.

A defense that shatters, layer after layer, as if made of no more than paper.

“I’ll start by showing you why you’ll lose!”

Shouting from behind the shattered remains of her shield, the scattered flames instantly converge back into the hand of Saki. Reforming into another spear of red and black, twisting together at the tip into a crimson force to match the blue drill, the fire screeched as its user burst forward.

With an explosion of fire at her back to add to her momentum, the ESPer thrust her spear forward to match the blue directly.

“First lesson: humans never fight alone! Even when Space itself tears us apart, we find a way!”

Shouting over the explosion at the center of the clash, Saki called out to the Starlight, her voice rising above the raging magical energy of the destructive spirals.

Starlight Summoning: Kazuno

[Vritra]

Makoto Fujioka
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

“AaaaaaaaaaaaaAAaAaAAAAAAAAAA.”

A cry answering the voice that breaks the absolute solitary silence. My back arches, I clasp a hand over my face and recoil.

The sound of phantasmal gears grind on the edge of my hearing.
The presence of “absolute” crushes down on me.
A voice works to pick apart my soul.

The is no mistaking the presence in front of me. I know this thing, I’ve met this thing, I’ve tasted this thing, in a forgotten past and in a recent one. It’s a familiarity that is almost nauseating honestly. Phantom sensations, phantom memories, this whole thing…

“Annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, ANNOYING!”

Seen that ALREADY!”

Lashing out I glare through my fingers at the presence as agitation boils over. Why is everything about you so terrible, everything so aggravating, everything so repeated. Its so, so, so, sososososososO ANNOYING.

Unable to hold myself back words fail me in my attempts to externalize my thoughts and instead everything spills over into a different externalization.

Red dust gathers around me, a red sheen reflects off my body, red blades fall to the floor with a clatter.

I need to act.

Again, and again with an almost physically painful force and a constant repetition that singular thought smashes its way all throughout my thoughts. I need to act to cut this thing down, I need to act to save Chiaoko-nee, I need to act to meet Ane-san and everyone else, I need to act.

Who.
How.
What.
Where?

Pulled back and forth by conflicting desires trying to realize the same principal I feel like I’m going to splinter.

“AaaaaaHa ha HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

But…

I know I won’t, or maybe its can’t? Irrelevant regardless.

A hungry grin stretches across my face as the eager cacophony inside myself echoes forth.

Candles, cake and smiling faces, I already decided on what I had to do, what I was going to do already and you won’t stop me!

I’m going to steal, I’m going to plunder, I’m going to take everything she wanted I’m going to wrap it up and I’m going to trap her in a hug before I give it to her.

“Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”

Sweeping my hand back through my hair a dark hat resplendent with colour and the vibrant image of a skull and crossed sword bones is knit from my desire and I gather the manic power and thoughts and weave them into the billowing overcoat and clothes to match.

leaping forward with explosive force my body twists and warps as if to externalize what lies beneath. Blades of all shapes and sizes reach out and chomp down on the annoyance in front of me.

An insolent attack as if disregarding the possibility that anything its target could do would matter, a taunt and a test born of a weariness for repetition.

Go on show me more ~ ~

Face the new and crush it, that is my desire and resolve, that despite everything that might seek to crush me under its weight I will prevail. Absolute or finite the sword won’t relent until it has cut the legs out from under it.

[Aion Phantom Invocation]

Sensei Sensei…

A whisper of longing escapes my lips and in response I can almost feel a phantom weight on my back leaning against me.

For how long must I wait…

For how long must I strive…

Rebuilding myself only to fall to pieces, falling to pieces only to be rebuilt. This pain repeats evermore as hunger swirls around me. All I touch fall to pieces as the world around me is drenched red. All I feel is warped and twisted by this crimson desire which scrapes my soul clean of discipline.
For how long must I yearn…

For how long must I desire…

Forevermore.

I will love forever more, I will hunger forever more, this mad crimson heart full of longing and loss shall beat unceasing until at last I can grasp this crimson sword of my soul of my own volition.

FOR AN ETERNITY I WILL HUNGER FOR YOU

FACTOR OF TIME

Disregarding the danger, I hold fast to the promise we made and the phantom surrounding me as I drive the power we all crave to erupt.

Its not enough… What I have now is not enough! More I need more!

I need to be sharper, I need to brighter, I need to be stronger and most of all I need to go beyond what I am now. I need to be its antithesis. So that is why I reach out and grasp the waves of time to fold them into the blade that is this self. I will destroy myself, I will recreate myself, I will polish myself until I can cut you, until I can cut nothing but you!

The super duper annoying thing things it can stop me by holding Chiaoko-nee as a shield!?

“DREAM ON THIS IS MY SWORD AND I CHOOSE WHAT IT CAN CUT SO DON'T THINK YOU CAN HIDE.”

The taste my opponent lingers on my tongue I refine myself in the instantaneous standstill eternity I summon in the midst of my lunge. I desire a blade that can cut down this opponent without fail and I desire a blade that will not cut down the person who has struggled for so long by herself. Creation, destruction, creation ad nauseum all to force my blade to achieve the discerning sharpness I need.

I will refine myself until this desired self becomes a reality no matter how much it hurts, I won’t be stopped. Gritting my teeth, I embrace eternity to grasp the ideal self which marks my first move to bury this stupid future.

“The only reality here is the fact that your getting in the way of a birthday party, so get out!”

Bringing my raging blades down I cleave the annoyance in front of my that thinks it can define my future.

[Airen]

Hitoshira Nagi
Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"Reject it all you like, the fact that this story has already ended is not something you can change."

In response to a Lion's Roar, the serene God speaks words that would not have been out of place coming from one's father. They are the stern words of someone speaking of reality, of explaining to a child something that they cannot -or perhaps simply refuse to- understand, and in that regard they are words that lack malice, only an impossible resolve befitting of the highest authority in this reality.

---Of course, for those humans that have answered this call, such words alone will never force them to relent. The spirit that has been stoked by Nyarlathotep's flames is one that is desperately seeking out tomorrow, an almighty flame that was lit not just by the actions of the ESPers during that second kyuubi incident, but from the feelings you had found inside of a 'memory.'

A desperate wish to continue on, even if absolutely no hope exists. That wish has sparked the flames of rebellion that exist now, and the so called 'dead' world fights with a fury that makes it easy to believe in their ability to perform miracles.

---Summoned forth not just by the words of her student, but by that sea of wills, the Strongest Human comes crashing forth without a sound; while it is far more aggressive than her usual behavior, this entity is not just something that threatens the world, but is also getting in the way of her 'reunion' with those that had always been closest to her heart.

Because of that, it is not just a desire to win that drives her forward; it has become a necessity, a wish that her screaming soul wants fulfilled at all costs, and the power that emerges from her manifested 'will' is the same as that power that manifested thousands of years ago, when she had confronted the Kyuubi alone for the sake of those very same friends.

More important than the world, that old will has sparked the return of that old impossible power.

Where Nagi wraps herself in the lights of hope, the lightning of a Thunder God also blesses their starlit charge towards their opponent. The speed and power is far beyond insane, as if they were being propelled by a 'river' from the sea of souls itself, and yet-

"..."

-In the face of that power, a God simply avoids it. It is not a grandiose move, or rather, the sheer skill that the God employs is so ridiculous that it comes across as incredibly simple, the exact opposite of a truth the humans simply cannot comprehend; in spite of the many 'wills' that wish to drag it into the strength of the collective, the God denies it simply by stepping back, a minute motion carries it just far enough to avoid the rampaging spirit power, and even when Elizabeth manages to recover from her own technique's exertions a moment before Nagi can and pursue seamlessly, the fists that follow are all denied by a God who wastes absolutely no aspect of it's own movements.

It's insane.

Elizabeth Rosanna Lagerkvist is no ordinary human, she is a Demon Summoner whose age can be counted in the tens of thousands, and who has had an incomprehensible amount of time to hone her skills as a fighter. She is Yamuna's original Knight, a human being who is a step away from ascending to the realm of a 'goddess' herself due to that same connection, and yet...

She can't beat it.

While her martial skills could be called 'perfect,' that God's every movement re ingrains the concept of what divinity should be with each exchange; while she has yet to be blown away by her enemy, the fists that carry the weight of her thousands of years of life are stopped with little more than raised palms and impossibly quick counter strikes to her weak points.

Counters she must parry with all of her strength, or risk her body's skeletal structure shattering in a single blow.

Even though her power continues to grow constantly alongside the struggle, alongside the voices cheering her on, the God never gets any closer to her, no, it uses just enough power to prove it's superiority.

"Tch..."

Yes.

The only one that seems to be straining themselves is Elizabeth, her roaring spirit dying this black cosmos a crimson-gold as attack after attack fails to connect with it's target.

"It's meaningless, Elizabeth. Even the "Strongest Human" cannot change this world's fate."

That is what it means to be a Divine Being; struggle all you like against it, the outcome will not change.

Of this it has absolute faith.

"You more than anyone else should be able to understand. Humanity's nature affects far more than this small world, it cannot be allowed to progress any further than this, or a simple curse will be the least of existence's problems."

---Of course, she is aware of how twisted humanity can be, and the idea that she might actually hate the world has not been an unfamiliar one to her in her long years of life, even so-

"I'm going to kick their asses when they wake up."

-In response to a God's taunts, that's all that phantom has to say. While her body is off fighting the same fight in another area, the 'will' of this manifestation is no less true, and indeed...

That's all she really has to say. Humanity's rise certainly might cause catastrophe in the future, but right now, she doesn't care about any of that...

She has people she wants to meet with again, and those people had believed in the world enough to serve as a seal for it. Even if she a part of her doesn't believe herself, she believes in those that believe in the future, thus-

"So I really don't have time to lose to you-!"

-As long as they can laugh together again, she really couldn't give a damn about what happened to the world as a whole.

Even if it got bad, they would be able to handle it together.

That was true for humanity as a whole, not just for her little group of friends-who-needed-an-asskicking-!

"..."

Even though her fighting spirit reignites, the high-speed burst does not change the result. They are simply tough words from a powerful human who was refusing to acknowledge the difference between them, and thus the God's fist finally slips through her defenses and straight into her solar plexus, driving her to her knees.

As if punctuating a statement, it is so simple for it that it's clear this would have been the result all along, that the God was simply playing with the humans that it strangely seemed to find fascinating, or at the very least interesting enough to question.

"I told you. It is meaningless. You can't change anything, neither can your Goddess."

And yet-

"...Yeah, maybe. Good thing it's not just me then, huh?"

"...?!"

Hitoshira Kae attacks.



Of course, the God responds immediately. To think one could catch it off guard so brazenly is foolish, and the fist that pierces through the skull of a fellow knightess of the Goddess is one that holds an impossible strength fueled by instinct, but-

There's nothing there, the image of the knightess it had pierced with it's fist was simply an illusion.

---Of course, it was Kae's idea.

Having been invited to the body of Hitoshira Nagi, Kae had taken the time to bend light in a manner reminiscent of that of her body. It hadn't been real at all, but the automatic response had been something she had been able to predict, even so, the God realizes it's falsehood in the exact instant it hits it, turning back to strike Elizabeth the moment it realizes it has been tricked, but in that way-

It makes it's second mistake.

Focusing entirely on Elizabeth up until now, and instinctively striking at something that had turned out to be false, the God is off-step for a moment. It is only a moment, but in that moment-

Humanity's roar grabs hold of it's body.

The culprit is not Elizabeth, rather...

It is the Nagi that stayed a 'step' behind her teacher after their initial strike, a teacher who had attacked with all of her might in order to draw it's completely attention to herself, and who was now-

"Now, let's go-!"

Catching up herself-!

Redux ~ Cross

"LION'S HOWL!"

Battered by a continues eruption of spiritual power, the body of the unflappable God collides with the earthen form of a nearby meteor.

The apparition of Elizabeth disappears with a laugh, and Nagi's eyes simply trail the path of the opponent that had disappeared into a sphere of spiritual force, caught off guard by an attack that it hadn't expected, a trap within a trap, within a trap.

---So it wasn't omniscient.

It might be close to it, but it is not quite all-knowing; that realization makes it easier to believe in a possible victory, and the spirits of those involved swell with resolve as the first clean blow is dealt, and yet...

And yet...

"...Not bad. I even felt that a little."

...Despite having endured an eruption of force, what amounted to a blow from the Sea of Souls itself, the body of that God seems absolutely no worse off for wear.

Even it's clothes are fine.

You had felt a reaction, so you know you had managed to hurt it at least a bit, and the plan that the others were following was meant to seal it rather than destroy it due to it's immortality, but-

"But no amount of power you can manifest can destroy me."

-Staring up at you, the God stands easily on it's destroyed landing zone, shrugging off the remnants of humanity that still plagued it's form.

"Fate is far too heavy for you to throw off. This is humanity's limit."

---It's words cause a reaction in the surrounding area... No...

A reaction in the universe...?

An impossible amount of magical energy erupting from it's body, the God raises an open hand, closes it into a fist, and...

The universe itself starts to tremble, shake in a way that you can seemingly perceive.

...Danger.

Your instincts scream that death is approaching, but...

Where...?

It's unclear, but-!

Assist Change

Yagami: Duplicate the battlefield through illusions. (Set-Up)
Joanna: Press the attack. If possible, sync movements/attacks with Nagi.
Lilith: Follow Orders. Can be used alongside other summons.

[Mooncake]

Jacques Dussault
Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

I breath in.

Hmm.

And breath out.

Hoh.

Everyone is gone. It's just me, and her - it - standing across the void of space. Stars slowly pass overhead, and with the Earth behind me, it almost feels peaceful.

"Not a bad date spot, huh?"

The Shackles of Fate tighten...

Jacques Dussault: 32 -> 31

Ghrk.

My hand goes to my throat instinctively, grabbing at the noose that's tightened around it - but there's nothing there. My fingers scrabble at empty air, and a moment later, the feeling relaxes a little.

I breath out.

Hoh.

I need to keep my composure, or I'll lose it. We're not that close to each other, but I can feel the ice cold aura of death, of finality, that surrounds the Great Devourer.

If I hadn't been briefed on this beforehand, maybe I'd be freaking out a lot worse right now.

I probably would be, come to think of it, if I was the same Jacques Dussault that I was at the start of this.

As the sound fades into the dark, the rocks above you shift, are tossed aside, and a woman appears in your field of vision.

It takes you a moment to understand.

She's pale, tall, and pretty good looking, but even though she didn't seem to be hostile, there was just something off about her...

"Finally. You sleep like the dead."

"..."

Turns out, the person on the other side was someone you hadn't seen in awhile.

But...

"Even so, I'm afraid I cannot agree to any marriage proposals," shifting her hands to her sides, the woman's smile remains gentle, "I am not human, so pursuing me is somewhat unwise, I'm afraid, but I can certainly be your ally." letting you down gently, the woman turns her attention to the rest of your story, as if wanting to make it clear she had listened to every part of your last statement, "Nevertheless, what led you to this place was pure curiosity then?"

"Hahahaha, yeah, Duh-racula! Hahahahaha!"

Mina Harker had a very distinct laugh, clear and happy, but with the sense that she was somehow unable to control it, the woman always got very into her laughing fits, not only in sound, but in body as well, doing the classical "slapping her leg with her hand," movement as her body rocked back and forth. Of course, while most people here thought it was endearing, the woman herself considered it to be a very embarrassing thing...

I'm not the same.

Caught off guard, the young man is dragged off by a blonde haired woman on a motorcycle without any real show of a struggle, her aura was like that of Liane, but not entirely the same... A sibling perhaps...

"Hi. Name's Joan. Provoking it wasn't the best move. Can't kill it, trust me we tried. We gotta go."

"Hey, it's been awhile, huh?"

Remarkably casual, just like always, the figure of your mother, sitting outside at a table, cigarette clenched lightly between two fingers, is one that draws your attention in a way that nothing else tonight really has...

"Maiya's on patrol," listing it off as if it was just a fact, the young man coughs for a second, "She's had a rough few days... But she'll get through it, always does," recovering from his brief lapse, the sound of a watch (or at least what seemed to be a wrist-watch) sliding across the table diverts your attention from his posture, "Go ahead and put that on. Made it myself. Not really what it looks like."

"...Human?"

You find what looks like a young woman staring straight into your eyes.

So close that she was violating most rules of personal space...

"Struggle brilliantly, and then, at the end, accept the reality of your death."

And, most importantly...

"Honestly..."

Closing his eyes, the young man that has been hesitating up till now simply seems to laugh it all off as your words are replaced by the distant sound of pained screams and energetic war cries.

"But, you're still hopeless it seems; idealistic in your own special way."

Eyes open again, and for an instant, another single moment.

They've gone back to how they used to be, but-

"But here, for old time's sake..."

So saying, the young man smiles a small rare smile; a sincere one that shines through even as he feels the cloud of humanity's hatred resettling over his thoughts.

"One more time, I will move an obstacle from your path."

Blood sprays.

"Quite bold isn't it? An ambush is inconvenient, but don't panic. The ship's systems are still online, stealing the factors should remain possible."

I don't know about you...

"Ah... ah..."

His hand tightens, their hands tighten.

A small split etches its way across the stone.

...But I always thought it was cool if someone could still smile, even when things are at their worst.

"Grahhhhhhhh!!!"

His teeth bared in a grin, blood steaming from bleeding gums-

Jacques Dussault puts his might behind it.

"...I'm not alone."

My eyes open.

"We're not playing your game any more. From here on out, we're going to decide our own fate, for ourselves. You hear me, you chuckle-headed fuck?"

I point across the space at my enemy, our enemy, and somehow I know, in my heart, that I'm not the only one doing it.

"I'm not going to take you down."

Shadows begin to wind out of my clothes, covering my body in a defensive layer of darkness. It won't make much of a difference, maybe, but we do what we can with what we have, right? And... I'm not going to let my friends down.

Kenji, I'm gonna need your help.

"We are."

Summons (Jacques)

Kenji: Scan the Devourer's Data. (Set-Up)
Gisela: Assault the enemy with overwhelming force. If possible, sync movements/attacks with Jacques.
Hel: Follow Orders. Can be used alongside other summons.

[Frantic Author]

[QUOTE=Airen;2925211]Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"Reject it all you like, the fact that this story has already ended is not something you can change."

Already ended? Even with the sternness, that total lack of malice - it's clear to me now. There's no way for me to change her mind. There's no way for me to weave a new tapestry of tomorrow inside the veins of someone so far gone.

Too many people have responded to her already. Am I... am I really going to let them down!? Am I really going to be the only one who has no possible response to such a thing!?! Even if I'm weak... Even if I'm not strong enough...

That's fine!

A grin carves itself across my face as I hear the chants of a hundred thousand souls inside of a Sea that scarcely exists, a remembrance of those who had already fallen in Yagami's mind.

Even if I fall, I will definitely carry on.

Even if it's hard, I will definitely stand up.

So...

If the entire world is against me, then I'll just have to turn that world into allies! If all the stars in the sky are my enemies, I'll rip the tapestry of the heavens into something more workable! This world is dead. So?! It doesn't matter!

As Elizabeth appears, as the Sea of Souls rages in absolute defiance of the enemy before me, as impossible power flows through my veins --

I can't help it.

It's really okay, isn't it?!

It's definitely okay!

Even as I catch my breath as Elizabeth's blows are parried, blocked, dodged, twisted, turned away, I can already tell.

"Tch..."

This is a battle we can win.

"It's meaningless, Elizabeth. Even the "Strongest Human" cannot change this world's fate."

The outcome will not change.

That's untrue.

"You more than anyone else should be able to understand. Humanity's nature affects far more than this small world, it cannot be allowed to progress any further than this, or a simple curse will be the least of existence's problems."

I changed the outcome of Ryota Yagami's beliefs already.

"I'm going to kick their asses when they wake up."

I changed the outcome of Nakamura Auron's dreams already.


"So I really don't have time to lose to you-!"

I changed the outcome of Mark's fears already!

"..."

Humankind cannot be changed. This is true.

"I told you. It is meaningless. You can't change anything, neither can your Goddess."

But as the hiss of fire bursts in my Sea of Souls, there's one fact that is infallible --!!

"...Yeah, maybe. Good thing it's not just me then, huh?"

"...?!"

Humankind can always surpass itself!

Even in times of difficulty, they'll always strive harder!

It's time. I can feel it in the soulfire that I've wreathed my entire body in, that after Kae's attack, we have to fight back -- !!

"Now, let's go-!"

"...Not bad. I even felt that a little."

"Falling for the oldest trick in the book, and you're still pretending you're omniscient!?"

"But no amount of power you can manifest can destroy me."

I glare at her, with a single fist clenched.

"Fate is far too heavy for you to throw off. This is humanity's limit."

Death approaches.

I can feel it crawling up my spine.

But even so --!!!

"Get over yourself! Limits?! You think humanity has those!?! Don't you dare underestimate the power of the human spirit!"

A hundred thousand souls whisper in my mind, as I grasp at the impossible, a way to counter an unblockable attack. As I look at the god before me, I can feel it in my heart, in every fire that runs through my veins.

This next attack is 'undodgeable'.

"This world... it's more then just the sum of it's parts!"

It's only me and her in this reality.

Let's change that.

"Everyone here is against you! You think that sanity, that the belief that we can't win, ever remained for an iota of a second in our souls?! Do you really think that any of us wouldn't use our all to take you down!?"

An arm that isn't mine splits reality in two with an axe that laughs maniacally in my head, as I clench my fist, staring at it for a moment, closing my eyes.

Death comes.

That's fine.

My eyes open, silver flames flickering inside, as I grasp at power that I shouldn't --

Every second is a trial.

"One hundred souls. How many it takes to become an Eclipse Diver."

Every moment tears me in half.

"Ten thousand souls. How many were waiting in Yagami's soulspace."

That's fine. All I ask is that -- !!!

"How many souls, do you think are sitting inside the Sea of Souls right now? How many souls, waiting for their chance at a strike at you?"

A grin covers my face, as flames erupt over my fist and fire wreathes itself around me like a cloak of silver --

"One hundred thousand times that!"

Just keep my heart pounding until the very end, Lilith!

The worst vessel. The one who can barely utilize the full extent of her ESP Ability.

That's Hitoshira Nagi.

I tear open the floodgates that hold back the endless stream of souls, already so many that exist inside the Sea of Souls, feeling a million whispers in my mind, a hundred thousand arguments, and ten thousand cheers as souls I've never seen, and people I've never met wreak havoc in my soulscape, Lilith's fond smile watching over everything as she carefully coordinates too many people into a single space, into a single moment in time, as I clench my fist --!!

"Hey."

Certain death approaches, I can feel it in my gut as the dangers before me enhance themselves, expand themselves, and my axe laughs like a hyena in my mind. I take it, and give it a command - to grow, to shape itself, to counter an unstoppable, immovable force of death with its own, to carve death asunder like it carves reality in half.

"HEY!"

The being before me is fighting a dozen battles at once, a dozen last stands at the same time, and every person here is giving it their all! So, it's time for me to give it my all too-!!!

"Don't you dare focus on someone else during our fight! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!"

My ax goes up, the laughing reaching a fever pitch in my mind as every soul in the Sea urges me forward, to strive harder, to reach higher, to fight with all of my will and all of my mind --

"If certain death awaits me, then I'll just make my own future! A future where tomorrow is brighter then today! A future where everyone can definitely be happy, even in the face of adversity! That sort of future... That's what it means to be a human! That's what it means to be a demon! That's -- !!!"

-- What it means to find the final destination.

"Constantly moving forward, even when you can't! That's what an exodus is! Crawling out of a hopeless past, to find the beauty of tomorrow! That's what an Esper does! Fighting against all odds, in order to save the world --"

My axe smashes down a blow that can change the wheels of fate themselves, carving its way out of the reality in which 'Hitoshira Nagi dies' into one where 'Hitoshira Nagi lives'!

"That's what the Exodus Nine is!"

I prepare myself, slipping into a Sea of Souls thats far too bright and large to grasp at something intangible, as my ax grows larger and larger, to match a blow that I myself cannot, the laughter it has ascends and ascends, reaching a fever pitch, as I prepare to match an unstoppable blow with an immovable object -- !!!

"You want humanity to end!? You say this story is over!? And yet here we are, turning page after page, looking deeper and deeper into the reality of fate itself, showing that no matter what -- humanity is carrying on! Even in the face of adversity, even in the face of despair, we reach higher, move further, and try even more desperately! So what if you're a god?! Who cares about the Kyuubi!?! This is our story, you bastard -- and it's one where the heroes..."

Lilith's face flickers next to my own, and I glance at her with a smile.

"One where the heroes will definitely win!"

[Airen]

Jacques Dussault
Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

Shadows cross space unseen, and a phantom of hope emerges from the Sea of Souls.

"That's right."

His composure was really something to be admired; while the call for your youthful ally is one that is met with an appearance, he accepts everything with a calm acceptance that showed absolutely no signs of weakness or fear.

Yes.

While the situation is bizarre and even outlandish, a final battle amongst the stars, Kenji remains Kenji, and his lack of fear to the surroundings is a boon that serves to reinforce your own spirit.

Without hesitation, his 'will' had appeared to help you...

Yeah...

You weren't alone out here-!

"Namasaki Kenji."

While neither party moves to attack, the Devourer regards the appearance of the phantom with both curiosity and omniscience; while he is clearly aware of the boy's identity, it seems it finds his presence interesting, as if trying to determine the method through which such a thing had become possible in spite of it's own magics.

"...I see. That explains it. You underwent an awakening as well, and have embraced your 'role.'"

An enigmatic statement whose meaning is likely only clear to the boy in question; of course it could be referring to many things, from the creation of the COMPs, to the decoding of the spiritual data that had allowed humanity to fight back against this opponent at all, or some other accomplishment that you are unaware of, either way...

There is a look of 'respect' in that God's eyes as it observes the boy, but it's a look that also doubles the weight of the killing intent that exists within the air.

"Your eyes are just like those of Stephen. It is a shame, if you had had more time to grow, you would have been capable of great things."

Even as it praises him, the God raises a hand to the sky.

If neither of you will move to confront it directly, then it will strike first with unprecedented force.

"Would have been? Give me a break, I'm one of the people that are gonna kick your ass right out of here."

While he is aware of the God's insinuations, he has nothing to say about it. He and that old man are just as different as they are similar, and while it's praise he can accept in some ways, there are parts of it that he would also wish to disregard, after all...

For him, this was a personal battle. While it involved the world, his desire to protect it came from a desire to protect his friends and family. It was a much more easy to understand goal than something as grand as the world, and something that would allow him to stay the path, to avoid the fate that that old man had warned him about mere hours before...

Yeah.

Breathing in slowly, spiritual power erupts from his body the same moment it erupts from that of the God; while the movements are in sync, the difference between the existence of the two of them is as clear as night and day. If the Devourer was like a star, than Kenji was like a simple but roaring flame, one that is being focused towards a single razor sharp point as he glares at his enemy, and up above...

==Megidolaon==


A sphere of magic appears in the void of space.

It looks like a star, but is too small to truly be one.

"..."

In response to Kenji's taunt it has little else to say, this sphere alone is enough of a declaration of it's intent.

But to the both of you, ultimately...

"If you think you can do it, then come, struggle with all the life in you."

The sphere descends, and Kenji simply stares at it, his spiritual power flowing, amplified by his COMP; but his hands still calmly in the pockets of his jacket.

---It's only after a few moments that you realize why, namely...

It seems that in his current state, charging for some sort of ability...

He is unable to move at all, even so, knowing that he is not alone, his expression does not once betray fear.

Divine Judgement descends for the both of you.

[Airen]

Makoto Fujioka
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

---The opponent is not a normal entity.

Described as a conceptual existence, a life-form that surpasses all others and is seemingly capable of creating worlds entirely on it's own, it is not an opponent that can be critically harmed by just any sort of power.

---You more than anyone else, understand this to be true. No matter how much your power has grown from the start of the journey up until now, the reality is that it still likely isn't enough to get the job done; you had experienced true powerlessness at this being's hands once before, and because you can sense the 'emotions' of the others through this strange connection, you understand a certain reality quite easily.

It's still not using it's true power.

Therefore, a chance for victory exists.

But to grasp it, you need something that can cut even it's soul; there may not be anything inside of this world capable of completely destroying it, but to at least sever it from it's host and expose it as an entity all of it's own...

In order to keep your promise, that is something you must do.

Thus, even though it is insane, you thrust your mind out into 'eternity.'

It is the only place where that sort of blade could possibly exist, could possibly be forged, into something capable of creating that sort of miracle. While it has become something of a common joke inside of the modern world, the art of Japanese Swordsmiths folding metal in order to rid it of it's impurities is one that certainly has it's roots within the confines of reality. But while some sarcastically declare the process as a folding that occurs over a thousand times, the level of forging you must do is something that may not even be truly possible for your self as a human being to endure; in order to ensure that it will work, not a single impurity can exist within the sword at all...

Not just impurities of the material, but impurities of the spirit as well; it is a blade that must defeat a 'true immortal' within the confines of it's own world, and thus even a single 'flaw' could turn the desired 100% chance back into a 0% chance without you even realizing it... It is not likely to let it's host go easily, thus you must assume that this sword must be both powerful and true, and even in the best case scenario, even if it becomes an "Ultimate Sword," it will be one that is never able to cut anything other than this entity.

It must be pure in purpose, a sword that exists for this reason, and this reason alone.

---Even with an eternity to craft it, is something like that possible for you? It is not just your skills as a sword-smith that will come into question, but the ability for your mind to take it as well; humans are not designed to endure eternity so quickly, to do it in a flash, there is a real chance that your mind will simply break from the strain even if your body and soul continue to function on their own...

The universe inside of your mind starts, and then ends and starts anew, and still it is not done.

At what point did you stop thinking? It's hard to say, after all, it was something done to protect yourself from the vastness of time's gears; it must be perfect, a sword without flaws.

If left alone the sheer drain of it would kill you easily, the power of even Starlight Users is not infinite, even if they get carried away and believe it to be such; it is a power of humanity, and thus in order to support your efforts, a chunk of that same humanity must endure that span of time alongside you; they believe it will not be forever, but the possibility of such things is ever-present.

Even so...

Even so-

"..."

-It's a tsukumogami.

The sword that you emerge with -as if awakening from a dream- is one that has a fragment of a soul at it's core; fluid and without a true shape of it's own, it is simply a 'blade' that exists to sever only the Devourer's soul from within that body, a sword that exists for that purpose and that purpose alone, and is unable to worry about doing anything else, a blade with a purity of thought that goes beyond the comprehension of a human, and that had endured the end of that eternity alone in order to spare the mind of the sword-smith, yet...

---Somehow, it feels familiar.

However, before you can really get a grasp on it-!

"Fool. I have no reason to allow that to work again."



Your attacking self is struck three times from behind as the God warps space to alter it's position, sending you rolling across space amidst the shards of blades it had already shattered during your 'instant eternity.'

Just like it said, it had no reason to allow something like that to happen again; during your first encounter it had underestimated the strength of your 'adaptability,' but just as Sensei had said...

It would not underestimate it a second time, and in that lies the weakness...

Even if you make a sword that can sever it's link to it's host, if it uses it's powers and skills to prevent you from ever managing to touch it with that blade at all, then it's a tool that is useless to you.

---While your counter is fine due to Sensei's abilities, and the manifested sword itself withstands the punishment without splintering at all, the shattered arm doesn't seem to be healing; there's something wrong with it that you can't quite comprehend -it almost feels frozen and completely disconnected from you- and while you are still able to stand back up even after taking an absurd amount of punishment, the you that stands up does so remarkably slowly, spitting up blood as your own splintered bones pierce into your organs.

Even so...

No giving up...

"If you wish to speak of reality, then all of you are treading upon my world... Your influence will be destroyed."

Assist Change

Kyoko: Act as Makoto's legs. Light-speed assault.
Kimiko: Press the assault. Suppress enemy magic use, if possible, sync movements/attacks with Makoto.
Claire: Utilize Alchemy. Supporting fire from long range.

[Airen]

Nagi
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

The light of the Soul Sea shines.

The power of humanity is one that naturally resists fate and makes the impossible possible, while the light of that Sea is split between many battles in this moment, the wills and hopes of those who are dreaming for tomorrow certainly exist within the heft of your axe.

In order to do something 'impossible,' as a human being, you naturally reach for that power that has never failed you. While it has faltered at times, humanity is the type that always wins in the end; the heavier the fate, the stronger they become in order to overthrow it. It's a belief that has been reinforced by all of the battles that have carried you this far... This is not the first God that has fallen at humanity's hands, and if it is necessary to protect their future, then you are sure that the emotions and experiences that have been poured into this silver light will carve out a path to the future.

The Universe continues to tremble as a God simply listens quietly to your speech; of course it is aware of humanity's strengths, it is far too aware of the fire that erupts within them the moment they get pushed to the absolute edge. They were the Creator's favorites for a reason, showing a spirit that could seemingly conquer anything in front of them if they really put their mind to it, that's why...

None of your words surprise it.

Indeed, that is certainly something a human being would believe; they have defeated every enemy that has appeared to them up until now, so why wouldn't they continue to think nothing is impossible?

But there is a limit.

Out of respect for them, it will remind them of that truth with it's fist.

A ripple in space-time occurs; ultimately, this could be called the form of the attack that the God had intended to strike you with, a resonating 'wave' in space-time that would have drawn you in the moment you attempted to flee through bending space, however, in the face of humanity's "will to see tomorrow," it is almost certainly a phenomena that will be crushed under the weight of their collective observation...

However...

"It is a shame... To get drunk so easily on that power, but that is humanity's nature."

Crush whatever that opposes them, that is humanity's way.

However...



==Universal Law==

It is time that someone puts humanity back in it's place.

It has never once lied to them, no matter what happens here, they cannot avoid their fate.

Staring at his opponent's attack as it carves through space-time to reach him, the God simply stares with uncaring eyes as it's body is engulfed in a massive discharge of light.

Amongst the darkness of a void without stars, it becomes a light that shines like a star.

A brilliant explosion that brings hope to all that see it, as an attack from the Soul Sea, it is truly an attack from the humans that exist on that faraway planet, and while they should not be able to see it from where they are, this battle is one that humanity has been 'invited to' even if only on a subconscious level, yes...

The emotions and wishes that fueled the strike of your axe were genuine, and in the face of that light, even a smug arrogant God only has the option to submit, to be crushed by the world's weight like Nyarlathotep ultimately was, but...

"...That was the weight of the Soul Sea? How light."

It endures it easily.

Standing tall amidst the scattering remnants of hopes and dreams, the Record Keeper of the System simply regards it's opponent with unimpressed eyes.

And before you can even understand what had happened-

Your body is caught in a spatial distortion that should have been consumed by your earlier light.

Hitoshira Nagi: 30 -> 13

The 'wave' of space-time carries you cruelly along it's current. In some ways it could be called a cosmic shock-wave, an overwhelming discharge of spiritual power that will rend the existence of everything caught within it to absolutely nothing; the sensation is like being crushed and grinded by a great weight, a horrendous pain that even the Starlight cannot completely null, and something that you are only able to escape after a desperate moment of forced clarity by the spirits on your back, who force you to 'bend' yourself out of the path of something that would have grinded you to little more than dust in but the span of a few seconds.

Shielded by humanity's beliefs... You are able to survive, however your body is torn to shreds, shreds that have been cursed to 'stagnate' and are strangely slow to heal, that force you to push yourself up on only one arm, and...

Vision is pulsing red...

Universal Law.

A manifestation of this God's Divine Authority within this "World." It could be called the ability to manipulate the Akashic Record in order to create the "laws" that govern the Universe; it is an unfair power that could have theoretically ended this battle right from the start. While it has it's own reasons for not doing so normally, it is trivial for this entity to decide fate by writing the outcomes of scenarios into the future itself, and while it seems to take time for the record to be altered, it was also not like it was easy to truly impede this opponent in any real way, meaning...

If it decides to invoke this power, there is little humanity can do about it.

While their "Will" can create miracles and defy fate, inside of this world, there is none with a stronger "Will" than this God...

"Hitoshira Nagi. It is unfortunate, but nothing can change this world's fate."

Power gathers up above at it's words.

---Perhaps this is the price of so brazenly defying a God?

"Farewell, warrior of hope. You will be the first to fall, but the others will not be far behind you... Universal Law: Hitoshira Nagi will be unable to move her body to avoid my next attack."

---Death.

Sealing your death in but a few words, the God closes it's eyes, as if to spare itself from having to watch the execution it had crafted with it's own hands.

It's wording is certainly strange, a consequence perhaps of using a body that was on "your side" but even so...

Even that girl cannot save you from this...

A star falls.

Assist Change

Nobody: ???
Yagami: Duplicate the battlefield through illusions. (Set-Up)
Joanna: Rescue Nagi physically. Defy the sphere through any means possible.
Lilith: Follow Orders. Can be used alongside other summons.

[Airen]

Saki
Space – Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"The only path left to you is oblivion. The door to fate is closed."

It's actions are bizarre.

While you more than most are well aware that it possesses the power to end any fight in an instant, it's seemingly intentional refusal to do so is one that you find yourself struggling to understand; a part of it is almost certainly it's choice in the body it had chosen to steal and the soul it was trying to suppress, but by that same token, it is still strange that it is refusing to utilize it's more powerful spells.

While it seemingly has too much life force to destroy, there should be no reason for it to allow anyone to hurt it at all; and yet it praises humanity in some areas even as it declares that the fight is already over...

Is it purely because its interested in humanity? In the reason why Katsuro had sacrificed himself for this world? Or is it the usual divine arrogance, a sense of self-assurance so strong that it doesn't view fighting with minimal power as a problem?

Because it has already won, it doesn't matter how long it takes...?

---It might be something you can never truly comprehend, but if there is one truth that continues to appear to you, it is that -for one reason or another- it desires this fight to take place, and as long as it does...

Hope still exists.

The clashing of two drills momentarily returns the stars to a starless sky.

If there was one thing the God had not expected you to do, it was to dig your heels into the dirt and challenge it not just to a battle of attrition, but a battle of brute force strength; you more than most should understand that it cannot be defeated in those sorts of contests, even if it only uses slightly more power than what is necessary to defeat it's opponent, it's ability to do such things should be known to you.

Even so, you refuse to relent.

---You have to believe.

The constant explosions paint space a myriad of red and blue, it's so vibrant that your opponent disappears from your sight, so vibrant that it becomes the only thing you can see; the strength of your soul and the souls of those behind you, pushing back against a God that so many have hailed as absolute. In some ways it is easier not to have to see it, not to have to hear it taunt you; but in others, the feeling that trickles down your spine is that of... Anxiety...

Because you'll feel it deep inside of you before you see it.

---The moment your drill is torn to pieces.

The sky explodes.

Layer after layer of flames torn apart and scattered to the winds, the 'drill' of the ever-testing God remains resolute in the face of any power that comes up against it. It is the same behavior as before, acting in a way that makes it's superiority clear to everyone that sees it, but even as you recoil from the sudden loss of your power's cohesion, it is a step back that turns into another step forward, reforming what is broken before your mind can process that it is truly lost.

Again.



Again.

Desperately denying the inevitable, Saki Ryuumonbuchi has locked herself into a loop from which she cannot escape; even as she replaces broken 'drills' with ones that are whole in a bid to stop it's counterpart from running her down, it is a tactic that is doomed to failure the moment the first of her creations had shattered to pieces beneath the might of Divine Power.

---Because that first one was the strongest one.

Death comes closer and closer with the loss of each desperate barrier, and those barriers themselves become weaker as she is given less and less time in which to safely deploy them; it is a fall to the end that comes in bursts, one that the Devourer observes with emotionless but focused eyes, and-

"Hmph. Useless."

-Even in that state, is able to avoid the light that threatens to carve it from shoulder to hip.

As far as Ryuumonbuchi Kazuno is concerned, there are three main weaknesses that exist within this enemy:

1.) It's choice of body, as the consciousness of the host can likely be stimulated in some way, and is almost certainly impeding it's judgements.
2.) The innate limitations that come with that same human body.
3.) It's thought processes as a logical being, and the fact that it was fighting over a dozen battles at once.

Having bided her time after emerging as a phantom from the sea, the woman that had struck completely from the shadows of the void, is nevertheless not surprised when her attack fails; the rain of thrusts is dodged with little more than minute movements, and thus she had planned ahead to aim her 'best shot' at just the right moment-!

"I'm sorry, Chiyoko-chan-!"

She takes advantage of all three at once, and makes a gamble on the future. The voice she speaks with is that of someone familiar to the girl in front of her, and even goes as far as to trade some of her 'time' for the ability to not only accelerate this attack even further, but charge it with phenex's flames as well, but-

-Even that well timed blow is stopped as the Devourer deflects it with little more than the palms of it's stolen hands.

Her blade shatters.

Ultimately, it is a rather fragile sword; while she had charged it with her spiritual power, this future had also been one that she had been able to envision in but a single beat of her heart.

---She was counting on this too, after all; accepting her attack as the failed strike she had hoped to mask it as, the sword that leaves her grasp is one that would have never survived more than a dozen impacts even against a more normal opponent...

Amongst the ancient Kuzunoha Clans, there was an arte that was often hailed as forbidden; utilizing a demon known only as a Luck Locust, it is a fragile existence that bears the power to reap the 'luck' of it's target.

An intangible force, something that many humans do not believe in at all, but one that certainly exists to some degree within the confines of every world; it is not normally an overwhelming force, to a God it should not be something to worry about at all, but they weren't fighting a God in it's true form...

This is an avatar.

While the God may be immune to such things, the body it is in should not be; it is an assassination art that often covers itself up due to it's nature, with the flip of a coin, a cursed opponent may not even realize they have been cursed due to their own poor luck hiding itself within the world around them, and perhaps that is it?

When she avoids it's next strike with a grace burned in by decades of training, the God looks genuinely surprised at the action for a moment, even if surprise is still an infinitely separated emotion from worry. It's movements had been perfect, so why had it's strike failed to land? Had humanity's ability to use Observation increased, or was it a problem with it's host? Instincts tell it everything is fine now; while Chiyoko's spirit resisted slightly harder at hearing the sound of her name being called, and had thus delayed it's last strike, it is able to blame her as the cause of the 'fluke' easily enough, yes...

Still keeping it's drill crushing Saki Ryuumonbuchi beneath it's foot, the God readies it's fists as the woman raises her own hands, running forward in an aggressive defiance.

In those instants...

A girl whose final layer had shattered, finds herself shielded by the 'drill' of the demon that had appeared at her back; one that had not only replaced her own but merged with it, a tiny but strong resistance...

"I see nothing has changed here."

That puts cracks in something that had been pristine up until now.

[I3uster]

Suzume Oshino
Battleship SLEIPNIR - Bathroom

She had left wordlessly. There was nothing but silence coming from the girl. To see Saki at her side once again had been reassuring, but in this situation it would only be awkward to really go talk to her. At least that's what she thought to herself.

This entire plan still seemed too insane to her. It exceeded the poor comprehension of reality she seemed to have. But she trusted them. All of them. They would give it their all, and their statements were as convincing as Chiyoko's logic had been. But now, it was time to make one last mistake. There was no space for them any later.

She simply couldn't do this next so sensei anymore. But she deserved one. Just a single one. In peace. Alone. Away from them all. Only Aogami accompanied her, incorporeal and silent. There was someone she still had to talk to, after all. And nervousness would not do her well.

As the clock of humanities' continued survival struck midnight, Suzume Oshino saw it fit to spend her last few minutes of leisure stuffing paper towels into a smoke detector.

----

"Deal?"

"Deal."


There was nothing let to be said between the two. It had been a bit awkward. She had stumbled upon a matter more private than she would have expected in this situation. The girl in general seemed quite strange...a mind forged by circumstances she could only imagine. A true survivor, taking every edge she would get...or maybe just a scoundrel.

But she had what she wanted. Or more precisely, the way to access it.

To understand something that others could not.

Knowledge humans were not meant to possess.

The very nature of a thing that should not be.

[Requesting temporary access to the Akashic Record]
[Obtained: Eldritch Knowledge]
[Severing temporary access to the Akashic Record]

-----

Not Quite Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

Her ears twitched. The second set, anyway. The sensation of the grinding gears of time itself turning against her felt...strangely familiar. An aspect of a god's power did not differ fundamentally from another it seemed. Even though this one was quite a bit more unpleasant. Maybe borrowing that gods' power would help her in delaying this, but this had to be the strategy for now.

She needed more time. She needed to get used to this. And as such, her choice of the "mechanical" support she had been offered was clear. The factor of time.

As she focused all her attention on evading the incoming attack, she let out the one remark she could think of that would buy her just a bit more of it.

"What's the matter? No real greeting? All it took for your hospitality to fade was possession by the end of all humans? I don't want to see you get a drink after work then."

It was probably pointless. This was not a simple case of possession. And yet, it never hurt to try.

[Airen]

Not Quite Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"Oshino Suzume."

While the voice is certainly the same, the difference in it's weight is so staggering that you could have never mixed it up with the woman you had known for just a short time; her voice had been powerful in a benevolent way, not entirely certain of itself, but doing her best to put on the act of being completely confident and self-assured...

In comparison to that, this being carries both "infinite confidence" and "infinite patience."

While the others have already resigned themselves to the fact that a fight is inevitable, and had probably charged the Devourer the moment it had appeared, for the you that had managed to meet her "self in this time," perhaps find it a bit harder to just jump straight to an inevitability. While the plan the others had created saves this woman as well, it is still a plan that comes across to you as insane, and is much more idealistic than anyone is really admitting to themselves or the others.

Even so...

You steel yourself in the face of this absurdity.

"There is no need to introduce myself any further, all who face me understand in their heart what I am."

An entity akin to Death, or perhaps something closer to "God."

Chiyoko had said it was "responsible" for the existence of this world after all, thus, it could perhaps be said to embody both of those roles. The one that had created the world had come to destroy it... It's not an unheard of tale, even so, while the feeling of facing an entity that has resolved itself entirely towards ending you is clear, the Avatar stands there calmly, merely gazing at you with eyes that seem to pierce right into your soul.

"If you are hoping for Fujimoto Chiyoko to overthrow my influence it is impossible; even if she makes things difficult, there is not a single outcome that exists in which I am defeated by any of you."

Eyes close.

It is calm, perhaps because it does not need to be aggressive in this instance.

"However, if you wish to know her feelings; she is of the opinion that she should be killed while she resists me, but her attempts to sacrifice herself for the sake of all of you are misplaced and would prove to be ultimately meaningless... Yes. She doesn't even believe it is possible herself. The time to return to your original form has come."

It simply tells you.

While it could have simply ignored your taunts, it instead chooses to answer your provocations with a certain sense of sincerity.

Eyes close.

"I will tell you right now. Defeating me is impossible, but if you wish, I could bury you painlessly."

And in response to your hesitation...

Divine Mercy -of a sort- is offered to you.

---Yeah, it's strange.

It's a question that only has two outcomes, and is ultimately asking whether or not you have the will to fight. Of course, by stalling for time, you allow the others to "get some hits in" before moving to strike yourself, but...

While it has stayed it's hand in this instance, it is unclear how long such a thing can be maintained with words alone.

---Light continues to gather in it's palm.

[Airen]

Medrod Pendragon
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"..."

It is unable to recognize her existence immediately.

In the face of an unparalleled mass of energy, the phantom that emerges from the Soul Sea to come to the aid of Medrod Pendragon, is a woman that the God's gaze greets with a hint of suspicion, as if her existence itself was something that should not be permitted within this world. It is different from her nature as a phantom -it had determined that that was simply a power the humans had subconsciously created themselves to circumvent the fragmented dimensions- no, this is a surprise that is born from seeing someone that should not exist in this place exist here nevertheless.

A number of 'oddities' had slipped in and corrupted the System while it slept it seems, but even though it's initial surprise is genuine, it's also a surprise that is remedied in a heartbeat as it retrieves necessary information from "Old Records."

Hailing from a destroyed world far from here, there is nothing in that woman's profile that serves as a substantial threat; there are outsiders that could certainly throw more of a wrench in it's plans than those native to this world, but the entity called "Takahara Yuka" is not one of those people. She is but the assistant to a Messiah from a different world, a dark-haired sorceress who had mastered the usual realms of demonic magic, and who was appearing now as a shield for the boy that it had planned to finish in a somewhat ironic fashion.

Having not yet become a true part of the System, it is unable to afflict her with the Gears of Time; even so, the act of challenging it inside of this world is an act that will never result in it's defeat, merely a delay at best.

Even so...

In the face of her barrier, it puts far more power into the attack. With all four factors at it's command, there is never any threat of running out of spiritual power; while the ESPers are using humanity as a 'batter' of sorts, it is drawing from a truly 'limitless' force, and thus there is no danger in simply overloading it's own attack with magic in order to gift it with "infinity," an attack that will continue on until it shatters and erases the both of them from existence. In normal cases the spell would not have stopped it's strike at all, but the boy had thrown his power in with her own, and the resulting white barrier had become not a barrier that 'reflected magic,' but rather one that 'broke it down and absorbed it, before releasing it back at the enemy in a burst."

The defensive powers had increased, but it had already taken steps to avoid that too; after all, it is ultimately a human creation and is bound to have flaws, even reinforced, it is only able to handle so much power at one time.

While that upper limit might be absurd, in the face of 'infinity energy,' it's only recourse is to shatter beneath it. Able to pick apart it's weaknesses the moment it sees it, the God confirms this outcome as the only possible one, and finds itself closing its eyes not just on the host's whims, but because of something it had been 'pricked' with inside of another dimension.

In a way, it could be called a favorable decision made by random chance.

An endless 'stream' of electricity arrives to erase a finite shield.

"..."

And it's true, even their combined spell can only hold so much; but for Takahara Yuka, that is no reason to just roll over and let it wash over her.

It's true that ordinarily this would be an outcome that they cannot avoid, but even if she has only had it for a few moments, the girl that went out of her way to analyze the 'tech' she had been granted has already found a way to impose those concepts to her liking; it's true that the barrier has a point in which it the energy will overflow faster than they can break it down and store it, but if she accelerates the rate at which it processes those things, than there is no reason why they cannot store power faster than they are being bombarded with it.

---Even with that logic however, it is still a highly delicate process with low chances of success; but humanity's light turns that 1% chance into something approaching 100%, and the shield that would have shattered to pieces eventually, lets loose the roar of a white dragon, as a blinding mass of 'light' erupts from within the depths of a mirror. While it is not limitless in nature, one of the base rules of 'masses' of energy colliding with each other is that the largest one will win; while one has an infinite supply, the other has a higher output and the ability to 'break down' anything that gets in it's way, thus-

"...Wh-?!"

The sudden 'reversal' catches a God off guard as it's own attack zeroes in on it's position. It's a mass that's collected not just the power thrown into the mirror, but that of the power it had swallowed on the way here, and yet-

-Embracing impossibility, that God 'catches' it's reflected power with it's hands; it doesn't matter how much power there is, it will always be able to dominate these sorts of things as impossible as that may seem, and thus what awaits in the future of those down below is simply a counter-blast that they will have no chance of defeating at all this time, but-

As a human, knowing you are weaker than your opponent leads to a tendency to go overboard with one's plans. Not only did Yuka increase the 'acceleration' of the shield's absorption rate, she had cursed her initial shield to slow down those that were struck by it's reflections, in other words-

"---Clever-!"

-Catching it so confidently, perfectly sure of it's ability to overpower it, had been an easy to plan for mistake.

Not only that...

In the same instant that it touches that mass, abandoning the plan to return it to sender with one to send it to the heavens, a young man appears within the range of his vision like a demon, emerging from beneath the storm of an electricity that will not harm him as it is, and hurled from where he stood by a somewhat ruthless magus who had screamed for him to "be nice to" Chiyoko before disappearing herself.

A seemingly solid opening appears in his eyes.

Assist Change

Noriko: Stay away from the conflict, summon Persona while the others are busy. (Set-up)
Kazuya: Sync movements/attacks with Medrod.
Red: Follow Orders. Can be used alongside other summons.

[Verg Avesta]

Medrod Pendragon
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"Finally---!"

The battle itself has last mere few, ten seconds, but to Medrod, it had been one tight, narrow, walk on a rope suspended over an endless chasm. Even if he could go all out, even if he didn't have think anything else but hitting the Time Devourer with every fiber of his being... it was still an uphill battle. No, the cliff was impossibly steep and endlessly high. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try to scale it. He had to. Because... because it was what he had promised to do. After being pulled out of that darkness of his own making by Red, he had sworn he'd no longer place his own ambitions, his own revenge, his own desires, before those of others.

And while he had said otherwise, there was someone else here.

Someone other than him.

Someone other than Time Devourer.

----------- Someone he was now fighting for, more so than the world itself!

The singularity of hope within him screamed in a pitch so high it seemed to vibrate the space around him as Medrod surged forth. He lunged, reached forward with his right hand as the magatsuhi within him went on overdrive. Intake, acceleration, mass production, output... it was far too much for his body. Like lymph-nodes, that power within him broke through his skin and made him glow that same blue light that echoed from within his red eye. He could feel his own skin break, his own bones quake, his own flesh tear... but that was alright.

He could take it.

That was why he was so tough, as he realized.

He was tough so he could endure this pain for the sake of others.

"Got you, you son of a bitch----!"

White scales re-arranged. They focused upon his right hand, becoming a claw of a dragon that pulsated with red and blue. With the power of Avalon behind it, he thrust that claw forward, striking it down on Time Devourer's left shoulder in attempt to pull it closer. At the same time, countless strands, needles, of magatsuhi shot forth, intending on burrowing deep into the being before him.

Magatsuhi was power.

Power begets power.

If he could not match this Administrator, he'd connect himself to it. He'd link himself to that power behind it. Not to share its burden, its grandeur, but to make sure it wouldn't be able to run away from what he was about to do. He'd hold it nice and tight in order to do what had to be done. Even if took merging his nervous system with that of the host body it had chosen, even if it meant frying himself alive in the attempt... he had to do it.

Because that's who he was.

"Humanity is destruction? They do nothing but kill? Get drunk on our desires? Our drive to destroy is our limitation...!? Save me that half-baked philosophy and justification you pulled out of your own ass! Or do you actually believe it!? If so, I'm even more disappointed that someone like you can call themselves The Administrator of the World!" Medrod growled, attempting to pull Time Devourer closer, forehead-to-forehead. "Shows just how narrow your world-view is! Of course that happens, that happens no matter if humans are there or not! The only way to avoid is to have nothing at all... including you!"

The face of the young man had turned into a snarl of anger... and somehow, also pity. Like he was actually capable of feeling pity to the being he now stared, eye-to-eye.

"You're just the same---! No, you're even worse! You're more human than any of us! When seeing what could happen, you panic and try to deny it in the only you know how to! By destroying! Try as you might, you're not above it in any way! Make your words as pretty as you can, you can't hide the fact that you're afraid just like every human is! We're all afraid of the future and if it'll even be there thanks to our actions! But disappearing changes none of it! No, it makes nothing better! We can only fix mistakes like these by learning from them, sharing our experiences and deciding what must be done so it won't repeat! Again and again, in a chain that continues without end!" Medrod practically yelled, his voice hoarse. "If what you really attempt to make was a world without suffering, without destruction, without all the bad things that existing itself brings forth... then it just shows how naive you are. That is nothing. Void of anything. It won't even allow you and whatever you think can blossom in the absence of humanity! You're saving nothing, you're just avoiding the truth!"

It was strange.

Long ago, he had been fine with fighting without saying anything.

Hell, he had even sneered at his opponents for talking too much.

But here he was.

Pouring his heart out to an entity attempting to end time itself.

Why was it?

Why did he say any of this?

While he might have been too stubborn to admit it outright, Medrod knew the reason himself.

It was because, well...

... Because Medrod felt that if the Time Devourer didn't understand, then this battle amounted to nothing.

No matter who won, if the Administrator stayed blind... then this was a meaningless clash of wills.

"I know. I know I'm right because of two reasons," Medrod spoke, his voice unwavering. "First...! Because you fight! Because you want to crush us physically and mentally! If you were absolutely just and without a doubt right in what you say... you'd have no need for this! If you could show us undeniable proof that you're wrong and we're right, you'd do it! You wouldn't hide behind this combat! Only your words would be necessary, nothing else---! ... And yet you don't say them! Instead, you fight! You try to squash us! You do it because you know there's a chance, no matter how astronomically tiny, that we're right and you're wrong! And you can't allow that! Because you don't want to take responsibility of what happens if you're wrong!"

Yes.

That was one reason.

But there was one more pressing reason.

"And second---!"

Medrod raised his left hand to deliver a punch.

Punch that would quake the stars.

"Because even now you don't realize why someone like me is fighting against you!"

He took advantage of the opening Yuka had given him.

"It's not because you threaten existence of everything, even yourself----!"

... And refused to take it.

"It's because you're hurting my friend!"

Medrod struck with his words instead.

[Airen]

Medrod Pendragon
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"Narrow-minded?"

Where many Gods would have simply derided your irreverent speech as heresy, the Devourer again acts with a strange sort of tolerance as you forcibly try to connect it to yourself, to bind it with body and soul alike...

---It hurts immediately.

While the rush of souls from the sea has always been one that feels warm in a gentle way, the feel of the Devourer's soul is one that burns with a white-hot intensity, a blinding light that is hard to see and even harder to comprehend, and one that seemingly cannot be 'compromised' by anything that comes near it. Magatsuhi is meaningless to it, attempting to touch it seems like it will merely incinerate your own soul instead, and yet-

"The fact that you believe me to be so is a mark of your own naivety. I am not evil. From humanity's perspective I am a destroyer, I will crush their world and everything they know, and thus I am 'evil' to them. But such concepts are things you humans created for the sake of your own survival, in the face of the universe, they are meaningless."

-It does not move to wipe you out directly. While it could throw you off it chooses not to do so, perhaps because you have shown an interest of a sort in the 'why,' or perhaps simply because it does not mind responding to the declarations made by humans.

"You assume that just because destruction has existed alongside humans, then that is an absolute of the universe, and that it would continue to persist even if you were to disappear. This is incorrect, humans themselves are the ones that bring destruction to reality."

Because it's mind is made up, it is not like it does not understand, no...

The more you linger on this connection you have forced, the more your mind comes to a creeping realization that simply cannot be the truth; while the soul that exists within the Devourer is certainly 'divine' in nature, there's a certain 'similarity' to that of a human soul that gives you pause. It is not entirely the same, perhaps if you had not considered the idea of 'similarity' yourself you would have missed it, but...

While it's far too powerful to be one, and has been twisted and altered in ways that make you doubt it could be called any form of human...

This thing, from up close, feels almost like it had once been a human being; perhaps not an 'earthling' but one from 'another world entirely.' It's only instinct that makes this leap in logic, an instinct of finding something 'horrifyingly similar' inside of a being that intends to genocide the entire human race, but it is something that feels 'close to the truth' in spite of hailing from instinct.

---And if that is the case.

Then this resolve might as well be laced in diamonds.

"You speak of change but humans do not change. They do not learn from mistakes, they repeat them, over and over, again and again, until they come across that enemy that they cannot simply destroy, one who comes from them, and who then destroys it all in their place. Yes, even their existence itself fuels the existence of other 'enemies.' It is not that I think you 'might' destroy the universe, it is because I know humanity will do so eventually; I have seen it again and again, the only thing they give birth to in the end is suffering in an endless cycle. In comparison to that, if what we must have is 'nothing,' then that 'nothing' is superior."

Having seen the aftermaths of 'imperfect humans' it has come to the conclusion that such existences are unnecessary. It is not an arbitrary decision, it is one that this entity has made after eons of 'observation,' one made without malice, but a simple 'disbelief' in the fact that humans are capable of doing anything other than mindlessly destroying themselves and others.

"---Even then, what am I destroying really? Do you not understand that you are already dead? This is merely this girl's dream, a world that was created for all of you when she could not accept the reality of your deaths in front of her; like all dreams it will fade in time, and then cease to even be a memory."

While you had held back on punching it, it doesn't extend the same courtesy in the end.

Shackles tighten...

28 -> 23

Launching you up and away, as if it had decided it had allowed you a long enough grasp to understand it's 'truth,' the God raises it's arm as if to match your ascent with it's palm, and:

"If anyone is 'hurting' your friend, it would be all of you giving her false hope."

The only fate left for any of you is to return to your original form.

As far as it is concerned, nothing anyone can do can change that fact, but...

It's only natural to reject that sort of sentiment.

Assists

Noriko: Stay away from the conflict, summon Persona while the others are busy. (Set-up)
Kazuya: Sync movements/attacks with Medrod.
Red: Follow Orders. Can be used alongside other summons.

[Spinach]

Saki
Space – Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"The only path left to you is oblivion. The door to fate is closed."

The hand goes numb. The clash itself cuts deeper than the bone; displacing Saki’s soul for a single instant as the forces of red and blue collide. The instinct to survive, to keep fighting, backed by an uncountable number of souls resonating deep within her own, keep her grip firm even as the sensation of ‘having a hand’ fades.

Every shattered weapon is reforged, hastily scrapped together from the faint sensation of infinite strength that she forces herself to believe in.

Once again her magical energy scatters to the cosmos in an explosion of red shards. Once again she pieces it back together. Pushing herself to the brink to oppose a God by borrowing a tiny piece of its own power.

Merely delaying the inevitable would be considered a success. Each opposing vortex of red she musters shatters faster than the last. The time afforded to piece together a new one becomes shorter, the strength she can muster becoming weaker than the last.

“Then I’ll make a new path!”

Desperation fills her voice, but hope and faith never leave it. Shouting over the unending maelstrom of destruction carved out by the reversed spear spiraling toward her, one final spear is thrust forward. The last line of defense, charged with everything that she can muster. Bolstered by her spirit, driven by the will to stay alive, and the refusal to perish, Saki pieces together everything she has.

“Even trapped by the cycle of karma, the feelings we’ve forged together will open the door!”

The final defense shatters, and a new one bursts from the red nebula, merging with her fire, to push back the blue.

"I see nothing has changed here."

Hearing the familiar voice of the Demon that against all common sense she knew she could count on, Saki smiled.

Just like she said, humans never fight alone.

“You showing up at the last minute after nearly letting me die, yeah, nothing has changed…” the girl’s numb hand took hold of a metal handle, belonging to a briefcase that emerged into her grip from nothingness, “at all!”

The latches keeping the briefcase opened, and in that instant its form changed drastically. Unfolding in ways that defied common sense, gaining mass that it never had before, the Devil Arm’s metallic surface began to expand and curve, into a giant cannon larger than the girl was tall.

A red targeting beam shot out from the mouth-like ‘barrel’ of the cannon, the demonic light passing through Belial’s flame, the Devourer’s blue drill, and emerging behind it to stop directly on the chest of the God’s host. In the space around her, the scattered flames of her own attacks, from the first to the last, began to swirl together as the cannon sucked the lingering magical energy into its ‘mouth.’

Pandora Form 398, Revenge.

Or so the Soul Sea within Saki told her.

The souls had also come to an agreement that the destructive force of this cannon would give pause to Gods and Demons alike. In exchange for the time needed to gather the disastrous energy required to fire, its output would be sufficient to pose a serious threat to divine and demonic alike.

Even a weapon like that wouldn’t normally be enough to damage this God. Even making use of the Factor of Power, it would never reach its mark.

But the situation isn’t normal.

Desperately struggling to keep the blue death away as she was, Saki wasn’t oblivious to her surroundings. Even if it was a brief exchange, she had peered through the vortex of destruction at the meeting point of her power and the Devourer’s, and seen her mother dodge the enemy, as well as the momentary surprise the God had shown on its face. The daughter wouldn’t pretend to have an inkling of her mother’s plan, or to truly understand her mindset, but she also wouldn’t for a second doubt the fact that her mother’s presence altered the rules of the fight.

After all.

“Lesson two!” What little was left of the burning remains of her defenses disappeared into the mouth of Revenge, the Devil Arm going momentarily silent as its processed the last of her energy into its disastrous power. “Humans fight dirty!”

Feeding itself off demonic flame, merging into the spiral of Belial's 'drill,' Revenge fires as a pillar of fire to pierce through the once-pristine force of the Devourer.

[I3uster]

Suzume AOGAMI
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

As the being that now had been more Great Devourer than Chiyoko addressed her directly, Suzume felt an overwhelming presence overcome her. Maybe it was the release of the first burst of excitement, or the fact that the being had fully taken notice of her. She couldn't say. But her ability to read emotions seemed to have become a liability in this moment.

There was nothing to comprehend.

No fear, no anger, no mercy or compassion. Just a black void drowning out even her own thoughts with its awe-inspiring presence. It was not like walking through the deserted streets at night with not a soul to read. After all it wasn't a lack of emotionthat bothered her.Just the suffocating pressure of tangible nothing.

Every word out of this things mouth is making my head hurt.

"If you are hoping for Fujimoto Chiyoko to overthrow my influence it is impossible; even if she makes things difficult, there is not a single outcome that exists in which I am defeated by any of you."

Suzume gritted her teeth. It's the same thing Chiyoko told her. As much as the SLEIPNIR crew tried to convince her otherwise...maybe it was time to accept it. Chiyoko after all had completely surrendered to this being by now, or at least that is how it seemed. And how would she stand up to it, all by herself?

Immersed in complete darkness, having lost even the sole voice that had been by her side for all this time to synthesis, Suzume tried to reach out to anything else. All she needed was a candle light. A small beacon of respite. No miracle. Just a small glimmer of hope.

"However, if you wish to know her feelings; she is of the opinion that she should be killed while she resists me, but her attempts to sacrifice herself for the sake of all of you are misplaced and would prove to be ultimately meaningless... Yes. She doesn't even believe it is possible herself. The time to return to your original form has come."

Chiyoko would not be the one to grant it to her. What had made her fail in the end? The woman had sat at the loom of fate, overseeing all of its threads, and yet she now stands here, an insignificant hindrance to the end of all.

And then she sensed the slightest disturbance.

At first, an insignificant light. The flicker of a match.

But it was not the only one.

Soon its presence came over her like a crashing wave. She reached out to it, unafraid of losing herself in it. She had to show it her determination.

Yes, at the very end, the woman called Chiyoko believed that...

"You could bring all of humanity with you to fight it, all of the living and all of the dead, from as many worlds as you would like, and it would erase you all just the same. Only I can stop it."

...she had to fight it by herself.

Suzume had never considered this possible in the first place. For once, this kind of thinking had not been a weakness of hers.

Forgive me sensei. Today's not the day for showing off newly found confidence.
All of you. This will be your end all the same. So, either you keep relaxing, or...

Around her appeared replicas of her. A simple illusion technique courtesy of her demonic parts. By itself nothing more than a parlor trick. Only an image, a mere idol with no power of its own.
But if there was one power any god would envy a human for...it would be the power of imbuing mere images with power. Power to unite individuals and strike fear into any that see them.

...you come with me, and fight.

As she beckoned the souls beyond to lend her strength, the illusions seemed to lose their mechanical movements. First, they seemed confused, but it did not take long for them to grow accustomed to their new form.


They were no more mere illusions. Bound to this image was not a single soul in control, but an entire cluster of them, giving it shape through their shared belief.

An artificial ESPer. An unstable construct, not long for this world, stuck in a body unlike their living one. Still, real, tangible, and most of all dangerous.

"I will tell you right now. Defeating me is impossible, but if you wish, I could bury you painlessly."

"Painless? You think I care about physical pain? Can you even imagine what it would be like to fail everyone who kept believing in me despite me falling short of it? For you to kill everyone I hope to shield from harm? You think I'm gonna be killed by you and the last thing on my mind won't be the most painful sensation I've ever known in my life?"

A deep growl escaped her lips. She raised her finger, and pointed at her opponent.

"So if you really want to make this painless for me..."

A quick whistle announced an avalanche of Suzume clones descending on the woman.

"...stay still, and die."

[Katie]

Mikagura Mika
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

An endless expanse of stars.

If it was yesterday, or any day before, I’d gladly admire such a sight. There’s something so serene and majestic about the heavens that I could spend a while admiring their beauty. But in this situation, I have neither the time or the tranquility. If nothing is done, death is at hand. And more importantly, the solitude I used to cherish…

...Now makes me feel deeply and utterly afraid.

Before me lies my opponent. Yet, there is nothing else. A vast void, a proclaimed “equality.” A level playing field like this makes me sick to my stomach. For the others, dominating over them in a fashion like this is meant to break their spirit, prove their individual prowess means nothing to the god who cleans what is in disarray. But for me, such a setting is already enough to make me panic.

Because I’m weak.

I’m not weak like how Hitoshira Nagi would claim herself to be weak. That leaves a vile taste in my mouth. For her to so boldly claim that being broken makes her weak—it’s appalling. To ignore the immense power you have, as rough and unrefined as it may be… That’s simply not seeing reality for what it is. She, like many others in this entourage, have enough force to exert their will. That at the end of all of their troubles and toils, they have their own power to fall back on.

How I envy that.

My own strength isn’t enough.

Your parents are doomed to die.

I win by exploiting weaknesses.

Baldr, Nami...

I win by relying on others.

The Reaper, Yamuna, Nyarlathotep...

I can’t win with my own two hands.

You can’t rely on yourself.

The gun in my hands, the demon I contracted with… I acquired them because I knew that I was weak. That my mind wasn’t enough to solve the problems that lay ahead. I needed strength. Brute force that would not yield to anyone else. To do what I wanted, to protect what I grew to cherish, I had to make sure I was strong.

But against an opponent like this, invincible, insurmountable alone, it’s just like back then.

I can think and think and think for as much as I want, as fast I need, but there will be no solution ahead. I desperately wanted to save my parents back then and I couldn’t do it. I bet over the countless timelines I’ve tried to save myself, I’ve tried to save Nami, I’ve tried to save Sora, to no avail. Is history doomed to repeat itself? Are we doomed to succumb to the same fate, over and over again?

...

It’s probably pointless.

Even so—

I made a promise.

I promised, against all odds, that there would be a tomorrow.

And fulfilling that promise means struggling pointlessly, toiling uselessly. Even in the face of defeat I played until the last draw, as absurd as it was. I didn’t care it left less time for the next duel. I didn’t care if there was no opportunity to win. I just… didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me surrender. I would try my damndest to change fate.

I have to try. For my pride. For them. For the future I so brazenly gave to her.

So let’s reset.
I look at my opponent once more. Though it’s the enemy, not long ago it was someone, who, in a time I couldn’t ever remember, once called a friend. A prisoner in her own body, watching as

it

she

slowly, steadily dispatches everyone she once called a friend.

She must feel helpless. She must feel like everything she does is pointless. Being so close to the cusp of victory, only for it to be snatched away… she must have given up, if she isn’t on the cusp of it already. I understand those feelings very well. Not all of us possess relentless, blind optimism.

And you know what?

That’s okay. As long as the Great Devourer possesses that body, of someone so close to despair, it’s fine. Because her anguish, her emotions, are truly genuine. She can’t bear to watch her connections be cut off from her, one by one. And if there is anything I have learned from the past few months, it is that human beings truly hate being alone.

It is the sole weakness in the vessel that the Devourer can’t eliminate, no matter how much it claims.

I sigh. Once again… I have a plan that requires none of my own strength. Perhaps I’ve no talent. The only thing I can do, no, the best I can do… is try to arrange things as perfectly as possible.

...And maybe, that’s enough.

“Chiyoko,” I say, looking at

it

her

head on. Though no doubt there was a fearful expression on my face from before, I need to be nothing but dead confident now. “We were friends, right? I may not know the circumstances of the timeline that started it all… But I do know I’m an unsociable person no matter what. If you were friends with me then, I promise you that friendship still holds even now.”

Those are honest words. A friend a Mikagura Mika made in the past… must have been a friend I could make even now. I’m certain my tastes, the reasons why… Even if they’re not the same, I must have cherished the essence of that person a lot. Besides, she’s tried so hard to save me and everyone else…

If I can’t call that an ally at the very least, what else would it be?

“And friends should rely on each other, right? Reach out to me. Even if you feel it’s pointless, even if you don’t think it matters, it’s fine to struggle. Isn’t that what we’re all doing right now? Trying to defy fate.” I bitterly laugh. I suppose that’s the essence of humanity—being a bunch of sore losers. “Just don’t close yourself off just yet.”

“Even if your pleas can’t reach me… I’ll still reach out, just for the moment I can grasp those feelings.”

I hold out a hand that doesn’t need to grasp anything.

What matters is that we both try.

[Airen]

Mikagura Mika
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

---How sentimental.

While you are not the first person to do so, even that God is forced to recognize a pattern of sorts amongst it's opponents as they continue to address the body of it's host. It's a somewhat surprising occurrence, while this is that girl's dream, all supporting data inside of this body suggested that she had gone out of her way to separate herself from the others at some point amidst the endlessly recurring flow of time. As a result, she is not someone that they should hold any real connection to other than light chains of nostalgia, long-rusted connections that shouldn't hold any power over 'who they are' in this 'present time.'

Nevertheless, as if it is natural for them to do so, a number of them go out of their way to try to protect or reassure her when they should simply be thinking about the world at large.

---It's interesting, foolish at it's core yes, but still an interesting phenomena.

"..."

Even so, no words come from it's stolen lips.

It is used to absorbing and dominating souls, so these sorts of pleads are not entirely uncommon to it's ears. While the action of attacking them earlier with this body was one that had gotten an instinctive 'response' from it, it was little more than a twitch of defiance, something that would likely persist in this body until it wiped out these people that represented her 'hope,' but something that wouldn't be able to change the ultimate outcome of any of this either, even if her resistance somehow grew stronger than mere twitches and shudders.

As if reinforcing it's confidence in this, the God in human form simply closes it's eyes and waits for it's opponent to stop speaking; there is little to say to this one that rightfully fears it's power, and thus it will leave a complete silence as it's only response, a punctuation to the idea that the person she is calling for no longer has the power to control any of this, yet...

"...?"

When it opens it's eyes at the end of the speech, it's own arm has shifted ever so slightly; it's a movement it hadn't noticed, something slow and shaking, but something that had happened regardless, as if in direct defiance to it's omnipotence.

An arm, hand open, held out as if to shake the hand of someone who was over twenty meters away.

---It's too far away to reach, and even if it had reached her, it wouldn't have been able to do anything; it's ultimately just an answer to a question, a response that was stirred not just by Mika, but by all those that had tried to reach her, even if only a little bit.

Even she doesn't really think it will change anything, but even so, since they were asking her to try, shouldn't she try?

Even so...

"How interesting... It seems this is quite the tragedy."

While it is a small manifestation of a miracle, ultimately, in the God's opinion, it changes nothing; it will merely become a hope that leads to a greater sense of despair when they fail in spite of it...

If it had been more human, it may have felt a pang of guilt.
But it's too late for something like that, it had made it's choice a long time ago.
It would not allow that 'enemy' to revive.

The outstretched fingers curl into a fist, as if crushing the light of that hope beneath it's fingers.

"But it was a tragedy that was written a long time ago. It's too late to change anything, this story can only end in one way."

It draws back it's fist.

---And an intense spiritual pressure builds up within it.

A straight-forward expression of pure power, the ability to just mow down anything in front of you, yes...

Manifesting an envious power...

For Mikagura Mika, the God chooses to strike first of it's own accord.

Assist

Nami: Gather power through the network. (Set-Up)
Sora: Press the Attack. Melee. If possible, sync movements with Mika's.
Liane: Encase the battlefield in "Will's Cage" (Set-Up)
Genbu: Follow Orders. Can be used alongside other summons.

[Mooncake]

Jacques Dussault
Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

"That's right."

I grin.

"Hell yeah it is."

Calm as always, Kenji strides forward until he's standing beside me, where I'm crouching down, the two of us standing amongst the stars. It feels reassuring, even though he's a teenager - but that doesn't matter, does it?

Yeah...

"Namasaki Kenji."

Even the Devourer is looking at him like Kenji is something he's never seen before. It's not even been that long since I last saw the kid, and yet...

...When did his back get so large?

"...I see. That explains it. You underwent an awakening as well, and have embraced your 'role.'"

The power of the Devourer bears down on the two of us, but somehow, I don't really feel it. I've usually fought alone, but it's nice having companions.

It's nice, not being alone.

"Your eyes are just like those of Stephen. It is a shame, if you had had more time to grow, you would have been capable of great things."

"Would have been? Give me a break, I'm one of the people that are gonna kick your ass right out of here."

"And he's not alone, either."

I look at the Devourer as it raises a hand to the sky, breathing slowly. One in, one out, over and over again, as the thing in front of us calls forth what looks like a miniature star.

"If you think you can do it, then come, struggle with all the life in you."

As it slowly begins to descend, and as Kenji stands there without fear, I do something I would never have even been able to do, had I stayed the same Jacques Dussault that I had been all those years ago.

I sit down.

---

"What do you mean?"

Arya's face was pretty calm, but I could tell he was getting annoyed. I'd try to distract him, but even he had his limits. I stayed silent, looking perfectly innocent.

Arya pinched his nose, letting out a sigh.

"I feel like your mind is too scattered for proper meditation, sometimes."

"Ouch."

"Did you not fall asleep, last time?"

I wince, trying not to look as guilty as I was. Arya didn't buy it for a second, of course.

"If you can but calm yourself and meditate for a little while, even if it is only once a day, your strength will increase."

I flop back, leaning against the edge of the bed from where I sit on the floor.

"And why's that, Arya?"

I know he wants me to play along, and from the look he gives me he knows what I'm doing, but he lets it slide.

"You gather power within, and then release it. Meditation opens your mind to yourself. By focusing inwards an outer effect manifests - and you need some focus." He flicks my forehead, not hard, but enough.

"At least, focus on this..."

---

I'm not very good at meditation. Even Arya, with his mantras and steel focus, could only help me so much. If I was by myself, I don't know what I would be doing. But I'm not.

So here we are.

Something stirs within me, and I close my eyes, focusing on it, trying to find it. It feels just like-

"Hello, Jacques."

The corner of my mouth quirks up, unbidden.

"Hey, Arya."

He stands in front of me, my best friend, clothed in white. There are scarves hanging around us, long trailing ribbons of silk that move as if a wind is blowing. There's no wind, of course. The only thing I feel on my face is a faint warmth.

"Nice place you got here."

The corner of his mouth turns up to match mine.

"Thank you. It's not really mine, though."

He walks forward, and I move to match him. It feels like the scarves are endless, and I catch glimpses of his form as we weave in and out of them, never close enough to touch.

"I gotta admit, I don't really know what to do here."

I try to play it off, but some of the desperation has to leak through. We keep walking for what feels like forever.

"I never had that much faith in my strength, and here we are. Going up against the final boss, God, whatever... I don't really know what to do."

I can't see him that well now, the scarves so thick it's like we're walking through a forest, but I feel Arya's gaze on me.

"Jacques..."

"Hm?"

He snorts, and something twinges in my heart.

"You said it yourself, right? You are no longer alone."

The scarves are so thick I can only hear his voice, walking in the same direction for fear of getting hopelessly, totally lost.

"I, at the least, am always beside you... so don't fear."

I laugh.

"You're right, I'm sorry for doubting. It's just..." I shake my head. "No, you're right. I need to keep moving forward. For all of us."

I feel him smile.

"Good."

I walk forward, and the scarves end. It's just a blank, white space around me, and I immediately turn around to see the same space still. Arya and the field of scarves are gone, and for a moment, I stand alone. I see the door, then, right in front of me.

It appears like things do in a dream, as if they were always there, just waiting for you to notice them.

Calling it a door might be a stretch, actually.

It's an archway, filled with shadow darker than any black.

I walk forward, not looking back.

I open my eyes, the sphere of power still slowly descending. Less than a second has passed, but... something's changed. I can feel it. I focus, and it's not just me focusing, but Arya too, right beside me.

That's right.

I'm not alone.

ॐ
न
मः
शि
वा
य



--Black Sun--

The shadows of space, the darkness between the stars themselves twist together, spinning into a hole so massive it yawns like a cavern into Hell. There's no wind in space, but for a moment, it feels like it, as the the chasm spins and howls, shadows spiraling as they reach out to consume the star of destruction the Devourer is lobbing at us.

"I don't have to worry about lacking strength... because unlike you, I'm not fighting alone!"

Here we go.

[Airen]

Jacques Dussault
Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle

---It's truly an absurd phenomena.

What starts as a simple mass of shadows eventually becomes an existence akin to that of a black hole as the 'feelings' of a resistant world give strength to a familiar darkness, not the darkness of their hearts, but the cosmic darkness that had always existed alongside those pinpricks of light in the sky. It is the darkness that exists alongside wishes, a gentle dark that served to make the lights themselves visible, and drawing on that darkness with his 'power,' Jacques Dussault and the world give birth to something that they should not be able to manipulate, yes...

It's truly a sign of how much they've made this dream-like universe their own, to be able to directly alter and weaponize aspects of it against it which had created this world, and for a moment, the God cannot help but respect it for what it is, a power that is capable of not only swallowing it's last spell, but hungrily going after it's body as well, an endlessly greedy 'void' that takes advantage of not just the affinity of the souls that had conjured it, but the nature of this chosen battlefield as well, and becomes a force that would have been legendary in ages past, a magic that indirectly tread on those powers possessed only be the strongest of Gods...

Even so...

When faced with a 'phenomena' that will only grow stronger the longer it is left to exist, the God simply removes it from 'this space' by invoking it's powers as the "Creator" of this world. While the motion seems effortless -and certainly makes no dent in it's infinite reserves- it considers the invoking of such things on this battlefield to be a testament to the power of it's opponent, a form of respect it could only show humans in this way, a sign that it had regarded the strike as 'dangerous,' and had instinctively chosen not to allow it to hit at all, even if it knew it could easily endure whatever sorts of damage it could inflict.

It could not be killed by these beings after all...

"..."

Of course, it is only natural that it had 'swept' it's opponents up into their own attack in the same motion; while it is somewhat difficult to harm spirit users with their own phenomena, it is trivial for it to 'alter' it in such a way that even the caster is caught up in their own attack, and as a result, that which had been deployed as an absolute shield of sorts had also become a coffin for those that had deployed it, effectively making them responsible for their own demise.

At that speed, even if Jacques had wanted to use his affinity with it undo his own creation, he would not have had the time to do so, thus-

"...Sleep in peace."

-With unparalleled speed and intact irony, it had ended the fight in an instant.

Even the spiritual signatures of it's opponents had disappeared, and thus their fate was ultimately to join the center of the singularity. Devoting it's own thoughts towards assisting another self, the God marks down the first of the many inevitable fatalities, and-

"..."

A boy's fist runs it through from behind in that same instant.

It is not filled with an absurd amount of spiritual power, nor was it coming from a particularly talented martial artist.

It is simply a fist that is the embodiment of reason, one that had not broken through it's barriers by force, but one that had simply found cracks that should not have existed and slipped through to pierce it's way through the chest of it's stolen body.

It's by no means a lethal wound, even though it looks bad from up close, it is still barely more than what that God would call a scratch; nevertheless, the absurdity of the fist that strikes true is one that comes from those who should not have survived; crossing the barrier around the battlefield through instinctual use of Arya's ESP in order to avoid their countered strike, the only destination available to them had been the one the God had seemingly been unable to cut them off from, namely...

The Sea of Souls itself...

It had been but a brief trip, a dirty trick from the minds of three warriors that would ensure their existence 'disappeared' in a way that the God would acknowledge, but even then, to reappear in it's only blind spot and throw out nothing more than a fist wrapped in shadows should not work; even if an attack slips through it's skilled defenses, it's natural aura of spiritual power should make any and all damage negligible. That is why it can endure even Factor of Power enhanced strikes without a scratch, and yet...

That boy's fist had treated those barriers as if they had not existed at all, because for a moment, they hadn't existed at all-!

It was a feat only possible for Namasaki Kenji, and one that had taken him awhile to put into motion. The 'eyes' he had inherited from the old man were still difficult for him to understand, a blinding world of numbers and endless data that would have driven any lesser mind sick or insane from the implications, but one he had been able to steel himself to accept as a "trump card" of sorts.

It was akin to changing the Devourer's defense from an incomprehensibly high number to 0 for a single instant, and something that wouldn't have worked even then if not for the fact they had managed to catch it completely off guard. But now that the 'container' has been breached, the youth is able to get a single glance at the 'data' humanity is desperately searching for to put an end to all of this, before the wound is instantly closed as if it had never been, and he disappears with his prize, and-

-In that same moment-

"Clever. I'm truly impressed."

-A crimson force emerges from seemingly nothing, manifesting right in front of you as if it had always existed there, or rather...

You are attacked from 'another place' by a 'different reflection' of that God.

Black is dyed crimson in it's wake.

Assist Change

Jack Wolfe/Aoyama: While enemy is distracted, summon Persona - Miura-No-Suke (Set-Up)
Gisela: Form a barrier of spiritual power and attempt to weather the blast.
Hel: Follow Orders. Can be used alongside other summons.