Ga Rei: Exodus Nine (IC)

[Spinach]

Saki Ryuumonbuchi
Ryuumonbuchi Residence
Evening

“My company is free, Mister Redgrave, but victory is not.” A competitive spark lit up, literally, in the girl’s eyes as she urged the man to eat even more by pushing another gem of the sea toward him. “The outcome will be different next time, I assure it.”

Stating her coming triumph, a soft burning noise filled the air beside the red-coated man. Standing at the tableside a crimson silhouette perfectly matching Saki’s form poured the man a drink, her burning fingers warming the sake in the tokkuri as it left the vessel.

“Perhaps next time could even be tonight, or now, should you wish… Mister Redgrave.”

While her Remnant took over serving the foreign guest, Saki Prime turned back to her teacher.

“The status Phenex holds is above that of a normal servant. When need be its authority and words are equal to mother’s. Though, he, sometimes she, is a cunning one. Punishment for ill-deeds can be meted out without exerting that authority.” At some point Saki had leaned close enough and lowered her voice again to nothing but a whisper. Perhaps with the Marquis preoccupied with the ever hated Belial its attention might slip away from her conversing, thought the girl, and so she continued on about the demon. “Of course, as you well know Mister Nakahara, an honor student such as I would never give Phenex cause to take any such action.”

Another red silhouette descended upon the mortal plane as the girl spoke. Appearing further down the table, taking the vacant space beside the teacher’s daughter. As Saki Prime spoke to Nakahara-sensei, holding his attention, the second Remnant tried to seize the opportunity to lock in on something that had caught her fancy.

“I hope dinner is to your liking, Fujimoto-san.” In the hopes of enabling something more akin to ‘normal’ conversation, the Remnant extended its flames to the floor beneath itself.

Red vines twisted together, fashioning a chair of burning overgrowth that the third Saki in the room seated itself atop. Deft self-control honed over many years weaved the flames into a solid shape while also containing their heat and halting them from spreading or burning their surroundings.

“It was quite the surprise to learn that sensei had a daughter older than myself. It was another for the both of them to join us for dinner. Try as I might, Nakahara-sensei always found one excuse or another to decline invitations to visit after class. My mother’s influence over others exceeds me as always…” Breaking, or rather, melting the ice without a moment’s hesitation, the Remnant paused as it let its words hang in the air. “It gladdens me to have this chance to meet you. And of course, it would gladden me all the more to learn further of this ‘favorite student’ business.”

A mischievous smile spread over the Remnant’s face as it dug into her teacher’s personal life.

[Airen]

Saki Prime
Ryuumonbuchi Residence

"I see."

Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, the teacher takes a moment to log this particular bit of information, as if it was something worth going out of his way to remember in this particular situation.

"Well, I'd certainly hope that an honor student of your caliber wouldn't do anything reprehensible," nodding once as he opens his eyes, the teacher ultimately seems to agree with your self analysis, at least, he seems to agree on a verbal level, "In that case, I suppose Amaya-san has been your sidekick this entire time then? A maid loyal enough to follow it's Master to school, to put up the facade of a human for years, heh..."

A shake of his head.

"Well, I guess that's demons for you. Most of them hate your guts, but when you find the right one, you wind up willingly connected at the hip of your own accord."

Remnant Saki #1 (Redgrave)
Ryuumonbuchi Residence

"Yeah, I'd probably lose a redo kid."

Having admitted it himself, the older looking man seems to be handling his alcohol well, judging by the fact that no matter how much sake went into that body of his, his demeanor remained more or less consistent.

"I'm one of those guys who can't win games of chance. It's a curse, a life curse, but I deal, y'know?"

A laugh, then:

"Then again... Losing to me means your luck isn't the greatest either, so maybe it'd be worth another shot?"

A pause, then:

"Don't know what we'd be playing for though, the endless sushi is a pretty good prize already."

Remnant Saki #2 (Fujimoto)
Ryuumonbuchi Residence

"Oh yes, it's great."

She seemed to be a friendly enough young woman.

Showing absolutely no shock at all of the blatant supernatural activity going on around her, it's clear that your teacher had either informed his adopted daughter of such things a long time ago, or she herself was a person that was also drenched in this sort of abnormality.

It is a natural curiosity, to know which it was, and indeed, you can't help but try to pin it down with your senses.

Her soul did not feel like that of an ESPer, indeed, paying attention to it now, while she did give off the feeling of a human soul, there was something else mixed in there that reminded you more of...

Phenex or Belial...

No...

Like Redgrave...

It was just a hint, and you were not yet used to picking out these sorts of things with your sixth sense alone, but this girl was an adopted daughter of your teacher after all, while parts of her face seemed familiar at first glance, it wasn't because she somehow resembled him, no, in fact...

If you had to put a finger on it...

Her facial features were most similar to... The weather reporter...?

"I'm not used to having others cook for me, so I'm enjoying this quite a bit! Father is almost always busy, so most of the time I'm eating things that I cooked myself, so this is a nice change of pace!"

Even saying so, her method of eating was filled with a royal sort of grace, a practiced dexterity that showed none of the aggression the others were using as people naturally fought over the "good parts" of the various meals scattered across the tabletop.

"As for favorite student, well, that one is easy," raising one finger with a mischievous smile, the girl that knows her father isn't paying attention gives a simple answer to the inquiry, "He's been talking about you a lot lately, something about being proud of your growth over the past few months? He likes to joke around a lot, but he really does care about his students, even keeps tabs on those that graduate to make sure they're doing alright; it's part of the reason he's always so busy, running around trying to take care of everyone..."

A sigh, followed by a light shake of her head:

"Although, I think a big part of it is he's weak for people that constantly try to impress him, enjoys being a role model that guy."

[Airen]

Jonathan R. Black
Primordial Mist

The will of humans could certainly be a poison without equal.

Having left nothing behind in this section of Tokyo other than her master and the wraith of William Levilius, the Goddess that had put her all into that last strike, feels the relentless pressures of the outside world come crashing back down onto her existence. Regardless of whether or not it was in it's death throes, this was still a world that rejected the presence of both Demons and Divine Entities, and as a result, a significant amount of her power was going towards 'defying' those laws, so much so that, in comparison to her days as Izanami-No-Okami, she was but a shadow struggling to maintain divine force, a being that could only bring forth around 20% of her power in order to combat the young man.

If she had held a greater source of power this would be different, but powered only by the soul of a Single ESPer, as well as the couple thousand humans that resided within the soul of said ESPer, she was far more limited than the likes of Amatsu, who seemed to have somehow gained access to all of the world's darkness, the fallen souls and miscellaneous regrets, and used that infinite source of power to function as a "Proper" God even in this world that defied the existence and power of Gods.

Yes.

If he had been here, the battle likely would not have gone as well for her, indeed, if she was to be completely honest, the Goddess would have rather confronted Amatsu's Chosen once the world had fallen and the Conception had truly begun, as the rules that limited her power would be nonexistent at that point.

Even so...

Having wiped her opponent from the face of the earth even with the dregs of her full might, the ancient Goddess of Creation feels her vision pulse as the poison of a reaper finally begins to leave her veins, and her existence moves further and further towards fading, compromised not just from it, but by her use of spiritual power that she truly did not possess. The Rider, much like herself, was limited by the rules of the world so far as the scope of what it could do, but...

Taking damage... From a thing like that...

She had fallen far, but it had worked out in the end.

Up above the sky is cracking, the once blue sky has become streaked with lines of red and black, and even with this victory the Goddess understands that the most she has accomplished here is buying humanity a few more hours to prepare for what was coming; the start of the Conception was heralded by God's Thunder, a blast meant to reduce most of the world's population to souls, making them easy prey for the Gods that would appear to herald the start of the battle for creation. It was an automated response for a God that had long ago fallen asleep on the job, there would only be a single blast, one that could be stopped by a barrier of considerable strength, and so, in order to preserve humanity and deny the hollow gods a route towards regaining their power, these next few hours were crucial.

Of course, Amatsu was already attempting to feast upon all the humans in this world, and that too was a problem that needed to be addressed, but, at least for this moment...

It was over.

At least, that was the thought until a human had slipped right past her guard.

It was a blur of motion, caught off-guard, and weaker than she had ever been, the Goddess barely hears the words of the enemy before a dagger was plunged into her gut. As far as weapons go, it was perhaps the most effective one the human could have used in an attempt to kill her, the thing that separated the Gods from the Demons was the belief of humans in their divinity, that belief made them powerful, far more powerful than most demons, but by that same token...

When coming up against a force of 'humanity' that spit upon divinity and called for it's destruction, in a world that itself spit upon the divine-

"..."

It was a worse poison than even pestilence could manifest.

Stumbling, feeling this pain far more than any that had come before she-

---

She was used to being sealed in the dark.

Whether at the hands of a husband that had looked back, or by the all-encompassing vengeance of humanity and their Messiah, she was used to dwelling within the endless darkness.

Threats never opened the door, a thousand-wide curse was only negated by a greater blessing; left alone in the dark, hatred fizzled out until only despair remained...

Yes...

Trapped, always trapped, it was a lonely existence of billions of years, one in which family had abandoned her, and she was one of the few to be further confined even within the depths of the abyss, but...

One day...

From the other side of the ever present rock.

A human's voice, a woman's voice, had emerged and...

Asked if anyone was there...

And if she wanted to leave.

---

Her form had reverted to that of a human.

Bonded to a demon yourself, you are instinctively aware of why most demons took the forms of humans in this world, it was the form that cost them the least, a way of trying to fool the world's laws into going easier on them, and if she is reverting to it now...

While it had initially caught you off guard, you move to press the attack now, the burning disdain humanity held for the divine burning in your veins, and-!

"...My turn."

Before you can move, someone grips your body from behind, the one that, much as you had disappeared from Izanami's gaze, had long ago disappeared from yours. Her appearance is almost a literal impossibility, simply appearing as if from nowhere, using magic to summon herself to the side of her Goddess, her grip on you is filled not just with a strength that equals your own, but-!

A seeming immunity to every form of poison in the area.

Thousand Words of Curses

"Thousand Curses."

The moment you become aware of her presence, an arm is thrust into your back along with the muttered words of a curse.

It's true.

Shouldering the wills of millions of humans, and the powers of even more, Jonathan R. Black can no longer be called a human; coming back upon death was only to be expected when so many souls were urging him on, no, not only that... So long as Amatsu and the Rider were on the youth's side, even coming back from complete and total vaporization was certainly not out of the cards.

But that was fine.

It was a power that came from a bond, from being a singular existence that channeled the powers of everyone it was connected too, the trump card that humanity held that was their true power against the Gods.

Shared beliefs and strengths, bolstering their will by turning 'one' into 'countless.'

But bonds can be broken.

Reaching into your body, what the woman grasps is not anything physical, like your spine or an organ, but rather your soul. As an ESPer she was rather unique, her power allowed her to see and manipulate the 'building blocks' of everything around her; a powerful ability, she has used it to render the poison of pestilence harmless by changing it's makeup, and indeed, even the mass of souls that you had become was no exception to her ability. Normally, someone would not be able to target the soul of 'Jonathan R. Black' amidst all the other souls he has either converted or enslaved, but for her, bearing her own ability to see and interact with souls, an ability that was heavily augmented through her contract with Izanami...

It becomes clear what the woman intends to do.

It's a heresy, but it will certainly work.

Ripping that single soul out with pure brute force, separating it from the others and reducing it to the power of a single human-! While it would be impossible by herself, as an Eclipse Diver, she was not alone; the 'hands' that suddenly reach out to grab you number in the thousands; it is still less than your own, however-

Not everyone is with you.

Having become mist, having become an ocean that numbers in the uncountable, who have begun a mission to consume-!

They'll be a heartbeat too slow, their wills have been scattered to different tasks far too much.

She can only directly overpower you for a single instant, but that instant will be enough.

Even the Rider is denied; having taken the time to analyze the nature of his poison, his magic, the woman that has gathered all of the souls within her for the purpose of overpowering you in this one moment, this single instant that would decide everything, prepares herself to nullify this as well, break the attack down completely before it reaches her, knowing that to fail is the same thing as to lose but-!

It's unnecessary.

Instead, that woman-

"Megumi-!"

-Is shielded by the Goddess that throws herself between that at godspeed, a single hand throwing out a barrier of light that reflected the barrage of death back at it's owner, even as she catches the demon's physical charge with her own body, the sheer force of her will surprising them both as her frail body deflects it's charge in spite of the difference in physical strength. The resulting clash throws both demons away from the death match between their summoners, and the sonic boom that heralds their passing throws debris and primordial water alike all throughout the remnants of the city district.

You can feel your power slipping.

With thousands of hands all pulling on your soul as if they meant to tear it apart, it becomes difficult to manipulate your spiritual power and attempt to throw your other enemy off, and indeed, it's almost amusing how quickly and effectively your options had been shut down in but a few moments. While the weakened Goddess had only been able to repel Death once, the situation had been manipulated in such a way that she would only need to repel that being once, and-!

While you can feel a different sort of 'end' approaching, as the tug-of-war between souls begins to end decisively in favor of your opponent, your mind nevertheless remains calm. Like you, this woman was someone who took into account all of the battle's variables before beginning to move, and while her movements had been effective until now-!

The descending axe-kick of a familiar girl, silent, but filled with enough force to shatter every bone in the woman's body in a single shot, forced the blue souls to let yours go, as their vessel, the one in whom they had placed their trust, avoids the first fatal strike, but is blown back into her goddess with a perfectly placed fist into her solar plexus, the resulting sonic boom flooring both opponents, who nevertheless stand again, their spiritual energy beginning to dwindle from the great high it had been at but a moment ago.



"Alright-! Looks like I made it in time..."

And standing in front of you now with her arms outstretched...

Was Akane.

"Sorry I'm a little late, you kinda vanished on us in the middle of the night."

[Vritra]

Makoto Fujioka
Endless Skies

Swish, fwop, swoom, fwaa, fwim! Again and again as the blue around me expands into an endless sea whose waves are crested by pure white clouds I dance an ever quickening dance. Forming sword after sword before detonating them to ride and jump off the explosion I duck and dodge Ane-san again and again, take this Ane-san Kenundō style firework sword dance!

Mmmmhmhmhmhmhm feels strange… The more I race Ane-san, the more I soar through the sky and the more I dance the more a strange feeling begins to flutter through me. A sense of weightlessness and almost fluffy light-headedness, everything that seemed to worry or scare loses its edge as it begins to float gently upward inside of me. How strange, super duper strange …but, feels nice …I want to come back here with Kyoto.

Then my vision falters, my body grows even colder and my the world begins to swim and bend around me. Ah, times up… My body loses strength as worry overtakes me. Yet that worry is short lived because it turns out that I don’t need to worry. Mhm I can still feel gravity so I don’t need to worry about Ane-san’s words at how if you go up high enough gravity won’t grab you. No worries, no fears I just need to wait for the ground to catch me, it’s rather nice like that! Mhmhm and if gravity wants to take a swing then I’ll poke it until it accepts defeat, fwaaaaaaaaaa NO CHALLENGER UNDEFEATED!

"Anddd, captured-!"

Or Ane-san will just catch me. Boooooooooooooo Staring up at Ane-san’s face I vibrate in annoyance acting like that even though I won first! Fwaaaaaa ~ prepare your self Ane-san for I will… Will something…

?

???

How, strange… Sitting here, staring up at Ane-san’s face a feeling I can’t identify curls up inside of my chest. Everything pulled tight before being loosened, a loss at what to or how to do it properly it’s a discontented floating up and down. I wanted to catch her tongue to pay her back but… But now I don’t know. If that’s what I want to do, if that’s’ what I should do I want, I should… Ane-san was she always like this…

A frozen moment as I sit there, anxiety, nervousness, an unknown that feels like its staring at me or maybe that I’m staring at it trying to figure out what or why. In this endless standstill moment I can’t help like I’ve felt this feeling before. A niggling nostalgic feeling that a long, long time ago I remember a warm flame and a bright red that was always out of reach.

I…

I should…

“FuofuoFWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” Once again exploding in vibration after breaking out of the stillness that had overtaken me I push past everything and continue on, should, could, or want to do I don’t know but I’ll show you Aneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER REGARDLESS OF ITS SHEEP OR ANE-SAN I’LL SHOW ALL CHALLENGERS! Wrapping my arms around her neck to cut off her retreat I lunge forward in her absence of guard. TAKE THIS Kenundō style Mouse Trap Punishment! My lips meet hers as I lightly chomp her taunting tongue in retribution. Although I can’t say I know the proper way to handle things or even how to reach out touch the sun like flames that I am fortunate to have surround me but I will march forward anyway!

“I WON PERFECTLY FIRST SO TAKE THAT NYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.”

Pulling back I return the favor and stick out my tongue at her, reeeeeveeeeeeeeenge!

Ah ha ha hahahahaha, I can’t help but begin to giggle and laugh as I stop fighting the feeling of exhaustion “Shame I think I got to big for Ane-san’s arms… Next time I’ll have to be the one to carry you it seems…” Murmuring through half closed eyes I abandon everything else as I immerse myself in Ane-san’s warmth and the endless blue and white sky around me.

[Airen]

King
???

"Do things truly disappear when they die?"

Answering your question with a question, the girl that tilts her head in the fog doesn't seem to think that the answer, at least to the first of your questions, is something so significant as to require an answer, but all the same, as her beloved brother, she feels compelled to answer, "We all return to the Sea, some are reborn, some sleep for a time, some fall into shadows, some remain as curses, and some simply watch."

She pauses, leaning forward slightly, then:

"I am one who watches. Once you return to the Sea, it's easy to learn things if you look hard enough, because everyone is connected by it, some just have a harder time realizing that connection than others."

For the first time, she sounds amused, as if this idea was comforting and amusing in equal measures, and indeed, when the second question appears, the question that would have come from her older brother rather than the "King," she seems genuinely pleased by it.

"I can't go any further... But you and I are connected by this ocean too. I'm always nearby, especially close to you, even if you can't hear me, I'll be cheering you on from within, just like the other voices... We've all been with you from the start of all this, and we'll be here even after it's long over."

So saying, the girl steps out of the fog, taps you on the chest...

"Otherwise it would have all been for nothing... Stories have to have happy endings."

And vanishes into sparks of light with a smile on a face that you could only see for a single instant.

[Airen]

Mikagura Mika
Memorial Park, Amatsu's Throne

Other than the title of "Messiah," the soul of the one you were searching for, or rather, the record of his soul that you were searching for, had only ever been referred to as "Zerah." Lacking a name beyond that due to the world in which he had grown up, in which humans were raised as cattle by malevolent supernatural entities, it would not be incorrect to call him the "creator" of the current world, he was certainly a person that had obtained the "Power of God" at one point, and had used it along with Yamuna in order to create the world that you existed in now.

He was someone you had never thought to chase, but now that the chips were down, now that half of a Goddess had turned to madness and the world was literally breaking apart at the seams, you throw your mind into the record that your spirits had composed, searching for the oldest book in the library, the very first soul that had drawn all of the other humans to this particular sea of souls.

...It is a difficult search.

Not because of the nature of the record, but rather because, to put it in other terms, if the record could be compared to a book, what you were finding is that pages from his particular book had been torn out of their frame and spread all throughout the Soul Sea. He was a being of fragments, yet another person that had wound up with a shattered soul in the end, but the reason for that shattering, exactly what had caused it...

Is something that the Sea cannot answer.

Nevertheless, due to the nature of your powers, once you find all of the fragments that seemingly exist, the remnants of his spirit that come out to less than half, it's not particularly difficult to put them back together again and have something closer to a completed book; like coming out of a coma, the spirit that has been reunited with its selves stirs the moment your powers piece them together again, it is an ironic fate perhaps, that the Messiah too had wound up with merely half of his soul in the end, but-

"...Mikagura Mika, correct?"

-Even being a half, his soul still maintained an unshakeable poise, as if the nature of his existence, the fact that he was seemingly dead, had been split apart, and was now being 'summoned' as it were...

Wasn't nearly enough to shake him in any real capacity.

"Welcome, child of the future. Is there something you need?"

Indeed, despite teeming with darkness...

He seemed more or less agreeable, and with your perceptions heightened to the point of time seeming to drag from your point of view, and Genbu putting forth all her power as a guardian in the real world...

It seemed...

That you had a few, brief moments of respite here.

[Snax]

Jonathan R. Black
Primordial ???

Bonds can be broken.

Jonathan put together these words as his power slipped, his options fading, his soul being dragged out and ripped from his Sea….

It was a perfect attack. A perfect curse. His power, widespread and vast as it was, was too slow to react against this single focused blow – aiming for the very core of his soul, threatening to rip him from his Reason and his Goal – as vexing as it was, it was too much.

He was being overpowered.

As the primordial form of his water body crumbled, Jonathan’s face and body returned to that of a human. Mere seconds remained till he was defeated, despite still clinging on to his Reason, he would soon lose that link –

[Aargh….!]

His goal…! His dream…!! It couldn’t fade like this…!
Not here! Not now! Not when he was so close!
As if reacting to his internal screams, the Rider billowed up to reduce the enemy to ash and save his Summoner…however.

"Megumi-!"

Even the mighty Rider was deflected by the last efforts of the dead goddess, and Jonathan’s vision started fragmenting, the Primordial Sea beneath him calming down, the Mist and Rain dwindling into nothingness –

Was this the finale?
Was this how his story would end?
No. It couldn’t be…however, his strength failed him.
It wasn’t long till the bond was broken, his dream in shambles, his last moments near…

-----------------------------------

However.

Some Bonds….

Are unbreakable.

-----------------------------------

"Alright-! Looks like I made it in time..."

And standing in front of you now with her arms outstretched...

Was Akane.

"Sorry I'm a little late, you kinda vanished on us in the middle of the night."

Jonathan didn’t move. Jonathan didn’t breath.

Rather, he was too awestruck – for the first time in the world, he felt helpless, even more so than when his last moments were near, so much that not a single snarky comment came to mind. His expression was vulnerable, empty and at the same time full of wonder and admiration.

For the first time in his life, someone appeared so radiant in his eyes. Be it light or darkness, it was the first time – anything aside from his goal appeared to have meaning.

“….Akane.”

Dumbstruck and in misbelief, he was merely capable of extending a single word.

Her name. Her existence. Her presence.

For the first time, it outweighed everything in his World.

“…Thank you. I mean that.”

Mumbling, Jonathan outstretched his arms, hugging her for the first time in all the timelines, in all worlds. Despite all of the headpats and words he had outstretched to her, for the first time, it was a very sincere gesture – of love, acceptance, and full trust.

However, he couldn’t stay vulnerable forever.

The embrace was strong and deep. However, it was quickly ended as Jonathan’s form broke into water, separating himself from Akane. His dark, stormy form – by some freak chance of nature, or by the calm state of mind he had now thanks to Akane –

Was pure, crystalline, sky blue.

The Primordial Sea cleared into clear blue. The red, cracking sky covered with black thunderclouds cleared up into a calm, pleasant drizzle. The mist lessened in density and color, but continued its deadly pursuit of the enemy. The poison thickened, except making sure not to harm Akane.

[Now then.]

Jonathan’s calm voice rumbled across the Primordial Sea, looking down upon his enemies.

[I guess I must thank you for opening my eyes once more, Izanami – and her Summoner.]

Yes. He did feel deep gratitude for that moment. Any other way, and he would have never felt so…at peace.

[I now know what I must do.]

Actually, he had known all along. However, at this moment – things changed a bit.

Yes. He would create a world for the Strong. A world where the weak were culled, and humanity would thrive in its pursuit of the power it deserved.

However.

[Gods and Demons will see what we Humans are worth for.]
[The Strong of Humanity will have their deserved places in the seats of Fate.]
[But first and foremost - ]

Jonathan took Akane’s hand. His transculent palm, not harming her, held her hand in his tight.

[My world will be for her. One she can live as she deserves. One she can have her dreams come true. One that she will no longer suffer, oppressed by the masses. One that she will finally receive the treatment she deserves, as one of the Strong. And if I must be a harbinger of Chaos to do so – if I must be a pawn of Amatsu to do so – so be it.]

The Sea roared.
The Rain sang.
The Mist whirled.

He had accepted Amatsu. However, to the bitter end - he was not against Humanity. Forevermore, he continued to wish for a better future for the human kind, for Akane foremost - and that was the final raison d'etre he would not give up.

[Come, Izanami. Come, defenders of the Current World. You are worthy of my World. Yield and I will treat you with respect. Compromise, and I will still show you due. However, continue to oppose me, and expect no mercy.]

All water in the world rose, as Nature’s very wrath crashed and whirled across his newfound Resolve.

[Airen]

Interlude
Nakahara Katsuro & Toriumi Yoko & Chronos & Fujimoto Chiyoko
'Shine on You II'

"Oh? Is that so?"

Taking everything in stride, the God of Time that had just been challenged by one of his oldest allies, shows none of the shock of his summoner. As a Deity he was used to betrayal, it would not be the first time someone had attempted to plunge a knife into his back, and indeed, this man was even being rather courteous about it, announcing his intentions to slay him aloud rather than go for a more silent kill.

Yes.

The mind of the God remains unperturbed because he had always been aware of this particular possibility, and had even considered it an eventuality, a thing that Nakahara Katsuro would eventually do no matter what; it wasn't a premonition made through use of Magic, as a God, his specialty lied more in stopping or rewinding the clock than moving it forward, but he was a God that walked beside Man in it's journey, and thus he believed he was more understanding of them than the average member of Divinity.

"Katsuro...?"

"Sorry Chiyo, but I've decided you're wrong."

His Summoner on the other hand, seemed confused, as if unable to reconcile what she had just heard with her perceptions of reality. It only made sense, as the amount of people that were in on the scenario, the true meaning behind the endless rituals, was a handful of those humans whose memories persisted beyond time, there was a certain special camaraderie between them that they did not share with the other occupants of the world. Rather than their relationships being reset again and again, they persisted throughout time, thousands of years of standing at each others side and pushing one another towards a common goal.

A betrayal from someone like that...

Certainly it would hit his Summoner hard in her normally shielded heart.

"Chiyoko, don't worry about this," speaking aloud, the God in the guise of a human decides to send her on her way for now, "With Amatsu's appearance victory has become possible in this repetition, if we can secure him it can all end here."

Pushing her lightly, his suggestion restarts her mind, and the meaning behind his words became clear.

'Go ensure Amatsu's defeat.'

The God will deal with the two traitors himself.

"..."

Gritting her teeth, the woman accepts the reality of the situation and blinks out of existence, as if carried away by the world itself.

It is not just for the purposes of the mission, rather, feeling a tangible relief as his Summoner escapes the area, the God turns it's eyes back to the human with a seriousness that would shock other divine beings.

Simply put, the attitude of Chronos was one that differed highly from his Divine Peers. Aware of his status as a God, but also lacking the excessive pride that had characterized his initial defeat, the God does not look down on the opposing human as an inferior life form, rather, he takes the threat entirely seriously and wants his Summoner out of the way, a smile crossing his face as he stared at the one that certainly must have a plan to defeat him if he had come all the way here.

"Will you not reconsider?"

It's a request that both know will be denied from the start, but even so, he is benevolent enough to offer this opponent a way out. They have been together for awhile, and the God sees no need to be ungrateful, thus, it's an offer that holds none of the usual divine malevolence, it is a true offer of forgiveness, to set that declaration behind them and move forward as allies once more.

It is an offer that, from the perspective of any outsider, he should clearly take, if he did not wish to accept the destruction that would follow soon after.

While the form the God of Time took was that of your average dark-haired police officer, a perfect disguise for a crowded city such as this, the aura that the being exudes now makes it clear that it is not such a lowly existence. Careful and cunning, but also overwhelming in spiritual force, the moment the God stops holding back it's presence, the weight that the two teachers feel on their body is akin to that of the planet earth being place upon their shoulders; if they were any weaker they would kneel immediately, but standing only with a smile, hands in the pockets of his jacket, Nakahara Katsuro faces the "Lord of Heaven" head on without regret.

"I can't."

"Why not? After all, it would not be the first time you have backed away from our battle."

"...So you knew, huh?"

"Of course."

This was a fight that should have happened a long time ago, and they were both aware of it. Long before the cycles, at the time of the first Conception, when the war to eliminate all the 'obstacles' in humanity's way had yet to begin, this man, Katsuro, was one of many participants. Forming a contract with a Deity, but lacking a Reason of his own, a vision for the future, a reason to put his life on the line, he had sunk out of the war of his own accord, hiding away his Goddess and contract and had thus avoided his defeat at the hands of Chronos at the war's end, siding with the God as a follower rather than as an opponent, a random powerful human who had simply decided to support a reason he had been presented with.

However, the God knew the truth, indeed, he had known for some time now.

Just like he had known...

"Just as I know that "Toriumi Yoko" is no longer living, she was devoured during the course of the sixth war," eyes closed, the God's words pierce the sounds of a dying city easily, a voice so strong that those with weak wills would have simply crumpled to their knees and died when being faced with it, "I found your attempts at stealth amusing, but it is pointless now, show yourself, Aion."

While it sounds like a request, in reality, it is more akin to a demand, his voice melting away glamours and transformations alike, and-

"Greetings Chronos."

-And revealing the Goddess that had stayed at the side of her summoner for countless millennia, even when he had given up and denied their promise.

The silence that follows is heavy. While his demon, a Goddess of Time, someone that certainly could have been considered his Trump Card had been revealed, the teacher maintains his light-hearted demeanor, worrying less about what had just occurred and rather...

How to respond to the last inquiry.

"The world does not need a paradise that can only be brought about by the sacrifice of emotion."

"You have seen those results for yourself. The humans of this world continue to doom themselves, they will not free themselves from the darkness, nor will they allow the creation of a new world if they can help it. Even so, you wish to stand in our way at the end?"

"Even so. It's better for us to fall here than be stripped of our humanity and exist forever in a world of one color, Besides... The destruction of everyone in the vortex... Creating an absolute god that can't be opposed and whose laws must be followed... The more you think about it, the more insane all of this is, really, we stopped being the Good Guys a long time ago."

It's remarkably casual.

A conversation between former friends, testing resolves and wills in the moments before a death match, and...

"I see, so you have finally decided for yourself," accepting his words calmly, the God is not disappointed in the man's answer, rather, here at the end, there is a vague feeling of respect and acknowledgement from the Deity, "Then your fall will mark the beginning of the end, just as it would have back then; I will engrave reality into your soul one last time, Nakahara Katsuro. Show me the power that you have cultivated across eternity, than lament that it was never close to enough; I will certainly accept you once more in the new world once you understand your position."

There would be no holding back.

Because he acknowledges this human as an opponent worthy of him, the God immediately moves to crush the human and his Goddess in a single instant, while sensing the approach of death, the teacher releases long-held limiters on his body as his spirit power rages forth, fueling the magic that would stop the absolute end-!

The Time-Governing-Twelve-Covenants

==Requiem of the 13th Hour==

Infinite Aegis

==Step into Eternity==

Time stops, the world's countdown freezes, but both combatants continue to move.

Exchanging blows once...

The tower that had been their battlefield immediately explodes into rubble as another fight begins.

A fight for the shape of the future.

One of many fights.

But perhaps the most important of them all.

Interlude Out

[Katie]

Mikagura Mika
Memorial Park, Amatsu's Throne

I did it. Most importantly, Genbu is still buying me time. I must make sure I get everything I can now and hope it will work in the future. Otherwise, there is none.

“I went through an awful lot of effort to find you, you know.” The words come out of my mouth teasingly, as if to relieve the stress of the situation. Even now my heart pounds and my mind aches. I’ve been operating at over my intended capacity for what seems to be like ages.

But let’s get straight to the point.

“I don’t think you gave us an easy way to deal with humanity’s goddess if she ever went rogue, so… Tell me. What did you want out of Yamuna once you had made her? I understand you wanted a god with no tethers to serve as the source of your Reason… but there’s always more than what’s apparent.”

[Airen]

Hitoshira Nagi
Outside Battleship S.L.E.I.P.N.I.R - Rothschild Mobile Base

The one advantage you had held was that the serpent had initially believed you to already be slain by it's hands.

Having batted you away with the full force of it's physical existence, the being that had confirmed your existence as that of a human's had believed that it would cave in completely with even that much force.

Having struck down one opponent of the many that had suddenly appeared, it moved it's focus back to the human and the disguised trickster God, recognizing simply from a few exchanges with the duo that they were easily the most dangerous of the new victims. The sword that repels it's head does so without shaking, as one of the strongest human beings on the planet, and a person who was assigned to cut down Elizabeth Rosanna Lagerkvist if she ever proved to be a threat to the world, Adala faces her opponent with an absolute calm that unnerves the beast.

Even so, unlike the human from before, her weapon didn't hold the same paralyzing effect, it was bizarre, the sensation the demon had felt upon being struck by that axe; a sensation that reminded it of the Ame-No-Habakiri, something that was designed to slay beings of it's kind, nevertheless...

Even with that, the damage had been minimal; bearing by far the most masters of any demon summoned within the confines of the city, the Primordial Serpent had no shortage of power with which to mend it's wounds, and combined with it's body mass, the sheer reality of the fact that as a being, even a deep gash with an axe was something more akin to a 'deep scratch' as far as the Demon was concerned...

It was not worried by simple blades or magic, the Trickster God was a problem it would acknowledge, but all the same, the God held only a single summoner in comparison to his hundreds. In a battle of attrition the duo would not win, at least, the abilities that they had shown so far declared that such an outcome was impossible, but cunning as well as cruel, the Serpent was not a mindless beast that could not understand the flow of battle.

Indeed, it was quite intelligent, and it had no intention of overlooking even the smallest of things, even as it grows to enjoy it's clashing with the duo, a natural blood-lust rising up at the unexpected but welcome chance to hurt enemies of it's worldview.

Enemies worth slaying, worth putting it's all into fighting to the death, because it could sense their search for 'something,' a hole perhaps, in it's perceptions.

Which is why it notices your whispering only in the last few moments, only as a black and crimson flame enters the area of it's perceptions, accompanied by an unnatural laughter.

Again the tail whips forward at god-speed.

"Tetrakarn."

But this time it is denied, rebuffed by a simple barrier, the act of Lilith holding out her hand and casting magic of the ancient worlds, the Serpent feels the pain of it's body being hurled back with all the force he had put forth-!

It was the ideal time to strike.

Yes. Hurtling downward, blade digging into the creature's back as you instinctively move for the head, the eyes that had presented themselves from the start as the most vulnerable of the targets...

Focus on your form.

In that instant, once more, for the second time-

BA-DUMP

-The feeling of Death imprints itself on your body.

It's own body is still twisted, spinning back into place after the unexpected counter spell, but even though you move away from the serpent instinctively, body sensing death from an angle you don't quite understand-!

Green fire catches you anyway.

Up until now it had not been serious, but if it was going to be attacked from so many angles by so many opponents, then it would return for your black flames.

It would grant you a toxic fire.

It had come from it's gaze, instinctively aware of the danger when those eyes fell upon you, Lilith, sensing an unexpected magic as well, had done her best to drag the both of you out of the creatures sight at godspeed but-!

Your leg, specifically your left, had still been caught within it's gaze when it's spell had gone off.

Green fire runs up and down it, to an ESPer, being set on fire wasn't so terrible a thing, it was painful sure, but flames would go out and damage could be regenerated from, but-!

Landing, still clinging to it's back, but now propelled by Lilith's movements rather than your own, letting your demon take care of evading the bite that had followed soon after the flames...

You could tell the fire was not ordinary in the slightest. Rather than going out, the pain was intensifying not just in the burning limb, but crawling out towards the rest of your body as well; it was like a poison, something invading your body, your veins, and spreading gleefully throughout your form, doing damage faster than your body could heal it.

Not only that.

While your ability to attack was good now that you were on it's back, and it had to spread it's attention between both you and the two riding atop the flying ship...

An ominous feeling of a massive gathering of spiritual power beneath the creature's skin...

Sends chills down your spine.

[Frantic Author]

Hitoshira Nagi
Outside Battleship S.L.E.I.P.N.I.R - Rothschild Mobile Base

It's strong.

It's so, unbelievably strong!

I giggle as toxins rush through my body, feeling them dance through my veins as Lilith holds onto me. "Ne, Lilith-chan~ do you think when we win we can visit where you're from?"

It's excitement, blood, rushing through every part of me as I drown in a sea of poisoned flames, a smile on my face as I nuzzle my face into Lilith's neck. "I bet there's lots of strong guys in there! And we can fight forever and ever and ever!!!"

I move again, standing upright with glee as I stare at Ananta with a huge smile. "Anantaaaaaa, you've done something haven't you? Ahhhh, you've really done it now, haven't you? This is definitely not natural, riiight? I don't remember feeling like this befoooore~"

My face breaks out into an even wider smile as I spin, twirling my axe. "But that's oooookaaaay, because I can just... erase it."

My sea of souls roars in approval as I seek them out, casually flipping through pages of skills that I had once had - but this is not a skill I had ever had. This is a borrowed skill from a borrowed corpse, something I had attempted when the Kyuubi ran through my body.

Light erupts in my veins as I stare at the Ananta, my lips splitting wider and wider, as I feel the power of the sun whisper its way into my blood. "Ne, Lilith, he's charging up an attack isn't he? That's not okaaaay, you can't just pause a fight."

Somewhere, hidden in my veins its there. It sits, waiting, patiently - oh so patiently - but it can't be picked up. Because fear --

Isn't something that can be found inside of me.

Oooooh, the chill that runs up my spine... isn't it delightful, Hitoshira Nagi? Isn't it the most wonderful thing you've ever felt? Don't worry, there's no need to answer, I already know.

"Hmmm... If he's charging up an attack, then I guess we'll just charge up one too! Lilith, what''s the name of that spell you had?"

I ponder it for a moment, my axe lazily spinning circles around me, carving wisps of black out of the air. Then, my eyes light up as I remember.

"Ah, yes! I remember now!"

I point forward with a polite smile, tilting my head at Ananta. "I believe it was called Mudoon."

It's with a smile as I move my hand back to my axe, eyes dancing with delight. "You know, I dare say that Ananta believes that he can defeat us!"

That's laughable.

"Of course, we'll have to disavow him of such a ridiculous notion. Isn't it craaaaazy, don't you think, for him to dare believe that it can defeat us?"

This is a world of heroes and villains.

"If he has a hundred summoners, then I'll just have to use the power of a hundred and one! If he uses poisonous fire, then I'll burn it all out! I can't believe it, Lilith! He thinks he can win!"

It's important to have hope ---

"But if he wins... then everything ends, right?" I smile at her.

Even in the face of absolute despair!

"Naturally, I refuse that outcome."

I launch my axe like a polearm at Ananta's throat, laughing all the while, twirling in a circle as I do so, and grabbing all the energy of this toxic flame that he's thrown inside of me, grasping at it as it delves into my sea of souls, as my hand warps into a gun.

There's a cruel and vicious fire welling up inside of me, a sickly green one that burns my insides to ash, filling up my guts with a flame that I can't help but devour. Energy whirls within my soul, building up and up until I can't hold it in anymore!

"Bang~!"

It coalesces into my fingers, and I can feel it as it shoots itself going straight forward in a massive blast of energy! I can't... I can't stop it!

But just because there's the energy of a hundred suns in the air --

Doesn't mean I'll let my weapon disappear! It's served me too well!

I can feel when my axe enters the skin of Ananta, trying to gouge through scale and into bone, and just before my shot hits it...

I rip it free!

"Hn~ do you think he's angry?"

I smile at Lilith, and madness and demons dance in my eyes.

[Airen]

Mikagura Mika
The Sea - ???

"I wished for her to surpass me."

While the Messiah that Genbu had described had been a stoic, almost robotic figure, the answer that this section of his soul gives is accompanied by a sincere, if sad, smile. It is nothing forced, and while you feel the pressure of the situation continuing to weigh on you, the sound of the young man's voice is somehow inherently soothing, a voice that had grown used to comforting his fellow humans over dozens of years of conflicts and strife.

"Many remember me as Messiah, but at the end of my war, I was unable to save everyone," continuing to speak in a quiet voice, this soul, a soul that you could not directly read, and thus had to actually question, continues on without fear of the future, "Demons had come to fight by my side, and in them I came to understand that the world was not as black and white as I believed... But even so, while my mind pondered reality, my heart lacked the will to understand their situation as well, and I was unable to see a harmonious world through."

It sounds almost like a regret, but his tone, gently calm, never changes, a person who was aware of his flaws, but also content to leave his choices as they were.

"And so, while I was not aware of it at the time, I played my role as a pawn and continued the endless cycle of war my own accord; by banishing the demons I assured that they would become our enemy again one day, just as they ensured humanity would become their enemy by enslaving our people within the confines of the old world. I saw this coming... But the heart does not always follow logic, I could not risk my people for a grasp at a fragile peace, and thus the battle goes on and on and on..."

His image closes it's eyes.

"But alas, I'm rambling, what you really want is simply to know if I expected perfection from her, correct?"

A pause, then:

"I would not say I did, I wished for her to surpass me yes, and I wanted her to protect humanity above all else if it came down to it, in the beginning she was certainly nothing other than my sword but... Saving humanity is not so simple a task that you can demand perfection from it."

Another pause....

"But that woman will always demand if from herself, that is just how she is."

[Katie]

Mikagura Mika
Memorial Park, Amatsu's Throne

“So what you’re telling me is that I have to tell an overachiever it’s okay to fail? What a pain in the ass.” I understand his reasoning, for why the world was made like it was. The heart and the mind are often at odds with one another, and distrust, fear, they’re only natural. A very human decision led us to this conflicted state. Even so, what he is saying doesn’t make any sense.

“You called her your sword, right? But a sword is only a weapon. A weapon can’t protect anything. Why, when, did you entrust her to protect humanity when you made her to eliminate whatever got in our way? There’s a distinct difference in being able to protect something and destroying what can harm it… Which is how this situation with the Kyuubi arose. When confronted with something she couldn’t defeat, she broke.” It feels more like I’m explaining to myself what has happened. But it makes sense, does it not? No matter how she may phrase her intentions, she was created to save humanity by annihilating any threat. Protecting people, shielding people… that wasn’t quite in her blueprints. There was something close, but not the same.

“I digress. If there’s anything, anything that you think would help me break through to the corrupted Yamuna, please tell me. Otherwise, Genbu and I are going to be dead, and while I may not have pried through her memories, you and Genbu were quite close, weren’t you?” I beg. I didn’t have a proper plan when I came in her, only that if I talked to the Messiah, I could come up with something that could stop Yamuna. Words, tactics, anything.

“I don’t… I can’t come back empty handed. There are still people I need to protect…” A wish. With nothing else, I cling to hope when there is none. The pinnacle of human irrationality.

It dimly rings in my mind that I said my prayers aloud.

[Airen]

Mikagura Mika
Soul Sea, Zero Space

"The moment she grew a soul of her own, is the moment in which I entrusted everything to her."

While he was becoming more and more aware of the desperate situation taking place in reality over time, the sheer calm that the young man exudes is one that permeates even the hysteria growing within the depths of your heart.

"Or rather... That is the moment I began to wish for her to surpass me."

Correcting himself for the first time, and going back again to the point that he had just told you, for a moment, the young man's expression carries a hint of uncertainty, as if the memories themselves were not entirely clear.

"The Yamuna I knew is nothing like the one that introduced herself to you. When we created her she was truly little more than a sword, a weapon that happened to look like a person, much like a doll I suppose."

His voice is surprisingly even, no hints of cruelty, only a calm statement of what was and had been.

"Her blueprints, as you put it, did not allow her to do anything beyond follow orders and destroy, even so, as time passed and she experienced things, she grew beyond those schematics... The moment she was able to do so... Was the same moment that that wish was born within my heart. The tool grew a heart, no one made it for her, she formed it herself, and it was a gentle one that went against her origin. The normal sort of irony I suppose, the weapon that does not wish to be one, and who was more gentle than everyone else."

A sad smile.

"But I never told her. When I left I certainly had a plan to return, but it seems that part of me fell victim to mortality in the end after all, and she was left simply with the order to protect humanity at all costs. There was no one around her for her to turn to, someone who does not start off with emotions is bound to become entangled with them, and it seems that, just like anyone else, she fell within the confines of her own darkness."

Eyes close.

"That battle... The guilt from her years as a weapon, the guilt of surviving when her human allies died, of failing at a task that is close to impossible... Those are things she must face herself, and indeed, she seems to be doing just that."

...And the serenity continues, even as he spells out his knowledge of the sheer desperation of a distant battle.

"There are no magic words to banish the darkness. If she cannot overcome it, then her fate will be the same as any other human that cannot overcome it. Amatsu merely pushed open the door to an inevitable struggle, but..."

The eyes open again, and he smiles, smiles even as you start to beg, a sad smile of warmth and...

Hope...?

"...Are you that convinced she will lose to her darkness?"

Smiling, if not for the fact that the youthful looking young man was a mere half of soul, a guest in your sea of souls, he likely would have rested a hand on your head in an "older brother" sort of way.

"There are no magic words to banish the darkness, that's an unfortunate truth, but... That woman knows that there are people waiting for her, people believing in her, people she wants to protect, and others that she wants to see again... She has a human heart that can fall prey to darkness yes, but a heart that knows that it is not alone... Has the power to overcome any hardship. If there were magic words to defeat the darkness... It would be something like "You're not alone," and half of her already knows that."

He's not worried, because even if she is rampaging now, the Goddess that he saw at the end...

Would definitely...

Surpass her own shadows.

"So then, let's reach for that happy ending."

Easily, calmly, the half of the Messiah's Soul that represented his emotions, the half that had long been left behind by it's own other, calmly responds to your desperation with a cheerful determination.

"It's meaningless if you're destroyed before she can win, but at the same time she cannot be allowed to rampage in her insanity," voice calm, but now acknowledging the urgency, the smile fades to the cool look of a soldier, "I am willing to lend the remnants of my strength to you. My soul and consciousness are heavily damaged admittedly, and thus the power I have at my disposal is limited, so I'll have to be careful about my actions... But by resonating with you like the other souls, I can at the very least use you as a conduit and forcibly improve your natural capabilities as a summoner. By doing that, Genbu's power should grow to what it was when she served as my demon, and that should be enough to at least make restraining Tamamo a possibility."

It sounds good, almost too convenient to be true, and indeed...

There's certainly a catch here...

"However... Doing that sort of thing by force... It's forcing your body to bear a burden far beyond what it is ready for, and if forced to endure it for too long, it will break apart as a result. In that case... Both you and I would disappear into the Sea for good."

He won't be able to link to someone else afterward, from the beginning he was only a being that was kept together only by an unexpected aspect of your power as an Eclipse Diver, combined with his own will to persist and save the world; in essence, this is an offer that is only possible because of who and what you are, however...

Because of that...

This body, your body, is the body that will have to endure everything until the end, and if it can't, and the odds were 50/50...

It would also be the body that dies during the course of this last war.

"Is that... A possibility you can make peace with?"

Merely an offer, and not something he would force you into, it seems...

That quite a lot had just been left in your hands.

[Katie]

Mikagura Mika
Soul Sea, Zero Space

"...Are you that convinced she will lose to her darkness?"

“I guess I’m being rather pessimistic, aren’t I? I’m just someone who’s come to expect the worst of people.” In the end, I’m proven wrong. The goddess Yamuna surpassed all expectations as a weapon and became something more, became something human. And as one of the people who claim they would stand by her side, I must believe in her ability to overcome the turmoil in her heart. Anything else and I’d basically just be a liar, and this is absolutely something I cannot lie about. A line where even I have to tell the truth.

Even as he reminds me of this, the messiah makes a surprising offer. If he lends me his power, and Genbu rises to her former status, we could theoretically contain Tamamo just long enough… But the side-effects could be fatal. Haven’t I done everything up until now with the expectation I could die? Is there a part of me that cherishes my life above everything I’ve fought for? When I think about it, the answer really is…

"Is that... A possibility you can make peace with?"

“I’ve had worse odds than fifty percent, Zerah. Besides, with my calculative ability, turning fifty into one hundred is a piece of cake.” Arrogance. A tone I haven’t used for a long time, but just this once, it feels appropriate.

There’s nothing to be worried about, after all. I won’t die. I’ll risk my life, but I definitely, absolutely won’t die. If I was the one to convince Sora to live, if I’m going to save Norie, if I’m going to help Nami… Well, I have to be alive, too.

Death isn’t an option. Not now, not ever.

“Let’s get this game started, shall we?”

[Airen]

Makoto Fujioka
Nakamura Residence
Evening

The shock had almost sent the two of you plummeting down into depths of the (false) ocean.

More used to being the one that teased rather than the one being teased, it was a combination of many things, not just the unexpected bite, but the unashamed way in which it had happened, that had disrupted the flow of her spirit power and caused a rapid decline in the height of the flight home. She had recovered shortly after this, ultimately, it was the aggression that had really caused her mind to pause, but while she seems speechless, and indeed, doesn't talk much on what you can remember of the trip home...

She had seemed rather embarrassed, a bit confused, and definitely didn't seem to want to talk about it.

But you couldn't imagine why...

Even so, your memories are somewhat spotty.

Fading in and out as your body makes the necessary adjustments to the sudden seal you've placed upon it, by the time you really manage to put your thoughts back together again, the two of you have made your way back, not to the house that Claire had borrowed here in the 'Other World' but rather, back to the house that the Nakamura family had been using since arriving in this other space. It's been a few hours since breakfast, and the mood you can feel radiating off of the house has definitely changed as a result; there's the sound of laughter emerging from beyond the outer fence, and even as you follow along after Claire, who had determined not only the destination but the pace of the day...

Walking through the front door...

Yes...

There's certainly a number of oddities here, namely...

Megumi was up and walking around again, followed around the weirdo girl with the bad hat, Akio and Hitomi were watching some sort of movie on the television, Yoko-Sensei was sitting at the kitchen table, talking to Kimiko and Kyoko over what seemed to be cups of coffee, and chained, or rather handcuffed to the teacher was...

A certain knife-wielding criminal that should, by all accounts, be locked away in the makeshift prison right now, but who seemed to be instead resting on the floor behind Yoko, a cup of coffee in one hand, presence so dim that it was clear her powers had been completely sealed away through some means.

...The others made sense, at least a little bit of sense, but... Her?

Not only that...

Everyone here at the same time...?

Had some kind of party been scheduled without your knowledge...?

[Airen]

Mikagura Mika
Soul Sea, Zero Space

"Hah..."

Laughing aloud at your answer, as if it was something that he should have seen coming, and had found it amusing that he hadn't, the silver-haired messiah, a human of the old world, and a person that you were starting to feel was far less overwhelming in terms of personality, ends his laughter with a grin even as light begins to surge forth from his form.

"Very well. This world may be imperfect, and before all is said and done it may be driven right to the edge of complete and total destruction; but the power to reach a happy ending will always be present so long as hope persists. If a God wishes to use divine power to twist the world, then it is only fair to use that same power to fix and protect it."

The vision begins to fade, the white light blasting away illusions even as from deep inside of you, from the depths of your own soul sea, a fragment of light that has joined the other, dimmer lights, burns so brightly that it's comparable to the stars.

So brightly that if it could be seen in reality, it would blind those that stared for more than a few instants.

"It's not my fight truly, the future should be left to the future... But in this case, I will make up for my mistakes."

---

Mikagura Mika
Amatsu's Throne, Tokyo

Your body feels like it's burning from the inside out.

It's a feeling that's similar in nature to your awakening as an Eclipse Diver, but when speaking in terms of the intensity of the experience, it's completely incomparable. To say that it hurts would not be entirely correct, while the sensation is uncomfortable, and every nerve in your body is receiving some sort of direct stimulation, it's a pain that also brings with it a sort of pleasant warmth, an impossible to deny energy that surges forth into your limbs, that makes it trivial to stand up in the presence of Amatsu where before it had been such an absolute trial, and...

It was all the result of the Messiah's Soul alone.

Easily worth more than thousands of humans all on his own, the power that you feel flowing through you and directly to Genbu, is so strong that you feel almost like it's an infinite flow of it's own, one entirely separate from the Soul Sea, and while most of it is flowing from you to Genbu...

...You feel stronger in a way that is impossible to calculate, even with your powers.



Mika

-All stats but MAS increased by two Ranks
-MAS (Master) Rank increased to EX

Genbu

Vitality increases to S Rank (100)
Agility increases to B Rank (40)
Strength and Spirit increase to S Rank (60)

+Spells

Mediarahan
Gaea Rage
Debilitate

--Observation--
A forgotten power that all humans possess, and an ability that can be thought of as an "Ultimate Magic." In essence, it is the power for human beliefs and thoughts to have an effect on their reality, or in other words, the power for humans to give structure to the formless. A gift from the "Great Will" that in theory would enable humans to accomplish almost anything purely off the belief that it is possible for them to do so, it seems that there are nevertheless a number of "checks and balances" on the power when it comes to individual humans, and as a result, feats such as fundamentally altering or rewriting reality is only possible when a massive amount of humans utilize this power in "unison," with a "shared belief."

Individual humans can still (and often do) subconsciously use this power to a lesser extent, but in their hands it manifests more as a general boost in effectiveness to all of their personal abilities.

However because the human spirit has been cursed with the ability to 'waver,' it is a power that is difficult to consciously control even after learning of it; and in certain scenarios, such as seeing and acknowledging a 0% chance of their own victory, it's a power that can also lead them straight to their doom, failing to defeat the opponent because they can't bring themselves to truly believe that they can, or because humans on the other side are "countering their belief with belief."

Shaking off the static that threatens to cloud your thoughts along with the sudden influx of spiritual strength, the battlefield becomes clear, and your heart skips in your chest as an alarming sight comes into view.

"Agh... Guh...!"

Hands wrapped around Genbu's throat, the Tamamo that has clearly and cleanly reverted to her state as a "weapon" is no longer screaming in rage or despair as she strangles the demon that has taken on your form.

It's a fight that was clearly going badly for the demon, who seems to have dragged the fight away from where your motionless body had been lying, but even as you acknowledge her, as the flow of foreign power reaches her....

"...!"

Two heads crash together with impossible force as the demon shakes herself free with sudden, renewed strength, a look of shock crossing her face at the sudden surge of strength, strength she recognizes as being similar to that of her old summoner, and...

-Ignoring the demon now, as it senses the rising power of another life-form-

Your battle starts anew.

-The artificial goddess heads your way.

[Airen]

Hitoshira Nagi
Outside Battleship S.L.E.I.P.N.I.R - Rothschild Mobile Base

"Angry? No, I don't quite think so. We'd be seeing more heads if that was the case."

Remarkably casual for being in the midst of a battle, a demon that had accepted the twisted affections of her summoner responded only with the usual calm as the massive serpent, strangely enough, seems to simply accept the attacks without flinching, both green and black fire tearing along with a blade through scales and deep into the flesh of the primordial serpent.

It was impressive.

A thought like that floating across the surface of it's thoughts, impressed not by the fact that you continued to fight, but rather that you had taken your own spiritual power, that which had been devoured by it's flames, and thrown it back at it without a second thought, without a single care for the damage that purposefully passing it through your body would ultimately cause you, that if it had taken human form, it would have laughed in both amusement and acceptance.

It will not burn from it's own fire, but the mix of a foreign spiritual power is enough to feel the effects itself, but even so:

...The toxic fire within you does not dissipate.

While you had certainly managed to expel a large amount of it, and thus slow down the progression by sacrificing one of your arms to the flames, the reality was that it was the sort of cursed fire that simply would not cease existing until it's caster was unable to maintain it's existence, or it ran out of life force with which to latch onto and burn.

Flame had been expelled, but a spark had simply been relit within the depths of your soul. Expelling it through power was pointless, it was a fire designed to work best on those with power, moving it, surrounding it, expelling it, absorbing it, all of these things simply delayed the inevitable, agitated a cursed fire that was filled with the venom of a primordial being, like exercising after being bitten by a snake, the beating of your heart would carry it on and on...

Even if you could turn it around on your opponent somewhat, the sheer difference in vitality made it a non-issue.

Indeed, taking things seriously, the feeling of spiritual power from before had not been a simple attack, rather, what the serpent had taken to forming was a coating of spiritual power beneath the surface of the skin, a multi-step technique that was designed to defend right up until the moment of detonation, that would stop strange axes and swords alike, even Excalibur itself would stop cold upon running into a pure barrier of what was simply concentrated spiritual power, so dense that it wasn't necessary to convert it through use of magic into a more traditional barrier.

From the moment it had begun to gather power, all the damage it had taken was superficial at best. Moving it's power like this had slowed it to a crawl true, but the beast had no need for speed when it could simply endure everything without faltering, engrave it's superiority into the minds of those who faced it, and forced them to understand that in this battle, under these circumstances, it was invincible.

Yes.

A power far greater than what you could manifest would be necessary to pierce through, indeed, even the main cannon of the S.L.E.I.P.N.I.R, a relic from the previous world that had been used in battle against demonic forces, would be unable to pierce through it's field of growing energy, energy that would reach it's apex soon, and crush absolutely everything around it without exception, except perhaps for it's summoners.

...However, while you hadn't truly managed to damage it.

...Convincing it to slow down, to charge it's power and just kill everyone in a single blow...

Had accomplished someone else's go.

"Just running on ahead in a war is a good way to get yourself killed, but I won't waste my breath with too long a lecture."

The admiral's voice echoes in your mind; mostly emotionless, but with a hint of something else you couldn't place.

"I suggest moving away from Ananta now. I can only aim this thing so well, and you really don't want to get caught in it."

This time she sounds amused.

A golden light cleaves open the crimson sky at her words, and just like that, both you and the serpent, even Lilith...

All notice the gathering power in the sky.

No...

In space...

A weapon that had been meant to counter the Kyuubi...

Had turned it's sights on a demonic entity instead...

"Connection to Valhalla established, power at thirty percent. Firing in two seconds."

Was there...

Some sort of cannon up there...?

"Gungnir."

A massive pillar of golden light.

Splitting the horizon clear in two as it descends to crack a serpent's shell.

Is all the answer you need to make a decision.

[Vritra]

Makoto Fujioka
Nakamura Residence
Evening

Soaring, floating and falling, the ephemeral blue skies mix and meld with the transient white clouds as I duck and leap to stay out of reach of clamoring sheep. Nyahaha silly silly! Dancing out of reach I use each attempt to catch me as an opportunity to grab and throw them further up. Juggling and racing ever upward I bask in the warmth of the sun and its thumping of it heart. Waa waa hwaaaaaaaaaa ~ the sense of warmth is peaceful and overwhelming and through it I fail to feel anxiety or fear as I watch red creep and blended into the mix of blue and white. Soon, soon, soon but not now throwing another sheep into the sky I clench my fist as I survey the horizon that's splashed with red and think on what I need to do. Just watch Chiaoko-nee I’ll show you just how wrong you are.

"Hwaaaaa..."

Yawning as I piggy back on Ane-san I stare begin to stare at the scene in the Namamura house I find before me.

Hweh?

Hweh? hweh?

Megane, Akido, Hitomimi, Kimichi, Canada, Sensei sensei, and …Usami?

Strange… how strange, it’s strange isn’t it? I smell funny business! Mhmhm Sensei and Megane you won’t fool me I’ll get to the bottom of everything for I am an ACE DETECTIVE!

But first, “Uuuuuuuuuusaaaaaaaaaaaaamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !”

Leaping off Ane-san’s shoulders I kick off the ceiling to dive headlong at Usami and Sensei. Nyahaha it was foolish of you to come challenge me here, or well at all! I’ll show you just how sharp the blade that even those sheep can’t oppose is! Hug, hug, hug nyahahaha now I don’t need to go out of my way to enact my plan and trap Sensei here so she can’t run away from sleepover.

UNAVOIDABLE FATE AND DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM FOR YOU!

[RacingeR]

King
???

King remains staring at the spot where the phantom of his little sister had once been, his eyes opened, his expression indecipherable.

Even if he now is King, it doesn’t mean he can’t feel pain.

And there are wounds, scars that will remain forever, whose pain one can only endure in silence.

He remains like that for a few long minutes, before closing his eyes. The words spoken by Souma Karin’s ghost had been comforting, in line with his thoughts, and had revealed to him so much.

So, they were always connected. So, everyone was always connected. He had never been alone, after all.

It was good to know.

His actions would have a meaning.

He nods to the empty air, as if saying a temporal goodbye to the sibling he couldn’t protect, and turns towards Queen.

“Let’s go.”

He doesn’t explain anything, nor does he ask her about her past. She’ll talk about it when she needs to.

He starts walking.