???
Location: ???
Time: ???
It happened in a place with no sense of space or time.
It was as if the world had lost its light. There were no stars or moon in the sky, instead a faint aurora of dark purple appeared to coat the area in barely visible light. The entire realm was covered in shadows, and what little could be seen of it revealed little signs of anything else but barren desolation.
There was no grass on the ground. It was a cracked, desolate wasteland, with cracks and gaping holes that appeared to lead to a bottomless abyss. Every so often, parts of the ground would simply rise in chunks and float off into the sky, until they touched the aurora and melted away into motes of spiritual dust. It was as if the world was ending- Suffering from a slow, yet steady demise, it continued to shed parts of it into the nothingness.
However, there was an area that appeared different to this wasteland. At the center of this universe, a strange set of ruins could be seen. Corridors heading into the nothingness, supported by floating blocks that appeared to gleam with several engraved lines of pulsing purple mana. These blocks led deeper and deeper into a complex beyond human understanding, endless hallways forking into an infinite number of different paths.
At the very center of these ruins, a single figure stood. Completely unlike the world that surrounded her, she was a beautiful being who appeared as if it hadn't even been touched by a blemish since the beginning of her existence. Her eyes were closed, as both of her hands were stretched out into a glowing black sphere. However, there was not the merest sign of effort on her face. She was completely still, like a doll.
However, she gave a slight frown when the space behind her started to warp.
"...What is the meaning of your actions, Calamity?" The voice that cut into the absolute silence of the dimension was clear and melodious, like a cacophony of bells, yet void of all emotion. As space distorted, the figure that appeared was one that could undoubtedly match the dark woman's beauty, yet provided a great contrast to her. Dressed down the neck in radiant armor, her baleful golden eyes appeared icy and dull, simply resting their sight on the figure that continued to gather the dark light into her hands.
In one of her hands, a massive spear was tightly gripped, pointing straight down at the floor. Despite being larger than the woman in height, however, it did not touch the ground. The armor-clad woman was hovering, as if she had no need for the ground below. She stood completely still, a statue in the air as she waited for a response from the other figure.
"..." Eventually, the figure appeared to turn towards the sudden intruder. One green eye opened, flashing angrily. "...For Vigilance to send one of his servants to talk... Even after these thousands of years, he's still like this..."
"Master is simply fulfilling his duty to the Creator, as we all must. I have been sent to admonish you, however, because He believes you are at fault for the recent maladies of the surface dimension." She continued to speak in the same cold tone, but it seemed as if her stance was tightening somewhat, as the weapon in her hands seemed to glow dangerously.
The doll-like woman smiled, in a way that was too wide to be innocent. "I am merely fulfilling my end of the deal with Arcadia. I was fortunate that the humans encountered one of our lesser kin in those ruins... After they sealed my children off in that continent, I had found myself without a necessary engine for conflict." She gave a mock pout, even as the sphere in her hands shifted to reflect an image that clearly did not belong to this dimension.
It was a blood-soaked battlefield- Machines lied in smouldering ruins besides heaps of charred corpses. The only sign of life over that landscape, even from the bird's eye view that the sphere provided, was one where only the carrion that fed on the dead remained. The strangest of the signs, however, were the swords that had been buried on the ground with no nearby corpse apparent. Their chipped blades were lying on the ground, as their broken parts leaked spiritual particles of mana into the air.
"It has been two hundred years since I witnessed such a violent war... Vigilance had been doing his job too well. You can't blame a girl for fighting dirty to step up, can you? Not that you would get any of that, of course." She addressed the armed girl casually, seemingly without any sort of fear towards her own wellbeing. Perhaps she thought the girl was harmless.
Her invader did not seem to agree, as she swiftly raised her spear and pointed it straight at her. "What you have done is betrayal, Calamity. You cite your duties towards Arcadia, however that has nothing to do with the fact that you have compromised the integrity of this world. Inviting the Eternals into this planet has ruined Arcadia's plan."
"Fuck her plan!" 'Calamity' crushed the sphere between her hands, letting the near-infinite power flow back into her body. "If she wanted to get her 'perfect wielder' so badly, then she should've taken matters into her own hands instead of making us and Vigilance do all the job! I want a wielder, too!" She grit her teeth. "This world was a mistake... This whole project is a bust in the first place! It doesn't deserve to live!"
"That was not your decision. Master Vigilance's instructions were clear- Another two thousand years were needed before the Gate to Arcadia was to be opened. If the project has failed now, it is because you manifested Arcadia's shards for an unprepared humanity."
"...Hehehe. Unprepared?" Calamity's eyes reflected indignation as her arms tightened at her sides. "For a bunch of 'unprepared' humans, they sure managed to drive my children to extinction... For hundreds of years, my creations helped them grow into what they are, and what do they call me? A whore and a warmonger, while Vigilance gets their love and worship... That's enough." Her eyes reflected the void that had taken hold of her heart, as she spoke with a hollow voice. "I will not suffer this for another century... If my creations are destined to fall into oblivion, then let Vigilance's work also fall into chaos!"
"...That is your answer, then." The armored girl's spear pulsed with brilliant light, as an impossible amount of aura photons started to coalesce around her. "So be it. I shall fulfill Master Vigilance's instructions, and erase your will from this world."
As she spoke her intent, two brilliant wings of light spread from her back, and in a single movement buffeted the world with such a strong wind of aura photons that the entire area started to shake.
"And you think you can...? Mere third rank..." Calamity's hands started pulsing with the same pitch black light she had manipulated, and she raised a single arm towards the floating enemy. "...Know your place!"
-When the energy in Calamity's hands exploded outwards, devouring the existence of anything it touched-
-It marked the start of but one fight out of countless... That would break out between those who could be named as 'Gods'.
Chaos Eternals (Naziba the Million Life Soul and Kaiser the Endless Battle)
Location: A Nameless World
Time: Unknown
It was the last meeting you would have before the Chaos Eternals would finally start their operations in the world of Zinesta, which was seemingly the most interesting thing to happen in over a thousand years.
Both of you had been minding your own business, busy with a dangerous mission in the middle of hostile territory when a simple message from Tokimi had found its way into your hands, instructing you to come to this world after a certain number of years. How she had managed to pin you down so easily still escaped you, but you had learned by now not to underestimate a fellow Eternal.
At first you had hesitated, thinking that it might have been some sort of 'prank call', but having found yourself seated besides a bunch of fellow Eternals gave you a slight relief that you hadn't backpedaled and possibly faced the wrath of an angry Tokimi.
The meeting was taking place in a fairly low-key establishment. This world was currently in the middle ages, but the fact that magic was commonplace in it meant that nobody blinked an eye with several people dressed eccentrically wandered into an inn wielding huge weapons.
Still... Sitting out here in the open, in the middle of a tavern where everyone could listen...
...Wasn't this a little too carefree?
"Oi, Roze. What's that book you've got there?" One of the men seated at the table curiously leaned forwards, his sharp golden eyes carefully staring at the booklet that was in his comrade Eternal's hands. He was Akagi of the Temperance, a fairly new Eternal which you had never met before. He was certainly the most talkative out of all of you, something this 'Raze' had noticed by the slightly exasperated frown on his face.
Rozeluxe the Supreme Judge sighed, resting the booklet on the table with one hand as he turned a level-headed stare towards Akagi. "Didn't Tokimi give you one of these once you arrived? It's a guide on Zinesta's social customs and guidelines... You know, just general information about the place we're supposed to be going to? The thing that she insisted we read so we wouldn't look like clowns when we started talking to people?"
"A-ah? That thing? W-Well, I do remember Tokimi giving out something like that or another... But I may have gotten distracted and lost it?" He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head with an ornate gauntlet that gleamed with a red gem on the center.
Said gem pulsed briefly, before a voice echoed through the room. 'He read one paragraph and then trashed the book. I believe his exact words were, 'Man, why read all this shit when Tokimi is going to explain it all anyways? I'll just go read manga inst-'
"H-Hey, you stupid Sword!" Akagi desperately shook his arm, covering Temperance with both his arms. "It's a lie, I swear! I love reading! I went to school every single day when I was a little kid, I even got all the badges and everything!"
"Badges..." Rozeluxe echoed. "You mean the ones that they give in elementary school?"
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Akagi jumped at the Eternal's reaction, before a soft giggle broke both their concentration and had them concentrate on the third occupant of the table.
"Ah... Sorry." Viela the Green Saint blushed, her arms folded under her chest as she looked down in embarrassment. "I just thought that exchange was... Um... It was really funny right then."
"Huh...? W-Well yeah, that's me! Fun all around, that's Akagi for you!" The hot-headed man laughed awkwardly, scratching at his cheek. "But seriously, does it really matter if we know the social customs or anything? Can't we just act like we're foreigners?"
"From where? Are you just going to make up a country!?" Rozeluxe sweated, trying the understand the logic of the other Eternal.
"Mm. A splendid retort, Rozeluxe-san." A soft voice said, and all of you straightened in your seats as you saw the two High Eternals in charge of your mission step to the front. The first was an old man, who carried a long scythe that seemed to pulse with barely restrained power. As for the second, it was a girl dressed in the robes of a priestess, staring at the group with a pleasant smile on her face.
She was also the one who had spoken, and by the way the smile was growing eerily on her face, it was evident just how much of the conversation she'd heard. "I'm so glad to see everyone is getting along so well, after all. After all, this is a very serious mission and we're all taking it seriously, aren't we?"
Akagi started sweating.
---
The meeting had gone well, besides a few minor hiccups.
Apparently, the world of Zinesta was a very rare one where technology had developed in a very odd way, to the degree that the people there were expirementing with research that actively involved Eternity Swords. Reports indicated that the mana levels it possessed where rather high for its size, indicating there was a strong possibility that powerful Eternity Swords could be resting there.
Unfortunately for you, this also meant that its recent opening to outsiders would turn it into a huge, glowing target for the Law Eternals. That was likely to turn a simple Search & Destroy mission into a full-blown, all-out war.
Having taken this into consideration, Tokimi had given the two of you the mission objectives: search the world for any information pertaining to what could have damaged the Gates of the planet so badly, and take care of any Law Eternals that might be trying to take advantage of the world's vulnerable state in the meantime. To cover as much ground as possible in the shortest time, you had split up in 'pairs' that would be going into Zinesta via different Gates, which would hopefully distribute you evenly across the world.
-And now, it was time for the two of you to step into the gate, and see what the world of Zinesta had in store for you.
Travelling through a Gate was a complex experience. Your sense of time and space became distorted, as forces beyond the understanding of man attempted to tear at your body, and only the protection of your Eternity Sword prevented you from being consumed by the void between worlds. Your senses went through a myriad of feelings, sights and flashing colors, before finally you saw a light at the end of the dimensional tunnel.
You had arrived.
---
"Spirits at twelve o'clock! All units, move to engage!" Captain Joseph Nautilus yelled, the moment he saw several colorful move like a blur over the ground and start heading straight towards his forces. With lightning-fast motions within his cockpit, he started punching in commands for his Mana Walker as the behemoth stirred to life.
"Roger!" His allies echoed him, as the Mana Reactors in all of the Walkers started to pulse with energy, making the bulky mechas glow with a faint light as the exhaust ports at their sides released a faint trickle of mana particles. Joseph felt the ground buckle under him as his Paladine-Type unit straightened up, raising both arms and letting its armaments materialize over its hull. A shield and greatsword of pulsing light appeared on the tall mecha's hands, the sword itself long enough that it looked like it could easily split a house in half.
"With me, men! Charge!" Joseph spit out a series of orders as he got his units in position, as his personal unit's bulky movements suddenly turned smooth and it jumped straight over the hill that was between his forces and the incoming spirits. He could see the face of his enemy more clearly now- Even now they looked as ants compared to his machine, but Joseph could see what their eyes held and he couldn't help but shiver in fear.
The Paladine was one of the most recent creations in the Empire's war industry. It resembled the form of one of the knights of yore, clad in plate of brass and gleaming silver, that had been said to fight against the Mana Beasts with mere swords and lances, and it was a callback to the use of melee weapons that had now become popular in the wars against spirits, whose ability to create mana barriers rendered many ranged attacks useless.
While it used a Mana Reactor and not an Ether one, it was still an optimized one that had a massive energy output and could be used to move faster than any train in the world, and possessed the ability to materialize weapons that could never be lost or would have to be replaced. As far as pure fighting ability went, it was one of the Empire's top designs, as it could either fire piercing blasts with a Mana Lance or cleave through even the mana barriers of a spirit in two with its sword. A single one of the Paladine units would have been able to destroy a small army of the Steam Walkers that were used against the Mana Beasts hundreds of years ago.
Yet... Despite this...
...Joseph had no delusions as to how a unit of this caliber would fare against a Spirit from the Republics of Nywell in a one-on-one showdown.
He saw it once more, in their eyes. They were empty of all thought, all feelings. They moved like the most of disciplined of soldiers at speeds that no human could ever match, and the air around them seemed to distort with the sheer power that their presence seemed to exhude. All of them, without fail, tightly gripped a weapon in their hands.
They were beautiful, some small part of his mind could admit- Like the collection of dolls that his daughter possessed. But just like those, there was nothing human about these creatures. They were like machines, mindless in every way but their purpose, the perfect little puppets for a nation of upstart rebels that was rotten to the core and had no compulsions about using monsters to further their ends.
Even then, when he knew for sure that the Spirits had noticed their presence, they didn't hesitate or even pause. They simply acknowledged he was there, and almost robotically started to move in a different pattern without a single word being exchanged.
Fucking monsters ain't the Mana Beasts anymore... They're these things...
Under his command, the Paladine units tailing him quickly spread out to try and encircle the formation of spirits that had been advancing towards their checkpoint. Joseph had counted at least six, but one never knew where a spirit could be hiding. Given his fifteen units, the odds were decent enough that he could see himself winning.
At least... Those were his thoughts until one of the spirits suddenly shot up, red hair billowing with the wind as she cradled a glowing red sphere on her hands. OH SHI-
"LASER! SHIELDS UP FOR GOD'S SA-!" The moment he began giving out the orders, he knew it was too late. The Red Spirit's power reached a crescendo, and for an instant Joseph's world turned white. He vaguely heard the sound of screaming over his intercom, but he could've mistaken it over the sound of a massive explosion that was still ringing through his ears, even after the unit's built-in sound mufflers dulled the noise.
Moments later, Joseph's unit rose from where it had been covering itself with its energy shield, and Joseph immediately started checking the status of the unit, even as he pushed his unit forwards and brandished his sword against the coming spirits. He took a look at a console in his cockpit, and his face paled.
"Emesos 07, 06! Status report, gods be damned!" Joseph cried, even as the unit's vision showed him what the desperately wanted to avoid seeing- That of his comrades' machines having turned into molten slag, reduced to dust alongside most of the ground that had been on the path of the red spirit's attack.
However, he had no time to mourn.
Like a flashing arrow, one of the spirits rammed against his shield with such force that Joseph thought the Paladine unit was actually going to fall... And had he not managed to find his balance, it would have. He grit his teeth, hearing the machine's systems scream at him as he righted his unit and gave a powerful counterattack with his own blade, but the spirit gracefully dodged past it and with a burst of mana-formed wings backed away from him.
He caught a glimpse of his attacker- It was a blue spirit, something he noticed by the sky-tinted ponytail that flowed from her back and the glowing blue wings that moved her across the air. However, her blue eyes were so dull they were almost black in color, and her face was completely void of expression, much like a doll's. It angered him, that this being had almost vanquished him by surprise and yet couldn't be any older than his daughter.
"Don't... Fuck with me! Take this, you Nywellian sexdoll-" The Paladine's reactor suddenly surged with energy, and the Walker's legs erupted with a powerful mana explosion that hurled the machine towards the spirit with brutal speed. Not having foreseen such a brutal surge of power, the spirit quickly rose its broadsword to protect itself, a massive shield of ice manifesting itself to guard from his attack-
-But his Lichtschwert Galatine tore right through the Frozen Armor, and he felt a violent impact as his massive sword impacted against the Spirit's Mana Sword. It still boggled his mind how a mere sword could withstand the might of a Mana Walker, but he immediately knew that the spirit hadn't died from that attack.
He was proven right when a flash of blue light had him retreat from the blue spirit's counterattack. While she had suffered wounds for sure, given the burnt tissue on her body, he could already see it starting to mend itself once again, a faint green glow surrounding her body. His eyes widened immediately.
"There's a green spirit! Of course there's a green spirit! Emesos 04, 05! I want her gone now!" Joseph cried, even as he had to relentlessly block from waves of frozen energy that broke off on his shield as the Blue Spirit continued with her attacks.
Magic and Machine clashed, in a furious dance of swords, light and ice that would've looked ridiculous to an outside observer, but to Joseph it was a desperate struggle for survival. This wasn't his first time fighting a spirit, but having to hold off a monster that could use magic that humans were barely starting to tap like she was breathing air was never a fun experience.
"Shit-!" When the spirit suddenly veered off, he knew he was in trouble. His fears were confirmed when a gleaming light at the edge of his vision made him turn just in time to see the massive fireball heading his way. He quickly raised his shield, and was saved from being boiled alive within his cockpit by having the mana barrier disperse the heat that quickly reduced the area around him to cinders.
That had been close- Way too close. Almost by reflex, Joseph let out a sigh of relief-
-And that was when the blue spirit chose to make her return, her blade cutting into his Paladine's sword arm with a thunderous impact. His entire vision lurched, as the machine lurched several meters into air and only managed to land on its feet thanks to its built-in gyroscopes.
"Guess this it... Is it going to end this way...?" Joseph muttered fatalistically, knowing what his chances were now that he'd lost his sword arm. The blue spirit didn't hesitate to bounce back towards him, but Joseph quickly rebuffed her with a powerful shield bash. Pure adrenaline drove him as his fatalism was quickly replaced with seething anger for the hatred in front of him, and a desperate desire to survive this fight. "...No...No! I won't allow it! I won't be taken down... By the likes of you!"
He pushed the machine's limits like he'd never done before, the spirit's mindless eyes hanging over his mind like the face of a ghost. He would not be turned into food for the crows by those things that dared to wear the face of a human being!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" The spirit blurred, moving like a wasp over Joseph's vision as it tried to encircle him or get around his defense, but he didn't lose sight of her. No- He did lose sight of her, but he moved so savagely that he didn't allow her a single opportunity to end the fight. The broken Paladine moved less like a man and more like a beast possessed, the energy shield carving arcs into the air.
Finally, finally, one of his blows managed to stun the spirit- He saw it clearly, saw the shield bounce against her sword, passing through her defenses and drawing blood -the light was gone, was the green spirit dead?- and starting back, giving an opening that Joseph knew he wouldn't see again for the rest of the fight.
"This... Is... It!" Joseph roared, his arm pulling back once again to strike the blow that would win the fight. That was right- In a fight between a mindless machine that only knew how to kill, and a human whose soul burned with the desire for survival, the winner should have been obvious...! Emperor... Victory... Is mine!
(BGM off)
But reality was harsher.
The Paladine stopped.
There was no other way to explain it. It completely ceased all movements, not budging an inch even though Joseph's enemy was right there, vulnerable and defenseless. Even though he started maniacally pushing at the controls with wide eyes and a sweating face, the Mana Walker wasn't moving.
-Then, he saw it.
(BGM - Ultimate Sin)
-Ropes of silk. Ribbons of pure, black silk had wrapped in countless ways around the Paladine, trapping it under a vice-like grip that inspired the Terror of Death in Joseph's heart. With a trembling head, he turned his eyes towards the source of the hundreds of ribbons, that had his unit completely immobilized.
When he saw her, he wished he hadn't.
She was not unlike the other spirits. The red, green and blue- They were all equally mindless and seeking of his death like any of the others. However, whereas the others merely intimidated him, this spirit roused terror within his heart. With a pitch-black head of hair, dark pools that reflected nothing but the void, and a blood-drenched katana that pulsed like a beating heart as it created the ribbons that kept him still, to the terrified Joseph she was like the visage of the Grim Reaper itself.
What was happening? Why weren't his teammates saving him? Joseph looked around, and his heart sank.
A heap of ruined machines greeted his sight. The green spirit he had thought dead was sitting on the torn mana reactor of a unit, mindlessly grabbing at the mana crystal stored within and tearing out chunks to eat, even as she healed the wounds of her allies. It turned out there had been two red spirits,because the both of them were busy melting down Emesos 02's Paladine into ashes.
Joseph screamed.
It wasn't a scream of rage, but one of despair.
How could this be.
How could the might of humanity, that had managed to eradicate the Mana Beasts from the continent, be so easily defeated.
At the end of his wit, he finally managed to recall a conversation he'd had with an officer a long time ago, during one of the war's interim periods. He recalled the blade that had been at his side, a vicious-looking thing that had exhuded a presence as alien as the monsters that he had been stucking fighting in this theatre.
'How dare you disrespect the Empire's machines like this!' A younger Joseph had furiously yelled, indignated beyond relief. 'Our great-grandfathers fought and died in these chariots to save our species from extinction! They serve a greater purpose than you ever will!'
...At that time, the man had scoffed. 'Fool,' He had intoned, not with hostily, but with pity in his eyes. 'Only Eternity Swords can fight against other Eternity Swords. Make no mistake... Machines like these, without a Sword, is just like the Empire seeing how many men they can throw to their deaths before their corpses bury the enemy alive.'
He had thought that man an anti-patriot, believed that he hated the Empire's tradition like the Nywellian scum...
...But now he understood.
Mana Swords.
They were a cursed existence, that manipulated the forces that humanity could barely grasp like it was their god-given right. And as they gained power, they also warped their users, turning them into mindless machines... Or ravenous psychopaths.
Why?
Were Mana Swords only destined to bring suffering to humanity, to the Empire? Were humans doomed to bow before this unsurmountable power, with no hope or chance of fighting against it?
Tears started to fall from Joseph's eyes, even as the Paladine fell to its knees and the downed blue spirit seemed to straighten up, clutching at its head and quickly righting itself with a series of painful snapping sounds. Her emotionless eyes centered themselves on the Paladine, and the grip on her sword tightened.
(BGM off)
But even as she started advancing, Joseph couldn't see her anymore.
With a faint, glassy stare, Joseph took his gaze towards the heavens. "Please," He begged. Don't let it end like this.
The blue spirit started to run, her wings slowly starting to spread from her back as she hoisted her sword over her shoulder.
"Please, God of Vigilance... Our Guardian..." If you have it in your heart... If you have any love for the human race...
The blue spirit prepared to jump, buckling her knees for the impact as the ground cracked around her.
"PLEASE, SAVE US!" Give us a miracle! Save humanity from this nightmare!
And as the spirit jumped, determined to take the life of just one more human in this war-
-The heavens split open, and two stars descended on earth.
It was like the sun itself fell onto the ground and bathed everything in its power. The flying spirit was blown away to the ground, as a veritable ocean of Aura Photons exploded from ground zero of the sudden impact. The presence that had invaded the world entered so brazenly and powerfully that it overwhelmed the senses of all the spirits, and for a moment not just the area where Joseph had been fighting, but the entire battlefield grew silent.
And then, slowly but surely, the explosion of aura photons receded, leaving only countless particles of energy dissolving into the sky. Joseph, who had been temporarily awestruck, blinked slowly and then lowered his gaze to the sight of the explosion. Lying there, standing as if their presence was completely natural...
...Were two individuals that would forever change the fate of this world.
---
Kaiser the Endless Battle
As soon as you made landfall, you could hear Tousou's roar clamoring for the rush of conflict. You could feel it- It was as if it belonged to a very part of this world, seeping to the very ground, the seas, the skies, with such pervasiveness that it almost left you awestruck.
But you were an Eternal, and notions such as scale and scope did not faze you.
For a moment, you ignored Naziba- Your body, still temporarily made of Tousou's raw essence, was finally composing itself as the Eternity Sword's abilities kicked in, and you wasted no time in acquiring an immediate awareness of your situation.
Details poured into your mind, a mile a minute- Supply lines, Mana Walker schematics, Aerodynamics, Ether Theory, Spirit Indocrination, Mana Assault Doctrine, Sabotage, Mass Production, Ether Artillery, Aerial Superiority, Spirit Bombardment- You shelved these, for when the situation required you to take command. Instead, you focused on the battle that you knew was raging around you.
Immediately, you understood. A border conflict between the Republic of Nywell and the Empire of Vanderland. Nywell had organized a raiding party of Spirits to slip past the Alginord Line, breaking into the soft underbelly of the Empire and aiming to raid the countryside to rob the imperial forces of their supplies... As well as secure 'targets of interest' -you'd have to read on what these spirits were, but you had a good hunch- to bolster their manpower.
The Empire had of course kept a garrison to protect the region, but apparently the commanding officer in charge of the operation possessed a profound dislike for 'Mana Swords' and refused to employ Etranger squads in its forces, only deploying a few of the relatively recent Ether-powered prototype units over key checkpoints in the region.
Against the spirits of Nywell, they were at a gross disadvantage.
You opened your eyes, and looked at the scene unfolding before you. The spirits which had been assaulting Imperial forces had quickly bundled together and had raised all of their weapons straight towards the two of you, a form that was less based on discipline and more on the instinct of their Eternity Swords desperately driving them to pull back defensively.
Though their eyes had been void of emotion, and still were to an extent, the way their bodies and swords trembled, the way their mana quieted, it only meant that they were overwhelmed by one thing.
Fear. Unlike humans, they knew the weight of the being in front of them.
Then- What to do?
Aiding the Empire or Nywell was not entirely part of your objective, but seeking aid from either of the factions could accelerate the progress of your mission. From a strategic standpoint, Tousou provided and you deduced that given the Empire's logistical superiority, they would be the better ally. However, the republic of Nywell did possess a large number of Eternity Swords, and those were always a wildcard.
As you pondered this, none of the enemy spirits moved so much of a single muscle. They understood that to try and thrust their blades forwards would mean certain death, but their indocrination ensured that they would not back away from battle no matter what. If they were to choose between death or dishonor, you knew they would throw their lives away.
All the while, Tousou continued to clamor for the outbreak of conflict, as a sidenote suggesting that making a big enough show might bait an enemy Eternal towards them. You weren't sure how true that was, though. Tousou kind of went stupid when it came to fights.
Meanwhile-
Naziba the Million-Life Soul
One minute in and everything around you was already exploding. This was shaping up to be a good mission. You took a brief look at your partner, which appeared to be struggling with some part of his abilities as he rematerialized, but that was understandable.
You were already fairly used to reincarnation, after all.
You could also feel the souls of the dead, all over this battle. Some of them, like a good half of the humans in this area, were still on the brink of death and thus yet had hope. Others had already moved on, advancing the eternal cycle and having abandoned the mortal coil. You wished them luck in their journey.
A sudden inquiry from Ouroboros disturbed you from your thoughts. Apparently, as soon as it had arrived in this world, it had noticed the presence of a certain connection present within this universe. That was-
-That of its sister, the 2nd Rank Eternity Sword 'Rebirth'.
Oh.
It appeared that the Law Eternals had already arrived into this world.
---
Actor Ruin
Location:Kingdom of Ainus, Royal City of Grandlade
Time: Night
The city of Grandlade was an impressive thing.
As one of the largest cities in Zinesta, its infrastructure was considered to be on the level of the best Imperial cities, and it could proudly display this by the way its buildings rose impossibly tall into the sky, clock towers dominating the landscape's architecture as Ainus' commercial airships sailed back and forth through the skies, even now when the airship's lights brightened the night sky.
With over a million souls inhabiting it, it was a vast metropolis where countless businesses unfolded and many interesting events happened overnight. It possessed everything, from a large train station to an airport, and even a military base on the outskirts of the city. It was home to the royal palace, a luxurious and highly sophisticated building that inspired awe in everyone who crossed it on the way to their homes.
However... Despite being such a magnificent city, tensions were high.
-For it hadn't been too long ago that Ainus had formally declared secession from the Empire, leading it to be at war with two different nations at once. Forces from both the Republics of Nywell and the Empire of Vanderland travelled through the Kingdom, both of them hostile and willing to attack civilians that let their guard down. It was amazing that their armies had even manage to keep both sides' forces at bay for so long, but despite their success, war was war.
Yes...
Due to the horrors of war, the nights of Grandlade were filled with sleepless nights and countless nightmares.
All their hopes, anguished fears, their wishes for the war to end and peace to return to these lands...
You could feel them all.
(BGM - God of Demiurge)
Deep within the city of Grandlade, there existed a massive clock tower. It was so large that several train roads that crossed the city were connected to it for support, even passing through its many tunnels to cut through the center. It was so massive that clouds gathered to cover the massive clock that stood at the very top, its mana-wound hands ticking every so often with a powerful clanking sound.
Suddenly, the massive clock's crystal appeared to ripple, blurring the numbers that covered it and making the arms twist impossibly. So late at night, few people were witnessing such an event, but those that did quietly gasped and watched with fascination.
Slowly, you emerged from the Gate connected to the clock tower. Your hands pulled at the crystal, pulling you out of the ripple in space and time and rematerializing you in the material world.
You quietly fell onto one of the railings on the massive building, and for a moment all was still.
Then the clock sounded again, and as it began to sound the midnight bells, you raised your head to the air and felt them.
Dreams, all over the city. People who lived boring lives, difficult lives, exciting lives. All of them dreamed, all of them hoped, and all of them feared. You felt the king's thoughts, how he hoped for the success of a group of people that had entailed themselves to saving his people. You heard the fears of traitors, disloyal to their kingdom who fed information to the enemy and betrayed their comrades for the sake of fulfilling their wishes.
Perhaps more interesting than those, you also felt the tension of those who were in battle, or had recently fought. Their fear was more extreme, and at times they didn't even understand what they hoped or even wished for by fighting. War was cruel to the mind, forcing man to accept the pain of loss, and embrace their fear of death.
Suddenly, you felt a powerful mana presence approaching and stiffened.
"So that's where you were!" The air shifted, as a glowing white... Thing appeared by your side, its round furred body being held aloft by two radiant wings. It wasn't the source of the voice, however, as it simply appeared to be relaying a message from the voice's real owner. "It looks like a lot these Gates were bunched up together, you and the Goddess are fairly close in location."
This furry creature was the Guardian Spirit of Rutoria the Rebirth, High Law Eternal and one of the two High Eternals 'organizing' this mission. An odd woman for a Law Eternal, she appeared mostly uninterested with gathering Mana and instead was far more interested in fighting the Chaos Eternals.
"I'm not going to tell you what to do," The spirit gave a little 'huff' as it hovered, reflecting the voice of Rutoria towards you. "But as soon as you spot a Chaos Eternal, give me a call and I'll come kick their ass! A-Ah, and if the Eternal is the master of Wisdom, you'd damn better call me understand! I won't forgive you if you don't!"
As soon as it appeared, the creature vanished in a puff of flame.
Well... That had been interesting.
Back to your business, you continued to sink your mind into the dreams of the city, browsing through thousands of minds per minute. Slowly, you started to understand this world. The struggle between a nation that used spirits as their tools, and another that dug so deeply into their pride that they suffered from an inability to grasp the future.
-Then, there was the Kingdom of Ainus, caught in between. The cause of its secession had apparently been that a rebel group had taken over the goverment after they had found out that the Empire had been building bases where they... 'Experimented' on spirits as well as other humans, and were committing other inhumane activities with the populace of Ainus due to them being 'second-class citizens'.
Apparently, the leader of this rebellion was a human that wielded a powerful Eternity Sword... And whose forces were almost completely composed of Spirits, who had either defected from the Empire or had been rescued from Nywell.
That was... Very interesting. Perhaps this kingdom would become a hot spot for a future conflict that the Law Eternals could take advantage of.
At that moment, you also felt something. Two different pulses of energy caught your attention. The first came from many small sources and one slightly bigger source, but more importantly they had come from the royal palace. An obvious display of force in the middle of the night in such a place? That wasn't bound to be good.
The second... Was a pulse of similarly big energy, but it was charged with such negativity that it made most of the nightmares the people were suffering down there look like a joke in comparison. Along that energy was a single message, a hollow echo that rang monotously and caused Dream to stir slightly from its silence.
-Like a breeze of rotten air, its message was clear-
'Hopes and dreams... Such things... Don't exist.'
That might be worth looking at, as well...
Asteris the Goddess
Location:Border of the Kingdom of Ainus and the Republics of Nywell, Village of St. Rieza
Time: Night
At the same time, elsewhere-
(BGM - Eternal Warrior)
"Mana! Turn my blows into an earth-shaking tremor, even if you must burn my body! Grand Liner!" The night air of the forest was coated in a powerful wind of aura photons, as a human's cry cut through it and caused the intensity of the current to increase even further.
The sound of clashing swords echoed relentlessly, a thundering of steel and magic that distorted the harmony of nature.
"I'll take you all down! Come at me!" A boy shouted as he locked swords with a blue spirit, his angry and passionate gaze meeting the mindless orbs of the mindless spirit. "Uooooooooooooh!" There was a moment where their blades stayed locked, before with a surge of aura photons the boy managed to overpower the spirit and deliver a brutal blow with his sword that knocked her unconscious.
His sword pulled back into a guarded stance as he jumped back, two more spirits joining into the fray and moving to flank him. His sword was a broad, dark blade, whose motifs appeared to resemble that of the earth. It was the Eternity Sword 'Nourish', a 5th Rank Sword that could manipulate the earth and possessed powerful aura photons.
Despite being long enough that it could have been a bastard sword, he wielded it with such lightness that it was inhuman to look at his movements. Even as the two spirits tried to attack him, he met them blow by blow and with a powerful cry managed to blow them back, even if they soon after started to attack him once again.
"Hmm, he's certainly tough. Those swords will serve the republic well." A smooth voice said calmly, as a man in about his thirties stepped into the scene. At his side there was another spirits, with white hair and flowing white robes. Her dull red eyes were just as dark as the others', but somehow there was something more intimidating about her presence.
"It looks like he took one down, too. So soon, though? How weak." The man emotionlessly looked down on the unconscious blue spirit, and frowned with an expression of dissatisfaction on his face. "Hey, thing. Wake up." He kicked the body, expecting a response. When none came, he clicked his tongue. "Looks like this one was a defective product. Cina, scrap her."
The boy, as he was fighting against the two other spirits, watched how the white spirit stepped forwards and buried her own weapon, a long rapier, through the heart of the spirit and dissolved her into a whirlwind of mana that she absorbed. As she did the same with her Eternity Sword, he screamed. "YOU MONSTER!" He pushed against the other two spirits, who only appeared to start fighting harder in reaction to his actions. "How dare you treat them like things!?"
"What a foolish boy." The man sneered, snorting at the boy's naive idealism. "If you hadn't been so attached to these dolls, we would've been happy to recieve your power in our ranks. Hmm... There's a thought." He appeared perplexed for a moment, and then extended his arms. As he did so, his coat opened to reveal the Eternity Sword that hung at his belt- a wicked-looking mace that pulsed with a sickly red light. "What do you say? Join us, and we'll let you treat those dolls of yours however you want. You can even fuck them if you want, many of us do so."
"Don't... SCREW WITH ME!" He roared in response, his blade for a moment glowing with Aura Photons as he swept away the two spirits with a glowing sword of mana. He knew that the sneering man's offer was true- If he moved aside and let them go on their way, they would spare his life and even give him power the likes of which he had never possessed.
But...
No matter what...
He couldn't move aside.
He was becoming more exhausted by the second, and he knew that the three spirit he had fought thus far were nowhere near on the same caliber as the man and the white spirit at his side. Even if he emerged victorious, he knew it was only a matter of time before his life was forfeit.
Yet... Even so, he couldn't move aside.
Because... Because he had...
"Enough of this... They aren't dolls! You can't just take them away and turn them into weapons! I won't allow it!" He stepped forwards towards the spirits that were still recovering, and with a decisive swing of his sword caused the earth all around them to scatter, pillars of solid rock blowing away nearby trees in a large radius as a myriad stalagmites rose from the point of his sword, piercing through the spirits and killing them. The boy bit back a pained expression, and advanced forwards. "Spirits... Just like us, just like anyone...! They deserve to be free! THEY DON'T BELONG AS YOUR TOOLS!"
"We must all do what is necessary in times of war, Etranger. But very well, it seems that you cannot be reasoned with. Cina, stand back. I shall deal with this traitorous scum myself." The man stepped forwards and loosed his coat, revealing the powerful plated armor that lied within. He grabbed the mace from within his robes, and held it out towards his opponent. "I am Roland Arteos, wielder of the 4th Rank Eternity Sword 'Repulsion'. May you know the name of your executioner, and cry for revenge in the depths of hell."
(BGM - Cross Sword)
"If I'm going to hell, I'm taking you there with me!" The boy yelled, as his Eternity Sword started to gather an immense number of Aura Photons. "I'll settle this in one blow! Mana, unturn the stone of the earth! Bring down the wrath of Gaea upon my foe! Swords of the Ancients!" With a bellowing cry, he gathered every inch of his power... And stabbed his blade deep into the ground.
At that moment, the entire ground began to quake.
They formed in seconds, appear over the horizon like clouds hanging over the sky. They appeared in the dozens, rising from clumps of earth that rose from all over the earth and taking the form of gigantic blades of stone. In a massive circle over the sky, they all pointed themselves at Roland's position, blades larger than the size of most trees all directed towards a single target.
"Gooooooooo!!!"The wielder of 'Nourish' yelled, and a deluge of stony swords descended upon Roland's position. They flew with the speed of bullets, and their mere impact was enough to split the earth with a sound so powerful he was sure he'd have gone deaf without his sword's protection. An entire chunk of the forest was destroyed by the rain of swords, as trees snapped against the force of the Divine Magic as if they were mere twigs or toothpicks.
Even as a massive wave of dust and debris moved to cover him, the Etranger summoned his aura photons to part them from his position, enabling him to see the result of his attack.
However...
"Is that all? ...Then, it's my turn." Roland stood there, a barrier of red light shining around him as he held his mace upright. An unhealthy glow was coming from the mace, as if Roland had been busy gathering power for a counterattack even during the time the opponent Etranger had been attacking him.
"Shit, I gotta-!" The boy charged forwards, but he knew he wouldn't make it in time. Somehow, his enemy had managed to withstand the full power of his attack, and he would be completely unprepared for whatever they had in mind for a counterattack. His only hope was to defeat him before he could use it, but...
It was already too late.
"Mana, I command you! Erase all that exists before me, leave naught but dust! ...This is the end. Negative Wave!" Roland swung his mace, and the boy watched as everything it touched simply disappeared as if it had never been there. There were no exceptions, everything that it passed simply dissolved. The signs of his attack disappeared, even as the wave continued to expand, leaving a trail of emptiness as it headed straight towards him.
I can't dodge it! He had no choice. Without hesitation, he deployed Nourish's barrier, pouring as many Aura Photons as he could into the defense. He saw with growing despair as the wave closed in on him, but he had no choice but to hold firm.
Once it collided with his barrier, however, his world was filled with pain.
He screamed as he felt part of the wave go through his defenses, watching horrified as parts of his body appeared to dissolve with a burning agony that left him seeing white. He outright lost a chunk of one arm, and saw the skin around it peel away like ashes scattering to the wind. When the entire wave passed over him, he fell to his knees from the damage as his entire body screamed in pain.
No way... He's this much stronger...? Why? Why...!?
You cannot beat him, Ryos. He blinked, when he realized Nourish was speaking to him for the first time in months. Perhaps if you beg for mercy, he might still allow us to live.
Disgust swelled up his body. Never, Ryos promised. I'll never join him. How could you even imply that!?
...My wish is to gather mana. However, as your sword, I cannot deny I find the idea detestable. Still... Can you even protect them in this state? My previous owner...
Don't you dare. He warned. Shiela would have sooner died than let them become soldiers! You know it!
A foolish notion. We Eternity Swords were created to fight. ...It doesn't matter anyways. Soon we will be dead.
What are you-
"I hope you have made peace with yourself." Ryos turned his head up, and saw the face of Roland looming above him. His mace hung high, an executioner's weapon ready to pass his sentence and vanquish him. "I know it is foolish to ask for a third time, but your power was still impressive. If you joined us-"
Gathering all the strength he could, Ryos spit at the man's face. As a single glob splashed his cheek, the man's expression turned into scowl of disgust.
"So be it, then." Raising his mace, Roland started to swing it down-
Fayla... I'm sorry. Looks like I won't be able to go on that trip to the sea, after all...
"Let him go!!!"
Ryos' heart sank. No...!
"What...!" Roland was forced to step back from a sudden blur that came straight at him, having to put his mace in front to guard himself from a kick that a newcomer had charged with aura photons. Then, as the blur backed away, his eyes widened when a massive blast of energy headed straight towards him, an arrow of powerful light that he barely managed to deflect with his sword. "This power...! Cina? No... You're..."
"FAYLA! What are you doing!? I told you to run!" He shouted to the girl who had suddenly appeared, cradling a bow in her arms as an arrow of light aimed straight at the reeling Roland. "You're the only one who can protect the rest of them!"
"What are you saying, Ryos?" Fayla said, giving him a small but guilty smile. "Do you really think I wouldn't have made sure they're safe before coming to help you?" She walked over to him, and laid a hand over his most serious wounds as she started to apply healing magic.
"That's... Not the problem... You idiot..." Ryos said, tears threatening to fall from his face. You're not meant to be here... You shouldn't be fighting!
"I see... So we were right. That so-called 'orphanage' was holding such powerful Spirits in it. Good, good...!" Roland breathed, as he straightened from Fayla's suprise attack. "It looks like we got a great find... CINA!"
"Yes, Master." The white spirit said, meeting the man's ruthless green eyes with her emotionless red.
Ryos straightened, when he heard Roland call out to that heinously strong-feeling Spirit. "Fayla!" He immediately grabbed her arm, face growing panicked. "You've got to run, NOW-"
"We can't waste any more time. Dispose of them, and we'll go after the younger spirits. They can't be too far away." Roland withdrew his mace and simply walked away from them, as if he was done with them.
"...Yes, Master." The white spirit turned towards them, and Ryos felt a growing terror as he saw the staff that was in her hands. An immense amount of aura photons emanated from that stuff, in a similar way to Roland's own presence but at the same time different. "Mana... Destroy. Aura Photon Beam."
Ryos and Fayla watched awestruck as an innumerable number of magic circles appeared in the sky, coalescing together into one long corridor mana that started glowing with the light of aura photons.
Fayla's eyes grew wide with fear, as she saw the massive spear of light falling down from the Heavens towards her-
-She barely felt it when Ryos jumped at her, covering her body with his own, for her entire world soon turned white.
...
Fayla blinked. Had she lost her consciousness? Her mind in a haze, she tried to recall the last thing which had happened...
"...! Ryos!" She stood up, pushing off the weight that was on her chest as she tried to sit up. "Ryos, are you alrig-"
Fayla froze.
She remembered the last thing that had happened.
Ryos, seeing that the blast was headed for the both of them, had immediately moved to try and cover her-
"No... No..."Fayla breathed, turning the charred and bleeding body in her arms. She desperately wanted to deny that it could be who she thought. "Please, Ryos... It can't be you!"
But it was him. The hair that remained on the body, the rough features of his face... They were all there. However, even then, what remained of him was starting to fade into particles of mana, the fate of all downed Etrangers.
"What a pity... He could've been a promising officer." Roland shook his head, then glared at the white spirit. "Cina, you slacked off. I told you to get rid of both."
"...Yes, Master."
Fayla's body shook in anger.
"You monster..." She growled, the bow in her hands pulsing with barely restrained power. "Ryos and his family were the only ones that ever treated us with kindness, and you... You did this..." She stood up, and turned towards the two Nywellians. She stared right past the white spirit, knowing where the real blame lied.
"I just wish..." Fayla cried, standing protectively over the dead body of the man she had grown to love. "If there's a god out there, I wish he'd send all of you monsters to hell!"
Roland paused.
Then he laughed.
"How funny, coming from a rabid beast herself. Listen to this, Spirit..." Roland sneered at the crying spirit. "If any God had cared about your existence..."
His grin darkened.
"He wouldn't have allowed you to be born."
Yet-
At the moment he said that...
A single bolt of lightning fell from the sky, right between the two parties.
The next moment... A massive explosion of aura photons blinded them both, as an Outsider made their entrance into this world.
---
You had arrived.
As your existence rematerialized itself, you felt the power of Divine spread out over the area, grasping at your surroundings and feeling the state of nature around you.
...Judging by the level of destruction, it seemed a battle had taken place in this area. You could also feel many lives present, though only three were in any state that could be called 'alive'.
"Wh-what is she...?" A rough voice muttered, half in awe and half in confusion. "A spirit...? No, it can't be that. This level of presence is..."
You opened your eyes, and looked at the source of the voice. It was a human, albeit one with an Eternity Sword of substantial power. His green eyes were sharp and focused, but there was a dark light to them, one that immediately set you on edge for many reasons. In addition, there was someone else by his side.
White hair, red eyes that looked void of emotion... Not human. That much you could tell, since she resembled an Elemental more than a human. Her entire body was composed of mana, rather than flesh and blood, and there were no traces of past humanity like those who used Eternity Swords.
"Cina, keep close to me. She's dangerous." The human stated immediately, gritting his teeth as his hand went for his Eternity Sword.
And as the girl robotically obeyed the man's commands, a single phrase escaped her cold lips.
"...Yes, Master."
...Master?
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Originally Posted by Cina
