What had once been left abandoned and destitute after the fall of the Assembly of Nihilo had become shrouded in a complete and total war. Three armies clashed at the base of the obelisk. One was the newly reformed Assembly, rejuvenated after a multitude of defeats. Though they had recently suffered a string of defeats, the appearance of their demonic sponsor, Ahriman, had been enough to reignite their fire. Immediately they had rushed to their former base where Ahriman and his closest allies had ascended to the tower of Kagutsuchi. Their goal was an audience with the creation deity the tower was named for. If they could meet this being they would have the power to recreate the world as they saw fit. They were not the only ones to seek an audience with this god though.
Another army, that of Yosuga, sought power and the subjugation of the weak. Their ranks swelled with lesser angels and deities. After a human woman named Chiaki Hayasaka had given up her humanity to achieve the power necessary to change the world they had flocked to her banner. Now known as the demonic sponsor, Baal Avatar, she had lead her army against the Assembly, and though they had been the first to reach the Obelisk, they had failed to repel the might of Yosuga. Forcing their way past the Assembly, their central strike force entered the tower, chasing after the Assembly's leader and top agents. The lingering forces of the Assembly rallied again but once more Yosuga beat them back. For a time Yosuga's leader appeared to be the favorite to win the prize of creation. At least until the third army had come.
This last force was a recently formed coalition of vastly different beings brought together under the banner of free will and defiance of both law and chaos alike. It was an alliance of seven different tribes of demons that had joined forces under both necessity and belief in one central figure. This figure was known as the Demifiend. Like Chiaki, he had once been an ordinary human, in fact they had once been close friends. He had been thrown into this apocalyptic hell scape when the world had ended. Unlike his former friend, he had not had a choice in his transformation. He had been corrupted. Defiled. The parasites that now swam through his body were a daily reminder of that. He had risen above that. He had looked true evil in the eye and chosen to believe in the future. Now that resolution had gathered an army of allies to him, an army that now attacked not out of greed, but out of desperation. For this army, this was not about recreating one world, one universe, in the infinite expanse of the Amala multiverse. No, this was merely the first part in a larger plot, one that if successful would not only prevent the destruction of that multiverse, but also grant the Demifiend his ultimate revenge.
When they had arrived, the leaders of the seven tribes had lead their forces into battle, taking the Assembly and Yosuga by surprise. Striking while they were confused the Demifiend lead his personal strike team past the brunt of their forces advancing into the tower after the insane patron of the Assembly and his former childhood friend.
Three armies of demons fought underneath the obelisk, seeking to buy time for their champions within.
After the third army had broken through the ranks of the other two, they had dug in and were attempting to defend the structure as much as possible. The tribal leaders knew they had won, when they felt the aura of the Demifiend flare with triumph, once, twice, three times as each of his rivals fell to his power. The other two armies desperately threw themselves at their foes. They had felt their champions die and now they fought desertion as much as they fought the Demifiend's army. As the fight amidst the ruins of humanity's hubris and death came to a close, the tribes knew better than to celebrate. Instead, they reinforced their position, all the while glancing up at the tower behind them intermittently. Far in the sky, the blazing star of Kagutsuchi had begun to glow with a new found harshness. On that tower that floated far above the obelisk, the final battle had already begun.
The young man look to his left, his friend barely able to stand. The battle was not going as planned.
Of course they had known this wouldn't be easy. Heck it was to be expected that a god responsible for remaking the world would more or less be a challenge. That being said, the Demifiend was still in awe of just how much power they were dealing with.
A warm green light surrounded the two of them and the boy could feel Pixie's healing magic beginning to take effect. In response to this the deity in front of them materialized a score of hard light spears, launching them at the party. As the spears were hurling towards them, the god sent dual bursts of fire and force at the spears, speeding them up and spinning them into blinding, luminescent buzz saws. The fourth member of the boy's party, a white angel intercepted the blasts, beams of crimson erupting from his eyes and disintegrating the attack before it could connect.
With his wounds healed, the young man's friend sprang back into action. A sword in his right hand and a gun in his left he began to launch an onslaught on the god. The Demifiend sprang forward as well, dodging a burst of light that would have seared him in two. As he ran towards his enemy, the angel cast a spell, increasing the physical prowess of the party. With this boost, the boy's friend flipped past Kagutsuchi's frontal defenses, shooting his foe mid flip and switching to a dodge roll as he landed, launching himself to the side to avoid what the boy was about to do.
The Demifiend held out his hands, materializing a blade of brilliant purple light. Charging towards Kagutsuchi while it was distracted with his red cloaked friend he swung the blade, causing a beam to erupt towards his enemy. Seeing the beam but not having enough time to avoid it, the god launched a combination of lightening and ice at the boy. Flipping out of the way, the boy watched as the beam he had launched connected with his foe. For the first time since the fight had begun, real damage could be seen on the deity in front of him.
Sensing weakness, the angel launched another assault on their enemy, eyes flashing, while he rained down lightening and fire from the sky. The Pixie continued to heal the group, weaving spells designed to buff their abilities into her routine. The boy's friend charged back into the fray slashing at any vulnerability he could find.
The Demifiend took a deep breath, victory was at hand. After everything that had happened, after everything that he had had to sacrifice to get to this point, he would finally atone for his sins. The boy then began to focus his power, it was almost time to deal the final blow and end this nightmare.
"Thou art drunk on freedom as the fallen angel was. You who stand against evolution, you who would stand against the recreation of the world, be consumed by my light."
The god's words came from everywhere and nowhere at once. The boy felt the pressure they radiated, but continued to build up his strength. Kagutsuchi had more power left then it had let on. They would have to make this quick if they were going to stand a chance of finishing it off. Just as he was thinking this, the light surrounding them began to get brighter and brighter. The boy opened his eyes and felt a flicker of fear begin to pass through him.
The god began to change, his form, originally it had been a pale blue sun surrounded by orbiting blue prism. These prisms flew into it, collecting into mass of hard light. As it changed, the sky continued to grow brighter and brighter, and then, all of a sudden everything went dark. It was as if all the light had been drained out of the sky and sucked into the god. The deity began to glow again with an awful light as the blue prisms that were now the entirety of its body replicated and combined, forming the face of an old man. It was dogmatic and harsh, the face of tyrant ready to discipline its subjects.
The Demifiend and Pixie quickly glanced into each other's eyes. This was it. This was what they had worked for. Everything since the Conception had led to this. Gritting his teeth, the Demifiend continued to summon his power as his allies moved into position.
Across the span of time and space, a girl with long, blue, hair stood on the edge of a lake. Her golden eyes were red and puffy. The girl began to cry to herself, sitting down at the edge of the dock. Her younger brother had made fun of her again, and even though her older sister had tried to cheer her up, she had needed some time alone.
Looking out across the expanse of the lake, the young princess known as Azura began to sing a song that her mother had taught her. It was the only reminder she had of her mother, and though it brought a wealth of sad memories, it also had always helped her to remember the good times as well. The song had always helped her to feel better when she was at her worst.
You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek
Life beyond the shore just out of reach
Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time
The path is yours to climb
Kagutsuchi unleashed a barrage of lasers at the group. As they flew forward, the Demifiend's friend, Dante, jumped into their path. Swinging his blade in a wide, arcing motion, he deflected the beams away from the young fiend. Meanwhile Kagutsuchi launched a fire storm and a hurricane at Pixie and the angel. The Pixie sprung from where it had been casting her support magic. Darting under the first flames, Pixie unleashed a short burst of lightning to consume the oxygen in the surrounding area. Using this to control the spread of the fire, Pixie flew through her newly formed path. The angel was not as concerned with the attack as Pixie. Extending his arm, he called forth a heavenly light to consume the firestorm while he sent his own hurricane to block Kagutsuchi's. Even as the attack was blocked, the giant head of the god began to open up, its power gathering as it prepared its next attack.
Embrace the dark you call a home,
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise
It was as if time stood still when Kagutsuchi unleashed its power. The attack known as Vast Light erupted consuming all in its path. The Demifiend's eyes widened as the light surged towards the group. Pixie and Dante rushed towards the fiend, desperate to protect their friend. As the attack was about to hit the angel rushed in front of them, blocking the majority of the attack. In the blink of an eye the group was scattered by Kagutsuchi's light. The angel was flung off the top of the tower, the life already fading from his eyes as Kagutsuchi's attack took its toll. Meanwhile Pixie and Dante had been hurled to either side by the remnants of the attack that had gotten past the angel's defense. The Demifiend stood his ground and shrugged off the remnants the blast, still charging his attack.
Sing with me a song of conquest and fate
The black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts all alone
"Pixie now!" the Demifiend shouted desperately.
The fairy threw herself off the side of the tower after the falling body of the angel, already beginning to cast her next spell. Meanwhile Dante rose up, his red cloak billowing in the wind. He ran forward at the god again, firing his twin guns while he went.
"And now you fall into the abyss once again. Fall once more into the Labyrinth of Amala, only this time you shall not rise. No, this time, you will remain entombed for all eternity. Now fall!"
The path you walk on belongs to destiny, just let it flow
All of your joy and your pain will fall like the tide, let it flow
Blasting Dante out of the way, Kagutsuchi once more gathered its power. As it was about to unleash his Vast Light once more, the Demifiend closed his eyes. It was amazing, he had come all this way, fought all those battles, and now he would be annihilated all the same.
"I'm sorry Yuko. I guess I just wasn't strong enough."
"Giving up already, son of man?"
The Demifiend's eyes flew open. As Kagutsuchi began to launch his attack the angel flew up, revived by the last of Pixie's magic. Hurling himself towards the god, he punched it right as it unleashed its attack, forcing the beam skyward. As his eyes widened in response to his unexpected survival, the Demifiend felt his attack finally finish charging. The Demifiend smiled.
"Dante, now!"
Dante's reaction was immediate. He sprung off to the side, while simultaneously casting a spell to cripple Kagutsuchi's defenses.
The Demifiend looked upon Kagutsuchi. This was the end of the long road. He had come so far, met so many different beings. Along that journey he had watched as everything he had cared about fell apart. He had seen the people he had cared for most, Yuko, Chiaki, Isamu, either die or betray him. His world had literally ended. Nothing had remained.
He felt Pixie land on his shoulder, too tired to keep flying after reviving the angel. They looked at each other once again, only stopping when Pixie smiled at him. It hadn't all been bad. Though he had almost been consumed by his own despair, he had emerged from it stronger than before. He had met good people, true they were demons, but still. Nyx, Loki, Dante, the tribal leaders, even Metatron they had all joined him or helped him in their own ways. They had all believed in his dream. None of them could compare to Pixie though. She had been with him since the beginning. Through every trial, through every tribulation, she had been there. It was fitting now that she was still there by his side as his journey came to a close.
And as he unleashed his power, the Demifiend shouted its name to both the Heavens and the Abyss, the sound resonating across time and space.
"Freikugel!"
Time itself stopped, and the sky flashed ebon as the Demifiend crackled with power. He had only used this attack once before, against Chiaki...
In an instant the beam connected with the god, and in that instant, reality crumbled to dust before the Demifiend's wrath.
You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek
Life beyond the shore, just out of reach
Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time
The path is yours to climb
Azura stopped singing and stood up. It was almost time for dinner and Mikoto would be disappointed if she was late for the evening meal. Also she couldn't let Takumi know how much he had hurt her. For her mother's sake she had to remain strong.
Taking one last glance at the now setting sun, she whispered the last lyric to her mother's song.
You are the ocean's gray waves
Hello! I hope you enjoyed reading this prologue, the next chapter should be along very shortly. As you can probably tell this is a crossover between Fire Emblem Fates and SMT Nocturne. Before I say anything else I want to say up front that this will be very Fates focused for the first group of chapters. Also quick heads up- No children characters. Or at least none until the very end. Personally I just don't feel that they make sense in Fates' overall narrative... Also, expect at least a few changes to Fates' narratives to both connect better with the SMT universe and to close some of Fates' plot-holes. (Fates? Plot-holes? WHAT?!)
Finally I'm not going to pretend I'm perfect, if you have any advice, criticism, or ideas, please by all means leave a review! I'd love to hear what you have to say and I'll try my best to answer any questions posted. (Unless spoilers of course. ;) )
Thanks for your time, and I hope you enjoyed!