2010
The whole school is devoid of students as the graduation ceremony is held in the audoritium. Students are chatting among themselves without a care for their surrounding. Among them, a girl with pink sweater is looking towards the empty seat besides her.
'I wonder where is he?' Yukari Takeba think to herself.
''What's up, yuka-tan?" asked a capped boy from beside her.
"Uh, do you know where he is, Junpei?"
"Him, now that I think about it, I haven't seen him since we got to school, but don't worry yuka-tan, maybe he's just fall asleep on the way."
"I hope you're right," is what Yukari siad but in the back of her mind she can't help but think she's forgetting something, something important. Then suddenly,all the students got quiet down as a red-haired student takes the podium.
x-x
On the hallway, a lone student is walking, more like limping. His posture is crouched and he seems to be breathing heavily. His blue hair covers half of his face that only one of his eyes is visible. His skin is ghostly pale and his silver-grey eyes look dead as he keeps walking towards his destination, the roof.
As he reach there, to his surprise there is a girl waiting for him. A blonde hair girl with blue eyes who has headphones-like things on her head.
"Aigis", that's her name, a name not of a machine, a name not of a robot but the name of his dear friend.
As they saw each other, they start to walk towards each other, but on the way the boy can't keep up and fall. But instead of meeting the ground, he falls onto the hands of that girl.
"Welcome back, Makoto",as he hear that,the boy let a smile grace upon his lips.
x-x
The boy is laying down now in the lap of the girl as they sat upon a bench.
"The breeze feels nice, doesn't it", the girl say but he couldn't hear her anymore.
"-", her lips are moving but what's she saying?, he can't hear anything. His eyelids feel heavy and he wants to sleep but he couldn't. No, not until the promised time.
But,even though he keeps powering on,he can't do much,but he keeps insisting as he knows that if he closes his eyes now, they would never open again.
"Makoto-kun"
A voice.
"Yuki-kun"
"Yuki"
"Hey"
No,not just a voice.
"Look,they all keep their promises." the blonde girl said gently. He uses all his the power he has to crane his head to look at the the door. And finally the door opened and emerged his friends, his precious friends. They all came, even Ken and Koromaru, But he couldn't stay and talk with them, as his eyes finally become close with a smile graced upon his lips.
"Li--v-e"
Yes, this was the scene he saw before he's gone from this world, this is the scene Makoto Yuki saw before he sleeps forever.
x-x x-x
20XX
'How many years has that been?', the boy thinks to himself. The place he is in now is empty space filled with white with only a chair shaped like a harp which he is sitting on as he reminiscences about his final day on Earth. In this place there is no way to know the time and time itself has no place here. If you are asking where he is now, he's now at the sea of souls acting as a barrier between two primordial gods. A barrier which he gives his soul to craft. A barrier he crafts to protect his loved ones at the cost of his own life. But does he regret it, no, he chose this fate of his own will. Even if some gods come and give him a chance to correct his past, he will not change this choice, no matter what he will acts as a seal to stop the mankind's manifestation of grief and negative emotion, Erebus from reaching the Nyx, the goddess of Night, Nyx may be neutral but Erebus sure is not, he is dead set on destroying humanity. His only reason to exist is to make contact with Nyx and bring about the fall. And as he exists because of humanity's grief, until humanity does not exist no more or don't want to die anymore he will keeping reviving and will keeping trying to destroy me.
Speaking of that furball, even now he is regenerating, now anyone would be scared of being mauled by a two-headed overgrown dog, but not him, he is the messiah, the man who gives his life for the good of humanity, the sole wielder of universe arcana, as he is also a God with capital G. But, no those are not the reasons why he's not afraid.
As the Erebus finally finished regenerating ,he sat his red eyes on the seal and set to pounce upon he didn't have the chance,as soon as he came alive, he was destroyed by the purple light that filled the place.
"~Hello, Makoto-sama~"
The one who said that was Elizabeth, his attendant in his journey and the only one beside Erebus to come to him.
"~Well, nice to see you again~ I came to talk what happens this time, you won't be able to believe this."
She comes here most of the time, to destroy the Erebus every time he revives and to talk what happens outside, in the world. Everytime she comes, she would talk nonstop about all the thing that happens after I've gone.
"After I killed the Erebus last time, I went to the place called Inaba because I sense a presence similar to you, And when I found him, I learned that he was indeed a wildcard like you."
A wildcard?So he will be the another savior for mankind, I'm not jealous at all.
"And he's already finished his journey, and now he's facing another treat to mankind"
So he finished his journey and still be alive, nope, not jealous at all.
"So when I went to there you wouldn't believe who I saw. They are your friends. All of whom you takes your journey with, even the strength arcana and Aigis-san"
'Koromaru? Wow, that's indeed surprising,' is what I'm thinking but I can't say anything. There are only two drawbacks to being the seal and one is that I can't interact with outside world. So I can't replay back or smile or show her that I'm angry at what she's saying. And of course the other drawback is being the seal. For her I look the same, just crucified to the door with the same look on my face, but even then she doesn't falter.
"And that's not even the most surprising"
Then she opens her palm and materialize a card. A card I'm too familiar with. A card that mark the start of one's Journey. The Fool.
"Yes, I've gained the fool arcana, and I believe that I'm now more closer than ever to free you from this fate. So, please wait a little more now, Makoto-sama, it won't be long until I can see your face again."
Elizabeth. She is trying even now, she even left the velvet room for this, for me. Will she succeed? It doesn't matter. This is enough, more than enough.
"BUT, now to the most surprising matter."
Wait,there's more?
"It's the food called 'fsteak', the friend of wildcard said that it is beary delicious and It is indeed as much as the takoyaki from iwatodai. I heard it is short for beef-"
Hum,well that's Elizabeth. No matter who you are,even if you are a statue, she is able to make you feel at ease. Even an eternity at sea of souls is not that bad if she is there for you. She is the reason I didn't go insane. If I can record everytime she talks, I would listen to it everyday, every moment...She is the salvation for my damnation. she is the light that shines in this sea of souls. She is the light of messiah.
x-x
20XX
Even after she started her own journey she still came here to destroy Erebus every time. And after that she would talk to me about her journey and her which she dubbed ''Elizabeth's answers for earth's wonders"
which is basically her telling me every food she ate, If I don't know any better, I would think that she's rubbing in my face that she can eat and I can't. But I digress.
x-x
20XX
She's still coming even now but this time she brings some news. She said that the wild card that she talks before is fighting or dancing to defeat another treat to humanity. I don't really understand it and I don't really want to. I mean dancing, really. I wonder if he's playing or saving humanity and I'm not saying that because I also like to dance, No, I don't want to dance at all.
x-x
20XX
Today is the same for the Messiah. As he bar the Erebus from reaching something is amiss. Although when he becomes the seal being attacked by the two-headed dog is given, that's not supposed to happen. Elizabeth is not here. Is she occupied somewhere? Is she too busy on her journey? Or is she in danger? Did something happen to her? Nah, it's Elizabeth who can oneshot even Erebus. No one or nothing can harm her, Yes, nothing to worry about.
...I'm worried.
x-x
20XX
I don't know how long but I know it's long. Erebus does not even stop for one second. He keeps attacking and attacking and attacking and Oh My God he growled then attack the same. It does not hurt but It is starting to get annoying. Elizabeth is still missing. I hope she's fine. Although she can oneshot Erebus she is still not a god, she can be killed, destroyed. Even I can, with my universe arcana. Like all the people who starts their journey, is she fighting against a god. But there's nothing I can do to help. The only thing I can do is wait and wait as the Erebus attacks and attacks.
x-x
Nothing, nothing changes. Now I am starting to think of ways to search for her. I can send telepathic message to igor and asks for her, No, she left velvet room, so they will not be able to search for her. In the first place I don't know how to send telepathic message. Then, what can I do? What can I...wait,wait, Erebus stops attacking. And as I look upon him, something that never happens before happens. A blue butterfly, the same one that I see when I'm at the station, ...I think.
And then all of a sudden Erebus starts to disappear. As like he regenerates with red mist, now he is devoured by blue mist. He didn't even has a chance to growl as he disappear into emptiness. Wait, is he gone for good? Does Elizabeth plan really work? Did she really kill a god? Where is she? Is she here?
"Nice to see you again, Makoto Yuki"
That's not's Elizabeth. That's a man's voice. It is indeed a man in a white business suit and a butterfly mask. Who is he?
"Makoto Yuki, I am Philemon, the master of velvet room."
Velvet room. Wait, isn't igor the master, I've never heard of him before. Then most surprising thing happen. He touches the seal and disintegrate into blue butterflies and they all came into me...INTO ME? Is he breaching the seal? Then they all reconstructed into the man from before in front of me. The only difference is that now he's standing face to face with me.
"Who are you?", I asked.
"I already told you, I am Philemon, the master of velvet room. BUT,if I were to explain further, I would be the god of human consciousness and the power of 'persona' you and other guests of the velvet room used is given by me."
"Then what is igor?" I asked being skeptical. He can't harm me here, but I wouldn't take the chance.
"Let's just say he is created by me to guide you and the others as I cannot interfere with humanity. Directly, that is."
So,he's the mastermind, Huh,"So what are you doing here, I don't think you come to introduce me to yourself now, aren't you?"
"Correct, I came to ask upon your help. The velvet room has been taken by a god called Yaldabaoth", don't know who that is, "And another guest such as you will be in danger if we do not intervene"
The velvet room, taken, really. "Are you sure, with igor and his battalion of servants?"
"Yes, you must have realize that the one who left the velvet room is not coming here even now". No way,was she there?, "Even she was included when velvet room is taken"
"So, go and retake your place, what are you doing here chatting up with me."
"Like I said before, I cannot interfere with such events directly, that's why I came to ask your help."The man said in his monotone voice with no emotions, well I can't tell because of the mask.
"Well, I like to help you but I can't move from this post without risking the humanity, why not ask the other wildcard, Yu Narukami, is it?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible, the other wildcard while capable is not a god, he can't enter the velvet room without the permission while you as a messiah and newly acquainted god can, and if you're worried about the seal, don't be. I can hold the Erebus. Not for long anyway"
"So there's time limit, well how long?"
"In your human's terms, a year or so, I hope that will be enough."
"Maybe, then what happens after I finish my job."
"You will have to become the seal again. I'm sorry but this is the thing only you can do"
"I see."
"I know of your bonds on your previous journey but I may suggest not to meet with them as you will have to leave them again. But If you want to meet with them, I won't stop you."
So,I will have to go to earth as a business trip, at least it could be better than staying here and I will have to save elizabeth. "I want to ask a question, you said that the seal is the thing only I can do, so the thing elizabeth is doing, is it all for naught?"
"When I said that, I mean for now, as you know even gods don't know what the future holds"
Hm,I see. "Okay then I will do it." The man nodded and blue light became to emerge around me. "One question before I go." As I said that the man seems surprised, keyword being seems. "You don't do a thing even when the fall is coming or the tv world is merging with reality, so why now, why now of all time you decide to take action?"
The man said nothing for a moment and then "I will concede that I didn't do anything before but now there's great danger coming and I must act before it's too late, but I can't say what the danger is, it is not my place to say"
Yeah, he's igor creator all right, cryptic messages must run in the family.
"Now go, you who saves the humanity before, however limited as may be, I give you one year, now go without falter, not as a man but as a god, as a messiah, shower the humanity with your salvation"
The light become stronger and stronger and soon it engulfs me completely.
Now in the sea of souls,the man stood alone. "I can only hope that this will be enough."
x-x
2017(4/1)
"Ladies and gentleman, thank you for waiting, we will be arriving at shibuya shortly"
-x-x-
First fic i'm writing so,please tell me if there is something I should do before writing another.I know this chapter is short but this only acts as a prologue so I will try write next chapter 9k or you read this,then thank you for reading my story,I hope I can meet your expection.I decide to write this fic from reading phantom messiah by azura de martel.
{Revised}