Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.
Prologue,
Part II: Transcendence
"Yo wo terase... Mugen Tsukuyomi!"
Following those wearily spoken words, the eerily glowing crimson moon shone a blinding white, before its light was cast over the entirety of the planet beneath, momentarily turning the middle of the night into bright day.
Hagoromo observed with pensive eyes as the permeating light of his mother's fearsome technique pierced through every shadow of his world, placing all of its inhabitants under the irresistible illusion.
Nothing could hide from it, yet in this case there was no need for them to even contemplate doing so. This light wasn't about to bring despair to the people as it had done in the past. This time, it would only bring about their salvation.
The Sage brought his hands together in a prayer motion and uttered softly while gazing at the world below his feet.
"Shin: Jukai Kōtan."
The earth rumbled with his words, and countless of gigantic roots emerged from the soil all across the planet, twisting and growing as they towered over even the highest of mountains and peaks.
In the span of mere seconds, the mighty roots of the Divine Tree managed to encompass the entirety of the world, and shortly after, innumerable thin tendrils began sprouting from each and every one of them.
The tendrils rapidly grew and immediately sought for the closest human to wrap around and ensnare in their grasp, binding them to the life force of the Shinju as they fell into peaceful slumber.
Moments later, the bright glow of the moon seemed to be finally dying down as it reassumed its normally pale hue, and by the time the last of the cocoons hanging down from the colossal roots was formed, the dark of midnight had completely returned over the world.
Hagoromo kept his hands clasped together and briefly closed his eyes in concentration as he focused over the entirety of those who were now connected to his power.
He would make sure that no harm would befall them as a consequence of their deprivation of chakra. His life giving energy would make sure of that.
A bright blue hue sparked within each of the innumerable cocoons as all the fragments of chakra were being recalled back together by the Sage.
Soon enough, the world began trembling under the sheer amount of power that was being amassed, before torrents of bluish energy sprang forth from the earth, rapidly converging toward the hovering man's position.
Hagoromo held out his hands as the thick currents of chakra gathered above the glowing half moon and sun marks visible on his opened palms.
Once the last drop of chakra was returned, the bright orb of densely amassed chakra hovering above the Sage's hands suddenly pulsed with power as its shine became even more intense.
The white haired young man took a moment to properly look at the glowing fruit that weighted no more than a feather in his palms.
The fruit of chakra...
The primarily source of discord within his world, yet at the same time the only powerful enough means to bring proper healing to it.
Such an amusing dichotomy...
There was as much potential for creation in chakra as there was for destruction. As much potential for life as there was for death. As much potential for happiness as there was for suffering. All of which simply depended upon the will and intention of its wielder.
It was the reason why he had made his intervention in the first place. Why he had done what he had done. And why he shalt do what he shalt do.
Because it was the only way. The only way to make lasting peace a reality in this final hour.
Though it would come with quite the heavy price. The price of power was never to be underestimated, for it could easily end up being a very steep one. He had seen it in his mother after all. And not many decades later in all of humanity as well...
Yet he had the unwavering conviction that he would not succumb to it. He was certain that he could do what he had resolved to achieve.
And even if he had to carry the whole weight of responsibility on his shoulders for such to be possible...
Then... so be it.
He would not falter.
And with that thought in mind, Hagoromo brought the small, shimmering fruit to his mouth and consumed it in a single bite.
For a brief moment, nothing seemed to happen. No unusual feeling, and no difference in perception.
But after that instant, his thoughts were momentarily brought to a halt by the sudden flood of power that washed through his body. The euphoric feeling of empowerment coursing through his being, so intense that it reached his very soul, was simply indescribable.
No wonder that his mother had become so obsessed with chakra. This sensation was utterly addictive, and it took almost all of his willpower to resist and not give in to the encroaching euphoria.
It lasted for less than a few seconds, though as soon as it began to subside, it was quickly replaced by another overwhelming sensation. However, this one was less problematic and much more familiar to the Sage.
A feeling of utmost calmness and serenity brought the remaining of Hagoromo's focus away from his surroundings as he immersed himself within the tranquil expanse of his unperturbed mind.
It was as though he had entered a state of meditation so incredibly profound that the sheer peacefulness he was experiencing prevented his thoughts from wandering to anything else.
A few seconds passed as the Sage continued to immerse himself even deeper within the incredible ataraxia which had engulfed his mind, though he quickly began to marvel at the rather foreign sensation that suddenly entered his perception.
It felt very similar to the heightened awareness of the world caused by his senjutsu, yet at the same time it was vastly different. In a way, the sensation was similar to the perception of the world that he had gained ever since he had awakened his Six Paths Senjutsu, although it seemed to extend much more beyond that.
He wasn't capable of just sensing the world around him at this point. No... right now he could actually feel it, as though he had become connected to it in the most intimate way possible.
All that he could feel was him
And all that he was...
...He could feel.
That was the sole thought going through his mind as he continued to bask in the otherworldly feeling that he had just become capable of discerning.
Meanwhile, from a more objective perspective than what seemed to be transpiring within Hagoromo's psyche, it could have easily been said that things had occurred a bit differently.
The moment Hagoromo had consumed the fruit of chakra, his body began releasing white wisps of energy, which quickly grew in intensity as he was further engulfed in a flickering glow of chakra.
Though suddenly, as if a metamorphosis of some kind had finally come to an end, a blinding flash of light consumed the surroundings as his body burst into a brilliant white akin to an exploding star.
An incredibly dense and rapidly expanding mass of chakra washed over the immediate area, and it took less than a few seconds for the spreading cloud of chakra to encompass and expand beyond everything that could be seen with the naked eye, as though it was melding with the world itself.
Several hours had passed while Hagoromo remained immersed in his profound state of meditation, however, he was eventually brought out of it when he began to experience a rather peculiar feeling.
It was akin to something at the back of his mind almost urging him to continue expanding his power and essence throughout the cosmos. It puzzled the Sage because he could tell that nothing seemed to feel out of place, and that whatever it was that he was doing felt just right. As if he was supposed to be doing it to begin with.
This was the moment when the concerned voice of Alduin resounded within his mind, drawing him out of his profound meditation.
"Father...?"
Hagoromo's focus quickly returned on his surroundings, and he took a few moments to ascertain the rather peculiar circumstances that he found himself in.
"Everything is alright, Alduin. I have merely lost the track of time."
Upon assuring his creation that there was no need for it to worry over the situation at hand, the Sage decided to put aside the peculiar experience from earlier, and for the time being pay heed to his rather unusual predicament.
Right now he had to do something about his current state of being, as he was still in the process of diffusing throughout the universe and melding with its fabric.
He had expected something far out of the sphere of ordinary to occur as a result of his consumption of the chakra fruit while still housing the power of a previous fruit within his being, though he had not imagined that the results would end up being so... unusually cosmic in scope.
But that aside, he shouldn't exactly dally at a time such as this, as it seemed that it would become harder for him to pull his essence back together the more he allowed himself to disperse amidst the stars.
He had already melded rather intimately with the natural energy present in quite the significant area of the universe, and his power was still on its way toward exploring and claiming the rest of the uncharted territories of his world.
Even his soul was already spread over a few galaxies, and he really didn't feel like counting stars right now.
After all, he still had a few more things left to do.
The Sage would have honestly sighed had he actually possessed a mouth, or if he was certain that by doing the equivalent of a sigh in his current form, he would not accidentally obliterate a planet. Or create a black hole for that matter. Or even worse, rip a hole in the fabric of space-time.
But even so, there was no need for him to worry. Or perhaps not too much anyway, because during the past few minutes he had been able to slow down his diffusion throughout the universe, to the point where he had finally brought it to a halt.
As appealing as it was the idea of seeing what would have happened had he allowed himself to completely diffuse throughout the universe, Hagoromo had to leave such a curiosity for another time, for he had yet to accomplish everything that he had resolved himself to do.
Therefore, he wasted no more time and proceeded to carefully gather himself back together, so as to not accidentally tear the fabric of the world when he recalled his chakra alongside the natural energy that it had balanced itself with.
By the time he returned to the confines of his solar system, a rather unexpected and mildly unpleasant revelation was made known to the Sage.
It had nothing to do with the young Ōtsutsuki on the moon, who seemed to be the only survivor left from his brother's lineage. Neither with the almost dead zealot buried in a remote forest somewhere in the Land of Fire. And nor with the two Ōtsutsuki from a far away world, with one of whom he had promised to have a little talk.
Those individuals were something that he would easily deal with at a later time. The real issue at hand was a much more compelling one.
Apparently, his power had become so absurdly great that it seemed to be opposing his attempts at being condensed, as it simply didn't not find it natural to be compressed and constricted to such a degree.
Feeling another urge to sigh, Hagoromo intensified his efforts even more and was pleased to see that his chakra and soul began making their way back toward his planet.
Much to his displeasure, he was met with the same problem a minute later, though this time the opposition seemed to be much greater.
The Sage could no longer refrain himself from sighing, and as such, the unfortunate mountain standing before his colossal form of a flickering Jūbi was introduced to its demise, in the form of a devastating roar that had come out of the creature's mouth.
After taking a moment to acknowledge the fact that he had casually blown up a mountain due to an overpowered sigh, Hagoromo summoned all of his willpower to aid him in his task. And after also adding his Yin-Yang power to the mix in order to coordinate the entire process, he was finally rewarded with his awaited result.
He was once again in the possession of physical body.
Although, referring to it as a mere body would have been just a little less than simply absurd, given how whatever it was the form he had managed to assume with such effort on his part, a body most certainly it was not.
A magical body, perhaps, though even calling it as such might have been quite inaccurate.
In the end, what he had managed to create by willing his power into that form had been just that, a form for his power to be accommodated into, in order for him to be able to normally interact with the world, without him accidentally obliterating the surroundings. Or even outright warping the reality due to his intimate connection to it.
Taking a few moments to inspect his new form, Hagoromo noted that his appearance seemed to have slightly changed yet again.
His hair was much longer, flowing past his shoulders and down his back akin to a snowy mane, and his features have also become more ethereal. A trait that characterized most members of his clan, it seemed.
Well, that, and the long, white horns...
Though seeing as he wasn't much fond of those accessories, he quickly made them vanish from his head.
The next thing that came to the Sage's attention once he was done assessing his physical form had to do with his current state of being.
He could clearly tell that he was no longer a jinchūriki, as the Jūbi existed no more within him. The memories of all the bijū rested now with him, just as he had promised to them.
Putting that train of thought aside, Hagoromo concluded that the consumption of the chakra fruit must have made it such that all chakra was brought together once more.
It was similar to what his mother had done in the past when she had joined herself with the Shinju, though he couldn't truly liken his change to hers, as it seemed that he had gone a step further beyond even that.
He more or less embodied the concept of chakra now, so that probably made him a primordial, if he had to use a more specific term.
Hagoromo pondered on that thought for a few more seconds, before his lips became a thin line.
Even more power...
Letting out a soft sigh, the Sage decided that he cared neither about what sort of existence he had ended up becoming, nor about how much more power he had just gained.
After all, he had other things to consider at this time. Matters far more important than any idle musings about his apparent ascension to an even higher state of being.
Briefly narrowing his rippling eyes in concentration, Hagoromo formed the rat seal with his hands and flared his chakra.
The endless world of dreams was undone in an instant, and the countless gigantic roots spanning over the entire world began to rapidly wither and shrink.
The thin vines cocooning around the millions of slumbering people crumbled away in mere seconds, releasing their previous captives upon the soil beneath as they slowly began to return back to consciousness.
Varying degrees of confusion could be seen lining the visages of the recently awakened as they were most likely trying to wrap their minds around what was currently transpiring. Though it was something to be expected given the circumstances.
A faint smile upturned the Sage's lips as he silently watched the unfolding events, however it didn't last for too long as he quickly reminded himself that his work had yet to be finished.
With that thought in mind, Hagoromo slowly brought his hands together in a prayer fashion and concentrated for a moment. His violet eyes glowed with unbridled power and resolve.
It was time for him to restore the life lost in the ashes of war.
The advent of a new era was nigh, and rebirth would precede the upcoming peace.
Awaken...!
His voice resounded through the vast expanse of the Pure World, reaching all those who did not belong there yet. His power soon enveloped them akin to a warm blanket to guide them.
And then...
A sea of silver blossomed forth around the Sage. Thousands of souls recalled from beyond death to embrace life once more. Young and old, men and women, all translucent figures quickly regaining their distinct shapes and features.
The miracle of the divine...
Such was the thought shared by all the onlookers who could only stare with widened eyes at the unbelievable scene unfolding before them.
The summoned souls too shared the disbelief at what they were witnessing, though they were instead staring at the white haired man standing in their midst. The one whose call they had answered to be brought back.
Some were beginning to piece together the events currently transpiring, yet none of them found the words to utter in the presence of such an otherworldly atmosphere enrapturing them.
Though even the others seemed to understand on an almost subconscious and primal level that they should respect the sanctity of an atmosphere imposed by such a divine presence standing before their very eyes.
A soft, chiming sound echoing through the battered plains brought the undivided attention of all present upon the figure of the legendary Sage.
Two more souls rapidly took shape to each of his sides as he softly tapped his shakujō against the soil once again.
The descendant of his eldest son to his left, and the descendant of his youngest son to his right.
The two boys looked less surprised than the others gathered, though they couldn't seem to find it in themselves to utter a word, just like everyone else.
Not that they couldn't, but that they would not fathom spoiling such an awing moment with anything else.
It was the advent of a new era.
Hagoromo couldn't help the soft smile forming on his visage as he beheld the wondrous scenery around him. Thousands of hopeful gazes fixated on his form. The people awaiting his guidance. It was as moving as it was beautiful.
At long last...
It was almost done...
The staff he held in his grasp dissolved into nothingness as the Sage swept his gaze all across the thousands of silvery hues surrounding him.
His features softened even further and his smile grew to reflect his immense joy. He suddenly spread his arms as wide as he could, as if trying to embrace all of those gathered around him.
"Rejoice, my children!" Hagoromo exclaimed, his voice carrying his happiness across the land and amplifying the hope of everyone present, "Life anew has been blessed unto all of you!"
Everyone seemed to be recovering from their daze as they heard the Sage's words with clarity, though what followed next was enough to briefly bring their thoughts to a sudden pause.
"Gedō...
Hagoromo intoned while he placed his hands in the ram seal and focused his chakra. His rippled eyes sparked with immense power, and he swiftly weaved the snake seal, his fingers interlocking.
Rinne Tensei!"
Words of untold power were uttered, and with them, the world around the Sage was cast in a brilliant white as life bringing energy surged through all of the gathered souls.
Obscured by the encompassing shine, a duplicate of the legendary man was brought forth behind him.
Hagoromo gave one more look to the people basking in divine light around him.
Living flesh was being made to house their souls for a second time, and within mere moments, the countless resurrected were once again drawing breath.
When the light finally began to fade, all present looked with awe etched on their faces at the snow haired figure standing watchful amidst them. One by one, the people began to bow, kneel, or prostrate themselves in an unanimous display of gratitude.
The ethereal being tapped its reformed staff on the ground once more, and then spoke in a soft yet resounding voice, "Rise, my children. A new era begins now. One bereft of war... and chakra..."
Hagoromo watched from afar as the resurrected people stood back up in response to his clone's words. He silently hoped that they wouldn't be too displeased once they learned of their lacking chakra...
The Sage gave a soft sigh and turned around from the scene taking place in the distance. As much as he wished to be there with his people, he knew that he would have to wait a little longer.
There was still one last thing that he had to do. He had to see... He had to see a different mankind.
For so long he had wondered about this... Whether the human condition had taken the same twists and turns regardless of the world? Or perhaps... If there was a mankind who had succeeded in what his people had failed by themselves?
If he could happen to see humans living in peace by their own devices...
Ah... what joy would that bring to him. Perhaps enough to rekindle his hope and desire to teach and guide once more...
Hagoromo's thoughts drifted once more back to his own people. It truly weighed down on his heart to leave them at this time, even if for a brief while. Yet, he had to do what he had to do.
He had faith that his replacement would take care of them just as he would have. It was an extension of his own will, after all... So he would at least be by their side indirectly through his shadow.
The clone would lead them in his stead for the time being. It would take care of them until his timely return. It would defend his world from anything undesired, and solve any remaining unfinished matters.
Humanity would be united under a single banner, free of prejudice and hatred. They would be led toward peace and harmony. Prosperity would be in their reach.
A different approach to establishing peace this time, though a necessary one. The only one, if he were to be honest. And as long as the people would not be subjugated... he could shoulder the weight.
Too many liberties would give birth to anarchy. Yet, robbing people of their choice and freedom would inevitably do the same...
Such was the peculiar nature of the human being. Neither white, nor black. But a balance of the in-between. And the key to achieving a lasting peace was to find that balancing hue of grey.
Much to his sadness, he had never witnessed them discover it on their own. Yet the hope was still there...
Hagoromo shifted his gaze on the bright horizon as his eyes clouded with contemplation. Moments later, he vanished from his spot in a swift blur of speed.
Before his departure... there was one more thing he wished to do.
Hagoromo felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him when his eyes settled upon the familiar slab of stone. It was lying between two braziers at the end of a dimly lit room. A bit different from where he had first placed it, though the place still invoked the same feeling as the cave where his tablet had been initially left.
Esoteric engravings could be seen on the surface of the old stone, fully decipherable only by those who possessed the same eyes as him. For anyone else, it would be merely a piece of stone with some gibberish carved into it.
The Sage brushed his right hand across the rough surface of the tablet and couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped his lips. What he had meant to be a legacy for his descendants and a forewarning to those who sought too much power for themselves had been turned into a cunning deception at the hands of his mother's treacherous will.
That thought brought him a twinge of anger, though it was dismissed as fast as it came forth. There was no meaning in dwelling upon such things at this point. His world had a new future now.
The old tablet suddenly began to crumble away under Hagoromo's touch. There was no need for this twisted piece of his past anymore. The world would be given new guiding soon.
Once the stone was no longer, the Sage brought his hands together and focused for a moment. His power reached far, and soon enough found its target.
It was time for him to see his dear brother.
Hamura deserved his own rest now that his oath to him had been finally fulfilled. Just as his mother, his brother had been denied peace for far too long. And now... it was time he rectified that.
A torrent of powerful chakra began to take shape behind Hagoromo, moments after he called out to his brother. The Sage turned around and greeted Hamura with a wistful smile.
His brother's spirit appeared in the same form as he remembered him on the day of his departure to the moon, many centuries ago, wearing a long white robe adorned with black magatama symbols.
Hamura returned his brother's smile. "It's been a while, brother," he spoke.
"A rather long while..." Hagoromo replied, his voice trailing off in melancholic silence.
The silence didn't last for long, though, as Hamura quickly addressed his brother once more.
"I'm happy for you, Hagoromo."
Hagoromo couldn't help the upturning of his mouth as he looked at his brother's softly smiling face. Hamura had always been unwavering in his support of him. Always there for him. Ever loyal and dutiful... It brought him great joy to see him again.
"Thank you, Hamura," the Sage voiced softly. "I'm truly happy to see you again."
The younger Ōtsutsuki placed a hand on Hagoromo's shoulder. "Me too, brother. Me too."
Another brief silence passed between the brothers, though this time Hagoromo was the one to break it after a few moments.
"It may take a while, but I will make this world even more lustrous than during our time," the Sage spoke solemnly. "No more foolish mistakes from now on."
Hamura's visage was marred by a slight frown upon hearing that. "Stop being so harsh on yourself, brother. Your work is finally over. You've mended the world once and for all. Peace is but a matter of time now."
Hagoromo gave his brother a pensive smile. "It's not truly over yet. There is one last thing I need to do. I won't be able to rest until I do so..." he replied. "I have to see a mankind of another world..."
Hamura's features softened while he listened to his older brother's words. "Hagoromo..." he whispered as he seemed to understand what his brother's intentions were. "If that is the case, then I have nothing else to say. I hope that you will find what you seek, and that it will help you gain your peace of mind, dear brother."
"Thank you, Hamura," the Sage voiced with a small smile. "It means a lot to me."
"I know," the slightly younger Ōtsutsuki replied in a soft tone.
The two brothers looked at each other for a few more moments, before Hamura spoke once again.
"I think it is time I joined our mother in the Pure World. She is probably getting lonely up there without neither of us by her side."
Hagoromo felt a tinge of amusement at his brother's words. Hamura really missed their mother, despite how much he might have tried to conceal it. Then again, he would have probably been the same had he not spoken to her a while ago.
"Alright, brother," the Sage agreed. "She also probably wishes to tell you something rather important as well."
Hamura quirked his brow in curiosity at that, before a look of surprise showed on his face when realization struck him. "What did she say, brother? Is she okay?" he quickly asked, sounding rather concerned.
Hagoromo nodded. "She is well now," he replied. "Though it is not my place to tell you what she has revealed to me. I am sure that mother wishes to tell you herself once the two of you meet in the Pure World."
The younger Ōtsutsuki seemed to calm down once he heard that. "Very well, brother," he said, giving Hagoromo a one armed hug. "Then I shall be going now."
Hagoromo returned his younger brother's hug. "Farewell, Hamura," he said with a smile.
"Farewell, Hagoromo," Hamura replied with a smile of his own, before his form began to flicker back into motes of chakra.
The Sage brought one hand in prayer once he felt Hamura's soul finally ascend to the afterlife, though his eyes slightly widened in surprise when he saw how the dispersed chakra was converging around him.
Hagoromo shook his head with a small smile playing on his lips at his brother's gesture. Even in death, Hamura still gave his utmost to support him... Such was the bond between them. So strong that not even time, nor death could hope to ever shake it.
Enjoy your rest...
Mother...
Hamura...
The Sage dwelt upon his thoughts for a while longer, before a tired sigh escaped his lips. He was almost done. Only one last thing remained now.
To find his own conclusion.
Hagoromo's mismatched gaze suddenly focused on the space in front of him. The fabric of the world immediately complied to his will and began to unravel itself apart. Space-time unraveled itself at the seams with a ripping sound, until a pitch-black abyss of nothingness was revealed to the Sage.
Hagoromo stared at the abyss for a moment, before his lips curled in anticipation. A moment later, he stepped inside the void, willing the fissure to mend itself in his wake.
The Sage's departure was swift, though his destination yet unknown. With the only witnesses being the two snuffed out braziers at the far end of the now empty and dark chamber.
2005/05/10 10:00 [Unknown Location]
A young man who looked like he was in his early twenties sat perched atop the highest point of a tall and slim tower-like building, his long snow-white tresses being gently ruffled and swept by the cool spring wind as he silently observed the city beneath his feet.
Pale eyes swept absentmindedly over the vast scenery of a city buzzing with activity as their owner seemed to be lost within his own thoughts.
A particularly strong breeze blew past him and slightly crinkled the collar of the white full-length kimono that he was wearing, exposing more of the pale skin beneath it.
The young man reached with his hands and smoothed his collar back in place, his fingers slightly brushing over one of the six onyx coloured magatama embroidered on its white fabric.
A moment later he raised himself from his seated position, his hands already in the process of straightening his garb, before he sent a curious glance at the rather loose left sleeve of his priestly robe.
He didn't seem to be surprised when twin sickly-yellow eyes suddenly opened to meet his gaze, followed by a large grin that exposed numerous jagged teeth as the black mass resting on the inside of the young man's kimono started to speak, its deep voice slightly echoing through the wind.
"Father, this world seems to be quite interesting, and the humans around here appear to be much more peaceful as well."
The young man hummed in agreement to the words spoken by the creature hiding inside his left sleeve.
"Indeed, Alduin. This world appears to be quite fascinating, judging by what I have observed until now. I have high hopes for these humans," he replied to the creature. "Although lacking chakra for obvious reasons, they had instead focused themselves on scientific research and development. This civilisation is much more advanced than that of our own world in many aspects."
The next couple minutes were spent in silence, before the creature previously introduced as Alduin spoke once again, its tone taking on a curious note.
"How do you intend to proceed with this, father?"
The silver haired young man looked thoughtful for a moment, before he delivered his response, his calm tone holding a melodious tune to it.
"Hmm, I suppose that the most indicated way of approaching this matter would be to first familiarise with the dialect spoken by the people of this place," he paused to point at the city below his feet that completely oblivious to their existence. "Then we can move on to finding a reliable source of information to study this world's history and see how it compares to our own."
Alduin seemed to waste no time with its reply. "I see."
The young man gave one last glance in the direction of the busy city streets below and spoke. "Well then, let us proceed."
Following that, the young figure instantly vanished from his position atop the tall tower, his movement swift and unseen, just like the wind that carried his previous words. The sole indication of his momentary presence being perhaps some briefly displaced air.
2005/05/10 A few hours ago [Unknown Location]
In the centre of a large domed building coloured with a purple tint, there could be seen a large floating construct resembling a throne of some kind.
Sat upon the aforementioned construct was a towering individual that reached up to a few tens of feet in height, its imposing figure being further complimented by the jagged, bone-white throne that it occupied.
This entity appeared barely humanoid at a first glance and resembled more of a huge creature made of machinery.
It possessed a large skull-like head, from the back of which purple hair spiked out, as well as a crown and a large dark cloak with various ornaments attached to it that covered his towering form.
Several feet away from this imposing figure, another rather peculiar individual could be seen.
The individual in question was actually a dark skinned, purple eyed girl of short stature, with her white hair styled in two ponytails, each of them held by an ornament.
Her attire consisted of a pink vest, white leggings and purple shoes, and she also possessed a black tail with a pointed tip, as well as a small golden trumpet strapped to her left side.
Suddenly, the towering individual shifted his attention to a floating screen located to the left of his jagged throne once he noticed it emit a brief, static noise.
"Hmm?" the entity sounded, its deep, intrigued voice reverberating throughout the enclosed space of the chamber.
Upon hearing the towering figure's voice, the childlike-looking girl paused from her reading of what looked like a shōjo manga and sent a questioning look toward the middle of the room.
"What happened, Deus?" she asked in a somewhat bored tone.
The entity identified as Deus looked at his diminutive servant and spoke, his voice taking on a curious note.
"Just now, there had been a disruption in the space-time continuum above Sakurami City, Murmur."
The young, tanned girl known as Murmur returned back to her reading, though she still maintained the half-hearted conversation she had going with the other being.
"Did you find out whatever it was that caused this disturbance?"
Deus slightly narrowed his eyes in what appeared to be concentration, and after a few moments he responded, his tone becoming even more intrigued by what he seemed to find.
"How interesting! I wasn't able to identify the cause of this phenomenon. Whenever I try to locate it, something seems to be blocking me, and I can't ascertain exactly what it is that is interfering with my searching. Thus, if I were to guess, I would say that it is an unknown, something not bound by this world's laws of causality."
From the look of it, it seemed that Deus' statement easily managed to draw Murmur's undivided attention.
"An unknown you say?" she asked, sounding somewhat skeptical. "You know... this is actually the first time when something like this happens, and from the data that you managed to gather, it looks like this entity had literally tore a hole in the world's boundaries with its arrival."
As soon as she was done speaking, Murmur continued to look in the towering being's direction as she waited for his reply.
Deus spent the following couple minutes deep in thought, and once he seemed to realise something, he quickly checked the several screens that suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of his throne.
"Hmm, so it is indeed exactly as I suspected..." he muttered as his long, bony fingers typed on a weird device that resembled a keyboard of some kind.
Murmur was staring at Deus in mild confusion while listening to him mutter something intelligible to himself.
"Eh? What did you find?" the diminutive girl asked curiously.
Deus glanced at Murmur and spoke with a chuckle.
"More likely what I did not find," he paused to glance once more at the screens floating in front of him and double check his results. "Regardless of what method I try to use, something continues to interfere with my search. Which means that it is completely impossible to track down this unknown. I am afraid that we will not be able to reach any satisfying conclusion until we actually come into contact with whomever or whatever had been the cause of this."
Following his words another period of silence settled amidst the occupants of the room as the both of them returned to their previous activities.
The was truly no point in fretting about this unknown entity if they could not even locate it to begin with.
Besides, if Deus was to consider the magnitude of the time-space continuum displacement that had occurred at the time of this anomaly's arrival, then he was certain that they would be meeting it very soon, as it should definitely come to greet them in the near future.
Several hours earlier [Unknown Location — Hagoromo's Universe]
Dispassionately piercing with its awe-inspiring splendour through the macabre sight of an apocalyptic battlefield, a majestic tree of colossal height stood tall amidst tens of thousands of corpses and mangled remains that were painting the soil beneath them with their freshly spilt lifeblood.
In the not too far distance, atop a small cliff, the figure of a young man, with pale skin and a transparent veil over his head, stood calmly. He seemed to be unperturbed by the people which had been mercilessly massacred below his feet, and simply gazed at the bloodstained scenery with slight boredom reflected in his pale and pupil-less eyes.
However, upon a closer look, it could be seen that his lips were slightly curled into a tiny smile as he admired the destruction and bloodshed in the distance.
He might have been rather displeased by the performance of those lowly beings, though he had at least been content with their screams and pleas for mercy once they were felled under his gaze.
At first, he had thought that they might be interesting enough to entertain him for a while, though much to his great disappointment, once he had arrived on their planet he was met with pathetic resistance. They quickly proved to be nothing but a boring distraction to him, so he simply ordered his companion to proceed slaughtering the lot of them.
If nothing else, their disposable existences should manage to at least provide him with a semblance of entertainment as they were used to cultivate his power. The magnificent energy that he loved to taste and delight himself with.
And fortunately, in the end, they had proved to be less of a letdown, as the entertainment provided by their gruesome deaths had been enough to keep him from getting too bored.
Putting an end to his musings for the time being, the young man with pale-blue hair and a pair of flat, curved horns atop his head decided to once again check how much power he had managed to accumulate so far.
Focusing on the gigantic tree in the distance, he sensed for the amount of power currently housed within it, and not even a moment later, his lips formed into a pleased smile.
In less than a month he would be able to harvest so much delicious power from this planet, that only the simple thought of him consuming it was enough to send a pleasant shiver down his spine.
Just as he was about to return back to his musings, something truly unexpected completely seized his attention.
A wave of power so enormous and potent that it had entirely overwhelmed his senses suddenly washed over him, leaving him in a daze as he could do nothing but simply marvel at the indescribable feeling of delight that it stirred within his being.
For a full minute he stood unmoving atop his cliff, his pale eyes widened and holding a manic glint to them while his hands tightly gripped the fabric of his white robe and baggy pants as short gasps escaped his mouth.
After a couple more minutes he managed to recompose himself to the degree that only his delicate features were still being set into an expression of utmost delight, as the incredible memory of that surge of power was still very fresh in his mind.
Quickly letting go of his slightly ruffled robe and pants, the pale-blue haired young man finally composed himself and straightened his garments, before his thoughts once more drifted to the ecstatic feeling lingering in his mind.
Unfortunately, his musings were cut very short when, not even a moment later, a deep and very familiar voice caught his attention.
"Are you alright, Lord Momoshiki?"
The young man gazed at the hulking giant with short spiky, blue-grey hair in front of him, and despite the slight annoyance that he felt at being interrupted from his reminiscing, his visage held a pleasant smile, for he simply felt too euphoric to let himself be displeased by anything.
"Yes, Kinshiki," Momoshiki replied softly. "In fact, I have never felt as wonderful as I am feeling right now."
The towering individual gave a small, respectful nod to the young man in front of him, before dropping the body that he had been holding in one of his big hands, letting it fall off the cliff and join the many others below.
After a few moments of silence, the burly giant spoke once again.
"Lord Momoshiki, what should we do in regard to that massive surge of power from before?"
Hearing his companion's question, the horned individual allowed a soft chuckle to escape his lips.
"For now, we do nothing," he replied while idly playing with several red tinted pills that he retrieved from his robe. "There are not enough cinnabar panacea left for us to travel that far through time-space, so we will have to wait until we can harvest enough power from this place."
Kinshiki acknowledged his superior's orders with a respectful nod, before asking one last question out of simple curiosity. "Lord Momoshiki, how do you think that Kaguya had created such a powerful cinnabar panacea?"
Momoshiki gained a thoughtful look once he registered that.
From what he knew about Kaguya and her seedbed, she had arrived there a very long time ago, somewhere between a millennium or two, and during all of that time she had not managed to grow even one cinnabar panacea, all the while he had obtained countless ones during the past thousand years.
And yet, through some means that were still unknown to him, when she had finally grown the cinnabar panacea, she had somehow produced one of unbelievable power.
For her cinnabar panacea to be so potent that its power was felt from the other side of the galaxy...
He could not understand how she was able to obtain such a marvellous fruit.
"I am not exactly sure," Momoshiki replied after a few moments of contemplation. "But after I take that delightful power from her, I will be more than glad to also inquire for the answer to your question, Kinshiki," his lips slowly formed into an unnerving smile. "One way, or another..."