Welcome to 'Limit', the beacon to the finale!
This story has experienced a massive makeover, friends. This chapter didn't enter my plans until yesterday, thanks to two certain sources of inspiration. Participation in KH2 battles gave birth to this chapter, and my very dear friend brought about an extra-special surge of inspiration. I hope I do a great job on 'Limit', for I'll need all of the skill I can get!
I was just a witness to another captivating story, 'Blackmail'. The author is carving their way into the 'Gravitation' fanfiction world with that masterpiece, which is their first masterpiece. Reading it made my think of 'Kakumei', which was my first Gravi fic. We've all come so far!
Anyone that can pinpoint the inspirational source for this chapter's name gets a Batman cookie! Just kidding, nya!
Theme of 'Limit': 'Nobody Battle Theme' of Kingdom Hearts 2, 'Hurry!' of Final Fantasy X OST
Time was a formidable opponent. It could torment its victims in several ways. It could crawl through the stream of life at the speed of light, or it could flash right by them with the brutal amusement of a exultant lion. At the moment, it was flashing by the combatants at the speed of sound, and none of them were enjoying its reign of terror.
Hiroshi Nakano, who had been appointed the Summoner of the group, looked into Eiri Uesugi's fearful face. Like a child that had been placed onto center stage without notice, he could feel his heart drumming within his shivering chest. Within seconds he conjured up a plan and delivered it, gazing into his terrified friend's eyes.
"I've got this figured out! Eiri, you go on ahead with Niha!"
Shuichi's hero looked at him as if he had gone certifiably insane. Evidently, he had no wish to leave them behind in a mass of destruction.
"You've got to be out of your mind! I'm not leaving this spot!"
The guitarist, for the very first time, was in the middle of a foreign situation. The walls around him were crumbling, falling into pieces of oblivion. The cries of demons were flooding the cold air, the ground was trembling beneath their very feet, and time was slapping all of them in the face. However, within the bleak sea of chaos, the Summoner was able to come up with a solution. With calm, benevolent eyes, he took the novelist's hands and sent a wave of affection through his friend's heart. He spoke to the worried warrior, his voice perfectly calm and gentle.
"I've got this. Go and do what you have to do. We'll be fine."
Apprehension filled Eiri's eyes as he gazed into Hiro's affectionate ones. Within seconds, memories of his confession flashed through the author's mind and sent even more tremors through his quivering heart. Within a short amount of time, he had become immensely close to the softhearted musician and had no desire to place any burden on him. Unfortunately, his fatherly concern was dominated by Hiroshi's confidence. The guitarist squeezed his hands urgently and placed his eyes on K, who was sailing through the air with banners of gunfire. Reiji had placed a shield over their fallen comrades, but since she wasn't skilled in the art of protection, the shield of a Solar Mage was incredibly weak compared to the shield of a Priest. Her face was contorted in pain, which had been born from the excruciating amount of effort her body had to endure. K was unable to hold himself up with his full strength either; the gunmaster had suffered several wounds through the first phase of the battle, and they were massive hindrances.
Hiro could understand why Eiri was so reluctant to leave. The blade warrior had experienced resurgence, and wanted to bestow more of his assistance upon his friends. The Summoner was unwilling to let him stay, though; he had a job to do, and Hiro had his. Both of them were going to fulfill their ends of their duties, no matter what the cost.
"We'll be fine! Go on ahead, okay?"
In a short period of time, all of them had become close to Eiri. Prior to the trip, they were all meaningless entities to him; he had barely acknowledged them, and they had never really given him the time of day. Now they were all tied to each other, through a bond that was thicker than the thickest blood. The novelist loved them all dearly...and they loved the novelist.
Which was why they wanted him to kick Deus' ass.
Eiri's eyes fell onto Niha's urgent features. His gentle, ethereal eyes (which were still radiant with silver lightning), were filled with a mixture of elements; reluctance, confusion and fear. Hiroshi took one last look at Niha, delivered a nod at her, then resumed his play within the fray. Niha's charge looked like a stunned puppy, one that was being asked to listen to ten commands at once.
I can't just leave them here!
Time continued to strike all of them in flashes. Niha took her charge by the shoulders and shook him gently, her eyes bearing the gentle eloquence of an oncoming storm. Her facial expression wasn't different from the expression of a horrified scientist, one that had just lost every single one of his beliefs. Fear was all over her face, combined with vigorous urgency and wrath. However, her fury wasn't directed at her beloved Eiri. It was being sent at another target.
"Peita, place your heart within your friends. You will be reunited with them, have no fear. We must leave. Now."
Two minutes elapsed.
Two hearts were dashing through the palace halls, searching for an empyrean chamber. The ground refused to allow them a smooth flight; it continued to release violent shivers under their feet, and cold winds continued to howl at their backs. Both of them felt as if they were in the midst of Armageddon, for the entire world was crumbling beneath their very feet. The walls were covered in black blankets, winds were implausibly cold, and the skies were horrendously dark. Within seconds, their entire world had been transformed into a black battleground. One heart truly felt as if he were locked in a suspense film, for he had only experienced Armageddon through portals known as 'novels'. Now he was in the center of his own tale, witnessing the depth of blossoming destruction.
Lady Niha was the other entity, pouring all of her heart and soul into the task at hand. She had to take Eiri Uesugi to the palace's sacred chamber, and she was determined to achieve that goal at any cost. She could feel her affection for the hero grow with every rapid footstep, but she refused to submit to unnecessary emotions. Her charge was destined to be with the most beautiful angel; she had no right to interfere. Fortunately for her, she had no desire to do so. Her mind was on objective and one objective only; getting Eiri to her palace's chamber.
Eiri took Niha by the arm and continued his flight, propelled by fear and tension. Within mere seconds, he discovered the true power behind a human's emotions. Any emotion had the potential to be a savage, merciless weapon; it could drive humans to do extraordinary events. He had no idea what the chamber held for him, but he knew from the look on Niha's face that it was extremely important.
Seconds flew by at the speed of sound. If someone had said that time was afraid of the current destruction, no one would have corrected them. It seemed to have feet of its own, and it had no wish to linger around the current chaos. With every passing second the skies of Anuryn became darker, the winds around them became colder, the ground quickened its pace...
...every element of Anuryn was filled with fear.
Ten seconds.
A cry of pain tore itself from Lady Niha's throat, and the svelte sovereign was sent several miles into the ground. Before Eiri had a chance to react to the abrupt cry, a massive beam of light eliminated his vision for several seconds. Its departure brought about the source of Niha's distress; another dark entity clothed in a black robe. The mysterious entity, who had appeared out of oblivion, had created an enormous blast and tossed it at Niha (who was fuming at the seams). The beauteous sovereign hated surprises and right before her was a hideous one.
Eiri rushed over to the fallen sovereign and instantly found out how much she loathed surprise attacks. She didn't seem like the type to be taken off-guard, and she evidently believed that with all of her heart. He assisted the fuming princess with her recovery, his face gleaming with concern. She wiped off that concern with a towel of wrath, muttering curses in her native language.
"I believe we have a friend, Niha."
The beauteous, slender sovereign looked into her beloved's face. Her eyes were fiery, like the jewels of an offended lioness. "Yes, I believe we do." she snapped, her voice blazing with hatred. She took one look at the offender and growled. "I believe I know him too, peita."
Eiri hurriedly shifted his gaze to the attacker, and then back onto Niha. He had the demeanor of a calm librarian, but he was far from calm. "I don't think we have any time to deal with friends, Niha." he said softly, his own voice emitting anxiety. "We have to book it, and fast. Our visitor may not notice it, but the world's kinda crumbling around us. We have business elsewhere."
As if on cue, their new friend removed his head from the confinement of his black hood. As soon as his identity found the surface, Eiri placed himself into a fighting stance. Silver lightning blanketed his daggers, blazed through his eyes and found his heart, then sent his entire soul through resurgence. The sixth sense of a canine kicked in and told him that their new visitor meant serious trouble. Some instinct was telling him their black-robed friend had something to do with the crumbling atmosphere.
Niha recognized the entity in a flash. Red fire surged through her eyes as she gripped her spear, her face gleaming with rage. If her voice had taken on the form of a lioness, an average human would have died on the spot from fear.
"CHA'TA! MIKANA TUR'IELAN!"
Their attacker was a muscular man, one with obsidian black hair and finely tuned features. Blue marbles were within his eye sockets, glimmering with the sickening devilishness of a merciless predator. Pride was dancing around in those marbles, and each muscle was in tune to the melody of dark vehemence. He was a middle-aged warrior, one that was only a few years older than Eiri. One glance at his face would have told someone that he was an ancient deity, hellbent on inflicting permanent pain. Niha, however, saw the truth to his identity.
"Sigurd!"
Sigurd, who had once been a part of the palace's priesthood, transformed his smile into a rapturous grin. His eyes gleamed with red light, shining like the dark eyes of a black panther. "That's right, Queen." he said sweetly, his voice dripping with demonic ecstasy. His blue marbles were slowly transcending themselves into the state of blood-red jewels. "I've come to tell you and your friend that the world is coming to an end."
"What do you mean?" Niha shouted, placing her body into a stance that would prepare her for instant battle. She was obviously an individual that had a low tolerance for nonsense. Beating around the bush wasn't one of her favorite games.
Sigurd, a former Priest of Anuryn's palace, folded his arms elegantly. There was a confident smirk about his face, one that told his new 'friends' that he was about to burst into laughter. He was like a toddler, a child that knew a very rare secret. The cocky smile upon his face gave birth to a fierce desire within Eiri; the novelist felt like tearing the former Priest to shreds. What came next absolutely horrified him, though, and completely eliminated his hatred.
"It's about the heavens. I believe they've been...shall I say...corrupted?"
If Niha had been a canine, she would have launched herself at Sigurd in foaming rage.
She placed a firm, painful grip upon her spear. Her eyes would have destroyed an average adult.
"FILTHY CUR! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF CORRUPTION! YOU DO NOT POSSESS THE POWER TO TAINT SUCH PURE LIGHT!"
"I do not have the power...but..."
Nausea, who had become a close friend of Eiri's within the dining area, returned in a hurry. It practically had a smile about it, and with it came a ton of suitcases.
"...I believe Deus does."
"What are you trying to say, you fucking bastard?"
Eiri's voice was fierce. He had evidently suffered enough pain, and wanted to put an end to all of it. Shuichi Shindou's smile began to drift through his heart, but he desperately tried to ignore it. If he had acknowledged it, it would have poured a pound of fatal fear through his bloodstream, which was already cold...
"I'm trying to say that Deus has the upper hand. He has pulled apart the heavens, dear prince."
Fear pulled the blade master out of his current stance.
"To top it off, he's well on his way to the 'Gateway of Immortality'. It won't be much longer now."
Humans experienced the true depth of emotion through grave challenges. After a rainstorm came true jubilance; after a shocking reverie came insurmountable grief. Humans were always presented with many chances to endure life's stream, and each human handled their situations in their own unique ways. However, they rarely experienced the incomprehensible, inexplicable state of emotions. At the moment, Eiri Uesugi was being consumed by a new degree of fear, one he had never encountered before. It was cold, unbearably cold and excruciatingly powerful. It was something that surely defied the laws of human description...
Fear was also wreaking havoc on Niha, who looked like an appalled child. Just a moment ago she had been a deadly lioness; now she was a frightened infant, one that had just been abandoned by its beliefs. Fear tore apart her beautiful features as her eyes widened, drowning in the outside world's storm. Around her, her entire palace crumbled and fell into black oblivion...
Deus had given Eiri a 'three-day' time limit.
Niha had told him that the 'Eve of Eternity' was supposed to occur. The heavens were supposed to reveal the 'Gateway to Immortality'...
...but now...something had gone horribly wrong...
In order to unlock the gateway...Deus needed Shuichi's 'key'...
"Your master gave the prince three days! The heavens are supposed to reveal the Gateway!"
Sigurd laughed at Niha's horror.
"Well, guess what? Deus became impatient."
Cold, immeasurable fear ate Eiri.
"He's close to taking your precious angel, my prince."
Sigurd's voice was far from demonic. It was unlike anything he had ever heard, and anything he wanted to hear. It was a voice that would have scarred a child, a voice that would tormented any witness...
"I do believe that the heavens made a mistake. They shouldn't have paired such a luscious treat with such a mortal."
Something seized the blade master. It was fierce, undeniably dynamic and immortal.
It was a combination of anger, pain and sorrow.
"NIHA!" Eiri shouted at the horrified sovereign, who had her hands clasped to her mouth. "GET YOURSELF TO THAT CHAMBER! I'LL MEET YOU THERE!"
Amidst a sea of black fire, Sigurd released a wave of venomous laughter.
"My master is about to find the angel's key. Would you like to know how he's searching for it?"
Eiri's daggers glimmered with a mixture of black and crimson red fire.
Their owner was beyond pissed...and beyond scared...
"He's running his hands through the angel's thighs. Slowly...slooowly...he'll hit the gold mine soon, I'm certain-"
Several things had simultaneously.
Eiri Uesugi released a roar and ignited a duel.
Hiroshi Nakano fell to the cold battleground, unconscious.
Tatsuha Uesugi dashed off in his brother's direction, closely followed by the loyal Ryuichi Sakuma.
The Lady Niha released a cry of sorrow, unable to wrestle with two options; she knew she had to rush to the palace's chamber, but the prince was facing a merciless enemy.
Claude K.Winchester peered through the broken ceiling...and saw that the world was falling.
The Demon Sovereign was guiding his hands through the angel's thighs, and he received enormous amounts of pleasure from each stroke. He was silent, but lust was clear within his black pools...
...the angel was shivering, whimpering...waiting...
...for his one true love.
Five seconds.
Eiri Uesugi and Sigurd Vainesc broke away from each other, temporarily blinded by a sheet of golden light. That light had been created from the breaking of a deadlock, which had been initiated several seconds ago. Sigurd was still smiling...smiling with indescribable evil...
"There's something else you should know too." he said, placing himself into a fighting stance. His katanas, which were entities of darkness, glimmered with demonic light within their owner's hands. "I do believe that my master tried to erase your angel's memories."
"WHAT?"
"I didn't work, unfortunately. I do believe that the angel truly loves you. If I remember correctly, he cried out these very words."
Shuichi Shindou's voice was the eighth wonder of the world. Within song, it was an undeniably phenomenal treasure, one that surpassed every melody in existence. Through speech, it was clear, pristine and wonderful; a glorious miracle to treasure.
In the tone of a heartless child, Sigurd tainted that purity.
"YOU CAN'T DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ME, BUT I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO TAKE AWAY MY MEMORIES! I LOVE YUKI, NOT YOU!"
THAT was the straw that broke Eiri's back.
His eyes were on fire. They were filled with unfathomable, bottomless hatred.
Niha was horrified.
The world was drenched in darkness.
Time was running out.
All limits had been broken.