Higher Powers by Wordsworthy
Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.
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Chapter 25: Another Beginning
What the…
"V-Vivio! What the heck are you doing here!? Oof!"
Before I could finish expressing my surprise and disbelief, the blonde in question had charged into me in what might have been a flying tackle slash hug, taking the wind out of me while sending me flying back.
"Baka! What were you thinking leaving me alone like that!? Do you know how worried I had been! Jerk! Ahou! That means idiot times two in Japanese, you IDIOT!" screamed the said blonde, bawling into my chest before tightening her grip around me. Strangely enough, I felt both glad and upset at seeing her here.
"I'm sorry for making you so worried… but you really shouldn't be here. Don't take it the wrong way, but you're the last person I wanted to see at the moment. If anything should happen to you, who should I save the world for?" I said softly, stroking the blonde tresses that I loved so much.
"That's why you're an idiot… you really think I can live on without you now that I know for sure how much I love you? You could have just waited, joined the fleet, attacked together and then go back home together like a hero…" mumbled Vivio softly as she looked up at me with those shining eyes.
"No… I'm no hero. I'm not risking my life for the world, only you. Besides… that's not possible… there won't be a return journey for me… I have only one shot to deal with Yuber, and that spell will definitely take my life in exchange. My future was to end in a few moments…" Miscoloured eyes widened in alarm as she took in the information.
"Lazlo… you can't…"
I gave a sad laugh at that. "You're right, I can't anymore. If I unleashed that spell, it might save the world and everything, but you'll die along with me trapped within Yuber's Chaos Shield. There would be no point in it anymore."
I felt her hands untangle from my waist before wrapping around my left arm. "No matter what, I'm here now and there's no way I'll let you die alone. Besides, what type of Tenkai star will I be if I can't protect the soul of my most important person?"
I arched my eyebrow at that.
"You're the Tenkai star!?"
"Yep. Leknaat-san wanted me to pass a message: you were never meant to be the Tenkai, but rather the Tenei, he who protects and guides the Tenkai. Surprised? But there's more."
My beloved flashed me an impudent grin before raising her right hand where a familiar pale green light glowed brilliantly.
"Surprise!"
"True Wind… Luc's…"
Her head nodded lightly as she snuggled further into me. "Luc-san chose me as the successor of the True Wind and told me to take care of you. I plan to keep that promise, mind, body, soul and all."
I was at a loss for words. I turned to look at Persmerga and Yuber still clashing head to head evenly in the distance, but that's only because Yuber hasn't turned the Hachifusa's powers on him yet. Now's the opening I had be waiting for. It's either now or never…
"What is it that you want to do then Vivio, my beloved star?" I asked, giving the stage back to its rightful owner.
"I… I want to save the world, or rather worlds. Even though it's no longer for me, you nor us, I still have my family and friends to think about, people I wish to save and have survived with a future." Vivio replied, with eyes so steeled with resolve that reminded me of the former…
"Fine then. To save the world my beloved wants saved… that's a good enough reason for me. But are you sure?"
The blonde head bobbed up and down.
"It'll hurt…"
Her hands squeezed tightly around my left as she burrowed her head into the nook of my shoulder.
"No it won't."
"Alright then."
I smiled gently at her as I called out to my white sword.
"Yukishiro, reopen the design for Martyr's Call. Create an additional power linkage to Vivio's Right hand, and extend the Chain system around both our bodies."
"Yes my sovereign. Commencing adjustments now." replied her digital voice.
"Velvet Lancer, help Yukishiro as best you can with the adjustments." commanded Vivio of her device.
"Affirmative, my friend." acknowledged her device.
"Thanks, you guys, for everything." I said, expressing my gratitude towards the two swords for their help and eventual sacrifice as blue circuits began extending and entwining around both Vivio and myself.
"It's been my honour my sovereign."
"Bitte, my friend."
As the last of the circuits was being completed and saved, I turned towards the two battling black knights before a wry smile crept back to my face.
"You're doing your suspicious smile thingy again." commented my beloved blonde with amusement on her face.
"Shall we give Yuber one last omiyage for all the trouble he's caused? Our chapter doesn't seem complete without giving him a good thrashing."
Vivio gave a cute chuckle, one that I added to my list of what I loved about my beloved blonde.
"Why not?"
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After a series of clashes, a heavy downward slash by large runic sword found itself blocked by two thinner black blades as the two black knights sought to overwhelm the other through their raw power and vicious attacks, slashing wildly at each other with abandon. The blades eventually ended up in another deadlocked as the two knights snarled and taunted at each other during this brief reprieve.
"Why won't you give a rest Persmerga? You know you can't defeat me, ever!"
"You're still as annoying as ever Yuber!"
At that moment, the two knights suddenly felt a powerful yet familiar presence to their left and turned in time to see a certain blonde swordsmen appear out of thin air while a digital voice sounded out.
"Kamaitachi."
The swordsman flashed past the two knights while opening a gash on the torso of the owner of the two black blades.
"Damn you Island Bo…"
Before he could complete his curse, another voice sounded from behind him.
"Sonic Move UE."
A white and purple blade impaled into him from behind with extreme velocity, causing him to lurch forwards slightly, giving the white blade enough time to announce another attack as the other ripped its own path out violently from one side of the demon.
"Silhouette Cut."
Eight images of the blonde swordsman appeared and tore through the demon sword-first as white blades cut his body in eight different directions, eventually rejoining into one behind the demon before calling out to the other black knight.
"Persmerga!"
The said black knight had charged up his sword with raw runic energy during the quick double team attack and unleashed a scathing slash attack upon the call to do so, sending the other black knight reeling helplessly through space momentarily before he regained control of himself.
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"Why you…" growled Yuber as his sudden numerous wounds struggled to close itself together. He raised his right hand and dark energy began to cackle around it when Lazlo appeared out from nowhere once again and aimed a Kamaitachi for that right hand, hoping to tear the rune out along with the arm, forcing the demon to block with his own blades, hence interrupting the spell.
Yuber howled at the audacity of the blonde swordsman and was about to bring his other sword into a slash when he noticed another white and purple blade gunning for his right hand, barely keeping it attached as he made another hasty block. At that moment, Lazlo called out to Persmerga.
"Persmerga, keep Yuber and his right hand occupied. Buy us some time."
The black knight with the lone runic sword roared in acknowledgement and continued the attempts to take the other knight's arm off, resulting in a renewed series of clashes between the two. Except this time, the heavily wounded Yuber was having trouble fending off the frenzied attacks of the other as effectively as before and was gradually losing ground as desperation set in.
By this time, Vivio had flown next to Lazlo and the two nodded at each other.
"Yukishiro, activate the final spell. I'll rename it The Last Duet."
"Program name accepted. Commencing."
The previous magic circuit reappeared and entwined around the two blondes rapidly as the magical energy began to flow from their runes into their respective swords. Vivio's hands tightened her hold on Lazlo's when the blue circuits around them started to glow increasingly brighter, eventually turning to white as the energies started their amplification phase, circulating mammoth amounts of runic energy around the circuits and their bodies. The two of them could feel their bodies start disintegrating from the supercharged powers of Wind and Punishment, the intensity of raw indescribable pain as their own existences begin to come apart, but yet their hands remained interlocked more tightly then ever. Their swords began to crack and crumble under duress from the intensity of the energy gathered before their images were lost to a blinding explosion of white light.
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The sudden flash of light distracted Persmerga only slightly, but it was enough for Yuber to charge enough energy in his right hand to unleash a searing black fireball at him, blowing him halfway across the length of the sphere. Turning to the source of the helpful flash, he flashed his favourite maniacal grin.
"Hahaha! So you did have something up your sleeve. Well, let's see if it can stand up against the power of the Hachifusa now! How fun is that!? Hahaha."
The glow of the Beast and Sovereign Runes concealed within his body began to dim even further, coming dangerously close to the blink of extinguishment, while the the Hachifusa glowed with an even more severe black light. From the extended hand of the demon, a wall-like wave of pure and complete darkness expanded outwards towards the white light amidst the hysterical laughter of anticipation and perverse excitement.
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Meanwhile, the battle outside the shield was all but over as the remaining rune bearers made short work of more than half of the summoned creatures; either through directly banishing the summoned creatures with the force of their own True Runes, as in the case of Milia, Sierra, the Star Dragon Sword and Takamachi Shiro, or by extreme combat magic, as in the case of the remaining four Elemental Runes, the Souleater and the two halves of the Rune of Beginning. The other mages were mopping up the few packs of creatures remaining when they began to fade and dissipate into black particles. Just as the fleet was wondering what happened, a large flash of light appeared from within the dark sphere, illuminating it enough for the mages to peer through it.
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Both Riou and Jowy winced a little as their runes began to glow fiercely as what lay previously hidden within the shield gradually came into view.
"Riou?, Jowy? What's the matter?" asked Tir in concern for their expressions of pain.
"The Black Sword Rune… It's… excited…" answered Jowy slowly.
"The Bright Shield Rune too." added Riou who was clutching his hand.
"What the…" commented Sierra as a large vertical column of white light came into view, followed by a wall of darkness.
"No way… it's…" began an astonished Takamichi Shiro.
"The Sword and the Shield…" finished all the stunned rune bearers at once.
Being the only one with memories from the last time something like this happened, the Star Dragon Sword barked an order at the awestruck people before it.
"Don't just stand there gawking like freaking idiots! We need to get EVERYONE out of here! NOW! HURRY!"
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Within the column of intense white light, despite their bodies having ceased to exist, despite their devices having crumbled into nothingness, Lazlo and Vivio's hands remained intertwined, their consciousness still present as it stayed connected to the very mass of energy that they had created for now.
"Lazlo? Are we dead?" the blonde girl asked curiously.
"Who knows? That's something I haven't tried yet." came the amused reply which earned another chuckle from the girl.
"A first for anything, right?"
Lazlo looked into the distance and saw the black wall of darkness advancing towards them.
"Shall we finish what we started?" he asked gently.
"Let's."
With that, the two lovers directed their will towards the column of light.
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The white column of light created by the sacrifice of two lovers slashed downwards against the wall of darkness created by the demon. The two powers clashed head on unto each other, one assuming the form of the proverbial sword, but one borne not out of destruction but rather of a desire to protect the continuation of life while the other took the form of the proverbial shield, one that aims to foster destruction and to protect the ambitions of the darkness and the end, neither willing to admit defeat to the other. Eventually, the energy from the conflict began to build up before finally, it reached critical mass and a second explosion of energy, one greater than any previously known in history save its very beginning erupted into being, shattering the persistent Chaos Shield that had enclosed them as though it was made of flimsy glass.
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As the pent up energy from the two powers exploded outwards, disintegrating everything formerly within the sphere, the two captured True Runes were released from the body of a certain black figure as he was thrown backwards by the unforeseen violence of the explosion. Growling once again in frustration at having come so close, the gradually disintegrating black knight tried to reach for at least one of the Runes that he had dropped with a slowly fragmenting arm when he felt a familiar runic sword pierce through his back again. He turned around and snarled at the madly grinning face behind.
"YOU!!!"
"HAHAHA!" exclaimed the other black knight as he lapsed into maniacal laughter reminiscent of the former.
"I have you now… Now die, Brother! Die by my hand and the Hachifusa will be MINE!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE…!"
The two figures began tousling between each other once again as they eventually disintegrated into nothingness as well, back into the darkness that spawned them.
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The light of the cataclysmic explosion gradually began to fade. Just as in the proverbial sword and the shield, everything caught in the conflict was shattered, leaving only four symbols in its wake, each shining brilliantly as though they were reborn anew from the jewels once again. Might this be a beginning or an end, history shall decide. For history has been allowed to continue… for now.
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Author's Notes:
Finally the final conflict. How do you think? I might edit it further if I have the time, but since I'm pretty tired at this point, I'll leave it as this for now. I've always intended for it to resemble the creation myth, so I hope it looks somewhat like it.
The bit with Persmerga and Yuber is purely my own conceptualisation, so please take it to be true only in context of my story, with a pinch of salt. It's my take on why the two look so much alike and also explains why one is so adamant of chasing down the other to kill him. Perhaps the Hachifusa created two vessels so that they'll have competition which will make them stronger in the long run? It could happen.
As usual, please review. This chapter is still subject to revision, so any good suggestions might still be used.
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Omake 22: Did I forget something?
(While L and V were still suspended in the column of light.)
L: Hmmm…
V: What is it L?
L: I can't help thinking I've forgotten to do something…
V: What? Is it something to do with the spell? It won't backfire will it?
L: Well… not exactly, although we are risking a whole lot of collateral damage by casting it.
V: … What else could you have forgotten at this crucial point of time?
L: Oh yes, I remember now. It's exactly because it's this crucial point of time.
V: Huh… what are you…
(V backs away slightly before being scooped up in a princess cradle.)
L (whispering into V's ears): We seem to have forgotten the most important thing.
V (shivering slightly as L's breath tickled her ear): L-L… you can't be serious… h-here? N-now?
L (claims her lips softly): Of course. What type of romantic ending would this be without our last kiss.
V (finally let out the breath she's holding): O-Oh… so that's what you mean…
L (with that suspicious smile again): Oh… you sound disappointed. What kind of naughty things did you thinking I would be doing, my little star?
V (her head finally explodes in multiple shades of red): L!!! MOU! You're impossible!
L (smirks as he got what he was aiming for): I know. I'm an impossibility.