This is gonna be a long one. I had just as much trouble with this chapter as the lost one but I'm satisfied with the thought that the general message and conclusion I wanted didn't change. I started to notice that the story was letting action take over the content of the story, so it took time to redo this chapter.

I've also decided to do something with this story that I had been debating about for a long time too. I'd actually spent half a year thinking about it and I've finally managed to reach the point that could make it all work out. You may or may not like it, though, so I guess there's some warnings there.


Chapter 51: Purpose and Redemption

Right after the battle between the Queens and the Fallen Heralds, they all immediately lunged for the top of the Tower, which was quaking and trembling like a branch in a storm. They had all certainly felt the power of the two Heralds but hadn't concentrated on it because of the chaotic fighting.

It was terrifying because they'd never felt anything like this before. Even Soludar was freaked out by sheer might the two had. Was it really possible for these two to be this strong? As they traveled the Tower, they were all nearly thrown off the magical passage they were in due to the crumbling of the Tower.

"How did those two become this strong? Not even gods can destroy planets as casually as those two." Brynhildr alluded to the previous battle, recalling how it went between the two before.

"Those two are Spirits now. They represent concepts and gain strength through those concepts. Most of us Grim Heralds just get a power boost and a new ability with new armor from the Abyss but those two have evolved. They've become so connected with their emotions that they've transcended. Praegorn, who's desperate to do anything for his desires and goals, can now draw power from 'desires'. Issei, who draws power from hate and the desire for revenge, can amplify his own strength by drawing on his desire to avenge, just as a Grim Herald is supposed to." Soludar answered.

"Shouldn't others have been able to do that too then?" Anti-Amaterasu asked.

"No, because the Light and Dark have placed limits on all of their creations, which includes all of us. The only reason why Issei and Praegorn are exempt is because Issei was a Spirit put in a Fortium body while Praegorn was turned into a Spirit when his body was destroyed and his soul was sealed. During that time, he evolved on his own, focusing on his negative emotions to break his limits by adapting the Abyss's power as his own. In comparison, everything else, like deities, mythical beasts, and mortal, have limits placed on their souls and bodies, which stop them from evolving like them. Only the Abyss has the power to break that limit because it has had no prior influence on life created by the Light and Dark, making it an unknown factor." Soludar continued.

This was so confusing and mind-boggling for the others. To think that there were so many functions and secrets behind all of creation, or more specifically, the number of back-up plans between the Light, Dark, and Abyss.

"Tell me, Soludar, can Issei beat Praegorn?" Artemis asked.

She remembered how quickly Praegorn had dispatched her father and so many others. It had started and ended within an instant. She could only be struck with shock when Praegorn displayed his strength. When comparing with what she'd seen Issei do in contrast…it concerned her.

Soludar was silent, trying to find an answer.

"I don't know. I've never seen any of them go all-out as they are now. Both are most likely the strongest Heralds but to have them fight each other, I'm unsure of the results. We can only hope that Issei will win."

It was a somber and grim note to end the topic, but that was the reality of the situation. There were just too many secrets and unknown factors to arrive at an answer.


Just as the Queens had finished their battle with the Fallen Heralds, Issei had begun his with his nemesis. Both had been dying to reach this point. Issei had also prepared for this moment in advance. Snapping his fingers, he warped the both of them into another realm, doing it almost instantly before Praegorn could even react.

It had been Issei's plan to warp Praegorn elsewhere to keep him as far away from the Crest as possible as soon as the chance arose. It helped that the Tower obeyed his will, allowing him to teleport without any issues to any place across the map of Creation.


(Final Fantasy XV OST: Magna Insomnia – Phase 1. Play Song.)

The moment the two arrived on a deserted planet, Issei attacked. That was how serious and deadly this final duel was. No one was in the mood to speak anymore. There was no argument, no banter, no toying with each other. There was only the desire to kill and win. Warping right in front of Praegorn, he went right for his neck. Gripping it with all his strength, he tried to strangle the Corrupter, even using telekinesis to keep him in place while drawing his sword at the speed of light. Praegorn had expected this approach and blasted Issei back with a beam of purple mana, clearing away the clouds in the sky that they were in.

Drawing their swords, they locked blades, causing a massive explosion that created a crater several yards below them. Every time their weapons met, something exploded from the sparks that were like exploding stars, rupturing the ground with cracks and forming canyons and crevices.

Backflipping, Issei warped in mid-motion, attacking Praegorn again from the side. The force of the attack was so strong that it nearly knocked him back, only staying in place with a burst of mana from his feet.

Raising his arms, he created a magic circle underneath Issei. Snapping his fingers with a resonant echo, a gigantic skeletal hand erupted from it, attempting to grab hold of him. Warping out of reach, Issei used [Night Bringer] to completely shatter the circle, even blowing apart the landscape below, leaving a massive scar on the planet's surface that spanned thousands of kilometers.

"You have a fondness for deserted dimensions, don't you?" Praegorn asked.

Issei didn't respond. He had no need for any distractions, especially when it was his target that was speaking to him.

"Tell me, are these just random barren planets or are they worlds that have been wiped clean by your hand?"

Again, Issei didn't answer, merely bashing away at Praegorn who was parrying and blocking his attacks. At this point, it could be said that Issei had superior physical abilities but Praegorn had more experience and dexterity, perhaps being more perceptive with the enemy's attacks.

"Your universe used to have so many more immortals than it does now, but typically, you eliminated so many of them. How does it feel? To make so many changes and find that none of them mattered?"

Issei knew that Praegorn was just trying to unbalance him, to disturb his concentration with any topic that poked at his conscience and guilt.

Whirling around, he deflected a twister of purple mana before countering with a raining arsenal of [Cosmic Blades], all of them exploding upon physical contact with something. His instincts telling him to dodge, he warped several yards away from Praegorn before returning to the battle.

Praegorn came lunging at him like an evil ghost attacking him with his sword, which looked like a double-edged longsword with a dark indigo blade. Parrying him rapidly, every second was more than enough time for one exchange. Neither relented as they continued to dance chaotically.

Issei pressed with an aggressive front, even going as far as to take Praegorn's attacks and use them against him, stealing the momentum of the duel. Swiping away his attacks or using their momentum to give him an opening. Despite that, Issei was irritated with the stonewall of defense that was Praegorn kept strong.

Each time their blades met, an explosive blast of mana erupted from Issei's sword, quaking the world around them, literally. The planet below was already beginning to crumble apart like a cracked egg while the sky was growing darker in reflection of its impending doom, space becoming more visible.

Rapidly, the two began upping the ante. Rapidly warping across the battlefield, Issei blasted away at the skeletons and souls that Praegorn manipulated with his necromancy, creating magic coffins that spawned undead warriors from thin air. From a normal point of view, they'd look like nothing more than a series of flashes and loud bangs that happened every half second.

Praegorn raised his left hand, creating a gigantic sphere that howled and crackled with malicious intent, warding away the stardust and asteroids nearby. Throwing it at Issei, it traveled with alarming speed, shining brighter as it sucked in everything around it, growing larger and more powerful as it approached Issei.

Opening his hand, Issei used [Chaotic Avarice] to bring a black hole to life, but the speed at which it consumed the oncoming star wasn't fast enough. Warping out of the way, Praegorn headed him off, slashing him on the torso, propelling him right back at the star, which exploded, creating a burst that was nothing short of a supernova's explosion.

Pressing the attack, this was the chance that Praegorn needed. As if blinking right in front of Issei, he slashed down with his sword, violently launching Issei backwards with all the force of a planet with a wave. The strike came as a wave of purple mana that used the pain of negative emotions to unbalance the enemy while the mana exploded. The blast was so strong that it vaporized half the continent while Issei was hurled through the planet just before it, and two more, exploded.

As if mimicking their previous battle, the two took to space as a testament to the limits that they could reach.

Warping to a safe distance, Issei looked at himself and sighed at the extensive damage he'd just received. He had a gaping rip in his torso that was just trickling small streams of blood down his armor. It was diagonal, streaking across his chest, while looking quite deep. Despite it regenerating, Issei could tell that Praegorn had done a bit of damage to his soul, just as he did to the Corrupter. He could feel some loss in feeling with his body, despite not feeling any loss in mental capacity.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Issei warped for another offensive barrage when he saw his counterpart racing toward him.

Whirling around, Praegorn backflipped, landing in front of Issei. Claiming the initiative from the True Grim Herald, he swung horizontally, but was blocked by Issei. Raising his left arm, a wave of purple mana streaked below into the darkness of space, causing Issei to warp out of the way.

Warping behind Praegorn, Issei swung his blade down, but Praegorn blocked, barely. Pressing the assault, Issei threw all of his raw hatred into the next series of attacks, which were a number of smashing slashes from his weapon. Praegorn was quite surprised by this new development. When they fought before, they were equal. Yet, even now, after having regained all of his powers, he was still locked in a stalemate. As he suspected, Issei was hiding cards up his sleeve. It was common for Grim Heralds to always keep tricks up their sleeve, never playing a card in their hand until necessary.

Kicking Issei away, Praegorn hurled crafted spears and arrows of purple mana at him. Thrusting his left hand forward, Issei used his telekinesis to ricochet the weapons off-course. Jumping into the air, Issei warped, reappearing right in front of Praegorn. With all the speed and force of lightning, he wreathed his sword in black and crimson mana before tearing into Praegorn's armor.

Using [Night Bringer] he drew more blood, spilling pints from Praegorn. He stifled, groaning in pain as he quickly retaliated, violently swinging down with all his might. Before he could warp, Issei was struck across the right side of his torso, parts of it getting shredded with a loud and unpleasant creak and crinkle.

Paying no mind to the damage to his armor, Issei kicked Praegorn directly in the chest, smashing his foot right onto his cut. With a groan of pain, the Corrupter was thrown flying backwards into the beyond. Having been struck with so much unrelenting force, he was blasted through four planets of moderate size before he could stop himself, stopping within the sky of another empty planet doomed for destruction.

Rushing back in for an attack, Praegorn clapped his hands creating an arc of purple mana that howled into space from the sky he was floating in, forcing Issei to warp. Spreading his arms, he activated his gift from the Abyss, necromancy. Using his unbelievable powers, he created 5 bodies of mana from thin air and pulled the souls of the Grim Heralds from the Tower and placed them into them.

Issei growled, annoyed by this development. Not even their brethren were safe from Praegorn's taint. Charging forward, he warped away upon almost being struck by any of the Heralds. With one unrestrained attack, he warped behind them and whirled around in a furious attack. Carving them apart with one strike, he spun around to intercept an attack from Praegorn, who'd tried to chop his head off.

"Not even one shred of sympathy for your brethren?"

"They're no brethren of mine. We share a duty, not bonds." Issei coldly retorted.

With a savage stomp on the knee, Praegorn threw Issei to one knee before holding his hand in front of his torso, blasting him backwards with a furious mauve flame. Sent crashing against a mountain that entirely collapsed on top of him, Issei warped before he could be cornered. Appearing right next to his enemy, Issei clutched onto Praegorn's throat.

Gagging, the Fallen Herald tried to blast Issei back with a beam of mana. Erecting a shield of transparent energy, Issei was forced to break his concentration to stop the blast from hitting him. Making up for that, he backhanded Praegorn, causing a painful clang to echo.

The full force of the attack managed to bash Praegorn's helmet open, revealing the sadistic glare within.

"Grrr!" Praegorn growled as he regained his composure, throwing his sword at Issei.

Warping out of the path of the weapon, he tried to go in for the kill. With a mighty swing, he tried to strike Praegorn but the Fallen Herald would have none of it.

Flaring his aura to create a shockwave, Issei was hurled back by the blast, causing him to fly to the border between space and this planet's sky.

(Final Fantasy XV OST: Magna Insomnia – Phase 1. End Song.)


Taking a moment to inspect themselves, both weren't exhausted but certainly warmed up. As it stood, both hadn't gone full-force just yet. That was something that was about to change. Now that they had gotten a measure of where they both stood, the gate could now be unlatched. Now, both Heralds could exercise their full might.

Praegorn unleashed all of his restrained power, deciding that Issei was the only opponent that warranted all of his strength to be used. Wreathing himself in a dark purple aura, he erupted in unrestrained might. The pillar of mana blasted through the planet, illuminating the sky with purple light as the other end of his aura splintered into the ground below, ripping a gaping space through it like a needle through flesh. Issei could feel the hairs across his body stand on edge. His instincts kicked, as if going into overdrive, warning him of the danger that Praegorn represented and just how high he ranked in power.

Issei could already feel Praegorn's change. His armor was growing more spiked as his armored coat grew longer. The eyes of his helmet became a golden visor. His helmet was more spiked, and his pauldrons became pointed, now becoming covered in armor from head to toe.

At the same time, he also let go of all his restraints.

Unleashing all of his repressed strength, Issei's mana erupted out of nowhere contesting against Praegorn's own. Slowly, his armor morphed, growing sharper features as the quality of his mana grew denser, heavier, and much colder. Likewise, he was also completely covered in armor, with more detailed and enhanced features on his armor.

However, there was one new thing about them that they both shared. Their armor almost seemed ghostly, as if some sort of spiritual mirage was overlapping their physical forms.

"I've wasted enough time with you. Now, let us finish this overdrawn feud, little brother." Praegorn cracked his knuckles with excited glee. Finally, he'd have an opponent worthy of ending this age with to usher a new beginning, one of his design.

Issei didn't respond, immediately going for the attack. Raising his right hand, he blasted his nemesis with a mighty pulse of telekinesis. Caught by surprise, Praegorn was thrown right through the planet, sending him flying through the system of planets and stars that they were in. The force of the attack was so strong that the planet imploded, fragmenting into asteroids and dust.

Warping in pursuit, Issei teleported behind Praegorn. Raising his sword, he swung down, creating a shockwave purely from the kinetic force and air generated from the swing. The wave spread like an omnidirectional disc, splitting the solar system that they were in.

Earth, water, and dust splashed across the continent in reaction to this mighty attack. Unfortunately, Praegorn had blocked the attack, albeit with extreme difficulty. In retaliation, he raised his arms above his head.

"[Star Collapse]"

Throwing both arms down, he summoned debris from the space that was around this secret dimension, and brought it down as a rain of meteors, covered by the vacuum-like trait of his mana. The lack of gravity only served to help Praegorn as the blazing purple clusters dove right at his foe.

In return, Issei used [Solemn Repulse] to bounce the attack right back at Praegorn, completely changing the direction of the attack.

"[Renouncement]" Praegorn muttered.

Cloaking himself in a swirling aura, he smashed apart every single meteor that Issei sent at him. Everything that touched it, was reduced to rubble from the intensity at which the aura spun. In reaction, everything around him was ripped apart, whether it be rock or stars, everything was ripped asunder.

Issei warped, testing this new obstacle, by teleporting right next to him, creating an explosive burst. As expected, Praegorn's [Renouncement] kept him safe, dispersing the wisps of mana that would've harmed him. Striking at the aura with his sword, he managed to break through, but Praegorn blocked, not foolish enough to just stand and watch.

Moving to the side, he whirled around, parrying an attack from Issei. However, before he could attack, Issei pushed on with a fist to his jaw, sending him into the air, propelling him higher above into space.

With a violent swing of his blade, Praegorn generated a blast of mana from his sword, sweeping it through the vacuum of space. When Issei warped out of the trajectory, it cleaved through the rest of the solar system, even extinguishing suns.

Almost a mere second after, Issei warped next to his foe, attacking relentlessly with a punch to the face before spinning rapidly, sawing at his armor with a cyclone of sword slashes.

"Grrr!" Praegorn growled, warping out of the way, only for Issei to warp above him.

Having expected that, he slashed upward, tearing at Issei's chest armor. Fortunately, he had failed to wound him, only causing a long crack. Almost as soon as he was struck, Issei hit him with [Night Bringer]. The black and red shockwave hit Praegorn once more, causing him to stifle in pain as his armor was damaged once again.

Despite having thrown much of his strength into the attack, Praegorn survived, his regeneration saving his life. Taking a look, one would be alarmed that he was even alive. His heart had been torn into, his ribs ruptured and fragmented, with blood flowing out in a swarm of drops. The Fallen Herald only scoffed, different thoughts occupying his mind at the moment. He was curious of his opponent, hoping to find a weakness to exploit through words and motives.

"Why do you resist the change we'll bring? Isn't change our mission?" Praegorn asked.

"Change is our mission, but the change that we desire isn't the same. You didn't change the world for the better, not even by a fraction." Issei responded.

"What difference is there? When it comes to change, so long as the current situation morphs, it all means the same regarding methods."

Praegorn volleyed more spears and arrows of mana at Issei, who countered with pin-point accuracy. Smashing each of the projectiles to pieces with his own phantom weapons, Issei warped again for another direct attack.

Praegorn dodged, using his aura to create a burst of speed.

"That's not what I believe. Only certain changes are necessary. The change you want, will only result in control and complete domination. The future that you crave, is a future that only you want. It will only benefit you and no one else."

Warping countless times in succession, Issei practically phased through every wave of mana that Praegorn sent at him, coming in a sequence of purple crescent beams from his sword.

"The future I want, is one where everyone is free to be who they want, where everyone understands just pain and will take steps to remove it from life. The future I want, is one where those good at heart, can live happily where no tragedy can touch them."

"You fool. You spout that nonsense, and yet, look at you. You're nothing but a byproduct of vengeance. You slaughter by the millions with such callousness that you've gone numb from the traumas. You act in contrast to your wishes. What good will come of a destroyer that brings fear when they want such a positive outcome?" Praegorn scoffed.

"That may be so. I may be a weapon made to route the wicked, but in doing so, I am trying to carve a path where people understand that those lifestyles are meaningless and will only destroy them. I am not fighting to be right. I am fighting so that the people that I care about, and the people who have the right to live peacefully, just get to keep living, undisturbed by the filth that prompted our creation." Issei declared.

"And where has those hopes landed you? You are alone, unwanted, and unloved. The ones that cling to you, only see your power and deeds. They care nothing for who you truly are. They have done nothing for you and have sacrificed nothing for you while you have given up everything." Praegorn inquired, bombarding him with statements that both knew to be true.

"I never asked for anything. That is why I don't hate them like you do. You lost everything, in hopes that something would be at the end of the road for you. For me, my road has been decided by myself. At the end of the road, I can only envision the people that I love, living without the chaos that plagues this reality. That's what sets us apart and that's what angers you so much, isn't it? It angers you to see that others aren't suffering like you, so you actively seek out people who are miserable so that you can make pawns of them, to keep your insanity and loneliness at bay."

Parrying blow after blow while talking, the two kept exchanging contact, unable to get around the other's defenses.

With a clap of his hands, Praegorn manifested the [Restless Coffin], a purple and golden rectangle that had engravings and paintings of symbols representing the dead and spells meant for interacting with the deceased.

Issei knew better than to just think that this was some ancient relic. It was a Sacred Gear. What was more intriguing was the fact that it was Longinus Class, being similar to the [Holy Grail] but different at the same time.

"To think you'd have a Longinus-Class Sacred Gear…that explains a lot."

Praegorn only nodded. It was true that he had a Sacred Gear, he was human, after all.

"Originally, my necromancy was sourced from my Longinus, The Restless Coffin, a Sacred Gear that allows me to create replicas of the bodies of the deceased. At first, I could only create foul imitations but when I unlocked my Balance Breaker, Soul Motion, I was able to pull souls of the dead back into the bodies I made from The Restless Coffin. I unlocked it quite late in life and as it so happened, it caused my downfall." Praegorn made a derisive scoff.

"I'm not here to listen to your life story." Issei curtly retorted.

"You never do want to hear what others say. Having lived for 2,617 years, I guess you've seen everything, haven't you?"

"Are you going to fight or are you going to just keep blubbering?" Issei sighed.

"Tell me, does it make you angry or hateful to see me? Does it make you boil deep down to know that the one who caused you all your misery is right in front of you?"

"Your point?" Issei rhetorically asked. He knew that Praegorn wanted to distract him and to unbalance him but the thing that kept him still was that he didn't know the full extent of his enemy's powers.

"You may blame me for all that's happened to you but think deeper. Deep down, you know…" Praegorn gestured to all of the destruction done to the dimension around them

"This was bound to happen. They don't deserve to live, Issei."

"Save your prattle, I'll have none of it."

"You think you're making a difference? You think that once you've killed me, you'll go home and expect a big warm welcome?" Praegorn could only laugh in mockery.

"Unlike you, I didn't do anything for a hero's welcome. I did it of my own volition. That's something you humans wouldn't understand. Many of you don't actually do anything of your own free will, despite your protests. You do it because you want to 'look' and 'feel' good. You don't see a difference with your actions because you spend all of your time looking from above. Ever since the Grim Heralds began their service, they only looked from above. They never looked around on the same level as others. That is why you were all betrayed. It's because you didn't want to learn. You just wanted to change and that was all. And guess what? You got change." Issei narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, I remember when I used to think like that." Praegorn floated outward towards the several clusters of galaxies in the distance.

"I used to think that if I did enough, things would change for the better but I was wrong. So long as the Light, Dark, and Abyss are in control, nothing will truly change. We were never supposed to bring change in the first place. We were just pest control, but now…that's no longer our directive." Praegorn turned around, ready to continue their duel.


(Final Fantasy XV – Royal Edition OST: Kingly Compassion. Play Song.)

Flaring their auras to the maximum, they refreshed themselves anew. Both having regenerated, they attacked with even more force.

Snapping his fingers, the [Restless Coffin] snapped open, expelling a sea of trapped souls that were writhing in torment, twisted, mutilated, and warped by their time within the Coffin.

Rapidly crafting bodies from magic and thin air while imbuing obedient souls into them, Praegorn used the [Holy Grail] in his keeping to enhance their bodies and souls. Now armed with an army of the undead, Praegorn renewed his approach.

With a snap of his fingers, the wrathful deceased charged. Issei was about to warp but Praegorn had already covered the entire area with his spawn. The best approach was the destruction of the oncoming wave. Opening his palm, a black swirl came to life, rapidly increasing in size before becoming a ravenous black hole, essentially a large-scale version of [Chaotic Avarice]. Tearing apart the star systems around them by drawing them within the endless pit, the black hole began shredding and devouring the massive quantity of souls as if it were Tartarus itself. Thankfully, Issei wasn't destroying these souls, rather, he was keeping them in a pocket dimension until it was safe to set them free.

While he was pre-occupied, Praegorn seized his moment to attack again. Controlling several undead, they tried to grab hold of him. Unfortunately, they began disintegrating just by getting close to him, barely reaching within 10 feet of him. Using his own power to coat the undead in protective shells, they wrapped around his limbs with savage ferocity.

Leering at the incoming horde of undead, Issei narrowed his eyes as he created an explosion from his aura, blasting everything and everyone backwards, decimating Praegorn's stockpile of bodies with a swirl of wind, lightning, fire, and mana. First and foremost, Issei had to get rid of [The Restless Coffin], if he didn't, then Praegorn would keep spilling out fodder.

Again, the corpses attacked but Issei grabbed hold of them with telekinesis and closed his fist, crushing them into tiny bloody messes before blasting another wave of undead with mana. Warping, he whirled around, his sword acting like a long sharp laser that spanned endlessly into the distance. Using the elongated blade made of mana, he mowed down another sea of undead. Despite destroying several thousand undead, there was no obvious end in sight to their numbers.

Amassing his aura, with one explosive burst, he warped, causing a blast that echoed and spread like a supernova, breaking apart the ranks of the enemy coming after him while he moved to another part of the battlefield. Reappearing right in front of Praegorn, he swung upward, parrying his attack and blasting him away with a beam of mana. Quickly turning his attention towards the Coffin, Issei sheathed his sword, compressing the explosive power of [Night Bringer] at critical point before unleashing it in one attack as quickly as possible. He had to be quick and decisive before Praegorn could return to attack.

As soon as the blade was unclicked, an ocean of black and crimson mana flooded throughout the far reaches of space, covering all within sight. Bringing a giant chunk of his power to the table, he cleaved through the Coffin with one brutal and unrestrained cut, cleaving it in half. At first, he was met with a powerful force field that protected the Longinus but that was of no consequence to him. He would allow nothing to stand in his way. As always, he'd never let himself be stopped without a fight. No matter what, he would destroy all that was connected to Praegorn.

With considerable effort and more power plunged into his attack, he shattered the remains of the Coffin as Praegorn rushed over to him. Issei knew that he had dealt a major blow to Praegorn with this attack. A Sacred Gear was tied to the soul of the human that possessed it. Its destruction could kill or otherwise severely harm the bearer. Issei knew that not even Praegorn was able to erase the connection between himself and the Coffin or it would become nothing more than box of metal.

True to his plan, Praegorn froze before shaking violently, floating in the air in obvious pain.

"I thought…" He groaned.

Issei wasn't going to let him finish. He immediately warped in to finish Praegorn off while he still had the chance.

"[Nightfall]"

Praegorn knew he was going to die if Issei struck him with that attack. If it was powerful enough to damage the very fabric of reality, then it could kill absolutely anything. However, he had planned for that.

"[Lamentation!]"

Blasting Issei with a magic circle of unique design, he cringed, forced to stop immediately in midair. Immediately doubling over, Issei gripped his head as he began growling in discomfort and agony.

"MURDERER! KILLER! DESTROYER! FREAK! ABOMINATION! LIAR! I HATE YOU!" Millions of voices screamed in unison, overwhelming his mind as he tried to desperately shake off the strange spell.

"Lamentation, something perfectly designed just for you." Praegorn chuckled.

Slowly recovering, he started to regain strength within his being, the pain of losing his Sacred Gear going away.

"It allows me to draw out the negative emotions of the souls I interact with and blast a selected person with it, thereby, allowing me to cause that person all of the pain that they've caused others to feel. You, dear Grim Herald, have hurt too many to even count."

Issei glared at him murderously as he tried to fight off the screams barraging his mind as the physical pain continued to bombard him. It was as if his body were being slashed, burned, frozen, shocked, and bludgeoned all at once. Despite that…it was purely physical. Physical pain was nowhere near enough to stall him for long.

"Is this all you've got?" Issei raised a brow in disappointment.

"Is that bravado you're displaying?"

"This is no bravado. Physical pain is nothing to me now. You should've devised the spell better. If you know me as well as you think you do, you'd know that this won't stop me."

With a short exhale, Issei used [Grim Defiance], causing a shockwave that dispersed the agony of Praegorn's spell, despite it not going away in its entirety. Much to his annoyance, Issei noticed that he was still suffering psychological damage, despite the physical pain going away. His emotions were noticeably riled up and his mood was turning sour, even angry.

Using his dark magic, Praegorn drew in the 10 planets that were floating far away from him and rapidly dragged them in, forming a circle around him by creating rivers of mana that literally grabbed hold of each planet. The rivers were like snakes, being large enough to coil around the spheres to bring them closer to their master.

In tandem, Issei reached behind him while keeping his eyes on Praegorn, and used his telekinesis to pull the same number of planets towards him. At the same time, they launched the planets at each other, doing something no one else had ever done.

The blast was cataclysmic, creating such a powerful burst that it was like a galactic implosion. The burst was brighter than any explosion that any star could make upon its death. Light blinded everything and the force flooding out from the crash of 20 planets spread across the entire dimension, even going so far as to strike the dimensional border. Hammering it repeatedly like a battering ram, everything before it was decimated into mere particles by the splash of mana and explosive force, causing destruction on a universal scale.

Under normal circumstances, Issei would've been concerned about the collateral damage that was being caused but for once, the Abyss had come through for him. Using its absolute power, it ensured that all of the mana and explosions that Issei and Praegorn were making, wouldn't leak out to other dimensions. This was certainly the best battleground for the two.


Even after the 20 planets that caused a galactic explosion dissipated, the two Heralds continued fighting. Now, they were quickly trying to dispatch of the other as swiftly as possible. Despite that, they had already been fighting for several hours, or perhaps even days, throwing everything they had at each other at colossal quality and quantities. To add to that, they had been harming each other's souls, as well. Each cut and blow they struck, was a direct attack at each others' souls, using their unique ability as Heralds to do so. Each wound on their bodies was the same as a wound on their soul, and Issei had no intentions on letting himself get injured even more.

Looking around, there was nothing but the darkness of space. There were no suns, no planets, no stars. There was only desolation. If one peered very far away, looking light years into the distance, damage to the dimensional border was visible, and that was with the protection of the Abyss at work. If it hadn't blocked off the excess power, the entire multi-dimensional system would've likely been irreparably damaged.

Issei and Praegorn had also suffered heavy wounds that they hadn't experienced in ages. Issei's armor was in shambles, showing the extent of his true injuries. His hair was soaking wet with blood, with rivers trailing down from his head to his toes. His arms and legs had slits made from sword wounds, and burns encompassed his left arm while his right leg had bits missing. There were even several holes in his torso. Despite all this, Issei was still standing strong and unrelenting.

Praegorn was no better off. He had lost just as much blood, with his arms covered in lacerations and his chest looking like a net of wounds. Even a chunk of his right side was gone.

Praegorn decided that this needed to end. Both were on their last legs and their battle was nearing its end. Their regeneration was slowing down to the point that they actually needed treatment if they were to continue fighting.

Without a word, they readied themselves for the final bout.

Issei, mustering all of his strength, readied [Nightfall], while Praegorn readied his own attack. During the whole battle, he stayed silent about his inherent ability as the Fallen Herald of greed, [Soul Taker], which allowed him to drain power and stamina from his targets, even granting him knowledge about them. Bit by bit, he'd taken what he could from Issei but the True Grim Herald had dealt enough damage to mitigate whatever benefit he could gain.

It was now time. Both combatants had poured all that they could into this final exchange. As they stood ready, their combined auras caused tremors throughout space and time, shaking the very fabric of existence that surrounded other universes. If this kept up, they'd destroy this universe without moving.

Suddenly, just as Issei unleashed his strongest attack, a rift in the dimension opened. Peering into it, Issei saw the top room of the Grim Tower that led into the Primordial Crest's holding room. Looking to the side, Praegorn merely grinned as he unleashed a wave of mana to counter him. When the two attacks met, it caused an explosion that nearly ruptured the universe they were occupying, right then and there. The force was so great that it traveled across the entire dimension, completely smashing apart the protective barrier that had been put in place. Everything was bathed in an ocean of black and purple, and amidst that chaos, Praegorn had retreated to safety, attempting to use this distraction to get the Crest before Issei could stop him.

Issei tried to warp but [Nightfall] had taken all of his mana reserves, having been wasted. His heart was pounding and his blood was rushing all across his body form the sheer stress of the situation. He had screwed up bad, and he knew that he had just thrown away his advantage. Yet, if he didn't stop Praegorn now, then it'd be all over. He'd have wasted everything, from every life to every effort to reach this point. He couldn't allow that to happen. He needed to do everything and anything to stop this.

Tapping into the power of his soul, the very life force that flowed in his vessel, he substituted his lack of mana with power from his soul, despite it actually endangering his life. An immortal was nothing without their soul, not even he was an exception. However, that price was inconsequential.

Readying [Nightfall] again, Issei warped, again, supplanting his lack of mana with his life force, and landed just a few feet from Praegorn.

The Fallen Herald noticed his presence and gasped. He had expected the rift to have closed on Issei already and he was certain that he had run out of mana. How did he appear so quickly? Then, the answer was clear. Issei did something that no one had expected of him. He had paid for his insufficient mana with his life-force. To many, he hadn't needed to do such a thing ever since he became a Grim Herald. It was an old tactic that no one would expect from his sort of caliber. That gave him the element of surprise.

He tried to whirl around for an attack but he was also badly spent. His soul was mangled, his regeneration was working horrendously slowly. As he was now, his attack would do nothing. The wave of mana that he slashed at Issei was dispersed into nothing as Issei used [Nightfall] for the last time.

When his sword struck the ground that contained the room of the [Primordial Crest] within the Tower, it completely split, shredding the entire construct in half as it entered the rift that contained the path to the Crest.

"NOOOOOO!" Praegorn bellowed.

He'd realized that the attack wasn't meant for him, rather, it was meant for the Crest. Regardless, Issei knew that he'd wreck Praegorn's plans one way or another. The Crest wasn't impervious to everything. A pure, concentrated blast of catastrophic levels was enough to completely cripple it, if not outright destroy it. Issei knew this would work since his soul was and body were made entirely from the Abyss, with bits and pieces of the Light and Dark used to stabilize and complete his body.

This had been a truth that he'd kept secret about for as long as he knew it. While he was majorly a child of the Abyss, he still had some of the Light and Darkness to use, which was now vital. With the power of the Light, Darkness, and Abyss, he could get rid of the Crest and foil all of Praegorn's plans, even if he couldn't kill him right now.

With one final burst of mana, the Crest, upon being touched by the white, black, and purple, wave, erupted. For what was one long painful moment, the attack and the Crest contested, one side attempting to eradicate all it touched while the other tried to survive. Feeding the attack his power, Issei roared with a resounding echo of effort, using all his power that was left to destroy the Crest and remove this poisonous tool from existence.

Praegorn, tried to attack him, not willing to just stand on the sidelines and watch his dreams die. It was too late, however, for the critical point had finally been reached. Fritzing with a cluster of electricity and explosions, the Crest exploded, creating a burst of particles that spread throughout the dimension, shaking all of existence with its demise, even spanning across the entire multi-verse.

Issei and Praegorn were knocked off their feet, thrown around randomly by the cataclysmic eruption as light obscured all vision.

(Final Fantasy XV – Royal Edition OST: Kingly Compassion. End Song.)


Sylderia and the others were thrown off the stairs that they were climbing as they felt the ludicrous power surging from above. Everyone had chills creeping across their bodies as they tried to compute what had just happened. They felt so many sensations at one time that it was impossible to count them all. Primordial fear and gob-smacking shock engulfed them as they looked up, noticing that the Tower had just been cut clean in half.

"What the hell that?!" Brynhildr groaned, landing on another flight of stairs.

"I don't know, but we need to speed up." Sylderia floated in the air, having recovered enough stamina to fly again.

"I'm still not in the right state to warp." Brynhildr growled, angry at herself.

"Then we need to run faster."

Sylderia prayed. She was praying to whatever would listen to her. She pleaded to anyone that was listening, that Issei would be safe. She prayed that he'd be in one piece and that he would come home to her. She wanted this conflict to end so badly that she'd gladly kill herself off if it meant that this wish could be granted.

She feared for Issei's life after witnessing Praegorn's power first-hand. She knew that Issei was the strongest, or at least, she believed so, but now, she could only hope that Issei would be the one left standing when they arrived.


When the light died down and the dust cleared where the Crest was kept, Issei and Praegorn were stumbling to get up. With those few moments, they were able to heal enough to move normally, but most of their strength was still gone.

Praegorn shuddered with unrivaled rage as he looked where the Crest once was. What once stood as pristine and almighty, was now nothing more than a mess of dust and pieces of scrap. It was over. His dreams were dead and the only tool that could help him accomplish his goals was gone.

For once, after so long, he'd been foiled…no…he'd been thrown to defeat. Now, there was nothing left for him to use to accomplish his goals. All of his followers were dead, he was weak, tired, and possibly dying. His home dimension was gone and he had nothing left there. Even here, he had nothing but enemies. He had lost entirely.

Getting up, he saw Issei rising from the aftermath, still glaring at him.

The True Herald wasn't surprised to see that Praegorn was still alive. The Fallen Herald was crafty and had an amazing will to live. However, that was about to change. The only thing left to do now, was to finish him off.

Issei stopped in his tracks when he saw Praegorn shift around, almost as if lost in a trance.

"Why…" He growled.

Issei didn't respond, only listening.

"Why do you fight so hard for those vermin?!"

(Transformers – Age of Extinction OST: Tessa. Play Song.)

Issei scoffed. Here they went again, debating reason.

"Why must you fight so desperately to stop the parasites that will discard you once your job is done?! Why must you stop the salvation of your brethren?! I'm trying to save us! Don't you see the curse that we all share? Are you just content to suffer silently?!" Praegorn bellowed in unbridled rage.

Issei only watched indifferently as Praegorn lost all of his composure, not responding like before.

"Answer me!"

Praegorn lunged at him. Despite being weakened, he still displayed magnificent speed.

Parrying the attack, Issei countered, swinging his sword down but was blocked, forced to go on the defensive.

"I gave my life for my duty! I did it because I thought I could make a difference! I watched my parents die, watched my love die! I tried desperately to keep going but it didn't matter! In the end, I was only betrayed!"

Issei just kept silent, doing something that he rarely did. He listened. Now, with his mind clearer than before as he took a moment to think with a calm mind, he saw far deeper into Praegorn's mind than ever before.

"You, you who were labeled a monster and hated, feared, no matter what you did, no matter what good you brought forward, people still loathed you! Still, yet still, how can you just keep going through the motions while the rest of us break?!"

Praegorn kept bashing away at him, both of them exchanging parries and blocks.

"You just don't understand at all." Issei's emotions started to peek through the cracks in the cold wall that he kept around his heart and mind.

Now changing positions, Issei began to fight much more aggressively, attack Praegorns arms, landing a laceration on his foe's left arm before backhanding him across the face, sending him skidding into the ground.

"Just what can't you understand?! You speak about doing all of this for us, Heralds! That's a load of shit, and you know it!"

Just like that, Issei grabbed hold of his sword with both hands, striking down and slashing through Praegorn's armor, causing blood to gush everywhere as the tired Fallen Herald stumbled backward. Despite that, he kept fighting, swinging his blade horizontally and cutting Issei's stomach immediately after.

"I've lived for over 2,600 years. I've dived into the sea, walked the Earth, soared through the skies, traversed space, and learned. I may hate the world as it is, but I don't hate its people. You ask why I fight so hard, well it's because I want to protect the people that deserve it." Issei stumbled up as he and Praegorn clashed again.

Their blood dripped everywhere as their lacerations were left bare and unattended, their regeneration slowly stopping.

"What do they deserve? They only destroy and desecrate! What good do they do? What have they done to show that they deserve to live on?! We've sacrificed all that we have to keep them safe, but what do they do? They point their fingers at us, scream at us, calling us monsters as they tear our lives down!"

"I KNOW THAT!"

Issei was finally losing his patience. These questions pierced him to the core. After all, he'd asked himself these questions several times already, being almost too numerous to count.

"You just don't get it all, no matter what I say." Issei growled, shaking his head.

Again, the two Heralds locked blades, with sparks showering the entire room in a frolicking dance of raindrops made from light.

"The reason why you don't understand is because you've spent so much time flying amongst those in the heavens, that you forget those on the Earth and in the Sea. That is the reason for your downfall. You don't look at everything! You only looked at what your duty required! You didn't decide your own duty!"

Issei dislodged his weapon as he kicked Praegorn away before chasing after him and barraging his blocks with a series of powerful and soulful attacks. Each time their weapons clanged, it was like having their minds clash.

"You think you know suffering?! You're one of the ones that cause it! I never had anything since I was born. I had no family of blood and the only one that I had, was taken from me! I was persecuted by humans and hunted! I was trained to be a weapon and just when I thought I had a new family, I lost them! I took their lives with my own hands! I even lost the woman of my life! For eons, I fought, and fought with no end in sight!"

With each word, he bashed away at Praegorn, who could only focus on Issei's words, reflecting now that there were no distractions.

"Yet, that was because of one simple choice. I chose to do it. We all had the choice to do it."

Praegorn was silent, panting as he kept blocking Issei's furious flurry of slashes, though he slipped up several times, receiving even more grievous wounds.

"If there's one thing you and those spoiled brats overlooked, it's the fact that we had a choice! What makes it so hard for you to understand my motives, is the fact that you've turned into the thing you hate!"

Jumping into the air, Issei came down like a meteor, smashing his foot into Praegorn's side, causing a loud crack that would make anyone cringe. Despite that, the pain almost didn't register to Praegorn, who only listened to Issei's words. The statement that Issei made had just struck his mind. All of Issei's words before had finally built up to this moment. He wanted to get angry, but there was just something deep down in his heart, that agreed with him. He didn't want to, but it was true. A part of him that was still 'Issei' still believed in the same thing that his other self believed in. He'd tried hard, so very hard to kill that part of himself off, but now, it had the power to come crawling to the surface.

Conflicted erupted within him as he seemed to slip up while Issei kept barraging him with piercing words, battering him with his philosophy.

"Do you know what the Grim Herald's purpose, Praegorn? Do you honestly know what the core of a Herald's purpose is? It's not to just avenge. It's to help others because we have the power to fight fate! We have the power to save them from fates that they can't escape! We fight and sacrifice for others because it's the right thing to do! It's because we believe in them! You and the Fallen Heralds did not! You chose your own happiness in the end! That is why you've lost everything! You didn't learn!"

Readying himself, Issei put all of his remaining power and emotion into his sword, sheathing it before quick-drawing the blade and deciding the end of the war, cleaving through Praegorn's chest and the last bit of life-force that was left within his soul.

Issei nearly dropped to his knees in exhaustion, feeling listless, but he kept himself standing by propping himself up with his weapon. He shook violently as his body screamed, having been pushed to its very limits while his soul was agonizing from the damage done to it. He was completely spent.

Turning around as he heard the loud thud behind him, Issei watched Praegorn stare into the emptiness above, lost in thought.

Despite all of his pent-up hate, Praegorn felt a sort of connection to Issei. It was like hearing an echo that quickly turned into a loud wake-up call. After hearing the deepest parts of Issei's mind, he began to realize many things. It had been so long since someone had spoken words that weren't hateful or greedy. They were relatable. Issei's words struck deep, his pain being parallel to his own. Perhaps that was what started his short reflection. Actually, no...it revived an old part of himself that had never truly left, and now, it was reclaiming him.

"Tell me, just what makes you think you're right? Because you're strong?" He weakly gurgled.

Issei walked over, deciding that fighting was no longer necessary.

"No, nothing naïve like that. I can't know that I'm right for sure. The only way to know that I'm right, is to see how it affects the people related to my decisions."

Praegorn's eyes widened a bit in realization. For some reason, he couldn't muster his hate and rage anymore. That emotion was being drained from him as his convictions weakened with his body. For a long while, ever since they began to fight with philosophy, Praegorn could feel his dark and angry mindset cracking, however slowly and subtle it was. After much thought, he began to understand Issei's point of view and beliefs, but only now, on his deathbed, did he take the time to actually analyze and see the entirety of his words. Only now, did he slowly remember who he was and why he became a Grim Herald in the first place.

"I know that you're in pain. Trust me, I know. However, doing this, won't change anything. It won't bring anything back, and even if that were the case, the ones you want back will be brought back to a man that isn't the one that they knew. You'll be the same kind of thing that you and they once hated." Issei pointed out a strong argument.

Praegorn knew that deep down, his dead loved ones were surely crying for him, but his desire for them was too strong. It had morphed him for the worse.

"If you change the world into your image, it won't be true. Nothing will have happened by anyone's real choice. It would've been yours and it would've never been right. I destroy the wicked but I do so discreetly. I use fear to remind others that consequences exist, not because I want them to behave as I wish, but because I want them to learn and make something better of themselves."

Issei watched Praegorn as the light in his eyes slowly began to go away.

"And when the world and all of creation turns on you?"

Issei had to be realistic and he had to be honest with a dying man. He had to see this battle of philosophy to the end.

"I don't know. I really don't. I can only hope that things go well, that the world learns. If the World were to turn on me…I'd probably become a true monster as well. That is why, I'll fight with all that I can to be as I am now."

"What of our brothers and sisters?"

"They'll find their own way. When we become Heralds, we all need to understand just what we've chosen to do. We fight and destroy but it's because there's so much wrong that we want to make some rights. We do it in different ways but deep down, we're all connected because we all start wanting to make a difference. It's up to us to keep to those convictions. It's also up to us to stay strong and not lose our way. Their lives are their own and our live are our own, we have no true say in the matter with each other. We can only look forward with ourselves and our charges, or we lose our way and we'll let the hate of other realms poison us, just as it has to so many others." Issei panted.

Praegorn sighed, feeling himself lose his grip on his life. If he was to die, then he'd die with all of his words spoken. Now that he was at death's door, he didn't care for hate anymore. Now, he just wanted release from this fate. Perhaps that was also a secret desire of his. He wanted to be ended so that he could be free of this fate too.

"For so long, I wanted to help…but when my life and loved ones were taken from me…I couldn't stand it. Why did I work so hard and sacrifice so much, if I couldn't protect the ones I loved? Why did I protect so many when the good and innocent would only turn and become monsters as well? What good had I done? I'd go insane trying to find the answer…that's why I've done all this. I just wanted the Grim Heralds to be free of being slaves to fate. I just wanted my old life back. I just wanted this nonsense to stop."

Slowly, but surely…a tear drop fell from Praegorn's eye.

"I know. However, this wasn't the right way. Perhaps, there is no right way, but the path that throws aside lives so callously isn't our way. In the end, we can only watch and act when we are needed. The ones around us have to figure things out for themselves too. That is the fatal flaw of the Grim Heralds. We can't ignore anything. What I say may be hypocritical, but that is what I believe. That's why…have hope once again and sleep…brother." Issei calmly spoke, as if to comfort the Fallen Herald.

"Hope…huh? Perhaps…I can have that again…"

Closing his eyes just as his hate faded along with his life, Praegorn died, his body disintegrating slowly into purple particles as his soul faded…not being strong enough to maintain itself anymore.

(Transformers – Age of Extinction OST: Tessa. End Song.)


Issei fell onto his back soon after. He looked above, his mind spinning from all that had just happened. He hadn't been this tired in ages, being exhausted in both body and mind. He wanted to rest, but his mission wasn't done yet, not by a long shot.

Issei took a long moment to catch his breath before standing up, looking as strong as usual. He looked at himself and scoffed. Things just didn't go the way he had intended. Sure, he had managed to get this far, at the expense of so many others, but…for his own ending, he had hoped for better.

He had intended on doing whatever it was that he had wanted to do first before going back…back home to his beloveds. He stumbled and limped over to the shambled Primordial Crest, which was crackling and shuddering. Clearly, it was about to lose any shred of power that it once held, having only a satisfying bit of power and time left.

"Issei, are you really going to do this?" The Abyss's voice boomed before materializing.

It was calm…almost taciturn. That wasn't surprising despite the possible predicament that they were all going to be in.

"I've got to…I'm the only one that can." Issei huffed.

"Issei!" More voices cried out.

Turning around, he saw Sylderia and the others racing over to him.

"Don't come in here!" He roared back.

The Abyss, despite its own principles, allowed the gate between the dimensions to remain open, though only for a while.

"Make your piece quickly." It warned Issei.

Stumbling back, Issei dropped his grim façade. It was time to be who he really wanted to be.

"Are you all okay?"

The others nearly had to stop in surprise. His tone had changed once again, going back to the warm and gentle one that he used to sport. Even his eyes softened. It looked as if he had just dropped 1,000,000 pounds of burdens from his own shoulders.

After regenerating from some of his wounds, he walked calmly over towards them, looking at every single one of them to inspect their injuries.

"We're fine but what about you?" Grayfia gasped.

Amaterasu covered her mouth as she looked at his grievous injuries.

"I'll be fine." Issei knew where they were looking.

He had three holes in his stomach, a deep gash in his chest that gave a peek at his ribcage, a chunk of his left arms was gone, and he was dripping blood everywhere.

"Issei, what is that thing?" Eldesa looked at the Crest, or rather, what was left of it.

Issei reluctantly looked at it.

"That's the Primordial Crest. It's something of a failsafe for all of creation. In the event of interdimensional disaster, it is to be used to repair any damage that has ensued. This was Praegorn's prime objective, therefore, I destroyed it. Now, it's going to disappear. Something like that can't be allowed to continue to exist." He sadly spoke.

"However, that's not important right now."

"What else could be it?" Sylderia asked.

"I need to talk to you…all of you. I've put this off for too long."

Issei led everyone out of the dimension. He knew he lied. The Crest was going to disappear soon and he needed it to stick around long enough for his use.

For the first time in a long time, he smiled, feeling sentimental. He was feeling so nervous and free that he could feel the ice around his heart melting. It was time to be honest about his feelings. With his duty done, he could finally feel freedom.

"I know I've hurt you all horribly for the past while. I've deceived, neglected, and hid from you. No matter what, I never gave you any answers and I always pushed you all away. So, it's time that I'm honest with you all."

He looked at each and every single woman in front of him.

"I love you. I love you all so much that words can't do my feelings justice. Despite all of my lies, despite all of my denial, I love you all more than anything in this world." He smiled, his lips curving like the crescent moon.

Everyone's breaths hitched, their heartbeats rapidly thundering like pistons. It was like a long-desired dream come true. Sylderia and the others had longed to hear those words for eternity. So much had gotten in their way that they couldn't get to this moment for the longest time. Now, it was finally here.

"I've never told anyone but now that everything is said and done, I can finally speak what my heart really feels. Ever since I started back on this road, this hellish and bloody road of the Grim Heralds…I've thought about all of you. I've thought about all of you so dearly. I wanted to kill myself so much but I knew that it wouldn't solve anything and that it would leave you all with my mess. That's why I never quit and that's why I was able to stay sane. It was the idea of you all being safe and living well that I could keep going." Issei laughed, glad to see that everyone had made it through okay.

"It took me far too long to do this." Issei sighed.

Sylderia didn't say a word, only looking at him with a sad gaze.

"Come on, smile. That's what you always said to me when we were kids." He lightly moved her lips up with his thumbs, curving his own to be an example for her.

"Issei…" She whimpered.

Sylderia saw the look in his eyes and knew what was going on. He was up to something.

"Issei, what are you doing?" She questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you. I've known you all my life…I know that look in your eyes. You're planning something. What are you doing?"

Sylderia felt herself trembling. Her heart was aching and dread was spreading across her entire body and soul. She knew something bad was coming and it was driving her crazy.

Issei sighed, looking resigned.

Eldesa and Artemis lost their hopeful expressions, also understanding his reaction and expression.

"No…" Eldesa shook her head.

"I still have one last job to do. I've lied to you all for too long so I won't lie anymore."

Issei pointed right at the vortex that was slowly closing.

"That vortex is closing within a few minutes and what I need is still inside. I still have plenty to do in there. Only thing is…I'm not coming back out." He shook his head.

It pained him to see the panic, tears, and dread staining their scared faces.

"That's why, I have one final message for all of you."

"Issei, nooo…" Sylderia shook her head, clinging onto him, her grip tightening like metal claws.

Holding her back, Issei gave her a grievous look as he gently took her hands off.

"I want you all to forget about me. I want you all to do what I never did, and move on. I want you to go and live your lives. Raise families, find people that will love you unconditionally with all that they have and will devote themselves to you just as much as you'll devote to them. Go build bright and happy futures because that's something that I can no longer give any of you. You all live in the light. I live in the dark. And now…"

Issei swallowed the lump in his throat. It really did hurt to proclaim his love for Sylderia and the others, only to push them all away for the last time.

"It's time for me to fade away." He softly declared as he stepped away from them.

"No, Issei…no…" Eldesa sobbed, grabbing hold of his wrist in desperation.

Brynhildr warped over to his side, pulling him back, her arms wrapped around him as if he were her only link to existence.

"No! Please don't go! You can't! We need you!" She heaved, crying.

"That's exactly it…people need me and this is in service to them." Issei shook his head.

"But what about us?! Are you just going to leave us behind?!" Amaterasu demanded an answer, tears streaming down her red face.

Wiping her tears away, Issei gave her a contemplative expression.

"Everything I've done, I've done for others. You all may not know this but I know what will happen soon…and I can't let that happen. I know that somewhere, somehow, down this road, I'll turn into a real monster. I'll be a monster that will be even worse than Praegorn. I can't let myself be unleashed on you all. I love you all too much to just spend small amounts of time with you, only to spend the rest of eternity tormenting all of creation."

"But we can change that! Surely, with all of us, we can make sure that doesn't happen!" Artemis shook her head frantically, grasping his arm.

"The contents of my expectations are just too horrible to risk. I wouldn't dare tell you all of what I've seen. I am the Grim Herald. It's my duty to ensure that the world and the good people of this Earth live on. That means I will eliminate all threats that can't be reversed or redeemed. Naturally, that includes me. I have to do this." Issei shook his head softly.

"Why are you like this?!" A powerful voice boomed.

Sylderia ran over, slapping him across the face.

"Why are you so intent on letting go of everything, all for the sake of 'protecting' others?! Can't you see that you're not protecting us? You're hurting us! You're scaring us! You're killing us!" She screamed.

Issei only gave a sad smile, not even paying attention to the burning pain from her slap.

"Of course, I expected that too. However, you just don't understand. When I think of everyone, I think of you all at the top. I'm hurting you, yes, but this pain will be nothing compared to what I can do when I eventually snap. I don't just mean physical pain, I mean the emotions that I'll bring you. I can't do that to you all. I love you all too much to be selfish and stay." He shook his head.

"Why won't you look at it our way?" Camilla sighed in despair.

"I have. I've done it so often because your wishes are my wishes too." Issei looked up, as if to count how many times he'd done it.

"Then why? Why won't you risk that?!" Eldesa screamed.

"Because, that's just the man I am. I will never rest until my mission is done. Right now, my mission is ensuring that you all get to live to see another day, and then the next day, and then the next week, then the next month, then the next year and all the years that follow after that. Even if that means I won't be there with you, then so be it." Issei made a sad smile.

"Why is it so hard to reason with you?!" Morrighan wailed.

"I guess that's just one of the things that make me who I am. I'm a stubborn bastard that will stop at nothing for the ones I love. You may not understand me now, but someday, I know you will." Issei laughed, accepting the logic behind their words.

He then turned to the Chaos Queens and Soludar.

"As promised, I'm going to do what I said. I'm going to make things right by you all as well. From now on, your futures are in your hands and no matter what, don't give in and don't lose yourself. No matter what, stay strong and never let fate win against you." He calmly advised them.

Warping out of their hold, Issei stood at the vortex's threshold, turning around to get one last look at the women behind him.

Sylderia rushed at him but Issei knew they'd try to stop him again. With a stern push of his hand, he used telekinesis to throttle everyone out of the room.

"I love you all. Goodbye. And please…live on." He called out to them clearly so that they could hear his last words.

Snapping his fingers, the doors that led into the room closed shut, finally separating Issei from the outside world forever. Turning around, he took a deep breath, ready to end this entire conflictand his own life. Despite planning on going back to the others to live with them, he had received too much damage to just walk away from what he had planned.


Warping into the collapsing dimension, Issei stared at the fragments of the Primordial Crest that were in the air. It was already reaching critical mass and was going to explode soon. Picking up the [Holy Grail] that Praegorn had left behind, he walked towards the floating fragment and began his last work. Ever since he'd arrived at the conclusion that Praegorn was going to use the Primordial Crest, he decided that he'd allow Praegorn to cut a path to it, without he himself incurring any sort of countermeasures from the Abyss or anything or anyone else. In short, he had carefully planned everything, allowing Praegorn to do all the work for him so that he could complete his own agenda.

Placing a hand on the breaking Crest, he summoned the souls of all the Fortium and deceased that he'd been housing, including the dead souls of immortals who'd died recently against Praegorn. With the power of the Holy Grail and the Crest, they were given consciousness and visible form.

"Issei, what are you doing?" Pirinya asked him.

"I'm making things right. Remember, I told you that I wouldn't waste your sacrifices. This is how I'm going to do it." Issei smiled at them.

Narthis looked him in the eye and a shocked expression spread across his face.

"No! Don't you dare!" He yelled.

"I've wronged you all. Horribly. I took your lives and in doing so, I took away the years that you could've lived. It was because I failed to look deeper, to see the truth, that I killed you unjustly. It was never your faults that you did what you did. It was all my own. That's why, I'm going to make things right. With the power of the Holy Grail and what's left of the Crest, I can bring you all back to life in proper entirety, with real bodies, and complete souls." Issei smiled.

"But what about you?!" Pirinya cried out.

"Unfortunately, the Crest is too damaged to make up for many things. Your bodies will be handicapped because of the insufficient process and your corpses have already been destroyed. Your souls will be weakened too, since your lifespans will be abysmal. Therefore, I'll substitute that soul energy with my own, washing it clean of my essence and giving you all the full years of a very healthy Fortium. As for your bodies, I'll reroute the necessary energy that would've gone into your souls to give you fully functional ones. At long last, you all can go home to your families and live well." Issei smiled brightly at the floating souls of the Fortium.

(Doctor Who OST: 10th Doctor Theme. Play Song.)

(*Or you could play – Doctor Who Unreleased Music: One Last Run.)

It made him happy to see the people that he considered to be happy, even if they were only floating ghosts, and even if it were his dying moments.

"I just have one thing to ask of you."

"Issei, don't. Please, stop. We're already dead and gone. Don't waste yourself on this! Magnarian begged.

"Oh, I'm not wasting myself on anything, Magnarian. I'm just making things right. I was never born. I was made. My purpose and goals were to protect the good and innocent. I may not be able to accomplish that anymore but I can at least make sure that my efforts mattered. I can at least make sure that you all get to live with your families in happiness with my last few breaths." Issei shook his head.

"I just have one last request." Issei looked at everyone with endearing eyes, desperately hoping that they would all hear him.

"Live on and don't waste your lives like I did. Don't wallow in despair and hate. Forgive and love. And another thing…"

Taking a deep breath and looking down in sorrow and resignation before looking up again.

"Please watch over the others and each other for me. I've already talked to Ilkynos and Zaylen. They'll explain it to you."

Channeling the Crest and the Holy Grail, he made one last smile. It was full of radiance, hope, and kindness. It was a smile that he hoped the others would remember him by.

"Goodbye."

"ISSEI! NOOO!" Several Fortium cried out.

And with that, he began the process, smashing the two ancient relics together in one radiant explosion that encompassed the entire dimension and Earth. Absorbing the power of the Crest, he felt his entire body burning. It was pain that he had never felt before. Just by being near the Crest, its sheer intensity and power made him want to double over in pain. In addition, channeling the power of the Holy Grail, started to take its toll on his worn and torn body.

Despite the agony, he fought through it, believing in the hopes that the Fortium could go back to their families and make up for lost time. He had imagined the happiness that they could have with the people they loved and it gave him some sort of solace. It was solace in the fact that he'd finally make a positive difference.

Crying out in pain for the first time in a long time, Issei could feel himself being drained rapidly. For once in a long time, he felt his limits being utterly broken into pieces, not ascending, but descending. He felt the agonizing physical pain that he had lost reception towards. However, deep down, he felt calming peace. This pain was nothing compared to the eons that others had spent suffering in mind and heart because of him. Even then, this would only be brief.

Rapidly, the Fortium souls began ripping through him, despite being phantoms in nature, merely passing through him. Each soul was like a blade that stabbed him, taking a piece of him with them on their journey back to life. For what felt like eons, were mere minutes as each soul was healed and sent back to their own vessels of flesh and blood, surrounded by family and friends who were told to wait for them while other souls that died full and normal deaths, were returned to the afterlife.

Issei smiled as he saw the process work as he had hoped, each soul departing, and with them, a piece of his hopes and faith going with them. By the thousands they went, before only Narthis, Magnarian, and Pirinya were left.

Issei could see them crying as they saw his demise arrive. He was barely kneeling, as he panted, his wounds worsening as the power he once had was leaving him. Yet, in contrast to many expectations, he was smiling. This only made them feel worse as they kept watching. They wanted to turn away so much but just couldn't pry their eyes away.

"Stop crying. It'd be a waste of a good day to cry over something like this. My pain is over and your lives have begun again. In the end, I may never see you again but know this…I will always believe in you. I will always watch over you and most of all…" Issei heaved, coughing and gagging.

"I love you all."

With those last words to them, the last of the Fortium souls were carried away after slicing a part his life-force, accepting his hopes and dreams.

Issei looked at himself and he saw his body becoming transparent. Even his blood was disappearing. Soon, he'd fade completely, and with himself, he'd take away the last of the Grim Heralds' bloody legacy.

Before he could close his eyes, he heard doors blast open from behind him. Turning around weakly, he grimaced with a bitter smile as Sylderia and the others came rushing into the room, being visible from the tear in time and space.

"ISSEI!" She called out.

The others gasped as they saw what was happening to him.

"Don't ever forget…that I love you all. Love will always keep you strong."

Those were his final words as he closed his eyes, fading away completely as the Vortex closed and the doors shut.

(Doctor Who OST: 10th Doctor Theme. End Song.)


(Dragon Ball Z KAI OST: Trapped Between Past and Present. Play Song.)

"NOOOOOOOO!" Sylderia shrieked as the gateway severed their connection.

Banging and blasting away at the door with light, she frantically tried to get through. Knowing that she'd hurt herself and others, Artemis and Eldesa held her back. Even they were in agony. Tears streamed down several faces as they realized that all of this had been for naught on their end.

The Chaos Queens and Soludar could only watch silently in relatable discomfort as the others around them crumbled to pieces.

"No! Let me go! I need to get to him! I need to get him back!" Sylderia shook her head, wailing as she tried to wrestle her way out of several grasps.

"Stop it." Morrighan tried to gently soothe her.

"We can't do anything anymore!" Brynhildr choked out.

"He's gone!" Camilla helped the others pull her back.

Despite their words, they knew it was all folly. The man they loved was gone. As soon as Sylderia shook off Brynhildr, the Valkyrie could no longer hide her pain. She began to shudder and convulse as she began heaving. Her mask broke into tiny shards as tears flooded down her face.

Watching the pain of the others and remembering their failure only drove the nail in further. Brynhildr fell to her knees as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"He's not gone! He can't be gone! I haven't kept my promise with him! ISSEI!" Sylderia lashed out in despair as the Anti counterparts stepped in.

They didn't feel as broken as the others but they certainly understood the grief and deadly despair.

For hours, Sylderia wailed and screamed, trying to get the door to open, but it was futile. Issei was finally dead and gone, his life being sacrificed for the people that he loved of his own volition.

Collapsing against the door, Sylderia whimpered and choked out between heaves and sobs.

"Why? Why did you have to suffer so much, Issei? Why can't you ever be allowed to be happy?"

She finally collapsed to the floor, her head in her arms as her face touched the cold ground. Crying her soul out as she clutched her heart, feeling it rip apart as she continued to sob and gag.

The others were the same, succumbing to the same despair. Just why did it have to come to this? Why did this man have to lose everything…even his own life? Why did he give so much and get nothing in return?

They all asked so many questions but it was now pointless.

Issei Hyoudou, the True Grim Herald, was gone.


Arc 8: War of the Heralds - End.

Next Arc: Final Arc - Salvation


And that…is a wrap on this Arc.

Is this the end of the story? Nope. Is there a bad ending or good ending? I can't say.

However, I can say that the next Arc is the final Arc and it won't be exactly of the same formula like previous arcs. In that regard, this was a very taxing chapter to me. It was so hard to put together and I wanted to do so many things and I didn't want to disappoint any of you either. I've noticed that the story's quality has gone down, with action taking over the story and drama taking the backseat. As I re-read several things, I noticed that the story was losing impact. Hopefully, this changed that and if it didn't…well, there's the final arc.

I am very interested in reading what you all think about the chapter and also what you think of the story so far, as a very major part of the story is over. Not only that, but Issei is also very dead. I won't give away much, but just know that the story isn't over. I'd rather not spill the beans so I'll wrap things up here. I hope you had a good time reading this chapter and I will see you next time.