Chapter 46: Against the Godslaughterer
Jereth
(?)
"Destroyer!"
A swift jab of Trishula coincides with Amar's shout, a bizarrely compressed ball of what looks like reality tearing towards me and I decide not to test out my armor's defenses against it.
I push off the ground amidst a spray of sand and sprint to the side, avoiding the ball of whatever it was he fired at me and dash towards the Godslaughterer, aiming to get in close and hopefully turn that Trident into a liability rather than a strength.
"Destroyer!"
Just as I close to within ten meters I'm forced into a losing situation.
Either I eat the approaching 'Destroyer' and figure out what it does firsthand or I break off my charge and start over from scratch.
So instead I cheat.
A quick application of Black Wool tears a gouge out of the ground beneath my feet, abruptly dropping me a few meters low but getting me out of the way of that attack with no loss in momentum.
I leap out of the newly created pit, thrust the Kop'yo Groma towards Amar's face-
"Preserver!"
I feel my arm nearly jolt out of it's socket as my momentum is harshly arrested, the crackling spear being stopped dead by that very same energy that had been shot at me earlier, a wavering heat mirage effect that looks insubstantial but feels like gravity itself decided to put it's foot down.
Amar grins before swiftly intoning, "Destroyer."
There's no completely dodging this one.
Nevertheless I give it a shot, whirling myself to the side at an extreme angle, hoping to at least mitigate whatever possible effects might be hitting me-
-it doesn't entirely work.
That shimmering effect that had previously been surrounding the Godslaughterer reshapes itself into the 'ball' configuration and ensconces my left arm from the elbow down-
-and I just feel my body torque.
Hard.
There's the simultaneous feeling of my skin being ripped, my bones being crushed and the metal of my armor squishing the aforementioned squishy bits.
When my frantic leap comes to a stop almost twenty meters away I'm the proud new owner of a horribly mangled left arm, arterial jets of blood slowly pumping out of the ragged stump of bone, flesh and metal.
Fuck that's brutal...
"Witness of 3 worlds and their burning, cast yourself into the fire once more and breathe new life into the worthy! Primordial Seed!"
Simurgh's Authority bursts out of the ground and the Pollen quickly travels to my injuries, bursting into flame upon contact and causing me to lock a scream behind my teeth at the sensation.
Why does the healing have to hurt so much more than the injuring?
"Huh, seeing that restoration type Authority of yours in action is pretty impressive, Brother."
I flex my newly regrown limb and dispel the damaged portion of my suit before a replacement blazes into life, annoyedly retorting, "Says the guy with some sort of reality altering mojo. Seriously, what the Hell is that shit?"
A smug grin appears on his face.
"Primordial Divide. Shiva's legend that was passed down to me. The ability to both destroy and preserve-"
He slightly jostles Trishula, the weapon almost seeming to preen under his hand.
"-As well as create."
The third eye on his forehead seems to momentarily glow, six armed statues almost three meters tall wielding ancient weapons manifesting out of nowhere, constructed of a variety of materials not limited to jade, bronze, copper and other random stuff.
I scowl inside my helmet and growl out, "Well that seems horrifically unfair. Perfect defense, offense and the ability to construct soldiers out of nothing?"
"Hey, I wasn't given the title of Godslaughterer because I was a pushover."
"Good point."
No sooner do I utter those words than a sharp BANG originates directly beneath Amar's feet, releasing a blinding light and deafening noise that ever so briefly stuns him.
Heh, looks like my little experiment paid off.
The moment he'd shifted Primordial Divide from defense to offense and ruined my arm I'd dropped a stun grenade right at his feet, counting on him not to notice in the general commotion of our fast moving melee.
It'd been a bit of a gamble whether his instincts would tip him off to the primed grenade…but I'd figured that someone with his level of strength, who'd gone up against threats I can't even imagine, wouldn't exactly view something so innocuous as a flashbang as a threat.
Looks like I was right.
So in that half a second I buy myself I overcharge the Kop'yo Groma before launching it at Amar, praying that this part goes according to plan.
"Preserver!"
The wildly oscillating arcs of electricity surrounding the spear abruptly find themselves ineffectually snapping against the wavering shield created by Primordial Divide, the tip of the weapon held immobile by the very same effect.
Jackpot.
I give a brief snap of my fingers-
-and the interior of the shield Amar set up is suddenly blocked from view by a lethal looking purple gas, the cloud unable to escape it's confines due to the interfering Authority.
Heh, who would have known !Xu's Grimoire would have come in handy again after I'd already expended it's usage?
I mean, this is a landscape comprised of my memories and experiences, it only makes sense that I would be able to reconstruct things I'm intimately familiar with in here.
Considering that !Xu's Grimoire was the one thing that allowed me to kill Veles and become a Campione-never mind the fact that I'd more or less deep throated a portion of it's power-I've got a pretty good eye for how it works.
And, like the stun grenade, it's 'inert' form hadn't tripped Amar's danger senses when I'd dropped it at his feet.
…
It's a shame I can't use my mindscapes ability to bend the rules a bit in the outside world, my battles would become SO much easier…
Regardless, the shield collapses a scant few seconds later and Amar staggers out of it, his skin an interesting shade of purple, green and white.
"Shit…can't believe I fell for that…"
And then he collapses face first onto the sand below, very dead.
…Well how about them apples? I just killed the-
-A wave of such malevolent energy fills the air that I instinctively take a step back, eyes widening at the sight before me.
Around the Godslaughterer's body ten jagged spikes manifest, all of them a pulsating crimson with black veins, a noise that sounds like some unimaginably massive beast's growl accompanying their appearance and my body takes yet another hasty step back.
With a crack that sounds like someone snapping a whale's skeleton in half one of the spikes-no, horns-shatters into a scintillating mass of crimson light, the display surrounding Amar's body and with a sudden spasm he slowly rises to his feet, an irritated expression adorning his features.
"Geez, guy takes a few centuries vacation and all of the sudden it's like he forgets how to fight…that was embarrassing."
I'm too stunned to respond to his flippant comment-or the ease at which he literally just came back to life-as I realize what Heretic God he must have killed to gain that Authority.
"How in the fuck…that 'Ten Lives' Authority…you killed the Beast of Revelation, didn't you?"
He claps his hands together and grins, replying, "Got it in one, Brother! Blasphemous Crowns. Ten free lives before I can truly die, all of them returned to me every 666 days. My namesake Authority."
His smile abruptly disappears and a scowl replaces it as he glances at his feet.
"That was admittedly a creative use of your available resources, Brother…even if I still can't believe I fell for so obvious a trap. Oh well, I'll get my payback now."
Now why does that sound incredibly ominous-
"A clenched fist and a savage fury, grant strength and ferocity beyond the raging tides of the Nile! Rage of Beasts!"
A golden aura suffuses the Godslaughterer's body, his muscles seeming to bulge with the influx of power while his facial hair lightens a color tone and grows far larger, resembling a lion's mane.
A feral grin splits his features as he animalistically crouches, his voice a rough growl.
"An Authority I gained from slaying Apedemak, but this is not it's true strength. No, let me show how it works when combined with the final gift Jupiter bestowed upon me!"
Well shit, two Authorities at once? Guess I shouldn't be surprised that I'm not the only Monastic who can-
"Upon that day when we shared the finest of drink and food! One turning of the sun comprised of revelry and song, bonds forged and romances divined! Even upon our death, let this cup be as our blood, as we march forth forevermore! Rite of Venus Erycina!"
As soon as the last syllable of his chant dies away a plain, unadorned wooden cup materializes in his hand, blood red wine gently sloshing within.
"Cheers, Brother."
He brings the goblet to his lips-
-and I'm promptly driven to my knees by sheer power alone, my breath coming fast and shallow. Even without Black Wool I can see the outpouring of Magic, sand and water being physically pushed away from his body in undulating waves.
Holy shi-
A deafening roar emanates from the Godslaughterer's throat before he coils his now massive muscles-
-and in the blink of an eye, he's directly in front me.
No Godspeed, no spatial warping…just sheer physical power.
I desperately try to summon up a weapon of some kind, any kind-
-and I suddenly find my arms grasped in his hands, an impossibly powerful grip that actually crushes the metal and my eyes go wide as I see him pull back his leg for a powerful kick-
-that connects full force and staves in my chest plate, breaking a few ribs and shoots me back so violently that everything below my bicep, metal and skin alike, are left behind as the world crazily pinwheels across my vision until I vaguely feel my body connect with something that feels like the ground, bringing my cross country journey to an abrupt halt.
…The sensation is a bit too oceanic to be called pain, more like a vague realization that something seriously bad happened to my body.
Acting more on instinct than I am on conscious decision making I have Primordial Seed once again begin it's restorative process, pollen drifting towards my injuries and hissing with rejuvenating fire as they begin their work.
THAT I feel.
It brings me back to something resembling consciousness though, coinciding with my throat spasming and I barely manage to dispel my helmet in time to barf out a wad of phlegm and blood.
Would have been rather embarrassing if I'd choked to death on that mix…
Putting that thought aside for the moment I instead re-summon a copy of the suits arm and chest pieces, regaining my feet and glaring at the gracefully loping figure of the Godslaughterer, my dismembered arms still hanging in his leonine grasp.
Rude…
But seriously though, that Authority combination is downright brutal. I mean, that 200 meter long trench didn't create itself…
Rage of Beasts clearly gives him vastly improved strength and reflexes, while Rite of Venus Erycina-at the cost of some higher brain functions, if his insane grin is anything to go by-provides such a massive boost in raw Magic power and other general attributes that it's borderline unfair.
And that's just the obvious effects, there might be additional abilities that I don't have a clue about…
With a screech of distressed metal and splattering flesh Amar's hands convulse and my discarded appendages explode in a gory display that leaves my eye twitching.
Forget rude, that's just outright disrespectful…Ok, how to get a little revenge?
A smirk crosses my face as a bit of inspiration comes to mind. Just like what I did with !Xu's Grimoire, I can play around with the rules a bit in here. There's a bit of armor that I'd been meaning to create for awhile now but, like so many other projects related to Forge of the Father, I haven't had time to properly get down to designing it.
No such requirements necessary in here!
With a blaze of fire my right arm's gauntlet disappears, only to be replaced by a massive construct of metal three times larger that vaguely resembles a Human arm.
An arm that's blocky, bulky and has a meter long rod of metal jutting out of the elbow, appearing for all the world like a poorly built piston.
A weapon I'd built specifically for heavy demolition in mind, namely for dealing with Luo Hao's Divine Might of Vajrapani and Doni's Man of Steel. While I do have methods of working around those said powers, it's only through indiscriminate spells like Aphelion Strike or highly expensive Authorities like Golden Apples that I can do so.
Having an easily accessible way to simply hit them and do damage appealed more than a little to me.
So when Amar once again lets loose a booming roar and charges forward with blistering speed-
-my oversized gauntlet is there to meet him.
As soon as I thrust forward with my arm the rod hanging off of the end shoots forward, adding no small amount of momentum due to the speed and force amplification spells I'd added along the length of the metal, almost like a magnetic accelerator.
It stops him dead.
With a noise-and comparable force-to a wrecking ball hitting the ground at terminal velocity the Godslaughterer halfway gags and wheezes, my fist embedded practically inside his stomach, his internals probably in borderline shock if not outright pulverized due to my blow.
I mean, sure, it completely destroyed my arm in the process, the inside of the gauntlet probably looking like a container of crushed cranberries (note to self: ADD SHOCK ABSORBERS), but it pretty damn well fucking worked.
Taking full advantage of this brief moment of inaction on his part I manifest a rolling block pistol in my still functioning arm, take aim at his head-
-and as he instinctively raises his arms to block the incoming projectile I use my left foot to kick the rapidly summoned Aeger Labrum straight through the bottom of his chin, the blade piercing all the way through his skull and creating an anticlimactic crunch.
The Godslaughterer has time to blink confusedly at me, animal like curiosity evident in his gaze…before toppling directly backwards with all the grace of a confused alcoholic.
All the reflexes and animal cunning in the world won't help you when you can't even breathe.
...
Well, that's two lives down.
No sooner does that thought complete itself than the nine remaining spires of Blasphemous Crowns jut out of the ground, yet another breaking apart and Amar lightly jerking before smoothly rising to his feet, now looking far more pleased that he was chastised the first time around.
"Not bad, Brother! When strength and brute force fails you, you find an underhanded work around. I like it."
I'd feel better about his words if it wasn't for the slightly nagging feeling in the back of my skull, like I should be realizing something that I'm not…
"Something on your mind, Brother?"
I snap back to the present and shake my head, resignedly asking, "Does Blasphemous Crowns also restore your Magic power? Or is that just a side-effect of your other Authorities?"
"Nah, that's Blasphemous Crowns at work. Why do you ask?"
…
Fucking Hell, an Authority that lets him come back to life with his reserves entirely replenished?
How did he even lose to Rama the first place?
Taking my silence as an unspoken admission to continue Amar cricks his neck and cheerily says, "Well as fun as this little skirmish has been-"
Yeah, getting my arms crippled several times in the span of a few minutes was real fun!
"-there's not much left for me to really test you on…you beat me when I was using Shiva and Jupiter's Authorities, never mind Apedemak's. I think there's only one last hurdle for you to clear…"
I raise an eyebrow from behind my helm and archly ask, "What, no competition of pure martial skill? No testing of Magic?"
"What would be the point? You've already fought against two masters of physical skill, the sword and martial arts obsessed Campiones. You know there's room to improve and how to survive against such opponents. And you're probably already far more skilled in Magical arts thanks to that Authority than I could ever hope to be."
His grin fades and his features almost seem to darken, the joviality and affability he was displaying evaporating as if they never existed.
"No…the only challenge I have left for you is simple."
Once more I'm almost driven to my knees by the sheer pressure exerted by the Godslaughterer…but this time it's not Magical in nature, it's almost…like a presence?
"Defeat me when I am at my strongest, when all else had failed and was backed into a corner with no recourse left but to play my ace in the hole."
The sand around him whips itself into an even greater frenzy, as if it can't decide whether it wants to fly away from him or hover nearby before he suddenly slams his palms onto the ground, words of power reverberating through my mindscape with a terrifying volume and strange echo to them, almost as if there was two Amar's reciting them.
"The Underworld's ruler, a primordial beast! One who stole the Goddess at the beginning, and stayed true until the very close! Harden my flesh and elongate my fangs, manifest wings and we'll fly to the world's end! Aspect of Kur!"
The resulting explosion of displaced air throws me back another good 20 meters or so, armor or not, and I barely manage to dig my fingers into the sand beneath my feet, bringing my skid to a halt as I crane my neck upwards and I can't keep my jaw from dropping open in sheer awe.
First to form is the skeleton. In the span of a single second bones that range from a few dozen centimeters thick to almost three meters in diameter snap into place, creating a perfect replica of the carcass suspended over the Quiet Land.
Then the flesh appears.
Coiled muscle that is a shade darker than that found in Humans, almost the color of clotted blood, winds itself around the frame in yet another second and for just a brief moment I'm greeted with the nightmarish image of a skinless, kilometer long monstrosity with it's inner workings and organs on full display, glaring at me with an eyeball the size of a fucking house.
I have no shame in admitting that's probably the most frightened I've ever been in my life to date.
With a final and third second the horrifying view of the skinless serpent disappears as charcoal black scales and leathery wings snap into place, coinciding with a deafening hiss as the great beast sucks air into it's newly created lungs.
…And fright is abruptly replaced by the feeling of being a very, very small ant in comparison to a skyscraper.
Each individual scale is the size of a full grown bison, looking about as fragile as the bastard child of a steel and titanium ingot would, each plate smoothly interlocked with the rest allowing for ease of movement as the gargantuan beast slowly flexes itself, the mere movement of such a titanic creature creating an odd grinding noise that echoes throughout my mindscape like far off construction equipment.
And the wings…600 meter long appendages of seemingly endless smooth, velvety skin, the slightest movement of them creating vast clouds of scattered sand that obscure the four taloned feet that look as if they could crush a skyscraper the same way I would crush an aluminum can.
Fuck me…
"Is something the matter, Brother?"
I almost collapse at the voice of the Godslaughterer, the words not said aloud but mentally, a resonant echo marking every 'spoken' syllable and sounding like the proclamation of God itself.
…Take your pick which one.
I manage to swallow my nervousness-fuck that, my terror-and shakily grin before replying, "Oh, well…you know. Just a little, uh…overwhelmed."
A chuckle emanates from the beast's throat that sounds like Long Valley Caldera finally erupting as it's head slowly cranes downwards to look at me, it's neck creating a perfect arch that an ocean liner could get lost in as our eyes meet.
"Aspect of Kur has evolved with me over the centuries. When I first slew the Dragon I was nowhere near this size, barely cresting 100 meters in length."
The Godslaughterer suddenly rears back, his wings flaring to their full length and balancing on his hind legs, rising so far up above me that my neck is practically at a 90 degree angle.
Holy fucking shit…he's taller than the motherfucking Burj Khalifa this way…
"Kur has grown with me, and now stands as my most powerful Authority! This is your last labor, Brother. Achieve victory against all odds and inherit the title of Godslaughterer!"
And then he roars.
watch?v=uh-eOXkCyoc (Fire Emblem-To Challenge Ashnard)
I've heard loud noises before. Stun grenades detonating no more than a foot away from my face, jet engines igniting when I couldn't have been farther away than three meters, lightning strikes that might as well have been directly next to my head…none of it matches the simple brutality of the noise that emanates from the Godslaughterer's throat.
A bass scream that actually pushes the air away from it in a shimmering wave, even my sealed helmet not protecting me entirely as my armor actually shakes from the released noise, my heart skipping a beat or ten from the simple physics involved of such a primal action.
…It takes no small effort to push down on my bodies instinctive desire to piss itself, every instinct-divine or not-telling me to run.
…
The crazy part, that keeps banging around my head despite the severity of the crisis now facing me?
Rama fought this, this thing…and he won.
My plan to avoid fighting the King of the End now seems less like the desirable option that it is a fucking necessity.
…One step at a time Jereth, focus on the unbeatable monster directly in front of you and tackle that issue before moving on to others-
"Focus, Brother!"
My heart practically leaps out of my throat as I glimpse a talon about the size of damn luxury yacht descending on my position with terrifying speed, the sound of vast swathes of air being displaced as it descends cluing me in almost as fast as my eyes do.
Shouldn't something that large be fucking slow?!
I manifest a board on the double and take to the skies without a backward glance, feeling more than hearing the Dragon's claw compressing dozens of meters of sand into a mixture that probably wouldn't lose out to concrete in toughness as it slaps into the ground.
Shit, I would have been turned into paste by that…
"Violent skies fly to my side and sound our clarion call, the founder of lightning and guardian of the one true root seeks your aide! Father of Storms!"
Lightning dances around me as my Authority becomes active, the typically ever present chills that accompany a forceful summoning absent within my mindscape.
I don't even bother summoning Perun's Stones-the arrows probably wouldn't even come close to denting that things hide-and instead re-manifest the Remington Rolling Block, aiming it directly at Amar's eye and shouting out, "Levinsnakes Writhe!" as I pull the trigger.
Even as lightning strikes the gun and superheats the bullet inside I add more power into it by sending a cage of serpentine electricity to go alongside the shot, praying that the mixture does enough damage to end things.
In an instant the thunder clad projectile gets within a few dozen meters of the Dragon's eyeball-
-and an unnaturally quick jerk of the massive skull swings it's ocular bits out of the way, the bullet impacting just above on it's ridged eyebrow.
There's a noise that sounds like an ocean freighter just got pegged with a football field-sized warhammer…and when the glare and sparks from the strike die down I'm treated to the stomach plummeting sight of a barely noticeable furrow carved on the Dragon's scales.
It didn't even come close to penetrating.
My brief moment of disbelief costs me as the monster suddenly heaves itself into the sky, each flap of those impossibly huge wings causing a minor sandstorm.
And I get treated to the lovely site of razor sharp teeth taller that a fucking pro basketball player bearing down on me.
Screw it…I'm up against the wall here and I've only got so many options left open for me.
"He grabbed three golden apples and threw them high into the sky, three lightning bolts burst from the sky, the first struck at two young grooms, the second struck a horse in a stall, the third struck six hundred wedding guests, not an eyewitness left, not even to say how they died. Golden Apples!"
Pushing the Authority farther than I would ever dare in the real world two blazing orbs appear in my hands and I have to grit my teeth as I can practically feel the two spheres of pure destruction fighting to break free of my artificial restraints.
And not a moment too soon, either.
I raise my right arm, fingers 'grasping' the Golden Apple firmly and place it directly into the path of yet another swing of the Dragon's foreleg.
I'm gonna look really, really stupid if this doesn't work-
-it does.
As soon as the chaotically swirling Authority impacts the Dragon's scales space just seems to warp, the segmented armor simultaneously torquing and burning as muscle and armor collapses inwards on itself due to the combination of lightning and gravitational forces, causing the beast to unleash a surprised scream of pain that almost knocks me unconscious right then and there it's so fucking loud.
I'm just trying not to hysterically laugh at how utterly ridiculous it is that I survived, only because my Authority tore a perfectly sized three meter hole in the Godslaughterer's palm that I slipped through with only a few steaming splatters of Dragon blood on my armor to show for it.
…That, and the smell of a nervous shart that had slipped past my ass cheeks.
Putting that thought aside for the moment I instead flip my board directly towards Amar's face and accelerate as fast as I can, aiming to ram my last remaining Golden Apple directly into it's skull and destroy the brain that way.
I should have figured it wouldn't be that easy.
That damned cavernous maw of his opens up and I have time to see just the beginnings of a glow travel up it's gullet-
-and then the world around me explodes into flames.
And I mean that literally.
The sudden outpouring of heat acts like a damned thermobaric bomb, my headlong beeline abruptly stalled out as a massive wave of pressure slams into me and quite frankly it's all I can do just to keep my board steady.
And then I realize that despite my one remaining Golden Apple working overtime to drag the onrushing flames into a singularity…that Dragon fire is still so damn hot that my armor is starting to melt.
Armor that was made using a SUN GOD'S Authority.
Fuck me twice…
I cast a rueful glance at the crackling orb of destruction being held steady in my palm, despite the fact that I'm starting to sweat profusely inside my suit and it's probably just a manner of seconds before things start to get downright harmful in here.
…Screw it, let's go for broke.
I mentally take a guess at where the fire is originating from, cock my arm back and brave the onrushing flames-
-and then throw Perun's most destructive Authority like a baseball.
As soon as the Authority leaves my grasp the lightning surrounding it starts to go haywire, spitting out in bizarre corkscrews and shapes while the fire that had been repeatedly sucked into it starts to seize in bizarrely random patters, as if gravity was wildly fluctuating all around it.
…
Which it kinda is. That thing is no longer under my guiding hand in any way shape or form.
So instead of worrying I summon two massive shields around me, hoping to stave off the onrushing heat if even for just a few seconds longer-
-and then I hear a noise that sounds a bit like a truck sized chainsaw biting into a steel warehouse as my Authority impacts on it's target, the source of the flames abruptly cutting off and affording me a clear view of my target.
I can't help but grin as I realize that my desperate gamble must have payed off-
-and then my stomach plummets to somewhere around my toes.
That ear-destroying screeching noise isn't coming from the Golden Apple impacting on the Dragon's flesh…
It's coming from where it's being held at bay by a shimmering shield of warped reality, a third eye now visible on the crown of the Godslaughterer's head, even as a three hundred meter long Trident is clasped in the beast's forelegs.
He used Primordial Divide.
Again.
"An inspired stratagem, Brother. But this time I was prepared for the unexpected…"
I can't help but release a defeated sigh past my lips at his words, realizing that I'm well and truly out of moves at this point. The only feasible way I could defeat him in this form is if I dropped a full-powered Aphelion Strike on his head…and even then I wouldn't bank on it, considering how well Shiva's Authority neutralized Golden Apples, the ball lightning now fizzling out as I cut power to the Authority.
A rueful glance at my body reveals that my armor was well on it's way to melting down to it's component pieces, an unpleasant prospect considering I'm still inside the thing.
Dammit…
"Well, I think congratulations are in order! Well done, Jereth! You surpassed what I had expected of you and then some!"
…Huh?
My confusion must have come across through my body language because the towering serpent chuckles before saying,
"Meet me below."
I briefly shrug before doing so, dispelling the armor and board and allowing myself to shift back into my shadowy mental image, leaving behind bodily discomfort for the moment.
Amar does the same, the Dragon's body slowly dissipating with a subdued release of steam, ash and embers.
A scant few seconds later I'm once again facing the Godslaughterer in his Human form, a joyous smile on his features.
"Excellently fought, Brother! Ingenuity and misdirection, as well as a liberal dosage of firepower, seem to have won the day for you!"
I guess I should feel honored that the Godslaughterer of all people thinks what I did was impressive…but all I feel is bitter.
"Yeah, real impressive shit…relying on a Grimoire that doesn't exist anymore, using armor that doesn't yet exist and pulling off moves with my Authorities that don't exist because I don't have that level of control with them yet. Real impressive stuff…"
"Sheesh, hard on yourself maybe?"
And maybe I am. But now I know what that odd nagging feeling in the back of my head from earlier was. Subconsciously I'd probably acknowledged the fact that I wasn't beating him through realistic means.
I resist the urge to sigh and instead dryly reply, "Possibly…but, seriously…how the fuck did the King of the End even come close to beating you, let alone actually achieve it? Able to use Shiva's Authority while adopting Kur's form, combing Jupiter and Apedemak's powers? And that's only the Authorities you used against me! For fucks sake, if we'd been fighting in the real world I would have likely been dead after you ripped my arms off and crushed my chest! Durable body or not that would have left me in borderline shock for at least a few good seconds, seconds in which you could have finished the job."
Amar peaceably sits on the ground once more, thoughtfully stroking his beard as he listens to my complaints.
"I can understand your frustration, Brother…but bear in mind, what you just fought against were without a doubt my most powerful combat oriented Authorities. Standing up against them, currently attainable powers aiding you or not, is no small feat. And do you think Rama and I culminated our battle in the course of a single bout? Our last fight took more than a week or almost constant combat, several alters dedicated to restoring his power by leeching the Earth of it's vitality being destroyed by my hand until, at last, it was only me and him. By then I had expended all of my lives and the vast majority of my energy and Authorities."
His smile is genuine.
"You took two of them in a mere fraction of the time. Hold your head high, Brother."
…
"If you don't mind me asking, how many Authorities do you have?"
"Eh, around 57 or so. Only about 17 of them are good for direct combat purposes though, the rest are a mix of passive effects, lower end nature and social manipulation, causality fixing and, my personal favorite, one that can affect the sensitivity of a person's body. THAT was a real bedroom winner!"
…
Jesus fucking Christ, this man was a monster.
I can understand why the pseudo-divinities of his time eventually just stopped trying to fight him at all…
"So…what now?"
"Now you go back and finish what we started…or at least give it a try, beats me if there'll ever be an end in sight to this grand little crusade we set ourselves upon."
I distractedly nod at his words…and promptly feel the crushing weight of both inherited responsibility and my own personal failings that were just revealed rather unceremoniously to me.
Amar must have noticed since he carefully asks, "Jereth? You don't seem particularly enthused about this."
I let loose a heavy sigh and blandly retort, "Can you blame me? I'm comparing myself against you and a Monasteries that was vastly more powerful than we are now. And you still were unable to come out on top. What the fuck am I supposed to do?! And apparently most of the people I know are just now telling me that I have deep-rooted psychological issues that I never really worked through. So it's not like I'm starting off with a fucking handicap or anything!"
"Jereth!"
I'm startled by the feeling of hands on my shoulder-my real shoulders-in a comforting gesture and meet the Godslaughterer's gentle gaze.
"Brother…well, I would be lying if I said I completely understand the difficulties facing you…but you needn't face off against the various forces arrayed against you alone. You have allies on your side, no matter how unconventional."
A congenial grin appears on his features.
"We've already addressed the matter that is Ambriel and Athena…or have you forgotten Creele, the man you think of as your best and oldest friend? Or perhaps that lovely little Witch who you seem to have no shortage of romantic feelings for? Never mind the various other Monastics that will follow you, or the Quiet Land and Judicators that will now obey you. And have you forgotten the other Godslayers of your time?"
He chuckles, of all things.
"Present your quest in the proper light and context, and you think the other Devil Kings won't at least listen? The ones known as Annie Charlton and Godou Kusanagi seem quite rational, if slightly eccentric. And you already seem to have an understanding of sorts with the Swordmaster and 'Black Prince'…"
His grip tightens ever so slightly and his tone drops into one of soft seriousness.
"As the Godslaughterer, there will be responsibilities and battles that only you can fight, both as a consequence of your station and, from what I have been able to glean from your memories, due to your own personal inclinations. But never isolate yourself. That path only leads to disassociation with the very people you once proclaimed to be friends and lovers with."
His hands remove themselves from my body, a look of such melancholy and empathy appearing on his face that I can't help but give him my undivided attention.
"On the topic of lovers…Brother, of all the subjects we've discussed thus far, this is the one I would take the least offense if you were to disregard…but no matter how badly it hurt to see them die, to have to administer the finishing blow myself…I would never, EVER consider forgetting the love I held for Jupiter and Shiva. Our lives are far too prone to a sudden and violent end to postpone our feelings, to pretend that there will always be a tomorrow."
…That humbles me a bit.
…
Actually it humbles me a lot, if only because that's pretty damn close to how me and Eliza have been dancing around the issue for a long time now…
"I'll…think on it. So what happens now?"
"Now? Now, I finally pass on to the next life, or whatever equivalent awaits me."
My non-existent eyes widen.
"You're…dying?"
"Technically I'm already dead-"
"You know precisely what the fuck I mean."
He laughs before nodding, a profound expression of peace on his features.
"This sword was only designed to contain my consciousness so that I may both judge and defend it if needed. That task is done now, and only a true death awaits me. The tale of the first Godslaughterer is now at a true end."
He bumps a fist into my chest.
"It's time for the second to take the stage."
I suddenly feel my throat tighten of all things, overwhelmed at the fact that this man, this legend, is passing off his legacy to me with nothing but confidence in his attitude and words.
I can only offer some of the most sincere gratitude I've ever spoken.
"It was…an honor meeting you…Brother."
He boisterously laughs at that.
"Ah come on now, don't make this out to be such a depressing event! We should be rejoicing at such a momentous occasion! And allow me to impart you with one final gift…"
He suddenly rams his hand through my incorporeal chest and I can only blink in surprise as something seems to transfer through the connection.
"Umm…should I be worried about this?"
"You shouldn't. After all, I'm giving you an Authority of mine."
"…What?"
And then I feel it. Something that burns and writhes with barely containable power forces itself into my head, an echoing roar of fire and wings flashing across my mind before it settles, becoming just as familiar and comforting as all of my other powers.
Amar just smirks at my expression.
"Kur's strength is now yours to command, Brother. I don't doubt you'll use it well."
My face probably looks a bit more than gobsmacked.
"How did you-"
"Pass on an Authority? My consciousness was completely preserved in here, remember? That means all of my powers usurped from Deities, the knowledge of how to use them, exists as well. More than that, Kur's very body hangs above us even as we speak, remember? You won't find a much better catalyst than that."
I just wordlessly nod, still overwhelmed at the constant stream of revelations and events that can't seem to stop punching me in the face for more than five goddamn minutes.
"Well, I think that's just about everything that needs to be covered."
I snap out of rumination-
-only to find myself gathered up into a bear hug of truly terrifying proportions, Amar setting me down only after, if we had been in the real world, likely pulverizing my ribcage.
"Armus ad Armus…Jereth Godslaughterer."
He steps away, offers me a thumbs up of all bloody things before winking and-
-I wake up rather abruptly, staring blankly at the slowly shifting sky of the Quiet Land as viewed through the open roof of the Creche of the Godslaughterer.
It doesn't escape my notice that Kur's enormous skeleton is now missing from where it once hovered over the building.
…I briefly close my eyes and take a moment to reflect on the maelstrom of events that was my brief meeting with the Godslaughterer, the only form of honoring the man's life that I can think of at the moment.
"Things seem to have gone rather well."
I blink and roll my eyes back in my head, noticing Brother Han patiently sitting next to me with his legs crossed in a posture of quiet meditation.
"…Yeah, I guess you could say that…"
He quietly chuckles and smoothly rises to his feet, offering a hand to me which I gratefully take.
"So, I take it Amar Godslaughterer informed you of the Monastery's complete history, as well as the true nature of the foe we face?"
I slowly nod.
"Yeah…that and a whole lot more."
I regain my feet and take a deep breath, marveling at how my already nearly indestructible body feels even more…potent, than before.
I guess Kur is doing it's thing…
I briefly crack my neck and gaze around the colosseum-
-and immediately freeze as what I'm willing to bet is the entire Quiet Land is seated around the arena, all of their eyes now on me.
…That's not intimidating or anything.
Said thought gets shoved aside as ten sets of heavy footfalls echo throughout the auditorium, the Judicators purposefully striding forward in my direction.
"Take up the weapon, Successor…"
The rattling voice of one of them, I can't tell which, drifts off into silence and I cast a curious glance at the stone dais where the sword is still benignly laying.
I take a cautious step towards it…and then another…and then a few more smooth strides and now I'm standing right in front of it, no more than half-a-meter away.
Bizarre…before I was practically shaking in my boots looking at this thing, now it merely seems…
Interesting.
I reach out to grasp the handle but hesitate and fix the leading Judicator, one with a Dragon-styled helm, with a questioning gaze.
"It is yours. Wield it."
I nod once and firmly wrap my palm around the leather grip-
-and there's a rush of power that travels up my arm, across the room, out the colosseum, out the Quiet Land, past the Pillars of Ashoka and continues on until the ends of existence.
A signal flare and declaration, all in one apocalyptic package.
A maddened smile I have no control over nearly splits my face in half as I turn around, Han dropping to one knee and cupping his heart with his right hand, both the Judicators and remaining Quiet Land members reciprocating the action.
1898 Monastics and ten living legends, all swearing the Oath of Loyalty to me and me alone.
"I accept this with all of my being. Rise."
As one the collection of men and women of all different races, age, ethnicities and skin color return to their prior positions, anticipation dancing in their eyes.
"Han, is there any point to the Quiet Land remaining secret, now that there's no longer any need to watch over this weapon?"
His grin stretches even wider.
"None whatsoever, Brother. It's time for the Quiet Land to once again march past the Pillars of Ashoka and meet our enemies directly. Command us as you see fit."
I answer his grin with one of my own before taking a moment to think.
Now knowing about the Pseudo-Divinities that are obviously still walking this Earth, and about Ambriel's all too-likely summon by those very same creatures, never mind Alice's vision…I think it's pretty clear what we have to do.
"Han, you all know about my confrontation and report on Ambriel, as well as the Sage Princess' vision, correct?"
"Of course."
"Ah, good."
I turn to dress the assembly at large and boom out, "First order of business, people! One or more of those ugly freaks from the time when our realms were combined into one is still wandering about, and we need to let it or them know we don't appreciate it's loitering! Contact the Branch Heads, sleeper agents you have in our ranks, leading Exoterics, whatever! But I want a coordinated search worldwide for these things and I want them dead on the pronto!"
I clap my hands together sharply and finish with a shout of, "Let's get to it! We've got several millennia of payback LONG overdue!"
A wave of enthusiastic nods greet me and the Quiet Landers swiftly start filing out of the Colosseum, the Judicators smoothly returning to their prior positions of guarding the realm until called upon.
Han is just about to follow after them when I tap him on the shoulder and, with a slightly troubled frown, I ask, "You're sure this thing doesn't have a name?"
I gesture with the nameless blade and the older man gives a simple nod before replying, "Why not name it then? Now that it has a wielder, it deserves one."
I guess that's something we agree wholeheartedly on.
While I'm not really one to go ahead and name every single piece of equipment I own-that would spiral out of control pretty quickly given my Authority from Svarog-this sword deserves a title, something befitting it's purpose and importance.
…Shit, where would I even start?
I suppose I could begin with the more well known weapons throughout history?
…No, this thing is an entirely different beast than any legendary weapon before it, the first of it's kind.
It's name has to be unique.
…A name of a weapon that is going to change the world, that is singularly simple and descriptive of it's purpose…
…Ah.
I know.
Granted, it was from a book I read once a few years back…but the parallels match up at least nicely, if not perfectly.
Hell, even my name is similar to that metaphorical blade's wielder. How's that for cosmic coincidence?
"Kosall."
Han raises an eyebrow.
"Kosall?"
"Yup. Kosall."
His brow wrinkles and he eventually says, "The name doesn't ring any bells. Any particular language it originates from?"
I smirk at his query.
"Try sounding it out using standard English."
"Hmm…Ko-Sall?"
Another smile from me.
"Close, try again."
Han nods and is about to open his mouth-
-when instead a look of comprehension appears on his features and he smiles.
"Kos-All."
Kosall. Cuts All.
Nyarlathotep
I can only stare hatefully at nothing as the axis of the universe seems to shift, a premonition and challenge in equal parts being issued across all realms of existence, the proclamation of something dangerous and reality altering being introduced to the stage.
Damn you, Ashoka…so that was what you were hiding behind your Fortress Gates, was it?
…There is even less time than I expected, then. It appears that the Quiet Land has grown tired of our little game and decided that, one way or another, it's time to end things.
I will be only too happy to oblige them.
Pandora
…Geez, I knew my children were capable of some pretty wild stuff…but this takes the cake!
I felt that shift in reality from all the way out here! And I'd be willing to bet Susanoo, Sita and a few others are already on their way to my favorite resting place, trying not to appear worried and failing miserably.
What starts as a giggle then blows over into a full on evil cackle.
Oh BOY things are going to be interesting from now on! Take that, all you screwed up Monsters from beyond the Divine and Mortal realms! I may not be able to take direct action, already having royally screwed up one covenant in the past, but now I won't need to lift a finger in order to see you all burn!
You get em', Jereth! Show those jerks what happens when you mess with Pandora's extended family!
Athena
The Sea of Souls this Goddess idly drifts through seems to shiver, a ripple caused by the drop of a stone into water's smooth embrace.
…Other's ask the very same question this Athena wishes to propose, yet no answers seem to be forthcoming.
How curious and vexing in equal proportions…yet why does this Goddess feel a call from the very place that this strange effect originated from?
More pertinently, why is that call so familiar to this Athena? It feels as if part of us was left behind in a far away land…
…Yes. The land of the Rising Sun. Of a promise made with a newly found ally.
A promise that this Athena was happy to accept…
Yes…tis time for this Goddess to once more walk the Mortal Plane, and finish what she started.
And we can call that a wrap, people! Jereth is fully clued in to the nature of what he and the Monasteries are facing, he got a new Authority, the Quiet land is going to be working with the rest of the Monastics, Kosall is now in play and Athena is on her way back to the Mortal Realm! WHEW.
But yeah, writing this chapter reminded ,e just how damn hard it can be doing justice to action scenes, especially ones involving such insane powers like the ones Campione field. I gave it my best shot though, so hopefully I conveyed just how absurdly powerful the Godslaughterer was in his prime, as well as how powerful the KoTE was in his own right.
On an unrelated note, I always imagined Amar's voice while in Kur's form as sounding like Verus Wiseman's from Baten kaitos Origins (2006).
Seriously, 11 years later and I can't think of a villain with a more intimidating voice, it's freaking MAJESTIC the work Neil Kaplan does. Check it out :D
desdelor97: Muchas gracias, como estas?
kyomei93: Why thank you very much! So much of my inspiration for writing these kinds of stories boils down to wanting to expand upon and share the ideas I have regarding these universes, so actually arriving at the chapter in which I get to espouse was a high point :D
TheB: You guessed it, especially after realizing the Cthulu leftovers are pretty accomplished in such rituals. And yes, he was in for some hurt.
VERY bad hurt.
Dark White Fang: Little known fact, the true OTP pairing IS Tim and Jereth.
...
I kid, but the idea is hilarious to me XD
And yeah, writing a romance from the perspective of two people who know EXACTLY what romance is and how it works, but don't have a clue how to apply that to themselves, is a fun little challenge. Glad you're enjoying that!
xanothos: He really could have used a Godspeed Authority, now that you mention it...oh well, who needs arms anyway?
