"How anticlimactic."
Krelian's words were followed by a sudden gunshot that stopped Elly right in her tracks, just as she'd reached out her hand to Ramsus.
"What the...?"
"Krelian! What did you...?!"
Elly collapsed to the ground before anyone else could say anything.
"Elly! You okay?!"
Fei quickly rushed to her side and cradled her body, but she wasn't responding.
Bart immediately turned his blade on Krelian. "What the hell have you done?!"
"Why not see for yourself? It won't be long, after all, until she awakens."
Just then, Elly's body began to twitch and convulse...until a new woman emerged from her.
This woman had purple hair and was adorned in a bodysuit that shimmered white and gold. She faced the party with a smile as serene as it was cold. Her face was the picture of transcendental beauty, the kind that men would start wars over. But her eyes showed not the slightest hint of compassion, or care.
"You...it was you all this time?!" Ramsus bellowed, his anger just barely covering up the abject terror he now felt.
"There is no need to be surprised." the woman said as she picked up Elly's Mondao and began to levitate until she was literally towering over the beings beholding her. "After all, everything has transpired as per the will of fate. You have all served your roles incredibly well."
"R...roles? What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Will you stop interrupting Lady Miang before she explains everything?" Krelian snorted as he walked over to her side. "This is what I've never understood about you mortals. Always acting out on impulse and emotion, never stopping to just listen!"
"Krelian...you..."
"M...Miang...is that...her name?"
"Indeed it is." Miang said, with another gentle smile that yet showed nothing behind the eyes. "I have foreseen the winds of fate, and guided you all towards this very moment. All of you, exist for one purpose and one purpose alone. To serve the will of Deus."
"Deus?! Isn't that the Titan we live on?"
"If it truly has a will of its own, then who, or what is...?"
"It's quite simple, really." Krelian said, cutting them off. "The will of Deus, and the Eve of your entire race, is none other than Lady Miang herself!"
At that point, everyone fell silent, and just stared slack-jawed at the apparent divinity facing them all.
"Indeed, he speaks the truth." Miang said "All of you were descended from me. All of you were destined to serve me. And serve me you shall, until the very end!"
"What? This can't be right...if she really was the Eve, then why...?"
"Why haven't you heard of her?" Fei's voice rang out. But it wasn't him, not really. His eyes had a primal glow about them, a glow matched only by...
"Id?!"
"I remember you...the things you did to me...to Fei...was all that in the service of fate too?" Id spoke, with a tranquil rage.
"Of course." Miang chuckled. "You were an invaluable test subject. The Contact attempted to pass his will on to you, but there's only so much of that kind of burden a child can take. Knowing that inheriting his will would be a delicate process for you, I simply chose to preempt his plans. And the data I gathered was incredibly...illuminating."
For the first time, her smile transformed from something serene into a truly sadistic expression. It seemed as though even divinities were not immune from the pull of mortal instincts.
"Miang here can take the form of any woman she chooses to. That's how she killed my mother. That's how she experimented on Fei...until I was created." Id said.
"Wait, so Id's been a part of you all along?!"
"Yes. And Miang has been among you all along! She's been watching us, manipulating us since before we were even born!"
"N...no!" Chu-Chu screamed. "Miang...so...powerful?!"
"Ahahaha!" the sound of her laughter echoed across the place. So sweet, and yet so chilling. "It is as I said, isn't it? All of you are fated to serve Deus. All of you are fated to serve me. There's no need to be so alarmed. After all, your destinies have finally been revealed! All you need to do is embrace them!"
"Embrace our destinies...just what the hell are you playing at?!" Bart screamed, his patience wearing thin.
"It's simple. Embrace me! Become one with your God! I will take you all into my arms and usher you into Deus! And there, you will all be united in a singular purpose! To reawaken Deus, so that it may unleash the ceremony of destruction and rebirth one more!"
"You want...to assimilate us?"
"Well, tempting as the idea of your embrace sounds, I'll have to decline! To hell with you!" Bart screamed as he rushed towards Krelian. He was promptly swatted aside.
"Tsk tsk." Krelian muttered. "Defiance against the inevitable will do you no good."
"...Elly." Maria muttered. She was now beside Id, cradling her lifeless body. "What did you to her? Why isn't she waking up?"
"Oh, the vessel? She's dead. I no longer needed her to support myself."
"What?! You killed her!" Citan screamed in anguish. Ever the cool-headed doctor, even he'd been caught off-guard.
"Killed her? How could I do that if she was never alive to begin with?"
"What the hell?! We've fought with her! Lived with her! How can you say that she was never alive?!" Bart screamed, aghast.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Ramsus pointed at Krelian. "When you disappeared, all those months ago, you'd..."
"Indeed." Krelian smiled knowingly. "I'd deserted you and your Solaris ilk to guide the inhabitants of Deus on their little expedition. The same one Elly was on, in fact. The one where we discovered the Monado."
"No...don't tell me..."
"When they accidentally released Miang's soul from its seal within the Monado, she consumed all the people who surrounded her. All, except for me...and Elly."
"Y...you knew? You knew all along?!"
"Of course I did. I helped Miang settle into her new vessel after all. Needless to say, Elly's fate was sealed from that very moment, but we agreed to let her live her own life, be her own person. It was, after all, what Deus had ordained."
"Indeed, she simply played her role, as did the rest of you. And once her role had been fulfilled, it was time for her to exit the stage." Miang said, her smile once again serene, and cold.
"Is there...really no other choice...?"
"Did we really come all this way...just because fate pushed us to...?"
"Is it finally becoming clear?" Miang said. "If you allow yourselves to be harvested willingly, the process will be completely painless, I assure you."
"No...you can go to hell!" Ramsus suddenly screamed and attacked Miang from behind. "And take your bullshit destiny with you!"
Miang didn't even flinch as she deflected the attack and turned around.
"Insolence, however, will always be doomed to a pitiful end." she said as she approached her attacker. "Ramsus, you truly are such a disappointment. If you'd been a good little boy and simply accepted the purge of Solaris during the last harvest, I would've still loved you. I could've given you everything."
"How dare you...you think you could slaughter my people, destroy my homeland, and I'd just go along with it because you seduced me?!" he attacked again, but it was once again easily deflected.
"Yes, actually." her serene smile once again turned vicious. "It was why I ordained that you lead Solaris in the first place. You always had such a fragile mind, always a slave to your base desires. And I was right there, willing to grant your every want. It honestly baffles me that you chose such a...fruitless defiance."
"MIAAAAANG!" Ramsus desperately, fruitlessly attacked her over and over again, to no avail.
"Ramsus, that's enough! It's not working!"
"No, I can't stop! I can't let her win!"
"Don't you get it..." Billy muttered, "It's not working...it won't work...there's...there's..."
"Billy..."
"Ironic how the tools meant to serve me insist on being my biggest obstacles." Miang said. "If you do not accept your assimilation through my embrace, then you will be assimilated through my blade! I have no need for Solaris anymore!"
She pointed her Monado towards Ramsus, and swung. And as she did, Deus itself awoke, and crushed Solaris with its sword.
"AAAAARGH!"
"Ramsus, no!"
Ramsus's Gear was clearly past the point of repair. Smoke rose from its engine. Sparks flew from where it had been struck. It was almost certain that he would die here.
"Miang...there truly is no limit to how low you will sink, is there?" Id muttered.
"I am the herald of Deus. I am the messenger of your God! And serving your God is why you were created! If you refuse to serve, your heresy will be punished!"
"You know she is beyond reason, don't you?"
"G...Grahf?!"
"Our role too is at an end. We must act now, in order to buy the others some time."
"So this is how my dream of revenge will end. I suppose I never had a chance."
"Neither of us did. But they will. We'll make sure of that."
Id stood up, firm in his resolve.
"Yes, I suppose we will."
"F...Fei!" Citan said.
Fei's body promptly leaped upwards and caught Miang off guard.
It was the first attack Miang had any trouble deflecting.
"Id?! How...oh, but it's not you anymore, is it?"
The glow in Fei's eyes was unmistakable.
"So, we meet again, Abel. Even after all this time, you can't stop being a thorn on my side. Not that it matters. This time I'll end your rebellion for good!"
"Wh-what's she saying?!"
"Did Fei change...again?!"
"Stand back, all of you!" Abel said. "You're not strong enough to take her!"
"And you are?" Miang sneered. "Do you truly think your strength can ever hope to match the might of Deus?!"
"I will not let you have your way!" Abel said as he struck again. And this time, she was pushed back once more, with them both zipping across the area, trading blows.
Miang, however, remained unfazed.
"Is this the extent of your power?! How disappointing!"
"Ghhh!"
"Come on Fei! Get her!" Bart screamed.
"How much pain and suffering have you wrought upon the people for the sake of your precious freedom?" Miang said with a hateful look. "I offer them a life of purpose, a chance to die in my loving arms, and they forsake me because of your heresy!"
"That's always been your problem, hasn't it?!" Abel screamed. "You could never accept the possibility of people acting of their own volition! The people are not slaves to my will! They cry out for the chance to shape their own destinies! That's what freedom means!"
"The will of Deus is absolute! A mortal can never rebel against a God! I will show you the folly of ever believing otherwise!"
Miang's strikes became increasingly more vicious. It was clear that Abel was being pushed to his very limits. But he held on, pushing back as hard as he could.
And when she looked at Elly's comatose body, Miang understood.
"So, you still wish to protect that vessel do you? That tool I've already discarded? How foolish!"
The next strike sent Abel hurtling to the ground, landing right next to Elly.
"If you can't face me like a God, you will meet the same end as your putrid friends! It is time I put an end to your little tantrum once and for all!"
Abel immediately stood up, ready to take Miang's attack head-on.
"FEI!"
"No! NO! GET AWAY FROM THERE!"
But Abel had already made up his mind.
As Miang's strike bore down on Fei, another presence emerged from him, taking the brunt of the blow. This, was Abel's true form.
"AAARGH!" Abel screamed in agony. It was clear that the attack had devastated him. He was already disintegrating.
"Id...father...no, Abel!" Fei screamed, having just gotten his bearings.
"Fei...protect Elly. Get the others to safety. It's up to you now...to fight for your future. Create a world...with no need for gods..."
Abel's form then dissipated into the ether. The original Contact had perished for good.
And his own Monado was immediately seized by Miang.
"Hehehehe! AHAHAHAHA!" she laughed jubilantly. "It is as I said! The will of Deus cannot be opposed! Resist if you must, but one way or another you will serve me! I only hope you repent for your foolishness before it's too late."
Miang descended to Krelian's side. Nobody had the strength left to intervene any further.
"Come, Krelian. Let us begin the assimilation."
"Of course, lady Miang. I am at your service."
And both of them immediately warped to Deus, where Prison Island was in full view.
Miang raised her arms, her expression one of unbridled joy and zeal.
"Let the ceremony begin! Awaken, Deus! Awaken and feed!"
Prison Island immediately began to sink into the ether. And from all across the titan, the screams of those who were being converted into the Wels could be heard.
Yes, Miang's personal army of minions was awakening. And they would scour the lands of Deus to assimilate all life, without exception.
Back at the Solaris core, everyone could hear the rumblings. The place was coming apart, and Deus was awakening.
"Fei! Fei, are you alright?!"
"Yeah." he muttered. "We...we need to take Elly and leave."
"That's right." Citan said. "Abel's left it all to us. We won't let it end here."
"One way or another, I'll make her pay." Bart muttered, before turning to face the others. "On your feet everyone! Our battle's just beginning!"
