I own none of the works that appear in this fanfiction.


Underworld…

Separated from the reaches of mankind, a hidden world dwelled, mirroring the human world but with a few important twists. Purple skied and mostly filled with land rather than water, the Underworld was populated with beings of strange and unusual powers. In the capital Lilith, a man sank into his leather-bound seat with an appreciative sigh. Running a hand through his red hair as he glanced at the piles of paperwork on his desk, the man decided to shut his eyes instead of beginning his duties.

Sirzechs Lucifer was a hero amongst his people, a Devil King whose power was almost unmatched in the world. The former heir to the prestigious Gremory Clan, Sirzechs had been raised in the area right after the Great War and had witnessed firsthand the destruction that had been left in its wake. Born with an incredible innate talent to wield the legendary Power of Destruction passed down from his mother, the young Gremory knew he had the opportunity to stop those who wanted to further destroy Devilkind with more bloodshed. With the help of his friends Ajuka Astaroth, Serafall Sitri, and Falbium Glasya-Labolas, the four young devils were able to lead a resistance against the Old Satan Faction and end the war. The four devils were crowned as the 'Satans' and had been leading their people ever since.

Sirzechs sighed, he wished that someone had warned him that ruling was such a pain. His sensitive ears caught the sound of delicate footsteps walking down the hallway toward his office and he didn't even have to open his eyes to see who it was. "Good afternoon, darling."

Grayfia Lucifuge did not have the appearance of the Strongest Queen or the wife of Lucifer, no that would be too improper. In fact, were it not for her incredible beauty and the aura of power around her, one would likely mistake her for another maid in the castle. Long silver-haired tied into a long braid was perhaps her most famous feature but it was her silver eyes that were staring at her husband like they were trying to burn through his skull that seemed most striking.

Naturally, Sirzechs did the thing most scared husbands would do in his place. He tried to crawl into a ball and hide from his wife's fury. "I'm sorry Grayfia, what happened?"

Grayfia placed down a file onto the table, her gaze icy as she watched her husband gulp and read the familiar title. "Why haven't you dealt with this yet? Everyone is waiting for your response."

"Well, you see…" Sirzechs stuttered, sweating as he tried to think of his excuse for his lack of action. Ever since he had gotten the news earlier that morning during the weekly Satan meeting, Sirzechs had been trying to dodge the problem and his wife but it seemed he would have to confront both now.

Sirzechs let out a heavy sigh that made him seem much older than he appeared, rubbing his temple lightly as he began to think. "Any disturbance created by that human Aleister Crowley is a major problem which might even threaten the very existence of the underworld itself. The one that occurred yesterday was enormous and sent shockwaves throughout the dimensional gap which in turn propagated them through the known phases." Green eyes glanced out of the window of his office, an unreadable expression on his face. "There's no mistaking who came out of that void, and there is just as diminutive doubt regarding his intentions this time."

"You heard what Serafall-sama had said." Grayfia's voice was as cold as ice. "The Puritan Church had apparently predicted the reappearance of Aleister Crowley into this world and had even traced the coordinates of his destination which they have already shared with every power they could reach."

Sirzechs almost did not respond, his eyes still peering out the window, locked onto something he must have seen in the distance. It was only because Grayfia had spent so much time with him that she caught the slight catch in his breath, the small tightening of his brow for a microsecond.

"Do you truly believe what they are saying? That they would execute the Silver Star with absolution this time?" There was a weight to her words, a slight sense of fear hiding behind the woman's tightly pressed lips. The thought of one of the Devil's most hated enemies, Aleister Crowley was enough to make the Queen shiver.

"I cannot answer, but if that is what they intend then the Devils would not hesitate to offer them assistance, this is far more important than any of our previous grievances." Sirzechs turned around to face the silver-haired woman, a look of urgency set on his face. "Bring me Beowulf, Woodman, and Okita. Also, contact Heaven in my name, I think we shall have to join hands this one time."

Sirzechs knew that he could not let himself get caught off guard. The Devils would make the first move.


Dimensional Gap…

Colours. The world was filled with a myriad of colours as far as the eye could see, twisting and spinning like a kaleidoscope for all of eternity. For almost all, the Dimensional Gap was overwhelming and suffocating, as the nothingness within the space between worlds threatened to crush any foolish being that dared to step foot into the gap. For most, this space was a death sentence. For Ophis, this place was home.

A young girl seemed to float in the middle of space, seemingly standing still on nothing, as her long black hair cascaded down her back. Cloaked in black gothic lolita fashion, the young girl's grey eyes stared at the only other presence in the dimensional gap with a strange combination of apathy and annoyance. Her pointy ears seemed to twitch at the mighty roar the giant red dragon let off in the distance, as the sound seemed to radiate throughout the void.

This was not the silence that Ophis wanted. That foolish dragon simply would not leave her space and continued to act like a flamboyant idiot with his flips and tricks. Frowning, Ophis felt the energy within her begin to seep out beneath her feet in the form of snakes but just as she was about to launch them at the target of her annoyance, she stopped. The energy slowly began to recede as the Infinite Dragon God turned to her right, her grey eyes instantly catching onto the faint trail of platinum energy floating throughout the gap. It was pure unbiased power yet it felt so sinful

With just a thought, she drifted over to the trail and carefully ran a hand through it, only to nearly dissipate it entirely. Her eyes travelled upward, to where the trail began to extend into the gap and narrowed. This was not just a random string of power, but a deliberately placed declaration.

Her interest peaked, and she began to follow it, flying beside the trail of energy as it twisted and winded throughout the dimensional gap. Flying past the realm of the Shintos, Norse, and seemingly every other pantheon, Ophis continued to follow the stream of energy until it stopped. Directly in front of the crossroads between Earth, the Underworld, and Heaven. The energy trail had faded at the last moment and could have led to any of the three realms. But instinctively she knew where it led...

Ophis frowned, once more annoyed, as she stared at the three glowing orbs that represented the entrance to the material world of humans. Whatever had left the trail through the gap was powerful, very powerful. To even survive the dimensional gap for that long required immense amounts of power, nearing that of some higher gods and the thought of a mere whisk of power remaining unchanged inside the Gap was almost impossible to imagine.

But the power of the being was not as important as its identity, for Great Red was not the only being who she had vowed to see dead. Her cold emotionless eyes flashed with pure rage, and the dimensional gap trembled from her wrath.

"I would find you, Aleister Crowley…" And with that, The Infinite Dragon God reached out a hand in order to enter the realm before her. Disappearing in an instant, there was an eerie silence radiating throughout the area.


Millennium Castle Brunestud…

A pair of deep red eyes stared into the eternal darkness even as the very space around her trembled and distorted from the power that permeated reality itself.

Altrouge Brunestud also known as the Eclipse Princess of Black Blood sighed, leaning backward even as whispers and murmurs resonated across the grand hallway where beings of extraordinary power transcending human comprehension were gathered.

As a hybrid of Dead Apostle and True Ancestor, she was the first True Ancestor ever to hold the title of Brunestud, an existence who could stand tall even amongst those monsters who ruled over the supernatural world with absolute might.

Conceived from Crimson Moon's desperation for preparing a pure body for his revival she was one of the few who could lay claim to the status of true royalty amongst the realms of Dead Apostles and True Ancestors, though her status was not largely acknowledged by her peers because of her impure blood.

"Aleister Crowley…" She whispered, her eyes flashing with hatred and bloodlust even as she turned towards the man before her. "We have waited long for this moment. I once never could have thought of any reason that might have compelled us to join forces, but then again this does not surprise me as much as I imagined. That human had always been an abomination who could distort the very order of our supernatural world."

"We are not here to listen to your thoughts and indulge in your whimsical fantasies, Altrouge Brunestud." An elegant voice rudely interrupted, even as its owner arrogantly sneered at her, "Is the information shared by the Puritan Church authentic? Has that arrogant upstart Crowley really returned?"

"You have a penchant for stating the obvious, for this is something we both have checked for ourselves. We would not be gathered here if it were otherwise." Altrouge Brunestud sighed. "The Silver Star has indeed made his move."

Trhvmn Ortenrosse, also known as the White Wing Lord was a magus who became a bloodsucker through his own research. He was the first follower of the Crimson Moon and was one of the most infamous Apostles who currently led the largest faction out of all the Dead Apostles.

Even though he should have possessed the greatest influence over Deal Apostles, the one before him— Altrouge Brunestud was the only one who held even greater authority. This was the reason why he hated and despised this upstart in front of him whose appearance resembled that of a fourteen-year-old girl.

"The Church has already vowed to release all Apostles and Ancestors sealed by them provided we partake in the comming hunt. Regardless of what happens, The dynamic hierarchy of our Faction is bound to change." The White Wing Lord spoke, his words both a warning and a declaration.

"Do not forget that this alliance shall end with the life of Aleister Crowley."

As one of the mightiest Dead Apostle Ancestors, Altrouge was a being of mystery who could not be destroyed by ordinary concepts, requiring an illusion surpassing her own to even scratch her body, but even so, the mere thought of the coming battle which was bound to shake the world itself caused her to shiver.

"Crowley cannot stop my ambitions, and neither can you" Altrouge softly spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I shall survive you Trhvmn, I shall survive both of you…"


Completed Observation Room...

"You dragged me out here just for a single man." Wizard Marshal, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg asked incredulously. "Do you know how scarce my time is?"

"You should not be surprised. You are the one who knows us best." another Zelretch said. "And you should know that what we have summoned you here for is far more important than anything we could have wasted your time upon"

"Bastards." He cursed.

"Mind your language," one of the numerous iterations of Zelretch chided. He was tall and adorned in white, not wholly as the men of cloth often, with smoldering eyes and a holy touch to him.

"We stand amongst ourselves. Most of us would have spoken far worse things than he did if given the chance." The second one pointed out, clearly amused by the whole scene even as sharp fangs glistened from under his lips.

"Perhaps," the third one confessed, moving beside his identical counterpart in a way that was too close to be proper. "But even so I respect the sanctity of decorum all the same."

"Would I be condemned more for more for my behaviour before myself than outside?" The first one thought, but kept his tongue still. He could hear the sound of footfalls against the dark flooring and knew they were gathered for a greater purpose than bickering amongst themselves.

True Magic was perhaps the highest class of mystery which surpassed both sorcery and magecraft alongside all known sciences. It was the dream of all who knew mystery and the acquisition of magic was one of the greatest achievements that magus could hope of grasping.

It was the actualization of an event impossible to reproduce by any means even if one were to be given an infinite amount of time and resources.

For instance, the end output of a spell meant to create fire was inside the dictates of the world purely because something as mundane as lighting a match could yield the same effect.

True Magic was something truly greater…

The Second Magic, known as the Kaleidoscope— one of five remaining Magics in the modern age whose domain was the operation of Parallel Worlds.

The true depths of Second Magic were unknown and unseen, even to Zelretch who held its reins. The operation of Parallel Worlds allowed him to observe and interact with parallel universes and alternate timelines using which he had summoned forth alternate versions of himself.

Parallel existences and possibilities across every timeline he could access of which there were an infinite of. They were the manifested answers to the eternal question— the what if?

The possibilities of that which could have been or what never would be— a dead Apostle converted by the Crimson Moon, a holy man sworn to the cloth, a wizard marshal who personally pioneered an era by himself.

This was what the Second Magic was capable of. A miracle even that almost touched the realm of omnipotence by creating what was truly impossible in every sense of the word. Such as this very case, for summoning forth infinite versions of himself from parallel timelines was a mystery beyond the current world.

"Is this true then?" the first Zelretch said in his military uniform, peering at his gathered counterparts. "Has Crowley really appeared again?"

Another nodded. "Yes, the information has certainly been verified by the Puritan Church and we have examined it ourselves numerous times. He truly has appeared again."

The first one nodded, a serene look on his face. "Then naturally the entire world must have been absolutely shaken by now. The Clock Tower, the Wandering Sea, and the Atlas Academy— they all should have combined forces in preparation. Am I correct?"

"Indeed" He nodded, "The world itself was shaken and the Mage's Association is no exception but appropriate measures are already being taken. I have personally seen to it myself."

"But would it be enough?" The third one whispered, his voice resonating across the entire dark space. "Would we be enough?"

"I do not understand it." The second one scowled. "Infinite versions of ourselves gathered together and he is but a single man."

The observation of parallel worlds took place inside a spherical room, which could be considered a 'completed world.' It was a consuming black in appearance, layered with points of light resembling stars against the curtain of night.

Inside the centre of the room was a wooden chair floating, capable of imbuing the space around it with a conspicuous gravity simply through the mere fact of its existence. The chair's appearance could only be called extravagant with its wood possessing a refined hue, but not repulsively ornamental as the uncouth elite of these times were so fond of.

The very significance of the throne in the space was such that an individual could be consumed by the weight of the seat's existence. This was the Throne upon which sat a wizard who could touch any parallel world in creation.

"Many underestimated him before but none stand before you today." he said, "Some might say that the rumors are mere exaggerations, but I do not share the opinion. He does not exist in your timeline but I have witnessed his horror myself."

"Either way, we are left with no choice." The second one interjected, "We must bring war to Aleister Crowley or he would destroy the foundations of the world itself in his madness as he once did." He paused and stared resolutely ahead.

"Mistakes would not be tolerated beyond this point." Zelretch ordered, and infinite versions of himself nodded in agreement. "We would deal with the Silver Star ourselves this time."


Meru

"So, it has come to this."

She turned her attention to Indra who stroked his chin. Once, twice, and a third time, his eyes closed in contemplation. She wanted to ask something, anything, in order to remove the oppressive air that bore down upon the room.

They stood in an empty space, Odin, standing, his spear placed in front of him. Viracocha stood beside Marduk. Amun-Ra was alone as usual and Ahura Mazda was accompanying Zeus. Lugh sat with Teshub, Jupiter was beside Ukko, and both Pangu and Gautama were with entourages of their own.

There were others too, too numerous to be named. She again resisted the urge to say something, as they all looked on towards the world of humans, and thought of the destruction and chaos that drew closer.

The apocalypse who once declared war on the mystery itself. The silver star destined to destroy the world— Aleister Crowley

Zeus chuckled, finally breaking the painstaking silence.

"Do you believe any of this to be humorous?"

The words had slipped out of her mouth before she could rein herself. He breath rapidly increased as she resisted the urge to call upon her powers and smite down the man who would dare make light of the torment which would soon be upon them.

Zeus turned his gaze to her, a sneer on his face. "Watch your tone, Lady Amaterasu."

"No. The lady is right." She let herself nod in appreciation, as Amun-Ra himself spoke up in her defence. "The situation is no joke to laugh about."

"No need to waste time on him, he would laugh even in the face of the end just as the fool he is." Jupiter cut in.

Zeus merely chuckled once more. "And what would you have me do then? Weep? Mourn? For the lives of those that I could care not the slightest?"

Amaterasu growled. "Aleister Crowley has appeared once again, Millions even from amongst us would die, screaming when he—"

"And here you are, arguing with me about it."

The response caught her entirely off guard and Amaterasu could not stop herself from flinching, nor could she from stepping back in subconscious agreement, even as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

"Hate me all you want—" Zeus said, his palpable sneer never leaving his face. "But you are aware, that if we truly wanted to help, we could have. Those amongst us, bless their eternal wisdom, must have some justifiable reason for remaining here, safe, from the danger and conflict."

"You dare!"

"Lady Amaterasu."

Indra's voice stopped movement, though, just barely. She could still hear the sound of her own breaths, feel the slight pounding in her ears and the phantom itch to draw her blade and cleave down the offender who would dare suggest that the Gods did not want to save the lives of the humans because they were… afraid.

That- that could not possibly be the case right?

She turned my eyes back towards all the Gods gathered here, each with an expression silent, and grim.

"Lady Amaterasu." Indra slowly spoke, his voice calm even as he shot Zeus a dangerous look that made him flinch. "We all became signatories of the Accords knowing what we must do during such times. Have some faith in us."

Amaterasu slowly nodded, her heart pounding against her chest even as she took a breath to calm herself before nodding. Even as the very thought of that man whispered treacherous thoughts into her mind.

She looked at all of them again— these Gods who could destroy worlds and saw unbreakable resolve. But even so, that voice continued to whisper fell things into her ear.

What if…

"I have seen the face of that sinner who had declared war upon us." Buddha spoke suddenly, his voice igniting something inside of them.

The taste of copper assaulted her mouth. It was only then Amaterasu realized how hard she had bit down on her teeth.

"It is time." Indra spoke calmly, "The Gods must grace the world once again."

Everyone stood straighter in response, purpose carved upon the souls of each power who had signed the Accords. But even so, that voice did not stop…

What if Zeus was right?


St. George's Cathedral, London…

This was the headquarters of Necessarius, the 0th Parish of the English Puritan Church.

An organization that was created in an endeavour to know the way of the supernatural so one could defend against it and in the process, become one themselves.

English Puritan Church, also known as the Church of England was one of the three major factions of the Faith of Cross, with nine hundred million followers which believed in the doctrines across the world and the strength of its 0th Parish that was unparalleled among its peers, it was indeed a mighty organization capable of holding both the numerous magical cabals of England and the entire Clock Tower in check through the force of arms all on its lonesome.

The Church of England was once a puppet institution created by royalty to stop the advance of the overbearing Catholic Church and control the supernatural in the name of the monarch, but the Puritan Church of today had become an organization that could stand proudly as one of the most influential and powerful in this nation of mystery.

It was now a force that drove cold fear into the hearts of monsters who had transcended the bounds of mankind and mighty kings that could create history with a single word.

An authority, so strong and so overbearing that its very name held the power to bring entire nations to their knees by their strength and birth legends on a mere whim. History had been rewritten time and again by its commands and lords who owned mountains of gold could only bow before them in envy.

The Church with its countless devout followers and its numerous branches had only recently grasped such authority to dominate the world. It had only just become a power that could call itself a faction.

The Royal Faction with its royal knights and the exalted monarchy and the Magic Faction with the mighty Clock Tower and its countless independent cabals. These were the factions which used to rule England with absolute authority.

And perhaps, the only reason why the Puritan Church could now be counted amongst their ranks was because of the Supreme Archbishop of its 0th Parish...

Lola Crowley could not recall the moment when she had changed her simple long skirt and put on a majestic ceremonial dress that shined majestically with elegance under the silver moonlight.

These monastic robes looked a bit loose when draped across the soft curves of this young girl, almost as if they were not accustomed to the shape of her small body. But as Lola Crowley stepped foot onto the stairs that led to the nave of the St. George's Cathedral, her body also started to change.

The gorgeous, pale golden hair that originally reached her ankles grew rapidly in an instant, budding into an endlessly flowing river of soft gold that was almost twice her height, and with it, the slender structure of her pure body also changed.

Her form which should have been thin, slowly grew plump even as her innocent and cute figure bloomed into womanhood— the soft curves of her body turning mature and tempting in mere moments. The soft bumps of her chest grew and her tender breasts turned succulent even as they bounced alluringly.

This teenage girl who previously looked so cute and innocent seemed to have turned into a graceful woman in an instant, with the charm that could only be found in mature women.

Lola meticulously folded her long blond tresses which were touching the floor, back to the back of her head and then back again from the back of her head using elegant motions which seemed almost ethereal. But even after being folded twice in a row, her gorgeous tresses reached her pale feet, almost brushing gently against the ground.

A platinum hairpin materialized out of thin air at that moment to hold and position her locks, even as the folded curtain of gold perfectly concealed the demon's face which was wickedly grinning inside her blond hair.

St. George's Cathedral appeared dark and quiet at that moment, majesty and splendour long forgotten as naked gloom and quiet trepidation stabbed through empty space.

Lola slowly walked out of the hallway decorated with intricate tapestries which showed flashes of mighty wars and coloured windows depicting scenes of holy angels into a majestic nave whose majesty could not be measured by words alone.

She barely glanced at the beauty around her— the temple of God which was created to provide shelter impartially and shine the rays of hope upon the weak and the strong. This was the home of the Son who loved all of mankind, the Spirit whose providence watched over the world, and the Father whose divine light had birthed creation itself...

Lola came to a stop before the golden crucifix which watched over all the pious images decorating the room. She then lowered her head as if praying to God.

After some time, she stretched out her soft hand and snapped her slender fingers.

Snap!

The candles in St. George's Cathedral ignited one by one and the light which they shone chased away the darkness around her, radiating upon her tempting figure with a holy glow that brought destruction to each shadow enshrouding the room.

Unknowingly, several men and women in dark robes which resembled the formal garb of holy priests kneeled on the ground behind Lola.

The aura which surrounded them was laced with strength, and the very weight of the world around them increased tenfold even as the bright presence of holy crusaders was made known. These were the ones who stood at the pinnacle of mankind, the strongest warriors sworn to the Church.

"Supreme Archbishop, please impart your instructions. Your wish is our command!"

Lola Crowley stood, her back turned towards the strongest of the Puritan Church who had lowered their heads in a show of reverence and loyalty. But even these proud warriors shivered and trembled when waves of bloodlust crashed upon them with the force of a thousand burning suns.

The flames on the holy candles blazed brightly as her pink lips twisted into a grin— wicked and tempting. She clasped her soft hands in prayer and closed her cerulean eyes which shone with burning malice and unbound hatred.

"Take my orders, and search for that sinful magician who would soon appear in London, and bring me his head!"

In that single instant, all the bloodlust around her vanished and the tense forms of the men behind her seemingly relaxed. Her voice was yet innocent and sweet, that of a sweet girl who knew nothing about the world. But what did not match the sweetness in Lola's voice was the solemnity and coldness of her words.

"Completely murder him and exterminate all the traces of his existence from this world," She whispered, her voice so deceptively sweet, "Bring death to Aleister Crowley at all costs!"

Lelouch knew her as Lola Crowley— his clumsy yet cute sister who could do no harm. An innocent girl whose smile was full of kindness and sweet gratitude, a child who loved her brother with all her heart.

However, she had another identity as well…

She was the Supreme Archbishop of the Puritan Church, the Head of the Church of England, and the mystical leader of more than 900 million people. A revolutionary who had led her faction to glories unseen and a tyrant who had ruthlessly desecrated the souls of countless men on her path to success.

The leader of Necessarius, the 0th Parish of the Church of England!

Laura Stuart…!

The warriors who were kneeling on the ground before hesitated and one of them then stepped forward bowing even deeper as he closed his eyes in shame before slowly questioning:

"…Archbishop, this impudence cannot be forgiven but your order truly appears to be beyond our capability." He lowered his head, "Aleister Crowley is a man who stands atop the realm of (7=4)— a human who has touched the abyss itself. Martyrdom for the sake of our Holy Church is something each one of us dreams of but facing that man would not be so simple even with the might of England behind us."

The others nodded in agreement as the man spoke, breaking every norm of conventional authority and structural hierarchy as they directly confessed helplessness in face of inevitable despair.

"The whole world is searching for that man, but if he were so easy to overcome then he should have met death long ago. " Another one spoke, looking up at her. "Moreover, even though you have predicted his emergence and the location of his appearance, I do not believe he would rush here without apt measures prepared beforehand."

The others again nodded along, seemingly agreeing with his explanation even as Laura inclined her head in acknowledgment.

"It would be arduous indeed to bring him to heel by relying only on our own power." Another one added in, "I am afraid we would need to join forces with the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church to summon angels from Heaven if we wish to successfully undertake this venture. "

Facing the Archbishop of the Puritan faction, these subordinates did not show any fear but instead talked to her as if she were an equal. Had the procedures been the same as they were in the past, then these men would have been executed for questioning the command of the Supreme Archbishop right before her.

Even so, these warriors did not doubt Laura and her predictions regarding the appearance of Crowley. For this Archbishop, although these subordinates did not show much reverence on the surface, the trust they placed upon her was almost boundless and infinite.

This was the type of atmosphere that Lola desired, and she herself had been the loudest advocate of such behaviour. But even so, her resolve was not shaken by the words of her subordinates.

"The true power of mystery wrought from mankind cannot be used on a whim— apt measures must be taken beforehand." Laura Stuart nodded, seemingly in agreement, "The Royal Faction can seize the authority of Archangel Michael himself because of the Holy Sword Curtana, and as its peer, our Puritan Church does not fall short either. I have ordered the release of seals placed upon our apocalypse-class mystic codes and have called upon the might of the Four Great Seraphs."

The eyes of all assembled before her widened in surprise and fear, for there were none who knew the might of an Archangel more than these men of cloth whose ceremonies. Those Seraphs which could destroy the planet several times over just through a fraction of the power inside a single fingertip.

The roles and positions of humans and angels in the celestial hierarchy of the Sephiroth could not be changed through mortal means, for the soul of an angel was inherently closer to God than that of a human.

But ceremonies that could drag the might of Archangels from the phase known as Heaven to this universe needed decades of preparation. If Laura had already prepared all these ceremonies, then that could only mean…

"Supreme Archbishop, could it be…" A kneeling man whispered, reverence laced in his voice as awe flashed across his face, "Had you known that this day would come decades ago?"

Lola glanced at him but did not respond, if Crowley's movements were so easy to decipher then she would not have needed to ensnare him in a trap which required the sacrifice of a brother and sixteen years of her time.

"The thoughts of the Supreme Archbishop are indeed beyond our comprehension." The first one shook his head, "But if she had indeed calculated all this then, she must have also foreseen the looming war which would shake the world itself. It might not seem much from one such as me, but the subsequent consequences might even reach our faction."

The gathered warriors all glanced at each other, understanding the meaning behind those words and the implications.

The tensions between the three factions of England had been rising ever since the authority of the Church increased to match that of the Magic faction and the Royal faction before were content with the previous status quo.

No great power would want to see the sudden rise of a rival whose voice they had barely even acknowledged before and the two factions which ruled England were the same. A direct war with the sorcerer known as Aleister would certainly weaken any faction in the world and thus, could change the power dynamic entirely.

"The current status quo we forced upon the powers in England makes them chafe to this day, and the other factions would be more than exuberant if given a chance to stand back and watch us bleed." Lola softly spoke, "But I have personally ensured that the whole world knows of Aleister Crowley's appearance. That heretic has made an enemy out of every supernatural power so naturally, the world too would not let him do as he pleases. The other factions of England must commit to this war, for they would appear meek and wanting otherwise with the whole world destined to convene. This does allow us free reign of movement for the moment."

Lola paused; her cerulean eyes never leaving the crucifix even as this group of warriors subconsciously straightened their backs by her voice alone.

"Aleister Crowley has come to England seeking something lost forever. He must definitely come here because there is a reason which cannot be ignored." Lola declared without a single shred of hesitation in an unusually cold tone. "The opportunity to defeat the enemy has been provided by the adversary itself. We must find him, and destroy him!"

They rose as one and howled as one as she spoke her ordinance.

"As you command, Supreme Archbishop! "

The warriors withdrew, and the candles in St. George's Cathedral turned dark once again, as shadows enveloped the room and gently embraced the deep depths of darkness.

The Cathedral turned quiet once again…

Lola stood in the dark and looked up at the Holy Cross, her expressionless even as a dull ache spread through her chest.

It should have been a beautiful outcome, something to be celebrated but she felt no joy at the sight of it. Instead, her eyes watered and her vision blurred as emotions she could neither name nor understand swelled in her chest. For a reason, Laura could not understand her soul ached at the outcome she had created.

She knew this was what she wanted, that this was what she wished for. But as she continued to watch the empty nave around her it felt as if the world had stopped, as if it were searching for someone to come and patiently waiting for the arrival of the one who may never appear. Her heart just broke and she felt a single teardrop run down the side of my cheek.

Lonely.

That was what she felt, Laura barely understood. Inside the unmoving and unbending church that reached out for the sky, Laura looked as if she stood utterly alone.

Of the thirty angels, the tenth was the Zax, also known as the Great Demon Coronzon.

Coronzon's numerical value was 333 and her true nature lay within dispersion. She destroyed the world's laws just as fate tore apart two lovers. She was created to prevent true bonding of the laws of the world.

Thus, her actual role could be understood as universal entropy.

She was neither wrong nor was she good, she just was…

A demon's nature was to whisper sweet words. If one read too deeply into them and dared to see through the numerous hidden layers such beings enshrouded themselves in, they would only make a fool of themselves. Demons could not create anything by themselves, so they used such means to achieve victory.

A great demon, hm?

Such a simple term might provide an accurate image to even the greatest fool, regardless of whether one's knowledge or education was perfect for an existence such as Coronzon.

She was the cold, the hunger, and the fear of an uncertain future.

The law of entropy, one of the fundamental laws that governed the world says that as one goes forward in time, the net degree of disorder of any isolated system would always increase.

Everything in the universe tends toward natural degradation, this very abstract was what had wrought the being known as Coronzon. Her very existence was based upon this concept. Thus, everything which dared stand against the final end was an existence that Coronzon could not tolerate.

But the world had the tendency to pull itself towards order. Since creation itself, the world has had the tendency to trend toward convergence and order.

From the greatest of galaxies to the smallest of particles, everything and anything exists as waves that resonate in a series of standard spins. Even inside the minute scales bound to mere planets, a natural order could be observed without exception.

Tiny snow crystals never leaving the shape of 120 degrees, countless species could be found on a certain blue planet yet scant variety could be found in them beyond the standard male-female divide, the arrangement of leaves in a stem and even the bones of animals were shaped in a certain unchanging ratio. Even the behavior of organisms followed certain geometrical patterns.

Everything in this universe was bound by such, and for this, she shall never allow them to exist.

It was a contradiction— Coronzon hated the world yet she herself was a facet of entropy, a natural law of this universe.

"This was what I had planned a long time ago, everything is advancing according to my plan..."

The Archbishop of Puritan whispered, bowing in prayer as she kept her soft hands clasped above her heart, even as her long hair twisted and bent into wicked formations.

"I used him to trap Aleister Crowley into the depths of despair, but why do I feel so empty?"

She was a Great Demon who was born by the depths of the Abyss, so how could she not recognize the true nature of her dear brother who had breathed beside her for more than fifteen years?

An existence who was not a part of this world, a man whose soul was not bound by the mandates of the world. Perhaps, Lelouch was the only thing she could not claim to truly hate.

Her older brother who had taken care of her so lovingly could have perhaps been the only one she truly might have grown to care for.

"Lelouch…" She whispered, "Lelouch, my brother...m-my... "

Unbidden, a single drop of tear touched the ground which soon withered in despair.


Thanks for reading. Hope this makes what happened in the previous chapter clearer.

I introduced these characters to show give you a general idea about the forces which would be relevant in the future and how scary even the prospect of Crowley is. Some of you may not know them, then feel free to consider them OCs, I have faith in my ability to describe a character properly even to those who do not know them when they are introduced. Knowing them is not necessary, and will never be.

Also, I based some POVs in this upon my previous works to make things easier for myself. So do not be surprised if your find anything similar.

I have said it before, but it was always my intention to write a multi-cross and I may have gotten sidetracked somewhere along that line, so I truly apologize if you feel misdirected. But those who are disappointed would continue to be regardless of what they say. I would write what I want to write. I would move this story out of To Aru crossovers and place it somewhere else when the arc ends if its any consolation.

Also, Coronzon regrets sacrificing Lelouch. An interesting development, but then again Lelouch is a harem protagonist. Those fuckers do have an annoying girl magnet...

Jokes aside, thanks again for bearing with me.