Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 16
OP Song:
Adele - Skyfall (Lyric Video)
Insert Song: Start
A Tender Feeling · Yuki Kajiura
How long had Touma Kamijou been walking through this place?
Who can say?
This place is quite a maze for someone as small as him. And this small fry is following a bigger fish (Featherine Augustus Aurora) as they both walk the paths through this maze. Everywhere he sees, he sees books. And these books, he knew intimately to be their own stories (cosmologies or multiverses) within this sacred domain of the Author herself. Each of these stories has its own plot lines, a diversity of characters, struggles against the concepts of fate, struggles in general, hierarchies of gods and monsters and demons, and so much more.
He can tell. He has been through many of them. These and other cosmologies that are eternally separated from this realm of books. So many lifetimes ago, Touma Kamijou had walked the way of The Wanderer, which was one of the main titles that he was known for and earned in the higher planes of existence and among the higher races in general. His feats throughout the Test stood as a LEGEND, becoming the URBAN MYTH that went about as he goes, saving people, charging down gods of chaos and madness, travelling from one timeline to another as he meets past friends and acquaintances who have no knowledge of him before they even meet him.
He was The Wanderer.
He was The Savior of a Thousand Souls.
He was The Miracle Worker.
He had saved thousands upon thousands of people in the lifetime(s) when he was stuck in The Test. Many of them, he forgot in several ways. But over the years, he has slowly remembered every single one of them. Bit by bit, when the Test comes back to haunt him. There were two noteworthy incidents that were so and so. The intergalactic conflict from a galaxy far far away that is known only as the Clone Wars and the ever-after Corpse Party where he had the pleasure of being a vengeful ghost's favorite chew toy.
They continued walking until they stumbled upon something.
"...!"
Kamijou immediately noticed an increasing spike of power that made all of his senses grow quite alarmed and even felt the dragons within him in a sense lowering their heads out of either fear or respect, He felt power beyond anything that he can ever bear witness to or comprehend. There were at least three other people who were waiting for them somewhere in this maze of a library.
He takes a few steps to the left and sees them.
There were two women that looked almost identical were not for their demeanor and facial expressions. Also, the eyes between the two were a dead giveaway. And there was one other person in the room, a young man (hardly young as he's more than trillions upon trillions of years old at this point, way older than Kamijou) with arms crossed and sporting a serious thoughtful expression on his face.
The young man was one good comfort to the poor Kamijou who was currently in a specific spot where there might as well be a little gathering of inter-multiversal gods that could practically turn this Kamijou-san into itty bitty pieces of atoms. Even lesser than that, he'd suspect.
He was a young man with a white scarf around his neck. Blue hair and deep blue eyes that hint at his power and strength, but also hint at his kindness and compassion. He has a white shirt with a light blue-green center line, a black jacket with red shoulder lines, dark black pants, and dark brown shoes.
Where to start with this person?
You can say that this person can be considered the oldest brother figure for Touma Kamijou and the rest of his fellow companions among the Jack Of All Trades (JOATs) and other fellow companions that are all grouped together under the term: Team TARDIS. A very powerful being that can stop time. And when one says that, it literally means it on the tin. This person can stop time in accordance with his Law - the Law of Stagnancy, known for being the ultimate unbreakable defensive shield among his kind.
This person is no ordinary god. Calling him a god is extremely understating of his status. In fact, the most powerful thing from Kamijou's cosmos (KK 2004 Multiverse) that Kamijou can think of right about now for this specific moment would admittedly not be the True Magic Gods hiding in the Hidden Phase, although they could be another point for this underwhelming comparison, but rather someone by the name of The "White" Queen who Wields the Sword of Unsullied Truth or The White Queen.
Who is that?
A lovely twintailed woman, with her beautiful silver hair reaching her waist. She has black jewel-like eyes that seem to see through everything. Her pure white clothing resembles a wedding dress, but it's far too revealing for that. Some parts of the outfit glitter with a silver light, but they are unlikely to be crass armor that directly blocks blades or arrows. For one thing, nothing can hope to harm that glowing and glittering skin of hers.
She comes from a specific sector in KK 2004 Multiverse known as UEXS BS 2014. Another entirely separate cosmology where there exists a reality where there resides the existence of summoners who are humans capable of artificially calling forth gods and monsters known as Material from the other world to their reality, but due to circumstances appeared to be no longer the case as all Materials, from the Regulation, Divine, and Unexplored-classes, could freely visit this world without needing someone to support them.
Her rank among the Materials would have to be the Unexplored-Class Material, a being lurking beyond the realm of the gods, admittedly the most powerful of them all.
What can she do exactly?
Too long to list but suffice it to say that whatever one knows about the power of the Magic Gods is a mere nothing compared to something like her.
Centuries of tradition and legends older than a millennium meant nothing to that great evil. That ultimate distortion was far greater than a black hole and she would alter everything just by being there. Who could say that her influence did not reach time and space as well? Who could claim that those remained absolute sanctuaries?
Plus, the Unexplored-Class were anthropomorphized versions of the other world's rules and the White Queen had destroyed them all and was dragging them around with her. How could anyone calmly assume that had no effect on history? It made no sense to assume that was a safe zone. In fact, the only sensible conclusion was that everything visible had been thrown out of order at that moment.
She cannot be affected as well by changes in history and causality.
It was a simple matter. The distortion spread outward from the Queen like ripples, so no matter what happened, it would never change the center point where she stood. The central axis of the spinning top was the most stable point. One theory said the universe was infinitely expanding due to the Big Bang, but how true was that now? Even if it had been correct at one point, a second explosion, this one spiritual in nature, had occurred at some point. So the center point of the expansion had to be where she stood.
Even if in the slightest possibility she could be caught off guard, one can be sure that just here simply just collapsing forward was enough to destroy the world.
One time, just a mere fraction of white light from her that was carelessly unleashed managed to blow away a universe in 10^-44 seconds. And just 5 seconds after that, the spatial world formed from matter and antimatter cooled enough to create countless particles that acted as the cores of atoms.
All of the laws of the universe were utterly defeated, made to submit to her, and destroyed every single law that could possibly or potentially lead to her defeat, meaning that by all rights, she fundamentally can't be defeated.
However, even she, or never mind the Magic Gods themselves for that matter that did not need further discussion, would be a mere speck of nothing compared to this young man.
The young man who is the living definition of the trope: Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me.
His power lies more on defense instead of offense. His Law is known as the Law of Stagnancy. He has the power to stop time. And this isn't a simple time stop. This power of stopping time extends to every single level from the lowest to the highest. From every single past(s), present(s), and future(s). He can stop time even in places where time doesn't even exist as a concept. The most important aspect of this power though is his Time Armor. His armor of stopped time prevents any kind or form of damage dealt to him. It would be impossible to even get past this kind of defense. Only a few things could be capable of such feats. Anything less than him would find it hard, even impossible, to move within his territory and their head is easy picking for him. His primary means of attack include his weapon—The Guillotine—which possesses his Goddess's curse of decapitation. This Goddess who is currently somewhere else, he eternally serves as her primary and greatest protector, and husband. And the Guillotine is more than enough to be capable of decapitating and negating through most kinds of immortality.
He was a normal high school boy once just like Touma Kamijou, but specific circumstances forced him to become the man that he is today.
His name?
Ren Fujii.
Also known by the names/titles of: Tenma Yato, Eien no Setsuna, and Res Novae - Also sprach Zarathustra.
Ren gave Kamijou a smile when he glanced at him. It was a meaningful smile with no need for spoken words. And it was a language that Kamijou understood as he smiled softly in kind.
And then, Kamijou turn his eyes away from his older brother figure and to woman.
The first woman that he took note of was someone whom he was extremely wearied of or respected as an individual of higher rank and prestige. This woman was someone that he could consider to be likened to a scary mother-in-law if only because he married her other half. She was a young woman wearing a black and white Lolita dress. Her hair was the color of blue steel that reaches her neck. There was a blue steel ribbon attached to her black tail that was slightly waging like a cat showing a subtle level of playful excitement. She also had her legs adorned with a pair of white stockings.
Another Witch. The miko of Featherine Augustus Aurora.
Frederica Bernkastel. The Witch of Miracles.
One of his teachers among the twelve aside from people like the Doctor (...who isn't here or in his world and was honestly still wondering where he is at this time of crisis. But he can take a good guess that the Doctor is planning things from the side and preparing accordingly for when "shit officially hits the fan" and the Multiverse is about to experience a very rude awakening.), Doctor Stephen Strange (who is still back in his world along with Othinus and company.), and many others.
He is someone that he respects, learns a lot from, has a healthy dose of trepidation for, and was one of those "people that you don't want to piss off and be a part of their shitlist" type of people.
And then there was another one that he took notice of and immediately grabbed his interest...
He took immediate notice of the other woman...
The other woman was smiling at him, one that was very happy to see him. It was like a bright warm sun that gives him an eternal warmth of comfort that makes things at ease.
...Rika Furude...no, excuse me, Rika Kamijou. That is the name of the woman that she currently goes by now that she married him long ago.
Like Bernkastel, she too can be considered a Witch of Miracles as she is right now, and she was wearing the same formal black and white Lolita dress along with a pair of white stockings. She is a slender, elegant young woman with long blue hime cut hair whose appearance was that of a high school student. By the measurement of physical age, she was at least one year older than Kamijou. Of course, Kamijou would be older than her mentally speaking.
Both eyes were on the other. Kamijou's black orbs and Rika's azure-indigo eyes. And the connection between the two was obvious by the way they both stared at one another. There was no other need for words just as The Test and other memories flood back by a few seconds. Memories that lasted more than several lifetimes.
And they ultimately embrace one another and initiated a very deep romantic kiss that spoke volumes of concern, love, and other complexities that relate to the growing crisis that everyone is experiencing, completely ignoring the other three in the room. Aurora looked amused but preferred to keep silent and closed her eyes, Bernkastel looked emotionless as usual but was accompanied by a subtle approving nod, and Ren smirked with approval as his arms remained crossed.
This simple, soft and deep kiss between the both of them at the same time made them remember the very fond and terrible memories that the two of them have had during The Test of the Witches.
It would be far too long to list the endless hells but suffice it to say, Rika Kamijou was the one person that understood him the most at that specific time, always the person that would welcome him with open arms when he finds his way back to her native reality, for she too experienced the hells and the years have only made her wiser and more experienced in ways that made most minds break.
Kamijou was holding Rika by her waist. Rika was holding Kamijou by the shoulders as she lift up her arms and embraced him.
Memories pass by them. Memories that lasted a lifetime. Memories that were never taken for granted. Memories that pass like gentle flowing rivers that run down the streams, watering the dry ground with its liquid, quenching the thirst of the latter. As the passing of time passes by, as the water disperses, flowers of many types that denote and symbolized their memories begin to be sprouted and grew. As the passing of time passes by, trees replace the flowers, with their sturdy branches clear as day which had withstood the storms of fate and destiny.
They felt their own warmth, their own comfort, and their own support. There was peace. There was silence. There was contentment. Complete. Made whole. The bonds between two mortal souls. One half to another. Bonds beyond space-time. Hardships. Sacrifices. Efforts. As they fight. As they protect. As they dream. As they hope. The sweetness of the divine and of the mortal. Forged and not to be blunted. In repeated moments. In endless contradictions. In a mysterious manner of beneficence.
A sacred and turbulent history. A history of an ethereal infinity. A history of endless stories. A history that has a script that was written by their own two hands.
They both let go of their kiss as they both look at each other. Kamijou's expression was solemn while Rika was smiling with grace.
"...I miss you," Kamijou said with a sad smile, touching his wife's cheek.
"...I miss you too," Rika said with a sad smile, touching her husband's cheek. "Of course, I would have preferred that our meeting again wouldn't be mired by these present circumstances."
"That's honestly what I prefer as well," Ren agreed with a smile as he walked towards the pair. He touched Kamijou on the shoulder. "Hey there, Touma."
"Hey, Ren-niisan," Kamijou smiled softly, seeing his big brother figure again. "I'd wager that..." He glanced at Aurora who was smiling with amusement. "Lady Aurora called for you here as well."
"And you'd be right," Ren nodded seriously, glancing at Aurora. "Plucked me out of where I was currently at in order to talk with me personally. She said that I needed to be here as much as a certain other person who she would fetch in the next moment. I made a few guesses and turns out that I was right that you were this other person that this Woman was talking about."
"And now that the two out of the ten children of time have joined this little gathering, it is time for you both to bear witness to something that you all need to see. Come, come. Time waits for no man after all," Aurora interjected with a solemn smile as she waved her shakujou and the metal rings vibrated like wind chimes and walked first.
"Speak for yourself, my Lady," Ren muttered softly under his breath as he puts his hands in his pockets. He started walking and only kept a very close eye on Aurora if only because even after all these years, he had never really forgotten just what she had put his little brother through. He never truly forgave the Woman for that stupid Test despite the cruel but necessary intentions behind it. Of course, that doesn't mean he would fight her directly. No, that's practically stupid even for him. He knows that he cannot do anything against this Woman and so he was forced by necessity to concede, no matter how much he dislikes it.
"...Hey, I just noticed something. Where's Satoko-chan?" Kamijou asked, looking left and right for the blonde who was also one of his childhood friends of the Club.
"She's currently with Lambda and doing some...'scouting' if you will," Bernkastel answered coolly.
"Define 'scouting', my Lady?" Kamijou asked, grimacing.
"Not the explosive kind, thankfully enough," Bernkastel smiled subtly. Then she turned around and walked just as Ren moved past her.
Kamijou and Rika, walking hand in hand, smiled at each other. They do not need to say anything more as they walk through whatever place that Aurora would take them.
"So, husband, I seem to be made aware of the fact that you appear to be dealing with a delicate familial manner back in your world. Care to tell me the details?" Rika made a sweet amused meaningful smile.
"Ha. ha. ha," Kamijou made an exasperated smile, not surprised in the least that his wife would know of his current predicament since the last time they talked. "Nothing really escapes you, doesn't it, even after all these years?"
"I am your wife, dear. It's my job to know this," Rika responded simply, giving him a raised eyebrow.
"Plus, your Witch powers probably helped with that," Kamijou said.
"True, but that is merely a part of my nature after all," Rika said.
What Rika Furude was currently now in her life is known as a Witch.
What are Witches exactly and just what is the big deal with them?
Well, in a vague sense, Witches are or were human beings who gain power that can exceed that of normal humans and can use them at will according to the general theory. Though the term 'Witches' implies that these beings were female, this is a title that can be used for both males and females. However, males are also called 'Sorcerers' in order to distinguish themselves from their feminine counterpart 'Witches'. And the world, or possible kakera (another term for universe), in which that can be used freely is called their territory. Most Witches cannot leave this territory, but those who can leave it freely and migrate through the kakera are called Voyagers.
For a deeper perspective view of the term, the Witches are higher world beings, living on vastly higher planes in all universes and all planes of existence of the Human World. Just as Witches look down at and mock humans from a higher world, calling them pieces on a game board. They are unbounded by concepts, meaning that they are the ones placed in the middle, creating fate and destiny and other similar concepts, fooling around in that valley accordingly. They are superior to beings who view even the concept of death or nonexistence as meaningless, as long as they keep thinking. However, it is their wish and desire to do so, being erased from existence is meaningless as when they regained interest, they will revive again.
There are three common types of Witches we know - Territory-bounded Witches, Voyagers who can travel to the Sea of Fragment and beyond. Lastly, the Creator, who are almighty transcendental beings who are part of the class who are the rulers of all creation in their cosmology that are known as "Gods" and Creators.
There are three different ranks of Witches; Territory-bounded Witches, Voyagers who can travel to the Sea of Fragment and beyond. Lastly, the Creators, who are almighty transcendental beings who are part of the class who are the rulers of All Creation that known as "Gods" and Creator.
Territory Witches, who are the creators and rulers of a territory (could be either a universe or multiverse), as such that when they stop thinking their territory will vanish, literally. But when they think again, it will simply be created again, this process can be repeated infinitely and it is still even less breathing to them.
Another thing to note that there is nothing to prevent multiple Witches to exist within the same territory, even Territory Lord-Class ones. There is also the rule about 'the future is superior to the past', meaning that Witches from the future are superior to their predecessors.
Another thing to note regarding a Territory is that of a Territory Lord's partner (Wife or Husband) as they act as a Territory Lord when his or her parent is absent. As such, their authority and influence on a Territory are the same as their partner. They are identified by a silver ring on their finger (while the Territory Lord is identified by their Cape and a golden ring on his or her finger). The Territory Lords are the gods of their Territory.
Then there are the Voyager Witches who are far superior to the Territory Lords, they can leave their Territories and travel beyond it, to the infinite Sea of Fragments and worlds higher than it. For them, concepts such as fate can be visualized and manipulated at will (insignificant as weaker beings that can do much more impressive things than this). The Voyagers are commonly known for being one step below the Creators.
Touma Kamijou's wife, Rika Kamijou, is one such Voyager Witch, along with Bernkastel who outranks his wife by much. Voyagers have ranks and not all are the same.
And last but not the least, there are the transcendental beings who are the omnipotent, omniscient, and all-powerful Creators. To Witches, they are no different than gods. And this would be the rank of Featherine Augustus Aurora, who by virtue of being a Creator, is a God herself.
At this point, Touma Kamijou's entire universe might as well be worth less than nothing in consideration of the powerful personages that Kamijou is being accompanied with.
Calling Rika Kamijou something like say a multiversal goddess due to her status as a Witch at this point would be understating it greatly. It is one of the main reasons as to why she is barely there when Kamijou meets misfortune in one form or another on his many countless adventures. She has lots and lots of restrictions in place. Some are self-imposed by virtue that she agreed upon herself and Kamijou after conversing about it, and some are imposed as part of the rules regarding Witches in general.
"Well...it goes like this..." Kamijou said.
And for the rest of the long walk, Touma Kamijou simply explained to his wife about the current situation that had been happening in his world, including his alternate children. Rika of course listened and understood with an empathetic expression.
"Heeh," Ren, having listened to the conversation of the two from afar, would smirk with amusement. His voice drew the attention of the married couple. "So my little brother just became a father in a sense. I call dibs then on being their uncle."
"You're probably just saying that because you would like to get to one-up Shirou-niisan, Ren-niisan," Kamijou smiled with amusement.
"Well, there's that and then there's my personal enjoyment of the fact that you're about to experience something that normally teenagers your age wouldn't experience. Oh, I just can see it now."
"I'm not technically a teenager though," Kamijou pointed out.
"You are to me, I'm older than you remember?" Ren pointed out.
"Fair point," Kamijou made an amused smirk.
"Children..." Rika made a soft smile, savoring the word. "Dear, do you recall the few discussions that we made on that topic?"
"On how we wanted to have children of our own?" Kamijou said, not needing to ask what his wife meant as she knew what she was talking about.
"Yes, that," Rika smiled. "I know and remember that we agreed that we should finish our studies first. Of course, the number of times we did it notwithstanding, still makes me wonder what it was to be like...being a mother..."
"...Ah, well, the same can be said of me," Kamijou smiled sadly. "I always did wonder on how I can be a great dad...especially after..." His expression turned sour as he remembers the world where Angela and Makoto came from. A world where he wasn't there for his family and children for most of the time. And that made him afraid more than anything.
It was one thing for Kamijou to suffer misfortune. But to let his own kids suffer issues of their own in light of his misfortunate circumstances is something that Kamijou just...couldn't tolerate. He wouldn't want such a thing to be brought upon by his children. And speaking of children, he had to wonder how his relationship with the women that he had children with in Angela and Makoto's world was either just as bad. He hoped not but he wouldn't be surprised or hold his breath.
Part of him wondered that meeting his alternate children was a good thing if only because it reminded him of the potential consequences of such a decision to even be away from one's family in order to keep them safe from himself.
Rika however pulled Kamijou out of his thoughts, calling out to him gently and through the repeated squeeze of her hand on his. "Dear, don't even think about it. You would make a great father someday. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that you already are when you decided to accept those children that you told me about as your own. You are your own person and not that Touma Kamijou so it is pointless to try to compare things between you two."
"...Thanks, Rika," Kamijou smiled softly as his spirits were lifted a bit after being cheered up by his wife.
Rika simply kissed his cheek in return and said. "You are most welcome."
And from the front, Ren only smiled and closed his eyes as he listened to the conversation, and continued walking.
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Dies irae - Animation OST: Jubilus (Instrumental)
A few walks later...
"..."
Kamijou, holding his wife's right hand with his left hand, and Ren all made grim expressions, each and in their own way.
Why?
They would see and recognize the infamous and dreaded symbol stamped upon...well, one could say the middle of nowhere, and yet one can also say that they were quite far from the main halls of the City of Books and were somewhere else entirely. Somewhere very far from the multi-cosmology that they had come from. And they were walking towards a no-place. This no-place looked almost like an endless void. Normally speaking, there would be a multitude of books (cosmologies) lined up and stored that kept multiple helixes just floating adrift.
But there were none except a shattering echoing silence. Scattered broken fragments of many helixes (cosmologies). What was replaced was...blood. Crimson colors. Scattered everywhere along with the burned-up pages of the various books that all shared the same infamous symbol. All that one can truly see would be bloodstained spatial torn-up walls and broken doorways that lead to other unknown no-places. Nothing remained except an after-effect consisting of the foul smell of sulfur rotten eggs that you can find on a bad morning. The walls of the shelves looked torn and burned to a mere crisp. Even the walls themselves could be considered layered cosmologies that acted as walls.
The symbol?
A glaring red eye. One that had the words: HAIL TO THE CRIMSON KING written in unnatural blood.
Where were all of these large quantities of blood that scoured through this plane of existence come from?
The DARKNESS. This DARKNESS was subtly making itself felt in spite of being locked and barred away from the rest of Creation. The same DARKNESS that threatens all reality.
"My, my," Aurora mused grimly. "It appeared that things have become rather gruesome upon my return to this 'place'."
As they walked, they can slowly hear echoes. And these echoes were terrible screams that could rend one to a kind of madness that would want you to turn it out as much as you could, even to the point of dearth. They were the screams of pure haunting damnation that draw an eternal silence almost as if instantly snuff out.
Kamijou twitched as his Imagine-Sense felt a wave of danger that would have made him a bit hard to breathe were it not for the protection that he had. Meaning his wife, Bernkastel, Aurora, and Ren who were with him.
"And alas, here come the flying beasts of the olden disharmony," Aurora said solemnly with an anticipating smile, almost like a spectator who was bearing witness to a terrible battle that awaits and excites the audience.
"████████████████████"
And from a relative distance, Kamijou can see, just a bit, slowly recognizing the horrible monsters that had lain waste to this cosmology that had housed over an infinite set of cosmoses.
They were figures that had the shape of multiple bat-like wings and grotesque features that had a blanket of space with twinkling stars of pure red as their skin and armor. They carry the sigil of the Red King, the glaring eye from the center of their armor that was likened to the vast expanse of the dark night of the heavens. They carry flames of war, literal flames in the form of swords that are coated beneath the darkened night, capable of cutting down cosmoses in mere halves and fracturing them into several pieces and hurling them down into the floor of nothingness that is to be bathed in crimson hues.
How does one describe these unnatural beasts? A mortal could not in fact describe them. For they are known as the Elemental Parademons, ones found in the First Sphere, ones that are terrible to behold and fight for even the mightiest of the gods. They were known as the Antiparáthetos ("Αντιπαράθετος"), demonic lords who control the concept of space-time. None can dare remain unscathed as their awesome might had ravaged multiple cosmoses from their path as if they were a terrible plague of blackened death that you cannot escape from.
If Kamijou were alone with these monsters, he would have no hope for escape. There was no hope for escape. No god nor mortal.
Still, these monsters were a mere nothing indeed when faced with a being of a higher caliber.
"I believe that this would be your cue, Eien no Setsuna," Bernkastel softly muttered in a cold, unimpressed tone, letting the God handle these abominations that are barely worth her or her master's time. The path needed to be cleared after all if they are to venture further. Normally she can just swat these pesky flies in her lonesome as simple as waving her hand, but it would just bore her too much, so she opted for the God to handle this instead.
"That was the idea, my Lady," Ren muttered softly, eyes narrowed and a flash of blue was seen abruptly a bit brighter that showed a subtle determination. Of course, he was well obliged to take down these monstrosities and never let them see the light of day.
It was very quick, however. The label of "quick" would not do justice to whatever would follow through in the next part. For time itself stopped for everything. Every level, every plane, every reality, every domain, nothing remained untouched at the subtle dyed colors of the God's Law. Time was his to control, time was his domain, and he will bend it to this very moment. The Law has been applied, ratified, and put into effect.
Kamijou can still move. However, it wouldn't be by his power for in normal circumstances, he too would be unmoving due to time stopping on practically every conceivable or inconceivable level. However, the Witches are keeping him from such a fate, allowing him to move.
However, moving doesn't equate to comprehending what is now being seen from the naked eye. If Touma Kamijou were to describe this battle that was taking place, it would be something quite difficult if not impossible to work out as it was happening far too fast, even for his special sight to keep up. It was rather expected really when considering Ren Fujii's capabilities. The only thing that he could be certain of was that the demonic hordes that were uttering terrible languages that are far too alien to be rendered translatable were all decapitated with sheer ease. Their heads were off and everything else would decay and turn into mere withering fragments as the stars themselves die.
He only sees Ren standing tall and never leaving his spot.
Kamijou felt a bit disoriented of what had happened, using his free hand to touch his temple while Rika was gently reassuring him with a light touch of her hand upon his.
Ren glances back at Kamijou, smiling. "You holding up okay there, Touma?"
"...Ye-Yeah," Kamijou nodded. "I'm...I'm a bit disoriented but otherwise, I'm alright. Were...Were those..."
"Antiparáthetos? Yeah, they were," Ren confirmed grimly. "And from what I checked, they've been rather busy trashing up this place. The destruction that they left behind is..." He only remained silent and ended it in an incomplete manner, his expression says it all.
"...Oh," Kamijou muttered softly as he glances at the broken itty bitty helixes that were floating adrift. Now he knew who was responsible for this particular mess. The Antiparáthetos killed...so many...
"Miracle Worker," Aurora called out to Kamijou with a mysterious smile and intrigued eyes that were directed somewhere afar, drawing his attention. "We are quite close to our intended destination, just a few walks over."
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Heavy Rain Soundtrack - Main Theme (HD)
As for where they arrived...
It was another no-place. From here, there was a specific cosmology that was in the shape of a withered decayed burning tree, a tree that still stood as many other cosmologies were either lit up in smoke or already lay dead. If Kamijou was reminded of anything from this cosmos, it had to be the Tree of Sephirot. And he just sees it...dying or lying dead. Unnaturally dying and its leaves were withering like ashes. There was no point in trying to save it. For it was doomed forever to its fate.
"Look closer, Miracle Worker," Aurora smiled. "Tell me...what do you see?"
And for Touma Kamijou, it was more than just seeing. He was witnessing something as if it were a vision. In fact, it was a vision. A series of visions to be precise.
"...!"
He was witnessing what appeared to be memories that came forth from many countless universes that were pouring into his head. And all of them spoke one single phrase that echoed far and wide. A very common phrase that made him twitched a bit and his face was showing signs of a grimace.
"These small fights are such a pain. I think I'll just end the world."
And he sees the ominous terrible hell. Each of them was but mere fragments, bit by bit. Flashes of each scene occurred that made Kamijou's head have a migraine. But there was something horribly wrong with it...
"The███ ████ fights are su███ a ███. I think I'll just end the ███."
"████████████ pain. I'll end the world."
"█████████ pain. the world."
".dlrow eht dne tsuj ll'I kniht I .niap a hcus era sthgif llams esehT"
The wordings were off. The sounds of each of them were different in nature. Some were more gibberish. Others were uttered as if in an entirely different language. Each of them looked like the beginning of a hell that was initiated at the sound of the voice of a Magic God that Kamijou had known. They were different universes separated from one another, all having a common point. Othinus speaks a certain phrase and the end of the world commences. But something went wrong. From that one common event that is considered to be the weakest point in the timeline, Touma Kamijou sees the following...
Cracks appeared to have come forth from all known directions: north, south, east, and west. From the highest of the heavens up to the lowest level of dirt. Like the breaking sound of shattering glass. It was like someone had punched a hole in the window.
There were the Elemental Parademons, ones from the Third Sphere who hold the Angel Rank, the lowest of their kind. They were tall, winged humanoids with heavily built and imposing figures. They have five digits on each hand, also sharp-clawed. They are clad from head to toe in golden armor, formed out of a material not known on Earth or any planet, helmets that have hornlike protrusions that cover most of their heads save for the mouth, exposing their sharp teeth. Their armor has numerous glowing red highlights, including a glaring eye at the center of the chest. They all commonly have a pair of ribbed twofold wings on their backs, which they can retract seamlessly in a flash of light. With swords, spears, and shields, along with the command of all four elements of water, earth, fire, and air, they scoured through the worlds and made their presence felt.
The Infinite Hells that the Magic God had devised for the torture of Touma Kamijou, in every single one of them. From every word where it had been uttered...
"These small fights are such a pain. I think I'll just end the world."
The event in question was used paradoxically to form a hole in space-time, connecting multiple worlds where the dreaded word has been uttered. From the past up to the future, there was death, and much to the shock and horror of one Touma Kamijou...he sees Academy City burning...
He sees people fighting back, Or trying to anyway, even to the point of dying rather brutally as he can see some of them getting decapitated by many among the demonic swarm. He sees very familiar and unfamiliar faces. The Level 5s of the Science Side and the Saints of the Magic Side and other experienced individuals were doing very well against the endless demonic hordes that bear the Angel Rank. However... there came the Archangel Rank and the Principality Rank who were now making their way through this damaged and hopeless cosmology. They both carry the same golden bulky armor, but there were slight differences. The Archangels were much more imposing, more likened to experienced commanders on the battlefield, and had additional powers besides the aforementioned four elements that can make them quite a pain to deal with. The Principalities were more likened to gigantic war-mongering beasts who were scouring through worlds and slicing them in mere half with their swords and spears and other sharpened objects.
"...Wh-"
Kamijou looked back to Aurora who only subtly smiled at him as if daring him to guess what he was now bearing witness to. He turns to Bernkastel, still showing her usual f cold blank emotionless face, with the difference that her eyes were narrowed towards the vision. He turns to Ren Fujii, silent and solemn, with narrowed eyes looks towards the vision and sees the blatant destruction that was left in the wake of these abominations. Kamijou looked back to Rika who was showing an expression of silent horror as much as he was.
"...Is this...Is this what I think it is...?"
"This is merely one out of many possible strategies from the Red King's Army. This cosmology (multiverse) is much similar to your very own. However, there are differences as well, however slight that is if comforts you. This cosmology would show an infinitude of possibilities where the common point of origin remained where you did not meet Lord Doctor nor would his interference be anywhere felt in this cosmology. As a result, your world would not have the beneficial help that it needed, and neither would the other worlds for that matter. This would have been one out of many possible outcomes of your cosmos, suffering at the hands of the Red King's forces," Aurora explained.
"One out of many..." Kamijou noted the phrase and deeply thought of them very carefully while drawing out his own personal experiences in The Test. Yes, he was horrified by what he is seeing with his own eyes, but he needed to maintain absolute focus now more than ever and keep a cool head. The Test had to make him learn that the hardest of ways possible. "Is...Is there any way for me or for us to help these people?"
"I wouldn't bother as much, Touma," Ren said in turn. His expression was one of displeasure as he thoroughly examined the withered dying cosmos. "There's not a hint of life in this dead cosmos anywhere. Everyone here is deader than dead, whether if it was in the past or in the future. The Red King's Army did a whole number on this cosmos. Not a single soul left to take back from...because there were none to begin with...And I wouldn't even bother reversing time in this place either...It would just alert a few uninvited guests..."
Kamijou sighed heavily, grimacing at the vision before them while listening to what Ren had informed him of. Naturally, he didn't ask for help for either Bernkastel or Aurora as he didn't think they could help. They can but they can't. It frustrates him on the inside but he needed to keep a cool head in this situation. "...This...This specific strategy that the Red King's Army devised, they used Othinus' Infinite Hells, every variant of it from different unconnected universes with equal, differing, or similar laws, as a tactical weak point that manage to widen the gap just enough for these monsters to come through from the outside...with no one to put a stop to them...and by the time anyone tried, it would already be too late, just as what I'm seeing now."
"And it is such that they may try that particular tactic once more in your cosmos...but that is not merely what I wanted to show you as that is merely a flicker of light when compared with the rest..." Aurora smiled grimly. "Watch closely upon the vision."
And as Kamijou looks and looks, seeing the destruction and seeing the blatant slaughter, the various dead bodies and the people who tried in vain to fight back, and he sees...
Himself...?
No, that wasn't right. He was seeing different versions of himself. Countless numbers of them. They were all trying their best to fight back. Most of them ended up dead far too soon. Some were able to resist and unleash their dormant power. Some were able to bring out the dragons. Some were able to bring out IT(s). And yet...like a flash, they too would fall as the Red King's forces overwhelm everywhere.
Academy City and the rest of the world appeared to fall continuously. No matter how many times this scenario was played out. No one had the power to stop these infinitudes of monsters from doing whatever it is that they see fit.
The World(s) tried everything that they could or would. Even using the nuclear missile launch option to stop the madness. Even using spells that could have wiped off entire armies. Even that was all for naught. As impossible as that may sound, even the Magic Gods themselves fell swoop as there was a specific procedure conducted from afar that acted like a precise surgical shrapnel that cuts out whatever it was stabbed into. A strange wave of anti-temporality originating from within the cracks managed to depower them all.
The Magic Gods, considering their status, were beings of infinite power. But recall that there was a way to divide infinity altogether. That was how it was with the wave of anti-temporality that would render their status a complete question.
And the World(s) with all of their Phases?
They fall.
And the Devourer of Worlds, known by the designation SCP-2317-K, multiple numbers of them that were coming out from their prison dimensions through the usage of the cracks created from each strategic weak point of the World(s) and connecting them all like a router, receiving passage as the doorways break open at the summons of war and devour the fleeting Worlds in sheer numbers. Their physical appearances are haunting to describe. They were massive and obese humanoids standing 200 km tall with horns reserved tree branches and covered in overlapping plate-like scales while lacking a lower jaw. They also possess one big singular eye. And from the center was the mark of the same glaring eye, the Great Eye of the Crimson King.
"Et exercitus centum milia viris regni supra nubes et venire ad devorare, nomen manent in aeternum in maiestate, et coccineum regem. ("And whereas the army of a hundred thousand marches into the realm beyond the clouds, and there would come the Devourer, may the name of which remain forever in service to His Majesty, the Scarlet King.)""
They uttered laws known only to their native tongue. The native tongue, when heard, is translatable only for Latin for mere mortals and gods. But these beings weren't speaking in Latin nor is it their language. For their language is old and terrible, one that came with signs and sigils that were no longer used, an unholy dead language that had long been forgotten.
And then...
Kamijou noticed something. A final piece of the puzzle.
He sees a little girl smiling and dancing, showing a cheerful demeanor in spite of the city blocks nearby that were burning and the Elemental Parademons making their presence felt in endless droves. But something was not right. There was a slasher-like smile on her face as she spells out words of doom and gloom.
"May the Mark of Red be on your foreheads. May the Blood of Children appease him. May the Five Worlds Come and Burn! May the Five Worlds provide the passage! Hail! Hail! Hail to the Scarlet King!"
And just like that, the vision ended.
And Kamijou was shaken as he mulled over what had just happened. These and many other things that were shown in flashes for him to see for himself. And he would see the cosmos that was likened to the Tree of Sephirot instantly turning into mere ashes as it bleeds with crimson hues, revealing its true broken self for all to bear witness to.
Silence reigned. Both Ren and Kamijou were deep in thought. Rika was simply by her husband's side and never wavering in her careful watch of him. And then, Kamijou decided to speak as he looked at Aurora who looked pleased as she sees Kamijou getting the answer by his sheer quick thinking.
"That Test, the one that you gave me long ago. You knew about this, didn't you? You knew that something like this would happen and so you decided to send me to all of those worlds, all of those cosmoses, being in places where I was never supposed to be, being in times where I should never have been, one of those proofs would have to be the alternate Misaki that I befriended and met again, and it all leads up to this moment. Those specific places and times that you made me land on weren't just random, were they? They were all pre-planned, like an author who already had an idea for the story that she was going to write and had been executing the scripts flawlessly."
Aurora smiled. She remained silent for a few moments before she finally spoke with a solemn tone.
"That is correct. The Test itself, I have designed it in such a way so that you of all people can withstand whatever infernal drought may come your way. And it was first and foremost upon the matter for you to question everything about yourself, your thoughts, your beliefs, everything that makes you an individual character whose development remained so uncertain in some and stagnant in others. As an author myself, I just had to know what to pick and choose from and knew the perfect places where your development shines brighter even in spite of things growing dimmer. Of course, there are the critics who heavily criticize what I have done," she glances at Ren who had his arms crossed. "But then, The Test also allowed you a secondary beneficence that honed your skills to the absolute limit. Bit by bit, you questioned. Bit by bit, you answered. You no longer just relied simply on your Imagine Breaker and used your head, your heart, and your soul. You made your own beliefs conform to the situation around you, you learn how to adapt and survive, you understood and recognized the mentality of everything around you, and every belief and ideal, you have clashed with and purified them of their mere illusionary transitions."
What Aurora referred to was that the multiple numbers of experiences had benefited Kamijou as much as they made him suffer so. One of the more basic of skills after repeating infinite loops with tens of thousands of sets, Touma Kamijou had achieved and earned the rank and position of an experienced multi-martial arts master. Another would be a unique trait that allowed him to be immune from temporal changes altogether. And another would be the vast array of foreknowledge and knowledge of different types of subjects and objects that could help him hone his simple negotiation tactics and find needed compromises for the sake of a preferred outcome where everyone continued to smile. And then some...
It helped at least to prepare him for the inevitable day when he can finally make contact with IT and the Dragons, learning whatever secrets that lay dormant within him. And then more abilities came along with it.
"So is that why you brought me here specifically," Kamijou said, looking at Aurora with careful eyes. "You wanted me to bear witness to or think over of every possible strategy that the Red King's Army is likely to pull off, the same as what they did here..." Kamijou of course was referring to the now-dead cosmology that has no diversity of life and mind in it. He glances at the withered bleeding tree that has nothing left. It made him angry and terrified in truth as he had seen the aftermath of a mass omnicide.
"In one sense, correct," Aurora made an amused smile. "In another, I simply wanted to garner the thoughts of my favorite critic after all."
The way she said it from the perspective of multiple senses, Kamijou can tell that there was more than just the two mentioned senses as well as the unmentioned ones, reminded heavily of the fact that behind the façade of the smile lurks a dangerous woman with an incredible chess mastery skill.
"Alas, I believe that it is about time that I return you to your proper time and place as to where I left you,"
"Right now?" Kamijou showed a concerned expression, glancing back at Rika who smiled sadly.
"I would sadly have to agree, dear. You are more than needed back in your world since I believe that your children are waiting for you, and as they are your children, I can't help but say that they are mine as well," Rika said.
Kamijou remained silent for a moment. His expression was solemn and sober. He knew that his wife had a point and that there. "You have a point, Rika. Although," he glanced at Aurora, giving her a subtle look which made the latter understand with eyes closed. He turns back to Rika with a sad smile. "Can I at least get a goodbye kiss from my wife before I leave?"
"Oh, I would be happy to oblige."
And then, another deep kiss would be initiated by the two individuals. It lasted for a minute, although for both of them, it seemed to have lasted a lot longer. As they parted from the kiss and draw their foreheads close to one another, they smiled before letting go.
Kamijou, with his expression turning serious, turn to Ren and nodded at him. "Ren-niisan."
Ren simply nodded back with a smile of his own.
Kamijou looked respectfully toward Bernkastel. "Sensei."
Bernkastel made no comment, still giving a cold expression, although she gave an accommodated nod.
Kamijou turned back to Aurora. "My Lady, I am ready."
Aurora smiled subtly as she raised her shakujo and the lower tip lowered down and slam the non-existent floor.
In between the seconds, Kamijou looks at Rika one last time. And they both made a deep meaningful stare and sad smile that held only one word.
"("I love you.")"
And the next moment, Touma Kamijou vanishes in the blink of an eye...
And as Kamijou disappeared, Rika instinctively looks at her left hand and sees her invisible wedding ring still on her ring finger.
And she made a sad smile and expression as she clutched her left hand with her right hand and held them close to her heart as if in prayer while Ren made a soft, empathetic smile as his hands were in his pockets.
...And landed back in his world.
"-uma! Touma!"
He heard the sound of both Shokuhous who were trying to get him to pay attention as from their perspective at least, Kamijou was completely still and had been staring at the distance for a few moments, making them worried.
He jolted, looking at both Shokuhou (Prime) and (511), seeing their worried expressions. He immediately realized that he was back just by looking at the surroundings. The same scent of the beautiful flowers, the water bottles from the side of the bench, the two Shokuhous who were there, yes...he was home.
He slowly stood up, showing a serious expression that made the girls become attentive when they noticed it.
"Girls, I think that we should probably get back to Dr. Strange, Othinus, and the others," Kamijou suggested.
"Eh, why?" Shokuhou (511) looked curious.
"There's..." Kamijou instinctively raised his left hand and sees his invisible wedding ring still on his ring finger. He sported a sad smile and expression while doing so, an expression that was not lost on both Shokuhous as one of them (Prime) knew the context while the other (511) didn't know about the context. "There's something that I need to tell everyone, and I need you two to be there as well."
He would need to tell everyone about the visions that he saw and the hints that he had been given. For the sake of everyone's survival. For the sake of his world's survival.
And in spite of both of them being afar, they continued to think of one another.
Even now when the entire Multiverse is in crisis.
For their love surpasses space, time, and eternity.
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
Kitto ieru - Yukari Tamura Gosho Aoyama Collection of Short Stories OVAs Main Theme THAISUB
12 Core Members:
Frederica Bernkastel - VA: Yukari Tamura
Main Companion Protagonists:
Touma Kamijou - VA: Atsushi Abe
Ren Fujii - VA: Kousuke Toriumi
Main Love Interests:
Rika Kamijou (née Furude) - VA: Yukari Tamura
Main Heroine Characters:
Misaki Shokuhou - VA: Azumi Asakura