Dark clouds formed overhead, enveloping the castle and surrounding buildings in darkness.
"Terra?" She called out.
A second later she let out a cry as a hand wrapped around her neck, strangling her.
"Who…Am I?" A man's voice whispered.
"Such…Terrible Darkness." The woman uttered, struggling to breathe. "You have to fight it…Terra please!"
"Terra, you say?" The man whispered and then grunted as his voice changed. "Terra's heart has been extinguished. Smothered by the darkness within him!"
CLASH!
There was clashing sound that echoed through the kingdom.
"My name is Master Aqua."
CLASH!
"Now return my friend's heart or pay the price!"
And immediately they fought.
His strikes were lethal, fueled by rage with darkness surging around him as he attacked.
She was composed and graceful, light shining around her many times as she attacked, dodged and defended herself.
His rage and frustration reached critical levels as they fought.
"This will teach you! Get out of my heart!" The man shouted, stabbing himself in the chest with his own weapon.
"TERRA!"
She rushed after him as he fell into the dark portal, jumping in just as it closed. He was falling out of her reach, so she summoned her glider and armor to reach him. She grabbed and tried to escape but she saw they wouldn't make it in time.
"I have to do something or we'll both be lost." Aqua looked back at Terra.
She had a choice to make: leave him in darkness or…
Take his place.
She placed her Keyblade in his hands and her armor appeared over him, sending him back up to the light. "Go!"
She watched as Terra was taken back up to the surface.
"Ven, I'm sorry…I might not make it back as soon as I thought. But I promise, I'll be there, one day, to wake you up."
Aqua closed her eyes, resigning herself to falling into darkness.
When she opened them again she expected to be in the Realm of Darkness. Only when she opened her eyes again, she continued falling with strange lights appearing around her. Staring in confusion she reached out and touched one of the lights.
'What is this? I thought I was falling into the darkness…' She looked down and saw a strange green mist coming up on her. 'Light in the darkness?'
She was blinded by a white light…
The last thing she remembered was hitting water. She gasped as she felt the tied moving her body up onto sand. She felt her body aching and she couldn't cast a healing spell. Her eyes dazed as she looked around, seeing two suns…
And a giant tree.
Xxx
..ua…
Aq…ua…!
Aqua!
Her eyes opened and she slowly sat up, feeling the heat on her back while feeling wet down her front. Looking up, she groaned from seeing the light from…two suns? Her eyes adjusted and there were indeed two suns shining down on this place.
What was this place?
A strange shore with red sands and palm trees, purple brushes, orange plants, giant sea shells and sea stars. Up ahead was a large cliff that towered over the shore and beyond that was a giant tree sitting on it with clouds of green, purple and yellow leaves. Surrounding the giant tree was a forest of palm trees.
Kneeling down, Aqua picked up the sea star and noticed how similar it was to her Wayfinder and the ones she made for her friends.
"What is this place?" She asked quietly but felt glad to be hearing her own voice.
She remembered falling into the Realm of Darkness and thought she would end up there.
Looking up, she had a guess that the massive tree might have the answer. So she slowly began her approach, walking up the beach and to the cliff. She thought to apply magic to her legs to do a double jump but then remembered she left her Keyblade with Terra and without it she couldn't use her magic anymore.
She had nothing now.
Aqua sighed and started looking for an alternate route to the tree. It took a while but she found a way through the cliffs and entered a green forest. Nothing but palm trees providing shade and a grassy ground with strange plants, mushroom and berries growing.
'Well, if I am going to be stuck here for a while at least there is a source of food.' Aqua thought as she looked around.
So far it seemed like this place was deserted.
She sighed as stopped to lean against a rock…
And then her senses kicked in.
"GAH!" Aqua jumped back as the rock started moving. "What the-"
She watched surprise as more rocks pulled out of the ground, forming into a torso followed by arms and legs. The creature turned its 'head' to her and for a second remained still. Then it raised its arm to swat her and she took off running, continuing towards the tree.
Just what was this place?
Was it in the Realm of Darkness?
Was a world of light capable of existing in the Realm of Darkness?
She had so many questions that were just more of what was weighing her down?
Did Terra make it back?
Would he break free from Xehanort's control?
Would she make it back and awaken Ven?
As her journey continued, the scenery grew deeper and stranger, the sky changing to resemble the colors of the giant tree with roots even sprouting out from the ground. And as Aqua grew closer, a strange mist suddenly appeared around her.
Aqua stopped, her senses alerting her that this was no ordinary fog. 'Now what?'
A shadow appeared in the mist that slowly approached her and stepped back, settling into her normal fighting stance but knew it was useless without her Keyblade.
She watched as the person to come out of the mist was…her?
A person who exactly resembled Aqua from her hair, eyes, skin, and clothes. She even had a Keyblade, Stormfall in her hand to go with it.
Aqua stared in shock at first before finding her voice. "Who are you?"
"…I am you." The duplicate answered stoically.
"What? What is that supposed to mean?" Aqua questioned.
"It is exactly what I said. I am you, the foolish girl who grew up with the dream of becoming a Keyblade Master. Who tried to present herself as the perfect student, becoming the perfect master, only to watch everything she cared about wither away and tried to follow her friends and master into death." The duplicate stated. "You failed your master. You failed Ven. You failed Terra. You couldn't save them."
Aqua stepped back with a pained look on her face before glaring at the copy. "Shut up!"
"You know it's the truth. You drove them away, trying to present yourself as someone without sin. Xehanort didn't even have to try. You all did exactly what he wanted so easily." The copy continued. "Even when you were finally together, you still failed."
"SHUT UP!" Aqua shouted, charging at her copy, not even caring she didn't have a Keyblade anymore.
A flash of light proved her wrong as something clashed with Other Aqua as she raised her Keyblade in defense. Aqua's eyes widened as she looked to see a black Keyblade in her hand with a boxy guard, made up of two small, light grey boxes and a copper rod. The base of the guard connected to the grip and both sported several small indentations lining them. The teeth were in the shape of an 'E' with its keychain resembling the badge she wore to signify she was a Keyblade Wielder.
It wasn't Stormfall but it was the Keyblade of her fallen master, the Master's Defender.
That's right; she had taken it as per her master's instructions. Aqua shook her head, knowing she had no time to contemplate this in the middle of a fight. She shoved the Other Aqua who flipped back, landing perfectly on her feet.
The Other Aqua chuckled as she grinned at her. "You couldn't even realize you still had the Keyblade with you."
Aqua said nothing, knowing what she had to do.
(Kingdom Hearts OST Extreme Encounters)
She vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Aqua and summoned three large ice crystals that she landed at Aqua who cartwheeled out of the way of each one. She then tried slashing at Other Aqua who teleported away, reappearing a few feet away.
"Thunder!" Aqua shouted, calling down several bolts of lightning on Other Aqua who staggered from the hit.
She began teleporting all over the place, moving at high speed and delivering several strikes to Aqua. The Keyblade Master grunted, feeling the first few blows before she conjured a barrier to protect herself.
"Enough." Other Aqua teleported into the air and summoned more ice crystals that flew straight at the real Aqua.
Two managed to hit, knocking her back while she managed to dodge the others. Aqua was panting, still exhausted from her previous fight before coming here. Other Aqua teleported in front of her, ready to deliver the final blow but Aqua would not submit. She swung her Keyblade up and batted the incoming attack away and slashed her Other several times, following with a thrust to the chest that the Other barely survived by teleporting away just as it touched her chest.
"Heal!" Aqua held up her Keyblade and a green glow surrounded her, healing her wounds.
Other Aqua was in the air again, summoning more ice crystals that she launched at Aqua who had just gotten her second wind. She jumped up and glided through the air, dodging the ice crystals that shattered against the surrounding trees instead of their target. Having enough Aqua charged at her Other, delivering several strikes.
"Enough!" Aqua shouted, two orbs of light surrounding her and managing to do more damage to the Other.
Other Aqua teleported away, summoning more ice crystals but this time Aqua smashed through them instead of dodging. She kept on attacking her Other who became more desperate to win, teleporting all over the area to avoid being hit.
"You think you can win?!" Other Aqua shouted as copies of her suddenly appeared, surrounding Aqua. "You're a failure! You're nothing!"
Aqua noticed her other self was changing, her eyes turning yellow and her hair becoming brighter, a mix of blue and silver as darkness surrounded her.
"You are just a weak child who could nothing to save her friends!" Other Aqua shouted, the aura of darkness around intensifying.
"I am more than that!" Aqua shouted back. "Yes, I've failed…But I am still here and I will make it right!"
"Make it right?" Other Aqua and her copies laughed. "How can you make it right when you are about to die here?!"
They then began glowing, activating Aqua's own Command Style: Spellweaver.
They started circling around Aqua, moving like figure skaters as cold, icy air circulated around them and ice crystals formed above them.
She couldn't do that with her Spellweaver but it didn't matter at the moment.
What mattered was getting out of the way before she was hit!
She conjured a barrier just as they all launched magical blasts at her but she only felt one, meaning all the rest were mere illusions.
"I said enough! Farewell!" Aqua said, conjuring two more energy orbs around her as she collided with Other Aqua, forcing her back.
The two then clashed their weapons again, their moves exactly the same but Other Aqua was fighting with a form of aggression that made her open to attacks which Aqua capitalized on. Other Aqua kept on summoning more ice crystals that Aqua had to dodge or heal herself when a few managed to hit her. More illusions appeared as Other Aqua attacked but only of them felt real when they hit so Aqua knew where the real one was after she attacked.
She could feel the energy filling her with each clash and it was just about ready to burst.
"I know who I am!" Aqua shouted, her own power surrounding her in a burst of light as she activated Spellweaver for the first time.
Her moves became faster and she telekinetically controlled her Keyblade as she threw it at Other Aqua, spinning through the air as it dealt numerous blows to Other Aqua who couldn't take it anymore. She let out a scream as Aqua delivered one final slash. She collapsed and slowly dissolved into darkness.
(Kingdom Hearts OST Extreme Encounters Ends)
It was over.
Aqua sighed in relief, falling to her knees as her new Keyblade had vanished. The fog vanished, leaving behind the sunny weather from before.
What was that?
A form created from her darkness?
Her doubts?
"Ever since I first left the Land of Departure, my world has been in pieces. Is this the result of everything I have endured?" She wondered to herself, looking back up at the massive tree. "Is this all I have left now?"
STOMP!
Aqua spun around to see the same rock creature that had chased her into the mist was still pursuing her. Only now she had a Keyblade to defend herself and prepared to fight.
"Freeze!" Aqua shouted, casting a Blizzard spell that froze the creature and with a single slash it broke into pieces.
Aqua sighed as she dismissed her Keyblade, glancing at the tree. She knew it was a long shot but she could just sense something about that tree that may be the key to her finding a way out. Seeing no other option, Aqua continued her journey towards the giant tree. The shadow of the tree's bark loomed over her Aqua could feel she was being watched.
She couldn't tell from where but she knew someone or something was watching her. She came upon a clearing at the base of the tree with giant roots sticking out of the ground and spreading outward. Just how far did this tree stretch?
"You should not be here."
Aqua summoned her Keyblade, hearing a growling voice coming from the tree. She could see several openings in the ground under the tree, exposing the massive roots. From one of those opening came a giant clawed hand with black scales. What followed was a large serpentine like body about twenty meters long with four limbs for arms and legs and wings on its back, a grey underbelly. From its huge mouth came eerily dripping fluids as it looked at her with bright red eyes.
A black and purple miasma emerged its body as it fully emerged.
Aqua stepped back, memories of Maleficent flashing in her mind. "What are you?"
"Me? I am…the Guardian of this place…You may call me Nizuheggo." The creature chuckled. "And you…You smell…different from the usual prey that wanders here and you carry the key. How unfortunate…for you. It's been so long since I have feasted on living flesh."
(Kingdom Hearts OST Enter the Darkness)
Aqua jumped back as the dragon named Nizuheggo opened its mouth and released a purplish gas that literally melted the ground where she had stood.
"Freeze!" Aqua shouted, firing an ice spell at the dragon that was easily blocked with one hand.
The dragon lashed out with its tail but Aqua used a barrier to protect herself. The force of the hit sent her flying across the area.
She landed perfectly on the ground and charged at the dragon, ducking under a swipe and jumped up. "Fire!"
A fireball hit the dragon in the face, stunning it for a second. It lashed out with a claw that Aqua dodged by cartwheeling out of the way. Nizuheggo jumped and slammed all four of its limbs on the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked Aqua back. It then brought its mouth down to eat her but Aqua conjured a barrier just in time, catching the dragon's jaw.
Nizuheggo grunted as it tried breaking through the barrier which then exploded in the dragon's mouth.
The dragon screamed in pain as it stepped back. "Damn you!"
Aqua stood up as she felt the power of her Spellweaver command style washing over her. She charged at Nizuheggo who shot fire at her but Aqua threw her Keyblade in front of her which spun like a wheel, knocking the fire aside. Aqua then jumped up and swung her Keyblade down, hitting the monster in the head, slamming him into the ground.
Nizuheggo snarled as it looked back at the hole where it had crawled out from. "Help me, my children!"
Aqua watched as dozens of smaller dragons, resembling Nizuheggo crawled out of the hole and took off into the air, surrounding her. Some lunge at her but Aqua telekinetically spun her Keyblade around her, knocking them away as they tried to bite her. Aqua started spinning, magic spiraling around her that blasted through the numerous dragons that surrounded and tried to attack her. This gave her some breathing room as she jumped back and pointed her Keyblade at the surrounding dragons, multi-colorful light gathering at the end of her Keyblade.
It blasted into over twenty orbs of rainbow colored orbs that hit many of the dragons, including Nizuheggo who screamed in pain and anger from seeing its offspring getting destroyed. It lashed out, trying to claw at Aqua who dodged as she fell back.
"Damn you, wretched Key Bearer! You and those cursed wretches who abandoned us here! Kill me if you can but know that the strongest of my offspring will take my place as the new Nizuheggo!" The dragon roared.
"Thunder!" Aqua shouted, raining down several lightning bolts on the dragon.
Nizuheggo groaned in pain from the hit but got back up, snarling at Aqua and breathed his miasma at her and then set it ablaze with fire. Aqua leapt over the flames, letting out a battle cry as her form glowed bright and she swung her Keyblade down, a bright light slashing through Nizuheggo who screamed in agony before collapsing.
(Kingdom Hearts OST Enter the Darkness Ends)
Aqua sighed as she landed on the ground, looking at the deceased dragon. She looked at the hole under the tree where it had crawled out from, hearing snarling sounds from what was likely the rest of Nizuheggo's offspring but none came out. They were likely too scared to face her.
"Impressive."
Aqua looked up, seeing someone watching from atop one of the roots of the tree. "…Who are you?"
They were a dark brown robe that covered most of their body but she could see a beard and what looked like…ram horns sprouting from their head.
"Well, I'd like to say I'm a bit more friendly than our lizard friend." The man said, raising his hands in a 'I surrender' fashion to perhaps convince Aqua he was not a threat as he hopped down from the root he was sitting on. "That was an impressive fight. Not many out there who can fight and defeat a monster like Nizuheggo."
Aqua kept her Keyblade firmly pointed at the new man. "I asked who you are."
"So you did." The man slowly lowered his hands. "Sorry if I am a little slow. It's been a long time since we've had visitors so I have to try and remember the social necessities. That weapon…It's a Keyblade, isn't it?"
"You know of the Keyblade?" Aqua asked.
"Know of it? I have seen it before. Long ago when someone else came to these shores. Perhaps you know of whom I speak…A Master Odin?" The man quarried, folding his hands behind his back.
"Maser Odin…No, I do not recognize that name." Aqua replied.
"Oh, I'm so sorry then. I know I am not coming off as the most trustworthy of beings here. Is it the horns?" The man asked.
"What?"
"The horns." The man clarified, pointing to his ram horns. "Do they frighten you? Terrify, disgust in any way."
"No, they don't but you still haven't told me your name." Aqua answered, lowering Keyblade slightly.
"Ah yes." The man held up a finger. "Right, that would be factor to contribute. Forgive me. Officially I have no name but if I were to pick one I would chose…Roki."
"Roki?" Aqua repeated in question.
"Yes, that." The man calling himself Roki nodded. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss…"
"Aqua." She finished for him.
"Aqua." Roki bowed before her, spreading his arms out. "Welcome to this lost realm."
"Where exactly is this place? In the Realm of Darkness?" Aqua asked, finally lowering her Keyblade.
"It is shrouded in darkness, yes. This world is cut off from any other for the simple reason is that it is too dangerous." Roki nodded to where the corpse of Nizuheggo laid. "Our dead friend here being one of many reason and I suggest we hurry before his offspring are emboldened to attack and finish what was started. They will take time, fighting and kill each other until the strongest becomes the new one but we shouldn't linger on."
Aqua watched as Roki beckoned her to follow, looking back at the corpse of Nizuheggo and sighed before following Roki who led her around the massive tree. "What is this tree? I sense something about it."
"Oh, you sense it? It will be pleased." Roki said approvingly.
"Pleased?"
Aqua stopped as they came upon an area close to the base of the tree. Unlike before there was nothing but forest, grass and a stone pedestal.
Embedded in the pedestal was a Keyblade.
"A Keyblade?" Aqua stepped forward to get a closer look.
"The Keyblade of Master Odin to be exact." Roki nodded as Aqua inspected it.
The Keyblade in question had a three pointed end like a trident, resembling a spear of sorts with a circular curved guard around the hilt and the symbol of a clock for a keychain.
"What happened to him?" Aqua asked Roki.
"His time had passed for him and he entered eternal sleep peacefully on these shores. He left his Keyblade here to be found by a fellow wielder to return it to its home to be claimed by another or laid to rest." Roki answered. "Its name is Gungnir."
Aqua stared at the Keyblade named Gungnir. "…I didn't think I would find one out here."
"Master Odin came here on a journey of knowledge and gained much more than he had anticipated. This world is closed off by the World Tree." Roku said, gesturing to the massive tree that towered over them. "Charged with a sacred duty."
"A duty?"
Roki nodded. "It is a long story. Allow me to bring us some refreshments."
Roku retrieved some fresh water for him and Aqua to have while he told his story while sitting around the stone pedestal.
"It began with two brothers, Light and Darkness. They chose to create a world to call home. The elder brother, the god of light found joy in creating life such as plants, water and wild life while the younger brother, the god of darkness would be disgusted and bring fire, drought and famine to rid their world of life. Eventually they became weary of feuding and agreed to create one last thing together, a masterpiece for both of them to be proud of." Roki began. "Their creation would be given the gift of knowledge to understand what they were, free will so they would be given the choice to create or destroy. New life spread across their world and it all began with this tree, the World Tree. The gods created it along with Nizuheggo who spent his days gnawing at its roots to try and destroy it."
Aqua looked at the tree. "What is its purpose?"
"Basically, the Gods infused the world with their power and the World Tree became the source of their new creation's power as well as serving the balance of life and death that the Gods created." Roki answered. "It also serves as a guard to creatures like Nizuheggo who was also a creation but a failed one. The Gods created and experimented many times before they finally perfected their experiment. Some lived, others were discarded and sealed in other worlds to prevent them from tainting the great experiment. The World Tree serves as a door to keep to keep them all contained."
Aqua looked back up at the tree, still feeling a great sense of power from it. "And what role do you play?"
"Me? I am the one who watches over the tree. I was among the many creations of the Gods but I was deemed to be a tolerant failure and thus I was not killed or discarded. Thus I have lived here but I have also blessed the world the Gods created in my own way." Roki nodded, pulling his hood back.
His face was that of a man with long dark hair, a beard and the ram horns sprouting from his forehead.
"I consider the children of the Gods to be my own siblings and thus I sought to help them in my own way." Roki explained. "This island is a single world the World Tree rests on, connected to the world the Gods created while also holding back the failures in thieir own prisons."
Aqua carefully took in all she had learned. "And the Master who came here?"
"He helped during a time when the monsters tried to escape." Roki glanced at Gungnir before looking back at Aqua.
"Is there anything he left behind to help me make my way back to my world?" Aqua asked.
"I'm sorry but no. Of course, he might have left some clue in the Gods formed. He had made a few friends and had an apprentice." Roki answered, glancing at the Keyblade in the pedestal. "Of course, the only way to enter that world is through the Keyblade he had left behind."
Aqua stared at the Keyblade, looking between it and Roki. "And there's nowhere else to go?"
"This island is home to many hostile creatures unless you know how to defend yourself. Unless you prefer to be with only me for however long you might be here it is best you go to be with people who can help you." Roki answered with a sympathetic face.
Aqua was silent for a few moments, taking in all she had and carefully considered her options before sighing. "I see no other way…Will it allow me to take it?"
"There is only one way to find out." Roki answered.
Aqua looked at the Keyblade, considering what might happen if she removed it but she couldn't sense any form of darkness around it or from the tree. She slowly walked up to and grasped its handle. She felt a surge of energy through her, grunting as she slowly pulled it out inch by inch until finally it broke free. She held up the Keyblade known as Gungnir and stared at it for a moment.
As she held it up, blue markings appeared on the roots of the tree and around pedestal appeared nine doors with locks on them.
Roki pointed to the one in front of Aqua. "This door leads to the world the Gods live in with their creations."
Aqua pointed Gungnir at the door and a burst of light shot out and unlocked the door. It opened, revealing a great light shining inside.
Aqua looked at Roki who smiled in encouragement. "Good luck, Lady Aqua."
"What about you?" Aqua asked.
"I will remain here, watching over this place as I have been charged." Roki placed a hand on his chest as he bowed. "Do not worry for me, my friend. We shall meet again if the future is kind."
Aqua stared for another moment before enter the door which closed behind her. When it closed all the doors vanished, leaving no sign they had existed. Roki then walked forward, stepping up to the bark of the tree and watched as a doorway opened. He stepped inside, entering a deep tunnel with torches along the walls to provide a source of light.
He followed them into a large, circular shining chamber where a single orb of azure light rested on an altar. The bark had changed color, becoming a mix of white and bright blue, matching the color of the orb.
Roki knelt down before it. "It has begun, Great Yggdrasil. A keybearer has finally appeared and taken the key that imprisoned us. They have entered the world the Gods left their favorite creations."
"EXCELLENT. SHE PROVED TO BE STRONG WHEN SHE DEFEATED THE CONSTRUCT I SENT." The orb spoke in a deep and powerful voice. "SOON ALL WILL BECOME ONE."
Xxx
Hi there. This is another one shot based off the other one I did where it was revealed Keyblade Master Odin was previous incarnation of Ozma who erased his memories before reincarnating again as Ozpin. I just had all these crazy ideas of Kingdom Hearts RWBY crossover that the only way to get it out of my head was to write it all down but for now this is just another one shot.
For those who watched the ending of Volume 8 I am sure you are familiar with the unnamed shore with the giant tree likely being an allusion to Yggdrasil, the World Tree from the Norse legends. While I do not presume to know what will happen in Volume 9 this is based on theories I have had regarding the tree and a few of Remnant's fairy tales.
Roki is a character based on the God of Animals who is a shapeshifter in the fairy tales such as The Shallow Sea and The Judgement of the Faunus. The God of Animals was known to be a shapeshifter who could take the form of animals and humans and even take the form of mythological creatures. He is hailed as a wise and noble figure by the Faunus but as a trickster which makes me think of Loki who is the God of Mischief. His name is basically Japanese for Loki but I thought it would be too obvious and on the nose if I just called him Loki so I went with Roki, being a mix of both the wise figure the Faunus worship and the deceitful trickster the humans know him for, being able to lie so well by mixing lies with truth and gaining the trust of those he meets.
While it is possible the God of Animals was one of the Brothers in disguise what if he was actually real but a lesser being compared to the Brothers. Considering Ozpin's own magical abilities perhaps there were other beings who could do the same or even change humans into Faunus. Here the God of Animals was a creation of the Brothers but worshiped as a God by the people of Remnant for his powers much like Ozpin and Salem were, perhaps during their times when they were working on creating their perfect masterpiece but allowed the God of Animals to exist as a prototype.
And Nizuheggo is a nod to Nidhogg or Nidhoggr, the dragon who gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil. Nidhogg is one of many lindworms, a serpentine Norse dragon, slithering around the World Tree, but he is the most well known one. Again, the name is Nidhogg in Japanese but I didn't just want to flat out call him Nidhogg. I looked up several articles of him, learning that Nidhogg had offspring dwelling in the Hvergelmir which is where I got the idea of Nizuheggo having offspring to help him fight Aqua and now that he is dead, his children will devour his corpse and the strongest will become the new Nizuheggo.
As for Yggdrassil, it's likely the giant tree will serve as way to get back to Remnant in Volume 9 but as a nod to the World Tree in Norse legends here it is a gateway to nine different worlds with Remnant being the Mid-gard. It's been debated that tree and mysterious island are perhaps the afterlife or some kind of Wonderland which could be true. Here, it is used as a gateway to hold back the failed creations of the Gods that were judged too dangerous to be around mankind because let's face the Brothers are not known for cleaning up their messes with some slipping through the cracks like Niziheggo.
At the end, Aqua is sent somewhere that is likely Remnant but where? Maybe one day we'll find out. In the meantime Roki shows himself to be a trickster like Loki while Yggdrassil has plans of its own. Hope everyone reading this likes it and hope Volume 9 is as good as we hope it to be.