Book IX: Aegis
Chapter LXXII
"Can you take me to where Aion is?"
That was the question Acacia brought to Azurda, who responded with a solemn nod.
He took them out into the ruins of Morytha and to the World Tree itself, more specifically, to the top of the tree portion. The tree was bigger than any building or mountain, and once they were inside, they realized that the entire inside was built from metal and run by electronics.
"I don't know what Malos is doing," Azurda stated as we looked around. "But take care, he is not to be taken lightly."
Acacia wondered what he knew, what he had seen, but they didn't have much time left.
"Aion used to be at the top of a large elevator, but that part of the World Tree was destroyed five hundred years ago. Now, he lies in the next room, the same room where Amalthus and Jin died so long ago," Azurda continued.
"Thank you Azurda," Acacia said as everyone grouped together.
Acacia decided to do a head count. There was KOS-MOS, T-Elos, Gabriel, Kasandra, Sonata, Rafi, Poppi, Sheba, and Azami. Sheba and Azami had come along, without a driver. However they needed all the help they could get.
"I take it when we pass through that door, there's no going back, eh?" Gabriel pointed out.
"Quite right," Poppi responded. "Artifice Aion was at zero percent functionality five hundred years ago."
"Scans show only two people could have passed through here during the last five hundred years," KOS-MOS added.
"We know the most recent is Malos," T-Elos continued. "However the other lifeform was bigger, and passed through around the time that Waylon disappeared."
"Was Rex the big type? I can't imagine too many humans bigger built than Malos," Gabriel theorized.
"Negative," Poppi answered. "Rex was teenager, not bigger than even Nia."
"Maybe intruder not human at all!" Rafi added.
"It's not complicated," Acacia commented. "It was clearly Adonis, or whatever his name was at that time."
"How can Acacia be so sure?" Rafi questioned.
KOS-MOS chimed in. "Although it is impossible to be more than forty percent certain, the residue does suggest this is a possibility."
Sonata seemed to be getting very impatient.
"Are you ok Sonata?" Kasandra asked her in the background.
She groaned, annoyed. "Can we PLEASE stop procrastinating this and go get it done already?!"
"As sharp as ever," Gabriel chuckled out, and then he took a deep breath. "None of us are happy about this Sonata. I understand your impatience, but please give us some time."
"I don't understand the hesitance either, Violet would've charged in no problem," T-Elos pointed out insensitively.
Acacia ignored it. "T-Elos, understand that this battle may not even be within our power to win. However, none of us will accept failure in this mission. Right now we're the only thing standing in between Malos and the destruction of this entire planet, please be prepared to give it your all."
"What's that thing about 'inability to comprehend illogical human thought' KOS-MOS always says? Because that's my response," T-Elos stated simply.
"Is everyone ready then?" Acacia questioned.
After a bit of silence, everyone nodded in response.
"I hope my adorable driver's okay," Azami muttered. "But I won't let anyone threaten his life!"
"And we would also like to live the luxurious life we deserve!" Sheba added, still referring to herself as "we".
"Then let's get this done with."
And with that, they entered the door.
The elevator Azurda had described was no longer there, and instead a gaping whole in perfect view of the sky. Up in a corner to the back right of us was something that looked like a giant version of Mythra's core crystal, however we paid it little mind.
In front of us, towering over us, was a large robot with a core crystal that was just like the one to the back right of us, and standing in front of it was none other than Malos himself.
"You finally made it!" Malos greeted enthusiastically.
Acacia let out an annoyed sigh. "Either apologize and come back or shut up and fight, I've no patience for monologue."
Malos chuckled. "So you do know me. Good, then I'll be happy to bring oblivion closer since you seem to just want to dive right in."
https/youtu.be/VGbflifKJK0
Malos began rising into the air as he was absorbed into the green core crystal attached to the large robot. It's body, white, green, and gold on the left side and black, red, and gold on the right side, began to move, shaking the very ground beneath us as it hovered into the air.
"Poppi, I thought you said it wasn't active!" Gabriel pointed out.
"It active now!" Poppi replied.
"Yeah we got that!" Acacia shot back sarcastically.
"Be careful!" Poppi warned. "This is most powerful Artifice in all Alrest, Siren not even ten percent of what Aion is!"
Acacia immediately had flashbacks to when Silas fought Siren in Juliani's arena. What were they supposed to do?
"Don't you see, my driver?" Malos announced. "This artifice is powered by the Conduit itself! The Conduit's very will is to destroy this wretched world, and I am happy to deliver it."
"Has Malos really learned nothing?" Poppi asked as she changed into her Q-TCE Finale form.
"Humans haven't changed in five hundred, no, a thousand years, even after I thought that maybe the kid was right," Malos replied. "If there's anyone who hasn't learned anything, it's you."
"KOS-MOS, T-Elos, take that thing down!" Acacia ordered.
They had both launched their biggest attacks, X-Buster and U-Teneritas, but their attacks didn't even phase Aion.
"It not damaged?! Meh meh!" Rafi exclaimed.
Aion had slammed a large ethereal sword down onto Gabriel, who parried it with a combination of Kasandra's hammer and Sonata's ether shield.
"How did you beat this thing last time?!" Gabriel asked Poppi.
Poppi shook her head. "Pyra and Mythra helped us… we couldn't have beat it without them, but they couldn't have beat it without Poppi!"
"Noponic Axiom!" Poppi stated as she fired a large laser into Aion, still not doing anything.
"He not this strong when we fought him last time!" Poppi warned.
"May I recommend the usage of the Crimson Butterfly?" KOS-MOS recommended to Acacia.
However, Acacia shook her head. "I and this whole world will die before I ever touch that sword again."
"So you've given up then?" Malos asked as his voice boomed out from inside Aion.
"Dammit Malos, come out here and fight us on your own!" Acacia shouted.
"If you can't even stop the world from getting destroyed, how will you ever save it from itself?" Malos asked. "The kid had proven himself by stopping it's destruction, but the world itself killed him and then it went on to become the shithole it is today. What are you even fighting for, Acacia?!"
"I fought to save my sister, and I failed, but now, I have a duty to the world to undo what she and I put it through… what Adonis put it through," she stated.
"And I'm fighting to uphold the legacy my parents left me," Gabriel added.
"Don't make me laugh!" Malos argued. "Your parents also had hands in defeating me, and they were too killed by the world. Your sister fell to the world, driver. It's a cold, dangerous, and unforgiving place. So I'll end it all, and I won't ever have to watch innocents suffer ever again."
Artifice Aion put its hands in the air as a large red ball of pure ethereal energy began swirling around it.
"Well doesn't this look familiar?" Sheba pointed out.
"N-No way… this is-" Acacia realized.
"This is the end!" Malos announced. "Now, leave this world in ash, PROMETHEUS!"
It was way bigger than the one Adonis produced, it felt like we were staring at a meteor.
KOS-MOS looked at T-Elos and they both nodded as they stood in front of us.
"KOS-MOS what are you doing?!" Acacia cried out, but she couldn't quite see or focus in the intensity of the energy.
"Releasing final lock," she answered as her eyes turned bright blue.
Together, T-Elos and KOS-MOS reached their hands towards the energy.
"Activating the Hilbert Effect," they said simultaneously as the huge amount of energy was absorbed into them.
All at once, that terrifying attack dissipated from the world.
"What's this?!" Malos questioned.
https/youtu.be/tZ6ufAOSUhM
KOS-MOS and T-Elos began darting around the room, bouncing off of various walls and remaining pieces of the ceiling as they tore off different pieces of metal and threw them towards the center. The Conduit began glowing as the metal began arranging itself in a strange manner. It looked like… an artifice of some kind.
A deep voice no one had ever heard before began speaking aloud.
"Dinah was the only daughter of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Behold, from a distant universe, the E.S. Dinah, vessel of the consciousness of Mary Magdalene."
The metal they had thrown into the center had taken shape into a form of artifice, and KOS-MOS and T-Elos jumped inside a pilot's hatch.
Without warning, the E.S. Dinah rocketed towards Aion, blasting a large amount of heavy ether pulses from a large gun attached to it's left arm. The attack also happened to cause noticeable damage to Aion.
"Well now, this is a surprise," Malos stated. "Fine then brats, let's play."
Missiles started firing from Aion, targeting the E.S. Dinah.
The E.S. Dinah outsped the missiles, outmaneuvering them entirely as it danced around the sky above Aion.
"Locked on," KOS-MOS shouted from within the artifice as a large ethereal blade extended from the E.S. Dinah's right arm.
"R-FANG," T-Elos announced as they slashed clean through one of Aion's arms.
"So… was this also the Conduit's will?" Malos questioned as he readied for another attack.
"Anthropos," he uttered as a large cone of ethereal water energy shot out at the artifice, dealing some damage.
"Pay attention KOS-MOS!" T-Elos nagged.
KOS-MOS nodded. "Affirmative, charging."
The E.S. Dinah stopped moving as all of the damage done to it seemed to vanish entirely.
"What is this?!" Malos yelled, enraged.
"X-Cannon," KOS-MOS stated as a massive array of ether lasers slammed into Aion, causing fires and various explosions to Aion's exterior.
"War of the Servants!!" Malos shouted as a slew of Sirens and some other artifices we hadn't seen before rushed in.
The Sirens went after the E.S. Dinah, while the other artifices went for Gabriel, Acacia, and Rafi.
"These are artifice colossi," Poppi explained. "They are dangerous, but no threat if we fight together!"
"Right then, let's show these rusty buckets a thing or three!" Gabriel stated as he pulled out Sonata's ether dagger and charged inwards.
Acacia pulled out a long sword with an electric gem loaded into its socket. "Let's see if I can't short you out."
"Poppit Ignition!" Poppi yelled as she skated around the ground, shooting various ether bullets at the colossi.
"Oh come on Gabe!" Sonata cheered. "Let's show these clunky bastards how to dance!"
Gabriel chuckled and threw the dagger back to her as she began filling the room with an intense song.
All of the drivers began feeling much stronger as she played, as if the ether she was producing actually increased their physical ability.
"Your turn, but don't hog the spotlight!" Sonata shouted as she passed the weapon back to Gabriel.
He slashed through quite a few of the colossi for a few seconds as Sonata charged up, and he then passed the weapon back to her.
"Thank you all for coming!" Sonata orchestrated. "Enjoy my grand Flaming Finale!"
As she increased the tempo to the music she was singing, flames in the shape of various instruments launched themselves at the colossi, lighting all of them ablaze.
"Alright way to go Sonata!" Rafi cheered.
"Analysis Sensor," the colossi beeped out as they scanned Sonata.
"What are they doing?!" Sonata asked frantically.
"Making updates," the colossi stated as the fire became part of them.
"Did they just change their elements to fire?!" Acacia questioned.
"It appears so," Poppi confirmed. "Let's keep fighting!"
The E.S. Dinah was on a heavy evasive maneuver, as the various Sirens were all launching barrages of lasers meant to destroy continents.
However, neither KOS-MOS nor T-Elos were alarmed as they piloted the E.S. Dinah expertly around the attacks. They then extended the massive ether blade they had used earlier, and began cutting the Sirens out of the sky.
"Siren Buster!" Malos shouted as Aion launched a large amount of light ether at the E.S. Dinah.
KOS-MOS maneuvered the craft behind a Siren as Aion's attack tore through it.
"Fine then," Malos growled as Aion began charging another Prometheus.
"Evasive maneuvers," T-Elos recommended.
Before they could react, however, fifty small artifices with bright red wings flew in from the ceiling as they crowded the E.S. Dinah, attempting nothing more than to hold it in place.
"R-FANG," KOS-MOS responded quickly as the E.S. Dinah summoned its massive blade and began attempting to cut a way out.
"This is the end!" Malos shouted. "Bring it all to an end, PROMETHEUS."
However this ball of fire ether was even larger than the last one, and just when they thought it couldn't get any worse, the winged artifices, known as gargoyles, flew into the ball itself, making it even larger.
"He's going to destroy the whole tree!" Acacia warned.
"Affirmative," KOS-MOS acknowledged as the E.S. Dinah began charging.
"Are you ready?" T-Elos asked KOS-MOS.
"Affirmative."
"Then let's finish this," T-Elos stated as she began sending her own energy into the craft.
The E.S. Dinah locked onto the mass of fire ether and prepared its most devastating attack.
"X-CANNON," they said in unison as bright blue lasers erupted from the craft's guns and tore into the energy mass.
The entire World Tree began to shake as Prometheus began to crumble under its own energy.
Malos let out a chuckle. "Clever."
The energy collapsed on itself before blowing up entirely, out and upwards. However the massive amount of heat from the blast melted away the top part of Aion, forcing Malos to fall out of Aion's core crystal, landing on his back. All of the blades deployed their ether shields to help protect their drivers from any heat and the artifices, one by one, all powered down.
The E.S. Dinah also powered down, landing softly near Aion's melted corpse. KOS-MOS and T-Elos ejected and landed across from Malos, who began standing up.
"Where do you two get your power?" Malos questioned, but he ignored his own question as he continued talking. "That artifice was new, I'll admit. However, none of you can expect to hold your own against an Aegis, can you?"
"We will fight until we are no longer functional," KOS-MOS replied.
"So you know there's no hope?" Malos chuckled out. "Pathetic. Oh, and I should probably inform you that your driver and company are out of commission thanks to your little trick earlier."
KOS-MOS did a quick scan of the area and realized he was correct, Acacia and the others, while unharmed, were knocked unconscious in the energy that came out of the last blast.
"Shall we quit playing with him and become one, KOS-MOS?" T-Elos questioned.
"I'd love nothing more. However it can't work like it did there, instead we will become as driver and blade," KOS-MOS stated in a way that was so human, it was almost unnerving.
"I see, the world of old really doesn't exist anymore. Very well, let's get down to business,"
T-Elos suggested.
https/youtu.be/x4NzSzu9S3o
An ether link formed in between KOS-MOS and T-Elos, a bright orange filled the room as a weapon formed in between them. It was a bo staff with a blade on each end, one side shined in a brilliant light, while the other side was covered in darkness.
"Beholed, the Magdalene," KOS-MOS stated. "We won't have this power for long, but by my calculations it should be more than enough time for now."
"If I had known you two were going to be so entertaining, I would've brought snacks," Malos laughed as he drew his own weapon, his Monado. The blade began radiating it's signature purple glow, a darkness that no one upon seeing it could ever forget.
KOS-MOS started off wielding the Magdalene, holding it at the middle with part of it pointing up and behind her, and the other part pointing down towards her feet.
At a speed few could keep up with, she flew towards Malos, slashing horizontally at him.
Malos grunted as he parried it, letting out a "Monado Armor" to increase his defense.
"Jacob's Ladder," KOS-MOS proclaimed as a large wave of light blasted upwards from the ground, launching Malos into the air.
KOS-MOS threw the weapon upwards, letting it spin upwards in the air as T-Elos launched herself upwards with enough speed to make it look like she was teleporting. She then grabbed the Magdalene and aimed it like a spear.
"Fall from Grace," she uttered as the Magdalene became covered in a black aura of pure dark ether.
She launched the Magdalene into Malos as it impaled him and slammed him into the ground, narrowly missing his core crystal.
Before Malos could recover, KOS-MOS was already on top of him, and without warning, she ripped the Magdalene from his chest as he let out a grunt of pain.
T-Elos closed in as well and Malos gripped his Monado even tighter.
"Monado Cyclone!" he roared as dark ether blew up from underneath him, blowing them both down. He then raised his Monado again as he shouted, "Monado Jail!"
T-Elos, who was playing the role of the blade at the time, found herself unable to attack.
"Don't underestimate me," Malos yelled as he took a slash at KOS-MOS.
KOS-MOS jumped backwards to dodge, tossing the weapon to T-Elos. "If I were underestimating you, we wouldn't be winning," she said simply.
T-Elos, upon grabbing the weapon, took the role of driver and was able to attack again.
"How is that possible?!" Malos questioned.
"Monado Jail shackles a blade, but since either one of us can switch roles at any time, that effect becomes useless the moment we take the role of driver," T-Elos explained.
She then rushed him and they began clashing.
Malos thrusted his sword at her, but she deflected it to the left and then threw the Magdalene directly over his left shoulder. The spin of the throw caused the weapon to slash through Malos' shoulder, and KOS-MOS grabbed the handle, pushing it into his torso through the shoulder. She then slashed it outwards and then spun it around, leaving a gash in Malos' back as he was blown to the ground by the force.
"We don't have long!" T-Elos warned KOS-MOS.
KOS-MOS nodded as she tossed the Magdalene into Malos's neck and through the floor.
She then looked upwards, extending her arms upwards as metal attachments extended out from her upper chest and a ball of blue energy formed above her.
"Absolutely stunning,' T-Elos giggled as she, on the opposite side of Malos, did the same, causing a bright red ball of energy to form above her.
KOS-MOS spoke first, as if… reciting something. "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:..."
Her energy moved forward, directly above Malos.
T-Elos continued. "...he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."
Her energy moved forward as well, combining with KOS-MOS' energy.
Together, they spoke the words, "Baptism of Fire", and the energy forced itself down onto Malos as he was engulfed in the mass of energy.
Acacia had finally woken up to witness this last attack, and once it had cleared, the Magdalene was nowhere to be seen and the ether chain that had connected T-Elos and KOS-MOS was gone as well.
KOS-MOS' right arm transformed itself into her R-Cannon, as she picked up Malos by his neck. He was too weak to fight, but his core crystal was still intact and he could still talk.
She put her cannon directly to his core crystal, readying herself to finish the job.
"Don't suppose I could talk you out of this?" Malos chuckled. "All that power came from the Conduit itself, I wonder what universe gave you that amount of strength."
KOS-MOS said nothing as her R-Cannon charged itself.
"Then you should really know what humans are like," Malos continued. "You have a computer for a brain, kinda like me. How on Alrest have you not come to the same conclusion as me? How can you not understand that humanity will hate you too?"
"The algorithms I have been programmed with do not support the comprehension of illogical human thought," KOS-MOS stated.
With no further warning, KOS-MOS took the shot.
Readability Level: 11-12th Grade
Time Taken: 5 Hours