Chapter 110: Obliteration of Antiquity

|Palatial Antiquity|

Ethan stood there, frozen. In his shock, Nihane quickly took Ashi from him, and gently laid her onto the throne, the only seat in the room.

"What is it, boy? Are you unable to recognise your former name?" Nihane said, cackling. "Janus gave you plenty of insight into our family. They showed you those precious days, where my daughter and son played in the gardens. The same children who are before me now."

"I...I am Jahan's descendant?" Ethan began, uncertain. "It's true that I'm connected to him, but there's no way that I can be him. That's just not possible."

"You don't seem so sure of yourself." Nihane said. "You never did. For an ordinary child, that would have been acceptable. But you were due to become my heir. I couldn't defy tradition and make Ashi my successor, despite her superior power, wisdom and courage. For only a male can be titled Nihane Kronos."

"Don't mock me!" Ethan shouted. "I am not your son, Nihane. I am simply your distant descendant!"

"Then why do you look so scared when you stand before me?" Nihane asked, smirking. "Why does being with Ashi make you feel so safe? Why did the idea of resurrecting Amurdad and taking my name appeal to you so?"

"I..." Ethan began, but he did not finish his thought.

Is it really true? Was I once Jahan Kronos, the boy who survived the massacre? Then I share more than just my blood with him. But this Nihane can't be thinking clearly. He's nothing but a phantom who can't give up on vengeance.

"I suppose you found it easier to pretend you were an honourable descendant of a long lost kingdom." Nihane said, smiling. "In truth, the clothes, the sword, and your manner were all emulating myself. Now that you're without Janus, you're without any honour. Simply an insignificant Englishman with one important ancestor."

"New Motus City is my home now." Ethan said. "I don't want that to change."

"You wishy-washy, soft-hearted, incompetent waste!" Nihane snapped. "Your New Motus City is a dystopian nightmare, a horrid, ghastly fabrication that laughably tries to pass itself off as a grand centre of progress. With Janus out of the picture, I'm free to wipe the slate fully clean, and bring my family back together."

"Why must it always come down to this?" Ethan asked. "This isn't right. To go so far to prevent Amurdad from vanishing."

"What a change of heart." Nihane said, snidely. "That's what you vowed for, when you stood over my deathbed. Let me show you!"

|Birmingham, England - Unknown Shack|

Ethan stood outside a dilapidated wooden hut, that was being battered by heavy rain. It was dark, well past midnight, and all he could see was a wet muddy path leading to the dwelling. Without being able to control his movement, he walked further and further towards the hut. While there were plains and a river nearby, the area was rather nondescript. Ethan, to his surprised, pushed the door to this hut open. He hadn't tried to move even once yet - his body was moving by itself, as if guided by another power. Disturbed, he saw a dingy, dank room, with a shoddily made bed. In that bed, was a man only slightly familiar, a shadow of his former self.

Nihane, is that you?

Nihane was indeed lying on that bed, covered in a thin sheet. His face was pale, and his hair had become almost completely grey. Ethan went towards him, and knelt by the bed.

"Boy...it's not going to be much longer, is it? This pain...?"

Ethan shook his head, and grabbed the man's hand.

"I may not be my sister, but I can see it. Your...time is nearly at an end." Ethan suddenly said. His mind seemed to have no control over his lips or voice at all. Nor was anything he said coming from his thoughts.

"...At least I won't die alone." Nihane said, weakly, yet he coughed. "What a miserable end...unable to make a living as a fisherman...and to die of an illness no doctor can cure...? Why did my last year have to be so full of injustice...? I...I want to see her..."

"So do I. I wish I could have said goodbye..." Ethan 'said'. "From today forward...I must be the last member of our family. But I won't shed any more tears. Not with what I plan to do."

"And what do you intend to do...without your father holding your hand?" Nihane asked.

Ethan suddenly felt a flare of anger burn inside of him. He clenched his fists, and looked at the exiled Kronos in the bloodshot, tired eyes.

"I can feel it already...the grief and sorrow of our people. It is sapping the will and heart of those who desecrated our home!" Ethan said. "I won't abandon our people. Somehow, I will return there, and bring justice to our people. I'll have the entire Motus Island go up in flames if I can, father! I will punish anyone who let my sister die!"

Nihane, for a brief second, smiled. Then, he shut his eyes, forever lost to the world. Ethan held his hand one more time, and then everything turned to darkness...

|Outside Castle|

Amara's group, after clearing a path through the Shadow-filled streets, finally reached back to the ethereal palace in the centre of town. To her surprise, she saw all of the others, deeply concerned. While she was relieved to see all of them had returned from their battles, and thus the Ater Vox had finally been put to rest, it seemed their crisis wasn't over.

"What's happening?" Amara asked, running up. No one seemed to be in the mood to celebrate everyone's safe return. She felt a shiver down her spine, as a tense atmosphere filled the area.

"The good news is, we all made it back here safely, but..." Other Serena began.

"When we got here, Ashi got trapped in one of Nihane's weird crystal prisons." Karl said. "And she's in the palace. Ethan went after her."

"Then what are you all doing outside?!" Karen asked. "He'll get himself killed all alone! Let's go in there and help!"

"We can't, dammit." Blaine said, angry. "This stupid door just won't break down. Only Ethan was allowed inside." He rubbed his knuckles, wincing in pain. Amara gasped – they were covered in blood.

"...Why did you even fathom that would work?" Sophie asked, raising her eyebrow. Blaine looked away sheepishly, trying to avoid any awkward stares. This seemed to be what Lucy dubbed 'Blaine Technical Support'. Which wouldn't be so dangerous, if Blaine didn't hit so hard.

"Our Personas can't open it either." Dan said, despondent. "Dammit! We all fought our asses off, again, but now we're stuck out here!"

"I understand how you feel, Dan. I'm not prepared to leave Ethan to the lions, either. But we're going to need another strategy." Kyle said, calmly. He looked at the computer screen built into his wheelchair's right armrest, and started looking through his own synopsis of major battles last year. "Let's see. There was that seal on the museum in Saragel, that was formed via the eight elemental forces. Sera – or Sophie – was able to detect the barrier, and we were able to counter the barrier with our own mastery of the elements."

"Oh yeah...that was when Keisha..." Matthew started, but trailed off. Tara held his hand gently, sadly.

"You've kept good notes on September 18th 2012, Kyle." Sophie said. "Alas, this barrier is of an entirely different composition. It will take more than combining various -dyne level spells to unlock this wall."

"Ugh, this is making my brain hurt." Serena said, sighing. "How can one door be so hard to get through? They couldn't just have installed Shoji?"

"Only in Takanawa, Serena. Even then, Nihane would have found some way to make those block our path." Kazuya said, deep in thought.

"Like I said, we'll need to think this through." Kyle said, patiently looking through his records. He was now looking at December's entries. "Hang on, I've found – wait. That's not going to work."

"What's not going to work?" Roger asked. "Don't leave us hanging, Kyle..."

"The Obliterator. The vehicle that got us inside the Aeternus HQ. If we had something like that, we could break through the palace!" Kyle said. "However, they weren't commissioned until 2005. That poses a big problem, obviously."

"You mean there weren't any prototypes or similar vehicles developed before then?" Tara asked, hopefully.

"Not that early." Other Blaine said. "Looks like our only option is to wait it out."

"But that means Ethan will be all alone in there!" Other Serena said. "He's tough, but he's up against the original Nihane Kronos. We can't just abandon him!"

"Ethan sure likes to do things by himself. Always trying to make up for what he did as Nihane." Matthew said. "But without an Obliterator, I don't know what we can do that will get us inside."

"You know, just because this is technically 2002, reality isn't exactly stable." Dan said. "We're all from 2013. We came from the future, but Matthew didn't suddenly turn into a ten year old. So why can't a big old combat vehicle make its way here too?"

"Are you seriously suggesting that could happen? Wandering around trying to find an Obliterator will only waste valuable time. Ethan's been in there for quite a while already." Alastair said.

"Got any other ideas?" Dan asked.

"Well..." Alastair said, sighing. "It's not that I don't want it to work, considering the circumstances. But you must understand it's a huge risk to take. Where would we even begin to look?"

"Where did we take it after we hijacked it from Aeternus? The depot!" Bianca said.

"You want us to go all the way over there?" Lucy asked, apprehensive. "Not exactly round the block."

"It's our best chance! If we hurry, we can get to Ethan right away!" Bianca said.

"Then we should go." Other Amara said. "We'll all need to power it up, as we did before!"

"Great! Last one there's a Selfish Basalt!" Richard said, immediately running off.

"Whoa, hold up!" Kazuya said, running after him. "Not all of us have athletes for alternate selves! Slow down!"

Amara, managing a small laugh, joined the group. It was a leap of faith, to be sure. But faith had saved the day for them many times in the past. One more, and perhaps they could save Ethan from having to suffer alone.

|Throne Room|

"So that was your last breath." Ethan said, pale.

"Precisely. Jahan finally became a man that day. He knew I could no longer guide him to glory. That virus had turned me into a frail, bedridden waste who could only spout bittersweet memories of a land taken from him. And in delusion, he would yearn for his daughter and his grandson to join him."

"Grandson..." Ethan said. "That baby didn't even live a day..."

"Your nephew, Jahan. You never got to hold him. You wanted to be his best friend, more than anything. Aside from your sister, you had no friends. So much was ripped from us." Nihane said. "Now do you understand? That memory was in your own heart. I just brought it back to the surface. Just like how Janus banished your past memories...until that Egyptian girl interfered."

"Her name is Amara, asshole." Ethan said. She and the others will be here, right? I need to handle myself here until they arrive. Just like last time.

"You came exceedingly close, Jahan. New Motus City was almost wiped out entirely. But you were a fool, my son! You trusted Janus completely. You discarded Sraosha in favour of them! You believed they were part of your own soul! And now Amurdad is forever lost."

"It's been over two hundred years." Ethan said. "Even if I am Jahan...I've changed. I love New Motus City, and every person within it. It's there I met my five wonderful friends at Aeternus."

"Oh, those clowns? Aren't they deceased thanks to you and Janus? I taught you better than that, Jahan. So easily deceived." Nihane said.

"I don't care what you taught me. That was the past!" Ethan said. "The man I am now is who I want to stay as. New Motus City suffered a great deal thanks to me. I have to make things right. I have to guide the city forward. And there are new friends fighting with me. Friends that won't abandon me. That's a lot more appealing than resurrecting Amurdad."

"Then you'll abandon your precious sister? Your father?" Nihane said, angry. "It isn't too late. Janus is no more, but the masses of power left behind are ripe for the taking. With all the time in the world, we can create an eternal paradise, locked away from the passage of time. Amurdad will be left in the height of prosperity, never to be disturbed..."

Ashi was my sister. It was her soul that saved me last year. Not that she would remember that now that she's alive again. I'm sure that she wouldn't want any part of this either. What Nihane is suggesting is to keep the worlds fused like this, with time never moving forward. He intends to rebuild Amurdad on this very spot. To that end, he'll wipe out Amara and the others. I won't let him!

Ethan withdrew his sword, with a heavy heart.

"Sorry, 'Dad'." Ethan said. "History has decided I'll always disappoint you."

|Nova Albion – Motus First Bus Depot|

The building looked much the same as it had last time Amara was here, but without the decade of abandonment, it felt somewhat less foreboding. She shuddered at the memory of the clash on the roads, a battle between them and the Stallion and Rider. A skirmish far more brutal than any motorcycle chase Amara had seen.

"No creepy motorbikes here. Thank god." Other Blaine said.

"I still think Kaneda's bike is cooler than that Stallion..." Serena said, to no one in particular.

"Are Canadian motorcycles particularly awesome or something?" Blaine asked. "Maybe it's time to upgrade."

"No, that's not what I said. Didn't you pay attention when I was talking about the Motus Loves Anime festival?" Serena said, raising her eyebrow.

"Don't let it get to you." Nathan said. "I had to clarify what 'biannual' means to Blaine last week. That was awkward."

"You don't say..." Kyle said, amused.

"Guys, let's try and focus on the 'saving Ethan's loner butt' mission." Lucy said, frustrated.

"Damn, it's so dark in here. Hang on a sec." Shirley said. She took out her flashlight, and looked around, taking the lead.

"Even if we do find this Obliterator..." Aimee asked, turning towards Dan.

"Relax, Aimee. Driving these bad boys is what I do." Dan said, cracking his knuckles. The group continued to wander through the depot, only spotting the general service buses. The only out of the ordinary thing they could see was a poster referring to a karaoke night in Takanawa, apparently one that ended with Dan stuck in an air vent the following morning.

"It's hopeless! There's nothing here we can use!" Lucy said, angrily kicking an empty can of Cielo Mist. It hit something fiercely, the sound echoing throughout the building. "Huh?"

Amara looked up, and gasped. Standing there was a state of the art Obliterator, without a scratch. It was as if it had never speeded through the city, being chased by the Stallion and Rider.

"Alright!" Other Blaine said, pulling Lucy in for a kiss. "I knew I could count on you!"

"What? But I didn't do anything, I just -"

"It's time to save Ethan!" Amara said, rubbing her hands together. "You all remember how this thing works, right?" The group nodded. "Then let's get inside!"

"I call the window seat!" Richard cheered.

"Richard..." Alastair said, sighing.

"Okay, Boss, you take it." Richard said.

"We took out the Trauma Shadows, Janus, the Nullity Masquerade, the Ater Vox and all their ghostly comrades." Aimee said. "Now it's time to finish off the only enemy left standing. Let's GO!"

"YEAH!"

With that, everyone scrambled on, and Dan took hold of the wheel. In seconds, the Obliterator was steered out of the depot, through the empty streets – heading straight for the palace.

|Palace|

Ethan was already feeling the burn of this fierce battle. With one Peerless Ascent, his ancestor's father had strengthened himself considerably. Now he realised just how much he had taken Janus for granted when they acted as his two Personae. He only had one now, Sraosha, so he had to make it count. Yet feeling the heat of Dragon's Heartbeat, he wasn't so sure.

"Surrender! You've no other choice!"

"Like hell!" Ethan shouted. "Evanescence!"

Sraosha quickly distorted the power boost, diminishing it entirely. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief – alas, there was no time to relax. The male Janus somersaulted through the air, and hit Ethan violently with his Vermilion Edge, the weapon leaving a red arc.

"Thought it would be that simple? The true Janus may be vanquished, but I shall follow on in their footsteps! Dead Sea!"

The entire area changed again, to what appeared to be a boat being knocked back and forth by waves in a the middle of a huge storm at sea. The water was dark and murky, and the rain was torrential. Suddenly, the waves grew in intensity, and smashed into Ethan, breaking apart the boat and flooding everything that remained.

"Ugh..." Ethan said. "It must have been hard for Amara to cope with all of these attacks...Sraosha, please, carry me through this! Voyeykov!"

A gigantic sheet of heavy ice was soon dropped upon Nihane, leaving a cold mist around the throne. Undaunted, however, the Amurdad leader began his next move. He rushed at Ethan, their swords clashing.

My swordplay isn't quite as masterful as it felt when I had Janus guiding me. Am I really at such a disadvantage? Even so, I'm the only one left.

"You're only strong when riding Janus' coattails, aren't you?" Nihane asked, as he slashed through Ethan's guard. Grimacing, Ethan did his best to counter, but he could not match the severe force of his foe's sword.

"That's not true!" Ethan said. "I'm not like that anymore. I won't depend on my friends from Aeternus, or my new friends, or even my sister. We will work as one!"

"So now you're resorting to foolish sentiments. No battle can be won with mere sophistry!" Nihane said. "Face your end!"

Ethan gasped – without warning, he was faced with the Shimmering Wasteland, the same he had trapped Amara inside. It's sheer cold was unbearable, but he had no choice but to brave it. Yet, it soon changed to a thunderstorm, cause by the gigantic Cloud of Doom.

Crashing to the floor from the impact, Nihane gasped, unable to believe his foe's power. He looked behind, but Ashi was still unconscious. The commotion of battle had yet to awaken her. Yet looking at her sparked a feeling he remembered, but not from his current existence. Rather, a strong bond between brother and sister.

"Garudyne!"

Sraosha's wind blasted Nihane into the east wall, allowing Ethan to strike with his sword as brutally as possible.

"Do you really think this...ugh...will be enough?!" Nihane shouted.

"I will overcome you!" Ethan said. "For once, I'll surpass my – huh?!"

This feeling...a desire to surpass this man...so, this is what it means to want to fight your own father...

"That's it...when you were a boy, you fantasised becoming stronger than me. So that people would see you more than a weak, childish prince!" Nihane said, smirking. He struck Ethan down, and the replicas of Janus emerged again. The female version let out a Pulse of Life, healing her master incredibly. Ethan grimaced – him winning this fight was already uncertain. Now, victory seemed even further away.

Somewhat fittingly, he was sent up the Sinking Mountain, a disastrous rockfall that pierced Ethan's already wounded body. Groaning, Ethan struggled to regain his footing. The time had come for aid – he could not count on Ashi for this, not now. He had to make good on his words.

"Aeon!"

Sraosha faithfully appeared, and seeing his master's pained expression, he pointed his sword – at Ethan. A beam of healing orange light was fired, restoring much of Ethan's vitality. Invigorated, Ethan leapt up, and clashed blades furiously with Nihane, sparks flying everywhere.

"...Brother...?"

Ashi had awakened, only to witness her father in a furious battle with her brother. Ethan gasped – this wasn't a battle he had wanted her to see. In fact, none of tonight he had wanted her to be involved with. Yet here she was...and there was no escaping this confrontation.

"Stay back, Ashi!" Nihane said. "Your brother is a traitor, a fool! We don't need him in our new Amurdad. He failed to follow in my footsteps, and he can never surpass his father. I shall end this here and now! Broken Soul!"

The fake Janus struck Ethan, but to his surprise, there was no pain. Yet something had definitely changed in the atmosphere around him. And he knew he was in trouble.

"Tch..." Ethan said.

"What are you both doing?!" Ashi screamed. "We're all family! You two should never have to fight! Not like this!" She burst into tears. "Please, stop!"

"It's...too late." Ethan said. "Your – our father won't give up on his dream. I should know. I once had that exact same dream. There's only one way to stop him now."

"No! You can't -"

"Sraosha!"

The blinding flash of Claíomh Solaisengulfed the room with light, causing Ashi to yell in fright. Ethan did not turn back. He had to finish off his father, in order to allow both realities to flow normally again. The past was in the past. Perhaps the Jahan Kronos of years gone by would have given up everything to allow Janus to erase the planet and create an eternal Inanis. Yet Ethan now had different goals. To allow everyone else to lead full lives, in this precious city.

I have to win...I have to win! I mustn't allow any notalgia get in the way!

Nihane chuckled, despite his injuries. "You've quite hard to eliminate, my son. I see now that you'll never fully regress to being my Jahan. How stubborn...and foolhardy. The echoes of Janus that I command will see to your end once and for all."

"Father, stop!" Ashi demanded.

"It's too late! Rapture!"

The two false Janus combined, and supreme power, enough to be heard pulsating from afar, came crashing down from the sky, in the form of a light purple pillar of light. This was Rapture, and true to it's name, it was incredible in power. Ethan collapsed, unable to move at all.

"Jahan!" Ashi screamed.

"It's over, it seems..." Nihane said. Ethan couldn't even speak, the pain was so intense. He tried to look up, as Nihane slowly walked over to him. But Ethan couldn't even focus...this was his last breath, it seemed.

I'm sorry, everyone. You're all fighting so hard to get here, aren't you? It looks like you'll have to finish the job without me. I know you can do it. Please, don't leave Ashi all alone...

"Goodbye, my son."

"NO, FATHER!"

Ethan gasped. Nihane's sword had failed to strike him. Instead, Ashi stood in front of him, faring the full brunt of the blade.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Nihane shouted.

"How could you?!" Ashi screamed. Tears ran down her face. "Jahan is my brother! You mustn't hurt him!"

"Your brother...don't make me laugh!"

Nihane pushed Ashi aside, while Ethan looked on in fear.

"Father! You can't do this!"

"Why not? He is no longer Jahan! Just a descendant, who cannot bear to be part of our family..." Nihane said. "Why do we need a false reincarnation?"

"He is no false reincarnation, father. He is the true reincarnation of Jahan! And I won't let you take him away from me! Not after all these years!" Ashi screamed. "Mithra!"

Ethan was lifted up by the warm embrace of Ashi's Persona. Ataraxia, a true healing wish, imbued him. Amazed, Ethan looked at Ashi in awe.

"Ashi..."

"There really is no way but to stop our father, right?" Ashi said. "Then please aid me..."

"I will...Prism Apex!"

Sraosha's fierce light took Nihane completely off guard, causing him to flip through the air and crashing onto the ground. Panting for breath, Ethan glanced back at Ashi, who nodded.

"Once this is over, you and I have much to talk about." She said, sternly.

"I know." Ethan said. "But we have to win this. So we can see everyone alive again."

"Absolutely." Ashi said. Resolutely, she took her own blade, and darted at her father. If she had any doubt, it wasn't dulling the edge of her sword. Yet Nihane reacted quickly, parrying her attack.

"To be betrayed by both my children. Disgusting." Nihane said, grimly.

Ethan sighed, looking away. For much of his childhood, he had wondered what had happened to his true parents. At this stage, he knew he would most likely never know. But he had dreamed of meeting them, and making them proud of how clever he was. Yet the man who had been his father before was right in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could make you give up on this schemes." Ethan said. "The more we go after this dream of a new Amurdad, the more of ourselves we'll lose. I let Janus become my Persona...and Sraosha almost disappeared entirely."

"Your so-called true Persona is far weaker than anything Janus can do. It would have been wise to push it out of your mind." Nihane said.

"No, father." Ashi said. "The Janus I've heard of will simply use you as a tool. My brother was lucky to escape!"

"I've heard enough!" Nihane yelled. "Scarlet Crusade!"

Male Janus held his scythe in both hands, and the blade became bright red. The land beneath the ground became the same bloody colour, as the scythe suddenly flashed through Ashi and Ethan. The pain was delayed by several seconds, but when it hit, it hit hard.

"Air of Retribution!"

The atmosphere changed again, to a barren plain being ravaged by tornadoes. Dead trees lay everywhere. Suddenly, all of the tornadoes combined into one tremendous twister, engulfing Ethan and sending him high in the sky, only to bring him down as the storm subsided.

"So, this is how it has to be...?" Ethan said, painfully. He swung his sword out in frustration. "I'll just have to carve wounds that won't heal into that stubborn flesh of yours! DIE!"

Ashi gasped, as Ethan and Nihane traded furious sword swings – each sound echoed throughout the Farawell area, albeit no one seemed to be around to hear it. Ethan was no longer battling along, he knew, but even with an ally, he was struggling to compare to this foe.

"You scumbag! I wasted so much time in trying to make you a true Kronos!" Nihane said. "And for what? For you to end up in some orphanage! Then you get involved in some 'internet' company. What glory is there in being a low level worker? Janus handed you glory and honour. You threw it away!"

"I don't need to be judged by you!" Ethan said. "Not anymore! I...I remember how I used to feel. I was never good enough for you. You never let me be myself. I'd rather die than turn out like you! Kifuka!"

Once more, Sraosha brought down a mighty thunder storm, comprised of 158 lightning bolts. Each one electrocuted Nihane, illuminating the throne room with the brilliance of the Persona's storm.

"I'll support you!" Ashi cheered. "Full Force!"

A grand trio of energy walls appeared around the two, pulsating like a Mexican wave. Their combined energy powered the two of them immensely, in strength, endurance, and agility. As this pulse subsided, Ethan himself felt a grand power rising in his mind.

"A pretty flash of lights won't do you any good." Nihane said, bemused. "It took a group of over twenty to finally topple Janus. What makes you think you can pull it off with just two! Behold!"

An orb of pearly light, and an orb of onyx darkness flew from the two halves of Janus. They circles a wary Ashi, until they flew into each other. In a fantastic display of light and dark, the explosion sent Ashi flying. Yet she landed on her feet, and rushed at her father. She struck him right across the face.

"Ashi!" Ethan said.

"We can win this!" Ashi proclaimed. Mithra emerged, undaunted by the phantoms of the two faced god in front of her. "Go! Diamond Light!"

A tetrad of diamonds appeared around Nihane, each one radiating an azure and rose glow. A sequence of gems began hitting the wraith king of Amurdad, gaining in speed with each hit. This lasted for quite some time, until they detonated in a combined explosion of omnipotent luminance.

"He...hehe...Think you've won, do you?" Nihane said, laughing faintly. "Always overconfident, my daughter. No wonder my son had so little self-esteem – you inherited all of the courage."

"My brother has plenty of his own." Ashi said.

Ethan nodded. He instantly summoned Sraosha, who flew straight at Nihane, setting him aflame with Agidyne. The boost given to him by his sister surged through the flames, and the smoke billowed out into the streets outside.

"Surrender." Ethan said, the tip of his sword pointed at his father's neck. "Your dream is over."

"...I do not take orders from children." Nihane said, darkly laughing. "My soul is not a puppet of Janus, like yours was. I can freely bend the power of the Trauma Shadows to my will. I should thank you...you destroyed it, allowing me to claim its remnants for myself!"

"How can you be so certain you still have your own will?" Ashi asked.

"I know my own soul clearly, Ashi! When your mother died...I learned what grief truly felt like. And when you were slain, I felt true, seething anger. Do you know what it feels like?! To hate an entire populace, but having no chance of revenge? I died with that fiery rage still in my heart...and it has never gone out."

"Father, we have to put a stop to this. We won't let you raze New Motus City." Ethan said.

Nihane burst out laughing. The two selves of the faux Janus spiralled around him, and as they held hands, his eyes lit up with the rage that had haunted him to the grave. Yet outside this battle-scarred room, another force was about to make its grand appearance.

|Outside Palace|

Amara was quiet, as were the others. They had only one shot at this, and they couldn't mess up now. Even without a demonic motorcycle chasing them, the pressure was on. The palace door was just up ahead.

"Alrighty, everybody! Listen up!" Dan's voice boomed. "Sync up with your PSI. We need to fully charge this thing up. We gotta break that damn gate down, even if we total this thing!"

"What if this affects the past?" Priscilla asked. "If we destroy this vehicle now, we may prevent ourselves from reaching the Aeternus HQ!"

"We don't have any other option." Kazuya said. "All we can do is hope that this won't affect anything that happened before."

"Kazuya's right. We must do this, for Ethan." Bianca said.

Everyone nodded, and Amara and the others activated the PSI as they had done before. With all their Personae linked to the Obliterator, she could feel everyone's combined strength flowing through the vehicle.

"Hell yeah!" Dan said, his fingers getting tingly while holding the wheel. "Here. We. Go!"

The Obliterator roared forward. The sheer velocity was enough to burn tracks through the ground. Amara braced herself, but the sheer force from hitting the door shook everyone up and down. She screamed, but held on tight.

Despite the massive force crashing into it, the door managed to hold, but it was definitely creaking and cracking from the impact. Looking out the side of her window, she saw the entire front wall of the palace slowly breaking to pieces, and the windows shattering.

Then, there was a monumental flash, and the Obliterator started moving forward again. Amara could hear a deafening explosion, the sound of walls collapsing. Where the front of the palace had once been, there was a massive gaping hole, surrounded by debris. Residual energy from the barrier was dissipating, and the debris disintegrated.

We did it! We're through!

The group hurriedly disembarked into the ruined foyer. As soon as every single person was off, however, the Obliterator completely vanished.

"Huh? Where'd it go?" Alastair asked.

"It came from further in time. It must have gone back to where it was needed next." Sophie said.

"...What?" Blaine asked.

"You couldn't follow that?" Priscilla asked, happily.

"This is the same guy who thought

"Doesn't really matter. We're all inside." Karl said, smiling.

"Yeah, so let's hurry up and find that Ethan kid!" Dan said.

"That Nihane doesn't stand a chance now!" Other Serena cheered. "C'mon, you know where that throne room is! No Boss Key needed here! Let's move!"

The group advanced up the stairs, approaching the sounds of what appeared to be a tremendous confrontation. From the sounds of things, Ethan was still fighting, his heart still beating.

Hang in there for just a moment, Ethan. We'll take down Nihane!

|Palace – Throne Room|

Nihane's next assault was interrupted, by what sounded like a giant earthquake. The entire palace was shaken, right down to its foundations. Ethan and Ashi held onto each other, trying their hardest to protect each other from this sudden onslaught.

"What was that?" Nihane shouted. "Is this your work?"

"Let's just say I have backup." Ethan said, arms crossed, smug.

"That's right." Ashi said, back to back with her brother. "Your barricade became like a garden fence."

"You arrogant pests!" Nihane scolded. "You will die before any fools come to your rescue!"

Ethan, relieved, countered his father's blade. Now, he felt his skill with the blade soar, and he let loose with his own deadly attacks. Ashi, staying further back, kept up her healing work. It was just as she cast another Ataraxias when Amara barged in, her allies right behind her.

Looks like I'm just in time. This place looks like a bomb's hit it already.

"What?!" Nihane said, distracted by the mass intrusion.

"Hey old Nihane! How you been?" Richard said. "Trapping us in those red thingies was a dick move. So we thought busting up your home would make us even."

"Impudent wastrel. How dare you ruin my palace!"

"That's no way to talk to your guests!" Amara said, angry. "We're taking over this palace!"

"Amara!" Ethan said, surprised. "I'm so glad you came!"

"It's over, Nihane! You'll never succeed!" Nathan said, adamantly.

"Go back to history where you belong!" Serena said.

"Yeah. Take a hike, old geez." Blaine said, smirking.

"I didn't anticipate you'd be so persistent in fighting." Nihane said, rolling his eyes. "You've constantly stood in the way of Amurdad, all of you! All so you can keep your convenient lives."

Amara glared at Nihane, but when she saw his Persona, she shuddered. Janus, it seemed, had returned.

"How? We killed Janus!" she said, astonished.

"We didn't exactly 'kill' Janus. But it shouldn't have returned, not after only this many months!" Sophie said.

"It's not the actual Janus." Ethan said, weary. "It's a mimicry, nothing more."

"Yet its power is still so immense." Ashi said.

"A wise observation, my child." Nihane said, cackling. "You all defeated Janus once before, but miracles such as those don't happen twice. The heart of the Nullity Masquerade has been consumed by me now! So you won't be conquering this version of Janus!"

"Can you not just stop selling yourself out to creepy Shadows and get a hobby?" Richard asked. "You know, like whisky tasting?"

"Idiot! Why must you joke at every opportunity?" Nihane asked, frustrated.

"You're insane..." Aimee said, sickened. "Absolutely insane! You've caused us enough grief for tonight!"

"And your forefathers scorched my home, my family...my life!" Nihane said, voice deep with mandess. "If I were to forgive such a sin, why...my people would curse me forever. I must appease their grief, and mine, here and now!"

Millions of small clusters of energy gathered around Janus, and they began to collide. Eventually, the sheer power from the collisions resulted in an ominous, pulsating and gigantic monochrome sphere. It was a grim planet, where the ocean was pure white, but the landmasses were pitch black.

The globe suddenly began to flash rapidly, and the ebony continents started to form a swirled mess with the ivory seas. Both halves of Janus rammed their weapons into it with their utmost strength, giving it a foreboding red aura. The planet descended into the ground, and all seemed to be breaking apart around Ethan and Ashi.

"NO!" Amara yelled. "We've got to stop this!"

"I...I can't...do this!" Ethan groaned.

"No! I won't let you give up now!" Ashi shouted, despite the pain. She grabbed his hand, and summoned Mithra. "You know what you have to do!"

"I..." Ethan said. He looked over to his worried allies, then to Nihane, who was concentrating the deadly Equinox. "Yes! I do!"

Sraosha appeared, and span his blade in a perfect circle, creating a glyph of blue light that shimmered brightly. Mithra in turn did the same with her staff, resulting in a red circle. They seemed to shine in perfect sync, and soon enough began to overlap with one another, resulting in a tremendous flash of light.

"What?!" Nihane shouted.

"Now!" Ethan said.

"It's time!" Ashi said.

The circles began to spin in opposite directions, and let loose tremendous volleys of energy beams. They collided with the planet of Equinox, slowly beginning to cut a path of destruction through the continents. Nihane, strained, tried to continue the advance of Equinox. Undeterred, the planet's energy began to grow, and the beams from Ashi and Ethan were having little affect.

"No!" Ethan said. "Ashi, we must do something..."

"I'm trying...but Mithra can't conjure any more strength!" Ashi said. "...My limit is here! I'm so sorry, Ethan..."

Suddenly, there was a strange vibration in the air. A faint humanoid shape was in the middle of Sraosha and Mithra. Amara, confused, looked carefully. Then she gasped – it couldn't possibly be him. Or could it?

Ethan and Ashi were just as bewildered as she was. Yet this barely visible Persona was conjuring a third circle, a purple one. It transposed itself over the blue and red ones. They began to merge together, each one briefly shining through the other two for a second, until all of them were completely blended into one emblem of transcendental power.

"There's someone helping us?" Ashi said, in awe.

"I...I think it's him!" Ethan said, stunned. "I don't know how, but..."

"Whoever 'him' is...thank you!" Ashi said. "Let us finish this!"

"Right! We'll finally be able to let father rest." Ethan said. "This tragedy ends now!"

The combined emblem of energy started to shine brightly, gathering energy from the area around it. Sraosha, Mithra and the third Persona flew towards it, preparing to strike it with their weapons. This was to be a true revelation, the almighty judges coming to ascertain how worthy their foe Nihane was.

"Excelion Apocalypse!"

In that moment, the final Persona fully revealed itself, for just a moment. Rashnu was with Sraosha and Mithra, watching as their combined strength launched not just one ray of light, but a tremendous beam of omnipotence – one that blew straight through Equinox, and actually absorbed its energy entirely. Their verdict was guilty - the sentence, a true demise to Nihane Kronos. His crime, bringing utter chaos to this world, all in the name of justice for his fallen people.

"No, this can't be -"

The supreme energy hit Nihane and the throne of Amurdad – reverberating throughout the entire city, shattering the walls and ceiling around them. No one dared to move with the chaos unfolding. To be able to conjure this level of force was amazing. Amara couldn't believe what she had just seen.

Once again, Zao Yuria had come to the rescue. Why had he chosen to help Ashi and Ethan, Amara wanted to know.