Chapter 23
So Nah, So Fern
I walked around the snowy wasteland, wondering why I had been abruptly warped there. I thought on my little conversation with Arashi, wondering what would have happened if I had accepted her proposal to help the Ascension Project. Regardless though, I needed to find a way out of Cyber Space in order to stop it and protect the Multiverse and the main way to do so was for me to destroy YHVH as well. I looked up at the sky, noticing the truly endless daytime; as the Flood of Light was able to somehow cross the dimensional barrier and affect Cyber Space, it was paramount that I found out why the Flood was able to cross dimensions.
Approaching a ruined icy temple, I noticed seven people in the distance- a man with long black hair in a ponytail and blue eyes wearing red mechanised gauntlets, a dark short sleeved outer jacket, an orange inner jacket and dark trousers with white markings on the sides; a catgirl with messy white hair and amber eyes wearing a white minidress and an olive overcoat; a woman with long auburn hair tied in a ponytail and red eyes wearing a white and red kimono holding a cross between a staff and a lute; a young man with short blonde hair and green eyes wearing a pair of red goggles on his forehead and a black and blue vest and a pair of black trousers wielding a yellow mechanical backpack that seemed to end in a pair of yellow claws; a woman with tanned skin, raven hair and pink eyes wearing a white half shirt and a red overcoat; a young woman with matching green hair and green eyes wearing a pair of circular glasses and a black shirt and a purple coat; and a woman with long white hair and blue eyes wearing a suit of red and purple armour holding a red katana. I made my way over to them only to get the feeling that I'd somehow encountered them before. Not only that, but I also got the strangest of feelings as if we'd been involved in a big fight and the outcome had been very detrimental to the Ascension Project. Regardless, I steeled myself as I needed to verify whether they were connected to it after all.
As I approached them, the man with long black hair eyed me before turning to face me followed by the other 6 in uncannily perfect unison. "So, the ingrate who foolishly chose to defy us appears before us at last. Phenomenal.", the girl with long white hair said. "Hi, my name's Jack. Who are you?", I asked, wary. "Glad you asked. My name is Matthew.", the man with long black hair in a ponytail. "I am his sister Na'el.", the catgirl said. "My name is Glimmer.", the woman with long auburn hair said. "I am Nikol.", the young man with short blonde hair said. "I am Panacea.", the woman with tanned skin said. "I am Linka.", the woman with green hair and glasses said. "And I am Consul A.", the white-haired girl said. "Wait, Consul?!", I asked in shock. "That is phenomenally correct.", A said. "But what about the Endless Now that Moebius is trying to perpetuate?", I asked. "Oh, that? That was nothing was a cleverly plotted plan that we managed to hijack and twist.", Na'el said. "Wait, you managed to hijack one of Moebius's plans without them noticing? Consider me impressed.", I said.
Suddenly, I then found myself in front of Garreg Mach Monastery again. "Again?!", I said. Walking inside, I then found myself facing a crimson throne far underneath the monastery. Or was it far underneath the monastery? "Seems you've finally met the Founders now. I'm impressed.", Mio said behind me. I turned to face her. "Incidentally, Matthew and Na'el are my and Noah's great-grandchildren. Or so I've been told by them, anyway.", Mio continued, a vacant smile on her face. I then asked, "Mio, what's the deal with the crimson throne here?". "Oh, that's the throne of the Sovereign, housed here in the Holy Tomb until a new Sovereign is crowned. The throne is not something to take lightly- those who sit on it take a solemn oath to rule the Sovereign Empire with all their might and protect it from any who might defile their holy domain. My beloved Noah is looking at becoming a Sovereign himself, but I hear he has competition in Yuito. Regardless, the next Sovereign is expected to protect the realm to the best of their ability.", Mio explained. "You think I would make a good Sovereign, hypothetically speaking?", I asked. At this, Mio grew unusually quiet. "It's just…I don't think you might have what it takes personality wise to rule the Sovereign Empire justly and ethically. You're certainly powerful to be considered a potential Sovereign, just not ", Mio said. "Anyway, what happened while I was fighting the Titans?", I asked. "Well, the Crown Contest is entering its final stages. The people bogged down across Calaglia, Cyslodia, Menancia, Mahag Saar and Ganath Haros are also looking to find a way to coexist with the Sin Eaters so they won't need to die anymore.", Mio replied. "But didn't they inconvenience a world by perpetuating the Flood of Light for a century, though?", I asked. "Well, the people of that world, the First, are ingrates then for attempting to defy the Sin Eaters and trying to destroy them.", Mio said. "Wait, what did you just say?", I asked. Mio's smile then turned sinister as she looked at me, an infinity symbol glowing in her left eye. "Wait, you're a Consul.", I said. "Well lookee here, Mr. Obvious.", Mio said, a crimson aura glowing around her. I then found myself in the lobby of a dark castle. I then noticed Rachel in the distance walking towards me, the vampire putting her arms around me. "Oh, good. Just one second later and I'd be certain that you'd be bound to Cyber Space forever.", Rachel said. "Rachel, I'm having strange visions. I don't what they're of but I wonder why I'm having them.", I said. "Well, that is because of Cyber Space itself.", Rachel said. "Come again?", I asked. "When the Ancients created Cyber Space, it was used as a repository for their memories. Cyber Space itself has no fixed terrain, being based on the user's memories. The reason you've been having visions though is because you're not the actual user.", Rachel explained. "Wait, what do you mean? Wasn't this part of Cyber Space specifically made for me?", I asked. "Well, that is what should have been the case. However, when YHVH trapped you in Cyber Space after turning it into a digital prison, the Chosen and many of their allies and enemies, myself included, entered Cyber Space in an attempt to protect you. This as a result made them the users of Cyber Space instead and not you. But even then, the fact that you, the Sovereign, are experiencing the visions and not the Chosen is very concerning.", Rachel continued. "Wait, I'm the Sovereign?", I asked, shocked. "That's right. Well, you're the Sovereign in the sense that you're the main receptacle for a being known as the Great Astral Spirit with a woman called the Maiden meant to act as the stabiliser for the Spirit Channelling Ceremony.", Rachel explained. "Spirit Channelling Ceremony? What's that?", I asked. "Well, the Spirit Channelling Ceremony is a special ceremony engineered to harness the power of the Great Astral Spirit, a being composed entirely of mana, or astral energy as the people of Dahna know it as. Two people are required for it- the Sovereign and the Maiden.", Rachel explained even further.
Taking a moment to process the information, I then asked, "But how do I even have Sovereign powers to begin with?". "Well, that is because you possess something very rare and very special. You see, most people regardless of where they come from only possess an affinity towards only one type of astral energy- fire, water, earth or air. You however possess an equal affinity towards all four types of astral energy, something that only two people before you ever had- Alphen and the Renan lord Vholran Igniseri. Of course, said equal disposition is very rare indeed which is why the Archangels' attempt of turning you into the Sovereign succeeded and why their attempts to do the same to your friends and family failed.", Rachel said. "Come to think of it, I vaguely remember finding myself in a high tech lab once with angelic beings performing very painful experiments on me. Well, I was very young back then so I don't really remember it all that well.", I said. "Do you know how young you were back then?", Rachel asked. "I don't really know. Besides, haven't I told you enough?", I asked. "OK, so it's a painful memory. It's just that if you are to fulfil your destiny as the Sovereign, you need to confront your past so there are no regrets and no anxieties." I pushed my glasses up, noticing that they were about to fall off my face. After a brief and awkward silence, Rachel then said, "Come with me. There's something I need to show you.". "Well then, lead the way.", I said.
Entering a strange chamber, Rachel then guided me to a strange stone vault. She looked at me, prompting me to touch the vault; I did so, only for the "door" to slide away revealing an utterly beautiful crystalline sphere. It had a blue, purple and green colour scheme with a white glow and looked vaguely winged. "What is this beautiful crystal?", I asked. "This is the Renas Alma, a vital component of the Spirit Channelling Ceremony. The Renas Alma is used to facilitate the Great Astral Spirit's harvesting of astral energy from Dahna; the spirit itself is so dead set on fusing with Dahna that it developed a very strong desire to consume all astral energy in the Multiverse. Of course, I hid the Renas Alma here in Cyber Space in an attempt to try and delay the Spirit Channelling Ceremony as long as I could until I was certain that you had arrived. Of course, summoning the Great Astral Spirit here would be disastrous for Cyber Space…but it could help stop the Endless Now. Food for thought, anyway.", Rachel said. "And why does the Spirit Channelling Ceremony need me specifically? You mentioned that there are two other Sovereigns out there- Alphen and Vholran- so three Sovereigns seems quite excessive as far as I'm concerned.", I asked. "Well, setting aside the fact that I don't know where Vholran is, Alphen seems to be more concerned with perpetuating the Endless Now alongside the other Chosen. To that end, he gave an infusion of his Sovereign powers to various others- Haseo, Lindow Amamiya, Yuito Sumeragi, Ragna the Bloodedge, Diamant of Brodia, Noah of Keves, Dante, Simon Belmont and various others. However, their Sovereign powers are artificial even though I don't know when they'll peter out whilst your Sovereign powers are the genuine article. Alphen himself doesn't seem all that willing to leave Cyber Space alongside the artificial Sovereigns he created; your role is to eject them and stop the Endless Now. I also heard rumours that stopping the Endless Now is also a necessary step in seriously delaying and eventually stopping the Ascension Project so there's that as well.", Rachel said. Perking up at this, I then said, "Alright. I'll stop the Endless Now.", making sure to take the Renas Alma which then turned into data before vanishing. "Incidentally, it's now part of your inventory.", Rachel said.
As I left the castle, I then sensed something very sinister. I saw a strange vision of a dark monstrosity with a purple and crimson body and cyan eyes; though I didn't hear what it was saying, I saw it vaguely mouth a strange phrase to me. Before I could properly respond, it then said something properly audible- "I am the Great Spirit of Rena, the Great Astral Spirit.", before the vision then faded. I walked across the snowy wasteland, now knowing what I had to do.
The story continues in the next chapter.
