Chapter 27

The Ascension Project

Entering Destinea Cathedral, a strong sense of fear came over me. Noticing the dragon statue at the far end of the cathedral, I walked over to it, noticing Noah, Mio, Eunie, Lanz and Sena praying to it in a mad reverence and the statue's eyes glowing with a sinister purple glow. "Please, O Fell Dragon, grant us the strength to destroy YHVH and ascend as Gods so that we may guide the Sovereign Empire to greatness. Please, we beg of you, heed our call.", they said, not noticing me in their fervent mania. I nervously approached them, sensing a very sinister energy in them; it would not be so frivolous to say that the energy itself was coalescing around them and radiating a wicked crimson glow. They then suddenly turned around in unison, noticing me and smiling wickedly in perfect synchronicity. Mio's smile grew wider, then saying, "Finally, you've returned to us. Come. Receive your blessing and holy rebirth.". "Mio, why? Why did you and your five friends here join Moebius? Why?", I asked. "Oh, you'll know in time after you become one of us, love.", Eunie said. "Incidentally, what is the true purpose of the Ascension Project?", I asked. "Oh, that's simple. Not only will it create a world for the Sovereign and Maiden to rule over for eternity, but it will turn the Multiverse into a wasteland for them to subject their absolute rule over. It shall create a beautiful kingdom of the dead for them to rule over for all time.", Noah replied. "Still, will you not join us? If you do so, not even YHVH will be able to oppose you and you will be granted all you desire.", Sena said. "No, I can't. I swore an oath to protect the Multiverse against all who would harm it and if you ask me, turning the Multiverse into a kingdom of the dead sounds like harming it. So no, I refuse. Who would want a world that goes on forever anyway?", I replied. Summoning a katana pulsating with a sinister black and purple darkness, Noah then sighed before saying, "Well, your loss.".

Firing up my Tao mandalas, I prepared for their attack. Noah similarly took a stance himself, ready to attack. After waiting for a short spell, Noah, Mio, Eunie, Taion, Lanz and Sena then rushed at me, with Mio, Eunie, Taion, Lanz and Sena summoning dark and spiky versions of their weapons with a similar pulsating black and purple darkness. As Noah raised his sword, I prepared myself for the blow, deftly dodging his slash before dodging Lanz and Sena's mighty swings in turn. Suddenly, Taion then commanded the origami birds around him to enclose me in a paper cage of sorts; I easily dispelled this with a burst of gravitational control. Mio was the next to attack, deftly and quickly pirouetting in time with her chakrams. As you might expect, Reader, I easily dodged her swings before retaliating with a fireball. The fireball, of course, was destroyed by a shot from Eunie's rifle before she sent out a razor sharp gust of wind. "Wait, how can you do that?", I asked. "How do you mean, love?", Eunie asked. "You're part of Moebius, aren't you?", I asked back. "That I am, love.", Eunie said. "Well, if that's the case, then how can you still use Garuda's power? I thought that if you die, you lose access to the Eikon that you're the Dominant of, but you can still call upon Garuda's power despite being dead. How is that possible?", I asked. "Well, Lord Z can do many wonderful things, love. Join us and he can show you how to keep the power of your Eikon Ifrit as a Moebius.", Eunie said. "But my Eikon's Phoenix, not Ifrit.", I said, sending out a scarlet wing of pressurised fire to counter a second gust of wind that Eunie unleashed. "I guess delusion must be a safe and happy place.", Lanz remarked. "What did you say?", I angrily asked before Eunie then proceeded to crush me with a giant claw. "Damn it!", I growled as Eunie raised me up before happily slamming me down to the cathedral's marble floor.

As I painfully collected myself, Mio cheerfully rushed in for the kill, forming a giant chakram from a sinister crimson and black energy. As I saw the chakram fly towards me, I then heard a strange voice in my head say, "Unleash it. Unleash your Eikon.". As my eyes briefly glowed a yellowish-amber, a pair of scarlet and golden flaming wings burst out from my back before covering me in a radiant pillar of scarlet and golden flames, the heat dissolving the giant chakram Mio sent towards me. "What the spark?!", Lanz cried out in disbelief as I grinned, a collection of orange swords circling me. I then cackled whilst the swords flew out, nearly impaling the six with Lanz only just managing to create a giant hemispherical barrier extending from his greatsword. Upon colliding with the swords, the barrier exploded as the wings from my back disappeared, my eyes returning to normal. "Y-You're so sparking strong! I like it!", Sena said, a sinister grin forming on her face. "Don't think this is over though.", Mio said before the six disappeared in a sinister crimson energy. Now I knew that the Ouroboros and Moebius were collected, I walked over to the dragon statue. As I caressed the statue, I then found myself in a strange throne room with a golden throne and a silver throne overlooking a dark red room. "Wait, is this the other Fodlan I went to?", I asked. "Indeed it is, monster.", Hakumen said behind me. "Not you again.", I groaned. "I still haven't forgiven you from that day we met. Back when we fought in Colony 9; you on the side of the demons and me on the side of the noble Sin Eaters.", Hakumen said. "Incidentally, what is this place?", I asked. "This is Garreg Mach Castle, formerly known as Garreg Mach Monastery. When you were crowned as the Sovereign and Queen Alear was crowned as the Maiden, the two of you then conquered the known world before taking Garreg Mach Monastery and turning it into your profane and unholy castle.", Hakumen said. "But why did you call me Yuuki Terumi when we first fought here?", I asked. "That's for me to know and for you and the fans reading this story to theorise about.", Hakumen said. "Well, that's not cryptic at all.", I said.

I then suddenly found myself back in Destinea Cathedral, the dragon statue's eyes no longer glowing. "Well, that was weird.", I said. Walking to the cathedral's entrance, I then sensed a sinister presence outside. Opening the door and walking into the snow, I then saw a figure with sinister red armour and purple cracks on his face like with Z and X. He also had red eyes and short white hair. Approaching him, I tensed up, ready for anything. Turning to face me, the figure then said, "Well, if it isn't the defect. How is it, being a defectively defective defect?". "You've got some nerve, calling me a defect.", I said. "Incidentally, my name is Y. As you might expect, I am a Consul too.", the man said. "I see.", I said. Suddenly, Y disappeared. Shrugging, I walked through the snowy town, wondering why Ouroboros would want to destroy the Multiverse in an attempt to create a kingdom of the dead; as if to answer my question, I then found myself outside Garreg Mach again. Entering the monastery, I then saw a vision of Marth, Celica, Sigurd, Leif, Roy, Lyn, Eirika, Ike, Micaiah, Lucina, Corrin and Byleth gathered around my unconscious body. Stroking my hair, Corrin said, "Sleep now, young one. We will have to send you into Cyber Space for the time being, but when you return, you shall be able to reclaim your place as the Sovereign.". This vision led to another, this time of Alphen and Seteth arguing about something. "Are you crazy? You know Jack won't agree to such a proposition! Besides, his moral and ethical standards are too high for him to even reluctantly accept.", Seteth said. "You misunderstand, Cichol. Jack needs to succeed me as the Sovereign if the War of the Worlds is ever to end. And to do so, he needs to be cruel, ruthless and tyrannical if YHVH is ever to be defeated. Alongside that, he will need to wipe out the Sin Eaters and destroy the Flood of Light if he is to ever save the Multiverse from the Ascension Project. If Yuito was to succeed me as the Sovereign, I doubt that he would be able to gather the resolve to end the Ascension Project. Besides, if anyone but Jack was to succeed me as the Sovereign anyway, they would likely destroy the Flood of Light but at the cost of turning the Multiverse into a kingdom of the dead that they would subject to their every whim. At least Jack wouldn't do so; I trust him on that.", Alphen said. "But Your Majesty, what if he doesn't want to become the Sovereign after you? What then?", Seteth asked. "Well, we'll make it so he'll have no choice but to ascend after me then.", Alphen said.

This vision led to another- this time of Mio crying over Noah's body. "Why? Why did you have to leave me, my love?", she cried. "I can help you. I can bring him back as one of the Moebius. Well, him, you and your four friends.", Z said whilst strolling in. "You can really do that?", Sena asked. "I can, but it will have to involve you becoming Moebius with him. A life for 5 lives.", Z replied. Looking at Eunie, Z then said, "I can also raise you as Moebius in a way that you in particular will be able to keep your status as Garuda's Dominant, too.". "Wait, you can?", Eunie asked. "Yes, I can. Well then, what do you say?", Z said. After a moment of reflection, Mio then said, "We accept your terms. If it will bring my love back, we accept and submit to your terms.". This vision led to yet another, this time of me looking out the window at the snowy weather whilst Yumi cradled a baby in her arms whilst sitting up in a bed. "He's a lot like you, dear. Strong and resolute, much like his daddy.", Yumi said. "Indeed so, my love.", the other me said. This led to (you guessed it) yet another vision, this time of Bernadetta looking at my unconscious body being placed in a metal pod. "So, how long is he gonna be in there?", Bernadetta asked. "It'll vary. Normally given how advanced the healing pods are here he'd normally be out after a few minutes or so, but given how severe his wounds are, I'd wager he'd be in there for a few days at most.", Cloud said. "Still though, given how badly Eunie injured him by shooting him the chest, I'm surprised he actually isn't dead.", Edelgard said. "Yeah, it is a miracle.", Cloud replied. "Wait, are these memories of what happened before I entered Cyber Space?", I asked. "They are, dear.", Yumi said behind me. "Wait, if you're here, then what about our son?", I asked. "Oh, don't worry. His grandfather is currently looking after him.", Yumi said. "Oh, that's not so bad. But still, I need to find a way to break out of this place so YHVH is dead. Until that, I'm sorry but I can't spend more time with you, my love.", I said. "That's OK, dear. It's not like your friends were up to the task of killing YHVH anyway, leaving things to you.", Yumi said. As she approached me, she lovingly embraced me. Seeing no reason to resist my wife's embrace, I hugged her back and kissed her.

This led to another vision- I found myself in a beautiful temple leading to a mediaeval Gothic castle with Dohalim at the altar overseeing something. I was wearing a black tuxedo with a maroon tie, a white shirt and dark grey trousers whilst Yumi was beside me wearing a beautiful white dress with multicoloured sequins adorning it and a white flower in her hair. "So, Jack Sebastian Arnold, do you take Yumi to be your lawfully wedded wife?", Dohalim asked me. "I do.", I said. "And Yumi, do you take Jack Sebastian Arnold to be your lawfully wedded husband?", Dohalim then asked her. "I do.", she replied. Yumi and I then turned to face each other as I placed a beautiful white ring on her left ring finger; this was followed up by Yumi placing a black ring on my right ring finger. "And now, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you two husband and wife until death does you part.", Dohalim said. The vision then faded to me and Yumi in Garreg Mach's foyer, still hugging gently. "Oh, I just remembered I need to take care of something!", she said. "It's OK. I still need to find a way out of Cyber Space anyway as well.", I said. I smiled weakly as Yumi ran off towards the entrance before turning around.

Heading to Garreg Mach's garden, I saw Naoto and Noel talking about something. "You know, Noel, this Cyber Space place does seem very similar to both the Embryo and the Phantom Field. Of course, that may be because we're trapped in this place with no means of obviously apparent escape.", Naoto said. "Yeah, I see your point. Even still, we need to fulfil the Ascension Project and prepare the world for Yuito and Naomi's reign as the Sovereign and Maiden.", Noel replied. "It's such a shame that Jack ultimately refused to be the Sovereign. I guess that's what imposter syndrome does to you; makes you feel that you don't really deserve your achievements. Still, when Yuito and Naomi finally get crowned, that will be our impetus to activate the Cauldron in Nintentopia and invade.", Naoto said. Before I could clarify what they were talking about, I found myself in Rachel's castle again. "Oh, you've returned.", Rachel said. "Rachel, what are these Cauldrons that Naoto and Noel were talking about?", I asked. A grim expression forming on her face, Rachel said, "I see. So it's time for the Ascension Project's fate to be decided. Jack, the Cauldrons that Naoto and Noel were talking about are gates that can be used to access a realm known as the Boundary and travel across it to other worlds. Few however can survive the trip without significant physical and mental decay; two such people were a squirrel girl I thought had moxie and a samurai called Hakumen, or to some people, Jin Kisaragi.". Rachel explained. "And you believe that there are Cauldrons here in Cyber Space?", I asked. "I wouldn't rule it out, given that Cyber Space draws on its users' memories. So yes, I do believe that Cauldrons exist in Cyber Space. Actually, there's one right here in Cyslodia. Why don't you go there?", Rachel said. "Yeah, I think I'll do that.", I said.

Meanwhile, Z approached Noah, Mio, Eunie, Taion, Lanz and Sena. "Does Jack suspect anything?", Z asked. "I think he might be wont to catch on to the Ascension Project, but I don't think he suspects anything else.", Lanz said. "That's good to know.", Z said. He then approached a large black and dark purple crystal and calmly caressed it, chuckling to himself. "Good. Everything is now falling into place.", Z said.

The story continues in the next chapter.