Chapter 30

In the White Light

As I slashed through the seithr pouring upwards from the gate in the Grave Marker of Bases, I suddenly found myself in a strange white room. The light was unending, infinite and endless; an eternal void of white. I looked around, noticing that the Monado III was nowhere to be seen; rather, I couldn't summon any weapon. Not knowing which direction was which in this white room, I decided to walk in a random direction and hope for the best. I walked through the light, only to hear a strange voice saying, "You have arrived, child of the dark.". Deciding to call out and see if I would get a response, I said, "Hello? Who is this? Where am I?". I predictably received no response. I walked further, only to now receive a strange vision, this time of myself in a strange cathedral not entirely unlike Destinea Cathedral; there, I saw myself and Framme in the distance. Confused, I wondered why she was there with me and not Yumi or even Sophie; the vision faded before I could get an answer. Walking even further, I came face to face with a gigantic black knight wearing a horned helmet and a dark blue cape riding a six-legged horse. Turning to face me, the knight said, "Remember, Jack. Remember who you are. Remember your purpose.", before disappearing.

Thoroughly confused by this, I then found myself in an underground subway system. As I walked through the station, I then caught sight of a girl with long black hair and grey eyes wearing a long blue dress; a young man with blue eyes and messy grey hair wearing a dark grey suit, a black striped tie and a yellow jacket; and a girl with very pale skin, long black hair and red eyes wearing a black bodysuit and a purple poncho over it holding a pair of cleavers. I walked towards them, wondering where I even was. Turning to face me, the man with grey hair then said, "Oh, you're here now.". Deciding to introduce myself, I said, "Hi, my name's Jack. Who are you?". "Glad you asked, Jack. My name is Asahi.", the woman with long black hair and grey eyes said. "I am Hallelujah.", the man with grey hair said. "And I am Toki of the Ring of Gaea.", the girl in the bodysuit said. "Do you know where we are?", I asked. "Oh, that's simple. We're underneath the city of Tokyo in the subway system.", Hallelujah said. "And does this city have a sky of nothing but pure white light over it?", I asked. "What's a sky?", Asahi asked. Taken aback at this, I then asked, "Wait, do you not know what a sky is?", I asked. "Well, there's the Firmament above Tokyo but not a proper sky. If you're really want to know, there is a sky in the place above this city but I don't know if it's made of pure white light.", Hallelujah said. "Anyway, what's it to you?", Toki asked. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm trying to stop a multiversal crisis known as the Ascension Project which if completed will destroy all known worlds in every universe. I don't know if the two are connected of course but I have a hunch that the pure white sky of light is a fundamental piece of the Ascension Project. I fear that if it's also affecting Cyber Space then there's only a matter of time before it crosses into my world too.", I said. "Now I think about it, the sky in the place above Tokyo which we know as the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado did have an uncomfortably bright sky. I don't know if it's related to your sky of pure white light though.", Asahi said. "Well, thank you anyway.", I said. Then, Toki said, "Oh no! I just remembered that we need to get to the Hunters' Association here!". "Well, we'll be going now.", Hallelujah said before the three of them ran off.

As I continued to walk through the underground subway, I then witnessed yet another vision- this time of myself fighting against not only Noah, Mio, Eunie, Taion, Lanz, Sena, Rex, Nia, Zeke, Morag, Shulk, Fiora, Reyn, Dunban, Sharla, Melia, Matthew, Na'el, Nikol, Glimmer and A but also Revali, Daruk, Urbosa, Mipha, Marth, Celica, Sigurd, Leif, Roy, Lyn, Eirika, Ike, Micaiah, Lucina, Corrin and Byleth. I looked upon the significantly larger group only to see a nauseously radiant white and golden glow covering them. The fight itself was also happening in the burning ruins of a floating island in the sky. The vision then changed to another- this time of Framme and me looking at a young baby that Framme was cradling in her arms. "He certainly is a lot like you, my love.", the other me said. "He also has part of you in him too, dear.", Framme said. That vision also changed to another- this time of Shulk, Fiora, Reyn, Dunban, Sharla, Melia, Rex, Nia, Zeke, Morag, Noah, Mio, Eunie, Taion, Lanz, Sena, Matthew, Na'el, Nikol, Glimmer and A surrounded by various people in red armour, Triton and Shania among them. "Now arise, heroes of the Sovereign Empire.", Z said. "Just so we're on the same page, you will find a way to make Jack one of us, won't you?", Mio said to Z. "Of course we will. Soon, you and Noah shall be reunited with your beloved son and you shall be a proper nuclear family again. And don't be alarmed- D and J and looking after Ghondor.", Z replied. "Still though, daughter, to think that you and Noah are in the runnings to become Sovereign and Maiden already. Brings a tear to my eye.", Nia said to Mio. "Indeed it does, Mam.", Mio said. The vision then faded, leaving me utterly confused.

Deciding to get outside the subway to determine whether or not the Flood of Light was actually threatening to consume Cyber Space as well, I walked forwards before finding myself, well, outside of the subway. I looked up to the sky, only to see a crumbling stone ceiling. At the very top, I saw that the sky didn't look exactly as uncomfortably bright as Asahi had described. Then, I had an idea; maybe the Flood of Light was in Cyber Space at all because of everyone else's memories of it. Before I could properly act on this, I then decided to head to the Hunters' Association myself. As I did so, I then had another vision- this time of Ragna and Velvet talking to Noah and Mio. "Well, if it isn't too difficult for you, maybe you could raise Jack as your own son. Just so he still has parents to raise him even if me and Ragna die against YHVH. I know you already have Ghondor to look after, but you could maybe take Jack in too. If you want to anyway.", Velvet said. "And why us specifically?", Noah asked. "Well, given that you're descended from the Motes of Darkness like us, maybe Jack would still be at ease if you were to raise him as your own son alongside Ghondor. If you think you can, anyway.", Ragna said. Noah and Mio then looked at each other briefly before turning to face Ragna and Velvet again, with Mio saying, "Alright. We'll adopt Jack and raise him alongside our own son Ghondor. Well, if you end up dying against YHVH, anyway.". The vision then faded, leaving me even more confused than before.

Finding myself back underground again, I then found myself in front of an underground bar. Entering the place, I saw a middle-aged man wearing a white T-shirt with a black skull design, a pair of yellow trousers, brown shoes, a blue coat, a dark brown hat and a pair of brown sunglasses having a drink with a bald man wearing a khaki military outfit with a hood and an assortment of scars on his face that made it look like it had been stitched back on. I approached the two, clearing my throat to get their attention. "And what we can we do for you?", the man in the khaki military outfit said. "Hi, my name's Jack. Who are you?", I asked. "My name is Fujiwara. I used to be a journalist here in Tokyo before the war.", the man wearing sunglasses said. "And my name (well, my nickname anyway) is Skins.", the man in the khaki military outfit said. After a brief moment of reflection, Fujiwara's face lit up. "Of course! You've finally come!", he said. "Come again?", I asked. "Since you're the Heir to the Monado now, you have a duty to defeat YHVH. At least, that's how things should have been anyway.", Skins said. "Wait, what happened?", I asked. "Well, when you came to this world, the people here including us had a sacred duty to train you, in order for you to defeat YHVH and eventually rule over Nintentopia as the Sovereign. To that end, we made sure that you would encounter Alvis and acquire the Monado III from him whilst also making sure that you received the specific military and political training in order for you to succeed Alphen as the Sovereign. But you seemed very resistant to the plan, even stating that you thought that Yuito would be the better Sovereign. Hell, you even refused to use the sword Dein Nomos to ensure that you would become the Sovereign, Nintentopia's supreme ruler, believing that Yuito would be better off wielding it. Even now, Nintentopia suffers under your refusal to become the Sovereign.", Fujiwara explained.

Taking a moment to understand what Fujiwara was telling me, I then said, "Yeah, I was stupid to refuse. To be honest, I don't know what I was even thinking with my refusal. It just came out.". "So, do you accept Yuito as the Sovereign then?", Skins asked. "No, I don't. To be honest, I think that only I am fit to become the Sovereign. After all, Yuito doesn't even have proper Sovereign powers anyway.", I said. "What?", Fujiwara asked, shocked. "Yeah, I said it. By the way, do you know where my Dein Nomos is?", I asked. "Well, it was last seen in Vigrid- well, the Cyber Space recreation of it anyway. But why? Are you willing to become the Sovereign now?", Fujiwara asked. "Yes, I am.", I said. I turned around, noticing a portal of an eerie off white colour forming behind me. Steeling myself, I entered the portal, noticing that there was no real sense of direction much like the void that brought me to the underground city. Still, I walked forward, anticipating anything. After what seemed like a few seconds, I found myself in this kind of retro mediaeval European town. I looked around, noticing a large coterie of mechanical golden angels- underneath the golden armour of sorts was uncannily pale white skin. Above their heads were magnificent golden halos. As I looked at them, I felt a strange fear came over me, as if the angels were the living definition of eldritch and unnatural. All of a sudden, one of the larger angels turned around and looked at me; I looked at its strangely youthful and childish face, contrasted by the angel's bulk and towering figure, not to mention the golden halberd it was grasping tight. Suddenly, all of the other angels turned to look at me too- some were just faces with wings sprouting off of them, others had more bestial forms wreathed in flame and electricity, others being in the forms of golden buzzsaws and yet others looking like actual ships. "OK, let's-a-go.", I said to myself.

The large angel holding a golden halberd was the first to strike, unleashing a brutal strike of golden energy that followed the arc of its swing. I dodged, retaliating by unleashing a burst of fire. The two bestial angels wreathed in flame and electricity then rushed at me, unleashing brutal claw swipes alongside bursts of fire and lightning that I blocked respectively with bursts of water and air; I then compressed the air I had gathered and fired it as a thin blade of razor sharp wind which cut through the angels easily, causing them to explode into golden halos. "My, my, that was an impressive showing.", a sultry voice said behind me. I turned around to see a woman with long black hair and grey eyes wearing a pair of glasses shaped like butterfly wings alongside a perfectly form fitting black outfit with gold chains, rose like patterns and an opening in the back. Her hair was incidentally styled into a beehive hairdo. She was also wearing white gloves with red palms, black and dark grey high-heeled shoes and a pair of gold cat-shaped earrings. "Hi, my name's Jack. Who are you?", I asked. "Poor thing. I knew you had amnesia from your injuries but I didn't even have a clue that it was this bad. But that's a matter for another time. You may call me Bayonetta or even Cereza if you prefer.", the woman said. "Nice to meet you, Bayonetta. By the way, do you know where the Dein Nomos is?", I asked. "What do you want with that sword anyway?", Bayonetta asked. "Well, I'm searching for the sword to make sure I'm coronated as the Sovereign after Alphen. Also, what were those angels who I fought?", I said. "Those angels are part of the Hierarchy of Laguna, known to common peons as the Angels of Paradiso, led by the creator Jubileus and her four Auditii. And in regard to the sword you're looking for, a bird told me that it is resting at Isla del Sol, the heavy industry sector of Vigrid.", Bayonetta said before mysteriously disappearing. "Well, time to find this Isla del Sol then.", I said to myself.

Walking around Vigrid, I saw two statues- one silver, one gold. Looking at the statues intently, I saw that the gold statue was made in Alphen's image whilst the silver statue was made in Shionne's. Then, I received a strange vision- now I saw Alphen, Shionne, Rinwell, Law, Kisara, Dohalim, Lloyd, Luke, Yuri, Asbel, Haseo, Atoli, Kuhn, Yata, Sakubo, Endrance, Pi, Ovan, Lindow, Sakuya, Soma, Hanabi, Luka, Tsugumi, Gemma, Kasane, Kagero, Kyoka, Shiden and Arashi surrounding Yuito. "So, Yuito, do you swear to rule just and fairly, to take up the sword Dein Nomos not in vengeance but in justice and to stand up and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves?", Alphen asked. "I swear.", Yuito said. The vision then faded as quickly as it appeared, transitioning to another vision of Z in Destinea Cathedral talking to Alfred, Diamant, Ivy and Timerra. "Do you swear to protect and serve the Sovereign eternally?", Z said, "We swear.", Alfred, Diamant, Ivy and Timerra said in unison. This vision led to yet another- now of Yuito and Naomi in a pristine cathedral with many others in attendance. The vision faded too. Breathing heavily, I wondered why the statues showed me those visions in particular, before I realised that I'd found myself on the outskirts of a heavily industrialised city. "So this is Isla del Sol, huh?", I asked. "That is correct.", Rachel said behind me.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Rachel then said, "Are you really sure you want to become the Sovereign? You do indeed possess the necessary trait needed to become one but very few can properly control Dein Nomos's power.". "I am.", I said. "Well, if your mind's made up, I won't stop you.", Rachel said before disappearing through a dark portal. Steeling myself, I walked into the city.

The story continues in the next chapter.