Fictions Mentioned:

Episode 32

OP Insert Song:

The Terminator Soundtrack - Burning In The Third Degree

Start:

Shidou Itsuka's Thought Pattern #1:

...Now, where do I start? I guess I can start with the reason why any of this is even happening. But then...how does one describe the history of a war when nobody was really sure how it even started? How can you tell the history of a war in which every action has happened, then not happened at all, then happened again, then happened again but at a different time entirely? A war that neither side has survived, yet both sides have survived.

If this confuses you, Mana, Mayuri, Ren, Rinne, Rio, Okaa-san, then I wouldn't blame you.

But this is what most people, myself included, refer to this conflict as...

The Last Great Time War.

Erupting through every time and no time and left the entire Multiverse in an infinite state of temporal flux. The most brutal and all-consuming conflict ever to blight All Creation. Everything was boiling out of control, raging through every universe and every multiverse, causing collateral damage to entire species and destroying whole epochs of time. Entire histories were rent apart and remade as battles raged, vast fleets from many higher races engaging in an all-out conflict - calling them gods would be an understatement. Agents, friend or foe, infiltrating and rewriting key moments in the timelines of both.

And where was I in all of that bloodbath...

Standing in the ruins of the innocent, feeling the shattering clutter of their bones as I walk through the poisonous trenches.

In every battlefield, there's always one form of hell. Not all of them were the same. Some are bad, others are worse, and then there's just somewhere...I can't say, not with Rio here. And I always carry them with me, even when I lost these memories once upon a time for over thirteen years. You could not forget the gut instinct, the honed sensibility, the desire to survive and fight crawling off of your soul.

When everything is stripped from you, survival was the only thing that kept me going. I don't know why. Maybe it's because...I really had nothing left to lose. There was no peace in the afterlife, or afterlives in this case, because the souls of the dead, past, present, and future were forced or dragged out from their rest. You can't unplug your ears as you hear them scream in agony.

All that time...All I did was ran...Ran...

EXTERMINATE!

...And never looked back.

Part 1 - Subtle Thoughts Amidst the Operation

Flashback

Ever wondered what it was like to dream? Dream of days that had already gone ahead? Dreams of being in the comfort of an embrace of a loved one? Dreams of a woman and a daughter that you missed more than anything else in the world? Dreams of remembering the happy and fun times when all you ever cared about was every single waking moment where you got to spend time with your family?

Sergeant Shidou Itsuka did. But those dreams were unfortunately a rarity. He could never sleep in most of the nights that follow like a breeze, if at all. Would the concept of time, of days and of nights, even matter when one is fighting in a literal hell war where time itself is either your friend or your foe? Shidou couldn't be sure at this point. All he knew right now was that he was resting after dragging his legs through many grueling hours. The rotten smell of corpses and feces was just spread out. Even when you try to sleep, you can't really escape the stench of death that plagues everywhere...and everywhen...

"...Sarge."

"...!"

As he awoke, he could hear explosive tremors ringing within his ears. His amber-brown eyes would turn sharp. He felt his body ache as it shook with attention. And in the midst of the screeching noise that never went away...EXTERMINATE...EXTERMINATE...EXTERMINATE...like a broken recorder, the one soft voice that stirred up his protective instincts, the sound of a voice that held a sense of nostalgia and a sober kind of innocence, but it was also one tempered with experience and a grave distress and unsettlement that demanded his full attention. He looked upward as his eyes fell upon the face of a very young woman, probably between fourteen and fifteen years of age, at least based on appearance.

As if age mattered in this War...

A bitter thought crossed his mind.

Age never really mattered in this war. Children or adults, even infants or those who were never even born yet are involved. Age is merely a number in the throes of the long-awaited casualty list. Shidou should know since he usually checks the lists himself, and what's even more of a problem is that the list keeps changing names. That's what happens when one is fighting in a time war. One death means life. Another life means death.

Wearing a modified outfit consisting of a red jacket and a pair of grey pants, with the familiar red helix symbol seen on both sides of her jacket. There was a shovel that she carried behind her back, a token of her past. Her hair was long brown messier hair, distinctive green eyes that could penetrate into one's soul, and a fragile body that would make one such as Shidou concerned.

Ai Astin - Codename: Memoriam.

He can feel her hands, gentle and caring as always, prodding him to wake up. Shidou sighed heavily. His eyes would look around and see the vast tunnel-like complex that they both find themselves in. The stench was foul, something that Shidou had gotten used to already. He's smelled fouler in various places. At times, Shidou would have liked a warm shower to breeze his day. However, that luxury among others would not be possible. His eyes would turn a little, seeing a grey armored soldier with a skirt-like grey kama (flexible leather armor accoutrement worn from the belt) that made him a camouflage and adapter of the surrounding area. His helmet was a T-shaped grey visor with a Y-shaped downward mouth, and his grey hand gloves was carrying a modified MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System, with air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed, fully automatic bullpup rifles that fire standard and esoteric ammunition. There were two holsters on his waist where his DC-17S Staser Pistols were located. There were also some black lines and markings from several parts of his body. A two-fold black line was seen from the top of his helmet and upper chest that leads down to his lower waist, the same as his back.

Shidou recognizes the soldier as a 667th Ranger Regiment Clone Trooper, Captain Rizer. He had been accompanying Shidou for quite a while on several missions and had covered each other's back ever since.

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

Shidou twitches a bit in irritation, thinking that here he thought he heard the last of that grating sound.

"...And here I thought I heard the last of that stupid sound," Shidou noted with a sigh.

"Sorry to wake you up, sir, but the metal bastards have come back in full force. There's heavily concentrated firepower detected throughout the southwestern direction where the fighting has intensified, but the Mechanoids are holding the dome bastards down for as long as they can," Captain Rizer reported.

"I'm really sorry, Sarge, but we really need to go, it's just not safe here any longer," Ai responded with her own worried tone.

Shidou smiled a little at Ai, gently patting her on the head. "...Alright, don't worry, I understand."

Of course, he knew that his sleep was temporary at best. It didn't even feel like a few minutes had passed before Ai managed to woke him up. And then, Shidou recalls a specific mission that connects with what he, Ai, and Captain Rizer had been doing in their current location. The debriefing talked about a remote planet, whose actual name is no longer known, as the actual name of the planet had been erased from history. For the three, this was a stealth and reconnaissance mission, combined with a demolition job. And it was just the three of them. The rest of Shidou's squad where at other fronts with their own missions that Azazel sent them.

Releasing a sigh, Shidou stands up, with Ai helping him up by holding on to the side of his arm. Shidou would begin to get a hold of the DX-20 Assault Rifle that he placed near his side and press the levering part that would make it ready to fire, putting the safety off. It was a gas-operated, magazine-fed, automatic assault rifle designed to execute close-quarters combat with lethal efficiency, regardless of hostile counter-op, environmental conditions, or duration of use in the field. Infinite ammo, no need for reloading. Reloading tends to cost you mere seconds of your life in a war where all seconds can or need to count.

"Well then," Shidou held his rifle steady. "We better keep moving then. I'd rather not be cornered by those octopus freaks in my sleep." By "octopus freaks", he meant the Daleks, and everyone could not help but agree. Every second they stay here increases the sense of danger that they can all feel in their bones.

"Right," Ai nodded, drawing out her own handgun staser, the DX-2.4, state-of-the-art, firing without needing to worry about battery charges.

And thus, they kept moving. Their boots echoed through the rocky ruins of the cave-like structure as their ears heard the battle cries of various drones and war machines that littered throughout the once night skies that all sparked like fireworks without end. Bursts of bluish white colors were seen from all directions. Their allies, the Mechanoids, large spherical robots, did the heavy lifting as the three avoided the direct firepower of the enemy.

As they came out of the cave, they beheld the ruins of a once populated city, whose beautiful ivory towers were now broken down. Everywhere, there were these constants that spoke from their eyes. The Daleks and the Mechanoids fought against each other, and skeletal corpses were littered no matter where they go. Now they climb and hop down the trenches and debris, trying their best to stay out of sight from the search lights of the Daleks that flew in the skies or hover on the ground. Darkness was felt through the air, the miasma of corpses and leftovers were wrinkling through their noses. Shidou's rest felt worthless as his eyes fell upon alien corpses, skeletal remains of what used to be beings vibrant with life, humanoid shape by nature.

This planet, Shidou recalled grimly, was once inhabited. A more generally peaceful world so very similar to Earth. In fact, it was so similar that a human may think that they were back home. Same general problems, same life goals, same busy life, same dreams, all of that and more. The alien inhabitants here also have their own controversies, their own issues, their own religious beliefs, their own subjects of inquiry and debate. In a word, the aliens were so much like humans, down to similar anatomy. Now, all that was left were rotten corpses. About 13.2 billion people were wiped off from the face of this planet. The Daleks, when they came to this planet, automatically scorched the it clean and dry in order to make use of it.

But...

"Uggggggaaaaaahhh..."

...That did not mean that the dead stay dead.

Shidou would raise his left hand, signaling Ai and Captain Rizer to stop a little. Shidou glances from the side of the broken wall and sees two ghostly figures. They were the same alien inhabitants, but dead wandering spirits that haunt the land. They were also not the benevolent kind. Their feet were hovering on the ground. Their eyes, once bright with life, were yellow and lifeless, and their floating corpses, as pure as white, were ghastly and horrendous. Their once humanoid figures were grotesque and their mouths were sharp. Their bodies carried spikes while their hands had clawish nails.

He once again recalls the briefing. The dead inhabitants of this world, no matter who they once were, good or evil, became pale shadows of their former selves and forcibly turned into something that they were not. This was a mere side after-effect of a Dalek conceptual weapon that triggered from a possible future, rippling back to the relative present. It was quite risky to engage them now. Picking one or two of them off may set off multiple numbers and would probably dogpile both of them.

If only there was a distraction...

"RAAAAGHHHH!"

...Never mind. Shidou bitterly thought as he and two of his comrades saw something worse come by, if a little briefly. They would immediately move and hide behind the wall in order for the spotlight to not grace near their faces if they did not want to end up like the two ghostly aliens that were eradicated to non-existence. Somewhere up above, there was the presence of a large tank-like structure. It was several stories tall, vaguely humanoid in overall shape, possessing a rotating, coming tower-like head and body, two steel arms equipped with twin-barreled directional gunstick cannons, and two legs consisting of massive, individual tank treads, capable of hovering or lifting off from the ground.

It was a Hunter Killer Dalek. They came in all shapes and sizes. Their primary purpose and objective are to do what the Daleks always do best, but they do it in the most adaptable, brutal, and efficient ways possible. This type of Dalek that they are currently looking at was what is called an HK-Tank. One cannot fight these things head-on, directly or without any kind of plan, because that is the first step to a short death.

Automatic fire came from the canons of the HK-Tank, aiming at the thousands of Mechanoid war drones that would be seen flying on the ground. The hovering drones were about five feet tall and had small circular bases which grew like a balloon. Its surface was not smooth but broken into triangular sections, like a miniature geodesic dome. A thin band ran about its middle. Silver in color. Automatic fire came from the Mechanoids as they pulled evasive maneuvers, not of the ordinary kind. Half evade into the past while half evaded into the future. As much as that can be confusing to some, yes, that is how a time battle is fought. Time is the penultimate, basic weapon of choice.

And Shidou would note that something was happening to the large Dalek. Something strange was happening. It was changing. A temporal change in the past would shift the tank, and the only things that remain were...

"Kriff," Captain Rizer cursed their luck as he, Shidou, and Ai began to turn their speed up with their counter devices found on their wrists. A five-second interval was necessary for the next movement they made, sprinting for cover towards the ruins nearby.

But why?

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

That's why. A change that occurred in the past would make the Hunter Killer disappear, replacing it with multiple bronze Daleks that scour through the skies. If one thought time travel was an advantage, that is one part of it. There is also a disadvantage if the enemy has it too. Temporal changes are quite the norm on the ground. It's why the three man squad were careful to fire their weapons. Say you kill thousands of your enemies or even hundreds. It would not matter when your enemy can change the outcome without you knowing it. Aside from that, the three are on a stealth reconnaissance mission, not being blatant chickens obvious in a sitting duck.

After making their five-second shift count, they already walked a few hundred meters away. They then continued to hide again around the ruins of various broken hovercraft, crouching down for cover as they hid from the spotlights of the HKs that were nearby whilst they continued to fire on the Mechanoids that were coming at them in droves. Then they use their counter devices again and made another five-second interval, using this time-contained space that allowed them to have about two hours worth at most if they were fortunate so that they could continue onward without having to worry about the random temporal changes that were instantaneous and unpredictable.

Making their way through the ruins, they now begin to raise themselves a little from their crouched positions, lowering their step down as they walk through the paths.

"Uggggggaaaaaahhh..."

Using their mental radars linked to their minds, Shidou and Ai would begin to scour through for cover, making sure to not stay for too long in one spot, and move with every swift motion. There were a few Daleks, egg-shaped and mounted on a set of three spider-like limbs, scuttling along through the walls like a massive, terrifying insect. Their casings were dotted with the same, familiar half-globes, although in this instance they were coal black and embedded into panels of a deep, metallic red. The eyestalk was fatter, too, and from its body bristled four matching gun emplacement. It fired rounds of bolts against hovering Mechanoids, destroying some of them as various parts scattered throughout several places on the ground.

"Spiders," Shidou muttered with a gritting tone, his eyes narrowing a little as he recognized the specific Dalek type. He was raising his rifle towards three of the Spider Daleks that were automatically detecting their temporal signatures. There was not enough time. They needed to open fire. Stealth is no longer an option. Time seems to almost stop for him and for his subordinate. The Spider Daleks, as they utter their monotone voices simultaneously, instantly recognize the three.

"CRISIS! EVISERATE! AHHH!"

They had no time to lose. Shots fired from the three, hitting through the sockets, and destroying them instantly.

"We should leave," Shidou said.

"Right," Ai said.

And so they kept moving. As their feet kept up the pace in dashing sprints.

God created the world on Monday.

God separated order and chaos on Tuesday.

God defined the numbers on Wednesday.

God allowed the flow of time on Thursday.

God looked over at every corner of the world on Friday.

God rested on Saturday.

Then, on Sunday, God left.

A twisted nursery rhyme echoed within Shidou's ears. It was a particular kind of echo that he could hear whenever he was on the battlefield, but he didn't even know where it was coming from. As the song spoke of seven days in one week, for Shidou, it symbolized more than a mere seven weeks. They were in fact seven undecipherable periods, each interchangeable depending on the state of the Time War. Eerily, it felt like a self-fulfilling prophecy that circulates throughout the known corners of existence.

Even as their ears drown upon the grilling cries of the salt shakers that were right on their tail, their Mechanoid allies were already passing by at top speed and engaging the enemy, buying the three enough time to make their getaway. They ran even as an HK-Tank was seen from a hill top that covered ruins, breaking through the buildings cement walls and would begin to peon fire.

And then, using their counter devices, the three transported themselves to another point in time.

"Woah!"

"Ahh!"

Shidou, Ai, and Captain Rizer would try to be careful and dodge as incoming hovercraft were seen from front and back. They felt like they were on a highway. Because that is exactly what it was. They went back in time, at least to a time when this planet was peaceful. One of the more peaceful moments at least that would only last temporarily.

The alien residents, humanoid, wearing casual clothing that reminded one of the American fifties, were looking at the two with odd and bewildered looks, not expecting them to suddenly show up in the middle of a highway.

"Ai!" Just as Captain Rizer dodged another hover car by side stepping, Shidou exclaimed and grabbed Ai's arm as he pulled her to himself because of a hover car that was just right near her and was about to hit her. Now they were in the center, accompanied by the bewildering car drivers who now halted from their tracks and the crowd that did not know what to make of the three that suddenly came unexpectedly.

But the confusion immediately turned into one of terror when an explosion suddenly occurred throughout the hover vehicles that were nearby. As their vector shields were activated, while Captain Rizer would crouch down, Shidou would bring Ai down on the ground and duck for cover, grunting as they crash to the asphalt dirt with gritted teeth.

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

Shidou cursed his luck. The Daleks came once more. They followed them to the past. As he heard the crowds screaming and running away, with all of the drivers exiting their vehicles, Captain Rizer did not waste any time to empty his rounds, aiming his rifle with precision, with blue automatic staser fire seen and impacting the appearing Dalek drones to the north, exploding like mayflies. Shidou and Ai followed suit as they clicked their weapons and opened fire, destroying several Daleks that were appearing.

With no other choice, using their counter devices, they would transport themselves back to their former location, in an apocalyptic wasteland where they now noticed that the HK Tank was no longer seen. Shidou hypothesized that either it had been taken care of by the Mechanoids or it scuttled about somewhere else.

But they still continually see the skies were marked by tremendous stellar explosions. The heavens were littered between the Daleks and the Mechanoids as both open-fired upon each other. Right above the skies, they would see twinkling stars going out and exploding. Artificial planets that are built on metal were seen firing projectiles after projectiles. They were the Mechanical Planets, large planetary metal structures owned and built by the Mechanoids, designed for advanced travel and immeasurable speed, along with being a war machine of grand design, capable of spatial and temporal capabilities, and currently, they fired against the Dalek War Saucers and all of the planets that the Daleks were throwing at them.

Planets?

They were thousands of them, black cinders, copies of a planet that were stolen from different seconds of their existence, known as Skaro, the Daleks' homeworld. With these copies, like slinging shots, the Daleks fired them against the Mechanoids and their planetary war machines. But the Mechanoids fought back as they pulverized and even copied the Skaros down to their molecular structure and origin. Now, like a perfect defensive player, the Mechanoids hurled the planets back against the Daleks. It felt like the beginnings and ends of an off-stage gunfight.

Shidou Itsuka's Thought Pattern #2:

How long did I run? How long did any of us run? I don't know. I lost count. It was almost always the same thing. You run, you survive, and you try not to die. All of those basic things that humans take for granted? It didn't last for very long. Everything you know, the very air you breathe, the veins in your blood pumping up, all prepare you for one thing. War. And how you need to survive this War depends on whether you tend to adapt fast enough before the next death comes for you.

You don't find peace in the Time War. It's always a 'look out from under your shoulder' type of thing. You do not have the luxury of knowing who you can or would trust as the War has a thing of changing allies into enemies and enemies into allies. When the basic concepts of "Space" and "Time" are the most basic of weapons, there are infinite possibilities that can be exploited, in more sickening ways than one.

In the midst of this hell, sometimes, I tend to look back at the past, on how things used to be, on how things used to be so simple. I missed you all, starting with Tohka, on how the very first time I met her led me to a great adventure, encountering all of you. All I had to do was so little. I needed to be there for all of the Spirits, talk to them, persuade them, open their hearts, and offer them the comfort of knowing that there was someone who would accept them for who they were and that they didn't need to be afraid of the world. I promised them that there was a possibility for them to have a normal life, and that they didn't need to worry about those who would try to hunt them down, because I would be there to protect them.

Our world wasn't perfect. There were plenty of flaws if you knew where to look. But...it was still home. It was the same home where I met you all and I would not want to change every second of it. It was the home where I met my family, all of the Spirits, all of you are my family, and I never felt more grateful. Yeah, the ending was great. Okaa-sama, you died even without saying a proper goodbye to me. I still couldn't remember Rinne and Rio much. I could never bring Mayuri, Ren, Maria, and Marina back. And of course, I lost Tohka. There were many things that I could never do. I was just a human given temporary powers that would just wither away when the task was done.

But that was why I wanted to make the most of it. I wanted to cherish the moments I had with the Spirits that I had saved. I never regretted the decisions that I made that lead to the conclusion of my journey to seal all of the Spirits. I missed it. I missed these moments of the past every single day. I missed all of the memories that I spent with you all.

But...nothing lasted forever. The Time War came down, from my perspective, when I was just starting out as a university student at Saito University.

Making a rattling sound, the cherry blossom blizzard soared into the sky.

Shidou Itsuka leaked out his admiration for the unexpected superb view.

"─Wow, it's in full bloom."

Lightly brushing aside the cherry blossoms that fell on his bag and shoulders, he resumed his walk. The soft sunshine pouring through the trees raised his spirits and quickened his step. This week was his university orientation: a lecture for explaining the upcoming school year. He needed to select a good balance of both courses that interested him and required courses. Actually, he wanted to consult Origami who went to the same university as him, but she said she had something important to do and asked him to go on ahead.

The road Shidou was walking had a row of cherry blossoms along the river. Cherry blossoms lined up side-by-side, the flowers in full bloom formed a natural landscape wouldn't last long, however. Today is April 10th. He had heard that the blooming process was slower than usual this year, but the flowers will still fall throughout the next week. It felt a little lonely, but it was also inevitable. If the flowers fall, the leaves become cherry blossoms. Then, as the blossoms scatter, buds will grow from the branches again. It spun a continuous cycle of reincarnation, ensuring that, next year, they'll be able to see these beautiful flowers again.

"April 10th… huh."

Within the light pink veil, Shidou whispered. Today's date held a special meaning for Shidou. Two years ago from today, Shidou met a girl. Terrifyingly beautiful, but also innocent and with something missing. A girl who was nobler and stronger than anyone else. And a girl who left many things behind with Shidou. Then without even waiting for a whole year, she disappeared.

"…Haha."

With that in mind, Shidou unintentionally laughed, but it was one of deep sadness. When he thought about it, Shidou realized that he had spent less than a year with her. Compared to the life he lived until then, however, it was full of surprises, hardships, and above all else brilliance that made it never feel short. It was no exaggeration to say that Shidou's entire life completely changed after meeting her. Because of that meeting, he was his current self. Because of her, everyone is here.

"…"

Shidou suddenly smiled when looking over the scenery again. Come to think of it, he once brought her here. On the day where she disappeared. Shidou brought her and her sister to see the cherry blossoms together. Thinking back to it, the cherry blossoms then were in full bloom just like today. That moment. A stronger breeze passed through the area, and both the flowers still on the trees and those falling onto the ground fluttered in the wind.

A pale-colored curtain covered his sight. Suddenly, Shidou unintentionally closed his eyes.

"…Amazing wind─"

Then, with his eyes slightly opened...

"...Ah!"

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

But that was the beginning of the end...

The first time I opened my eyes, I didn't see a hopeful but sober walk to the future. All I saw was death. I looked at the skies and I saw cracks. They were random. They were quick. I looked at the skies and I saw them. I saw the Daleks. Thousands of them. And from my surroundings, I saw the cherry blossom withered and burning into dust. Even before I opened my eyes, I felt a chill run down my spine, that something was just...wrong. So wrong. I didn't have time to run when the first volley of shots fired.

And I felt myself screaming in agony as I felt like a thousand volts ran through me. I felt like I was burning. I had never felt this kind of pain before. But this pain was most certainly not the last time I felt it. And yet, this was the first time. The very first time I met the Daleks...was just death making fun of me.

Part 1 - Continuation

And they finally made it. After running from ruin to ruin, avoiding the Dalek sensors and searchlights, Shidou, Ai, and Captain Rizer begin to dash down the little slope where some alien corpses are located. Skulls were in complete view. The skulls of children most especially. Forgotten souls that the three would pass by. As their boots dashed, there were the sounds of rumbling little rocks and little debris. As they look up, they would see a large hole that was created from the armed turrets that the Mechanoids had fired. In fact, one can see multiple holes would be seen from the infrastructure. It was like a stack of mechanical cubes in design. On the outside, it is large, on the inside, it is larger. A disparity of size between interior and exterior.

Shidou and his two companions would remain quiet, slowly looking from left to right as they took cover, aiming their weapons. No matter where they looked, there was no one there. The Daleks were never seen.

"No Daleks," Captain Rizer sported a dubious expression underneath his helmet and visor. "No Degradations, no Variants, No HKs, no nothing. I can't in good conscience say that this would be a coincidence or a miracle for us."

"With Daleks, you wouldn't be wrong to be in doubt, Captain," Shidou muttered as his eyes turned a little darker. "I can't even track anything from my mental radar. Nevertheless, since we're here, we should move out of the open. The more we stay here, the more likely would the Daleks show themselves. Better enter into the den than not to and getting gunned down."

"We die if we don't, or we die if we do. Is that right?" Ai muttered softly.

"Unfortunately, Memoriam," Shidou's expression made a grimace twitch from his cheek.

And so, with no other option, they enter the long dark corridor. Even as they went inside, there were chills that ran into their spine. They were in Enemy territory. They don't know what kind of traps lay behind. Shidou's eyes would look to find vast silver and matrix-like corridors along with a ghastly atmosphere of light, white smoke, carrying an eerie atmosphere and tone.

They came to a corridor where a series of open windows were seen.

"EVISERATE! EVISERATE! EVISERATE!"

Shidou and his two allies would hear the dreaded sound of their enemies. They would hide from the wall, and then they would draw close and glance from the window. From their eyes, they would see billions...if not trillions of Daleks ascending and descending throughout what appeared to be a large drone factory. Thousands of Daleks are automatically being created from the hatches, batches of them prepared, preprogrammed, and ready. Armed to the teeth. Multiple numbers of them scour through every window, time windows to be specific, leading to different eras and time zones from this universe and other specified universes.

"...No other way but this way, sir," Captain Rizer spoke grimly.

"I know," Shidou muttered. "We're gonna have to crouch our way from here.

And so, they would do so. It took about a relative hour at most, all the while sweat fell from their brow. They could not use their time tech for fear of being immediately detected by the Daleks. Silence of all technology was required. It was time to go low-tech.

And after every quiet crouch steps, they eventually made their way to another corridor. they find that the walls were comprised of a series of crystalline archways patterned with small roundels, and through which lurid colors – yellows, greens, ochres, and purples – pulsed like blood pounding through a network of arteries and veins. It was like this place was alive. That's because it was. In a sense.

The further they went, they noted a few fissures in time, windows leading to different times and places.

In one time window, they would see what appeared to be a scorching bright light, and the sight felt like an atomic bomb blowing off. The Daleks deployed a radiation spore, a conceptual weapon manifesting its physical form. It explodes like a nuclear bomb which would eradicate the population of this unknown planet seen in the window. That unknown planet was the same planet as the ones where Shidou and the two are currently in. The flames were everywhere. From building to building, from street to street, from land to land, from sea to sea, everything was covered in fire as if under the judgment of the gods in chastisement for the sins of the inhabitants.

Revelatio, the echoed term uttered in mere whispers, of those who were the neverborn, as the future they came from became nothing the moment the Daleks detonated the spore. But the radiation that the spore emitted acted like a harvester to create Daleks out of the inhabitants. And thus, over 13.2 billion people were converted into Daleks. But then they started to multiply into thrice the number. And another thrice. And another. And another. Endless swarms of these monsters, deadly, and full of hate.

The inhabitants didn't scream, because they weren't really given a chance to. The normal thing about the Daleks is that, deep inside, they revel in the pain and agony of other beings aside from merely methodically exterminating them. It's why they turn their gunsticks to a specific setting to cause the maximum pain imaginable before the target dies. The fact that the inhabitants of this world never really experienced something like this was more on the lines of practicality. But practicality can bring pain, depending on how smart you use it.

Shidou twitched. It was always that way. He'd seen it firsthand on how the Daleks tend to create troops out of many things. From rotten corpses to the most inconspicuous objects. He can remember the ache of the high-voltage bolts that would scar him with excruciating agony. The phantom pain was still there for Shidou to feel. He felt like he was burning once again. Shidou bit his lips, trying to focus on the present time. It wouldn't do to dwell in the past. The past can be used as a literal weapon against him and the two that were with him.

In another time window, they would look to find yet another moment in time, at least before the War from a precise point. Shidou narrowed his eyes a little, Ai showed a concerned expression, and Captain Rizer showed a curious expression. But they never stopped and continued walking through the halls silently. Shidou would recognize himself being there making conversations with the now-deceased Kurumi Tokisaki.

Shidou recalled many moments of these bygone days. Back in the day, Shidou for the most part had always felt a little fear and caution around her. The Worst Spirit. That was what she was usually called by most people. But seeing the War, in hindsight, Shidou preferred Kurumi to a Dalek. At least she could be reasoned with, even calling her a very close friend, even family. Yes, Kurumi made mistakes and made greyer decisions compared to most Spirits, but Shidou could never blame her for that, especially due to factors beyond her control. In a way, Kurumi's misfortune, Shidou felt, would be his responsibility to shoulder, the same as anyone else.

After all, the existence of the man called Shidou Itsuka was formerly a sacrificial offering for a sacrifice that could bring back a loved one from the beyond, no matter how many people die and the innocent blood spilled through the floor.

And then...

"Wha-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kurumi screamed, surprised and in pain, as multiple Berserker Daleks, materializing in droves, would shoot her and a past Shidou down.

"EVISERATE! EVISERATE! EVISERATE!"

Shidou clicked his tongue and gritted his teeth in subtle anger. Now he remembered. This is a Time War after all.

What are the Berseker Daleks? They are one of the most dangerous breeds of Dalek fielded during the War. Quite dirtier in appearance compared to regular models, producing a visible black cloud of emissions from which a constant spray of energy weapons lashes the landscape. As one could see from the time window, the sidewalks were scorched and whatever grass remained had been burned to ashes throughout a hundred-mile radius and spreading too fast for an actual response, and in the next few seconds or a minute, may have already charred the entire country of Japan. One could make out the rapid shuddering sheath of individual Berserkers, jagged and fire-blackened, but familiar enough with those domed conical bodies. A bristle of weapons rotates constantly around each one, slicing and firing and flailing indiscriminately.

And then there was another time window where they would pear into a strange parallel reality, covering a strange event. Shidou would see himself making use of a magic ring that he recognized. A familiar jingle and sound effect arose. A driver on the belt materialized after a hand was placed on the center. A call of 'Henshin'. All in all, Shidou would see what appeared to be a parallel variation of himself who had transformed into a masked armored figure―Kamen Rider Wizard―upon the dematerialization of the red magic circle. All in order to stop the fight between a version of Tohka Yatogami and Origami Tobiichi.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

"...!" the Alternate Shidou/Wizard would be suddenly surprised by multiple Spider Daleks and Hoverbouts suddenly materializing from the skies and open fire upon everything. And Origami, that world's Origami, much to the Alternate Shidou/Wizard and Tohka's shock, would be the first to get hit by the energized bolts of the Daleks, and her voice would scream in agony before laying down dead on the spot.

Shidou would turn to that window with a subtle kind of anger. His eyes flashed into gold and his mouth was twitching. And yet, the man still kept moving, focusing his anger and frustration and everything else into a cold resolve for the mission. In every time window that they passed by, it was always the same. The Daleks were invading literally every single time period, every single era, every single timeline, every single conceivable reality.

In this War, there was no such thing as a Final Hope. There is no utopian grand solution to end things. There was only one realistic outcome. Survive. Survive the Hell for as long as they can. No matter how long.

"Sarge," Ai muttered, showing concern more for her Sergeant, walking towards him and finding his grimdark facial features and sharp-turned eyes. Captain Rizer was walking towards them and he too would share Shidou's displeasure based on what they were all seeing.

"...These windows," Shidou muttered. His voice never indicated anything. But Ai felt a cold chill run down her spine. "I have a feeling that these aren't random."

Shidou Itsuka's Thought Pattern #3:

There are many worlds that I didn't experience in the past, but things that I do remember due to my natural gift of seeing through and remembering timelines that never were, whether it is artificially changed historical events or parallel events that have no other bearing upon our world. In one reality, there were similar events to our own, with the only major difference being that Rinne, Rio, Mayuri, Ren, Maria, and Marina didn't exist in the timeline. Eden never existed. In that reality, I ended up with Tohka., In another reality, I became a different kind of Kamen Rider compared to how I am now. In that world, I was Kamen Rider Wizard, fighting against creatures of despair called Phantoms, a kind of addition to the events that we've experienced such as sealing the Spirits and opening their hearts, as well as fighting against DEM. In another reality, well...there was a version of Tohka that became filled with despair and destroyed most of humanity. That version, I'd encounter about a year or so after everyone's fight against Wescott and the time when you died, Okaa-sama.

All of these realities were real. Quite real. And yet...they all burned. One way or another. Every take of every story that we could have or would have lived was taken away. The Daleks showed no mercy.

All of humanity, in every universe, in every multiverse, they wanted gone. They wanted them all gone, living or dead. Was it hatred for all things not Dalek that gave them the resolve to want humanity's complete and utter extinction? Was it all in spite of their greatest enemy, my mentor, the Time Lord known as the Doctor? Was it all in order to show their desire to ensure their genetic purity as a species? Well, I'd figured it was all of them, and a few more twisted reasons that a Dalek can think of. The point is, the Daleks wanted us all dead.

The Daleks...They are worse compared to someone like Wescott. They can do things that Wescott could only ever dream of. In the War, they are monsters that you cannot just fight with the powers of the Spirits. You cannot fight the Daleks directly. You just die at the first opportunity.

Part 1 - Continuation

After a while, the three would end up in the deeper part of the complex structure. In here, small, tributary corridors were seen that lead to a row of panels resembling doors; large metal sheets inset into archways.

"...!"

Much to their surprise, they saw what appeared to be young beautiful women wearing a kind of military uniform, all contained inside cells, with wires installed into them. Most of them however, they noted, had Dalek parts attached to them, creating a kind of mutant-cyborg combination. Some however were so unrecognizable, once women, but now, if there was anything left behind the darting, yellow eyes, it was only madness. The heads were mutated, becoming hairless, misshapen. The flesh had blistered and bubbled, caked in gnarled tumours. The limbs had been removed, and cables extruded from their chest, wiring her into the incubation housing.

The entire complex was filled to the brim with the bodies of experimented young women, all stacked from hall to hall, from stairway to stairway.

Captain Rizer, making use of his visor, would walk a few steps and scan the bodies, and what he found made him very attentive.

"...Looks like intel was right, sir," Captain Rizer looks at Shidou and Ai. "The Daleks seem to be experimenting on the Pandora, and from the looks of it, these Pandora were snatched from different time periods."

"Dalek-Pandora," Shidou muttered. "That's what the intel said. Grim Frown and Phantom Drive are not gonna be happy about this."

Ai, walking a few steps, would look to a window nearby and saw, much to her gasping fright, something from the other side. Piles of dead bodies all gathered. Hundreds of Pandora. Shidou and Captain Rizer would follow where Ai went and they too would witness this dreaded sight with grim expressions.

"...We can't linger any further. Let's set the charges and grab the intel," Shidou said.

Shidou Itsuka's Thought Pattern #4:

I try to remember how things used to be. But it gets harder every day. So many different stories of defeat. So many faces of death.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

"Move it! Move it! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Watch your left!"

"Spiders to the north! Gliders to the south! Take them down! Take them down."

There were thousands of 667th Ranger Regiment Clone Troopers, men with dark silver armor, dark green neon visors, and grey skirt-like kamas, all armed to the teeth with various assault rifles, firing without fail against the endless swarm of Daleks that rained down upon them. Every blast from their weapons sends one Dalek flying and crashing down. And in the midst of the chaos, there was Shidou Itsuka, with his DX-20 Assault Rifle at the ready, Shidou treks through the ruins. The shouts and screams of those who had fallen to the electrifying beams of pure light that had emanated from the Dalek's gunsticks. The ordinary movement of a soldier in wars familiar in war movies was not an option on this battlefield, for time itself has the advantage, for both friend and foe.

Shidou kept running as fast he could, using his rifle to take out any nearby Spider Dalek with ease, counting about twenty. And as he passes through, he sees the dead bodies of the clones who died from the current fighting, passing by each of their corpses.

"RAAAGH!" A scream from what used to be human. A child in fact, with a cross mark that was seen on the face, with an evil expression that shouldn't be a part of the child, with white hollowed eyes, with a hunger for human flesh, would come to attack Shidou. And Shidou did not hesitate to pull the trigger.

"AH!"

And as it felt like a split second, the child fell. But more children came on their way, carrying the same marks. They were just children, their entire future stolen from them as The Monster Seen in the Skies, a strange kind of abomination that came from an unreality dimension, was seen waggling its eyes and tails from the skies and upside down cross-shaped features and heads, uncaring for the violations of the fourfold directions, and currently, this creature was being engaged by larger than life warships manned by and commanded by the mighty race of the Time Lords, the natural enemy of the Daleks.

The Monster had fired a kind of spores that twisted the internal dimensions of the peoples of this planet. Anything that would be hit would be transformed into a flesh-eating zombie, retaining the personality and memory of the victim, and having an upside-down cross rash on their faces.

And Shidou did not hesitate. Scarily, he pulled the trigger, his eyes looking blank, and did not hesitate to put the children out of their misery. All he ever sees were corpses of children that he had no choice but to

One thing remains constant. Whatever we do to try to stop the Daleks and their allies, we all know that it's never enough. We lose more often than we win. And people keep dying. Remembering the way things were used to give me hope. But the truth is...I'm starting to lose faith.

Part 1 - End

They ran from the corridors. Shidou, Ai, and Captain Rizer had set all of the charges and gathered all of the gritty intel, but they still had the problem of escaping the complex facility. Shidou and Captain Rizer ran for their lives as they would aim back their weapons at the speeding Daleks that were on their trail.

"EXTERMINATE THE INTRUDERS! EXTERMINATE! EXTERM-AAAAH!" one Dalek was killed by a sudden explosion.

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! TRANSMISSION IMPAIRED! PULSE DETECTED!" one Dalek explained in a panic if not erratic tone from the communication line that wwas now turning static.

The Daleks would get destroyed by the de-pulsifier grenades that were set and charged not too long ago, capable of tagging the Daleks no matter what location, and the entire complex building become a temporal minefield set to target Daleks specifically.

With several sprints later, they managed to get away by exiting through the same hole where they went in. And they kept running as the complex would explode to smithereens. And all of them, standing on an abandoned slope, would overlook the scenery and see the fumes of the explosions engulfing before their eyes.

"All Mechanoid units, commence Epsilon Move 3 dash 56, immediately," one Mechanoid from the allied communications line spoke as the Mechanoids would begin the next phase of the operation.

The three soldiers would all watch as they would see the turning tide. Now it was the Mechanoids' turn.

And Shidou and Ai would watch as they would see the turning tide. The Daleks fell, crippled temporarily, allowing the Mechanoids to finally make their move as the drones and the Mechanical Planets all converge as if in a simultaneous attack. Saucers were seen falling like meteors and crashing down from every corner. Dalek drones would fall and crash to the ground.

And yet...Shidou didn't personally feel like this was a victory. He knew that at best, this was a temporary setback. There was still more to come.

Shidou Itsuka's Thought Pattern #5:

Every day, all I ever think about was the mission. Because that was the only thing that became a constant. It tends to help to think of the mission instead of the countless screams that you mentally try to block from the background. Souls who had their past and future stolen from them, and I wanted to do something, anything. But I knew that I would just get myself killed.

I felt absolutely powerless. Despite all of the deaths that I tasted and all of the experiences that I gained, I still couldn't save anyone.

In the real, gritty reality of the Time War, people die. They always die.

Sometimes, I tend to wonder...What the hell was the point of fighting anymore? What is even worth fighting? Everywhere you go, the Multiverse convulses and burns. There was barely any place you could call a safe zone. The War left an infinity of lives dead. But they could never find rest.

In this War, there was no such thing as a happy ending.

If there was...the Daleks would get it eventually.

This is just one of many battles. Countless many. There's gonna be yet another mission eventually. Sometimes...I wonder. What the hell is worth fighting right now besides surviving this hell? Is there anything still left worth fighting for? I wanted to believe there is, even if things right now tell me otherwise.

End:

Insert Song: Start

Dies irae - Animation OST: Ewige Wiederkunft

Part 2 - Who is Summoner?

Somewhere on an abandoned cliff, there was Summoner, with her hair and priestess garbs waving against the ominous winds, looking out from her eyrie as she saw the dreaded invaders now scattering like wasps. Their formations break like pieces of rubble as the cracks are finally sealed. Now, just like wasps who are now confused, break formation as they were picked off by specific pesticides.

"("It seems that the old crow finally sealed it off. I suppose this is rather expected, and of course, all but welcome.")" Summoner mused a little bit before turning back into bitter thoughts.

Her mind's eyes were set on her darling, her beloved Shidou Itsuka. Bitterness doesn't even begin to describe what Summoner is feeling right now. Sona Sitri was already an eyesore for her from personal experience. She may respect the prowess and capability of the Ebon-Haired Waterfall Princess, but even mulling over that woman as her equal, she could never forgive one single factor. Sona Sitri married her darling. She accomplished the one deed that Summoner could not. That was something that she could never stand.

And then comes another eyesore. The one woman who was as much as if not the bane and glaring point of Summoner's entire existence. Rinne Sonogami. The so-called childhood friend (when it should actually be her, damn it!), finally came back from the dead, or in a sense, somehow passing through the War and back into this Post-War period of the Multiverse.

Just thinking about her two eternal rivals just makes her absolutely sick to her stomach.

"Heh, you seem a little pissy, Summoner, still thinking about not getting your man's balls all to yourself?"

Summoner twitched with a subtle smile as a familiar voice passed through her ears. She didn't turn around except lowering her eyes as a subtle hue of red came over her once ocean crystal blue sight.

There was a man who addressed her with a casual, if not vulgar tone.

"("Always lacking crass this one.")" Summoner thought.

The man had grey hair and pale skin, wearing a black jacket, dark green shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown shoes. He was quite tall, somewhere in his twenties at least judging from his physical appearance. Quite handsome, wearing black shades that hid his eyes which were brown, but would also change to turn red when he would get excited for battle. He had a light smirk on his face, bemused while thinking of how funny the current situation turned out to be. He was slowly walking towards her.

"...Jaywalker," Summoner muttered with a light smile. "I would have at least thought that you would have joined in on the battle that happened not too long ago."

"Heh, I may like battles, Summoner, but I'm no fool. Even I fucking know that there's always a time and a place," Jaywalker mused.

"As you should," Summoner spoke with bemusement before her expression turned grave. "...Still, the Spirits are all coming back, just as I predicted. But even now, I still do not know what is causing this phenomenon. We may have an unknown interloper that we do not know."

"You think the Red-Eyed Demon had something to do with this shitshow?" Jaywalker raised an eyebrow while standing near her, stopping in his tracks.

"...I do not consider it to be out of the possibility, but then, one would wonder as to why. I do not think that the Red-Eyed Demon would risk something like this in relation to his mysterious machinations. Bringing back particular elements from the Pre-War Era, at a mode like this? Quite risky, especially when these Spirits aren't the only ones that would come to the relative present," Summoner became a little thoughtful.

"...You'd think it's him then?" Jaywalker mused a little, thinking of a particular person that the Blue Ribbon Empire had been quietly watching for a while.

Summoner's expression darkened, twitching a little in displeasure, making a hmph sound. "...Wescott you mean?"

"I mean, who else could do something like this? We both know that the fucker has as much to gain from this as the Empire does, bringing in the First Spirit again despite the risks, and before that, your man's woman and his kid, and after that, every other Spirit. It almost feels so good to be true, but then, nothing in the damn Multiverse is free. No good deed goes unpunished after all," Jaywalker explained casually.

"Even if the second-rated bastard is behind this, it's not him that I'm actually worried about," Summoner's eyes turn towards Jaywalker with an inquiring, cold look. "Or have you not felt that rogue bio-android's power recently?"

"...Ugh, you don't have to remind me," Jaywalker made a frustrated groan, raising his head up high.

Nullus Nihilum. The rogue bio-android of the Blue Ribbon Empire. Perhaps, one could consider his entire existence as one of the greatest accomplishments and also one of the most terrible mistakes that the Empire had ever created. The Empire had unintentionally created an uncontrollable force of nature, a cold logical monster, a temporal anomaly that couldn't be wiped with a simple conceptual erasure.

"...Though, oddly enough," Summoner sported a deep and thoughtful expression. "This feels too coincidental. First was my darling's wife, and then, not a day later, two other Spirits came. Sonogami Rinne, Mayuri, and Ren. Three Spirits who are all sisters despite differing origins of how they came to be and who are all associated with Eden with their given characteristics. Oh, the irony..."

"...Heh," Jaywalker could not help but make a smirk, putting his hands in his pockets and looking to the skies. "Ah, that's right. Eden was your prison, right? Your man's wife pretty much stole your entire life. People from your old world, including your man, forgot all about you. If there is anyone that had been truly forgotten, it is you. I recalled you mentioning this to me not a few times."

"...Then you already know why this fight for me is very personal then," Summoner's expression now took a more serious turn and her eyes were flashing red, turning darker, looking up from afar.

"Ah, ah, I get the gist of it," Jaywalker made a casual smirk. "Just wanted to make sure in order to ensure that I don't get on your bad side."

"Oh~" Summoner made an amused smirk. "All that just to look out for number 1?"

"You know me too well," Jaywalker said before disappearing at long last, leaving Summoner all by herself once more.

And Summoner's smirk would break down into a frown. No, more than that. She was crying. Her tears were seen to flow from her cheeks. Now that Jaywalker was gone, she could finally release the sorrow that she had been keeping ever since she laid eyes on Rinne Sonogami, the fake childhood friend of her beloved Shidou Itsuka. Summoner's mask would remove itself, revealing that, underneath the hollow bravado from before, acting like a cliché yandere woman from an anime, underneath it all was a girl that just wanted the boy she loved to love her back.

Is that so wrong?

"...It seems that no matter how much time passes, darling, we draw further and further apart from each other," Summoner looks up to the sky and notices that the skies have grown to an evening, seeing the dark blanket of space and the twinkling stars in the sky. "...We took different paths in life, inevitably become enemies, but...should it always be this way? Can we not return to how we used to be?"

Who exactly is The Summoner Witch of the Deep Night? Who is she exactly in the life of Shidou Itsuka? Why does she, twisted as she is, genuinely love Shidou Itsuka?

Well, one needs to be given a brief intro and start from the very beginning. Before the era of Black RX, before the Time War, right back to the very old universe.

"Itsuka-kun, here."

Once, there was a very young girl holding a notebook that fell from the floor, no one special. Quite normal and ordinary. A simple girl who is simply a random person among the crowd. She had black hair and glasses that she wore around her face. She was wearing the uniform of Raizen High School, a black blazer, red ribbon on the center, and all.

"Ah, thank you, Ai-chan," Shidou Itsuka, the young man that the girl loved, smiled at her in gratitude as he took the notebook from her delicate hand, making her a little embarrassed, lightly blushing, and giddy.

Before there was Tohka Yatogami, before any of the Spirits came into the life of Shidou Itsuka, there was this ordinary young girl who was deeply in love with Shidou Itsuka, and that love began when, as far as she recalled, she was between six or seven years old, when Shidou jumped into her defense and protected her from three boys that were picking on her.

"Are you alright?" the young Shidou back then would ask.

What was the young girl's name?

Ai Onizaki.

The forgotten childhood friend of Shidou Itsuka.

The girl that Shidou couldn't save in the end as she is destined to fall into the path of a villain.

Insert Song: End

ED Song:

Billie Eilish - No Time To Die (Official Audio)

New Characters:

Ai Onizaki/The Summoner Witch of the Deep Night - VA: Yuka Iguchi

Jaywalker - VA: Kishou Taniyama

Captain Rizer (STARS) - A(s): Temuera Morrison, Dee Bradley Baker

667th Ranger Regiment Clone Troopers (STARS) - A(s): Temuera Morrison, Dee Bradley Baker