Chapter 46

The Battle of Peterborough

As the heroes made their way into Peterborough, Noah took sight of the great amount of destruction. Towns, cities and villages that could hold people were now reduced to nothing but burning rubble and the roads themselves were all cracked, even burning. Blood from the people that once resided in the United Kingdom, even though they were digital copies lined the streets, a crimson reminder of the countless lives the Divine Light had taken. "Still moping about the destruction, Noah?", Yuito asked. "Not exactly. I just wonder how many lives we'll have to take until Jack finally repents and hands over both Dein Nomos and the Renas Alma to you.", Noah replied. "That's good to hear.", Yuito said. "Incidentally, Yuito, considering your wife Naomi, when do you wish to be coronated?", Clive asked. "Well, I haven't really thought about that yet.", Yuito said. "Well, keep in mind that we'll need to know when in order to arrange a date.", Dante said. Suddenly, the group was set upon by a large detachment of gynoids ready to kill. Activating the Firelight Swords, Rex unleashed a glorious flurry of fire and light, paving the way for the heroes. Gathering earth aether in his body, Tager then unleashed a giant earthquake, with Yumi promptly unleashing a giant blizzard in turn. This was followed by Shiden calling down a giant levinbolt down from the heavens, with Eunie promptly summoning a giant tornado and Flynn unleashing a giant beam of white and golden light, destroying the gynoids effortlessly. "That reminds me, you do know what to do when we face Jack, right?", Eleanor asked. "You mean priming into our respective Eikons?", Byleth asked. "Yeah, that.", Eleanor replied. "Well, it's not like we really need to prime anyway. After all, we can use our own skills to beat him.", Shiden said. "I wouldn't be so sure. After all, Clive wasn't able to beat Barnabas in another life until he primed into Ifrit, so maybe you should consider priming.", Luka said. "I agree. After all, you may be strong but Jack is stronger due to him being Odin's Dominant in this timeline.", Luigi said. "Besides, just because you may be more skilled doesn't mean you'll always win.", Asbel said.

Whilst the heroes made their way through Peterborough's square, Rita stopped for a moment to notice a diamond-encrusted handbag in a shop window. Feeling that she absolutely needed to have it, she then used a burst of non-elemental magic to break the window, then proceeded to pilfer it through the broken glass. Upon noticing the odd looks she was getting, Rita said, "What? We're bad guys; it's what we do!". "She does have a point.", Morag said. The heroes then made their way to Fletton Quays, trying their best to elude the warping geography of the digital realm. "Guess that ingrate really doesn't want us to succeed, does he?", Gemma asked. "More to the point, what are we going to do about the state of the Multiverse if YHVH dies from the illness Jack afflicted Him with?", Shadow asked. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.", Lindow replied. Noticing a large industrial complex, Dunban then asked, "Wait, are you sure that this is Aragon Court where that little usurper is?". "How do you mean?", Shulk asked before noticing a large encampment of industrial buildings, now reduced to rubble thanks to the Divine Light. "Wait, you don't think Jack fed us false info, do you?", Nia asked before Nikol looked anxiously at the GPS he was holding. "Son, what is it?", Shulk asked before Nikol said, "Dad, I think we're in the wrong location.". Looking at the GPS, a horrified look then came over Shulk's face. "Oh no.", Shulk said, quietly horrified.

Meanwhile, I smirked. "Seems that virus I implanted is working like a charm.", I said. "How do you mean, Your Majesty?", Alvis asked. "You see, while I was in that alternate possibility I fell into, I had one of my echoes that I spread across time via the Chronos Terminal hack into the heroes' main database. Alongside from having him upload a virus meant to disable their Ferronises and Levnises, I also had him change the location they would go to from Aragon Court to Fletton Quays, also making sure that their treasured GPS would feed them false directions on how to get there. I also had the androids supplied by YorHa hold them off in order to make sure the virus would have time to settle and corrupt their data, making sure that they would not be able to contact their beloved YHVH. And now, it is time for the final piece.", I said. "I have to say, you are one magnificent planner, Your Majesty.", Alvis said. "You know, I suppose I am.", I replied. Suddenly, 2B came in on her flight unit. Exiting it after she landed, she said, "Your Majesty, those traitors have come.". "Do not worry, my divine power shall make short work of them.", I replied, smirking.

As if on cue, the heroes came into view just as 2B had predicted. "So, you've come after all, you traitors.", I said, glaring at them. "Easy for you to say. We lost hours traversing the UK and fighting through YorHa's forces to even get to you! Do you have any shame at all?", Rex shouted. "Come now, I trust my forces exhausted you enough for my victory to be assured.", I said. Suddenly feeling a strange sensation, Kasane asked, "Why? Why did you hack and corrupt the Chronos Terminal?". "Why, to stop YHVH from succeeding with the Ascension Project. You must have known that the Ascension Project will result in the death of all and the entire world being consumed in the Flood of Light, creating a world with no creation, no destruction and no life. I will stop YHVH, even if it means the destruction of the Sin Eaters and the Flood of Light.", I said. "But still, committing genocide is wrong, even against the Sin Eaters!", Rinwell exclaimed. "You think I care about that? The Sin Eaters are a threat to the whole Multiverse and reality itself and the only way to stop them is by destroying them all. While I would like to debate the morality of my cause, I feel it is a task much better suited to the fans; now is not the time for doubt.", I said, forming a black and dark red katana in my right hand. "Wait, that sword. Is that…Odin's blade?", Zeke asked. "Yes, it is my holy sword – Zantetsuken.", I said as the heroes opposing me readied their own weapons. "Well, it's not like you really deserve the Throne of the Sovereign anyway. After all, it was you who decided that Yuito was the better fit, believing yourself unfit to rule.", Ethel said. "What did you say?", I asked, an acute yet fierce feeling of anger welling up inside me. "Well, you know how you believed you were duty bound to refuse the throne, believing that Yuito deserved the throne instead? I'll let you in on a little secret- it was your parents who bade you to refuse the throne.", Shiden said. "Wait, what?", I asked. "It's true, though. After all, soon after you returned to us, I overheard your parents – Ragna and Velvet, just so we're clear – talking about how you were unfit to inherit the Sovereign Empire from Alphen. Of course, they felt that you didn't deserve the throne no thanks to your imposter syndrome that YHVH unfairly beat into you. I had my doubts that Yuito was the better heir anyway- after all, I had him profiled, realising that though he is a good man, he might not necessarily be a good Sovereign. You however are the Sovereign we were looking for; it would truly be selfish of you to resist the throne knowing that you are the true heir that Alphen wanted all along.", Arashi said. "Come to think of it, for someone who absolutely despises the concept of selfishness and greatly values selflessness, you made an absolutely selfish decision to wipe out the Sin Eaters and the Flood of Light simply because they irked you, didn't you?", Mio asked. "It's OK, though. Once you reclaim your throne, you'll be able to seek vengeance on all who made you hurt and cry.", Hanabi said, her sweet and friendly smile never fading. "But I don't deserve the throne. Yuito does.", I said. Facepalming, Arashi then said, "It seems we have no choice, then. We will make you accept the throne and you will become our Sovereign, mark my words.".

After a brief yet awkward silence, the heroes then charged at me, forcing me to slash a beam of darkness from my katana. This was just countered by a beam of red energy that Dante unleashed from his own greatsword Rebellion. Lloyd then sped forward unleashing a magnificent flurry of stabs with his two swords, only for me to escape his assault by shifting into a dark red tear created by Odin's dark powers. I then exited the rift, unleashing a flurry of icicles on the heroes…only for Rex to melt the ice with a blast of flame. Angered at this, I then unleashed a giant fireball on the heroes, promptly followed by a razor sharp gust of wind that was in turn followed by a burst of various stalagmites out of the ground; all of these were countered by Eunie unleashing a giant tornado. "Why?! Why won't you die?!", I asked, angry. "Why? Because we have something we believe in.", Clive replied. Incensed at this, I summoned a barrage of 13 meteors from the sky, yelling, "OK, arseholes, if you want to die so badly, then go ahead!". As the meteors came down, I then felt something within me nearly crack. As a maelstrom of dark energy burst forth, I said, "No, NO! You won't control me; I will control you!". Noticing the energy, Clive said, "Don't fight it. Unleash it!". As the dark energy continued to build around me, Clive then said, "I said, don't fight it!", gathering fire energy in his left hand that he formed into a giant sphere of hellfire.

And then, I suddenly felt something crack.

I don't know exactly what happened to me, but I felt something inside me change. The dark energy surrounded me like a tornado, bursting and crackling all the while. As the energy burst forth from my body in response to the giant sphere that Clive launched, I then clutched my head in pain as I heard a strange voice within my mind say, "Awaken, Your Majesty. Awaken as the Sovereign.". I screamed as the dark energy surrounding me changed into fire instead, dispelling the giant sphere of hellfire that Clive had launched and causing the red rim around my eyes to completely vanish as my eyes turned orange. Suddenly, the fire energy then covered my body completely before then piercing the pale pink sky above me, turning a black and dark colour all the while. The pillar of fire then unleashed a giant fiery shockwave that forced the others onto the floor, before vanishing and turning my black and orange robes a black and dark red colour instead with a depiction of a phoenix on the chest whilst dark red flames manifested behind me in the shape of wings. Anger, hatred and rage were now the only things coursing through my mind. "Wait, is that-?", Lanz asked before Noctis said, "I didn't think such a form even existed myself.". "Wait, what has he turned into?", Melia asked. Unwilling to tolerate them anymore, I bellowed, "I am fire and life incarnate! Now and forever, I am Phoenix!".

To be continued…