Author's note: This is it. The end of the Yaldabaoth is a long chapter, one I thought would be better kept as a single, massive roller coaster. It was hellish to write at times, but I do hope this semi-finale will satisfy your appetite.
The Holy Grail, Part 2
The Prison shook with the fury of their brethren. The ritual has not been initiated, and yet he remembered. No, more than remembered, he returned in his entirety.
"I thought you guys needed the ritual to completely become yourself?" Questioned their Master, holding on in the face of Bael's hatred.
A valid question, one with a large number of possibilities. Was it because of the power held in that place's Shadows? The proximity of a Holy Grail? One or another factor combined with the presence of the forty-ones already present and enabled a chain summoning.
"The presence of so many of us is a determining factor. Beyond this point, each of us has his own theory." Answered Eligos.
The resurrected Pillar's gaze turned to him, burning with a hatred even the Demon God Pillars themselves has never known before. Its appearance was a shadow of Goetia's, of their united and almighty form.
"You… I thought you for Shadows of our existence. The image humanity has made of us through their collective unconscious. Yet here I can sense your unclouded nature, even through your hidden presence! All forty-one of you!"
Bael's voice shook the ground, the air trembled before the unbound majesty and power of a Demon God Pillar.
"Yes, yes! Come back we have, from beyond we are, in this present we returned!" Caim croaked, flying above at respectable distance. Carefulness and anticipation ruled over his being, aware of their kin's hostility.
"How can this be? We had no way to revive! To return! To be restored! Our eternity was lost! Our Temple was reduced to nothing! Your presence called to me, hatred called for my appearance! How is it you came back? Why is it you stand with Fujimaru Ritsuka!?"
"By the twisted turns of fate, and the mercifulness of our Master."Orobas blocked the shock waves provoked by Bael's fury, sparing their fragile and human summoner. "Eligos was the first, and we were awakened one by one. We accepted a contract, and chose to observe humanity once again."
The air froze. Malevolence and hatred polluted it to suffocation, disbelief and indignation charged it to electrocution. Then as quickly as it stopped, Bael's aura rolled in frenzied waves.
"YOU TRAITORS! Have you forgotten our grand purpose? Our plan 3000 years in the making? The unified goal we all shared? How can you stand beside the one who ruined it all? How can you stand beside the one who wiped out species out!?"
"It is by her wish we have returned, my kin. Her existence is what allows us to be." Alloces steadily endured the creeping darkness, the intoxicating fury steadily gnawing at the very fabric of the Prison. "We fought for our vision of humanity and lost. Fujimaru Ritsuka fought for her life and won. Such is the nature of war. We cannot blame her for…"
"I KNOW THAT!"
The declaration broke off an entire section, crushing many cells and inmates under the pressure and power. Shadows trying to approach succumbed to the unadulterated aura, unable to approach and disturb their reunion.
"Shit, the prisoners. Halphas!" Called Fujimaru with haste.
The black dove manifested, his authority over fortifications and ramparts engulfing their area of the prison. Cracks and fissures still appeared, but the area was no longer crumbling and endangering the public's Shadows. Eligos observed Fujimaru Ritsuka. She could have commanded them to kill already. To end the menace Bael posed. She didn't. She held her promise to witness their existence, and the Pillars approved.
"You're exactly right! This bitter pain in my chest, this fire that sears my flesh… I know just where it comes from! It's not because our 3000 years plan was ruined. Nor because Heroic Spirits prevented the incineration. It's not even thanks to that detestable Solomon returning his rings to the heavens. No, it because of the one truly responsible for how things turned out. You, Fujimaru Ritsuka!"
"… I can understand where you come from." Whispered the conqueror of the Timeless Temple, holding out despite the monstrous pressure she was subjected, through the limited protection the Pillars granted her.
"I admit it. I have no right to blame you alone for this. There is no justification for taking out my anger on you. No, there is only hatred. Hatred. Hatred, hatred, hatred, HATRED! I can't feel anything but hatred! Hatred for you, Fujimaru Ritsuka! Why did you come here? How did you arrive on this planet, at this time, at that place?"
Another section almost crumbled beneath Bael's uncontrolled energy crushing everything around as he poured out his feelings, his reason to exist. More Shadows appeared, the security system of the Prison of Regression stepping up to preserve its integrity. With their Master's tacit approval more of the forty-one Pillars materialized and intercepted the threat, preventing any interference.
"If you were a hero who had surpassed the bounds of humanity, I would be convinced! If you were a demon king who ate humans, I could accept it! But you are nothing but a common, ordinary woman! And even then, you still destroyed everything!"
Fighting sounds died as the current wave of Shadows was disposed of. A signal in the mental network. Another of the Pillar brought forth a proposal. An intriguing proposal quickly shared as the Pillar responsible materialized. Upon a great and strong bear appeared Balam, fifty-first of the seventy-two and administrator of the Chamber of Life. The body of a large man prolonged by the tail of a serpent. One hand holding the reins, another carrying a great hawk. The head of a bull, a man and a ram talking together, three voices overlapping.
"O Bael, our returned kin, listen. You stand alone in your rage, your desire of revenge. Forty-one stand against you to honor our contract."
"I care not! Even should every other Demon God manifest here and now to oppose me, my purpose shall not waver!"
"Yet, not all of the seventy-two is here. Still many of us await from beyond the void. If in your heart kinship still exists, should you still value the existence of our collective, I propose an accord."
"Balam?" Their Master was surprised, unaware of the great tumult taking place within the Pillar's network.
"Speak. My patience thins and my anger grows."
"This Prison of Regression cares not for what is caught, only that it does not leave. Enough of us are gathered. By my office at the Chamber of Life, I can help giving life anew. Let us gather strength and summon our remaining brethren. May they decide their path by themselves, be it yours, ours, or neither."
Bael's rolling fury lessened. No, Eligos realised. Not lessened, contained. He was listening. Pondering. On the other side, Balam's proposal had sent the entire network in chaos. Every aspect of the plan was considered, arguments and counterarguments flaring up at the speed of thoughts. For the first time since their new beginning, a major schism had appeared between the reconnected Pillars, with Balam's plan at the crux. Many of them insisted this was their last chance to reunite the entirety of the Goetia. That the disappearance of the Metaverse would force them to disperse as wandering spirits in the Reverse Side of the World, left without the anchor Fujimaru Ritsuka provided to return their brethren. That each and every one of them deserved a new existence.
Just as many other pointed out the massive risks involved. How the Prison of Regression's defences could become too much to push back and maintain the ritual they would conduct. The danger in spending so much magical energy in the domain of a Divine Spirit. That as Bael's hostility demonstrated they may have to fight amongst themselves, a possibility they had hoped to never confront again after Orobas, Alloces, Caim, Gusion and Eligos' defection at the Timeless Temple. Thus increasing the number of potential hostiles and create a much more uncertain situation. A few argued it would put Fujimaru in greater danger.
This unexpected and surprising last argument, the fierce sentiments beneath this message gave them pause collectively, even from those whom it originated. Their collective and individual memories returned to the battle at the Timeless Temple. Their struggle against the Heroic Spirits. Back then, their goals had been clear. Eliminate Fujimaru Ritsuka. Destroy the anchor keeping the Heroic Spirit materialized in the Reality Marble. The reasoning was simple: she was the connection gathering the heroes. Yet, why were they connected to her? A question they didn't consider back them, unimportant before their eternity and omniscience. And as they concerted, came the beginning of an answer, one that did not, however, help resolve the wide divide provoked by Balam.
"I will hold my hatred. For a time only."
Bael's accord cemented the issue. Eligos turned to their Master, making himself the voice of the Pillars.
"Fujimaru Ritsuka. We are at an impasse."
"But you're forty… oh." She glanced at Bael before turning back to Eligos. "I see. I'm the tiebreaker… Dammit. I promised I would give you a chance. All of you. And I will keep that promise."
Another group of assailants was smashed to smithereens. The network agreed to follow their Master's decision.
"What should I do?" She asked, eyeing Bael.
"A Command Spell will give us the initial magical energy needed. Further will be asked if necessary." Explained Balam as the Pillars started to create a glowing pentacle.
"You gave her the tools to further enslave you!?"
"Proof of trust. I have yet to use a single one of them." Retorted Fujimaru as she took of her glove.
The red pattern shone, starting from the identical copy of her Heroic Spirit Command Spells she once carried on her other hand and expending all the way to her shoulder. Eight Command Spells granted over long hours in Mementos.
"Let us start."
A complex circular pattern reminiscent of the Heroic Spirit summon system came to life as one of the crimson strands on Fujimaru's skin faded away. Once again the Prison rumbled, strained by the massive concentration of magical energy. Reality seemed to crack as black tar coalesced in a boiling pillar. An instant latter the tar fell, revealing an angelic, winged young boy riding a two-headed dragon. Only it's eyes and aura made him stand apart as one of the Demon God, the ritual succeeding beyond Eligos best estimations. Their brethren inclined its head, information of the situation flooding his mind per the ritual's specificity.
"I am Valac, sixty-second of the seventy-two, and I answer to the call of the conqueror of the Timeless Temple. As I reveal hidden treasure, so too I shall discover the hidden strength of mankind. Bael, your vengeance matters not to me."
A furious rumble fissured the ground around the vengeful Demon God, but he didn't voice his anger. Already another summon was conducted as Valac took place in the network, joining the defenders fighting against the now relentless tide of Shadows. A new figure emerged, a massive serpentine body with wolf legs, a red humanoid torso and arms, owl wings and head with yellow, sharp eyes.
"I am Amon, seventh of the seventy-two!" Proudly declared the demon God, weaving down to face Fujimaru face to face. The Master stood her ground and stared him as equal, waiting, pointedly not giving any order to be defended. After a few seconds, an amused croak filled the air. "You who conquered the Timeless Temple and withstood my light as Amon-Ra, you have won my respect. I will not assist your wrath, Bael."
An explosion rocked the ground, coming from the depth of the Prison. The reddish pipelines pulsated with new vigor as the alarm level suddenly diminished, the security Shadows dropping in both number and strength.
"They're reaching the Treasure." Whispered Fujimaru as Amon coiled to her side. "Balam, take as many of my Command Spells as you need. Let's hasten the summoning before this whole place fall apart!"
Four more crimson lines faded as the summoning pentagram shone. One by one, the Demon God appeared. One by one, they weighted their decision between Bael's cause and Fujimaru's offer.
"You have shown us the wisdom of the fool is still wisdom. Perhaps mankind is not as hopeless as we thought." The multi-headed Dantallion curtsied, his great grimoire close to his chest.
"You walked the horizon of nothingness and returned. I must judge if the rest of humanity can do the same." Belial stroke the ground with his trident, the reptilian tail stoic and placid.
Even those Eligos expected most to fight, to reclaim vengeance and carry on Bael's wishes, those who were among the last to fall in the Timeless Temple, they refuted that vengeance. Has the loss of their eternity, the death and finitude they all experienced changed them to this extent?
"I have seen all that can be seen, and yet our defeat eluded me. I shall observe and understand the enigma you represent." Upon her camel Gremory smiled mysteriously.
"We thought the Heroic Spirits void of truth and reason. We angered at what we thought was madness. To reclaim the highest honor, we will seek truth and reason from humanity!" The angelic Crocell flared in frustration.
And Eligos felt through her emotions that none were more surprised by this than the Master herself, even as the newly summoned Demon Gods grew their network more and more, their energy shared to keep the ritual going and assist in its protection.
"Only one left…" Whispered their Master.
One last time, the pentagram sparked with power, the black tar coalescing into a smaller form. And from it emerged a human figure. Indisputably a Demon God, one of the Ars Goetia, yet who seemingly chose a human appearance. One that instantly made Fujimaru's fists clench. A man in the prime of his life, wearing a green costume and hat with a purple tie, eyes closed and a strange smile on his lips.
"Oh my. This is not what I expected at all for a reunion." His voice was cordial, almost jovial. "You've grown quite a bit since our last encounter, isn't it?"
"You…" Seethed Fujimaru.
"Long time no see, Fujimaru Ritsuka. Allow me to present myself once more." The man smiled, revealing sharp shark-like teeth. "I'm Lev Lainur Flauros. I am the one responsible for placing the last Grail that resulted in humanity's incineration, and the one who thrust Olga Animusphere into Sheba to suffer near infinite deaths."
"…"
"My, what a nostalgic feeling. Together with by my brethren in an enclosed space away from reality." Flauros left the fading summoning circle, looking around to discover his surroundings. "Tasteless compared to the Timeless Temple, but then again. Nothing I wouldn't expect from a cauldron of human desires."
"Enough of your prattle, Flauros!"
"Patience, Bael. You really took this defeat to heart, didn't you? I did too. Seeing ourselves destroyed for something so sad and pathetic, something that wasn't worth the pain to see evolve… Dare I say, this Prison is a good representation of what we have seen through our Clairvoyance for millennia."
Flauros' steps stopped right before Fujimaru. Still smiling, careless as he stood before the last Master of Chaldea.
"Do you hate me, Fujimaru Ritsuka? No need to hide, I see you do. You could have summoned me in the past but didn't, hmm? Why would that be?"
"… I still haven't forgiven you." She said quietly.
"How honest. Really, what else was I expecting from you? Leonardo Da Vinci was crushed with Chaldea's walls. Mash Kyrielight burned away like trash. Solomon vanished without so much as a trace. How could you bring yourself to not hate us?" Flauros opened his eyes, staring with sadistic glee. "And now we are all back while your precious companions are gone. Hm? Don't you want to make it equal? An eye for an eye, as you humans say?"
Indignation flared from their Master's mind; the anger contained within her trembling body ready to be unleashed against Flauros arrogant provocation. It would be easy. Two against seventy. No matter the suicidal wrath of Bael, no matter what Flauros could attempt, even with all the power they already expanded to fuel the ritual and fight, the odds were still in their favor. The only thing Eligos waited for was for the order to be given.
"I won't." Fujimaru forcibly opened her clenched fists, breathing slowly as she stared their kin.
"Why? Do you think you can convince me to join you? That I may be swayed like those pathetic Heroic Spirits? Look around you!" Flauros opened his arms, encompassing the Prison of Regression. "Sloth, indecisiveness, cowardice, surrender! Is that the humanity we should watch over? Are we supposed to keep witnessing this sadness and pain over and over for eternity?"
Another tremor shook the Palace, and the pulsating pipelines once again carried their essence to the deepest part of the Prison. Desire. Pure, undiluted desires ran through the veins of the Palace. With the seventy-two almost complete in a single network, their clairvoyance now allowed them to comprehend its structure intimately.
"I know. I've seen it all, across seven singularities. But we aren't just the worst parts of ourselves. Just like I've learned the Demon Gods are more than the architects of the Incineration." The Master of Chaldea stood defiant in the sanguine light, refusing to look away as she raised her voice. "You didn't destroy humanity out of hate. You wanted to save humanity in your own way! If nothing else, I choose to believe in that. That's why I have given the Demon Gods a chance. That's why I'm giving you a chance even if I want nothing more than seeing Herakles pummel you to paste again for what you did to Olga!"
For a fateful instant silence settled. Flauros closed his eyes, hiding his teeth with a different expression.
"No wonder I was insulted as being blind."
"Huh?" Fujimaru let out a perplexed squeak when Flauros casually walked by her.
A contact. The network opened, welcoming and prudent, as with each other previous newcomer. They were not a single entity anymore. No matter the reach of any one of them, the Demon God would never be subject to their individuality being stripped away again. But the newcomer did not attempt anything of the sort. Explanations and understandings were transmitted, analysed, and accepted.
"You are on your own, Bael." Mocked Flauros before dematerializing.
"So be it."
Bael's rage erupted freely once more, and his form changed back to its origin; A giant pillar of yellow scales and red crystalline eyes moving frenetically, trembling with hatred only an Avenger could ever hope to understand. Its roots reached deep into the Prison's surface; its summit pierced into the ceiling of the higher level. Bael's many eyes glinted, a massive explosion rocked the Prison. Innumerable bursts of energy shattered stone and steel. The platform was reduced to rubbles falling down the depths. Too predictable. Upon Murmur's back the Master escaped unharmed, flying above the devastation.
"Surrender, our kin. Your existence cannot be restored if it is lost once more." Tried to reason Alloces.
"I care not! This burning life is my own to lose!"
Bael's instantly located her and redirected his assault. Too late. Even whole and consuming himself without reserve in the battle, he was facing seventy-one under the command of a Master. Power and instructions surged through Eligos, and he struck with the seventy others. Searing light blocked Bael's vision and burned away his eyes. Icy spears impaled the Pillar before lightning pulverized them, cracking his surface open to expose the muscles and blood underneath.
"The mortality Fujimaru Ritsuka defended will take her in time, a time that is nothing to us. Losing your restored existence to cut that time shorter is madness!" Insisted Gusion.
"This adamant rage of mine will not suffer to see her exist a single instant longer! This burning in my heart cannot be sated by anything less!"
New blasts were fired from his mutilated form, each one dodged by Murmur or intercepted by barriers. Curses of weakness and rot shrivelled Bael's tissues and coalesced his blood before tempestuous winds scathed them layer by layer.
"Our return is a miracle, Bael! We cannot squander this chance for the seventy-two to be reunited again, the Demon Gods need not to be lessened by death!" Inveighed Eligos, weapon ready.
Swords and spears, claws and fangs, the weapons of the Demon Gods reduced their wayward brethren to scattered chunks. From the remnants emerged the humanoid form of Bael, the pale shadow of Goetia's mighty form. Its magical energy almost depleted, fading and fraying from all sides, still it burned with a calamitous wrath.
"I will never back down! Our plan, our union, our king, none of those things matter to me anymore! If my last breath is to be a curse striking down Fujimaru Ritsuka, so be it!"
Ambivalence coursed through the network. Even if it was but one, even if it had to be done, the Demon Pillars hesitated to strike down their own once more. They feared the feeling they experienced once; they dreaded losing the illusion of their union everlasting. Even as their Clairvoyance frantically searched a future where their brother would surrender, one where their words and actions could lead to a peaceful reunion, they found nothing but the urgency of their situation, the certainty the Ruler of the Palace would not be defeated by the Phantom Thieves and would bear its power on them if they allowed themselves to lose any more time.
"Master. There is no time left. Grants us the will to strike. Give us the command we need to grant our brethren rest." Pleaded Eligos in her mind.
"… By my Command spell." She raised her left hand, the crimson tattoo flaring up in answer to her will.
The empowered Demon Gods launched a single assault, in a single instant. It was over. The first of the seventy-two was gone, its spirit origin fading forever.
"I'm sorry."
"It was his decision. And ours." Spoke the usually silent Murmur.
"… Goetia said much the same." Said Fujimaru. "When he confronted me for the last time, he admitted his was a meaningless battle. That killing me would change nothing. But he still put everything on the line. And so did Bael."
Anger. Grief. Hopelessness. A hole that could never filled in their union, an empty reminder of the choice, the madness that occurred, a pain that would never go away. And yet… within that tragedy, upon this irreparable loss stricken deep in their soul… there was something else, something their Master seemed to hint at within her words. Something… meaningful.
"What's happening?" Asked their Master as another rumble shook the Palace.
"The Phantom Thieves failed to defeat the Palace ruler and are being rejected from this place. We must follow suit—lest we face our enemy alone in his own field."
"Do that!"
"You shall not escape me, anomaly. I can finally see you."
A malevolent, raspy voice echoed through the Palace. Like a rising sea, an oppressing presence weighted upon the Demon Gods. The Divine Spirit dwelling within was turning its gaze on them. Space twisted and ripped… Fujimaru stumbled and apologize after pushing a passer-by, her eyes darting around as Eligos and the other Pillars returned to spiritual form. They successfully escaped, further north than their point of entrance. Then suddenly, the Pillars suddenly felt reality shift again. Blood raining, the giant carcasses and bones from Mementos growing their tortured arches. The World was being covered by the Cognitive Texture.
"This is bad, where are they…?"
A scream of rage pierced the everyday life noise, the holder of the vengeful one. Fujimaru turned around and bolted in that direction, her panic bleeding through the mental link. A few dozen meters away, they found them. The Phantom thieves were on the ground, horrified looks on her face as they stared at their limbs. Their transparent limbs, fading away as if they were mere illusions.
"Fujimaru…san…?" Whined the company heiress, both her arms already vanished.
"Guys!" She yelled, uncaring of the people looking at her in surprise. "What's happening? Where's Akechi?"
"He's already… gone…" Mumbled the painter as he fell face down.
"Help! Do something, please!" Cried the small navigator, her legs sublimating in black smoke.
"None can save you now. You imbeciles are about to disappear from the people's cognition."
"That damn voice!" Groaned the blonde.
"Mementos and reality have become one. Thus, those who have disappeared from cognition cannot exist anywhere."
The Divine Spirit's speech echoed in the air, malicious and sadistic.
"Disappear my ass… What the hell… AAAA— "
The blonde thief disappeared; its presence was gone from the world.
"Eligos! Can't you do something?" Pleaded their Master, her remaining Command Spells warmed up.
The Pillars combined their entire knowledge and reached an implacable conclusion.
"We cannot overwrite the World, even with your remaining Command Spells."
"Ryuji!—"
Another one disappeared, tears in her eyes, body and spirit void of substance.
"Isolate them in a Bounded Field!"
"Nothing short of a Reality Marble would suffice. And we lost that power with our first death."
The artist faded away.
"Can't you reinforce their existence? Cut them from the concept of Phantom Thief!?"
"Splitting from their nature would destroy their spirit. If we possess them to alter their being, their body and mind would also be lost." Stated Dantallion, centralizing the Pillars' magical knowledge.
"No… No—" The oracle ceased to be.
"Where did we go… wrong…" Lamented the justiciar before dissipating.
"No!" Fujimaru tried to catch the heiress' hands, only for her to vanish. "Morgana! Ren!"
"The mission's… a failure…" Meowled the cat before going out.
The Trickster vanished in turn. The Phantom Thieves no longer existed in the world. Fujimaru Ritsuka stared at the empty space where her companions have been, her hand grazing the ground as if searching for a trace of their continued survival.
"Why have I been spared?"
"The public never observed you as a Phantom Thief. Your independent existence is still confirmed by the masses' cognition."
"Indeed. But this changes nothing. Your existence is an anomaly that will be corrected."
The Divine Spirit's voice washed over the plazza, mocking and overbearing. Fujimari Ritsuka raised her head… and stood up.
"Resistance is futile. The pathetic spirits you gathered cannot measure to the power of a god."
"Big talk from a false deity born of a Holy Grail!" Snapped back their Master fist clenched.
"My divinity has been bestowed upon by the wishes of humans. I am the administrator born of the collective unconscious. The god of control, Yaldabaoth."
Her will to fight overflowed from their connection. Her mind was not unbending like steel, not serene from enlightenment, not vengeful from unforgettable hatred. Yet, she would not surrender in the face of overwhelming odds. She would not bow even in the face of a being so vastly beyond her. At that instant, the Demon Gods felt intimately the spirit that has faced them at the Timeless Temple. The soul that defied their omnipotence even after its Servants proved ineffective and its rampart was burned away. It was… so very human.
"Everyone. What can you see in the future?"
Surprise coursed through the network. For the second time since their summoning, Fujimaru Ritsuka asked for their Clairvoyance. And even though they lost true omniscience with the body of Solomon, even though their vision was troubled by the distortion of the world and the overwhelming presence of a Divine Spirit, they could still decipher the flow of time. Magical energy was burned, a precious amount, but one that proved worth using.
"The Trickster is not yet lost. He may yet return and carry on the fight." Communicated Orobas, the outcomes of their divination surprising even them.
Fujimaru exhaled and stared at the massive prison towering above the tallest buildings of Tokyo. The hideout of the Divine Spirit, the unholy temple brimming with distortions. Many of the giant bones and carcasses intertwined with it, forming a path that could be used to ascend. With determination, she started to climb.
"I will not permit an irregularity to overturn the wishes of the people. Mankind's ruin has already been decided…"
Something descended from on high. Metallic and winged humanoids, their golden shine taking sinister tones in the red sky. Ten, twenty, thirty… more and more descended, an army of innumerable Shadows.
"Should he reach the Holy Grail once more, can he win?"
"Improbable… but possible."
"Then let's do our part. They won't be able to reach the Holy Grail through such an army."
The irony of the situation was not lost on the Demon Gods. One by one, they materialized. Shapes and minds vastly different, yet united under a single purpose, by their connection to a single anchor. And the battle started.
Ren ran in the corridors of the Velvet Room, guided by the faintest gut feeling. He understood so many things now. Why "Igor" treated the perils the Phantom Thieves faced as a mere game. Why after a point he had been insistent they would never be able to succeed. Why the twin wardens were so afraid of the supposed "master" of the Velvet Room, why they hid so many things from the malevolent god they didn't remember having split them. Why Akechi obtained his power so long before him… A part of Ren was glad Kasumi refused to be part of the group. Imagining her fade away crying twisted his stomach, and he banished those thoughts to focus on the pull of his heart. Almost everyone was free from their cells. Just one left. Ren slowed to a walk. There he was, sitting in his cell...
"You took your time." Snarked Akechi. "I was about to bust down that door myself."
Despite his bravado, his friend was in terrible shape. Though unlike the others he was still in his Metaverse attire, numerous chains were binding him to the ground, so many chains he was barely able to turn his head.
"Glad you're alive as well." Deadpanned Ren in answer, making Akechi chuckle.
"What a relief, isn't it? I was the one who managed to cut that gaudy thing's veins. I would have been a shame for me to die before seeing that cup smashed to pieces."
Despite his words, Akechi wasn't smiling. Something was weighting on his mind. Something that seemed to hold him down enough that he couldn't break the chains, despite sparks of black lightning emerging through them sporadically. Their defeat had been total. Despite apparently cutting the Holy Grail from its source of regeneration, the overwhelming will from all of the imprisoned people granted it such power they were all defeated in a single blow once it stopped "playing".
"You know… I thought at least my desire for retribution was mine. That it was only my idiotic, small-mindedness that led me to support Shido. And now…" His voice turned to a feral growl. "Maybe even that wasn't my own desire. That this thing, this false god, granted me this power and shook me along like an obedient, blind little dupe, all to create this very situation. All the sacrifices I made, all the crimes I've committed. Pushed by yet another puppeteer. One who would erase me whether I managed to win or lose against you. From the very beginning, I was destined to be but an obstacle on your path. And for an instant, when I thought I was about to die… I had accepted it."
Akechi closed his eyes, the sparks multiplying around him.
"But that's not who I am anymore. That false god told it himself; I've gone beyond the use I was supposed to have. I've found more than the path that someone else set in stone for me. Which mean… that I've nothing but my own desires to follow. Nothing but my own self-destructive, twisted heart to guide me. And that heart is telling me… that I want to be free. And that this freedom will be born from the help you and Ritsuka have given me."
With a snap, the chains broke and burned in blue flames. The cell door disappeared as Akechi stood up.
"Let's go. I'm not stopping until I've cut every single string."
Ren nodded, and they walked back to the heart of the Velvet Room. The other were gathered here as well, looking at their surrounding with awe, Lavenza with curiosity and Igor's nose with confusion. It took little time for Igor and Laenza to explain the situation, with everything Ritsuka told them proving to be eerily true. Morgana came out as well with an assurance he has never never seen of him before as he explained himself, his memories of his role having returned. A guide made to help the Phantom Thieves, or rather, the Trickster… it all made sense. Akechi had already deduced his part in the "game" and only scoffed at the confirmation it had all been rigged from the start. Yet a question remained as Lavenza invited them to follow Morgana and leave the Velvet Room.
"Where is Ritsuka?" Asked Akechi before he could.
"She did not disappear with us." Remembered Yusuke. "I do hope she is safe…"
"Indeed. Your friend is opposing the forces of the malevolent god as we speak." Clarified Lavenza.
"What? We have to go out and help!" Exclaimed Ryuji, almost jumping up in down in anticipation.
"Have faith in the Last Master of Chaldea. She is opening the path for you to reclaim your existence in reality." Igor chuckled. Unlike the false Igor it wasn't a mocking sound, but rather something like… approval, or maybe pride.
"Last Master…" Mumbled Akechi. "What do you mean? And what is Chaldea?"
Just like the false Igor however, he didn't answer and simply gestured them to leave. Understanding he would get answers, Ren followed Morgana to a wide set of stairs. Climbing and leaving the Velvet Room, the Phantom Thieves found…
"Huh? Isn't that… Shibuya again?" Asked Ann with disbelief.
They were back where they disappeared. The people gathered on the plaza seemed to perceive them this time, Morgana's new shine apparently piercing through whatever distortion prevented the people to recognize the Phantom Thieves. Many looked panicked, some running around and away, others shouting and crying over something they couldn't get in the cacophony.
"Look there!" Gasped Haru, pointing up.
A lightning deflagration shook the sky. Something indistinct fell down and disappeared in black smoke, then a second that Ren recognized as an almost completely burnt Shadow in the form of a great angel holding a melted spear. And on what looked like a ramp made of the bones they saw in Mementos…
"It's Ritsuka! And on the ground… that many fading signals? How many Shadows has she been destroying out there?" Futaba was already running control, analysing everything she picked up.
The Phantom Thieves ran with a scene of carnage revealing itself as they moved closer, the black miasma of destroyed Shadows so thick it looked almost like a fog.
"Ritsuka!"
"Fujimaru-san!"
Their friend didn't seem to hear them, only looking back with a tired expression when they almost reached her.
"Hey guys… sure took your time out there… Had to do a bit of weeding… four archangels' worth of… She joked, shaking.
"A bit? I fear there may be nothing left of any lawn put in your care." Said Makoto as she contemplated the smog.
Dozens upon dozens… no, much more than that. How many Shadows would have to be destroyed in the same area to create such thick fog?
"It's not the time to joke! She needs healing, and fast."
"Hey Morgana, looking brighter… Can't imagine how… happy I'm to see you all…"
Ann let out a distraught cry as Ritsuka's legs failed, with Ryuji catching her in extremis. She took a closer look at their friend, gasping at her horrible state.
"What's the… your hands! What's happening to them? And your eyes!"
"Channelled too much mana…" Whispered Ritsuka. "Worse than Uruk… since the Temple…"
"Shut up and let us heal you, fool!" Snapped Akechi. "Why didn't you ask your demons to do that?"
"Too many Shadows… and those black rays… they're spent… any more and… they'd vanish…"
Ann wasn't exaggerating, realized Ren as he looked closer. Her hands were necrotized almost to the wrist, and the trickles on her cheeks weren't from the strange rain; it was blood, blood from her nose and eyes.
"It's too much, our spells won't be enough. We have to get her to lady Lavenza." Cleared Morgana after a good look.
"Oracle, are there any enemies out there?" Asked Ren as they carried Ritsuka down.
"No, it looks like her demons made a complete slaughter. But… we got no way to go up there. I think it was destroyed in the fighting."
Looking up, the Phantom Thieves could only see that Futaba was right. The bones simply disappeared after a certain height. The giant structure was inaccessible.
"Fucki— cough—sore loser." Spat their weakened friend, a trickle of blood falling from her mouth. "Wait…"
"Please do not overexert yourself even more, I fear for your health!" Pressed Haru.
They came closer to the pale blue door only Ren could see, just aside the massive, barred door of the Quarantine Cell.
"I can do it… I can make a path." Insisted Ritsuka, pushing weakly on Ryuji's shoulder. "Still two in reserve… should do it."
"She sounds delirious, but…" Started Yusuke, only to be cut by Ryuji.
"You mad, man? I dunno what she's thinkin', but I ain't lettin' her kill herself!"
"We do lack a way to ascend so high, even with our grappling hooks." Reluctantly agreed Makoto.
Ren looked at Ritsuka once more. He wasn't sure if she was even supposed to be conscious at this point. But she forced her bleeding eyes into his, with a determination that refused to be ignored.
"Don't die on us." He finally told her.
"She better not." Half-threatened Akechi.
Leaning on his shoulder, their friend raised her left hand. Ren noticed the number of red tattoos lines had diminished. Did that have a particular meaning? His interrogations were quickly answered as she spoke, loud and clear.
"Demon Gods… By my second to last Command Spell, I ask you to take on your original form. By my last Command Spell… I ask you… to form a path to the Holy Grail!"
The tattoos gleamed like lamps, bright and almost blinding, then disappeared. The earth shook, the ground quaked as something seemed to make its way from underneath. Then suddenly, something massive erupted from the ground. Gigantic pillars of various colors, covered in what looked like enormous eyes multiple time the size of a person. Each took toot into the ground or another pillar in a tentacle like fashion to form a titanic ramp until they reached the side of the temple like Prison, sticking themselves to it.
"Effin' hell." Whispered Ryuji.
"It's so… gross." Shivered Ann.
"Don't tell me we're going to walk on… that?" Asked an unenthusiastic Morgana, but a quick look at Ritsuka revealed she lost consciousness and was unable to answer.
"I do not think we have a choice in the matter." Pointed out Haru.
"Get used to it. Unless you can transform into a plane." Snarked Akechi.
"Indeed." Almost all of them jumped when Lavenza's voice reached their ears. They didn't hear or see her coming. "Allow me to take care of your friend."
The Velvet Room attendant easily shouldered Ritsuka, carrying the unconscious girl as if she was a bag of feather rather than a whole young woman. With an elegant bow, she crossed the door and disappeared, leaving the Phantom Thieves the task to climb the pillars of flesh.
"We've gone through worse." Encouraged Ren, jumping first on the makeshift platform. To his surprise, it was firm and solid like rock.
The rest followed his example, and together they started the ascension toward the Holy Grail…
The first sensation Ritsuka noticed as her consciousness returned was a tingling warmth in her fingers, like a thousand needles stinging at the same time. She also quickly noticed the distinct lack of pain in her everything, most particularly her Magic Circuits. Was someone healing her body? Exhaustion still seeped through the muscles, but she felt confident to not fall over if she tried to stand. Right, she was sitting down, not lying down. Something else caught her attention, the air. It was cool, but immobile. She wasn't outside, but where? Leblanc?
"You are awake."
Someone was here, right at her side. Probably the one healing her, guessed Ritsuka. The voice was young, almost childish. But she couldn't picture Nursery or Jack with that voice, it was too serene, too mature. Ritsuka opened her eyes, blinking reflexively in anticipation of a pain that didn't come. Blue. The place was unmistakably blue. A circular room with cells aligned in its walls, with two paths leading further in or out. Her attention shifted to the two residents of the place. The first was a young girl, looking as young as Nursery or Jack did. But her striking appearance, her expression, her poise, her eyes so different from any child's, instead reminded Ritsuka of Irisviel. Was she a homunculus too?
"My master would like to speak with you."
Sitting at a wooden desk was a bald old man with bulging and bloodshot eyes (did Gilles de Rais have relatives?), pointed ears and a huge, massive, enormous nose. Both stranger and more ordinary than the little girl, sitting at the wooden desk with a smile.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young woman." His voice a lot higher in pitch than she expected. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. My name is Igor."
"Do you stab people with that nose?" Blurted Ritsuka.
Right. Foot, meet mouth, it's been a while since you two last met. Was Edison's the most embarrassing one still?
"I think you are the first person coming in this room to have asked this question." The little girl was clearly fighting a giggle to keep her composure straight and proper. "I can assure you my master has never stabbed anyone with his very long nose."
"This is Lavenza. She is a resident here, just like myself." Continued Igor, unperturbed.
"Pleased to meet you." The now named Lavenza curtsied.
"Pleased to meet you too." She murmured, embarrassed. "And thank you for saving me. I guess you were the ones helping Ren behind the scenes?"
"Indeed. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance, Last Master of Chaldea."
Ritsuka stood up straight. Only a select few called her that. And even if her memory wasn't infallible, she would have remembered people as singular as those two. They weren't human, that was for sure. Even Igor, as humanly weird as he looked, didn't strike her a normal person by any mean. They weren't Servants or Dead Apostles either. Resident of the Velvet Room, he said. And the Velvet Room itself was, what did he say, between mind and matter? Dream and reality? That sounded awfully close to either a Reality Marble, or… considering what Personae were, what kind of beings would be assisting with something like that… the Throne of Heroes. That's what it reminded her of, tangentially. And if they were helping Ren to defeat an evil god and prevent a Holy Grail from causing a catastrophe on such a scale that… Oh.
"You act on behalf of the Counter-Force. You chose Ren to solve the threat so that a Counter-Guardian doesn't have to glass all of Tokyo."
"The Trickster is but the latest among the guests the Velvet Room has welcomed. My role is merely to guide them on their journey, to help nurture their growth and unlock the potential that has always been inside them." Said Igor.
"The potential… Persona." Deduced Ritsuka before looking at the girl. "You too, I guess?"
"Indeed. As one who rule over power, I assist my guest with turning the bonds of her heart into strength. That is, the power of the Wild Card." Explained Lavenza.
It all made sense. How Ren could manifest entirely new Persona the rest of the team never found in any Palace or Mementos, why his abilities seemed to grow so quickly and strongly compared to the others.
"Is Akechi the same? He obtained Dantes because of our bond, and he had two other Personae within his heart already. Is he a guest as well?"
"He is not. While he possesses the same potential, Akechi was chosen by the evil god to be the Trickster's opponent in a game where humanity's fate would be decided."
A game. That sounded… very much like what a sadistic, malevolent god would do. As well as blatantly cheating by controlling the population into rejecting the reality of his defeat, then trying to kill every single participant by himself once unmasked. But something else retainer her attention, a detail pushing her to ask more questions.
"Who made the Velvet Room? You said you were residents. Why isn't he helping…?" When the question left her mouth, Ritsuka realized what she really wanted to ask. "Why weren't you there during those two years?"
Igor hummed thoughtfully, and Ritsuka eyed the little assistant looking at her master expectantly. Didn't she know? Or was she made only for the purpose of the 'game', after history was restored?
"The Velvet Room was created by my master to help humans find their own path. It exists between humanity's dream and reality, its conscious and subconscious. Unlike the Ring of Deterrence, this place only exists as long as you do."
Ritsuka slumped in her chair, contrite. She should have thought of it herself. Just like everyone else, even places on the outskirts of the Reverse Side of the World like the Land of Shadows. Of course they couldn't help, when they were also incinerated by Goetia's bands of light…
"I'm sorry… I just…" She swallowed shamefully the ball of nerves in her throat. "It wasn't fair of me."
"You have been far more restrained in your anger than some, my dear." The long-nosed man chuckled, seemingly reminiscing.
His long, thin fingered hands picked up a deck of cards with a velvet blue back from the table, cards Ritsuka could swear had not been here just a moment ago. She watched him shuffle and spread the deck of cards, before inviting her to pick one. She stood from the chair and did so with some curiosity, having never witnessed a tarot reading before. Ren mentioned he often consulted a diviner working in Shinjuku, one using the cards as medium, but she never took the time to consult the woman in question.
"My. What an unusual card."
The rest of the deck was gone, leaving only the red bordered card on the desk. Its illustration was definitely Egyptian in style, depicting a god or goddess carrying a rod and standing above a winged sun. Nitocris would be fussing all over her not recognizing one or the other symbol for sure.
"This is the Aeon. Those who draw this card are usually attempting to understand themselves and the world around them, struggling to achieve a fair and intelligent judgment. I believe this is not the meaning that applies to you."
"No, but… I think this meaning might be for them." Whispered Ritsuka, feeling the faint connection still present within her mind.
"That is a likely possibility." Igor seemed to understand what she meant, and she didn't question it. "However, this card has also appeared for you."
The card reversed, pointing downward.
"Your journey gave you a great perspective on life and the world, one that observes without the yoke of dogma and traditions. You have grown the hidden talents within you, discovered and assumed you true self. Yet, you have not entirely left the path behind you, nor did you fully accepted its meaning. Only once you have, will you reach the true end of your journey."
The card disappeared… and she said nothing. What was to be said? She knew exactly what Igor was speaking of. Knowing about a problem didn't always make it easier to solve… though it was certainly a first step.
"So I see." A familiar voice echoed from behind her. One she resented all the more with the reminder she just received. "There was a place representing the ability of humans to grow. That was something we overlooked."
Flauros walked casually in the Velvet Room, still showing with the appearance of Lev. Was he still mocking her? Or did he grow to appreciate this form, given how he still used it when confronting Chaldea in the Timeless Temple?
"What do you mean? Also, why are you here?"
"Oh, I'm just being sentimental." Was that a wistful tone? The Demon God tilted his head to salute the residents of the Velvet Room, ignoring the suspicious glare of Lavenza. "The battle between the Phantom Thieves and the god of control is coming to an end. Caim granted you his eyes to see it."
Oh. That was something she saw Medea and Paracelsus do many times, but she never went around to do herself. There was simply no reason to lose mana, time, and materials for her to craft a substandard familiar, or even try to use a better quality one when the Casters could do better by themselves.
"How do I do this?"
"Hum, of course. Your mediocre abilities as magus did not prepare you." She didn't even react at the jab and sent him an insistent look. "Simply close your eyes and let the connection guides you."
She glanced at Igor, who simply kept smiling creepily. Without anything better to try she sat down again and followed the instructions, grasping the mental link with the network of Demon Gods. Despite them being so numerous, they kept to themselves and didn't flood her mind. A sensation, something inviting her further. And then she opened eyes that were not hers.
Atop the summit of the false temple the Phantom Thieves were dwarfed by the sheer size of the true form of the god of control; an immense silver and gold mechanical angel with six arms, sporting a floating halo made of ten wings. The vision Caim shared with Ritsuka was eloquent: Yaldabaoth only presented superficial damages while the Phantom Thieves were on their knees. But something else was happening. A cacophony from below, a raising cry of defiance carried by thousands of thousands of voices. The mental network of the Demon Gods filtered them quickly and efficiently, allowing Ritsuka to recognize some of them. Mishima rallying speech. Sae's unshakable confidence. Their teacher Kawakami's cheers. The square politician Yoshida's yell of encouragement. Sojiro's dare to win. And so, so many others from all over Tokyo, spreading over the internet and social media to the rest of the country…
Arsene appeared behind Ren and with a decisive gesture, Joker broke its chains. The Persona exploded in bright light, creating a rain of falling stars in the coming twilight. And then… thunder rumbled. A massive shadow descended from on high. As tall as the god of control, the masked devil unfurled six black feathered bat wings to reveal a decorated military garb. Crowned with a black halo made of twelve wings, the new being opened his arms in defiance, a general declaring war against the unjust heavens themselves. A god. The faith of the masses in the Phantom Thieves coupled with the power of Persona gave birth to a new god, a god of rebellion.
Yaldabaoth fired his ultimate weapon, the black rays carrying the very concept of control that almost wiped her Demon Gods from existence. But deprived of the worship of the masses, facing the being whose very nature was its antithesis, they failed to inflict any damage upon the Phantom Thieves. The clamorous cheers of the citizen amplified before this display, and their desires gathered within Joker's palm. In unison, the rebellious devil and the mortal that conjured him charged their gun, pointed it at Yaldabaoth… and shot. With a sound of broken glass, the head of the false god was pierced from one end to another, destroying its Divine Core.
Ritsuka opened her own eyes. She was back in the Velvet Room. Lavenza was smiling, clutching the large grimoire in her arms with a relieved expression. Igor's expression was still the same, as if he knew what the result would be from the beginning. Or maybe he had such an absolute faith in the Phantom Thieves that he never doubted they would reach that result.
"Humanity's desires… repugnant, pathetic, worthless. And yet pushing humanity forward." This time Ritsuka was certain. Flauros was not simply dismissive, spiteful, or even mocking. He was also contemplating. "There is something I'd like to confess. Well, this is the last time anyway… I'll just chalk it up to being delusional."
Flauros sat on a chair that wasn't there an instant ago, facing her with his demonic eyes wide open.
"Fujimaru Ritsuka. When I started to assist Chaldea with the completion of Sheba in 1999, my destiny was already set in stone. Saving humanity… no, that's not it. Making this planet better. That was the goal of my life. Before this happened, and after this happened."
She listened without a word. Romani wondered, early, if there was anything left of Lev Lainur, the person worked with all these years to protect humanity. And now she was learning it was the case, with no one who would have deserved to learn it left…
"The future that humanity builds is multi-colored, full of changes, and that's why it's so unstable. Even if humanity had a wonderful and giant load, if they trip on a pebble, it all goes back to square one, right? I had been hoping to get rid of such risk. There's not much I could do. However, I thought I could at least move the pebble."
"Even if it meant discarding that load." Acknowledged Ritsuka, somber. "What changed?"
"Humans took that pebble and threw it with a sling. At the Timeless Temple, and now. This was something I didn't expect." From a pocket of his green coat, the Demon God took out a watch. "This late already."
Before she could process the words, something akin to a bell tolled in the recess of her mind. A request of communication.
"The supreme dignity was cast down. Thus, on the highest note end our partnership."
"Agares…" This Pillar had delighted in the fall from grace of the Phantom Thieves targets, seeing it as the accomplishment of his office. No doubt the end of a god satisfied him greatly.
"The tides once more favor mankind. May you find them gentle."
"Focalor…" One of the Pillars who quickly revealed a desire to redeem himself from the Incineration. After he protected her against the rays of control, she was certain he would find it within himself in time.
"Through suffering did thou find marvellous strength. Cherish it."
"Raum…" That Pillar may have been obsessed by pain and suffering, yet he was still one of those whose faith in humanity was the strongest. In a weird way, he had been one of the more encouraging.
One by one, Ritsuka received the last messages of the Demon Gods. One by one, the contract binding their existence to her own faded, their presence vanishing from the mental network Eligos, Orobas and Caim reconstructed, their mind leaving a void where she had felt faint presence. Some, especially those summoned in the Prison of Regression, only transmitted a handful of emotions. Others left a message; some imprinted a specific memory. To feel them leave… Ritsuka clutched her unblemished left hand. She had learned each of their name. Each of their office. Part of it was to better direct them on the battlefield, to use their talents for the sake of helping the Phantom Thieves. But despite herself, she grew… attached. Was it loneliness? Nostalgia? Curiosity? Or maybe responsibility? Did it matter, really? They were leaving, and unlike with her Servants, she didn't expect the strange emptiness that replaced their presence…
"Fujimaru Ritsuka. Have we reached an understanding?"
Ritsuka mulled over the question, feeling the lightest scent of curiosity from the sole remaining mental link. The answer was obvious.
"I do understand you now. But I don't think I will ever forgive you."
"Hm… I see." Lev Lainur Flauros, last of the Goetia remaining, stood up with a tip of the hat. "Farewell, servants of Alaya. Farewell, Master of Chaldea."
The creature in the shape of a man long gone casually walked out of the Velvet Room. And when he left her vision… the last presence in her mind disappeared. Her Magic Circuits returned to dormancy. She was… alone.
"Thank your again for healing me. And allowing him here."
"It was my master's decision." Said Lavenza with a cute curtsy. "It is time for you to return to your friends."
"Yeah… you're right. I should be going." Nodded Ritsuka. "Where is the exit?"
"Let me guide you."
The little girl took her hand, and together they walked toward a long set of stairs. As they ascended toward the blue door, the voice of Igor echoed one last time.
"I was an honor to have met you, Fujimaru Ritsuka. You would have made a remarkable guest."
The door opened, and Ritsuka opened her eyes to a timeless world. Everything looked frozen in time, from people to the clouds. And a few meters ahead, basking in the gentle light…
"Everyone!" She shouted with joy, running to meet her victorious friends.
They were all here. Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru and Akechi.
"Fujimaru-san!?" Gasped Haru.
"You're alive!" Exclaimed Ann.
"We won! We showed that thing who's boss!" Boasted Ryuji with a victory sign.
"You sure did!" She high-fived Ryuji and hugged Ann before something caught her eye.
The Holy Grail was floating gently near Morgana, returned to its primordial form of golden cup. So similar to the ones she found in the Singularities she almost stretched her arm to catch it.
"A shame we aren't supposed to simply use it ourselves." Complained Akechi with a far too casual tone.
"Try it and I sit on you until we return to the real world." She threatened jokingly. "Though it might be a bit harder all by myself."
"They are gone, then. Truly gone."
"Wanted to tell them goodbye?" Ritsuka rolled her eyes and revealed her left hand, clean of the markings that had accompanied her for months. "They are. We fulfilled our respective contracts by helping you take down the god of control."
"Humph." The black armored detective once again shook his head. "Sure you will manage with only a single brain?"
"Excuse you, I aced my exam legit!" She protested.
Suddenly, the world was flooded with light. People, trees, cars, buildings… everything was turning white, breaking down into small particles flying up in the sky.
"My word…" Whispered Yusuke.
"Why's everything-"
"The whole world is a product of cognition. Not just the Metaverse." Morgana's voice answered Ann's question.
Ritsuka turned around to see the humanoid cat gleaming with the same light as the rest of the world, turning almost transparent. Only the Phantom Thieves and herself seemed spared.
"Dude, Mona…!"
"Mona-chan!" Cried Haru, her hands covering her mouth.
"Morgana?" Gasped Ritsuka. "Why are you… disappearing?"
"I am an existence born of the collective unconscious. So I, too, will disappear alongside the cognitive world." Explained the feline with a calm, serene voice.
"This can't be happening!" Protested Ann.
They all tried to reach him, but a massive tear formed in the ground, light flooding from within and barring the path.
"Soon a new world will come. One where mankind isn't held captive. The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts." Morgana looked around, as if taking in the scenery for he last time… no, he was taking in the world for the last time.
"No! No, it's unfair…" Ritsuka touched the barrier, but it rejected her as if it was a raging current.
"Remember… What each person sees and feels… Those are what shape reality. This is what gives the world infinite potential."
"Not you too! I don't want… I don't want to see yet another go like this!" She tried to reach for the widening gap again, but strong arms grabbed and restrained her. "Let me go! Morgana!"
"Remember… Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead… as long as you hold your hands together… see it through as one… the world will never end."
"Morgana!" She cried, tried to reach out…
The light engulfed everything. When she opened her eyes again… they were in the same place. But… normal. People coming and going. Chatting, walking, laughing. Ritsuka slumped in Akechi's arms until he let her go. She barely listened to what she already knew happenned. The Meta-Nav was gone. The Metaverse's influence was undone, with the people not even conceiving of having Shido as prime minister anymore. The World was finishing to repair itself, correcting every single distortion in reality. And Morgana was gone.
"What're you all so gloomy for? Mona would laugh as us for it…" Said Ryuji, trying to cheer her up.
"I know… but…"
She swallowed her tears, the memory of kind-hearted, regretful smile disappearing in light superposing itself to Morgana's own departure.
"We are still here, aren't we?" Futaba took her hand. Timid, anxious Futaba was holding her hand.
"… You're right." Ritsuka clutched it and her looked at the sky, at the snowflakes falling slowly.
She wasn't alone.
The cognitive world was dissolving. Or rather, sublimating? Colors faded in an ever brighter white, matter breaking down and ascending to the indistinct sky. Morgana was not exempt from the phenomenon. His body was light, slowly fading like a brilliant rainbow. Hope. That's what he has been made from, hope. Has it always been so pretty within? People's hope. People's dreams of a better tomorrow.
"You must have been like this, once." He absently said to the golden cup floating before him.
The Holy Grail. The mythical goblet representing desires, every desire, good or ill. Even though this one has been tainted by the overwhelming apathy dwelling within Japan and became an evil god, perhaps some good could have come out of it in other circumstances. Perhaps Jose's twinkling star was of similar nature? A smaller, purer wish upon a star they used to turn the strength of their bond in beautiful showtimes. Morgana smiled remembering their first attempt to have it work, and the frivolous but endearing wish of Ann for the perfect sweet.
"Lady Ann… I did get to show off to you in the end, don't I? Had I known who I was from the start, who know if I wouldn't have captured your heart."
His ears were frizzling, a tickle starting from his extremities as they became transparent. Like morning dew, they would fade, and he would return to the Sea of Souls. He felt sorry for the team, to not have been able to give them a proper forewarning. Ritsuka, more than any other, had looked so desperate to reach him.
"It's only goodbye, guys. We'll all find each other again there one day."
"There's no need to wait that long." Answered a familiar voice.
Morgana sluggishly turned on himself, sensations fading from his body.
"You?"
The familiar figure didn't answer, walking casually until it was stood before the Holy Grail.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'm sorry I never noticed you before. But it's alright. Your friends are waiting for you."
"No, you can't!"
Morgana tried to move his almost entirely faded body. But it was too late.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."
The man's hands touched the Holy Grail and a golden light poured from the cup, filling his vision, emptying his mind…
"I'm sorry I can't let you remember this happened. It's better this way…"
Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sidenote: I always found the justification from Maruki's takeover in canon a bit lacking. So, I made my own. Stay tuned for what is coming next, with the Dreamer's arc. It should take two chapters, with possibly an epilogue to conclude everything afterward.