"Ohhh? As expected of the Nords, to think they could relocate one of Yggdrasil's springs to Asgard itself."
The man marveled at the sight of it. Surely, this had been no easy task in the slightest. The pristine, blue waters of the spring sparkled and rippled. One could easily tell of the vast magical power trapped within the spring. The magic had seeped into the ground and caused life to flourish in this otherwise hardy environment of the Aesir. Two trees grew on each side of the spring's banks, twisting and rising in a helical formation, as if mimicking the structure of the World Tree, Yggdrasil.
"The power of a Boundary… belonging to one of the Seven First Ascendants," he commented as he slowly made his way down to the shoreline.
"But you know Odin," the man said, kneeling in front of the waters.
His reflection was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that stared back at him were the crystal clear waters that allowed him to see the vast grains of sparkling sand in the bed of the spring. Or were they stars? He couldn't tell.
"Relocating Mimisbrunnr to Asgard might have been the most foolish thing you've ever done," he said.
"Hold it."
His hand stopped short of the water's surface. Sighing in feigned exasperation, the man mockingly raised his hands and stood.
"So… it looks like I spoke too soon. I thought this place wouldn't be guarded as well as the fake spring down at Yggdrasil's roots," he said, turning around.
Edelweiss stood at a distance. Her spear's tip was pointed directly at the man. She narrowed her eyes, feeling a shiver run down her spine when she felt the toxic yellow gaze of the man in front of her.
Her valkyrie detachment stood a ways behind her. It was clear that despite being seasoned warriors of Asgard, they felt an immense amount of terror just being in the man's presence. In their eyes, which could see the auras of people, this man was nothing more than a living shadow.
"By the way, weren't you supposed to be in charge of evacuations?" the man asked.
"Silence. I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but it's clear that your presence in this place and that of the Slavic God's up there are no coincidence," Edelweiss replied.
"Heh? And here I thought Valkyries were just mindless animals that served the whims of the Aesir."
"Why you insolent-"
"No, Geir. He's trying to bait us," Edelweiss said, holding her hand up.
"But Sister Brynhildr, that man is clearly-," Geir protested.
"The All-Father is already aware of his presence down here and is coming as we speak. All we need to do is hold him here," Edelweiss said.
"Right."
Edelweiss closed her eyes and leveled her weapon at the man. "In the name of the All-Father, you are to be detained for your possible involvement with the Slavic Chief God."
It was like watching two oceans collide. That was the most accurate way to describe what she was seeing. Two oceans meeting and mixing together but the reality was much more than that. This was just how her mind could rationalize it. The sky was aflame, mixed together in a varied palette of colors. An iridescent green clashed with molten gold. The auroras of two drastically different worlds were clashing together, as if two planets were fighting each other.
Or maybe that's what it was.
After all, these two skies belonged to two drastically different worlds. Her body could instinctively tell.
"Is this… what two Ascendants fighting look like?" Mitsuki said under her breath.
"Mii! Get a hold of yourself!" Issei said.
"Right." Mitsuki gripped the handle of her katana tightly. "We can't let Veles do all the work."
"Issei."
"Veles!" Issei yelled, hearing his voice inside his head.
"I'm battling Perun right now with my own Pleroma. You and the others need to use this chance to land a decisive blow on him," Veles said.
The sound of glass shattering intermixed with the booming sound of thunder above them.
"But how? In this world, only Ascendants can override another Ascendant, right?" Issei asked.
"Aniki, what's going on?" Mitsuki asked, slicing into another one of the shades. She clicked her tongue when the shade reformed itself, going back on the offensive.
"Veles is asking us to land a blow on Perun but I don't know how." Issei gathered black flames into his fist and punched a hole in the shade.
The shade dispersed into golden dust.
"Well, we better think of something fast," she replied.
"You have the ability to. You just need an opening. You and that girl with the Divine Key," Veles explained.
"Me?"
"Let me explain. In a Pleroma, you are within the entirety of an Ascendant. Thus, harming the world around you harms the Ascendant to an extent but not permanently, unless you use a Boundary. You have to use her Boundary."
Mastema…? Can we?
"With Megiddo, we should be able to pull it off but we need Perun to condense into a form that we can hit. Otherwise, if we use it fully, we'll just incinerate everything, including your friends," Mastema answered.
"Veles, can we force Perun to condense?" Issei asked.
"If he does change his Pleroma's form, then we can. In this state, it's too dangerous for you to use Megiddo. I think that's what you're planning to use," Veles replied.
"Yeah… the flames will kill everyone," Issei said.
"Fine then, leave the push to me. I'll handle forcing Perun's Pleroma into a Tzimtzum state. But be careful, once I start pushing, the entirety of the world around you will feel like it's fighting against everything."
Issei nodded as Veles's voice disappeared from his head.
"What is it?" Mitsuki asked.
"Veles will force Perun to change his Pleroma. That way, we can find a way to land a hit. Otherwise, in this state…"
"Those black flames you used on Beelzebub will burn all of us. Got it. But I guess that's all we have for now. Ingvi! Rin!" Mitsuki ordered.
"What is it?" Irina asked.
Ingvild landed next to them.
"Irina. Work with Issei. If Divine Keys are really fragments of a Boundary, then it should be able to kill these golden shades too. Ingvild, work with Rossweisse, Akeno, and Rias to form a mobile defensive line. Otherwise, we'll get swarmed," Mitsuki said.
"And me?" Vali asked, hovering above them.
"You heard that?" Mitsuki looked up.
"I happen to be nearby," he replied.
"Work with Issei and Irina. Those two are the only ones with weapons that can permanently kill these things," Mitsuki said.
Vali glanced over to his rival, who gripped Veles's Spear tightly in his hand. He then turned back to Mitsuki and nodded.
"Come on, Hyoudou. We're pushing forward so don't slow me down," Vali said.
"No need to tell me twice, Jackass," Issei replied.
"Look at you two. Red Dragon and White Dragon being best friends already. Everyone has their roles. Now move!" Mitsuki barked.
Fighting with his Pleroma against another Ascendant. It had been centuries since he had done that and that last time was just a spar against Ereshkigal. Of course, to anyone who wasn't an Ascendant, what this looked like was merely two oceans actively fighting against each other.
However for Veles, who could clearly visualize Perun's entirety, it was just like any other form of combat.
Green auroras flew across the sky, striking against Perun's golden aura waves. The collisions caused waves to resonate across the entirety of Asgard, distorting the structure of Yggdrasil and causing the entirety of the nine Nordic realms to shake violently.
"You…! You!" Perun swung his hammer at Veles.
Veles ducked underneath the swing and countered with a hard jab to the underside of Perun's chin.
The blow sent Perun stumbling back, causing the world to shake.
"RAAAGGGHHH!" Perun's roar of fury echoed through the world.
Below, his legion fought, exchanging fire with the others.
He and Veles vanished in a burst of speed.
The only trace of their presence were the numerous thunderous blows that shook the entirety of the world.
Their blows destroyed and recreated their immediate surroundings.
His hammer swings, which were imperceptible to others, were being parried and countered by Veles.
He gritted his teeth.
No! Not again! Why!? WHY!? I AM THE SUPREME GOD! I will not lose to someone as pathetic as this God! Perun seethed.
Golden light condensed around his hammer and he swung it. The swing arced across the air, shattering space and time in its wake.
It slammed into something hard.
Perun's eyes widened in fury.
Veles was blocking the hammer with his forearm, holding it back. The carapace-like pauldron had slight cracks on it from the sheer weight of the hammer.
"You…! Why can't you just lay down and die!?" Perun spat.
"I can't. And I won't. I made a promise to her that I would continue to live. That alone will be enough to drive me forward. What kind of man would I be if I let the woman I love down?" Veles replied.
"Khhh… that damned Angel… if only she submitted! Luci-"
Perun's face snapped to the side. The sound of his jaw shattering violently echoed in his ears.
Veles's arm was stretched forward. His eyes were blazing with fury. "I won't let her name leave that filthy mouth of yours."
Perun was suddenly barraged with a volley of blows. The speed at which he threw them were greater than what Perun could keep up with. And the God was being overwhelmed. However, by some stroke of luck, he blocked the next attack.
"You… I'll kill you!" Perun unleashed a powerful golden aura that threw Veles back. The aura swirled, causing his Pleroma to distort. Golden lightning crackled around his body. "I refuse to suffer more humiliation from an insect like you!"
Perun threw his arms out. In an instant, the world began to contract around him. The golden sky appeared as if it were being sucked in by a vacuum. The golden pulses, began to move inward toward Perun and the golden shades all turned their heads.
"This is…"
The shades began to pile on top of each other, swarming and reaching toward Perun. The staggering size of the now squirming mountain of bodies only grew and grew.
Veles prepared himself as Perun's Pleroma fully contracted into his body, yet the effects on the world remained.
Perun, himself, was now nearly completely encased in the golden shades.
"Vyrai - Perkunas!"
A burst of light engulfed all of Asgard, bathing the entire realm in a golden glow.
The glow quickly died down, revealing a massive, impossibly large skeleton that towered over even Asgard's famed walls. A gargantuan golden skeleton that emitted the same molten gold light through the Atmosphere. The skeleton let out an ear-piercing bellow that sent waves of terror to anyone who could hear it. Its mere presence was devouring the world.
A living moving cancer.
"Tzimtzum… there it is…," Veles said, floating before the massive skeleton.
"W- What is that?" Issei muttered.
"That's a Tzimtzum. A Contraction of a Pleroma into another form. Pleromas can be deployed as entire worlds, expansions of the Ascendant but that's not the only way. A Pleroma is an expression of an Ascendant's entirety… this is merely another method of that expression. In this state, the Pleroma's form might not be that of a world yet its world-altering effects are still the same.
"How nostalgic. I haven't seen such strong brush strokes in a long time," Mastema mused.
"That gigantic thing… is still a Pleroma? Tch, that skeleton is just Perun's Pleroma condensed," Issei said.
"Issei."
"Veles?" Issei said.
"Now's your chance. In this state, Perun's no longer omnipresent. You need to crack Perkunas's defenses in order to land your decisive blow," Veles said.
"Easier said than done," Issei said.
"Don't worry. I'll back you up," Veles said.
As soon as he said that, a tune echoed through Asgard. The iridescent auroras snaked their way toward the skeleton, striking it.
The skeleton let out a roar before charging at them.
"Aniki, is this what we were waiting for?" Mitsuki asked, gripping her katana tightly.
"Yeah, Veles said he's going to help us. All we need to do is land the blow with his spear on Perun," Issei confirmed.
"You know, Kid, we're not the Seven Evils so… this is going to be a bit difficult," Azazel said, staring at the skeletal monstrosity before them.
"Still, we have to try."
Azazel sighed and nodded. "Barry. We gotta clear the way for these kids. No doubt, Perun will notice us trying to scale that thing."
"An insurmountable task if I do say so myself, Azazel. Fighting Big Sister during the Great War wasn't enough for you?" Baraqiel asked, charging lightning into his fists.
"I guess no matter how hard I try, I'll always end up fighting one. Ise, we'll go ahead of you. Veles has Perun preoccupied right now so Baraqiel and I will plow through whatever shades spawn out of that thing."
Issei nodded.
And with that, the two flew off at high speeds toward the skeleton.
Issei braced himself as an explosion of light ruptured the skies above. He turned to see a hail of light spears peppering one of Perun's arms. The spears were followed up by a barrage of golden lightning.
"Keep pushing!" Mitsuki yelled.
Scaling Perun's Pleroma was easier said than done. Even with their ability to fly, this thing was so massive that it made the entirety of Asgard look like a city made with lego blocks. Each step it made caused the ground to crack and shake under its immense weight.
"Tch! Even up here! These things won't leave us…" Mitsuki flipped into the air, slicing into a shade as she did so. "ALONE!"
She sheathed her katana as a group of shades swarmed her. Her eyes turned red as she flipped the katana out of its scabbard with her thumb.
"Mangetsu."
A flash of red lightning shot through the swarm, slicing them in half.
"Let's go before they reform."
She took off from her spot.
Everyone else nodded and followed after her.
It was a vicious exchange of blows against an undying foe. Well, mostly undying, however, even with Issei's Megiddo and Irina's Malkuth, the enemy remained steadfast and moving forward.
"Mii!"
Issei thrust Veles's spear forward, impaling one of the shades. It dispersed into golden dust.
"Tch! We won't make it up to Perun's skull at this point," Mitsuki said, staring at the distance they had between the elbow and the shoulder.
"Can't you just teleport me up there?" Issei asked.
Mitsuki's Precision activated as she scanned the area around Perun's skull.
"It's too far. My instant teleportation only takes me short distances. Anything further needs an actual magic circle. That's why I can't just teleport to the Underworld like how I usually do in a fight," she said.
"Then, how are we supposed to?" Issei asked. "There's too many of them. We're going to get overwhelmed at this rate."
"Allow me to help then."
A voice echoed from behind them.
A series of vines and trees erupted from the ground, quickly capturing and restraining the golden shades around them. The trees grew and grew the more the shades struggled until they were completely encased in wood and other plant life.
"Wha…? What is this?" Rias asked.
They turned around to see Mokosh holding her hand out. The woman's golden eyes were glowing brightly.
"L- Lady Mokosh? I thought you evacuated with Lord Odin!?" Rias said.
"I was… but when Veles came back, I followed after. This is a problem within our Pantheon and… my own problem as well. It's only right that I fix it," Mokosh said.
The group looked at her with some suspicion in their eyes before conceding.
"Can you help us tear a path up to Perun's skull?" Issei asked.
Mokosh looked up toward the sky.
"Yes. Killing these shades are useless so I can use my Authority to restrain them for the duration of the fight," Mokosh replied.
"Then, let's-"
The sound of Issei's voice was drowned out by an intensely loud screeching noise.
The skeleton's jaw unlocked and opened as golden energy began to gather at the center of the skeleton's mouth. Golden energy began to seep out of the wood Mokosh had summoned, quickly pooling into a flickering golden orb that floated at the center of its mouth.
The sky darkened and it fired a highly destructive beam of golden and black energy at Veles.
The beam ripped through the sky, leaving a visible hole in reality in its wake. The beam struck Veles's Pleroma causing it to ripple violently. The auroras created by Veles's sky darkened briefly before resuming their discordant tune in a more violent manner.
"You need to move. Perun and Veles will destroy all the Nine Norse Realms in a matter of minutes. You'll all be thrown into the Dimensional Gap at that point," Mastema warned.
"We need to go," Issei said.
Everyone nodded and charged forward.
"Hmm~? Perun, are you really going all out against your own brother?"
Leviathan dangled her legs playfully over the walls, gazing upon a ruined Asgard. Perun's gargantuan cosmic skeleton rampaged within Veles's unending fields. As an outside observer of the Pleroma, Veles's Pleroma only encompassed half of Asgard, yet she knew its interior was larger than what it made itself look.
After all, she had experienced her fair share of Pleromas.
"But from the looks of it." Leviathan's gaze focused on Veles's glowing form. "Veles hasn't gotten overtly serious yet. Ahh~, how this must rub you the wrong way. Your jealousy sure is delicious~! But… what are you going to do about the bugs making their way up to your head, I wonder?"
Her poisonous yellow eyes then gazed upon Issei and Mitsuki's group, rapidly making their way up Perun's skeletal avatar.
"But why do I care if you lose... I'm not rooting for you anyway. Though, I am rooting for you to win, Ise. I wonder just how much you've grown since you sold me your soul~," she said, licking her lips in anticipation.
"We're almost there! We just need to-"
All of a sudden, lightning struck the ground in front of them.
"You didn't think I wouldn't notice a bunch of bugs crawling on me?"
A wispy image of Perun appeared in front of them.
"If you did, then why didn't you…?" Rias asked.
"What fun would that be? Did you think Veles had me completely distracted? I could sense all of you but I decided that none of you were worth my effort. But here you are. I guess I could spare some effort in killing all of you," Perun answered.
"Perun, please. Stop this," Mokosh said, stepping forward.
"So… you're with them? Whatever, once we're done, I'll teach you what happens when you disobey me," Perun said casually.
Fear manifested on Mokosh's face as she shook in her spot, gripping her arm tightly.
Issei, noticing this, stepped forward and stood defensively between the Goddess and Perun.
"You're disgusting. Treating women like they're some kind of toy for you to throw away after you're bored," Issei growled.
"And are you any different? Do you see these women around you as more than targets for sexual conquest? Face it, boy. For all your noble posturing, you're the same as me. You're just better at hiding it, ahahaha!" Perun cackled.
Issei grinded his teeth and gripped Veles's spear tightly. Black flames began to flicker and gather around the spear.
"Oh? Did that rile you up? Well, then boy! Let's see what kind of face you'll make when I take all these women from you-"
"Shut up!" Issei roared.
His eyes glowed brightly. A violet, broken halo, resembling curved horns, appeared on his head.
!? A Crown!? Perun thought.
He thrust the spear forward, unleashing a violent torrent of black flames.
The flames seared a path across the bone before slamming into the skull.
The skeleton stumbled, nearly falling over from the impact.
"That's…" Mokosh gasped, staring at the flickering halo on Issei's head. She thinned her lips into a line.
"Wha…? That… You! She's here, isn't she!?" Perun said.
The skeleton roared and raised one of its arms. Its hand flew at high speeds, attempting to swat Issei and the others.
"You damned Fallen Angel!" he snarled.
Before it could hit, a green distortion of light struck the arm, knocking it off course.
"Kid! What are you waiting for!?" Azazel yelled. "MOVE!"
Issei stood dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events.
"Aniki! This is the final stretch! Now!" Mitsuki urged.
Issei nodded.
They charged forward as Perun summoned an increasing number of shades to stop them while trying to squash them. However, Veles's advance made that effort incredibly futile on his part.
The Slavic God of the Underworld had Perun completely preoccupied as his Pleroma struck blow after blow on Perun's skeletal avatar.
And even with his army of resurrected shades, Mokosh had taken care of a large number of them by encasing them in wood. Yet, for all her effort, the more she encased, the more came to replace them.
However, they were undeterred in their charge.
A series of various lights lit up Perun's arm, temporarily breaking a hole in the seemingly endless swarm.
"There… an opening! Akeno-senpai! Boost me!" Issei said.
"Right! Ise-kun, come here-"
"Akeno! Behind you!" Mitsuki shouted as she sliced past another shade.
Akeno turned around a split second too late.
A massive golden shade resembling a muscular elderly man towered over her. He gripped a massive battle-axe in his hand that was wreathed in crimson flames. With surprising speed, he swung his axe at Akeno.
At their distance, dodging it would be impossible for her even with the speed she was granted due to being Rias's Queen.
"Senpai!" Issei ran toward her in a vain effort to reach her in time.
Damn! I won't-! Ddraig! Issei yelled.
[We won't make it in time, Partner. Even with the boosters!] Ddraig replied.
Mastema! Take my body-
Issei's plea was cut short as a shadow darted at Akeno, knocking her aside. The axe swung downward, sending a spray of blood through the air.
He halted to a stop when he saw who it was.
"Akeno's… old man?" Issei gasped.
"Wh- Wha…? Why did you…?" Akeno stared in horror at the sight.
Baraqiel stood in front of her, struggling to keep himself upright. A jagged diagonal wound stretched across his entire torso. Blood poured profusely out of the wound. He glanced over at his daughter with a weak smile on his face.
"I've already lost Shuri… I can't lose you too," Baraqiel rasped.
"No… w- wait…"
The Shade raised its axe once more. However, before it could finish the job, a series of vines erupted from the ground, trapping it in a vice grip. The Shade struggled as it tried to break free, however, no matter how hard it tried to burn the vines, the vines only wrapped tighter.
"Asia! We need a medic!" Issei yelled as he caught Baraqiel before he could hit the ground.
"Oppai Dragon…," Baraqiel said.
"Stop talking! Asia, we need you here!" Issei screamed.
Akeno crawled forward, shakily reaching her hand toward her estranged father's face. Tears streamed down her face as she took his hand and held it tightly. Baraqiel was surprised by this action and smiled. He gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Akeno… now's not the time to fall apart…"
"I'm here!" Asia said. She sent a wave of green light toward Baraqiel, and his wounds began to slowly close.
"Issei, go. I'll handle things from here," Asia said.
"Are you-"
"I'll keep them off her, Ise-kun. We have a battle to win so don't fall apart just yet," Yuuto said, landing next to her.
Issei closed his eyes before nodding. He handed Baraqiel over to Asia, who gently laid him on the ground while Issei took off into the fray.
"Why…?"
Baraqiel, along with Asia and Yuuto, turned to Akeno. Her bangs hid her eyes as she gripped Baraqiel's hand tightly. Her tears flowed freely down her face. "Why? Did you do that? I… hate you… I spent years of my life despising and cursing you! So why… why didn't you just let me die?"
"Even if you hate me, Akeno. Even if you wished for me to die. I could never let anything happen to you. There hasn't been a day that has gone by where I haven't thought of you… or your mother," Baraqiel said.
Akeno stared at her father through teary eyes. "I… I never wanted this to happen… I just wanted the three of us to be happy! But when Mom died, I was so angry! Angry at everything. Angry at myself… I was so weak… I couldn't even save her! Even when I had these wings! I just needed someone to hate! But even when I wanted to… no matter what… I could never really hate you, Dad. Maybe it would have been easier if you hated me for being such a weak child…"
Baraqiel smiled and petted his daughter's head softly. "Akeno, I can never hate you. Even if you curse me or wished for my death, I will always love you."
"Dad… I…" Akeno's emotional walls broke as she sobbed loudly into her father's hand.
"I'm sorry..."
"Aniki! On your left!"
Mitsuki darted toward Issei and sliced apart a draconic shade. She landed with a roll and continued charging forward.
"Almost there! Ddraig! When we get there, I'm going to boost as many times as I can!" Issei said.
[Understood, Partner! But remember your limit-]
"Screw my limits! If we don't beat him now, we'll all die!" Issei replied.
[Heh… I haven't felt this excited since Belzard fought a White Dragon Emperor in his old age! Very well then, Partner! No matter what, I'm with you.]
Issei grinned.
[Boost]
His speed increased. In front of him, a streak of blue followed by a torrent of water swept aside the shades.
"Hyoudou! Forget about the shades! Leviathan and I will handle it," Vali said.
"Ise, don't die on us," Ingvild called out.
"Irina! Can you cut through the skull with Malkuth?" Issei asked as they pushed forward.
"I can try with Mankai!" Irina replied.
"That's not a very reassuring answer, Rin," Mitsuki replied.
"Then, I guess we'll just have to leave it up to luck then."
"There!" Issei yelled. "Give me some time!"
Issei dug his feet into the ground and reared his arm back.
Mastema… now's the time, Issei said.
"Alright, now focus. Gather Megiddo into the Spear's tip. This spear is already Veles's Boundary in a physical form so Megiddo won't have much effect on it. Just focus on condensing the flames around the tip as much as you can," Mastema instructed.
[Partner. Are you and Mastema ready?] Ddraig asked.
"Yeah," Issei said.
[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]
"No!"
The three heard Perun's voice echo around them.
Mitsuki and Irina looked up to see an opening appear in the skull. Perun hovered at the center of a golden starry expanse contained within the skull. "As if I would let you finish that attack!"
He pointed his hammer at Issei and fired a bolt of golden lightning at him.
"Shit! Aniki-"
Irina rushed forward, knocking Issei aside. Before the bolt could strike her, she raised Malkuth and blocked the attack. The blast sent her flying.
"Irina!" Mitsuki yelled.
"Mii! Perun! Go! I'm almost done! Keep him from going back inside!" Issei yelled.
Mitsuki's jaw tightened, and she nodded. She vanished from her spot, teleporting above Perun. Her blazing red eyes stared right into Perun's golden one. Red lightning crackled around her katana as she swung it at his throat.
However, as her attack was about to connect, Mitsuki watched in horror as her blade shattered before her eyes.
"Heh… ahaha! How ironic! A swordsman's sword breaking at the most crucial moment in battle! It makes me want to pity you." Perun threw his hand forward and gripped Mitsuki by the throat.
She struggled and kicked against his grip. Her red eyes stared defiantly into his gold ones.
"What a nice look. But I'll have you submitting soon enough, little girl."
"No…" Mitsuki's eyes widened in terror as his other hand reached toward her. Lightning began to pour from her body. Her hair began to turn silver in response to her fear.
"Oh? What's this-"
A bolt of yellow lightning suddenly struck Perun in the head, piercing one of his eyes. The God roared in pain, allowing Mitsuki to break free from his grip. She looked over her shoulder and saw Akeno standing next to Issei with her hands raised.
Taking advantage of this, she jammed her broken katana into his other eye before jumping into the air.
"You… bitch!" Perun snarled, swinging his arm wildly. The skull's opening began to close rapidly.
No! I need to… keep it open but how-!
"Mii!"
Mitsuki glanced over her shoulder. Irina threw Malkuth at Mitsuki.
She raised her hand and caught the blade, feeling an intense sensation run through her. It felt like an electrical jolt traveling through all her nerves at the same time. She gripped the blade tightly.
So… this is what it feels like to hold a piece of a Boundary.
The blade's color changed from red to violet. Mitsuki kicked off the air behind her and spun, performing a powerful half-arced slash at Perun.
"Kage-no-Tsuki!" she yelled.
A cutting wave of lightning sliced through the world, cleaving the skull in half. Perun coughed up a considerable amount of blood as a massive wound appeared in his abdomen, effectively disemboweling him.
Mitsuki landed on the ground.
"Aniki! NOW!" Mitsuki yelled, watching as Perun's wounds began to heal.
"Way ahead of you!" Issei yelled.
Perun's eyes widened when he saw Issei above him. There was a glowing violet light in his hand.
"Thanks, Ddraig! Mastema! I think I know what to call this finishing move!" Issei cocked his arm back. With a powerful battle cry, Issei threw the spear.
The air cracked as a veritable black and violet comet flew from Issei's hand.
[Armageddon Smasher!]
Perun barely had enough time to defend himself as the attack bulldozed into him, shattering the skull of his Pleroma. The burst of energy shattered apart the sky, leaving a massive hole in space. The comet traveled at high speeds, plowing through the ground and eventually slamming into Asgard's Walls. The high-speed impact ripped an entire section of the walls apart, causing the rubble to fall on top of Perun.
"He… did it!" Azazel said, watching the Pleroma beginning to fall apart.
Veles let out a sigh of relief. Cracks began to spread across the skies of his Pleroma. Shards fell and faded into sparkling green lights as the discordant tune began to die down. "Ellie… you're watching over that boy. Aren't you?" His mind flashed back to an image of a violet Crown manifesting on Issei's head.
Meanwhile, Issei plummeted toward the ground. His stamina had been completely spent. He couldn't even lift a finger or summon his Balance Breaker.
However, before he could hit the ground, he felt something soft cushion his fall.
"Mii…?" Issei called out.
"Sorry to disappoint, Ise-kun. But Mii's preoccupied right now. You're not upset with me catching you, right?"
Issei's eyes shot open and he saw the warm violet eyes of Akeno staring into his. "Akeno…."
"It's okay, Ise-kun. You can rest now," Akeno said, spreading her wings to slow their descent. The two landed on the ground and Akeno gently laid him on the ground, resting his head on his lap.
"Wow… a lap pillow. I can die happy now," Issei said, grinning.
Akeno smiled and stroked his hair. "I love you, Ise-kun…"
"Eh?"
Akeno giggled then leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. "I'll be waiting for you."
"Ise!"
"Aniki!"
Issei turned his head and saw Irina and Mitsuki running toward him. They were followed by everyone else. Mitsuki slid to a stop, seeing the smile on his face.
"I lived, Mii," he said.
"Yeah, because of me," she replied.
"Issei."
They all turned to see Veles walking toward them with Baraqiel and Azazel in tow. Veles had a proud smile on his face.
"Hey, kiddo, you beat up an Ascendant. How's it feel?" Azazel asked.
"Like I went 10 rounds with a bear on crack," Issei replied. "Everything hurts."
[It's only natural. You overused Boost and your Boundary. Everything's going to be tender for a few days.] Ddraig said.
"Haha, come on, Ddraig, don't scare me like that," Issei laughed. Upon doing so, he winced, feeling an intense pain shoot through his gut.
Everyone else laughed. However, that laughter was cut short when they heard something coming from the rubble.
Veles immediately moved in front of them, calling his Spear to his hand.
A burst of golden energy blew the rubble away, sending powerful bursts of wind through the entirety of Asgard.
"How… is he still?" Rias asked.
Issei clenched his jaw, glaring at the figure that was standing in the middle of the rubble.
Perun panted heavily. His wounds closed slowly, though some of them were not healing. There was a jagged scar running across his torso along with several burn marks across his arms and chest. His hair was ragged and singed from the heat of the flames.
"You… You insolent…" He began. His face was twisted with fury and indignation. "This is far from over. This time, I'll-"
Perun suddenly stiffened. His words died in his mouth.
Veles raised an eyebrow before immediately going on high alert. He slammed his Spear on the ground, summoning a massive barrier of translucent black water around Issei and the others.
"V- Veles! What's going on-"
Issei's eyes widened when he sensed it. This… This sensation… He began to shake in Akeno's hold. The girl looked at him worriedly before looking back at the standoff.
"Oh dear. Perun, I can't believe you lost. I guess all that posturing you did in front of Bakunawa was nothing but hot air."
Azazel narrowed his eyes. "That voice…" He slowly looked up and took a slight step back when he saw her.
Everyone followed his gaze. Issei's eyes widened when he saw her. "T- That woman… she's the one who…"
Mitsuki's eyes widened when she heard the words come out of Issei's mouth. "That's her?"
Leviathan sat atop a mountain of rubble. Her head was on her hand and her legs were crossed. She had a playful smile on her face as she gazed nonchalantly at them. Her eyes slowly moved their gaze upon Issei and her smile grew wider. She raised her hand and greeted him with a wave.
"Hi~! It's been a while, hasn't it, Ise~?"
Blacklight File: #?
File Name: Pleroma
Classification: Unknown
Addendum: On the topic of Pleromas, data we've gathered shows a term called a Tzimtzum. I think it's quite obvious that someone familiar with Kabbalistic Terms came up with this name because it means "Contraction". Unironically, it fits because it is the contraction of a Pleromas initially boundless state into something else. Though, our only recorded example is data gathered by Team Lunar Raven in their fight against Perun. The transformation of an entire metaphysical cosmic battlefield into a cosmic skeleton was a treasure trove of data on Pleromas. With this, hopefully, we can gather and learn more about them in the future.
Master Smith: I wonder though, what are the conditions for a Pleroma to achieve a Tzimtzum state? There's so many things about Ascendants we don't know about.
Blacklight File: #00000000000000000000000000000001
File Name: The First Ascendants
Classification: Historical Data
The First Ascendant is commonly now accepted as the Infinite Dragon God, Ophis. However, the first recorded Ascendants were seven ancient deities that existed in ancient times. Though, there are discrepancies between who exactly were among these. It is commonly known now from information gathered from Lord Brahma that the original First Seven are El, Brahma, Athirat, Nuwa, Ananke, Ymir, and Viracocha. While it is unknown where the other three are, Brahma is currently with the Hindu Deities while Ymir has been long since deceased along with Viracocha and Athirat, following an altercation with an unknown entity.