HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY!
Hope your Christmas wishes come true because I'm betting this new chapter is one of them! This will be the semifinal chapter of the Premonitions Arc with the next chapter in 2024 being the final part of that arc before moving on to the next one. This chapter will be one giant lore bomb featuring the Darksiders characters that will reveal more about the universe I have made for this fic. Hope you all take the time to read through it and enjoy it.
For those of you who have been concerned about my job in the last author's notes, things have become better as I have been moved to the Deli position. I feel much more appreciated in that department but still plan on moving on eventually. Thank you all for your kind words to help me though this chapter of my life.
DOOM, My Hero Academia, and Darksiders belong to their respective owners. I do not own either of them.
Beta-read by Zeroth17.
Chapter 30
The Reliquary
IRELAND-DUBLIN AIRPORT
Mirai Sasaki's tired eyes scanned the message on his phone for the umpteenth time. Since his flight was delayed for a few minutes, he sat on a vacant seat in the waiting area and poured over the information sent to him last night. Things were not looking good over in Japan. I-Island had been utterly decimated, the Steel Sabers had been annihilated, forty-eight Pro Heroes had been incapacitated, and All Might could only maintain his enhanced state for one hour a day due to burning through a tremendous amount of One for All.
And the perpetrator was a single Vigilante. How was it possible that one man could do so much damage in a single night? But that was a rhetorical question. The pictures, information, and security camera footage the HPSC and Principal Nezu had sent him were some of the most horrifying things he had seen in his entire life. Each one consisted of the Vigilante dismembering the Sabers in savagely creative ways while utilizing weaponry that looked far too advanced to be made. The man was also in possession of a fully sentient AI if that could be believed.
But what made him extremely dangerous was that he was stronger than All Might and held himself back during their entire fight. This was a worst-case scenario. Even if the Vigilante still showed mercy, it did nothing to erase Nighteye's creeping fear over the situation. That psychopath was still out there and there was no way to know what his next move was. At first, Nighteye believed that this could very well be the man who would lead All Might down to the inevitable path of being killed by a dangerous Villain in his vision. But he dashed those thoughts away when he rationalized that if it were true, Mirai would've seen the Vigilante in his vision.
But he didn't.
Nighteye's Foresight had always been a hundred percent accurate. So why couldn't he see the Vigilante in All Might's future? The subject reminded him of what happened to Ragdoll after she tried to use Scan on the Vigilante: instantaneous mental instability. The photos Nezu sent him of the scrawlings she made on the wall sent a chill down his spine. He scrolled through his photos until he came upon the bloody symbol of the Vigilante along with his grotesque message. Mirai had been studying that symbol non-stop last night when he received the photos. At first glance, one would assume the Vigilante made that symbol up in his head and it didn't mean a thing. But Miria's intuition was telling him that there was more to this symbol than meets the eye and he knew some contacts of his that could help decipher the smaller symbols arranged around the main one. What perplexed him was Tomoko scrawling that same symbol on the wall when she had never set foot on I-Island. How could she have known beforehand? Perhaps the Vigilante's suit had a defense system that affects those with mental-type Quirks. He needed more information before he could make that assumption, however.
Glancing up from his phone, Nighteye saw everyone in the waiting area glued to a large screen monitor watching a news report about I-Island. Nighteye grimaced, knowing I-Island's collapse would plunge the economy into a freefall. Another cause for concern was that the League of Villains was involved with the Sabers, meaning that All for One was making his move. But that move had more than likely failed due to interference from the Vigilante; making the man a target for AFO's agents. This would result in innocent people getting dragged into the crossfire between the Vigilante and the LOV if that was the case.
He heard an announcement on the intercom that his flight was now boarding. Sir Nighteye sighed as he put away his phone and picked up his briefcase. The two and a half months he spent here was unfortunately a wasted effort. The European branch of the HPSC had asked for his assistance in searching for a missing Pro Hero named Sham-Rocker. The Hero had been missing since April, and the HPSC of Europe highly requested Mirai to aid in the search. Regrettably, the trail had gone completely cold. Nighteye couldn't find any leads despite his detective skills and insistence that he could find a clue somewhere down the line. But after two months of zero progress, the European HPSC reluctantly called off the search, much to the devastation of Sham-Rocker's family.
It hurt Mirai to break the news to the family. If he had more time, he would have been able to locate him or at least discover a clue. He pleaded with the HPSC to give him more time but they could not spare any more resources or money to continue with the search. As much as Sir Nighteye wanted to stay, he needed to head back to Japan and ascertain the damage done to Yagi as well as conduct an investigation into the Vigilante.
As he went over to the line of passengers, he never noticed the two winged figures that were invisible to him darting through the air past the windows...
IRELAND-GLANDORE, COUNTY CORK
DROMBERG STONE CIRCLE
After a mere half an hour of flying, Uriel and Usiel finally arrived at their destination: a simple dirt path with short cobblestone walls and shrubbery on each side. They walked down the pathway until they came upon an axial stone circle in the middle of a large field offering a magnificent view of the Irish countryside as the afternoon sun shone down upon the landscape. They entered the clearing, taking note that they weren't the first ones there. Azrael was present; standing near the stones while gazing upon the valley in the background. The two Archangels approached Azreal who turned to them and smiled.
"Brother, Sister. It's good to see you came." The Angel of Death greeted, happy to see his siblings.
"As are we." Uriel replied, she and her brother returned their brother's welcoming smile with their own. She surveyed their surroundings for any prying eyes. "Are we...?"
"You needn't worry. A ward has been placed around the area; no one will see us, hear us, or come near this area." Azrael assured.
"Have you been waiting long for us?" Usiel asked.
"Hardly. I've been waiting for the others to arrive." Azrael answered.
Before Uriel could ask who her brother was talking about, a smoky, green and white portal materialized a few feet away from them. The Archangels did not draw their weapons since they already knew who it was. Emerging from the portal were the Four Horsemen atop their steeds; the ominous clopping of hoofs fueling the foreboding atmosphere. The horses stopped as the Riders dismounted, each steed disappearing in their unique way. Despair dissipated into a mist-like cloud, Ruin vanished in a burst of flames, Rampage blinked away in a bright flash, and Mayhem dissolved into dust which blew away.
"Azrael. It has been a while." Death greeted as he walked up to the Archangel, having to crane his neck upwards due to the being's height.
"Likewise." Azrael bowed his head.
"Death, meet the Angel of Death!" Strife jumped in between the two. "Angel of Death, this is Death! Or have you already met?"
"Not now." The two deadpanned together.
"Great. What did they use to call it, stereo?" Strife pouted as he sulked away.
"Childish humor aside, it has been too long since we last met." War said as he and Uriel shook hands.
"Quite." Uriel agreed. "I believe the last time we all saw each other was during the End War."
"It was millennia ago but it felt like yesterday. And yet none of us have changed a bit since then." Fury remarked as she flashed Usiel a sultry grin. "Except for you, dear Usiel. Look at all of those rings under your eyes."
Usiel appeared confused. "You are aware that we Angels can't age, do you?"
"Sometimes your kind can't take a joke." Fury sighed.
"Let's focus back on the matter at hand." Death spoke before anyone else got off track. "Have you come here to review the Helix Stone?"
"Yes. This was per the orders of the Prime Council." Uriel answered. "Are we to assume you are here on behalf of the Eternal Balance?"
"Yup. But we gotta wait for Ulthane to buzz us in." As soon as Strife said that, blue glowing runes appeared on the stone as they began to vibrate. Light shot out from the runes and zipped around the center of the circle before forming a large, oval-shaped white portal that shimmered like water. "Boy, talk about good timing."
The Archangels and the Horsemen entered the portal and once they had all gone through, the entryway vanished along with the runes. Silence returned to the area as if nothing happened at all.
THE RELIQUARY
TWO HUNDRED FIFTY MILES BENEATH THE EARTH'S SURFACE
The group exited the portal and stepped upon a hexagonal stone platform with four massive boulders hovering above it. The boulders were carved into abstract shapes and had runes that were aglow but soon dimmed as the portal shrunk into itself. They crossed the long stone bridge that led into a series of winding hallways lit by torches along with red-colored carpets with gold trimmings.
They walked through the corridor, took a right, and entered what could be only described as the mother of all libraries. Rows upon rows of bookcases stretched on for what seemed like forever; each book was written in a different language, contained tales of Earth's lost history before the End War, and even held detailed encyclopedias about the Gods as well as other races across the universe. But it did not stop there: the walls themselves were also lined with tomes, grimoires, spellbooks, ancient stories, and more reached as high up as the ceiling.
"Do you guys think the Crowfather has time to read all this?" Strife asked absentmindedly.
"You should ask him." Death responded.
They left the library and entered another hallway where they followed the sounds of clanging that got louder as they progressed. Taking another series of lefts and rights, the Horsemen and the Archangels entered an expansive, primeval forge. It was a circular area with a flowing river of molten slag on one side and a stream of running, crystal-clear water on the other. Racks lined with dozens of exotic weapons hung from the walls surrounding the forge. The ceiling had luminescent crystalline stalactites which acted as the room's natural light. In the back of the large room were five towering stones adorned with foreboding faces carved into them and covered in vines; numerous lit candles were placed around them.
In the center of the room was a single being methodically slamming a smithing hammer upon a large anvil. Sensing the other's arrival, he ceased his work and placed the hammer back on the anvil before turning around. The being in question was seventeen feet tall with an incredibly broad body shape and almost the size of a small house. His arms and legs were as big and thick as fully grown tree trunks. His hands could easily engulf a regular person's head and his feet were strong enough to leave footprints in the hardest of metals. Blue tattoos covered his heavily muscled arms and abdomen that appeared to be a mix of different ethnic origins; namely Scottish, Irish, Celtic, Norse, and Germanic. He wore dark pants and steel shoes with metal plates along his feet. His brown blacksmith apron had dozens of pockets and was held up by a hefty leather belt with a large gold buckle with a blue Celtic triad symbol emblazoned in the center.
His right hand was covered in leather straps while his left wrist was wrapped in chains. There was a circular shield buckler tied to the chains bearing the same symbol on his belt buckle. His shoulder armor added to his intimidating appearance while a navy blue hood scarf was wrapped around his neck. Speaking of intimidating, his face was vaguely human: stocky and wide with a flat nose and pointed ears. He had a slight underbite with two canines poking up from behind his lower lip. His hair (done up in a ponytail), sideburns, and short bearn were an auburn color while his eyes were a mystifying blue and white.
This being was part of the Jotnar: a race of massive, powerful humanoids that existed alongside Man during the First Age. Whereas humanity were the children of the Creator, the Jotnar were the children of Danu. The Four Horsemen approached the Jotunn while the Archangels stayed near the entrance.
"Ulthane." Death greeted. The atmosphere between the Nephilim and the Jotun was unnaturally hostile.
"Yew got a lotta nerve, showin' yer faces round ' here..." Ulthane growled in a heavy Scottish accent as he towered over them. The Angels tensed up as the Horsemen glared at Ulthane, slowly inching their hands to their weapons. Even though the Riders were demigods, a Jotunn could easily match them in raw strength alone. A few tense seconds passed...
"Pfffffffffff-BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Aw, ahm just messin' wit ye!" Ulthane loudly laughed. "How ya been, laddies?"
The Horsemen relaxed in response. "You do this every time we meet, Ulthane." War said tiredly.
"Wots a little chummy banter b'tween friends, aye?" Ulthane humorously reasoned. "B'sides, all o' yew end up gettin' ready fer a brawl when ah pull tha' stunt every time so we're both bloody guilty."
"You make it sound so convincing!" Strife reasoned, playfully slugging Ulthane in the arm. The Jotunn showed no reaction to the non-threatening hit; let alone even flinch.
"You know, Ulthane, if you truly wish to test your mettle against us, we'd be more than welcome to oblige you." Fury challenged Ulthane, albeit in a sassy tone to indicate her "playful" side.
"Speak for yourself, sister." Death drawled, folding his arms.
"Aw, C'mon! Yew know ah couldn't do tha', lass. After everythin' we've been through, yer all practically like siblin's ta me!" Ulthane professed honestly. Fury appeared to look both confused and mortified at that proclamation. She didn't know whether she should feel flattered or repulsed.
"That is...debatable." Fury remarked unsurely.
"Oh, go scare a nun, ye grumpy bint!" Ulthane waved off the Nephilim. He turned his attention to the Angels waiting near the doorway. "Well, don't mind our banter, pigeons! Yer certainly welcome ta join in." Normally, an Angel would take some offense at being called a pigeon but Uriel, Usiel, and Azrael had known Ulthane long enough to know that it was just a friendly nickname.
"We simply did not want to interrupt your reunion." Uriel stated politely. "Nor your work."
"Oh, ye mean this?" Ulthane pointed to an oversized, doubled-bladed broadsword lying on the anvil. "This is nuthin'. Just a hobby fer killin' time. Ah haven't been completely outta work, though. Had ta help out some of me kin over in the Andromeda galaxy." He continued as he placed his smithing hammer in his apron pocket. "As much as ahd love ta put tha' kettle on an' regale yew lot with a story, ah suppose yer here on business?"
"Strictly, Ulthane." Death confirmed. "We have all come here under orders to study the Helix Stone for any clues about the Doomslayer."
"Ah figgured as much." Ulthane dusted off his hands. "The Crowfather hasn't stopped takin' a gander at tha' blasted rock ever since tha Slayer dropped outta the sky. I'll take yew ta him."
Ulthane lumbered towards the exit due to his enormous frame as everyone followed him. As they went through the halls, Strife went up next to him.
"So have you given it any thought about joining us?" Strife asked. "The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse has a good ring to it."
"Ahd love ta but yew already know ah got responsibilities as the Watcher o' Earth." Ulthane answered. "Besides, ahm worried tha Eternal Balance would shrink me down to a wee little bugger like yew if ah did join ye!"
"Well, at least I wouldn't have to keep looking up at you if it came to that." Strife reasoned, earning a chuckle from Ulthane. As the two started conversing, the other Horsemen and the Angels quietly observed them as they followed.
"Strife never stops trying to convince him." Fury shook her head in apparent pity for her brother as she walked next to War and Death. "For some odd reason, I never tire of seeing Strife fail to convince him."
"As dogged as he may be, Strife's inability to know when to quit is his greatest strength." War attested. "He never gives up nor surrenders; it's that dogged attitude of his that helped him survive through the End War."
"Ulthane was invaluable during our fight against the Fallen and fought alongside us for most of the war. On that note, the Eternal Balance stated that Ulthane was a candidate for a potential fifth Horseman." Death further elaborated.
"But he's not a Nephilim. He's not even family." Fury pointed out.
"Family comes in many forms, Fury." Azreal said, floating beside her. "Anyone can share a familial bond if they prove themselves worthy of that honor and I believe that Ulthane already became a part of your small family long ago."
Uriel and Usiel shared a heartwarming smile at their brother's wisdom. War and Death's stern expressions did not change but they too secretly shared Azreal's view on the subject of family. As it stood, the Four Horsemen were the last living Nephilim in the universe. It was a miracle that they were chosen by the Eternal Balance to be its enforcers and became immortal demigods so that the four of them would not fade into distant memory. Perhaps there was some merit to Azrael's words. Fury did not share the Archangel's sanctimonious preachings but did not visibly express her indignation.
After a while, they exited the corridor after a few turns and found themselves in the Reliquary's "museum". The room itself was just as, if not bigger, than the library and contained thousands of glass display cases atop stone podiums. The cases were varied in different sizes; each of them containing artifacts from the first age that were of great importance. There were all kinds of relics: pieces of Hrungnir's whetstone, the scales of Anubis, Raijin's drums, a tooth from the mighty giant Humbaba, the Golden Fleece, the Ten Commandments, Sun Wukong's headband, and many others.
They followed the red carpet that led to another room at the end of the museum, where the Helix Stone was located. As the group went past the cases, Uriel stopped before one case to the right which held a familiar crown made of thorns. She tensed up, swallowing uncomfortably before following her brethren and allies. The group entered the dimly lit hallway and came into the next room which vastly differed from the museum. It appeared to be a personal study: it was a circular room like Ulthane's forge but smaller. There were wooden tables with archaic archeological equipment on them and numerous stacks of books scattered around. There were lit torches around the room, giving it enough light to reveal the group's objective in the center of the room: the Helix Stone.
But they were not alone. Someone else was in the room before them, studying the stone meticulously while jotting down notes on a scroll with a black feather quill pen. A cawing sound was heard from above and a pitch-black crow flew into view, perching itself atop the figure's shoulder and cawed at him.
"Yes, Yes, I know they're here. You can cease your infernal squawking." The curmudgeon grunted as he set his scroll and pen down on a desk next to him. The crowfather turned himself around and smiled at his guests. The Crowfather was a Jotunn, one of the oldest known, and while not as gargantuan as Ulthane, was still taller than the average human. He wore heavy brown robes with a red cloak along with a pelt made of crow feathers. Holstered around his waist were assorted baubles, lanterns, keys, vials, heavy books, and the like. He had a wizened appearance: sunken-in eyes, frail-looking hands, and an incredibly long beard along with equally long eyebrows. His eyes had a green hue to them unlike Ulthane's blue and white.
"Ah, our esteemed guests! It's been centuries since we had visitors. " The Crowfather kindly greeted with a bow.
"The pleasure is ours, Crowfather." Usiel bowed as well. "Your wisdom is called upon this day."
"Wisdom? Hmmm...when was the last time anyone asked me for that?" The Crowfather mused rhetorically while stroking his beard.
Death stepped forward. "This is a matter of great importance, archivist. You know why we are here: we need answers regarding...him."
The Crowfather stared at Death for a couple of seconds before sighing. "I too have been searching for answers. But I have found very little." He then went over to the Helix Stone as everyone followed him. They all stared up at the relic, it was no less foreboding than the first time they saw it. The Helix Stone was a monolithic slab of grey-colored rock that could only be found within the Dark Realm. Carved into the stone was a mural that depicted the Doomslayer himself emerging from a glowing doorway behind him. His posture was hunched over and his fists were tightly clenched. An unearthly light shone from his visor while his telltale symbol was imprinted on his chest plate. There was a message at the bottom of the mural that took up most of the slab written in a demonic language that they could understand since it was translated a long time ago.
WE DEMONS, WHO HAVE EXISTED SINCE THE DAWN OF CREATION, FEAR NOTHING.
WHETHER IT IS AGAINST OUR KIN OR THE GODS THEMSELVES, WE SHOW NO COWARDICE.
BUT ONE DAY, HE WILL COME.
A ONCE-MORTAL MAN BURNED BY THE EMBERS OF THE DARK REALM AND BATHED IN THE BLOOD OF DEMONKIND.
HE WILL BE THE ONLY THING WE TRULY FEAR.
HE IS THE RIPPER, THE TEARER, THE GOUGER, THE SLASHER, AND THE TEETH IN THE NIGHT.
HIS FURY IS THAT OF A TRILLION BURNING SUNS AND HE WILL BRING RUINATION TO US ALL.
HE IS KNOWN AS THE BANE OF HELL, THE HELLWALKER, THE UNCHAINED PREDATOR, THE DESTROYER OF EVIL, THE SCOURGE OF HELL, AND THE RIGHT HAND OF THE CREATOR.
HE IS THE DOOMSLAYER.
Everyone was silent for a while until Uriel broke the silence. "Could it be possible that this foretold his arrival?"
"The Demons wouldn't have made this up if they knew that for sure." War remarked.
"Correct you are." The Crowfather agreed. "We must not forget that this stone was found within the main cities of the Ars Goetian Demons. They were not only powerful Demons in command of legions, but were also the wisest in Hell, second only to the Charred Council themselves. Perhaps one of those greater Demons received a prophetic vision of the Doomslayer."
"And wrote this as some form of warning." Usiel deduced. "But if that were true, then wouldn't the Slayer have appeared during the End War?"
"So where tha bloody hell was he, then?" Ulthane questioned. "Could'a helped us end tha war much earlier. Forty years is too long fer a war ta last."
"Late to the party?" Strife shrugged.
"His arrival here does seem out of place...let us all review what we already know." Azrael began. "The End War is over. The Dark Lord and the Hell Gods that made up the Charred Council have been destroyed by the Creator and the Prime Council. The Fallen, the Seven Sin Generals, the Ars Goetia, and the Nephilim that aided the Dark Realm are effectively wiped out. There are no more higher-caste Demons that can assume leadership or ascend to a Hell God. The Creator has strengthened the Seven Seals so that Hell can never launch another invasion. We have taken all of the necessary steps and precautions to ensure that the Apocalypse will never happen again. We now live in a time of everlasting peace; Hell's flame has been permanently snuffed out."
"Which brings us back to the question at hand. Why is he here?" Fury reminded him. Azrael did not have an answer. That is until Usiel spoke up again.
"When I was observing him nary a few days before, I noticed that he appeared to be lost. He was going in no clear direction or purpose. It could be possible that he came here unintentionally." Usiel explained.
"Or maybe, sent here against his will." War furrowed his brow.
"We can explore those possibilities soon enough." The Crowfather eased the two. "At the very least, let us take another look at the second half of the stone." He gestured over to a large chunk of rock on a nearby table. A lower portion of the Helix Stone had broken off at some point before its discovery within the Dark Realm but had been recovered, albeit with some damage. Death, Uriel, Azrael, and Strife took a closer look at the stone. It was another mural, this time showing the Doomslayer standing upon a pile of Demon skulls with two large weapons in his hands. To the Slayer's left, there appeared to be some indication that someone was standing next to him but the left side of the stone had been heavily damaged, leaving it impossible to know who this person's identity was. The message at the bottom was thankfully still legible.
AND HE SHALL BE JOINED BY ANOTHER.
ONE WHOSE RAGE, STRENGTH, AND FEROCITY ARE EQUAL TO HIS OWN.
TOGETHER, THEY WILL RAIN DESTRUCTION, DEATH, AND DEVASTATION UPON ALL THEY DEEM EVIL.
"So it looks like we'll get a second Doomslayer down the road at some point. Should we be worried or scared enough to void our bowels?" Strife guessed humorously.
"This...this is the same image Tomoko Shiretoko drew!" Uriel recognized, much to her shock.
The Crowfather hurried over and took a closer look at the stone. "Are you certain of this?"
"Yes. She etched this into a wall during her brief fit of insanity when she tried to use her Blessing on the Slayer." Uriel confirmed.
"Did she draw the complete version of this mural? Do we know who the Second Slayer is?" Death asked as he pointed to the ruined section of the Helix Stone piece. Uriel shook her head, causing Death to narrow his eyes in frustration. "And I suppose we can't learn anything else from her?"
"No. The Creator tasked one of my brothers to rid her of the visions to spare her feeling from any more pain." Uriel answered.
"Yeesh. Typical Angels, always schmeckling around with mortals' heads when they can't handle the truth." Strife dismissively voiced his annoyance towards the Ascendant Realm's policies. Uriel regarded Strife with displeasure at his comment. Ulthane could sense an argument brewing so he decided to step in.
"Don' take his words too personally, lass. The Creator did right by tha' girl but sooner or later, tha' secret's gonna hafta come out." Ulthane reasoned.
Uriel sighed as Azrael patted her shoulder to comfort her. "That much is true but the mortals are not ready to learn about the Ascendant Realm yet."
"Speaking of, has the Prime Council decided what to do about the Slayer yet?" The Crowfather inquired.
"They are... divided on what to do about him" Azreal revealed, much to the surprise of the Nephilim and the Jotnar. "The Creator, Jesus, Buddha, Vishnu, Krishna, and Mohammed are discussing potential talks with the Doomslayer in the hopes that he could be reasoned with. Zeus, Odin, Ra, and Danu believe that he should be contained in the event he poses a threat to the Ascendant Realm. Amaterasu, Anahita, Quetzalcoatl, Ahura Mazda, and Olorun are undecided."
For the Horsemen, the Crowfather, and Ulthane, this was completely unheard of. The Prime Council had never been so split on a subject like this before. Fury cast an uncertain glance up at the Helix Stone, focusing on the Slayer. "To think that one man could rile the Council to such an extent..."
"It's not just the Prime Council that's been affected, but the other Gods as well. Athena, Thoth, Laozi, Mimir, Nabu, Saraswati, and many other wisdom Gods are forming a 'think tank' to discern the Doomslayer's origins and predict what his next move will be." Usiel informed. "To complicate matters further, some of the more battle-hungry Gods like Hercules, Thor, Tezcatlipoca, Anhur, and Guan-Yu are honestly thinking about dueling the Slayer!"
"HA HA! Ah, those buggers neva change!" Ulthane laughed as he slapped his knee. "Ah'd love ta see them try!"
"I honestly dread the thought..."Usiel muttered to himself.
"What about the Eternal Balance?" The Crowfather asked Death. "What did it have to say?"
"The presence of the Doomslayer has not affected the overall balance of the universe. There has been no disruption whatsoever." Death responded. "However, we will remain vigilant if he does."
"And before any of you ask, we are not sure if we could defeat him." War spoke intensely, which spoke volumes of his view on the Doomslayer. A feeling of dread crept up on everyone in the room. Could any of them stand a chance against a being that all of Hell was truly afraid of?
"We should not be viewing him as a threat. As dangerous as he is, he has repeatedly shown to have a degree of mercy, if not outright valor." Uriel defended. "He came to I-Island to save hostages when the Heroes were unable to, protected a group of children that were about to be executed, and showed restraint when the Pro Heroes tried to stop him."
"Ahn thae still fought him afta he showed them he didn't want to. Tha' bloody daft sods..." Ulthane grunted in disapproval.
"Hey, that's what they get for poking a rattlesnake." Strife snickered. "But Uriel does kinda have a point. I mean, if the Doomslayer's only purpose is killing Demons, then we shouldn't have anything to worry about. So what if he kills a few Villains? It's not like he's going to go after us, am I right?"
"That's exactly the problem, brother. He should only be eradicating Demons, not mortals." War clarified sternly. "However, I too agree with Uriel. The Slayer does not kill the innocent."
"We can only observe him, that is all any of us can do for now." Death lowered his head.
The Crowfather smiled as he held up a lantern from his belt. "Well, you aren't the only ones observing him." The lantern glowed an emerald green and shone a light onto the cobblestone floor. The light showed an image of the Bane of Hell constructing some kind of large machine within an abandoned subway. Ulthane knelt down on one knee to take a closer look and rubbed his chin curiously.
"Any idea what he's futzing with?" Strife asked him.
Ulthane shook his head. "Not tha' foggiest, laddie."
Azrael stared at the Slayer and thought back to when he was almost spotted. Perhaps the Slayer was slightly aware of his presence but possibly still couldn't see him. This was something he would have to bring up with the other Angels back home if they were ever sent to keep watch on the Doomslayer.
"What of the artificial intelligence he carries with him? The stone made no mention of it." Usiel brought up.
"I'm not so sure of it myself. Perhaps the Goetian Demons couldn't predict everything about the Slayer." The Crowfather theorized.
"Is there any way we could anticipate what he's going to do next? What did the seers have to say about him?" Fury asked the Archangels while the Crowfather's lamp dimmed, turning off the image.
"His fate is unwritten...and can alter the fates of those around him. Including ours." Azrael replied in a grave tone. The Nephilim regarded him with shock and unease. This situation just kept becoming more complicated and unpredictable as it went on.
Death let out an irritated sigh. "We're done here. We've gathered as much information as we could, let us return to the Basilica." Death announced as he left the room. The other Horsemen followed after him.
"I wish you luck in your investigations." War nodded his head to the others.
"Until we see each other again." Fury winked.
"Catch you on the flip side!" Strife waved. The three of them left a room and there was a green glow from outside the entrance; indicating that the Horsemen had returned to their lair.
"I suppose it is time for us to return home as well." Azrael said to the Crowfather and Ulthane. "We will keep you updated with any news regarding the Doomslayer."
"Aye, so will we." Ulthane nodded. Uriel and Usiel bowed their head to the two Jotunns as a way of saying farewell before they departed with Azrael. The two waited for a few moments after the Angels left through to door to make sure they had left. Once silence was heard, Ulthane folded his arms.
"Yew didn't bring up All fer One." Ulthane narrowed his eyes at the Crowfather.
"They were too focused on the Slayer." The Crowfather reasoned as he turned his gaze to the Helix Stone. "Besides, I have a feeling that they already know the inevitable confrontation between the two. In fact, the Slayer could end the threat that man poses for good."
"I coulda stopped him meself but yew neva let me!" Ulthane angrily barked, jabbing a meaty finger at the Crowfather as the elderly Jotunn turned around. "Ahm a Watcher! Ahm supposed ta protect this planet like the rest o' me kin!"
"And you do! Numerous times you have safeguarded this world but it is not like the others! It's fragile! You know that!" The Crowfather raised his voice despite the strain it put on his aged vocal cords. Ulthane sneered before backing down and uttering a displeased grunt through his teeth.
"So wot? Yew think tha' Slayer could do a betta job o' killin' All fer One than me?" Ulthane grumpily accused.
"Hardly. You could eliminate All for One just as easily. But it would be for the best if we simply stayed out of the Doomslayer's path for now. However, I believe his ability to alter fate may finally end the vicious cycle that entraps bearers of One for All." The Crowfather reasoned.
Ulthane pondered the Crowfather's words for a moment. "Yew mean tha' souls inside that barmy Blessin'?
"You're wondering if they might finally ascend to Heaven? That is up to the ones that created OFA and AFO." The Crowfather tensed a little at the thought of the two Gods who created those Blessings. Despite their good intentions, those powers caused nothing but trouble for countless generations. "What I do hope is that Izuku Midoriya will be spared from an early grave."
"Aye...tha' poor lad." Ulthane lamented. "If tha' Slayer can avert fate, ah guess this means Izuku won't be anotha' los' soul in this unendin' squabble."
The Crowfather looked up at the mural of the Doomslayer. "Maybe so, Ulthane. We can only hope..."
In another part of the Reliquary, a figure emerged from the shadows and covertly navigated through the hallways until he came before a large, locked steel door. Undeterred, the intruder pulled out a key he had managed to procure from raiding one of the many rooms in the Reliquary. He unlocked the door and entered, immediately taking in the sight of dozens of arcane devices on shelves, tables, or within locked chests. He quietly walked through the room until he found what he was looking for.
floating within a glass case upon a stone podium like the ones in the museum was a Hellstone. A pitch-black crystal covered in demonic sigils that would allow anyone possessing it to travel into the Dark Realm; bypassing the Seven Seals without destroying them. All but two of these accursed stones were destroyed after the End War: one was given to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse while the other was granted to the assigned Watcher of Earth, Ulthane.
Sensing no traps, the figure carefully removed the case and plucked the crystal; smiling in satisfaction. In his free hand, he conjured a duplicate of the Hellstone out of thin air! This copy of the Hellstone was unable to allow travel to Hell but still looked exactly like a real Hellstone. He placed the copy on the podium, stashed the real Hellstone in his pocket, and put back the glass case. He left the room, making sure to lock the door behind him to not arouse any suspicion from the Jotunns.
He slipped into the shadows as a quicker means to traverse the winding hallways until he came before Ulthane's room. A green viper slithered out from his sleeve and coiled around the key in his hand. The reptile then dropped to the floor and wriggled its way underneath the door to put the key back where it was. After a brief few seconds, the viper returned the same way it entered the room and slithered up the intruder's leg.
He grinned victoriously, though a little bit more insidiously. Even if Ulthane discovered the fake Hellstone, there was no way to know how the real one was stolen. Loki, the Norse God of Misheif and Darkness, and his pet Jormungandr melted into the shadows and disappeared, leaving the Reliquary completely unnoticed.
Wheels were turning.
To be continued...
Hope you all enjoyed what I put out cuz this sets the stage for HUGE events of biblical proportions in the future.
One thing I would like to talk about is the huge lore changes I made for the Darksiders universe and this also extends to MHA and DOOm as well. "Why all of these changes?" You ask. That's because if I tried to follow canon, it would be limiting my creativity.
I have seen many, many, many, many, MANY crossover stories on this site try to follow the canons of both worlds and fail every time they do. They forget that you have to make changes to those worlds because if they tried to follow how the stories originally went, it does not mix well at all. One time while exploring FF, I saw a quote by a user named avidreaded that shaped my approach to crossover stories from that point onward.
"Something I've seen that helps other writers is that if canon does a thing you don't like, just ignore and substitute your own in its place. It is fanfiction after all and if new canon would fuck with the story plan you wanted, don't let it. I'd rather see a well-written story the author *enjoyed* writing than a canon-compliant husk that drained the author of enthusiasm."
-avidreaded
Fanfiction was always meant to go in the other direction. It's supposed to be your story and it's supposed to go the way YOU want it to go. No one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to follow canon, do your own thing! And that's basically what I'm doing for UP. If I tried to adhere to MHA's or Darksider's canons while shoving the Doom Eternal lore in there as well, this story wouldn't be HALF as interesting as it is now. It's MY story and it's going to the way I want it to go.
As much as I want to gush over all the AU elements I made to Darksiders, what I really want to pool over is the addition of mythological and religious Gods. This is an homage to a similar concept Marvel and DC had in their comics. Seeing as how MHA was influenced by both those comic companies, I thought I could add my own little spin to it but on a much grander scale. I can already imagine that some of you are drawing comparisons to Record of Ragnarok and I honestly can't fault you for that!
But what separates the Gods in my story from them is that they are benevolent beings that care about humanity rather than those Gods in ROR who are all like, "Dur hur hur, let's hold a tournament to decide the fate of humanity cuz we're a bunch of dicks." But just to clarify, I will be using my own designs and interpretations for this concept, this will NOT be another crossover. This idea also extends to Darksiders as well. Seeing as how we're not going to get a 4th entry or a proper conclusion to the story, this leaves me very little to work with so my AU additions help fill in the gaps.
I had so much fun writing out Ulthane in this story as I all could think of was the Scotsman from Samurai Jack and Jonesy the Moleman from Armed and Dangerous. I hope I made his way of speaking somewhat readable.
Well, that about wraps it up. Be back sometime in 2024 with the finale to the Premonitions Arc. Have yourself a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Shout out to Bruhman, Z, Ghostpiece, and Deathwing, your theories and conversations keep the review section hopping and set this heart aglow! Stay gold!
Don't forget to review but please don't flame.