"This is the sixty-nine thousand, four hundred and twentieth time you've tried and failed to leave the Void Palace, my beloved daughter Fischl. Are you sure you would like to continue?"
The voluptuous woman walked towards the girl in her purple frilled dress, her heels clicking loudly and frightening the young girl even more. However, the girl quickly composed herself and revealed her bow weapon.
"Failed? Who said one has failed? As the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, it is not in my vocabulary to fail!"
The woman smiled sweetly, and the Prinzessin almost faltered as the immense bloodlust that exploded from her began to suffocate her. Her mother's hand twirled, and a scythe appeared immediately. The violet roses across the woman's clothing began to shine brightly.
The Prinzessin focused, drawing back the string on her Bow. An arrow materialised itself within, ready to fire. The woman's smile widened further.
"Then fall into the abyss once more."
The Prinzessin attacked first, her arrow flying straight and fast towards the woman she called Mother. But her arrow did not strike its target; her mother quickly vanished from the reality around them. She was the Queen of the Void, Empress of the Immernachtreich, Ruler of the Night, Monarch of the Abyss, and Icon of Darkness—a few names which barely described her true power.
The Prinzessin jumped backwards and readied two more arrows, dodging the woman's scythe by a mere hair's breadth and launching them at her in retaliation. Once again, the woman seemed to phase in and out of existence whenever she pleased, as if she was merely toying with her daughter, who was sweating profusely.
"I'm sure I trained you better than this, Fischl. Don't you want to escape my grasp finally?"
The woman's enchanting voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. Fischl knew what her mother was trying to do as usual. The Queen wasn't just mighty with a scythe; her words were just as sharp as any blade. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the voices. Her mother always told her that all things that exist have a beginning…
"Oh, how cute. Trying to find me so quickly? Are you sure you wouldn't like to make this dance a little…"
Fischl leapt to the side and rolled across the ground, once again barely missing the scythe that had swung to cut her from head to toe. Her mother smiled sweetly again.
"…Longer?"
The Prinzessin fired a barrage of arrows at her mother, switching to quick hit–and–run tactics, but it did not faze the Queen at destroyed them with a few fast slices, and Fischl knew it would only be a matter of time until an opportunity presented itself. Her mother knew that killing her was more manageable than capturing her, so now she would have to put in more effort to bring her back home.
But Fischl had already thought of that.
"As the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, thou won't take me that easily, Mother! Eye of Odin, open!"
Fischl ripped off her eye–patch, her excess Void powers immediately bursting forth in a brilliant display of purple. With this, she could finally, just finally, best her mother in combat.
"Well well… My daughter is all grown up."
Void Arts: Blaze Lance
A dozen slivers of fire appeared and shot towards the Queen, which she parried or dodged utterly easily.
Void Arts: Blaze Pillar
Stretching her hand, Fischl commanded the flames left from being avoided to swirl into a giant whirlwind and sweep her mother away. Still, a burst of energy from the Queen quickly offset her void art, and the flames died off. Fischl grit her teeth in anger as she prepared for the incoming onslaught.
The Queen rushed forward towards her, knowing that her tricks wouldn't work any longer. Fischl smiled as her mother's body warped into existence. The powers of the Void were causing her quite a headache. Still, through intense concentration, she could see her mother's movements and dodged the incoming energy slashes.
Fischl rushed forward while dematerialising her Bow, instead forming a short sword and blocking her mother's scythe. Her mother's smile didn't so much as falter. Instead, it grew sweeter as they held each other back.
"Oh my, are you using Seele Schneider? How Nostalgic. I don't even remember the last time you used another weapon other than Mitternachts Waltz in so long."
"I thought a small change of pace would be more comfortable."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Let us dance, Mother."
And so began their dance. As they deflected, parried and blocked each other's attacks, they seemed to be strolling across the Void in near–perfect harmony. It had barely been a minute, but Fischl knew she could not keep this up forever, and slowly, her strength was chipping away.
All was according to the plan, of course.
Her Mother, The Queen, knew that she was tired. She had fought through more than two hundred castle floors with barely any rest. It would only be evident that she couldn't last forever. So why not give in to what her mother wanted?
Fischl's eyes narrowed, and she cleared her mind from her mother's corruption. Those thoughts had not been her own, and she had been attempting to escape for countless aeons. It wouldn't make sense for her to give up when the exit was just ahead of her.
Vaettir Mistress, First Form: Lightning Bolt
Fischl diagonally sliced downwards at the Queen, a purple lightning arc following the path. The Queen's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wow, you really have been learning from me. How beautiful it is, even if it is so slow."
Her mother was barely shocked, taking the attack and parrying it effortlessly before responding with her own:
Vaettir Mistress, Sixth Form: Bite of the Serpent
With a twirl of her scythe, the Queen launched a series of slashes, a ghostly image of a snake's opened jaws embodying the incoming attack. Fischl gritted her teeth and braced herself as she took the full force of every cut. The pain barely let her stand while her right eye shined brighter than ever before. The whispers were getting louder, screaming at her to make a move. So, she did, just as planned.
Void Arts: Antithesis
The Queen felt immediate shock and pain as the attack she had just performed was immediately reversed on her instead, the same cuts appearing on her and leaking blood. Her smile quivered slightly, and Fischl knew that she would never have a chance like that again.
It was time to finish this once and for all.
Void Arts: Schwarzer Sarg
The Queen barely had time to react as a torrent of gravity appeared around her before taking the shape of a black box. Her smile returned as she watched the walls close in around her.
"It seems I've taught you too much, my precious daughter…"
"Burst!"
Numerous black spears pierced through the box that she stuck her mother in, but there was not a single sound that indicated she was even in pain. As the powerful Void Art released itself, Fischl had already swapped back to her Bow, Mitternachts Waltz, and was gathering the last embers of her Void energy for the final blow.
The black box shattered as the Queen walked out, dripping blood from the wounds she had, and yet it still seemed the perfect form of grace, dignity, and pride. She came face to face with her daughter, preparing a mighty arrow. One so great that even the Void energy in the area was being ripped apart and creating distortions around them as it gathered into the glowing dark purple arrow.
The Queen laughed while holding a hand to her mouth in a display of modesty. Then came a wicked grin to taunt Fischl even further. As she unleashed her power, her aura formed a giant serpent and the killing intent pricked against Fischl's skin.
"Do your worst, my daughter dearest."
Fischl steeled her nerves as the arrow finished charging.
Void Arts: Letzt Stil
The arrow fired.
The world stilled.
Then it imploded.
The impact of such an unstoppable Void Art with an immovable object caused an instant black hole, sucking in the surroundings and threatening to ruin the reality around them. Fischl covered her Eye of Odin as the excessive Void power began to corrupt her. Steadying her breathing, she forced herself to move onward towards the exit.
"That was incredibly fun, Fischl."
Fischl turned slowly, feeling her mother's power rising rapidly, skyrocketing from what she had been when they had fought.
"But playtime's over, darling. Time to step it up."
With a sudden gust of wind, Fischl could barely keep her footing as her mother wrapped herself in a cocoon of purple void energy and exploded. Sweat began to pour down her as an impossible pressure forced her to bow, her head slamming against the floor as she prostrated before her mother. The last remaining Void whispers had long since fallen silent, as did all things when faced with their true master.
Void Arts: Vollständig
Her mother's dress had changed to one that seemed fit for a wedding, including the trail and veil, all shining beautifully purple. As she stretched out her arm, a new scythe formed, looking like an entire universe had been shaped with it. Fischl's breath grew heavier as each second passed, wanting to sink further and further into the plane of Void beneath her.
"Good girl. Now…"
"Damn you-"
The scythe swung.
Fischl felt nothing.
"Goodnight, my daughter."
Then there was darkness…
Fischl woke up suddenly, breathing heavily and smelling of sweat again. Beside her, a raven squawked noisily, awakened by the sudden movement.
"Mein Fräulein! You are finally awake! You were trying to cross the border again, weren't you?! How many times must I tell you, it is unbecoming-"
"Silence, Oz, or I'll feed you to the snake."
"N-Now now, mein Fräulein, I don't believe we need to go that far…"
Having just recovered from death, she was confused and scared of her surroundings. Oz could understand; no one could simply get used to dying. A living person would try to live by all means necessary.
"Mein Fräulein… You've been brought back to your room. No harm will come to you. You are safe and sound." The old raven whispered as Fischl's breathing began to calm down.
She saw the same painting of her sitting on her mother's lap, smiling happily on the side of the room. The Mirror of Truth was directly opposite her. The chandelier above her head. The bookshelf next to the painting with an assortment of books scattered around it. Yes, this was her room. She hadn't escaped once again.
At first, she wanted to cry. But crying wouldn't solve anything. It wouldn't solve her most significant problem: her mother, the Queen, being a supreme god of this endless Void. As she remembered the fight, she balled her fists in rage.
Fischl was angry. No, anger wouldn't even begin to describe the feeling. She was livid. Her mother had lied to her about being able to access that form. The power that she had felt… She shuddered. Even trying to remember any of it gave her a sudden fright. All she could do before the power of a literal god was lie down like a dog and accept her fate. She couldn't so much as look at her mother's face, forget even trying to fight back.
Fischl could only remember one other time her mother had used anything resembling that amount of power when someone had tried to invade their realm. But she had been too young to remember correctly, and her mother refused to speak about such an event.
"Ah, my darling, you're awake!"
The sweet sound of her mother's voice made Fischl's head twist so hard it hurt, but the pain was quickly washed away by her anger once more. Her mother was wearing an apron and oven mitts as she held a metal tray while the smell of something freshly baked wafted through the air. As much as Fischl wanted to scream in fury, her stomach betrayed her, and its rumble echoed through the room.
Fischl snatched a cookie off the tray and gulped it quickly, revelling in the taste of delightfully warm chocolate chip cookies.
"Oh my, what a hungry girl you are. I baked you some cookies just as soon as we returned, but it seems they'll be gone just as quickly as they came?"
"Stop teasing, Mother, just give them to me!... Please."
"That's a good girl."
Her mother giggled and placed the tray on her lap instead so she could eat. Fischl obeyed her body and began to munch quickly, savouring the taste. Taking off the oven mitts and looking at the messy room around her, her mother attempted to clean the room and started with the bookshelf. Oz appeared beside her to help as she tried to organise the shelf. The silence continued until Fischl decided to speak, having sated enough of her stomach to start a conversation.
"You lied to me."
"I did not." Her mother's voice sang, clearly not taking the accusation seriously. This only made Fischl angry.
"You did. You said that form was merely my imagination."
"Well, that is certainly true. The form changes based on the user's imagination."
"You said it didn't exist!"
"This is the eternal Void, my dear. Things that do not exist are what exist. A little paradoxical activity is not a lie; it just happens."
"That doesn't even make any sense!"
Oz dropped the last book into her mother's hands, who dusted it off and placed it back in the correct position on the bookshelf.
"It's not supposed to be something you make sense of, my dear. Your thoughts can shape and bend reality to your desire. Your 'sense' is whatever I have taught you and whatever you think it should be."
In a display of power, her mother clapped her hands lightly and flipped the entire room upside down. However, nothing within the room fell, as if nothing had ever happened in the first place.
"To anyone who saw this, they would not believe it was true. But to me and you, this is completely and utterly normal. Certain laws of physics in place would make this entire room a complete mess again, and yet, with a snap of my fingers-"
The room switched back to normal once more.
"I can control them with minimal effort."
Fischl scoffed and clapped, flipping the room, then clapped again to change it back to normal. Rita giggled slightly, noticing a few slightly out-of-place objects from her rebellious daughter's attempt at copying her. Oz quickly picked up the forgotten but empty tray and returned it to Rita's open hand.
"I can do it too; messing around with these laws is nothing special. The Void whispers to me just as much as it does to you."
"Oh dear, that's not good to hear. I was sure I blocked off all communication with you and-"
"You did, I don't hear anything right now. Only when I take off my seal."
"… Well then, as long as you're not plagued by them, you'll be fine."
"One has always been fine, Mother… That's what I hate."
"Mein Fräulein! Mind your tongue before Queen Rita!" Oz interrupted, but Fischl was already standing on her bed, eyes fierce and voice rising. Space around the room began to warp as her anger boiled over.
"Why, Mother?! I'm pretty much a god in my own right! I'm more powerful than any other being except you! Why can't I have the freedom to do what I want?!"
"Fischl, I-"
"You're the Queen of this entire plane of existence; you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want! But me wanting to leave and see the other side of life? That's, for some reason, the worst thing ever. What's so bad about wanting to experience life elsewhere?!"
"… My dear, you don't know what you're asking for. I, as well as every other Quantum Shadow that stops you on your way up this Tower, know that the outside world is not what you expect it to be. Of course, that is because of me, but either way, their loyalty is for good reason. I didn't become Queen here by pure chance, and even though many have tried to take this position from me, none have ever achieved it."
"Changing the subject so slyly won't work on me anymore, Mother; I already know all about you becoming Queen."
This was, in fact, true. When younger, Fischl often asked about how her mother had become Queen of the Void, and Rita always obliged. Rita was from a long-destroyed world and had initially found herself trapped here when attempting a very dangerous ability. The aftermath of such a technique had found her within the Sea of Quanta, also known as the Void. Any normal being from her world would have died early on, but she wasn't someone who could be killed off quickly in the first place.
Her body and mind quickly became accustomed to the laws and rules of this space, not that she had much time when she was forever haunted and attacked by the Quantum Shadows that appeared without warning. Hours turned into days, days turned into months, months turned into years, and years turned into millennia. Time seemed to flow infinitely within this space, and Rita never seemed to age – due to her body undergoing the changes necessary to survive here. But she never stopped developing herself and polishing her techniques, which led to confrontations with the monsters known as the 12 Thrones.
The Void was divided into multiple parts, where powerful creatures of the Void ruled over. Although the Void was still expanding infinitely, somehow, the borders between the different monsters who ruled over the areas never changed. Rita wasn't sure how long it had taken her to conquer the Void completely, but she assumed it was millions of years. It took a long and arduous journey to completely take over and make the 12 Thrones subservient to her, ending with Fischl's birth.
"At the end of the day, Fischl, I don't think you're ready for the world above… It is controlled by forces as strong, if not stronger, than even me."
"When will I ever be ready then, Mother?! You KNOW I cannot defeat you; you're connected with the entire Void, I've defeated every Quantum Shadow that exists, I'm just as if not more powerful as the 12 Thrones, and I'm only second to you! What more do you want from me?!"
Rita sighed deeply as she closed her eyes and thought deeply about the situation. Her daughter wasn't lying; she was easily as powerful as the past 12 Thrones, excluding one…
Fischl's anger turned to fear as she saw her mother's face light up in playful glee. She knew what this meant. Her mother was thinking of something to do with her, and whatever it was, Fischl was sure she wouldn't like it.
"Mother, what are you-"
Rita cut her off immediately, her smile growing further.
"Oh, my daughter, don't be like that. Tell you what, come with me, and I promise to send you off on your merry way to an Outer World."
Fischl's eyes widened in surprise, but she also felt beads of sweat forming. Her mother making a statement this bold was stunning, to say the least.
"B-But Mother-"
Rita grabbed Fischl by hand, and with a flick of the wrist, they were out of her room and in a wasteland. Oz flew down and perched on Fischl's shoulder as he curiously looked around. Red sand as far as the eye could see with just a twinkling Castle in the distance, and yet there was an out-of-place being lying on their side in the sand, so still they would have thought he was dead. Fischl knew precisely where they were and shivered slightly; she was usually forbidden from coming here.
"Mother? Why here?"
"I have a great idea, daughter dearest…" Rita answered, walking across the sand towards the still figure in the sand. As Fischl followed behind her, the air became tenser and tenser. Fischl felt her body stiffen and enter a fighting state subconsciously.
"Mother… What are you about to do?"
"My Lady, as your most devoted servant, I too hold some concern–"
"If I told you that easily, it wouldn't be that much of a challenge then, would it?"
Rita's grin grew wider as she released a torrent of energy. Fischl shielded herself as she watched the body in front of them grow uncontrollably large. As it grew more prominent, it seemed to become one with the sand, its spine leading up to a giant ribcage, 4 arms and a head with what appeared to be a thorned crown. Within the crown was a massive ball of purple fire, where her mother stood smiling. Stretching its arms wide, it roared ferociously and fixed its gaze on Fischl.
"Mother, art thou insane?! Has staying here for so long finally made you lose all reason?! You're going to destroy the entire Void!"
"My Queen! I would not dare utter such words… But I must say, I hold the same thought! What are you doing!"
Rita laughed from within her prison of fire, taking a seated position while floating. Waving down to Oz and Fischl, she shouted:
"If you can successfully break your dear mother out of this oh-so-abominable fire, I'd be so grateful, dear daughter. Or we could all really be in danger!"
Fischl growled in anger while Oz was still in pure shock. Immediately, the body attempted to attack her, a giant hand slamming down where she once stood. Fischl dashed around the giant's strike as she summoned her Bow, shooting an arrow at the gigantic creature's face. The arrow exploded on impact but didn't even manage to stun the beast slightly.
"Dammit, Mother, do we really have to do this?"
"I concur, My Queen, is this all necessary? You may destroy the kingdom!"
Fischl leapt out of the way as 2 of the giant arms came crashing down where she had been standing moments ago. A surge of void energy followed, pushing Fischl even further away.
"You're complaining? I'm giving you a way out of here like you've asked for 314 years, and you're complaining?"
The giant's arms pulled back and began conjuring giant balls of Void energy, roaring as it threw them at Fischl. She shot 4 arrows simultaneously, but instead of destroying the energy approaching her, they burst, flinging blasts of Void energy in the vicinity.
"Oz!"
"Yes, Mein Fräulein!"
Oz burst into a spherical net of purple lightning, shielding Fischl from the raining void energy around them as she ran towards the monster again; her Bow switched out for Seele Schneider again. The beast began to birth Void figures from its lower hands while its other 2 arms summoned more void energy. The figures started running toward their only enemy nearby: Fischl.
"Hey, you shitty snake, I know you're around!"
Fischl swung her sword at the void figures before her, a giant slash of Void energy flying forward and vaporising them as they ran into it. Still, it eventually dissipated as the horde crawled over their crumbling brethren to get her. Fischl attacked quickly, chopping easily through the body of a figure with multiple hands that tried to grab at her and then cut through what seemed to be a shadowy centaur. Oz was nearby, shooting feathers of lightning that chained across enemies to kill them.
"Come and help you goddamn serpent!" Fischl called again, dodging the mouth of a Void figure that attempted to bite at her neck. Oz buzzed around, clearing the area and setting up a lightning net that killed the figures as they ran into it. Just as Fischl was about to scream again, the ground rumbled beneath her violently before a gigantic snake's head burst forth and swallowed the void figures.
"Isss that any way to ssspeak to the great Leviathan!"
Fischl sat on its head as the massive snake's body slithered, crushing the remaining void figures in its path.
"I wouldn't have had to talk to you like that if you just obeyed me like you promised when I beat you."
"Quiet, you little ssshit; I agreed to help you when needed. Nothing more!"
"Well, I clearly need some! Mother brought out the War Machine for some reason!"
"And only you would be absolutely ssstupid enough to fight what isss built to withssstand all 12 of usss…"
Fischl rolled her eyes as she stood up and concentrated. Within her mind, she began to find the locations of the other 11 Thrones. The good news was that they had all felt the massive power surge from the War Machine and were now making their way over to her. The bad news was they were taking their sweet time to get here. She prepared her Void energy and called out.
Void Art Summoning: 12 Thrones
11 portals opened in the sky, surrounding the War Machine as giant creatures fell out of them, each with their own cry of surprise and alarm.
"What in the f-"
"How am I even-"
"WHO SUMMONED ME THIS WAY-"
As well as a few more obscenities that Fischl decided not to listen to.
"Listen up!" Fischl shouted, her voice amplified by her Void energy. The beasts gained their bearings as they listened.
"We've got to stop the War Machine! I don't know why Mother has gone crazy-"
"That's not very nice to say to your Mother, dear!" Queen Rita interrupted with a giggle.
"– But once we stop her, I'll probably never have control of you guys ever again. So help me this one time, and I'll be out of your lives for good."
"… For good, you say?" Asked a Dragon, baring its teeth in her direction to form a wicked grin.
"Yes, Fafnir, for good. I literally won't be here."
"Oh, is that so?" He replied, flapping his wings and taking flight quickly. "Very good! I'll join in this time!"
The Dragon shot towards the War Machine, charging and firing multiple fire bolts. In return, the War Machine grew two more arms out of its back and attempted to swat and shoot balls of energy at him. He ducked and weaved through the air before snapping and biting at the extra arms in an attempt to rip them off.
"Where will you be going?" A four-armed rock creature asked politely. He looked directly at Fischl even as more Void figures crawled up his body. "Are you going to enter the outside world?"
"Yes, Talos, I'm going up the tree."
"Even after all your mother has done? This is truly your choice?"
"I'm strong enough to protect myself, and she's promised not to stop me if we defeat her."
"I hope you will not regret this decision."
Talos's body immediately became spikes, throwing off the crawling army around him. With heavy steps, he headed towards the towering War Machine. Rita acknowledged him and poured more power into the War Machine. Void energy bubbled around the War Machine and shaped into spears, immediately raining down on him. It barely fazed him but made his trek considerably slower.
"I will be sad to see you gone… But I will help you anyway, Princess."
A colossal spider crawled past Talos, weaving around the Void spears with deadly speed while squishing the army that seemed tiny below her.
"Arachne, you're only saying that because you wanna taste my blood again!"
"Hahaha! You're not entirely wrong, Princess!"
The spider squirted a green liquid from its mouth towards Rita herself in the cockpit of the weapon, which forced one of the hands to defend against it. The hand began melting immediately and regenerating to fight off the corrosive liquid.
"Enhanced regeneration? Well, that's just not fair at all!"
"As if I'd make it that easy for you, Arachne." Queen Rita said, rolling her eyes at the spider's antics. It spewed more venom at her in response.
"I agree with Arachne." A creature whose upper body seemed to be wholly made up of arms, with an open hand with one eye embedded in it.
He was slightly shorter than Talos but still massive enough to help. Stepping before Talos, his arms began to deflect or capture the Void spears heading their way and throw them back.
"Thank you, Hecatoncheir," Talos grunted.
"Let's just get this over with."
They eventually reached the War Machine and began their own fight with it. Hecatoncheir tried to restrain it with his many arms, and Talos attempted to knock it over.
"We are also in agreement." A 9 tailed fox said; behind him, a two-tailed cat, a crystal creature made up of a large icicle for its face surrounded by 3 more miniature icicles, a Gargoyle, a Phoenix, a Triclops and a three-headed dog.
"I'll miss you the most!" The middle head of the three-headed dog barked before bounding over towards the War Machine.
"I'll miss you too, Cerberus." Fischl giggled in reply.
"As I was saying…" The Fox said, eye level with Fischl once more. "We'll help you take it down. We Thrones also want to test our strength against it."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep my end of the bargain. I know you guys don't like me much for beating you anyway."
"On the contrary," The Triclops said, charging an energy beam with his third eye. "We are quite fond of you even if Leviathan and Fafnir refuse to admit it. Your Mother's… Not so much."
The beam fired, piercing one of the hands that had managed to grab onto Fafnir and causing it to crumble so he could break free. One of the other hands fired the giant ball of Void energy it was gathering, causing many lines of light beams to come towards them. The Gargoyle intervened, stomping the floor beneath them and raising a pillar of earth that blocked them all.
"Speak for yourself, Argus," The Gargoyle said, flapping his wings. With a surge of power, he formed rock spears from the pillar and shot them at the War Machine. They struck another arm that was currently fighting against Cerberus. Raising his arm, the stones took another form and covered the arm, taking over it and bringing it under his control. He released Cerberus from it and began his own attack against the War Machine with it.
"I dislike them both. It matters not to me as long as they're gone."
"Weren't you the one who was telling us to hurry up because she might be in danger, Shiva?" The Icicle spoke. The Gargoyle grimaced in response.
"I simply wanted in on the action. Snowcone!" He coughed out, flying off. "It's not like I care about her safety or something!"
"What a fucking liar…" The 9-tailed Fox murmured, watching the stone monster fly off.
"You're not any better, Kurama, you 9-tailed bastard." The Phoenix said, perched on Argus's shoulder. Its body seemed to be on fire but was not burning at all. You've even been helping her during her fights in the Palace, and you know we're not allowed to do so."
"Shut up Epos…"
Kurama growled and ran off as his body shimmered and turned invisible.
"Don't mind those cowards." The Two-tailed Tiger sighed, rolling her eyes at their behaviour. "We are indeed fond of you. While being shackled to you is tedious, we have never thought much about it. We are free to live as we always have anyway. Neither are we slaves to do your bidding. We will fight for you because we choose to. Not because of a command."
"I appreciate it, Shere Khan."
"No problem. Let's go."
"Finally, you can get off my head," Leviathan whined, ready to start moving as the others rushed off. Fischl smiled at him before disagreeing:
"Actually, you're taking me all the way there, thanks."
"Oz can do that! I have no reason to!"
"Take me there now, Levi."
"You damn pipsqueak, only because you're leaving soon…"
They arrived quickly, with Leviathan dodging Cerberus, who was thrown at them. Leviathan caught him with his tail and threw the dog back. In mid-air, Cerberus's 3 heads belched a ball of fire where Rita stood. With a flick of her wrist, Rita summoned a portal that swallowed the 3 fireballs and shot them back out at Hecatoncheir, who was still attempting to restrain her. Snowcone intervened, shooting a blast of ice to calm the fire.
"Nothing we do seems to work, Mein Fräulein!" Oz reported, dodging the flying attacks to make his way over to her. It was a dirty brawl, with the ground shaking and rumbling with every attack.
"Don't worry!" Fischl reassured, charging up once more and taking off her eyepatch. The space around her warped as her power grew exponentially, and her hidden eye burst with energy. "I just need you to make sure she can't move. Keep distracting her so she doesn't notice me."
"Will do!"
Oz buzzed off once more.
"Kurama! I need your illusions! If she finds out what I'm doing, there's no way to win!" Fischl ordered, gathering more and more energy.
"Hmph, fine!"
Shaking one of his tails, there was a shimmer of light from its tip, and many copies of Fischl were produced.
"Snowcone, can you help Kurama and produce a screen?"
"As you command."
Slowly, a fog fell over the battlefield, obscuring everything.
"Shere Khan!"
"I know!"
The tiger blew a great wind from his mouth, causing the fog to swirl violently around the War Machine and become a tornado.
"Your turn, Fafnir & Epos!"
"Finally!"
Together, the Phoenix and the Dragon launched their most potent breath attack: purple flames jetting into the swirling fog, turning it into a mighty firestorm. The War Machine desperately flayed around in confusion, not knowing how to escape the situation.
"Oz!"
"Yes, Mein Fräulein!"
Oz became a brilliant display of purple as he blitzed around within the firestorm, bringing forth lightning and thunder. The shocks slowed the War Machine's actions significantly.
"Arachne, Cerberus! Make it corrosive!"
"With pleasure, Princess!"
Arachne spat her venom once more in conjunction with Cerberus's black flames that worked to break down the War Machine. The storm was now a mixture of bright colours swirling viciously around the War Machine.
"Snowcone! Freeze!"
With a small blast of energy, the firestorm and the War Machine became a magnificent ice sculpture, with the various elements still glowing and threatening to escape. It sizzled as the heat and corrosion burned at their cold prison.
"Shiva, Heca, Talos, Argus! Smash it."
"Alright!"
The 4 giants punched as hard as they could, shaking the entire Void with their might and releasing an extravagant explosion of colours and sounds from the mixture of elements and power. The War Machine fell to the ground, looking damaged beyond repair but quickly regenerating itself. Rita smiled within her fire prison, releasing more energy into the War Machine and hurrying its process. Fischl began to recite the most powerful Void Art she knew.
I am the Void of my thoughts.
Rita felt fear for the first time during the fight. Not because of the many enemies surrounding her but because of her daughter. This Mantra was not something that she had taught her daughter, and Rita was sure that only she and Fischl's father knew the Mantra. Rita desperately poured more void energy into the War Machine to make it move as it once had. However, Talos raised an arm to produce a powerful force of gravity on it. At the same time, the different elements still worked against the enhanced regeneration that was trying to fix itself. Arachne had even begun webbing the War Machine's parts to the ground while Shiva converted parts to stone.
Chaos is my heart, and Stars are my blood.
Chaos is power, controlled by my will.
Forged in the Void, with destiny as my blade,
Unseen by Light, untouched by Shadow.
"Fischl! Don't even think about using that!" Rita screamed, desperately trying to pinpoint her daughter's energy signature. Kurama's infinite illusions messed with her senses to stop her from doing so.
Enduring turmoil to shape endless realities,
Yet these hands shall never falter.
"Out of my way, you vermin!" Rita screeched, the War Machine now half operational. Swinging an arm, she took hold of Fafnir and blasted him at point blank with a beam of light towards Kurama, who dodged him. The illusions shook slightly from his broken concentration but soon solidified again. However, all Rita needed was that singular moment. She looked to where she had detected Fischl's real self and saw the black hole twisting the reality on top of her. Talos's gravity power grew even more potent, pressing further on the War Machine.
By the whispers of ancient Chaos,
I summon the enigma of the Cosmos.
Beyond the realms of known and unknown,
In the sanctuary where time and space intertwine.
Lead me through the labyrinth of stars,
The sky above cracked as though it were a mirror, and shards that fell slowly made the black hole larger. Rita gasped as she saw what seemed to be the trunk of a giant tree from where the cracks had been.
"Fischl! I command you right now, stop this!" Rita screamed, watching as a one-winged man approached the break in reality. "You don't understand what you're doing!"
Guide my spirit through the cosmic dance,
Seeking balance in the perpetual twilight.
"Oh no, you don't!"
Rita finally had regenerated enough of the War Machine and sent a giant Void spear into Talos's chest. The rock giant grasped at it while being pushed back, breaking his control over his gravity power. Rita sent a detached arm up to where Fischl was in hopes of stopping her.
But she was too late.
So, as I pray, Unlimited Void Works.
The black hole imploded and shaped into a colossal blade, threatening to cut the entire Sea of Abyss in half. Fischl could barely be seen holding the giant blade stretching across the sky, her eyes bleeding and hair shining golden as the sun. She began the motion to swing it downwards.
No.
The energy vanished.
Now directly behind Fischl, the one-winged man placed an arm on her shoulder. Feeling a sudden chill, Fischl turned around to see the man who had stopped her and instantly recognised him.
"Father?"
Sleep.
Fischl went limp and fell into his arms as he descended upon the battlefield. All 12 Thrones knelt as they felt the pressure of his existence press down on them. Rita disembarked from the War Machine as she walked over to him.
"Just what is going on here?" The man asked, turning to Rita. "Why is the War Machine also destroyed?"
"Hello to you too, darling; I also missed you," Rita replied dryly, crossing her arms. "The least you could do is say that, Kevin."
"… I did miss you, but I didn't expect to return like this." He responded.
"Well, neither did I. I would have made you something to celebrate your grand return."
"It wasn't grand at all."
"I'm being dramatic, Kevin. You're home; you don't have to be so serious."
"… So be it. That still doesn't explain this level of destruction."
Kevin turned to the trembling 12 Thrones behind him. Fafnir seemed to be defiant compared to the meekness of the other 11.
"Nor does it explain why they're here."
"You know how she is, dear. She wanted to leave. To escape and go somewhere else."
"We –"
"I know! That's what I've been trying to tell her. So I came up with the Void Palace and everything. You already know, anyway. I don't need to explain it to you again."
"You're not listening."
"What do you mean?"
"We can."
"We can what, Kevin? Stop saying shit in riddles."
Rita clapped twice, transporting everyone into what seemed to be a large dinner hall. All the 12 Thrones had been reduced to much smaller forms and were now across the table. Kevin and Rita sat at each end while Fischl's sleeping body was on the table between them. Kevin was no longer in a one-winged form while Rita's dress had been fixed.
"We can let her go up. There's a way."
Rita stared blankly, waiting for him to continue. She waved her hand, and a mug of coffee appeared, which she sipped quietly. Kevin continued.
"Remember when you told me a small boy fell into here?"
"Oh, many, many millennia ago, but yes. That reminds me, I wonder how Skirk is doing. I haven't seen her in a few millennia, too."
"The path is still open."
"What?"
"The path is still open."
"Okay, I meant, how?"
"That person, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, didn't close it properly. The dimensional crack is still there, and I can pass through it."
"Ha! Sustainer of bullshit. All bark and barely any bite."
"They were most likely exhausted from their battle with you and Skirk. I assume she didn't have the necessary energy to close it and then forgot."
"Battle? We absolutely crushed her. If she hadn't begged for mercy, she would have been annihilated."
"As it is with gods; arrogant until their death is imminent."
"Anyway, we're getting off–track. How is Fischl going to fit into that world?"
"While the Imaginary Tree might reject her existence, it doesn't change the fact that she exists. She has a Reflection within that branch."
"There's a Reflection of her within there?"
"Us too, actually. It's ironic, considering the branch isn't even plagued by Honkai beasts either."
"It's peaceful?"
"No. There are still mysterious forces at work within it. There also seems to be a leak of Abyssal energy into that particular branch. It appears as though it is on the brink of collapse and invasion from Honkai."
"What? Why?"
"It seems that many years earlier, someone brought Honkai energy within the branch while it was still in its infancy stage. The person was defeated, but the energy spread around anyway. The Heavenly Principles would wipe out all who came across this 'forbidden knowledge' to stop Honkai energy from gathering, which seems to be why the branch hasn't been corrupted yet. But it's only a matter of time."
"So that explains why we met Surtalogi at the root of the Tree."
"Yes. He has become the Herrscher of Death."
"But why do you want to send Fischl to such a dangerous place? Won't the Sustainer immediately notice?"
Kevin smiled in response, to which Rita couldn't help but giggle at his behaviour before answering.
"Right, we can always overpower her."
"As you did so well last time."
"Thank you, dear. But that still doesn't explain why we should send Fischl there."
"She wants to see the outside world, no?"
"Yes, but surely there's somewhere much more peaceful we can send her? What about on that train of the dead god? Welt is on it; we know him. We can trust him to watch over her!"
"We know of him, but he is not from our same branch. He has long since split off after he managed to defeat the Honkai himself. He knows nothing about us from a dead world."
"So what?"
"Fischl wants her freedom; she deserves it. All she has known is this vast wasteland, a culmination of dead universes. Let her experience life in abundance."
"That's not the true reason, is it?"
Kevin smiled again, to which Rita glared at him.
"You're right. We can use this opportunity for her to gain experience while investigating the Honkai and Abyss phenomenon within that branch. She'll have a chance to have her own adventures."
"You're sure our daughter will be just fine?"
"After the destruction she's caused, you think she won't?"
"I just don't know if she's ready for this…"
"Well, why don't we let her speak for herself?"
Silence fell upon the table as Kevin and Rita looked at Fischl's body. Oz jumped from the table onto her head and pecked at it before whispering into her ear.
"We've all known you're awake, Mein Fräulein. You're lying a bit too still. It's unnatural."
Fischl slowly sat up, facing her father, who smiled.
"Aren't you going to greet daddy dearest?" Rita asked, rolling her eyes at the behaviour between them. Fischl answered by throwing herself off the table and into her father's arms.
"Father! I haven't seen you in forever!" She exclaimed, happy to see him after centuries of disappearance. He slowly hugged her back, raising a hand to ruffle her hair. She sat in his lap comfortably and leaned against his chest.
"I haven't seen you in a long time, Fischl. You've grown splendidly."
"Of course, I have. I fight with mother multiple times a day, and she trains me."
"And I presume that is how you learnt the Unlimited Void Works?"
"… No."
"Tell me, why were you fighting with such vigour in the first place?"
Rita raised an eyebrow, knowing that she had told him why already.
"… I wanted to leave."
"Did you know where you wanted to go?"
"… No."
"So what would have happened if you had beaten your mother?"
"I thought she would know where to send me."
"What about me?"
"Well… You're not around, so…"
Fischl's voice drifted off as she fidgeted and played with her fingers.
"So what?"
"… I don't know."
"Well, that power you displayed was definitely unconventional, to say the least. How did you learn it?"
"… The Void Archives told me."
"What!" Rita shouted, spitting the remaining coffee out. "I'm sure I banned you from entering there! How did you make it past the security spell?!"
"Well, she had a little help." A tiny dragon squeaked. Rita picked up Fafnir by the neck and squeezed.
"You're gonna need a lot of help when I'm done with you, Faffy!"
"Queen, PLEASE, you're CHOKING ME-" Fafnir coughed out comically before Rita dropped him onto the table again. "I wasn't even the one that helped her! It was Oz and Kurama!"
Upon hearing their names, they raced off the table and as far away as possible. Rita chased after screaming obscenities at them. Seeing the tension had considerably decreased, the other Thrones also decided to leave the area, leaving Fischl alone with her father.
"Your curiosity is certainly admirable."
"Thank you, Father."
"That doesn't excuse you from disobeying your mother."
"… Sorry."
"It's fine. I was there to stop you before you got hurt."
"I could handle it! I was ready!"
"No, Fischl. You were prepared for the attack. You were not thinking of the backlash from using something of that calibre."
"… Sorry."
Kevin rubbed her head again and got up, carrying her in his arms.
"It's fine. I was there to stop you anyway."
"Where are we going?"
Kevin took a step forward, and the world around them whirled before settling on a plane of red sand. In front of them was Rita holding a golden cube, the 12 Thrones back in their standard forms and a crack in space.
"Do you want to see the outside world, my daughter?" Rita asked, grinning happily.
Fischl gasped as she saw the crack, and her eyes twinkled in delight as Rita brought forth her scythe and slashed the crack open further. She jumped out of her father's arms and stood before the broken space, a soft breeze blowing.
"Yes… YES!"
She turned to her parents, looking at her.
"I do! I want to see it!"
"Well, first of all, ground rules," Rita said, to which Fischl groaned. "Yes, little madam, there are 3 ground rules you need to follow!"
"What, don't destroy the world?" Fischl answered sarcastically. Rita giggled and answered back.
"Actually, yes, that's one of them."
"I won't, Mother, I sweeeear."
"Teehee, I trust you dear. But the other 2 are just as important."
Rita bent down and pinched her daughter's cheeks softly.
"Make sure to take good care of yourself. I won't be able to protect you like normal. I can interfere occasionally, but you'll be mostly alone."
"Don't worry mother. I will, I swear upon the Sea of Quanta."
Fischl saw the tears well in her mother's eyes and realised it wouldn't be easy for her. Every day for years upon years, Fischl had seen her mother almost every single minute of the day. Now, she probably wouldn't even be able to hear her voice outside of a whisper.
"Good girl. You've always been a good girl, you know that?"
"I know, mother."
"I love you so much. You're the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. I'll obliterate the world if anyone so much as lay a finger on you, I swear."
"I love you too, Mother, but you haven't told me the last rule."
"The last rule, my dear daughter," Rita said, bringing her daughter in for a hug. "It is to have as much fun as you want."
Fischl gripped her mother back in a tight hug. It wasn't long until Kevin cleared his voice loudly, indicating they should be done with their sentimentality. Rita gave him a sharp glare, making him roll his eyes at her.
"We don't have forever. You know she will-"
"Outlanders…"
An unknown woman dressed in white appeared; a multitude of cubes appeared and disappeared to mark her entrance.
"Your journey ends-"
Begone.
Kevin's voice shook the world around them, and the unknown woman in white vanished completely; not even her presence felt any longer.
"As I said, we don't have much time, more will come." Kevin continued, nudging Rita slightly as an indication to hurry up.
"Who even was that?" Fischl asked, surprised by the unknown being's power that she felt.
"A weakling god. But that doesn't matter right now anyway." Rita answered, then placed the golden cube in Fischl's hands. Fischl gasped as she recognised it.
"This – you're giving me the Void Archives?"
"Yes, you may use it as you like. Since I know you've been peeking at it anyway, I know you'll put it to good use."
"Thank you, mother! I won't abuse it, I swear!"
"I'll hold you to that. I've given you higher permissions within it, too, so it can also prevent you from getting into too much danger. And write a letter to Mommy every now and then, okay?"
"Yes, Mother, I will."
"That's great then."
Rita stepped back and conjured a handkerchief, dabbing at her eyes to wipe away tears. Kevin stepped forward and looked down at her.
"Fischl, I know that we haven't been as close as you are to your mother. But I want you to know that we love you. We always have and always will."
"I love you too, Father."
He knelt before her, placing a hand on each shoulder.
"From now on, you will be making your own decisions, your own choices and following your own path. Right or wrong, you will have to learn for yourself. Are you sure you can live with both the benefits and consequences of your actions? Are you ready to take full responsibility for what you do?"
"Yes, Father. I am."
"Good."
He got up once again to look down at her.
"Fischl. Enjoy yourself, but take care. That land is full of mysteries and hostile elements. You will need to defeat them either by yourself or create a team of people you trust to have your back."
"Yes, Father."
Kevin put up an arm and conjured a small box. Opening it, he took out a necklace with a purple gem. The gem glowed brightly as he attached it to Fischl's neck.
"This is for the greatest of emergencies. If you need me or your mother to intervene, just hold the gem and think deeply about which one of us you wish to call. We will know immediately and use the crystal as a point of contact with that world. But you can only reach us a maximum of 5 times before it breaks. However, I very much doubt that you'll need us, considering who is going with you."
"Going with me?" Fischl repeated, confused at the statement.
"Yes. The 12 Thrones."
"What? This wasn't the agreement?!" Fafnir bellowed. "I was told we would be free from her influence!"
"Are you disobeying my order?" Kevin replied, the atmosphere chilling significantly. Ice spread beneath him towards Fafnir, who looked ready to blow fire.
"… No," Fafnir growled, deciding it wasn't worth the trouble. Epos perked up from his back.
"Didn't you tell us you would miss the Princess?"
"I said no such thing, you shitty bird!"
"Yes, you did."
"Get off me!"
Kevin spread an arm, and all the Thrones converted into miniature forms again.
"I quite like this form," Leviathan commented, slithering to Fischl. In a swift motion, he climbed her leg and wrapped himself around her neck. "It's fun to manoeuvre in."
"Good. You'll be in this form unless you are released by Fischl herself." Kevin said, crossing his arms again. "Until then, you will ensure her safety and work with her when necessary. Am I understood?"
"Yes, your highness," Oz replied on their behalf, perching himself on Fischl's shoulder. "I'm sure we will all get along very nicely."
"Excellent."
Fischl giggled at the behaviour of the Thrones around her.
"But Father, how will I take them around? I doubt they would look 'normal' to the people of that land."
"You can put them within the Void Archives. It's just as good at storing people and things as it is for books."
"Oh, okay!"
Fischl concentrated her power into the golden cube and watched as each of the Thrones were sucked into the Void Archives. All except Leviathan, who begged not to, which Fischl obliged, much to the annoyance of Oz. She turned back to her father.
"You're ready now. Go." Kevin declared, walking her to the crack in space. "Have an adventure of your own."
"Mommy will watch over you when she can!" Rita cried, blowing into her handkerchief. Fischl gave her parents one final hug before she entered the crack.
"Thank you, mother and father. I promise to make you proud!"
"I'm already proud of you, dearest daughter," Rita whispered.
"I'm off now. Goodbye!"
"Be well!"
"Remember Fischl," Kevin added, just before his daughter went through. "What do we fight for?"
"We fight for all that is beautiful in this world!" Fischl exclaimed as she stepped into the crack. A myriad of colours flashed before her, and everything faded to black.