Chapter 3

To Be Better

Entering the Boathouse, I found that the restaurant was eerily empty. "Where is everyone? Bingo?", I asked myself before I found a strange note on the floor. As I skimmed over it, I deftly ducked to avoid a thrown dagger. "What the shit?", I thought as I examined the dagger, only to avoid a fireball. Straightening myself, I then said, "Whoever you are, you can drop the act and come out now.". "I see you managed to sense my presence. Very well done.", said a voice behind me. Turning around to face my attacker, I saw a man with teal eyes and tousled dark brown hair wearing a dark teal kimono, a black hakama and straw sandals. "So, who are you?", I asked. "My name is Miyamoto Iori Sadagatsu, Seeker of the Limitless Sky. I thought you knew me, Toby.", the man with teal eyes and tousled dark brown hair said. "My name is Jack, not Toby.", I said. "Keep telling yourself that.", Iori said. Suddenly, Iori then looked at me with a strange curiosity. "Why are you looking at me like that?", I asked. "You're like me. Born in the wrong time.", Iori said. "What do you mean by that?", I asked. "You'll find out soon enough.", Iori said before walking out.

Continuing my investigation of the Boathouse, I found a series of seven strange statues in the garden. As I looked at them, I felt a strange feeling from them as if they were like the figures I saw in that commercial on BBC One. "Wait, could they be the Seven Class Heroes?", I asked myself. I then felt my demonic left arm seize up again. "Why? Why are you not obeying me?", I asked angrily. Clutching my head in pain, I saw the black knight again. "I've already accepted you as part of me. You will obey me, Odin! I am your master and you are my servant!", I spat. The pain grew more intense, prompting me to summon Zantetsuken to my right hand. "They are your friends. Accept them. Embrace them. Love them.", the dark knight said. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!", I said. Suddenly, the dark knight disappeared, prompting me to dispel Zantetsuken as the pain faded. As I touched the Mage Hero statue, I then saw a strange vision of a dark knight armed with Zantetsuken facing a coterie of radiant heroes only for the vision to lead to another, this time of me facing down Shulk and Rex atop the burning Prison Island itself above the burning Spear Pillar only for that vision to lead to one of me facing Iori in a strangely serene forest. As the vision faded, I let out a cry of rage, my anger causing a well of dark red electricity to burst around me, destroying the statues.

Leaving the Boathouse, I then watched as the town burst into fire spontaneously. "YHVH, what did you do?", I asked myself as I carefully navigated the fire. As I walked through the inferno, I then saw the fire mysteriously disappear as a mysterious dark portal appeared. Carefully walking through the portal, I then found myself in a strange underground shrine with what appeared to be sinister red and black growths surrounding a cup that resembled two hands clasped together. "The Waxing Moon Vessel, huh?", I asked myself. "Indeed. Does it not look beautiful?", Sage said. "Beautiful is not how I would describe the Waxing Moon Vessel. I think it looks absolutely hideous and disgusting. But that's just me.", I replied. "The vessel is not ready yet. We will require its use eventually, but not right now.", Sage said. "But I thought you needed either the Holy Grail, the Greater Grail or the Waxing Moon Vessel.", I said. "Well, the Waxing Moon Vessel is the only Grail we know the exact location of; the locations of the Holy Grail and the Greater Grail have mysteriously vanished because of the Incursions that YHVH imposed on the Multiverse. Until we know the exact locations of the Holy Grail and the Greater Grail, we will need to use the Waxing Moon Vessel instead. I hope you'll understand.", Sage said before she walked out of the shrine.

Reaching out to the Waxing Moon Vessel, I then found myself repelled by a strange dark red aura. "I wouldn't disturb it now if I were you.", an energetic voice said behind me. I turned around to see a man with red eyes and spiky blue hair wearing a blue spandex jumpsuit. "Cu Chulainn, huh?", I asked the man with red eyes and spiky blue hair. "Why I never thought you would recognise me!", Cu said. "Well, who wouldn't recognise the Hound of Hulainn? Besides, anyone would recognise the red spear you have with you.", I said. "Oh, you're talking about my Gae Bolg.", Cu said. "More like Gay Bulge.", I said, snickering. "Seriously though, I would highly recommend that you do not interfere in the Waxing Moon Ritual and leave the Ascension Project alone. Let's just say that we're so close to succeeding, so it would be a tragedy if you interfered and destroyed the Ascension Project.", Cu said before walking out of the shrine.

Before I could study the shrine further, I then found myself in a strange green meadow with various dinosaur like monsters roaming around. Wondering what would have happened had I reached out to the Waxing Moon Vessel, I then heard a strange explosion off in the distance. As I ran towards the direction of the explosion (helped by a thin layer of smoke rising from the impact site), I then caught the sight of a blonde-haired man wearing armour that made him look like a barbarian brandishing a whip. I approached him, wondering who he was. "So, you've returned to Aionios at long last. I thought you would never recover, not after what YHVH did to you.", the blonde-haired man said. Feeling a strange sense of pain in my left arm, I then felt a very dark chill down my spine. "Wait, are you…?", I asked, with the blonde-haired man saying, "Yes. I am Simon Belmont, vampire hunter and demon slayer.". Feeling an acute sense of fear, I then ran away as fast as I could, only to find myself in the hotel where I met Naofumi, Ren, Motoyasu and Itsuki. "OK, something's up.", I thought. The lights then immediately turned off, greatly terrifying me. Then, I heard the unmistakable sound of Synapson's "Hide Away" as I caught the sight of an albino robot girl with her hair tied into a long braid. She was also wearing a sky blue jumpsuit alongside a red eyepatch over her right eye and dark cyan nail polish on her fingers and toes. As her eyes linked with mine, I then felt a tremendous amount of fear as she perked up, saying, "Oh! Your Highness! Welcome home!". "Do I know you?", I asked. "Oh yes you do, Toby! But in case you've forgotten, you may call me Nu.", the albino robot girl said. I then saw Corrin come out of the shadows, a vacant smile on her face. "Wait, Corrin, do you know Nu?", I asked. "Oh yes, she's a friend of your father. Well, I say friend but she's more a clone of his sister Saya, who is also the genetic source for your aunt Noel.", Corrin replied. "And to think that we had almost lost you as well.", Kazuto said behind me. I turned around to face him, noticing that he had a nauseously bright aura about him. "Don't tell me YHVH got to you too.", I said. "Oh, we didn't encounter YHVH. We actually got exposed to both Gloom and the Silent Core, two holy powers that facilitated our divine rebirth.", Kazuto said. "But you were sadly exposed to the Infinity Core despite Lady Shionne's wishes. By the time we realised it, you were gone.", Corrin said. "Well, I couldn't help priming into the Phoenix.", I said. "It's OK though. We just need to find a way to reverse what was done and then expose you to both Gloom and the Silent Core. Once we do that, you'll finally return to us.", Nu said.

I then heard a loud explosion. "Is that supposed to happen?", I asked. "You know what is? Why, you coming with us for your dark rebirth, Toby.", Nu said. "My name is Jack.", I growled. "Now, now. There's no need to be like that.", Celica said behind Corrin. Suddenly, a giant troll burst through the wall, prompting me to escape. "There's nowhere you can run to.", Kazuto said. Running at such an inhuman speed, I then found myself back at the green meadow where I met Simon. I kept running towards the impact site, speeding past several statues before I reached the site. Looking down the crater, I saw a spherical looking spaceship that was already open. "Wonder what was in there.", I thought before I sensed a dark presence behind me. Well, I say dark but it felt divine in a way. I looked behind me, catching the sight of an angel with spiky brown hair and blue eyes wearing a white tunic. "Hi, my name's Jack. What's yours?", I asked. "I am an angel of Palutena. My name is Pit.", the angel said. "Wait, that angel from Kid Icarus? Mind equals blown!", I said. "By the way, what brings you to Gaur Plain?", Pit asked. "To be honest, I just found myself here after I saw the Waxing Moon Vessel in a sort of underground shrine.", I replied. "So the Waxing Moon Vessel hasn't chosen you yet, huh?", Pit asked. "I guess not.", I replied. Looking at the crater, I then asked, "So, what brings you here?". "Well, I heard a rumour from Alastor that the Saiyans had arrived from their world in response for the race for the Waxing Moon Vessel. I had arrived here with Simon Belmont to confirm that they had arrived. Evidently it appears that they have.", Pit replied. "So, what use could you have for the Waxing Moon Vessel?", I asked. "That's classified.", Pit said. "Yeah, clearly classified. So classified that even the Illuminati know of it.", I snarked.

Looking down at the crater, I then saw a figure stumble out of the spaceship. He had spiky black hair and black eyes, not to mention wearing an orange gi. "Man, Vegeta owes me one. At least the Waxing Moon Vessel is still intact, if incomplete.", the figure said. Looking at me and Pit, he then flew out of the crater before landing on the ground before us. "Hey, Pit!", the figure said. "Nice to see you again, Goku.", Pit said to the black-haired man. "Wait, Goku? You mean like the protagonist of Dragon Ball?", I asked. "Yeah, him.", Pit said. Turning his attention to me, Goku then said, "Oh, hey Toby. You know, it sure was bold of you to pretend to kill YHVH.". "One: my name is Jack. Two: YHVH really is dead and gone. I shattered that thing's soul.", I said. "Keep telling yourself that.", Goku said. "Incidentally, why does everyone want the power of the Waxing Moon Vessel?", I asked. "You see, the Holy Grail, the Greater Grail and the Waxing Moon Vessel are all capable of granting wishes but they are all currently a bit…flawed. While they can grant wishes, they are not only destructive but also incapable of differentiating between selfless wishes and selfish desires. And with all 3, we can finally complete the Ascension Project.", Goku replied. "Of course you'd bring up the bloody Ascension Project.", I said. "And once we ascend, we will be capable of anything, even healing you completely and returning you to your true destiny.", Pit said. As if on cue, the two then suddenly disappeared. "Figures.", I said. I then saw a dark portal leading back to New Marvel City open; curious to unveil the true purpose of the Ascension Project, I walked through it and headed back to the Baxter Foundation building.

The story continues in the next chapter.