Chapter 15

Here Come The Girls

Looking around the arena, I said, "Wait, this is the Temple of the Silent Core, isn't it? No wonder I feel so terrified.". "Right you are.", Dante said as he came out of one of the arena's entrances. "So, why are you fighting me? Doesn't stopping the Waxing Moon Ritual take precedence?", I asked. "Well, in order to stop the Waxing Moon Ritual, you need to undergo three trials. Azrael, Rex and I constitute those trials. I'm sorry but I need to test whether you really are strong enough to handle the powers of all 9 Eikons alongside that of our Lord Ultima.", Dante replied before drawing his sword and rushing at me. Dodging the attack, I launched a blast of dark magic that I followed up with a dark fireball. Dante in response unleashed a thin crimson beam from his sword that sliced through the fireball only for me to unleash a dark stalagmite from the earth. Slicing it in half, Dante then jumped into the air in preparation for a brutal downward slash from his sword that I prevented with a sharp kick to his gut. Grinning, Dante then warped behind me and tried to stab me in the back only to be met with a sharp burst of dark energy that I instinctively unleashed. Gathering dark energy in my right hand, I then turned round and unleashed a beam of dark red energy that Dante deflected before unleashing another beam of red energy from his sword. Narrowly dodging the attack, I then unleashed storm of dark wind and fired it at Dante for him to shoot through it with his two handguns. Frustrated, I unleashed a beam of dark pressurised water that Dante easily sliced in half. "What's wrong? Where's your fighting spirit? Where is Zantetsuken?", Dante asked. Incensed at this, I summoned Zantetsuken to my right hand and gripped it tight, unleashing a violent flurry of slashes that Dante just managed to parry.

Rushing at Dante with Zantetsuken in hand, I unleashed a series of slashes which each unleashed a flurry of slashes that Dante himself just managed to dodge. Unimpressed, I unleashed a beam of darkness that Dante deflected with a beam from his own sword before gathering dark red energy in his own body. As his voice become demonic and distorted, Dante said, "Well, you seem unwilling to tap into your hidden power, so I'm going to show you how.". The dark energy then burst with Dante transforming into a demonic monstrosity with a foggy red aura. As I watched Dante transform, I became overcome with an irresistible and uncontrollable desire to surpass and defeat him as gloriously as possible; at this, I saw the dark figure I saw on the Space Colony ARK once again descend and fuse with me, turning my robes jet black with red spikes affixed to them and dispelling Zantetsuken in place of a dark red scythe that I gripped tight. Unleashing a violent storm of dark red energy, I then rushed at Dante yet again and unleashed a violent series of slashes from my scythe supplemented with punches, claw swipes and dark magic blasts that Dante matched blow for blow. As we traded blows, I felt my attacks speed up considerably as a purple glow surrounded me, my speed increasing to the point that I was absurdly and blindingly fast. As his grin grew wider, Dante said, "So you're on the way to unlocking that stance. Wonderful.". Screaming with rage, I felt my attacks then become even faster as the Negative Speed Force greatly enhanced my already blinding speed. My vision became redder and redder; as it did, my anger and hatred grew. Forming a second scythe in my left hand, I then unleashed a series of fast radial spins with both scythes only for Dante to unleash a piercing stab that caused the second scythe and the purple glow around me to disappear. Angry beyond belief, I unleashed a slash of dark red electricity that caused the scythe in my right hand to disappear along with the red spikes on my robes, causing the dark orange to return.

Looking at me in awe, Circe then arrived out another of the arena's entrances whilst clapping. "Such a splendid display!", she said. "Circe, why are you here?", I asked. "Never mind that. Still, you don't seem able to control your avatar's power but that's quite natural for someone who Stephen neglected to train properly. That was a good fight though.", Circe said. "What do you mean by my avatar?", I asked. "She means that dark wraith you merged with.", Dante said. "But still, to think that you, a novice Reaper, is able to control such power so magnificently. It gives me faith that you will be able to rule Aionios when the time is right.", Circe said. "Wait, I thought I was a mage.", I said. "And you are. But your discipline, that is Reaper.", Dante said. Suddenly, another dark aura covered my body. Looking at the energy, Circe grinned before saying, "Well, it seems like Ifrit certainly chose wrong by not awakening within Clive this time because you are much worthier of wielding Ultima's power. But why Odin chose to awaken within you is beyond even me.". Grunting in pain, I then found myself in front of a giant golden orb radiating a multicoloured light. "So, is this the Infinity Core?", I asked. "Correct you are.", said a voice behind me. I turned around to see a young girl with short dark red hair and silver eyes wearing a black and dark red dress. Upon looking at her face, a strange feeling came over me. "Ruby?", I asked the girl. "Well, given how you returned to us, I felt that you wouldn't remember me given how you forgot almost everyone else but I'm glad you're starting to remember us again.", Ruby said. "Indeed, miracles really do exist.", said another girl with white hair in a ponytail and blue eyes wearing a blue and white dress. "Still, Weiss, the fact remains that the Waxing Moon Ritual is starting to negatively affect time and space.", I said to the white-haired girl. "Right you are.", said a catgirl with black hair and golden eyes wearing a black and dark purple dress. "So, Blake, what plan do you have to stop the Waxing Moon Vessel from devastating everything?", Ruby asked the catgirl. "Well, first, Jack needs to stop being a pussy and embrace his true nature. I'm sure he'll understand the rest after that.", Blake said. "And when he does, I'm sure everything else will be plain sailing from there.", said a young woman with long blonde hair and purple eyes wearing a yellow qipao with a dragon on it. "I'm sure he will understand in time, Yang.", Weiss said to the blonde-haired woman. "We can only hope.", Yang said.

Suddenly, I then found myself in a hall with a statue of a dragon with a split nose at the far end. Praying at the statue was none other than Strange. "Master?", I asked. Perking up, Strange then looked at me, saying, "Oh, you've come, my greatest student of all.". "Why are you here?", I asked. "Well, I was praying to Naga for the power to finally make you see your folly.", Strange replied. "But why pray to a dragon associated with the Silent Core? Wouldn't it be better to pray to Wavern instead?", I asked. "Well, I see someone doesn't know of the prophecy.", Strange said. "What prophecy?", I asked. "Well, you see, there is a prophecy in ancient Aionian legend that speaks of a young man who shall unite the 9 Eikons under him and use their power to unite all of reality under his rule. Said ruler is known as the Mythos and it is his duty to use the Eikons's power alongside that of Ultima's in order to create an eternal kingdom and ensure the Endless Now shall prevent an unknown future's arrival. When Aionios was created long ago, no-one then had the power to use the Eikons and Ultima's power together as the Dominant of Ifrit had not awakened. Even the creation of the artificial Eikon known as Omega could not provide the necessary power needed to summon Ifrit into the world until you were born. Indeed, the Eikons themselves serve as conduits to empower Ifrit and give his Dominant the power to unleash the power of Ultima, getting closer and closer to His divine image with each Eikonic power absorbed- the power of fire, the power of wind, the power of thunder, the power of earth, the power of light, the power of ice, the power of darkness, the power of water and the power of the void. These constitute the 9 Eikons: Phoenix, Garuda, Ramuh, Titan, Bahamut, Shiva, Odin, Leviathan and Alexander. You were meant by Ultima's plan to awaken as the Dominant of Ifrit yet you blasphemously awakened as the Dominant of Odin instead against our Lord's holy plans.", Strange explained. "But what does this have to do with the Infinity and Silent Cores?", I asked. "Well, when Aionios was created, two cores were made to keep it in cosmic balance- the Infinity Core associated with light and the Silent Core associated with darkness. The cores are meant to make sure Aionios does not fall into either pure light or pure darkness, keeping it in harmony.", Strange replied. Taking a moment to think, I then said, "But I thought the Infinity Core and the Silent Core both came from the Perfect Core, which split into two when Vestroia was split into 6. Also, I thought that Ultima only created 8 Eikons, Alexander not among them.".

I then mysteriously found myself in a strange castle. Looking around confused, I saw that the throne in front of me was conspicuously empty. "Where am I now?", I thought. Looking at the entrance, I saw Mash walk in with a blank expression on her face. "Mash? What is she doing here of all places?", I thought. Walking over to her, I saw her face light up, prompting Mash to then hug me very tightly. "OK, not what I was expecting.", I thought. "I knew you'd return to us someday. I always held hope in my heart that you would return to us and I was right, my love.", Mash said, crying. "What do you mean?", I asked. "You came to us one day shortly after you were born. Your birth parents were unable to properly raise you because of complications related to your ancestry so they had King Gilgamesh and Queen Artoria adopt and raise you instead. During your very early childhood here, you amassed a great number of friends that I was one of. You left one day without any trace with only me holding out hope for your return. And since you returned, it appears my hopes that you would return were validated. Now that you have returned, it is time for you to reclaim your kingdom and rule over Aionios as the Sovereign you were meant to be.", Mash said, a sinister smile forming on her face and a dark red aura surrounding her. Suddenly, I then found myself in a very extravagant and overly posh bedroom. There was a very strong smell in the air too. Noticing that I was in a bed, I tried to get up only to notice that someone was holding me down and stopping me from doing so. Looking over to my left, I saw Kasane sleeping deeply, her head resting on my shoulder. Feeling that trying to get up would be more trouble than it was worth, I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

Waking up, I then found myself on a flaming battlefield with Sin Eater corpses strewn about haphazardly. In my right hand was a dark red scythe with a glowing red blade and in my left hand was a skull from one of the dead Sin Eaters. Looking at the corpses more carefully, I saw that the corpses also had copious holes in them. "What happened here?", I asked. "You really don't remember? Why, you killed all the Sin Eaters here and succumbed to your inner instincts as the Sword Demon.", Alastor said. "Not to mention you also primed into Odin and gave the Sin Eaters a glorious and beautiful massacre. Your movements were absolutely pristine and gorgeous.", Jeanne said. "If only I could have been as cruel as you then I could have also participated in your beautiful carnage.", Barry said. "Wait, I killed people?", I asked. "Well, calling them people would be quite a stretch.", Aoko said. I then found myself facing the Happy Hotel again, noticing that its logo had strangely changed to read 'Hazbin Hotel' instead. Noticing that the doors were strangely open, I walked through nervously only to find myself in Garreg Mach Monastery instead. "Wait, what's happening?", I asked. "Well, after YHVH decided to invade, he launched a series of Incursions and calamities upon the Multiverse itself, many of them before you were even born. During them, reality itself started to break apart at the seams causing people to find themselves in strange locations on a very daily basis.", Husk said. "I remember finding myself in strange locations both during my service in the War of the Worlds and when I was in Cyber Space but this is really getting ridiculous now.", I said. "Right. And that is why we need the Waxing Moon Vessel to function at full power so we can synchronise it with the Holy Grail and Greater Grail and use them to fix the damage done to reality.", Yukio said. Finding myself facing a strange green shrine, I then pushed up my glasses and entered, bracing myself for what I would find there.

The story continues in the next chapter.