Chapter 14

Waxing Moon, Waning Moon

As Mitsuba dragged me through the portal, I once again saw reality warp and twist around us and time and space fell apart before my very eyes. Suddenly, I found that the two of us were facing a school (or what looked like one, anyway) on a hill, with the school itself being very strangely constructed. Parts of the school itself had been chopped up and rather weirdly arranged in a very confusing manner with what looked like a castle on the top of the hill. "Where are we?", I asked. "Welcome to True Cross Academy.", Mitsuba said. "Who in their right mind would build a school this way?", I asked. "Well, take it up with the people who planned it. I'm not a builder.", Mitsuba said before running off to talk with another woman in the distance. As I ran to catch up with her, I saw that the woman she was talking with had long lavender hair tied up at the back with a magenta bow and brown eyes. She was also wearing a teal t-shirt and green shorts with short pink socks and white trainers. Looking at me, the girl said, "Well, Mitsuba, it seems he's the man you were talking to me about. So what if he has amnesia? He'll remember us eventually.". "Indeed he will, Shinoa.", Mitsuba said to the lavender-haired girl. As I looked at the school, Shinoa then said, "What's wrong? Don't remember the academy you frequented as a member of the True Cross Order? Well, given your fighting in the Waxing Moon Ritual, it's inevitable that you'd return here.". "Wait, you know of the Waxing Moon Ritual too?", I asked. "Of course we do. It's why we sent you to participate in it as our representative.", a voice said behind me. I turned around to see a man with short dark brown hair and teal eyes wearing a pair of silver glasses and a smart uniform consisting of a black blazer, a black tie, a white shirt and a pair of dark blue trousers alongside black spats. Much like Barry, Julis and Aoko, he was also wearing a ring with a red cross on it. "And you are…?", I asked. "Oh, forgive me; I'm not usually so rude. My name is Yukio Okumura.", the man said. "And I take it that you're part of the True Cross Order?", I asked. "That's correct.", Yukio said.

After a brief and awkward silence, I then heard Alastor say, "Well, as much as I don't want to interrupt this touching reunion, we must prepare for the tournament's final stages.". "Wait, tournament?", I asked. "Yes, the Sword Demon Tournament that Iori put together purely to reignite your fighting spirit.", Shinoa said. "And the best is you get to participate as the guest of honour!", Husk said. "I don't think that's how a guest of honour works.", I said. "Sure it does!", Mitsuba said. Suddenly, I then found myself in a strange chamber where I was facing a pair of four poster beds with silk quilts and satin duvets. "OK, so where am I now?", I asked. Suddenly, as if on cue, a man with jet black hair and blue eyes burst in the room. He was wearing a blue blazer and a white shirt alongside light blue trousers and dark grey boots. "Oh, you've got amnesia, don't you? Well, my name is Rin Okumura.", the man said. "And you're Yukio's younger brother, I take it?", I asked. "Actually, I'm the older brother.", Rin said. "Wait, like what Mario is to Luigi and what Vergil is to Dante", right?", I asked. "I don't exactly know what you're talking about but yeah, same principle.", Rin said. I then looked outside the window, only to see that not only that it was strangely dark but that the Moon was also glowing a sinister red colour. "Isn't the Blood Moon so beautiful in the night?", Rin asked. "I thought the Blood Moon was a sign of Ganon's power reaching its apex and thus something to avoid.", I said. "Still, the Blood Moon is a pretty sight, I have to admit.", Mitsuba said, entering the room. "Wait, you too, Mitsuba?", I asked. "Still, you gotta rest up. You've got a big day tomorrow and it's best to not ruin it.", Mitsuba said. Suddenly finding myself on one of the beds, I saw Mitsuba looking at me and smiling before she closed her eyes and slept. Feeling that she had a point, I closed my own eyes and went to sleep.

Waking up the next day, I then found myself lying face down on the ground. Getting up, I found myself in a strange grassy field with the Blood Moon's crimson glow above me, illuminating the sky with an eerie blood red . "Wait, wasn't I in True Cross Academy?", I asked. "Well, you were. But you're now here. And we couldn't be happier for it.", Alastor said. "So where am I?", I asked. "Well, you're near the Arena of the Gods in Brodia.", Alastor said. "Wait, I'm in Brodia now?", I asked, confused. "That you are.", Yukio said. "But why? Why Brodia?", I asked. "That is a question that will be answered in the Arena of the Gods.", Alastor said before he and Yukio disappeared in a crimson glow. Having serious concerns that Moebius had their claws in almost everything, I walked in the direction of the Arena of the Gods, noticing a strange pattern on one of the signs that resembled a claw. Walking further, I came to a strange cairn that was composed of magma. Examining the cairn, I saw a strange vision of myself fighting against Mordred who was wearing a suit of red armour much like the Consuls. As the vision faded, I then another feeling of dread inside me as I sensed a sinister burst of energy in the Arena of the Gods. Having a strange feeling of fear, I rushed, noticing that the arena was covered in a thick red fog that suddenly entered my left arm.

Approaching the Arena, I nervously entered only to see that the place was completely empty…well, aside from a powerfully built man with long blue hair and red eyes wearing a white coat and white trousers alongside white shoes. As I approached him, he turned around to look at me and smiled a demonic smile. "So, you've come. Wonderful.", he said with a deep and sinister voice. My feeling of dread grew even higher as I saw that the man was covered by a very familiar nauseously bright aura. Summoning Zantetsuken to my right hand, I gripped it tight as the man took a fighting stance. "Won't you ask me my name?", the man said. "I don't need to know who you are to kill you.", I said. "Oh, aren't you a real spoilsport? But I guess it can't be helped, can it, Jack Sebastian Crowe?", the man asked. At this, I rushed at the man with the intent to kill. "Incidentally, I am Azrael, the Mad Dog.", the man said before unleashing a blast of dark magic that I parried. "On the ball as usual.", Azrael said before warping behind me and unleashing a brutal punch that I deftly countered without even thinking. I followed this up with a powerful backwards stab before turning around and slashing Azrael in the torso with a series of powerful radial spins. Watching in the stands, Iori smirked as Yasuhiro said, "I hope you remember why you're training him to begin with.". "Don't worry, he'll realise his true purpose when the time comes. And when he does, he'll succeed Alphen as the Sovereign no sweat.", Iori said. "We can only hope.", Shousetsu said.

Summoning another Zantetsuken to my left hand, I then unleashed a powerful slash from both swords that Azrael easily dodged like a baller before unleashing a potent blast of dark energy that I deflected before countering with another powerful slash. Feeling a strange glow come over me, I saw my own attacks strangely speed up and increase the number of slashes that Azrael just couldn't seem to overcome. Grinning wildly, Azrael then unleashed a powerful punch that forced me out of the glow's state and forcibly dispelled the second Zantetsuken in my left hand. Not that it really mattered anyway as I then unleashed a blast of dark wind from my left hand that Azrael just managed to dodge. Grabbing Zantetsuken with both hands, I then stabbed the ground before I unleashed a slash of darkness that Azrael countered with a powerful kick. Growing frustrated with my lack of real progress with the fight, I unleashed a powerful slash of darkness that Azrael dodged before responding with his own punch that I countered, taking the opportunity to respond further with a further slash from Zantetsuken. Laughing madly, Azrael then unleashed a sinister red aura that unleashed an irresistible and uncontrollable desire within me to surpass and defeat him as gloriously as possible. "So, you wish for power to overcome your foe?", the dark figure I saw on the Space Colony ARK asked. "Yes. Come to me.", I said. At this, the dark figure I saw disappeared into me, turning my robes completely black with red spikes affixed to them, not to mention dispelling Zantetsuken and replacing it with a scythe formed from black and dark red energy. A violent dark red aura also burst forth from my body. Gripping the scythe tight, I let out a scream of rage before I rushed towards Azrael and attacked him with a furious volley of scythe slashes supplemented with punches, claw swipes and dark magic blasts; laughing at this, Azrael then unleashed his own brutal onslaught of kicks, punches and slaps that only inspired me to fight harder and faster. As my attack speed soared, I felt the energy of the Negative Speed Force guide and accelerate my attacks whilst a tornado of dark red electrical energy covered me.

Whilst the energy covered me, I heard Bell's voice say, "That's it! Embrace your fighting spirit and let it empower you with naught but direst cruelty!". Dispelling the energy, I then charged up the scythe with a greater amount of dark red energy before I unleashed an even faster onslaught against Azrael before the energy suddenly disappeared causing the dark figure to leave my body, prompting the dark red spikes affixed to my robes to disappear in kind and the dark orange on my robes to return. "What was that just now?", I thought. "So, that's all the Sword Demon has to offer? I have to say I'm very disappointed.", Azrael said. As my scythe disappeared, I cried out in anger before I unleashed a giant dark fireball that Azrael promptly sidestepped. "Why? Why can't I unleash my full power?", I asked. "Maybe the post of Sovereign just isn't for you.", Azrael said before he walked off. I then heard Mitsuba's voice behind me say, "Don't look so down. You tried your best after all. Maybe you can't control your full power yet.". "You may be right.", I said. Walking over to me, Mitsuba then looked at me tenderly before kissing me, the love within her being very apparent.

Suddenly, I then found myself in a very strange place that seemed like it was underneath the arena somehow. As I walked forward, I saw a strange mural that seemed to depict two separate worlds colliding and fusing into another. This was then followed by another mural that depicted Ifrit receiving power from no less than 10 entities- Phoenix, Garuda, Ramuh, Titan, Bahamut, Shiva, Odin, Leviathan, Alexander and an unknown tenth entity that looked like a human but with 4 arms. As you might expect, Reader, this was followed by another mural that vaguely looked like Ragna and Velvet cradling a baby that vaguely looked a lot like me. I wondered what these murals were depicting as I walked over to a fourth mural that was obscured by fallen rocks and debris; confused as to what the murals were depicting, I then caught sight of someone in the distance. I walked over to him, seeing that he had spiky black hair and amber eyes with the right eye having an ominous red glow and being covered by black markings. He was also wearing a purple robe with a white and orange hakama over it and a purple shoulder plate strapped to his right shoulder. By his hips were 2 short swords and across his back was a nodachi with a sinister serrated black and red blade. Turning to face me, he said, "Well, my honorary nephew returns at last!". "Who are you again?", I asked, clueless. "It's normal you don't remember me. You were only a baby then. My name is Rokurou Rangetsu.", the man said. "Well, Rokurou, do you know where we are?", I asked. "Shouldn't that be obvious? We're in the Fallen shrine underneath the Arena of the Gods in Brodia.", Rokurou replied. "And why is there a Fallen shrine in Elyos anyway? I thought they were only confined to the Twins.", I said. "That I can't tell you. You'll need to figure that out for yourself.", Rokurou said before he walked away.

Continuing on, I came to a fifth mural where I saw a depiction of Odin fighting against the other 8 Eikons in a holy temple of sorts at the top of a mountain. Strangely, Odin didn't seem to look all that sinister whilst the other Eikons did. I then came to a sixth mural that depicted Odin leading a large army of monsters, demons, the undead and other horrors against another yet much smaller army; feeling that I was lacking some vital context from the mural that was obscured, I then found myself in a plain of blue grass with a magnificent alabaster castle in the distance. Feeling drawn there for some reason, I then heard Framme's voice say, "Oh, Divine One! You've returned!". Turning to face her, I asked, "Wait, what do you mean by returned?". "I can answer that question, son.", Artoria's voice said. As she came out of the distance, I then asked, "…Mother?". A strange thought then raced through my mind, as if maybe I had come to Aionios one day but didn't remember it. "First, you don't need to call me 'Mother'. Calling me 'mom' or 'mum' in your tongue will suffice. Second, I don't know if you remember this, son, but you did come to Aionios one day. I think you were only seven then but you struck up an intense friendship with a great many people. And not just Yuito, Hanabi, Nagi, Naomi and Kasane but also Kazuto, Shino, Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Mash, Jeanne, Alfred, Diamant, Ivy, Timerra, Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, Bernadetta, Rinwell, Framme and many others. And third, you disappeared one day before Gil and I could find you, son.", Artoria explained. "It's true, Divine One. I was so sad when you left us but you eventually returned and I couldn't be happier for that.", Framme said.

I then found myself in a very expensive-looking living room. I looked at the blood red carpet then the crimson walls and the cerise table as well as the bright red sofa and wondered who would be gaudy enough to live in such a tacky place before I saw a young woman enter. She had long blonde hair and dark blue eyes and was wearing a purple and pink sailor uniform. Upon looking at me, her eyes also lit up. As she abruptly hugged me, I asked, "OK, who are you?". "You return to us after so long and you even forget me? Well, my name is Ravel Phenex.", the young woman said. "And where are we?", I asked. "That should be obvious. This is Origin; well, I say it's Origin but it won't be after the completion of the Waxing Moon Ritual.", Ravel said. "She's right.", said another woman. Like Mio and Nia, she was a catgirl with short white hair and golden eyes; unlike them, the front of her hair had two long bangs going past her shoulders whilst the back of her hair was styled in a bob cut. She also had a black hair clip in the shape of a cat on the left side of her hair and was wearing a white kimono with a black and dark gold sash. "Wait, Koneko?", I said to the catgirl. "So you remember me but not Ravel? I guess your memory is quite bad but it was never quite like this.", Koneko said.

Finding myself in front of True Cross Academy again, I then saw a young man with short blonde hair and blue eyes looking at the sky. He was wearing a suit of black and dark red armour that I felt looked very familiar to me for some reason. As I approached him, I felt a strange sense of fear inside me. Why was I feeling this emotion? The man then looked at me and smirked. "Can I help you?", I asked. "Oh, no. I was just told by Queen Lumera that you might not remember us for some reason. By the way, my name is Yuuto Kiba.", the man said. "Why were you looking at the sky?", I asked. "Well, I was looking to see if Origin had manifested yet. Clearly, it hasn't.", Yuuto said. Noticing a strange smile on his face, I also saw that Yuuto was holding a black longsword. Much like Barry, Julis and Aoko, he was also wearing a white ring with a red cross on it. "By the way, have I introduced you to the Templars yet?", Yuuto asked. "No, I don't think you have.", I replied. "Strange. Could've sworn I had.", Yuuto said before walking off. Looking at the sky, I saw that the Blood Moon had vanished, leaving naught but an azure sky. Wondering why there was the Blood Moon in Brodia, I then saw a dark portal open right in front of me. Walking through the portal, I then found myself in the lobby of the Happy Hotel again. "Uh oh.", I said.

Exploring the hotel carefully, I wondered why it was so silent. I knew that the Waxing Moon Ritual was causing dangerous strains on time and space, especially after YHVH's seven Crusades but why it had caused the denizens of a hotel to strangely vanish was another matter entirely. As I entered the hotel's dining room, I spied a curious quartet of young men sitting at a table. Getting closer to the four, I then had a strange vision of a gigantic space battle with Star Destroyers and various other motherships firing desperate lasers at a giant golden being that I just knew was YHVH. The vision then faded, only for me to see that the four young men had mysteriously disappeared. "I knew you'd come back to us, but not like this.", a voice said behind me. I turned around to see a young man with neck-length dark brown hair and dark brown eyes wearing a pair of orange headphones as well as a black vest and trimmed shorts with an orange lining and black wrap-up sandals. "Well, Yoh, things don't always turn out the way we want them to.", I said to the man. "I'll say.", Yoh said. As Yoh worriedly looked at my right arm, I saw another young man with spiked purple hair and golden eyes wearing a dark gold martial arts gi and a pair of black trousers come in. Also looking at my right arm worriedly, the man said, "So, not even Odin's power is awakening correctly in you.". "Well, Lenny, maybe I wasn't properly taught how to use its power. Maybe because of that my power has yet to properly awaken.", I said to the purple-haired man. "Touche.", Lenny said. "Still, one thing that is clear is that you haven't properly acquired the power of a Dominant.", said another young man with spiky silvery-blue hair and icy blue eyes wearing a dark blue hakama and dark blue trousers. "That may be the case, Horokeu, but still, it's not normal for a Dominant to be this late a bloomer.", Yoh said to the man with silvery-blue hair. "Still, what's clear is that you are on the way to awakening your true power. Keep it up.", Horokeu said. Suddenly, a young man with light green hair and light green eyes wearing a green cloak with a white t-shirt and dark green trousers strolled in. Looking at my right arm, the green-haired man then said, "Seems the Azure Grimoire still has yet to awaken within you. Still, you really are making progress with your awakening as the Mythos.". "You really think so, Lyserg?", I asked the green-haired man. "I know so.", Lyserg said.

Finding myself back in the hotel lobby, I then saw a strange note on the floor. Picking it up, I saw that it read, "If you are reading this, then we are ready for you to proceed to your second fight, Mythos. Try to give us a good show and do not disappoint us. From Circe.". I then found myself in a strange otherworldly arena that was completely empty. Surrounding the arena was a ring of fire that didn't seem like it was about to consume the arena. Seeing a strange statue in the middle, a feeling of acute fear then came over me. Realising where I was, I thought, "Uh oh.".

The story continues in the next chapter.