(A New fate and the clock of fate continues to tick down for our heroes. Let us see what happens next.)

Bold = English Conversations

Bold Italics = Japanese Conversations

Fate 34

A Few minutes before…

Makoto POV…

"Thank god you're alright Makoto!" Tsubaki said as I felt her hug me tightly in her arms. I winced a bit, feeling the pain her hug was inflicting upon me but I didn't try to resist it. She deserved to give me a hug after the worry I must have put her through. Just ignore the soreness your body feels right now from using Balmung and that stupid Nox Nyctores possessing your friend and using him to beat you up with and let Tsubaki have this moment.

"H-Hunter!?" Tsubaki said in shock as I turned and stared at Hunter's body as I scratched my head. "There's definitely a lot to talk about hehe." I said, trying to reassure Tsubaki that whatever I had been through was definitely a lot to process and that it was better if we took our time explaining and making sure details were straightened out first. "In….Indeed. Why don't you start with how you ended up in this mess in the first place Makoto. Who is that man that we met?" Tsubaki questioned.

We? Tsubaki didn't come by herself? That does make sense, Tsubaki has always been the cautious type but by the sounds of the footsteps I heard, it's most likely just one other person. "Well… That's Sora. All you need to know for now is that he's someone we can trust." I said, deciding not to make things complicated by saying he is my boyfriend even though that is the case. "So who's here with you?" I questioned, deciding to ask who it could be.

"Originally, Kagura himself wanted to go but he then had something come up with the professor and thus he said. So Hibiki himself is here in his stead." Tsubaki explained as I couldn't help but be alarmed by the fact that Hibiki is here. Sure he is Kagura's right hand man and he is well known for his skills but now that I think about it, I have not really seen him fight with my own eyes. Is Hibiki secretly that strong or is this just Kagura planning something else.

"In any case, you haven't answered the question about the mess you had managed to get yourself in here. Why is Hunter unconscious right now?" Tsubaki questioned as I knew that is an important question that needed to be asked as I scratched my head, unsure how to explain to her what really happened. 'Hey Makoto. Father told me that he told this guy with a bowl haircut that he was doing his own thing before suddenly finding himself in front of Hunter Long. He then fought him for a little bit before he met you where he lost consciousness.' Amy said as I heard all of that in my mind.

"Well… as you could guess, I arrived at the area after having a feeling that Sora was hurt in some way. I found him being choked by Hunter… but he wasn't being his normal self. So I had to fight him and I managed to just knock him out when you guys came in." I explained, hoping that my explaination was enough to satisfy Tsubaki for the time being. "… I will need to check with Hibiki in regards to what Sora said but at the same time I don't think you would have any reason to lie at the moment."

Phew… good to know that Tsubaki is understanding about this situation and does not jump to conclusions. I just hope we can get things resolved quickly before things get worse. "In any case, let's get Hunter back to the base. We can hopefully have the professor…" Before I could finish my sentence, I immediately felt a ringing in my head as a cold chill began to creep up my back. I felt Tsubaki's hand be placed on my shoulder as I struggled to maintain my consciousness, as if someone was trying to rip it from my mind.

"Ohhhh… that was truly an interesting fight you gave me Makoto Nanaya." A voice rang as I felt my forehead begin to sweat. The voice… no it cannot be. "I would love to have the chance to speak to you in an area that is more… fitting." the voice continued as before I could say anything, I felt something like lightning strike my entire body. My voice was stolen from me as a result as I opened my eyes briefly to see Tsubaki trying to reach out for me. Before I could grab the hand that was extended out for me, The world simply became black for me, becoming darkness before my eyes were greeted to a completely different sight.

The first thing I saw was clouds but to say that red clouds were normal would be an understatement. As I took a step, I immediately felt the ground I stood on to be unstable as I couldn't help but look down and immediately felt a rush of panic hit me as I tripped accidentally. As I landed on my ass, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as I knew at that moment I was not falling through the floor and potentially crashing to the cold hard ground that was above the clouds.

As I stood up, I couldn't help but process that I was standing on what felt like a floating platform that was on the sky. It was clear that this was the location that voice brought me to but why this floating platform at the sky. As I looked around my surroundings, I could only see nothing but the sky but just when I thought I had seen everything I needed to see, I notice that a pair of red clouds were beginning to part and as they did, they were beginning to reveal something to me. I couldn't help but focus my gaze upon that, curious as to what it could be.

I thought it would be something like a red sun as that is obviously the only thing that can produce the effect of red clouds that I am seeing right now. What I saw instead nearly made me fall to the ground again as I couldn't believe what I was looking at. What I saw greet my eyes was not a giant red sun but something mechanical instead. To try and explain what I am looking at would imply that I actually know what I am face to face with but all I can really say is that this thing in front of me is definitely something that does not belong in the normal human world.

"Amazing is it not? The thing in front of us?" A voice echoed as I immediately began to look around my surroundings once again, trying to figure out who and where they were talking to me from. I felt the urge to shout out and question the position of the person but I knew that I would simply be greeted by silence. The most I can do is keep aware of my surroundings and make sure that I am not caught off guard by anything. I wanted to focus on the thing in front of me but at the same time the voice I am hearing around me is not going to let me observe without worrying that I would be attacked from my back.

"Truly...a most magificent….and vexxing thing this god is." The voice continued. Wait a minute… god? This thing in front of us right now is god?! "What the hell do you mean by god?" I couldn't help but question as that is something that anybody should reasonably question. What did that voice mean by the fact that I was looking at god in front of me at the moment. "I mean what I mean. That in front of us right now is the Master Unit Amaterasu, the one responsible for ensuring that the world loops over itself over and over again."

The master unit...Amaterasu!? Then wait a minute, this hunk of metal and symbols I cannot read at all… This is the god that has been making both mine and Sora's life a complete living hell!? "And to think, you will be one of the few people who have been given the pleasure of witnessing it's appearance. You should count yourself lucky Miss Nanaya." The voice continued as I realized that the voice was from a person that I should not be trusting at all as I couldn't help but look around even more.

"Why so surprised. I thought that you would have recognised my voice at this point." The voice spoke as now that I have calmed myself down a bit from the scene in front of me, I finally realize who the voice was. "Well excuse me for being shocked when someone teleported me away from my friends in such an abrupt manner. I wasn't really paying attention to whose voice was speaking to me but now that I am… I am starting to wish that I didn't." I replied back as my eyes were finally face to face with the one person that I did not ever want to see in my life ever again. In fact I would have loved if they had just disappeared instead.

"So what… You miss me already ...Relius Clover?" I questioned as I felt a familiar pressure hit me once again. Those eyes… those god damn eyes… normally this would be where someone would put something romantic for the person involved but for Relius Clover, there is no such love in my heart, only disgust with a tinge of fear. "Why of course, the last time I tried to see you, your boyfriend rudely interupted and prevented me from getting a good glimpse to your heart. I also had to care for my son's education too." Relius explained as I couldn't help but feel a strong sense of disgust upon hearing that statement.

"Caring about your son now? What kind of monster turns his mother and daughter into dolls?!" I questioned back, knowing that my question would mean little to a monster like him. "Simply put, their souls are some of the strongest that the abyss produced… just like how yours is the perfect soul for a detonator." Relius explained as I couldn't help but hold my heart to my chest as I could hear footsteps echo behind me.

"And as much as I would like to turn that soul into a proper vessel… your merging with Balmung and subsequent Erasure from the flow of time has made you no longer a compatible subject for my detonator project." Relius explained as I immediately threw a punch right behind me. As I did, I felt my fist slam into what felt like a metal hand. Ignoring the sensation, I immediately had an astral Black Beast head manifest over my arm and bite down on the metal hand, pushing it away from me.

As I look in front of me, I take a small but deep breath and focus my gaze towards the person in front of me. Seeing his face again, the masked freak's face I cannot help but feel my blood boil. "Unfortunately for me, I am under borrowed time right now. I am currently using the time given to me by a certain imperator to be able to examine you once again." Relius said, making my blood freeze upon hearing him make this statement.

"Don't tell me… you and that bitch are…" Before I could finish my statement. I heard another pair of footsteps, this time coming from behind Relius as another more recent voice spoke up. "I hope you do not plan to waste the time I have given you by just talking my ears off Relius…" Izanami said, making my blood both boil and freeze over. I could feel my anger try to lock me up as I just wanted to attack both of them at that moment for involving me and Sora in their mess as well as the Master Unit.

"Of course not." Relius simply said before I suddenly felt the metal clawed hands of Ignis suddenly wrap themselves around my neck. Knowing what would happen if I didn't escape her grip, I had to use Balmung to escape, managing to slip past her grip as I could feel Relius's gaze upon me intensify. "It appears that your ability to use Balmung has developed as well. And in such a short span of time as well." Relius said as I could feel a chill down my spine when he said those exact words.

"Stop treating me like a damn guinea pig you masked pervert!" I yelled charging towards him as I could feel Ignis approach behind me. I ignored the threat behind me and focused on the person in front of me as I sped up, Relius simply raised his cape and suddenly in front of me, a gigantic metal fist emerged from it, trying to deliver an uppercut to my chin. Without stopping my momentum and not using Balmung, I immediately dodged the attack coming my way, feeling it almost graze me as I swung and tried to deliver a counter fist right at Relius's stomach.

As if he was expecting me to do such a thing, I saw Relius make manifest a bunch of gears that by themselves I could easily push out of the way but thanks to to him stacking them on top of each other, they immediately form a barrier that stopped my punch before I could get any momentum in my punch. I then see him toss the gears into the sky and they grew big enough to easily wrap themselves around me. This prompted me to get out of the way, stepping back.

As I did so, I immediately sensed that Ignis was trying to grab me once again. It was clear that what Relius was trying to do was what he did to me the first time. But this time I have Balmung and Sora taught me how to use it. I understand the risk straining myself like this would bring but to never experience what I experienced that day, I am more than happy to push myself to the breaking point. "Now what are you going to do here Makoto Nanaya?" Izanami questioned as I felt Ignis approach behind me even more.

I took a deep breath at that moment. I closed my eyes and focused deeply. Balmung's power is the ability to see into the future but that is not all it can do. If I could just see the future I want without being able to do so, it will not show me that future. So as long as it's within my reach, Balmung will show me that future. As I felt Ignis get closer, I feel the possibilities begin to spin in my mind even more until they become clear like crystal. At that moment, I leapt into action, grabbing the extended arms of Ignis as I could feel my body strain from the sudden momentum I had gained to do such a thing.

The nasty backlash effect of Balmung. As long as the action is reasonable, it shouldn't cause a great amount of strain. It's when you are doing stuff suddenly or acting at the very last moment that the strain becomes unbearable. At least that is how Sora words using Balmung and the backlash it brings. As I tightened my grip on Ignis's wrists, I took a deep breath before I swung with my full momentum backwards, causing the big robot to go smashing towards the ground in the process.

As I did so, I could see the ground crack in the process. I had swung with enough momentum that if Ignis was a normal person, they would have been instantly knocked out. But as I quickly got off her and stood on my feet, I simply saw Ignis slowly stand up, undamaged by what I had done as she didn't even receive any crack on her metal face. But as I think that the damage she had suffered was minimal, Ignis immediately slumped a bit, as if the damage I had done to her was very effective.

"To think...the first time you two fought that Ignis was able to overpower you. Whether that is because of your new contract with Balmung or your own soul developing in a way that is different to every other version of you remains to be seen." Relius said, making me feel a chill crawl down my spine as I could feel his damn eyes judging me once again. "If only I could have had you as a detonator… but alas, that will never happen now." Relius continued, sighing at the now forever missed opportunity, something which I never want in the first place.

"Are you done with your little examination Relius Clover?" Izanami questioned, walking past Relius as Relius shook his head. "Unfortunately I am not… though I think I will gain more insight if she faces off against something more threatening to her life." Relius said as I could see a small smirk begin to form on the cold face of Izanami who resembles Noel. "Are you sure about that? What if I kill the woman in the process?" Izanami questioned as I couldn't help but feel a chill crawl down my spine… as if she could actually kill me without any care in the world.

"I can reassure you that your attempts at her life will be met with resistance. But if she dies, then it's fate no?" Relius said as while that is clearly flattery directed towards me, I cannot help but feel at the same time my blood begin to go cold. First I found myself fighting my number 1 stalker and now I find myself fighting the stalker's boss. This situation somehow keeps on going from bad to worse and I want it to stop already.

"Well… I did give you my warning." Izanami said as I couldn't help but tense my fist as I saw her robe slowly slip out of her shoulders. As they did, her slender arms were exposed to my eyes but that was not what alarmed me. What truly alarmed me was the sight of what looked to be 3 metal triangles floating behind her. Was her robe just to hide those triangles? No that cannot be right but at the same time where did they even come from? I just had so many questions fly through my mind at that very moment.

"Well then Makoto Nanaya. It is time to test how worthy you are to hold that Nox Nyctores." Izanami said as immediately, my mind flashed several visions of me being skewered and having holes on my body from something that I couldn't understand. I can tell that this is Balmung trying to warn me of an impending danger but Balmung usually is able to show me what the danger is. With this imperfect information, the most I can do is try to dodge as best I can from the vague clues in front of me.

Izanami remained stationary so it was clear whatever was coming my way was going to be a projectile of some sorts. So logic dictates I should run to the side and avoid the projectile directly. As I did so, Izanami simply continued to follow me with her eyes as I was scared that every footstep I took was going to be one step away from me slipping off the ground. Maybe it was because of that reluctance from my part that I did not expect what was coming my way next.

Izanami slowly raised a hand and in front of her the ground began to shake and a black ooze began to manifest itself from the ground. From the ground itself, a gigantic skeletal skull of what looks to be a tyrannosaurus rex chased after me. So this is what Balmung saw as spikes through my body. Even when I stare at what I was staring Balmung seemingly was struggling to process what I was looking at, as if the thing in front of me was not even alive in the first place.

"OH SHI…" Before I can finish my sentence, I knew I had to act. As soon as the beast head came charging towards my way, I instinctively tried to jump over it, using the skeletal head as a foothold to jump off. As I launched myself off this thing, Balmung was finally able to show me a vision of what this thing was trying to do to me, it's skeletal head trying to bite me as I landed past it. Maybe for cases of the unknown, Balmung needs a physical touch in order for me to be able to see it.

Regardless of the reason why I am able to have a clearer picture of what is going to happen to me, the fact that Balmung is showing me a possibility means that it's something that I shouldn't let go to waste. As I waited for the weird skeleton head get closer to me. I took a deep breath as I considered my options. Before I could feel the thing breathe down my neck, about to bite me in half, I immediately began to sprint towards Izanami herself.

"Oh? A head to head collision is it?" Izanami said as she did not look any bit surprised or intimidated by the fact that I was running towards her and not trying to dodge the mystery thing behind me. Regardless of whether or not she was reading my thoughts, I had to act and my instincts told me that if I kept charging towards her, eventually she would be forced to call of the thing behind me to deal with my fists directly.

"I do not mind a little game of cat and mouse." As soon as she said that, the former imperator jumped into the air and just started floating out of nowhere. My eyes were wide as all hell. How on Earth did she start floating!? was it the work of… No, no amount of ars magus is capable of doing such a thing in the first place. So that means that whatever is going on in front of me is in fact something else entirely.

If that was not bad enough, the three metal triangles that were floating behind her suddenly floated off her and began to give chase towards me. I barely let out a swear before realizing that I needed to dodge what was coming next as the triangles released what looked to be black energy right towards me. Dodging them was easy but the fact that the gigantic skeletal head was continuing to give chase was very alarming. It was as if these things were under her control and she had full autonomy of what they can do.

But that is not the biggest problem with what is in front of me right now. Izanami's floating in front of me and if I don't bring her down, she's going to continue hovering above me and making sure that I cannot do a single thing in the process. I considered using the head behind me as a platform to boost myself up but as I turned around to see where it was, I could feel my blood freeze as I realize that the creature had managed to vanished from behind me.

Of course now she chooses this time to make it vanish but knowing people like her, this is actually a bait to make me lose my guard. As Izanami launched another series of projectiles towards me, I took a few steps back to avoid them hitting me and as I did, Balmung immediately alerted me about what was going to happen next as I jumped into the air. As I did, the dead skeleton head immediately emerged from a black pool that manifested below me, snapping it's jaws close to my feet as I had managed to jump high enough to avoid losing my legs and life.

Without hesitating, I immediately began to charge up my fist. Normally this would be too slow and give the head the chance to swallow me whole but with Balmung I can speed things up. And it's not only just me in this case as I quickly manifest an Ars Magus circle behind my back. Throwing my fist with all of my might, a massive astral Black Beast head emerged from behind me and bit down on the skeletal head, dragging it and itself into the black pool in came from.

If that was all it did, I would have ended back up on my feet and Izanami could just continue to launch projectiles my way. No it's time I began to put Balmung into hard work. As the Black Beast head dragged the skeleton monster back into the dark depths, I had been keeping another attack stored in the back of my mind. As I watched Izanami carefully, I could see the slightest raising of a hand, indicating that she was ready to cast another set of projectiles my way.

Thank you Beastkin instincts, if it wasn't for you, I would not have seen that as my opportunity. As her hand raised itself to command the metal triangles to fire, I immediately activated Balmung, feeling my bones snap as I motioned myself to soar into the air, fist in the ready as this caused Izanami's eyes to widen. "CORONA UPPER!" I shouted, barely missing the imperator as she clearly did not expect me to come soaring her way at such speed as I was just about to fly past her.

"LIGHTNING ARROW!" I shouted once again, snapping my fist towards the back of her head. Izanami was quick enough to have the metal triangles move to protect her head but that is what I wanted. Closing my eyes, I focused hard before with Balmung, changing my stance from punching to flying past her so our eyes could meet. I grabbed her collar at that moment and pulled her closer to me. Before she could use her hands to break out, I grabbed one of them with my other hand and immediately arched my back.

The momentum and force I did so forced the both of us to begin spinning. As we did so I made sure to slam my knee into her stomach, letting me assume the top dominant mount position in the air. I have no idea for how long we will be in the air but at the very least I am going to make sure that she is going to be the one meeting the ground first, not me. The air around us broke as I instinctively braced myself for impact.

"Not playing by the rules I see… In that case so will I." At that moment, I heard Izanami say those words to me. The next moment, I suddenly found myself flying towards the ground, pain radiating all around my body. What the hell? I...I got hit? Did I get hurt? But what hit me?! Even Balmung's confused by what happened, unable to determine how I was harmed in the first place. As I felt my back crash on the invisible floor, I struggled to get back on my feet as I shook my head, confused by how I got harmed.

"What in the…" Before I could finish my sentence, I immediately found myself coughing blood all over the forcefield floor, my eyes wide as Balmung yet again was unable to tell what was going on. "What's the matter? Unable to see the future in front of you?" Izanami questioned as I looked at her at that moment, blood spilling out of my mouth as before I could say a word, I saw in front of my face another skeletal head coming my way. I tried to move out of the way but my body was out of sync from me, pain echoing through my body.

Fuck… What's going on! What on earth is going on!? I had to use Balmung to escape, barely able to roll out of the way as I notice Relius looking at the side, his eyes always observing as I trembled standing back to my feet as I stared at Izanami. Fuck… blood's beginning to pour out of places where they shouldn't be and I am struggling to keep the blood in. Izanami's using an attack that overrides Balmung's own ability to see and act on information… the only thing that comes to my mind is JohnJohn's… Wait… JohnJohn's… No way don't tell me she has that power.

"Are you sure you should be just standing there gawking?" Izanami taunted as she was suddenly behind me, her hand reaching out to grab me. At that moment, Balmung finally gave me a premonition and that was enough for me to get the fuck out of there as her slender hands missed their chance to grab me. Shit… Oh fucking shit… Of all things she can pull out it's that fucking technique. Of all things I thought I would have the displeasure of facing, I never expected that the ability to briefly stop time would be one of them.

"Don't tell me… You can stop time?" I said it outright, deciding that there is no need for me to prolong holding knowledge as Izanami looked at me with shock on her face. "To think you would be able to deduce that there was such a thing going on. Is that part of being the intelligence department?" Izanami questioned as she seemed unsure how to process what she had heard me say. "Not really, it's just what you did reminded me of JohnJohn's that's all."

"JohnJohn's?.. Ahhh is that a reference to something that I care little about?" Izanami questioned as even Relius seemed surprised that I would be able to deduce such an attack. "To think that modern pop culture would have something similar to what Izanami did to you… truly it would be fascinating if it were not for the fact that it's also a waste of time." Relius said as I knew that knowing that Izanami had some sort of ability to stop time was going to be enough. How do I even counter something like that in the first place?

"It matters little that you know the secret of this technique. If you cannot even react against it in the first place, no amount of knowledge will be able to save you from the death that you most wrought upon yourself." Izanami said as I took a deep breath upon hearing that. I knew she was right in this case. Knowing she can stop time doesn't change the fact that I cannot move in stopped time. If she just has to touch me to stop time then that makes every strike I make against her risky. I don't have any sort of projectile to toss her way and comet cannon is too slow not only to set up but also launch. She would see it right away.

My mind couldn't help but race with various ways I could try to defeat her but they all default to the same thing, I need to be in close range to actually harm her in the end of the day. As I swallow some bloodied saliva, I cannot help but process that is the reality of my situation. No matter what option I try to think, close range is the only thing I can do right now. It's what I trained for my entire life and even if I had a gun, I would be proficient to the degree someone like Noel or even Sora would be. As my mind raced, I realized there is one solution I could try but at the same time I knew the immense risk that would bring. I was going to trek into territory not even Sora had approached but if anything can help me in this situation it's got to be Balmung as I came to grips with the reality of my situation.

...If I wanted to survive this fight. I was going to need to make the impossible possible… and break through stopped time itself…

GREEITNGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION!? HOW ARE YOU ALL ON THIS FINE DAY!? Ahhh October, we now approach the end of the year once again. How have you all been doing for the past year. I hope it has been a good year for you guys. I am still surprised that people still find the time in their day to keep reading my story and thus, it's my job as a writer to make sure that you guys get to read the conclusion of this story even if it takes me a few more years to get to the conclusion.
Which leaves me to inform you all that this is the only chapter you guys will be receiving for this month of October. Work has begun to pile up again and it's better for me to tackle that head on without any delay. Do not worry, next month will be back to business and if I feel like in an extra writey mood, I may write more chapters but expect 2 chapters to release next month at the very least. So I will just leave my early Halloween greeting for you all to enjoy.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!? WILL MAKOTO NANAYA SURVIVE HER TRAIL AGAINST GOD!? WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER GOD THAT IS CURRENTLY OBSERVING EVERYTHING SHE DOES!? WILL SHE DEEM IT NECESSARY TO INTERVENE OR WILL SHE REMAIN THE SILENT OBSERVER SHE IS!? AND WHAT ABOUT IZANAMI AND RELIUS CLOVER, HOW WILL THEY RESPOND!? ALL THIS AND MORE WHEN FATE RETURNS TO OUR HEROES!