The current situation had become tense yet again, however, this time, said enemy was a former ally, no one knew the reason why it started attacking them, but they needed to defeat them, or else they would cease to exist just like the past tribes.
These past few days had been hectic, the situation in each tribe slowly became stable, while the Lavals lost their lord, they quickly found their new leader in Ignis, with the will of the eldest princess, he was then crowned as the lord to lead them on, a few Laval were against the rise of this new lord, however, Laval the Greater alongside Blaster were able to build a stable support for Ignis to reign over.
As a former Gem-Knight, this meant that both tribes would be able to work together unlike before, his leadership alongside his defensive strategies made sure that the Laval stood a chance against the Vylons.
The Gishki completely went into the defensive due to their leader still injured and unable to combat, with Noellia still being in a critical state, they had to trust Avance's tactics to make sure they wouldn't be wiped out, Ariel on the other hand took a much more offensive stance and worked together with a few members of the other tribes, usually proceeding in a team with Winda and Issei. Emilia's corpse was able to evade Vylon Omega's attack, and so she continued her rampage as she attacked anything she came into contact with.
The Gem-Knights were possibly the ones that had almost no casualties, their formation and versatility was enough to pull them through this situation, and the Gusto was possibly having it the worst, while they didn't have any critical crisis that could possibly make the whole tribe go extinct, they had the least power out of the main tribes.
Moreover, their village was still under reparations, the Steelswarm had dealt a heavy amount of damage and they had no time to repair it as they went to help others first rather than themselves.
Even now, Issei was currently taking care of Vylons, he had been transferred to a base alongside the best warriors of the Gusto to finally take out this new enemy that had appeared. He swung his guandao against his opponents, easily taking them out in one fell swoop.
He kept looking at the handkerchief the tribe gave him, caressing its soft fabric as it felt incredibly comfortable, he was now a member of the tribe despite being a complete outsider to this world, all of them were thankful for his courage to battle alongside them, his chemistry with the members alongside the fact that he stuck with them through the reparations made them very fond of him. Furthermore, he had a special affinity to wind attacks too, which made him fit perfectly inside the tribe.
Yet he knew it was because of his Justice stat that he was included in the tribe.
He checked yet again the item to make sure he was reading everything correctly, he wasn't able to do so the last time due to the fact that he was suddenly sent to the base.
Item
Gusto Emblem
Grade: Great
Description: A handkerchief that has the Gusto Tribe's symbol on it. Those who wear such accessories have proof of being part of the Gusto Tribe. It is said that they even grant powers of the forest as well as the wind.
Effect: Increases damage of Wind Skills against enemies by 25%.
A group of Vylon then came and ambushed him, he then proceeded to raise Blade Forged From Souls and activated Phoenix Wing, the enemy got incinerated as they tried to get pass through the slash, only to be cut in half as they fell to the ground, burning.
He still did not know what the ability of the weapon was, but no matter, it could be a passive boost or something along those lines. He'd have to wait to see what would come from them as he continued to use the weapon and discover even more about it.
Crystal even tried to help, of course, there was no mention of Yaldabaoth during that moment, as he was unsure if to reveal him or not, he wanted to be a bit secretive of certain traits of his, as he didn't wish to get too close to the habitants of this world, he was sure that he would have to go back to his world, and so, trying not be attached was his best option.
Either way he kept training with Crystal any chance he had, he found some sort of happiness by getting stronger in any way possible, and Crystal was always up for a spar, something he was appreciative about. The same went for Reeze, but he didn't want to do so, as she was too busy taking care of the Warrior House as it had some of the most casualties during the Steelswarm assault, she also focused on training Kamui.
Focusing again on the fight, he activated Phoenix Wing yet again, making a horizontal cut, it produced a flame that rapidly went forward, the flame turned into a phoenix as it scorched anything that it came in contact with. Issei thanked the handkerchief as it seemed to have increased the damage of the skill.
Suddenly, he could hear a familiar voice trying to get his attention. It was Winda, as she waved her hand while taking down a Vylon, Issei then looked back at her, awaiting her response. "Avance and Ignis came to plan the next offense, you should come!" Quickly explained Winda.
Issei stopped attacking the Vylon as he backed down from the front lines, as Issei followed Winda, he saw as the other warriors continued to fight, despite the initial worry they had upon trying to challenge the Vylons, Avance and Ignis had figured out a good way as to prevent any high amount of casualties.
Once they got to the base, he could see the two aforementioned strategists, Ariel, Kamui, Blaster and Musto. None of the Gem-Knights were present however, most of them went into the various tribes to grant protection, meanwhile a few others, which included Crystal, were still in the frontlines. The location they took base in was the same one as they used before, the enemy was near the place that the Steelswarn used to inhabit.
"What shall be our next move?" Issei asked curiously. He could see Avance and Ignis pointing and marking a map on the table while Kamui and Blaster looked at it closely, Ariel simply stood farther away, listening to what they were previously talking about.
Avance started by saying "First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for putting your life on the line." Those present knew what they were putting on the line, yet they did not need to be reminded of it. Avance paused a bit as he looked around to then proceed with the explanation. "The plan for this battle is to divide the attention of the Vylon, we've finally found a weakness."
"They feed on the emotions of others, making it hard to get close to the Vylon that is currently in the middle of the zone." Avance pointed at the base of the Vylons, alongside a few routes they had marked down. "The Gem-Knights will be in charge of the assault, they are led by Sir Crystal, most of them are able to suppress their emotions enough to be able to approach it."
"We must make sure that no other Vylon enters or interferes with the Gem-Knights as they slowly enter the main enemy base." Avance looked at those present, they all seemed to understand as a few nodded to a few statements he had said. "If any of you have changed your mind and wish to fall back, that's understandable, you may take your leave and go back to your tribe to protect them."
None of those present said anything upon hearing those words, they were prepared for this battle, and they wouldn't back down, not then, and not now.
Blaster looked offended at the question. "You think I'm just going to back off now? My brother died against the Steelswarm, his death meant the victory of the Lavals against the Steelswarm, if I die against the Vylons, so be it, at the very least I will have died in battle like he did, I am sure he would have been proud." Proclaimed Blaster, he then left the tent, there wasn't anger in his voice however, he was determined to fight, to be able to match his brother's prowess and to have a satisfying end as a warrior.
Musto then added. "Noellia told every single Gishki troop to back down were she to be injured, yet all of you have decided to press on in this fight. I cannot simply stand back and watch the younger generation fight while I do nothing" He also wished to participate. He had been practicing more offensive spells with Emilia's guidance.
Avance simply looked at the Gishki-Gusto spellcaster, he was a bit unsure if to let them participate in this battle. He feared that their death would mean that Emilia would no longer be there, he wished for his adoptive sister's safety.
He knew why his own adoptive mother had used Emilia as sacrifice in a ritual, after all, his mother told him her plan right after the first invasion of the Steelswarm against the Gusto, it was all to bring back Natalia, it made him feel guilty for what happened to her, he did not wish that fate for her, he wished for her to be happy, and he would make sure he could see her smile again.
Ariel stood on the side near Winda, she looked at Avance in understanding, as siblings, they knew quite a bit about each other, and she knew what he was thinking right now, she agreed with that sentiment, yet despite being family, none of them felt as brother and sisters, they were all simply childhood friends that joined together under circumstances.
Lastly Kamui then added. "Reeze and Windaar were completely exhausted during the war, and they are currently staying at the tribe fending off any Vylons that try to attack. I am not scared of what happens in battle, I only hope for the others to finally be able to rest easily."
Ignis upon hearing the willingness of each member, said. "In that case I assume that we can start this operation, tell the other troops outside to rally up, proceed with what has been suggested in our plan, from there, give instructions based on the situation. I will let the Gem-Knights know that we will be moving soon." Ignis left the tent, just then he then said. "Oh, and Ariel, could you fill in the information for Winda and Issei?" The mentioned Gishki girl nodded.
Issei also left as there was nothing else to talk about. Seeing as he was now alone, he looked at Yaldabaoth. "Will this plan work?" The white haired entity then shook his head. "It won't, it is as simple as that." Stated Yaldabaoth bluntly. "As you know, the Vylons feed on emotions, the Gem-Knights, while noble and more resistant, still have tiny specks of emotion and will end up getting absorbed by it."
Issei sighed at the answer. "Then, shouldn't we tell them about this? That the strategy won't work?" Inquired Issei. Yaldabaoth shook his head. "It won't make a difference, you're a soldier against the minds of the coalition, your warning will be met with ignorance."
Seeing the answer, he felt uneasy thinking about the idea of letting people go towards their own doom. "So what can we do then?"
He could see Yaldabaoth smile. "How about I teach you the ability of creating? Just like how I created everything from nothing, I can teach you that power too."
"What?" Issei was not expecting Yaldabaoth to suggest something like that. "Just like I did with the Xiao clones, I want you to create an entity, however, in your case, I won't let you create unnecessary life, instead, I shall teach you how to make a hollow shell, from there, I might be able to possess it." Issei thought a bit about it, he did not know why Yaldabaoth needed him if he could do so much by himself, hell he wasn't truly binded to him, was he? If he could go anywhere and possess anything, it meant that there truly was no reason for him to stay by his side.
Yet he still did, and that confused Issei more than before.
"It won't be something like another human, a dead cocoon that I can wear should be enough, Sophia completely tainted souls with emotions and morality, by not giving it a soul it won't be able to express any kind of emotion which is the perfect match against the Vylon, since I will possess it, you won't need to worry about whether it is powerful or not, because be assured, I have experienced fighting." As Yaldabaoth continued to assure him, Issei sighed and went with it.
"So, I'm going to assume you want me to make it stylish or something?" Smiled Issei. Yaldabaoth smirked in response. "Oh, you know me well Issei, but no, we wouldn't want it to stand out a lot."
"Not when she's watching." Thought the false god.
Indeed, Yaldabaoth's paranoia came from the feeling of deja vu, this world that they had found themselves in, was in fact one that currently Sophia was governing as their goddess.
To think that she had the guts to abandon the previous one and create a new one, the gall that his mother had continued to impress him.
And yet, he still wondered, why did this world feel so familiar? He hoped that it was simply because his mother had copied plenty of traits of his own creation.
But in the end, he pushed aside those thoughts. They then planned that he would be creating one that looked like a Gem-Knight, not only would it justify why it was so experienced in fighting alongside the fact that he could suppress his emotions easily, but also because it would reduce the time they needed on creating it, as they wouldn't need to worry about very specific details such as ears, nose or hair.
Winda was wondering where Issei had gone now. Ever since she met him when he was wandering around the forest, she has been curious about his origins, despite not showing many combat skills he had many abilities up his sleeves, especially being able to control every single element, it wasn't unheard of, but it was pretty strange for someone to do so and not be known by everyone.
Right now they all had prepared to engage in battle, she knew that Issei wouldn't simply flee right before the clash, especially after his participation against the Steelswarms. His abilities with wind magic was promising and she wanted to teach him more techniques once they do end up finishing up the Vylons.
She noticed Ariel coming towards her, they had yet to speak, she hesitated to do so, as she didn't know if she even remembered her. Once she stood in front of her, the words that came out of her mouth were of curiosity. "Where's Issei?"
Winda, calming down a bit, responded to her. "I'm not sure either..." Winda looked at her former childhood friend nervously, as Ariel noticed her odd behavior, she then asked about it. "Winda, why are you so nervous around me?"
The green haired girl looked away as she debated whether to tell her or not. She didn't know why it was so hard to ask her about it, but she ended up blurting it out as she just didn't want to make it awkward with the silence. "Well that's because I've uh... been wondering if you remember me from before."
There she said it, she had finally said the dumb question. She looked at the blue haired girl in hopes of getting an answer. "Well... Yeah, I do remember you from back then, I remember when we used to hang out alongside Avance, though I'm unsure as to whether you talked to Emilia or not." She answered in a monotone voice, yet she smiled remembering those memories. "I'm surprised it took you this long to ask, you usually were the first one to start conversations."
Winda sighed in relief. " That's because I was unsure if the situation between the Gishki and the Gusto would strain our past relationship, I feared that you simply forgot as we didn't talk for years, or that you just didn't care." The confession of what she thought made Ariel think a bit about it.
"Truthfully, I did feel guilty about the fact I was in the front in the invasion of the Great Marshland, and I also worried that you would see me with hatred at what I did." She Admitted. Winda looked sympathetic. "Hey it's alright, We've already made a promise as kids about this sort of situation, I'm glad that we had this moment to talk about it, because I atleast know that you're still the same as ever." She smiled as she was glad to see that her friend hadn't changed much. "Do you remember when we used to go around to take care of the local animals of the Ice Barrier Tribe?" Ariel smiled and nodded, remembering those simpler times.
Just then she noticed that Issei had finally shown up. "Issei! Where have you been?" Asked the green haired girl curiously. "Just went to prepare myself mentally by the hill, not much to it." Answered Issei, he smiled at her as to not look suspicious, to which she smiled back understanding how nerve wracking the current situation was. Avance and Ignis then showed up in front of everyone that was there.
"Everyone, I assume all of you know which group you're part of." Avance waited a bit to see if anyone said otherwise, with no response, he proceeded. "In that case let us commence this operation!" Many cheered on from these words. "Let us enter the battlefield! Remember that this battle will entail the fate of the tribes! Onward!" The many Gishki, Lavals and Gusto warriors proceeded towards the battlefield to fend off against the Vylons.
The Gem-Knights on the other hand were already deeper into enemy territory, with everyone now divided and battling against Vylons, it was now time for each leader to tell everyone what to do.
Meanwhile, Issei wondered if Yaldabaoth was making steady progress, he was currently tweaking some aspects that needed revision, he hoped that he could fix them in time before things got worse.
As both sides started clashing, Issei activated Phoenix Wing to cut down the rushing Vylons to make a path for the troops. Despite having less troops then before, the momentum that they had from battling the Steelswarms was still present.
They weren't as aggressive as the Steelswarms, which made them easier to deal with, however that didn't mean they weren't powerful, far from it, they were much more dangerous than the average Steelswarm. He wondered why some of the Vylons weren't affected by what had happened after defeating the Steelswarm, he could see a few of them helping them.
Issei continued to hack and slash against the incoming Vylons, some of them took more than a single swing to defeat, when he looked at the others he saw that they also had the same problem. Blaster, Winda and Kamui however were taking care of the flying Vylons that tried attacking from the air.
Meanwhile he could see Musto and Ignis having the least amount of problems by completely trapping them in tornados of water and fire. Issei then pushed forward, putting himself in distance of the others to activate Raging Storm, which engulfed any Vylon near him, the hot flames scorched the machines that got trapped in the activation.
As the skill continued to surround Issei, he moved onward, having the flames still surrounding him, slowly making his way he saw bits and pieces of the enemy, when it finally stopped he looked to see that every Vylon in his path was defeated.
He looked forward, watching the Gem-Knights delve deeper into the battlefield as the rest of them continued to hold the line from Vylons that went to target the Gem-Knights. He could see Emerald and Crystal take down Vylons easily.
That moment was cut short after a Vylon lunged itself towards him, grabbing Blade Forged From Souls he quickly slice apart the enemy, focusing on the current matter, he got closer to the others, the amount of Vylons trying to come were far less than before giving all of them a bit of time to rest.
Avance was catching his breath as he looked around in case there were any coming, when he saw that the wave had finished he lowered his sword and calmed a bit, Ignis looked at both Blaster and Kamui, who were still flying, meanwhile Musto was taking care of those who got injured during the battle.
Issei went towards Ignis to ask about a certain topic. "How are the Lavals doing?" Ignis looked at him and responded. "Well, things have become less tense, ever since I became the lord of Laval, I've tried everything to make sure order was still present." Ignis didn't seem in any sort of bad mood while talking. "How about the Gusto?"
"Not much, while the Warrior House is down to only a few members, Windaar and Reeze are still strong enough to defend the whole tribe." Issei knew that the Vylon powered warriors that were still able to fight were strong enough to defend against waves of Vylon, he wondered just how powerful the Gem-Knight tribe truly was, Aquamarine and Topaz were two powerful Gem-Knights who stayed to defend the tribe while the other members went to battle against the Vylons.
"How did the Gem-Knights feel after you left their tribe?" Issei continued with his questions. He wished to know more about everyone here, Winda, Ariel, Lazuli and Crystal were the people he got to know the most out of everyone, in fact, he could think of Crystal as his mentor after the amount of times he had given him lessons in combat, Avance was a bit more reserved and Kamui was too much for him to handle sometimes, Emerald and Blaster were more like acquaintances to him.
Back to the question, Ignis responded to it. "They didn't think of it much, the tribe is known to be a peaceful yet powerful group of warriors that want peace over everything else, given the fact that the Lavals and Gem-Knights no longer have any conflict due to this whole situation they don't see anything wrong with it, they even made a farewell party."
"And how did you get your name as Obsidian before?" Continued to ask Issei "Well, that's an interesting story, usually we get our names based on the gem or mineral that we resonate the most, but there are several factors behind it, for example, your month and your virtues are very important for what sort of mineral you will resonate with the most." Explained Ignis.
While Vylons came close, they quickly made work of them as the conversation continued. "Emerald got his name because he was born in May, he has been a very important part of the Gem-Knights as he always came in during the most dire moments, he's the hope of the tribe's people." Issei could see that, especially given that Caam and the other members of the Gusto Tribe described how Emerald had come at the most important moment to save everyone.
"Then there is Lazuli who was born in December, alongside her sister they both had an identity of majesty, the light attacks of Lazuli were very eye-catching, she wished over anything to become a warrior, Lapis, her sister, on the other hand wished to become a renowned medic. Lapis specifically encapsulates the mineral more, as she is far more dignified and reserved than her sister."
Ignis continued going over some other of the Gem-Knight members that Issei was able to meet, even for a brief moment in the base, some of them being Amethyst, Citrine and Topaz, Ignis continued explaining how each of their gems represented.
It then got to Crystal who Issei was most interested in, completely forgetting the fact that he asked for Obsidian's name origin. "Crystal is possibly the most interesting one, no one truly knows who he actually is but his mineral compliments him incredibly well, his gem represents perfection, calm-headedness and mystery."
"I can see why it fits well." Both of them had a decent exchange of conversation, though it had come to the point there was nothing else to talk about, then Musto came to the conversation, only for this time to be Emilia who was talking. "Then what kind of gem would I have?"
"Ah, well I'm not really sure about that Emilia, I didn't have much time to get to meet you so I won't be able to give you an accurate assessment." The Gishki was bummed at the comment. "And what about me? I was born in April just in case that helps." Issei wanted to give it a shot, he was still trying to discover himself more, his passion for art was found thanks to the Literature Club. Right now was the best time to try and discover more about him, his closeness with the tribes was for the sole reason of selfishness, selfish to try and gain more knowledge.
"Well that's quite the coincidence, Crystal was actually born in April as well." Ignis now wondered if Crystal was training Issei because he saw a bit of himself in Issei, given the fact that the Gem-Knight Tribe was surprised by the guandao he had, he wondered if Crystal was trying to train the next generation already with Issei as his student. "I'd say you're just like Crystal, both of you are calm-headed and are quite mysterious given the fact none of us know your origin."
"But I could see you being another gem, maybe one day we'll know, but right now I can't give a good answer just like with Emilia, this is mostly speculation." Issei nodded, was he truly similar to Crystal? He wanted to believe so, yet he was unsure in how calm he truly was under pressure, sure he was able to continue fighting even after technically dying against his first Steelswarm officer but he knew he wasn't perfect.
That wouldn't stop him however, he knew that he'd need to become a perfect human based on what Yaldabaoth's description of one was. Just then Yaldabaoth finally showed up, he was floating in front of Issei a few meters away.
He excused himself to go see the others, they both let him go as he went towards Yaldabaoth. "So is everything ready?" Issei asked, a bit worried. "Yes... all we need is for it to go towards the Vylon, we also need a name for it, given the fact that we used a Gem-Knight as a model, I say we call it something related to them." Yaldabaoth's response was filled with an aura of seriousness, which went unnoticed by Issei.
"We'll think about that later, I just wanted to ask you what the changes you made for it were, I don't want to end up with any surprises when it finally does go up against that Vylon." Remarked Issei.
Yaldabaoth closed his eyes as he slowly got farther from him, ready to enter this creation they had made. "Don't worry, I assure you it will be able to defeat the Vylon with ease if I use my powers."
"You will what?" Issei said, not wanting to alert the others, he tried to make his voice lower. "A-anyways, are you sure you want to go directly to the Vylon? You'll expend your powers too wouldn't you?" Issei asked with worry.
"It won't matter, I assume we will be staying here for a long time, it also doesn't matter how long it truly takes, you've gained my powers, and that means your lifespan has been increased." Said Yaldabaoth as to not worry him, in a way, he was glad that Issei was talking on account of his well being. "Not only that but it won't matter in the end, a few more years isn't much for a God, it is also because the day my dream becomes true is inevitable."
"Well I guess that makes sense." Calming down, Issei simply kept looking at Yaldabaoth, not knowing what else to ask, but a sudden noise made everyone there raise their weapons. They saw as a Gem-Knight went flying towards them, some of the soldiers who were in the middle dodged from being part of the crash site.
When they got close to look at him they noticed that it was completely lifeless yet it had no injuries, they then looked back at where it came from, only to see many of the Gem-Knights running towards them, they watched as Ruby ran at them, yelling as loud as he could. "Everyone! I advise you to start running away!"
They looked upwards to see the dark Vylon coming towards them, many of them started to run along the other Gem-Knights while some were too stunned to start running. Issei stood there looking at it up close, he saw it moving closer, not knowing what to do as he was too afraid to move.
Then out of nowhere, Emilia's body could be heard moving as she went towards the giant Vylon, this let many of those who hadn't started running yet to snap out of it and start to take action. Issei finally stopped admiring the disaster as he started running too, he then told Yaldabaoth. "I think you should go now." Yaldabaoth nodded as he went towards where the Gem-Knight body was.
As Issei finally caught up to the others, he was currently in between many of those he talked to before, he could see Winda as her bird companion had been completely exhausted. Ariel and Ignis took the lead as they took care of any enemy that came towards them from the front.
Meanwhile Blaster and Kamui alongside some of the other troops with mounts continued flying away. Blaster lowered the Laval Coatl to talk to Ignis. "I know this is the worst time to ask but should we do something about the Gishki princess?" Ignis shook his head. "No, leave her be, we must make sure most of us come out of this alive."
Immediately after the declaration, they saw as Emilia's corpse went numb, they were all shocked by the fact it took so little time for it to defeat her, this made many more panic only for Crystal to say. "Do not panic! You'll simply make it more powerful!"
However it was too late as the dark Vylon rushed towards them, its arms then grasped anything it saw, many of which were the aerial troops that tried to flee. This made more of them start to panic as slowly one by one they all fell and died. The Vylon started to grow feathers, fins and flames as it absorbed the powers of its victims.
Then one of the arms grasped Kamui and Falco.
"Uh oh." Kamui said as he saw himself getting closer to the Vylon. Musto upon noticing this, stopped running and screamed. "NO!" He then quickly rushed back towards the Vylon not caring at the screams of his allies telling him to come back, especially Avance who was trying to go with him.
Musto shot himself upward with a stream of water that he casted and proceeded to try and cast a tornado against the Vylon, only for it to not do effect. In complete despair he tried everything he could to save his son. Kamui meanwhile was yelling at his father. "Dad, get away from here!" Kamui attempted to find a way to help his companion to escape the grasp of the Vylon, as the arm continued to retract to the Vylon, Falco then proceeded to struggle, swinging from side to side.
"Wai- Woah! Falco calm down!" Kamui wasn't sure what his friend was doing, he tried to get a hold to not let go, but in the end he was unable as Falco swung his head back and forward, throwing Kamui far away from the Vylon, as he started to fall he was caught by Blaster who was riding a Coatl, he then proceeded to hand Kamui to a Gusto Coatl.
"No! Wait! What about Falco?!" Kamui was panicking as he saw his friend no longer struggling, however he saw as Falco smiled, slowly closing its eyes in content of saving his friend. "FALCO NO!" Kamui tried to stand up as he tried to jump towards his friend only to be hit by Blaster, pushing him down, the Laval then yelled at him. "Don't stand up! You better fucking live through this kid! Your bird friend sacrificed itself because it saw that there was no way for it to escape, so you better not throw that life away!"
Kamui was crying now, from pain and from losing his best friend. Musto, who was still flying thanks to the jets of water, looked at Blaster. "I don't know how to thank you for saving my son." Blaster simply looked at Musto and said. "You won't need to." Meanwhile Musto and Emilia inside the Gishki body looked confused.
They saw as many Laval Coatls flew alongside Blaster. "If I'm going to die here I might as well make sure no one else feels the pain of losing a brother." He rushed towards the Vylon alongside the other Coatls, hybrid or not, that had dropped their riders.
Blaster was giving up his life to stall out the dark Vylon so that the others could escape.
Musto understood this and accompanied the Gusto Laval hybrid that carried his son. Blaster simply looked at the giant Vylon, he released all of his pent up emotions and said. "Over here you fucking bastard!"
The others continued to run, there was not much going on, they all simply ran for their lives, not looking back, fearing that if they did, they would be the next to die. Issei on the other hand wondered when Yaldabaoth would intercept, he was starting to feel uneasy, unsure of whether he was fearing for his life, or of those around him.
"Yaldabaoth, the current situation has gone awry" Issei asked, not getting any response from him. "Yaldabaoth?" Still not getting any response he assumed that he was too busy to respond telepathically.
He noticed Musto and a Coatl flew above them, but Musto then lowered himself next to them. Avance angrily said. "You fool! What the hell were you thinking about going towards the Vylon?!" Hearing Avance scream at him, Musto regretted his action as he replied. "I apologize for my irrational actions, I should have known that I was also putting Emilia in danger." He looked a bit disappointed in himself for doing such a stunt.
"Ignis, I would like to report that Blaster has sacrificed himself to let all of us have more time to evacuate the battlefield." Informed Musto, Ignis simply nodded and continued on. "Even if he wanted to deny it, he was the heroic type, it is of great shame that it had become to this point that he needed to take such a decision." There was no time to be sad about the death of another warrior, he knew that it was cold of him to do so, but right now the safety of the others was more important, and he was not going to let his death be in vain.
While running they continued to be ambushed by Vylons, this threw a wrench on their escape as they had to battle them to continue, it was a battle against time, unsure if they could even escape the dark Vylon, they proceeded to engage in combat.
Little by little they realized that they wouldn't be able to move on before the other Vylon came to absorb all of them, given this situation Ignis had to make a rash decision. "Everyone, I'll take care of all the Vylons that pursue from behind while all of you run."
Avance however, tried to argue back. "But Ignis! The Laval have already lost so many of their officers, you can't just sacrifice yourself like that!" If the Lavals ended up losing most of their forces this could create an imbalance that he knew that her mother would take advantage of. "Is my life more important than that of many? I don't think so, I will stay here no matter what while all of you continue on." Refuted Ignis.
The Laval troops didn't know what to do, but they couldn't stay back, knowing the fact that the Laval would go from one of the most powerful tribes to one that was on the border of being wiped out. As a last message, Ignis made sure to not create an inner conflict with the lack of a leader. "I name Laval the Greater as the new lord of the Laval, send my message to those unaware of it back at our tribe, I assume Prominence and Kayenn won't be against it, but I worry about Dual Slasher and Lancelord will try to usurp the title."
While Avance was trying to find a way to convince him not to do it, he noticed that Musto had passed him a note, but before he could mention it he heard Emilia's voice. "I will also be staying." Avance opened his eyes at the words that Emilia left. "YOU CAN'T!" He yelled out, he did not want her to no longer be by his side, she was the reason why he was continuing on in life.
"Avance, I should have been dead by now, my body has been completely absorbed by the Vylon and I took over Musto's body, I can't simply stay alive while living through Musto's body." She continued to explain her decision. "And tell everyone else to not worry about Musto, I'll let myself be absorbed inside this body, Musto's soul will continue to live on, you will have to make a ritual to bring his body back once this war ends." Avance looked really hesitant, but didn't say anything, he looked like he was about to break down in tears.
Issei raised his hand. "I'd also like to stay. I may not have known any of you for a long time, but I've grown to enjoy my time with each of the tribes." Ariel looked at him upon hearing that declaration. "A-are you sure?" She asked with a bit of hesitation, not knowing how to feel, Issei smiled at her. "I am sure about it, it's going to be alright, so don't worry about me." Winda looked at him as she gripped her staff more. "Don't look so sad, my death isn't guaranteed, just like the others." Sofly said Issei as he looked at the sad looks he was getting.
"I should also go, I am the one who leads the others towards the giant Vylon, and I must make sure they are able to retreat." Crystal also opted to stall the enemies, the ones that were supposed to flee looked back as the 4 of each tribe that decided to give up their life to let the others survive. Winda, Ariel and Avance looked at them with worry, while Avance looked at Emilia, Winda and Ariel looked at Issei, as he noticed their gaze, he simply smiled to assure that it was going to be okay.
When they all finally bid their farewell while continuing, Emerald led the others onwards pushing any of the Vylons that attacked them by the front while the 4 others stayed behind not letting any Vylon chase after the group.
Taking care of the Vylons as they saw the imminent conflict with the dark Vylon, Issei decided to know more about those near him, he asked Musto something despite Emilia being in control. "So is Kamui okay?" Began Issei, Musto took over control and then hesitated a bit in responding. "He's fine... at least physically, but I am sure he is currently devastated about what happened."
"But I'm sure that thanks to the Coatl he's back safely at least, the Coatl will probably come back shortly after to give support to the others." Even in the current situation most of the members present were very calm over the idea of dying, most of them had been to war already, and some of them were even used to such terrible situations, but he knew that they simply held back all of their emotions to make sure none of the others panicked.
Issei wanted to know more about this world, the knowledge that he'd gain would be useful to him, but he wanted to learn more because it was interesting to him, the habitat of this world were charming, as he continued to talk with them, he simply couldn't think of them as anything but friends.
His calm demeanor captivated those around him, the mystery around who he was made people ask who he truly was, but he simply said he was just a traveler, even if he wasn't a very important fighter for the tribes he was unique enough for others to notice, and through that interest he befriended everyone that continued to talk to him.
He had to admit, he was scum for manipulating those around him by pretending he cared, but alas, it was all to follow Yaldabaoth's plan…
Right?
They felt as the giant Vylon was getting closer, Blaster's last stand did everything that could be done to hold it back, and the people present were motivated by his sacrifice. Emilia quickly casted pillars of water that went directly towards the enemy, meanwhile Issei summoned light spears and proceeded to shoot them towards it. In the meantime Ignis and Crystal were defending both of them by taking out the Vylons that were coming towards them
Issei still wondered where the hell Yaldabaoth was, but he had to continue on until he finally came. They made contact with the dark Vylon, Issei proceeded to use Phoenix Wing and rushed towards it, dodging the arms that tried to grab him, he tried to make a dent on its exterior, but to no avail as the attack did nothing against it, the flames were consumed by its burning exterior.
Meanwhile Crystal jumped upwards and landed on the Vylon's face, with a lance in hand he thrusted it with all of his might but was sent back by a tornado, making him get pushed back by the force of the wind. Ignis then proceeded to grasp the Vylon and attempted to rip it off, unable to, he then lit his hands on fire as the flame got bigger by the second, engulfing part of the Vylon with the fire.
Emilia used wind magic to spread the fire even more, but also making many icicles to throw towards the Vylon, they all were repelled as the machine was unharmed by the barrage of attacks. In frustration Issei swung his weapon, even pulling out Justitia, although knowing that it wouldn't be of use.
Nothing was able to harm it, the enemy was unaffected by those that had emotions, the Vylon attempted to grab Issei, he dodged yet again, this time activating Raging Storm as he continued to try and stay on top of the Vylon.
"There is no way we can damage it, we'll have to just dodge until we can think of anything else." Crystal said as he finally got up again. He then charged a lightning bolt from the point of his lance and threw it towards the Vylon. Emilia then said. "In that case, make sure to not get grabbed yourself." She proceeded to cast even more icicles as she started to focus on the incoming Vylons.
It finally started to move as the attacks diminished, it tried again to grab any of the present but to no avail, more Vylons started to come as they were all focused on the four, making their plan to take the attention of the Vylons a success.
Managing between attacks from both sides was difficult for them as they were starting to get overpowered by them, Issei even attempted to use Justitia, but just like the Steelswarm it had no effect, they weren't creatures that were self aware.
Crystal became too focused on the smaller Vylons as he tried to knock them back even for a bit, the giant Vylon then attempted to grab him just like the many times before, but this time he was exhausted, before he noticed the hand Ignis grabbed it with both of his hands, stopping it from grasping Crystal.
But unfortunately the hand started to close itself, grabbing Ignis, the others hurried to try and break him free to no avail. They looked as Ignis got absorbed by the Vylon. Ignis, feeling his life being drained, could only close his eyes as he felt himself starting to feel tired.
"Ah… It seems I was the first one to die…" Were the last words that he could say.
And yet, he opened them up once again, this time he looked up, as he found himself laying down on something.
He then saw the one who loved him, the Laval princess that had given him her will, looking at his hand, he saw that he was back to his former self , not as a Gem-Knight, but as a former X-Saber reject.
The Laval princess caressed his blonder hair as he continued to rest his head on her lap. The princess then said. "Hey, kept me waiting."
Obsidian smiled. "Yeah, sorry about that." He saw his mother and brother in the distance waving at him. Aside from them, all he could see was a field of flame lilies.
"Fuck! We cannot continue on if we slowly die one by one!" Yelled Issei in frustration, his Sanity slowly depleting as he could feel as he was starting to lose his composure.
Emilia then summoned typhoons. "Both of you, rest up, I'll be using all of my magic powers to keep the Vylons at bay." Crystal then said. "But won't that leave you vulnerable to the Vylons?!"
"It will, but I was never planning on coming out of this alive." Emilia was going to give up her life, it was the least she could do in this situation, there was no way any of them would come out alive without a miracle, and until help came she was going to make sure it lasted as long as possible.
Issei and Crystal looked at Emilia who was casting the attacks, the typhoon trapped any of the smaller Vylons as they continued to spin inside it, the typhoons stayed this way while the other two simply looked powerless as they couldn't do anything to help due to how exhausted they were physically.
Issei knew that sooner or later Yaldabaoth would show up, he knew that he wouldn't just abandon him. But it was taking longer than it should have taken. Had he arrived by now, none of them would have had to die for them to survive.
Musto who was currently in the spirit form looked at Emilia who was starting to feel her magic depleted. "I'm sorry I had you wrapped onto this situation, you were never supposed to be in the frontlines." She apologized as she was ready for what was to come.
"I will be giving up my life, you'll need to wait for the Gishki to make a ritual for you to come back in a body." Explained Emilia. Musto looked at Emilia as he then said. "Who said I was the one who was going to come back to life?"
Before Emilia could say anything she felt as she was going back to her spirit mode. "Wait! What are you doing?!" Musto laughed a bit. "Exactly what you were planning to do."
Yaldabaoth who was currently possessing the entity Issei and he had created, was feeling uneasy, not because the battle was going to be hard, but because the sense of familiarity was getting stronger the more he stayed in this world.
When he went out to explore the whole place, he discovered many things, specifically, he went to the tree that stood out of the Great Marshland, however, he was unable to get any sort of information as there was no written information about it.
He was supposed to immediately go to where Issei was currently battling with the Vylon, yet he went around in an actual body to where the Naturia were in hopes of asking for an explanation. Unfortunately, a sense of deja vu had attracted him as he instead went towards the Shrine of Mist Valley.
Once he got there, he climbed the stairs step by step, the closer he got, the more anxious he felt. He was a god, yet why was he feeling so nervous right now?
Once he got to the top, he saw that there was a gem in the middle, he got closer, not knowing what to expect, he slowly extended his hand towards it, the moment he made contact with it, he started to feel a rush go through his whole body.
He immediately recognized that feeling, that experience that he wished not to remember, the day Sophia had cursed him as he became that horrible creature, right after he had lost himself to the emotions...
Wait.
That wasn't him right?
No, it had to have been Samael. He was the one who gave the Fruit of Knowledge to Adam and Eve...
Yet why could he remember holding Samael in his dying state?
He started to feel as his memories conflicted with one another, to the point he was unsure what was true.
But he knew something was true at that moment. Sophia had been part of this world, whether she had created it or if this was THAT place she had taken from him, he did not know.
Another memory he acquired was that of a girl, he had no idea who it was, yet she felt familiar, he started to feel sadness, despite having no recollection of her, he could feel he was close to her.
Little by little, his memories would come back, he just needed to wait until they all came back, what had happened that day was starting to become clear.
He wished to remember everything right now, as the mystery was too much for him to ignore, but he needed to go back to Issei and help him. Those memories were sour, making his mood take a hit.
The other members that continued to escape were currently doing great progress, they were almost at the temporary camp they set. Avance remembered the paper that Musto gave him, as he took it out of his pocket he unfolded it to then read through its contents.
Avance
I don't have much time to write this, as I am unsure when Emilia will notice. But I am sure she will try to do a rash action as a form of redemption for what the Gishki have done to the other tribes.
I wish to stop her by putting myself in control as soon as she is about to die. Tell my family that they must continue to live on.
Not for my own happiness, but for the future generation.
Tell them to follow the wind, always.
Upon reading it he had mixed feelings, on one hand he was glad that Emilia would be saved, but on the other he felt sad as he knew that Kamui would be devastated beyond belief over losing his father alongside his bird companion.
He simply hid the note and went to help the others, as he got in front of the pack alongside Emerald, he watched as many more Vylons than usual came towards their direction. Ready to engage and clash, it was then interrupted by the punch of a white warrior who obliterated the Vylons in a blink of an eye.
When they looked at the direction of the one who made the punch, they saw what looked like a knight in white armor. "Who may you be stranger?" Questioned Emerald, still on guard in case it was an enemy.
It introduced itself bluntly. "You may call me Pearl." It simply continued onto the direction the giant Vylon was supposed to be, only to be stopped by Winda. "H-hey! You'll die if you go that direction!"
Pearl looked back, still with a monotonous voice it said. "It won't matter, you can't truly kill what you don't understand." It continued on. "But if you know its weakness, you'll be able to even kill a god." The others looked confused as the figure continued its way towards the dark Vylon.
Issei saw as Emilia was finally defeated by the Vylon, a bit of time was gained from the Coatl that had finally come back, but in the end, they needed to join into the fray once again, powerless to do anything all he could do was watch. Crystal then looked at Issei and said. "You should run, I'll make sure to hold them off until you can regroup with the others."
"I came here to fight, I can't simply go back now! Not after Ignis and Emilia sacrificed themselves!" Issei was getting sick after seeing people die in front of him while he was powerless.
He knew that he should get used to it so that he could fulfill Yaldabaoth's dream, yet he couldn't do it, the pain from losing Natsuki, Father Ichirouta and everyone else was still present, even if he didn't show it, even if he tried to move on from it, he knew deep down that it came back to haunt him.
"I'm not going back no matter what you say, I decided on this, and I won't forsake my duty like I promised by staying here!" Issei knew that his emotions were getting the better of him, how couldn't they? He was still a human, no matter what powers, no matter what change of species, he was born a human, a human tainted by Sophia.
The Vylon noticed the increase of negative emotions from Issei, they all went towards him, noticing his blunder. Issei quickly activated Raging Storm again, not caring that Crystal was going to be hit, he knew that he could dodge or even block the attack.
The dark Vylon then extended its hand, bypassing the walls of flame that Issei had created and grabbed him. As the hand got closer to its owner he saw as someone jumped upwards to attack it. He thought that Crystal had come to try and help him but instead he saw another person, a familiar one at that.
It was Yaldabaoth who had come to his rescue. "Yaldabaoth you bastard, you finally arrived." He felt relief as he was not only saved, but also because this would finally finish. Crystal looked as the new fighter was able to damage the Vylon.
As the Vylon dropped him, Crystal came to pick him before he dropped to the ground. Both of them saw as Yaldabaoth kept punching the Vylon, creating dents on its surface. He saw alongside Crystal as Yaldabaoth continued to punch at a high velocity, to the point it looked like the False God had grown more arms to punch it faster, but they knew that wasn't the case. The intensity kept increasing as they both could see how a deity was expressing all of his wrath upon his enemy.
Unbeknownst to them, Yaldabaoth was truly furious, he put everything into his attacks in a way to try and blow some steam.
The punishment of a terrifying deity could be seen from anywhere, the sounds of the punches were loud enough to be heard around the world as they saw the Vylon get completely dismantled.
Issei noticed that the system had given him a notification, the quest had been completed.
Quest #3
Corrupted Ally
Condition: Defeat the Vylons during this assault
Failure: Any of the tribes are eradicated or you fail to defeat the Vylons during this assault
Completed!
Reward: Skill (Spiritual Arts)
(Phoenix Wing): Creates a flame in the form of a Phoenix that deals Fire and Wind damage during your next attack. 30 Seconds Cooldown.
(Raging Storm): Creates an area attack that deals Fire and Wind damage to all enemies, blocks all projectile attacks, lasts 10 seconds. 5 Minutes Cooldown
(Spiritual Arts): Remove 25% of your Health and Sanity, double the damage of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light and Dark attacks for 10 minutes. 4 Hours Cooldown
A new image has been added to the Gallery
Deity's Punishment
It finally ended, the Vylons were no more, as the dark Vylon was finally defeated, all the other Vylons that were hostile also turned off. Issei sat down on the ground while breathing heavily, he didn't know how long he had kept his breath over the combat between Yaldabaoth and the Vylon, but he was glad it was over.
Crystal went towards Yaldabaoth and asked. "Thank you for defeating the Vylon, you do not know how much you've done for us, but I must ask, who are you?"
"You may call me Pearl, I did what I was meant to do." He then left the scene, but before he left he looked at Issei closely, he knew that he'd have to talk to Yaldabaoth about what was going on, he got up and bid farewell to Crystal despite asking him to stay so that they could reunite with the others.
Issei took flight and tracked down Yaldabaoth, who was currently under a tree, noticing him, he descended. "What took you so long?" Asked Issei. Yaldabaoth, unlike before, seemed to not have that laid back attitude from before. "I have discovered the truth of my past."
Hearing these words, Issei was curious about it. "What do you mean by that? Has something from the past happened that you didn't remember?" Yaldabaoth was silent for a moment, it made Issei a bit uncomfortable given the fact they usually talked casually to each other, then he revealed something surprising to Issei. "This world was one that I created a long time ago, Issei, yet Sophia took this away from me." Admitted Yaldabaoth, his voice starting to get shaky as Issei simply listened.
"This place... Is the Garden of Eden that I remember, the previous place that I had created before the world that you originate from was even formed, it is still blurry, yet I know now that everything I said before was simply a false memory I gave myself to hide the scars... Or perhaps one that Sophia gave to me..." Yaldabaoth proceeded to close his eyes. "I still know nothing of my past, but soon I will be able to know what truly happened in the Garden of Eden."
Yaldabaoth then added more information. "She didn't die Issei, I know she's somewhere here, because this place is not the so-called land of darkness that I created, that might be your world after I had been kicked from the garden, she lives here, within my home that was taken from me." Yaldabaoth could feel himself starting to bubble up with emotions, he hated it, has he developed emotions after so many years of living? Or has Sophia created him this way?
"She didn't just take my perfect world... She took everything from me... Everything that I created! Everything I held dearly!" Yaldabaoth finally snapped, Issei could only see as the god completely broke down.
"I can't understand your pain Yaldabaoth, it will never be possible for me to do so, but I can assure you that I will be by your side as your harbinger, you gave me purpose in this world, and so I wish to follow you out of my own volition" Assured Issei, he tried to calm the false god down.
"I thank you for that, Issei... but your support won't be needed..." Declared Yaldabaoth, this surprised Issei, who stood silent. "I've come to the conclusion that I must end this once and for all, I must be the one to give and end to this everlasting war between Sophia and me." He started to walk towards the woods as he felt like their talk could end now. "I shall be known as Pearl from now on, I wish you the best of luck..."
In the end, Issei simply saw as the one he pledged himself to walk his own way to the Gem-Knight tribe, he didn't know what sort of pain Yaldabaoth was currently going through, yet he wished to understand it.
He then took flight yet again, this time towards the Gusto Tribe, once he got there, he saw as everyone came towards him. He could see Windaar at the front as he started to express his gratitude. "Issei, I cannot put into words how much I am grateful for your survival. You have done so much for every single tribe, we would like to reward you for your prowess in this battle."
Before he could decline the offer, he could see Avance, alongside Winda, Ariel and Emerald making their presence known. Avance then started by saying. "As much as I wish for the celebration of this victory, I wish to bring unfortunate news. Is Kamui here by any chance?" As he said his name, he could see Kamui, his eyes were completely red as he could see that he had cried over the death of his bird companion, his hands covering his face as he wished to simply not be there in this moment. Caam could be seen holding his hand, reassuring him that it wasn't his fault.
"I have come here to give the news that Musto has sacrificed himself for everyone to be able to evacuate." Declared Avance, the mood took a hit as everyone looked shocked, saddened or frustrated at the news. Kamui specifically could be seen with his eyes wide open, slowly, he raised his head at the news, uncovering his face, now covered with a broken expression. "W-what?" Uttered Kamui.
"Musto had given me a paper as he was planning to make himself the sacrifice instead of my sister, I wish to pay my respects to the advisor of the Gusto." He kneeled as he then put a hand on his chest, followed by Ariel doing the same with the Gishki accompanying him as escorts doing as well. Winda simply looked away, saddened at the news, even though she had already been told of it, it pained her to see someone so close to the tribe die.
The next declaration by Avance was the last nail in the coffin however. "I would also like to declare that the temporary alliance has been broken, this means that we are officially enemies from this point onward, as stated by our redeclaration of war."
With those words, the Gusto Tribe could only sit still as they needed time to calm down.
Issei on the other hand wondered why this victory felt so hollow.
(A/N)
Yet again about 10k for something that doesn't actually exist, the only thing in the Duel Terminal that explains the events are the death of 6 monsters, those being Evilgishki Merrowgeist (Musto + Emilia's Soul), Evilgishki Gustkraken (Emilia's body), Lavalval Ignis, Daigusto Phoenix (The Coatl Gusto hybrids), Lavalval Dragun (Blaster) and Daigusto Falcos. Now while it says that both Musto and Emilia die, I do think that it is only Musto who does, since if it's both then there's a somewhat big plot hole in the Duel Terminal.
I do think I should rush the next part when it comes to pacing, there is going to be WAY too many battles going on, but I do think that it would be better to simply go about the more important events rather than going battle after battle, I can't try to extend the story by giving mindless dialogue between characters, that isn't how I roll, and trust me, I've tried.
I made Gem-Knight Pearl a creation of both Issei and Yaldabaoth, there isn't much to say aside from the fact that this is the first divergence of what is the canon in the Duel Terminal, the thing is, I am not going to stray from canon really, this whole arc is a retelling in detail of the Duel Terminal events adding both Issei and Yaldabaoth to the mix just to fill a lot of the gaps and push its own story too, call it lazy or anything like that, but this arc is incredibly important for many of the important plots of the story, alongside a semi definitive way for explaining the lore of Duel Terminal.
Btw, a few Character Info sheets should have been created which can be found in one of my "stories" in Wattpad, that one being called "Story Status". I should have created by that point one for a few Laval characters such as the Laval Princess, Cannon and Blaster, alongside Musto.
After reviewing the whole script for the events, not only for this fic but for other fics I have planned, I realized that I implemented a shit ton of stuff related to YuGiOh and Project Moon. Some are justified, while others aren't.
Yaldabaoth's personality is incredibly human-like, according to sources, he "throws a hissy fit" each time something doesn't go his way, kinda like those old cartoon villains tbh. Yaldabaoth lacks a lot of depth in various interpretations, aside from being the villain, that was something I never really thought much when I wanted to add him, but once I had him in the story, I ended up having to give him a bit of depth, his story can easily be twisted to be something tragic, and so I took that route, you'll be seeing it soon.
The only reference in this chapter is Spiritual Arts, which is a series of spells related to the Charmers, you may know them since Wynn, Winda's sister, is part of that archetype.
Meanwhile when it comes to scrapped content I can't really think of much, as I mentioned before, Ariel was completely absent before, but I continued to add more about her in these next few chapters. This arc is mostly me giving my own take on what the Duel Terminal story develops so there isn't much for me to take off.
And that is all, I'll see y'all next chapter.