This was a rushed chapter as a gift of the final day of the year. Enjoy.
Deus had never felt true agony before now. Most wounds inflicted upon Him usually felt like small tickles in comparison to the pain that was ripping away at Him from inside His own (stolen) body. And with it, fear. A primordial fear born inside the existence of all beings with sapience in them, the fear of death. It was not the standard death most living things are accustomed to; no, it was death as in their absolute existence were to be erased for good. So imagine a new type of pain born of intense heat digging inside of you and ripping something out of you and feeling every bit of it? Of golden ichor and yellow flames, Hakuno exploded out of Deus's torso with an injured Bell in her arms while the fallen god howled in pain.
"Bell! Bell! Are you alright?!" Hakuno cried out, slightly shaking the unconscious Bell in her arms. The boy opened his eyes weakly and smiled.
"Ca..p..t…n…"
"Bell, hang in there! BB!"
On cue, the nurse AI appeared and was in serious mode this time. She knew when to be playful and mischievous, but this was serious and her Senpai needed support right now. "Leave him to me, Senpai. Take care of that boss because I have a feeling that He's not going down easily." BB warns her before taking Bell to the Throne World where it is safe. The demonic war lance crumbled, its last duty fulfilled as Hakuno turned to the writhing god. The Moon Cell told her reinforcements were on the way as the gods were allowed to use the full extent of their power.
That was reassuring for her as she folded her arms and the Gates of Babylon responded to her will. "Sei no…"
Deus recovered just in time to see the golden lights behind Hakuno as hundreds of Noble Phantasms were aimed directly at Him. "Fuhahahaha!" Hakuno laughed in imitation of Gilgamesh as the mad god was bombarded with countless weapons from the Golden King's Treasury.
Deep in the Throne World watching this, Gilgamesh was laughing the same laugh while Nero sulked. The Empress feeling jealous that the King of Heroes shares his laugh with her Praetor and the two having a ball with it.
Dungeon Core*
Asherah opened her eyes and immediately went to work. Her full consciousness allows her to fully manipulate the Dungeon and its forces. First thing she did was attempt to wrest control of Abaddon from Deus and it seemed the Usurper was making her work for it. Despite His weakened control over it, Deus still had fight in Him and she could sense the false angels attempting to invade her home. "Children…" Asherah spoke and all the monsters in the Dungeon immediately heeded her command. "Purge the false angels from me." she commanded and all of the monsters responded like a swarm. One of the few times their mother asks them for something and they always dutifully fulfill their tasks at hand. Meanwhile on the surface, Asherah could tell things are escalating on their side.
Outskirts of Orario*
The King of Knights from Another World and the Knight of Doves stood out with their armor and handsome looks as they aided Orario in its evacuation. They saw the chaos Deus created when He and Hakuno fell from the sky and caused the former city to become a massive monolith. The false angels attacked and the Skysilver Knight led the counterattack with Percival when they aimed for the civilians.
Even with Abaddon manifesting, Arthur and Percival led the lower ranked Familia groups that stayed behind to protect the city in tactical maneuvers to repel the aggressors. A giant shadow made itself known as Kingprotea was knocked down from the peak of the monolith while wrestling with a massive clump of the collective sentient curse that wriggled and snarled at the Alter Ego with anger. Arthur immediately dashed to aid her and with his Holy Sword caused the corrosive mass to suffer in agony while Kingprotea crushed its central brain in her hand.
"Thank you for your help King Arthur. But I need to get back to the top to help Hakuno and my sisters!" Kingprotea told him before Arthur made a quick decision.
"Percival, help maintain defense here until help arrives. I'm going to help confront the threat above." Arthur ordered as the knight saluted him in response while Arthur leapt onto Kingprotea's arm as the giantess began to climb the monolith. There was another reason why he was joining this fight, his kin was there and he would not let her face it alone. "She won't face it alone." a voice spoke from the other shoulder, causing Protea to pause and look at the person in question, freezing into what amounted to dread while Arthur recognized that aura and tone of voice anywhere.
"Big sister, is that you?" he asked, looking surprised and happy at the same time.
Morgan could tell this was a version of her sister if she had been born a male, and from the tone and his personality, a better King Arthur than Artoria. Not to mention, she doesn't have the instinct of hostility or rivalry she usually had with her sister. Maybe because he's looking up to her like any little brother would? She shook the thought out of her head since there are priorities here.
"Now's not the time brother, my daughter needs help in stalling tactics that god till reinforcements arrive." Morgan stated while looking ahead while Protea continued to climb in haste. It actually surprised Arthur that the girl Merlin was mentioning was not just a descendant, but his own niece. Arthur smiled softly at that, now he had another family member to dote on later.
While that was happening, the rest of the other Familia had returned and began to storm the monolith without a beat. This time, their gods were allowed to go all-out.
Fire, lightning, winds, water, earth and various types of attacks made against the increasing forces Deus called from His domain.
"Grand Order/Anima Animusphere!"
A rain of meteors fell from the heavens, striking down the fake angels by the hundreds while many adventurers and gods wondered who that was.
"That was my teacher!" Primo exclaimed from her position in the wagon with excitement with the rest of the Hestia Familia.
"That's good and all Primo, but let's hurry to Hakuno. She needs us." Hestia told her surrogate granddaughter.
"I hope Hakuno-sama is alright. Even with her strength it will be tough to fight a god." Haruhime worriedly said with concern.
"Remember, Hakuno-sama does have Heroic Spirits by her side and they pack incredible power in them. Have some faith in her." Lili assured her.
"I still worry for Lady Hakuno, let's make haste to her side Lady Hestia!" Ais implored the goddess who had her eyes closed.
"Not to mention Bell as well, I hope he's doing alright." Welf added in, hoping his friend was doing alright in that fight. Then Hestia decided to speak up after thinking it through.
"You're not going Ais, you just broke your arm and the gods specializing in the healing arts are a bit too occupied to tend to it. Just what were you thinking, using your skills and magic unrestrained?" Hestia chided the Sword Princess who actually winced at that.
Revis got away with severe injuries, but Ais overloaded her final attack that broke her arm and was now binded to a cast. Her blunder is costing her with not being there for her Lady at her time of need and it frustrated her.
"Um, Hestia-sama?" Haruhime spoke up with a hand raised. "Since you are allowed your full power…could you not heal Ais-sama's arm?" Leave it to one of the two Support types to state the simplest solutions while Ais had a pleading look on her face. Hestia sighed, she recalled how beat up Ais was last time she failed to protect Hakuno after she was knighted by her daughter. Plus, Bell was most likely hurt as well given how he's been beaten up in some shape or form in order to get stronger. Getting everyone in top condition is a priority.
"...Fine. You swore to protect her as her knight, and I'd be troubled because you wouldn't be able to fulfill that oath and Hakuno is in trouble and needs help. Just this once, okay?" Hestia conceded before taking Ais's injured arm and flames wrapped around it. It wasn't a flame of harm, but of healing. A trick Hestia picked up from observing Haruhime's special flames bequeathed by Hakuno herself. Ancient primordial flames echoed from the suns and stars of the cosmos, and given her own affinity to fire allowed her to use a partial form of it. The flames Hakuno bestowed to Haruhime were a power even a goddess like her could not wield fully even if she used her Arcanum.
Once the arm was healed, Ais activated her Wind Guardian Skill, the Skill that was once known as Avenger now turned into something beautiful and noble as the wind engulfed the Hestia Familia. Then, they flew. They flew like a comet in the sky, getting the attention of civilians, adventurers and gods alike.
"And there goes the main cast, setting a finale on this performance." Wodime smiled and with a simple gesture, blasted several angels at once into mincemeat.
"Oh yes! Those children are definitely going places once this is over! Ophelia dear, should we host a celebration party for their victory after this?" Pepe asked while the female Crypter swung her blade and decapitated an angel.
"I'd say we wait until after they win. Too early to presume they will win; especially since they're lower leveled.
"Ophelia, darling. You need to have more faith in them, like you did with Mashie when she helped fight Surtr." Pepe tutted while Wodime himself gave a small laugh at the banter.
"I'm sure they're up to it. On the other hand, does anyone have any preference in food? I'm cooking." Wodime asked with a smile on his face.
Top of the monolith*
"Insolent mortals…you dare trespass where you are not welcomed?!" Deus snarled while the sky cleared, revealing the starry sky and a white cold moon overhead. Hakuno had activated Annwyn Ataraxia to recover and protect her team and Deus wasn't happy they were in the equivalent of Paradise right in front of Him. Raising one prosthetic arm, she flipped the bird.
Several Heroic Spirits had a few colorful choice of words while Anderson laughed hard he fell on his back in Chaldea for that stunt. Only this girl had the audacity to pick fights with gods on her own.
"Why you…!" Deus smoldered before a torrent of black magic struck him from above, revealing Kingprotea alongside Arthur and Morgan landing beside her while Jeanne Alter smirked at the realization that their firepower had increased exponentially now.
"Hope you're ready Deus," Hakuno told Him with a smirk. "Because the cast is almost here for the finale!" as if on cue, the wind picked up and something landed. Ais was the first to make her appearance with both Desperate and Gwynt Awydd in each hand, followed by Primo and her Oak Staff, Welf and his nameless greatsword, Lili with Merlin-Killer MKII, Haruhime and the golden flames, and finally Hestia with her blue eyes glowing with power. With the exception of Bell whom was being healed right now, the Hestia Familia was united in the final battle with Servants of Chaldea and Queen Morgan lending aid.