Chapter 320: The Ideal that Transcends The Alter of Absolute Power
While Ezan, Daigo, Bahamut, Timat, and the rest of their group was realizing just how horribly the mission was escalating, those back on Midgar were still not sure if they were winning or losing.
While Rufus stopped attacking everyone with the Omega Weapon, only the direct Shinra forces accepted his authority, and the planesgorger's attacked everything in sight. Even so the Multiversal Rebel Alliance was disciplined enough to use the chaos to blast away all the hostiles piece by piece.
By the time Shinryu and Sephiroth fell only a few of the especially stubborn enemies like Neuer Sternregesseur were left.
At the moment the leader of the Einst societies collective unconscious took blasts from Heero, Setsuna, Mack's Emerald Weapon, and more but just snarled in outrage." You will…submit!"
He took blasts from Kyosuke as the Alliance pilot grit his teeth." Ugh, enough talk! We just have to blow up the head right? Let's go Excellen, match my timing!"
His lover giggled before replying with," Aye aye, just like always eh? Let's unload everything!"
They fired all their weapons at the giant monster's head before it uttered," Not enough…not enough!"
While its head started to glow, Masaki flew up before yelling out," Then chew on this jackass! No point holding back now! Akashic Nova!"
The green haired man unleashed the true power of Cybuster, the Masoukishin of Wind, He unlocked all of Cybuster's safety locks and entered Laplace Demon Mode, after opening several ports on its arms, legs, shoulders and wings.
Cybuster then formed six elemental circles which then combine to form a orb of pure wind prana. Taking the orb, Cybuster then released the Cosmo Nova technique which hits the target in a spiral prana aura which started pushing it back.
Then Cybuster transforms into its Cybird mode which is usually needed to perform the Akashic Buster and rams the target along with the energy causing it to explode and transform into Akashic Nova Bird.
This caused Neuer Sternregesseur to scream in pain as he used all of his power to resist the attack before Kyosuke yelled out," Eat it, eat it all! Behold, this is are,"
"Love power!" Excellen threw in suddenly." No wait, are joker card!"
As the blasts went down his mouth Neuer Sternresseur yelled out," You rebels know nothing and will never learn! You, RAHH!"
The giant monstrously blew up before he could talk more before Masaki snickered." If you mean we never learn to surrender then hell yah! And…based on how the sky is looking seems like we are not learning that today! Lacus, how's the readings?"
A hologram of the pink haired captain of the Eternal nodded." Jr just sent us a message that Sir Ezan has neutralized Sephiroth and that his comrades have shattered that Shinryu dragon."
The green haired man smirked before he looked at the sky." Alright, and it seems that Benji is able to use the Meta Terminal right after all. We just might be able to pull this,"
His mecha had a alarm go off before a shock-wave in the sky, as the sky itself started to seem to bend before the hologram of Viletta appeared before his comrade declared," Masaki…the energy reading's have just spiked…and it's the reading's and distortions that only match that of a Six Dimensional Being!"
Masaki tensed up before he took a deep breath." Man did I run into that one. Is…is it Sieg?"
"The readings are not matching his level. Based on the data you gave us recently in Night City, its matching what was shown by Carmen Idrissa Harla."
"You're sure? She won't fall for what we pulled in Night City, but we are not out of tricks just yet! Still, only going to have one shot so anyone not part of the plan get the hell out of hear one way or another this whole region of space is about to become unstable!"
Lacus nodded before she turned to the crew on the bridge." Andrew, please have everyone that's not needed get to the shelters, hopefully we can all get back to the House of Hope."
As the scar faced brown haired man nodded, Martiza was one of the ones who had boarded the Eternal along with Johnny, Benji, Rivet, and the others before she glanced at the screen. "Oh boy…so my new boss finally made an appearance. She's not gonna be happy… Where are we at on the Screwed Meter between 1 and 10? A gajillion or something more reasonable like 798,612?"
Andrew Waltfeld snickered in response." I won't deny it's the kind of crap you have to see for your own eyes to understand but, when they devour entire universe's then you understand what next level horror is. But you guys were working for them right? They tell you anything?
Martiza chuckled, looking a little "childishly embarrassed" as she rubbed the back of the head. "I was concentrating too much on devising the best way to kill Hojo while keeping my daughter alive to pay attention to all the memos from upper management."
before Astos sighed." Nil was the one with the highest rank that we interacted with, and all we really were told is that the power of this V-Day was greater than all other gods combined."
Andrew let out a bitter chuckle before he closed his eyes." You can go over the data we have if you want, but the gist of it is The Sixth Dimension serves as a 'Multiversal Control Room' which stands at the very top of the Multiversal scale.
These Dominion class beings are the highest possible rank of Interstellar Intelligence, existing outside spacetime and possessing godlike powers that cannot be quantified. In terms of intellect and power, a Dominion is indistinguishable from any and all mythic or religious comparisons, making it a truly "godlike" entity."
Martiza rolled her eyes. "Intellect my foot… If they were really that smart they never would have been dumb enough to recruit me… Ok, so if you bought all that, why'd you all come here in the first place? Were you planning on begging for mercy or just wanted to go out with a bang?"
Lacus sighed." All of this, has been to pull off a plan that will give us a opening. But, it's clear that its going to take, many more sacrifices."
Martiza shrugged. "Eh, I prefer to call them the eggs you break to make omelets, but potato, potahtoh. So!" She clapped her hands together. "Who do you want me to take with me when I blow myself up?"
Lacus winced before retorting with," Don't, you want to still live?"
"I've already lived well past my expiration date. So long as my daughter gets out of here? That's the last thing I want out of life. Besides…" She leaned in a bit closer with a wistful grin. "Trust me when I say the multiverse is better off without someone like me."
Andrew snickered before responding with," I know I don't know you well lady but if you really want to make up for some thing you did in the past then how about trying to stay alive? This alliance has no room to be picky at the moment, we are working with full on devils to try and stay alive so trust me there's still a place for another misguided scientist. I mean this Krysta, don't you want to have a future with her?"
Maritza opened her mouth to respond…but paused. She slowly closed it again and looked skyward. "Huh…you know something? I never really thought of things that way. I would have been fine taking the truth to my grave, if we're being honest here. But…the cat's out of the bag now…" She let out a snicker in the form of a snort. "Wouldn't that be something…? Me and her trying to make a life together as a family. Phew…talk about dysfunctional… Almost as messed up as one of that freak's creations… I think it might be a mite too late."
Lacus smirked before responding with," We all believe that its not to late to have the life you want till the last moment, that's what we are risking everything to fight to make that still be the life everyone can have, instead of only the life Sieg V-Day Elgan can hoard for himself."
As the members of the Multiversal Rebel Alliance tried to do all they could to keep hope alive, little did Martiza know that she would be stressed out even more if she was seeing what her daughter was seeing at the moment.
Krystal was trying to stick to her Turk training as best as she could, but not being briefed like Bahamut and Leviathan was by Ezan before, as she saw Carmen casually turn stars into a cage around them she could only glance at her sudden new enemy and grasped her gun tightly." So…this woman is seriously…what God is supposed to be?"
Ezan saw Krysta looked uneasy before he narrowed his eyes." Don't misunderstand Krysta, its true this enemy has godly power beyond anything you seen, but she and her master are not God. They are just normal humans like you that by the worst stroke of luck got power they don't deserve. That will be their downfall. Oh they are the most dangerous threats to the entire Multiverse without a doubt, but they are not warriors, just scum."
Carmen saw Ezan looked serious before she burst out laughing. She saw everyone looked on edge before she widened her eyes." Oh man, your serious soldier boy? Guess with your entire identity being the number one warrior you have to be! I thought those eyes were hardcore sharp Ezan? Then how come your so blind to what soldiers really are?"
Ezan grasped his blade tightly before retorting with a detached," Is that so?"
"Oh hell yah fool! You did not realize that soldiers, warriors, or whatever are just really to put on a show? I mean, when societies advance enough, you don't need soldiers when you have enough bombs! Can have the best trained soldiers there is, but just keep nuking them and all there skills don't mean a damn!"
Ezan grit his teeth before uttering," Skill can't beat firepower all the time, but with enough effort, skill can surpass sheer power!"
"HAHHAH oh man you really just keep saying that to keep excusing you wasted your life eh mister " Super elite?" I know your profile Ezan Zeon, I know your step father Garma Kaiba created you to show off that he had the biggest toy in the universe! If he wanted to just kill more enemies he could have bought more bombs but he wanted to show off!
That's all warriors really are in the end, toys, symbols for groups to show off! Even you Enji were just toys Cosmos wanted to show off to the universe in the end, and when you could not do what you were supposed to do, she just about offed herself and her old man fired your failed ass!
You, Sephiroth, those Viltrumite buddies of yours and every other super soldier from Captian America to Solid Snake were meant to be symbols of either a nation or a culture, and it's your own damn fault for taking yourselves and your worthless pride to seriously! Your brands, memes to get likes out of! Just because the show requires more hassle than a school play don't mean it's not a show yo!"
Ezan took a deep breath before retorting with," Since we decide the fate of , everything, again and again are existence hardly seems trivial."
"See that's just the thing…you never really change things in the end eh? It's not the soldiers who shaped society, it's the influencer, like me! Soldiers shoot, but influencers are the ones who in the end decide who kills who. Soldiers can take down every enemy they see, but if the influencers tell the people to kill themselves then well, don't really matter?
You know how many times the most powerful army of a world never loses a fight, but gets" Influenced" to betray their friends and everything they were supposed to be because some guys want more money so they screw everyone over for themselves and cause their nation to burn to the ground?
The best army there is worthless when the people they are protecting are too dumb to be worth protecting and burn themselves to ash because they were influenced to light themselves on god damn fire!
Let me guess, you're about to say I'm full of crap eh? But I can prove it, cause I caused your precious Lylat Kingdom to collapse with just words. After all, I'm the one who kicked off you guys killing each other to prod the Universal Church of Truth to hijack your lame ass Queen!"
Ezan widened his eyes before muttering," What…you were the one who told Walter and Brandon Sampson to do what they did?"
"It's a long chain of command but Gingrich just wanted to eat your Lylat System but Sieg wanted to really make you guys suffer so I made a bet it would be more fun to have you all kill yourselves to prove how stupid you are!
So I did, and I won the bet because you were all so broken already that all it needed was a little push and you ran over the damn cliff! You know how much content I got out of that? How many meme photos we got after family and friends killed each other to "get into paradise?" It was are best streamed show in years!"
Ezan saw Carmen laugh before Aeris went up to him." Ezan come on, she's trying to make you lower your guard!"
Carmen just laughed harder as she widened her eyes." The pixie whore's right dude your as easy to troll as the rest of your dumbass kingdom! I'm going to eat you like I ate all the other " Digi" knights when I raided the time nest!"
Daigo widened his eyes before uttering," Wait…the knights that were there were the Royal Knights! You…you really ate them!?"
"I mean, I cut some of them into another outfit that got mad upvotes so they had some use after all!"
"Damn you! No matter how many dimensions you have lady you're going to answer for everyone you killed!"
He once more became Shinryudramon before yelling out," Mode Change…Judgment Mode!"
Ezan pointed Nu Epyon at his new enemy before declaring," Carmen Idrissa Harla…no matter how powerful you are…I will make you answer for what you done to my comrades and my people!"
"Careful their soldier boy." Carmen spat back with pure contempt." All your years of training don't amount to jack when I surpassed all your " hard work" in the time it takes to download what I need! But tell me, between my blades Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, which one you want to be sliced up by?"
Cloud grasped his Buster Sword tightly before yelling out," Damn you, this is a game to you? We are through with your games! Asc, GAH!"
The spiky haired man prepared his limit break, only for him to yell out in pain, as his hand fell from his body. As the Buster Sword fell to the ground Carmen licked her lip." Guess its decided then."
Zack, Garland, Jecht, Young Sephiroth, and others all tried to slash at her at once, but she casually moved like she was dancing to parry everyone's strikes at once. As she cut everyone before they even saw her land on the ground she snickered." All your skills together won't be enough to even tag me so who wants to be are first sucker that sees himself be cut in half eh folks?! Let's see how much we can ,"
She was about to raise her hand, till Cryder used his magic to cause the ground to bind her legs. "Careful, lass! Doin' all the hoverin' around means you're not watchin' your step when you touch down!"
"Die!" Tiamat roared as he unleashed one of his blasts.
Carmen narrowed her eyes and spat out," As if!"
She took out her hand and the mouth on it ate the blast. While she ate the attack, Bahamut flew behind her and fired his own powerful flare to try and hit her in the back. She saw this before her aura erupted and she hissed out," I think I'll name you two Ham and Cheese instead, because your both so hammy and cheesy and by the end of this you both will be sandwiched into a meal of mine! Time to show you all what a real hell cage match is!
Purgatory Jigen Tō Giri!"
Carmen's eyes widened, and her whole body bulked up before her swords shimmered with the color of chartreuse yellow. She then waved her hand and unleashed a energy sword wave that easily shattered Tiamat and Bahamut's attack, and carved up the very ground.
Ragnar saw that where Carmen swung her blade was now glowing white. "Watch it…she's clearly unleashed something new! Poison…energy…some sort of trap!?"
Ezan grit his teeth in response." Its more then that Ragnar! Her blade has the same kind of power of my friend and rival Ben Auro, in that her energy can make them literally cut through dimensional barriers.
Needless to say, if she can cut universe's apart, she can cut everything else apart even easier. Staying away from those blades are everything."
Carmen licked her lips before snickering." Oh I'm far from a one trick pony soldier boy. First, who said you could touch me you filthy pirate? That will cost you perve!"
She waved her hand, before the ground around Cryder glowed. He glanced down to it, aiming his hands at it in response…only to immediately detect the lack of change. "Oh…bugger."
The ground suddenly became a mouth, and bit one of his legs off. He gave out an agonized cry, but the true danger was that he faltered and risked getting an even worse fate as the mouth opened again…
Fortunately, Eden, jets blazing, quickly swept down and seized him with one arm. Leaving her sword retracted for the moment, she instead spun about and fired off a radiant blast from her arm cannon at Carmen, only for the Eldritch woman to slice the blast in half and snort." Oh don't bother struggling your all going to be falling to pieces soon enough! But I'm a pro so you won't even realize it! Heh, I'll prove it to you!
Spatial Blitz Slice!"
Ezan saw his opponent release a purple wave of energy before his eyes widened and he grasped his wife's hand." Everyone move now!"
Ezan, Daigo, Bahamut, Tiamat, and Dale moved upward as fast as they could, but while Krysta and some of the others were able to dash out, others were not lucky.
Carbuncle grit his tiny teeth, shut his eyes, and waited for oblivion…only to soon realize he didn't feel anything. He opened one eye, then the other, and blinked. "Phew…that wasn't so bad. Heh, it's a good thing she missed, eh?"
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Carbuncle…"
"Eh? Leviathan? Where'd you go? Wait a sec…have I always been this taaaaaaall?!"
As soon as Carbuncle looked down, he realized what happened. His head was now on Leviathan's body. What more, a quick glance afterward and he realized Leviathan's head was now on his body.
The others soon saw much the same. Taraketh realized Cid's head was in his chest, and that the two had been transformed into a kind of horse as he saw that some of the others had been reconfigured in an instant. "What kind of aberration magic is this?!" He yelled.
Ezan saw from above what happened and spat out," Damn you! I, I see now what Masaki and the others mean now. She, she really can allows its user to "remodel" the world around them as if by "operating" on it.
She gains total control over everything inside that territory, from living beings—including themself—to nonliving objects. Her "circle" is the "operating room" and those caught inside are like "patients" on the operating table. "
Carmen let out another laugh as those around her screamed out in terror." Oh come on I'm making you all way more trend worthy! I find your suffering hardcore exquisite because your humiliation will only add to my beauty! Right fam!?"
Yuffie had found her upper half was suddenly attached to Red XIII's body as she yelled in pain and let out a delirious giggle." Man, this would make some wicked Materia. If, if I get through this, Wutai, really will be on another level."
Carmen snickered before she cracked her neck." Oh…did you not get the memo? Your out! Its always fun to see minorities struggle but the secret is, you never really win! Hm hm... You're pathetic! You have no idea what you are... And now...you will die without understanding why..."
Ezan saw Carmen slice Yuffie and Red XIII in half before he yelled out ," NO! Judgment Blitz!"
The super elite Enji was too slow to save the two, but Carmen casually parried each strike as she laughed at Ezan." Oh c'mon, I thought you would be use to seeing your friends die by now since you been doing this for centuries right Ezan? What, did you run hear because you wanted desperately to go back home? There's no going back, the Infinite Victory Conquest now owns every home in every universe! Your either useful enough to be content for us, or your being deleted with all of the trash!"
Shinryudramon had his energy surge before he yelled out," You…I'm shutting you up! Versus Explosive Barrage!"
He fired a barrage of energy blasts at Carmen while she and Ezan were unleashing countless slashes per second, before her tongue on her mouth spat out," Not good enough!"
Before more hands burst out of her back to become spider like blades that casually deflected each projectile. She fought off both Ezan and Daigo at once before she just looked even more ecstatic." Drip... Drip... Yum... Yum...your fear is mad tasty yo! You really been running all over the Multiverse to find a way to stop us eh? But your learning there's nothing that can save you, nothing! You're going to die as you lived... sad, weak, and UGLY!"
She slashed Ezan across the face, only to see her blade phased through his body before she snickered." You think you can hide from my blade by trying to phase in another reality? I can cut every dimension in the Multiverse!"
Her spider-like blades became chainsaws that burst at Ezan. One managed to cut him across the face before he moved faster." Don't think you can unnerve me with savagery Carmen…I seen everything at this point."
"Then sounds like you need a tour across the best of the Negaverse soldier boy before your done! Its going to be a bloody rain yet!"
She burst around the cage of stars to try and rip Ezan apart, but with his Rinni-Sharingan and some help from some Limbo Clones he was able to keep his head despite a few cuts.
Eden saw the on-going fight and let out a strained hiss. "I knew already that we were in trouble getting into this, but this is more insane than I thought possible." She let out an exhale. "Well, no sense just quitting… Aeris, I don't suppose you can heal any of this, can you?"
The empowered flower girl grasped her Cosmic Staff tightly before she nodded." After how much my magic evolved, I know I can. Just, need some time to focus."
Carmen saw Aeris prepare to cast holy magic before she widened her eyes." I'm the only one with editing access you stuck up whore. But how about I edit you into a corpse so hardcore no way you revive this time? That's so going to be a photobomb!"
She burst at Aeris, but just as she prepared to strike, Ezan used his Amenotejikara spell to warp places with her. As there blades collided Ezan yelled out," Will your fans " Like" your own demise?
Susanoo Reflection Slash!"
Carmen saw Ezan prepare his counterattack before her eye twitched." Your old school tricks won't cut it as I drill through your obsolete ass!"
She tried to have her other chainsaw blades carve through Ezan, only for Daigo to come down from above before yelling out," Even drills can be stopped if their momentum can be locked down!
Super Tengen Toppa Giga Drill Breaker!"
Daigo had his drill grow and glow and unleash a blow that was strong enough to cause the chainsaw blades to pause. This caused Carmen to get distracted, and allowed Ezan to slash her with the Susanoo Reflection Slash.
This caused her to yell in pain before Aeris powered up as much as she could." No matter how many dimensions you have now you're not above feeling are pain or answering for your sins!
Ravelt ReFantazio Nova!"
Aeris fired the most powerful projectile she could muster right as her enemy staggered, before her ally charged up."Now or never…sorry I don't have more time to charge! Eternal Wind!" Eden shouted as she merged her arms into her weapon and fired her own laser.
"Terapyrin!" Bahamut shouted as he fired his own into the mix at the same time.
"Nocpyrin!" Tiamat bellowed with swelling rage.
The blasts hit Carmen dead on and caused an explosion that caused the entire Arubboth palace to crack.
Ezan saw Aeris and nodded." That was good work. Now get out of hear before she recovers Aeris."
" No way!" His wife shouted defiantly." You need me to bail you out if she pulls some crazy spell or something! After I totally bailed you out from Sephiroth you still don't think I can help?"
"That's just the thing Aeris. You're more useful than me at the moment, you can help and not just destroy things. That's why you have to live."
Aeris winced before grasping Ezan's hand." You're not seriously thinking of blowing yourself up again like with Dahak are you Ezan? C'mon, all this time and you still feel guilty at times? You still are worth something to Ezan. How am I supposed to go on without you when there's hardly anyone I know left? Please, don't leave me alone."
Ezan winced before uttering," I' m sorry, but even now, I have to priorities the mission. That's why use your magic to warp everyone else out before she,"
"Before she recovers?"
Carmen snapped out before the entire area started to shake. The smoke vaporized before the member of the" High table" flew up with an insane look on her face. Her head was burning, but the wound was healing like nothing happened.
Even so Carmen looked even more crazed before she licked where Ezan cut her before she shrugged." I admit…you're almost living up to the hype soldier boy. But you're still just a soldier, trying to stab something bigger than a universe! You pushed yourself to the limit sure, but this is a wall you can't reach no matter how much you try and level up cause this kind of power is outside the system!"
"Then I'll just surpass another limit." Ezan spat out bitterly." It won't be the first time."
"You're thinking to linear Ezan. Your power has taken you places but, I'm far beyond just " one sharp edge." I am mankind's greatest achievement. I am the compass rose. I am god damn binary. Without me, crap don't spin. Think if you raise your power level higher or shoot a few more projectiles it can save you from this?
Spatial Shamble…Brave Exvius!"
Carmen had her blades glow, before she unleashed two waves of energy that caused the Star Cage around them to glow. Ezan saw the cage expand before he yelled out," Everyone get back before, GUH!"
Ezan felt like he was being crushed, till he realized he could not see. He felt like he was pinned to a wall of a tessellated box-like structure before he heard Carmen laugh. He saw Carmen to his left before she looked sadistic." Feeling a bit flatter? Since you can't move much at the moment I'll at least let you know how your going to look before you die!"
She had a sliver orb float around her before showing a hologram, and showed that Ezan, and everyone else had become flat, almost" 2D sprites" in a eight bit video game like say, the original 8 Bit Final Fantasy.
Carbuncle had healed enough, but as he looked around he sighed. "Great…now I can't see anything except sky…"
Aeris raised her hand, and saw it could only move up before she yelled out," Oh god…she turned us, into a painting?"
"More like the outdated retro relics you are girl!" Carmen cruelly replied." That's the perk's about having "Administrator access" to the whole universe, you can rearrange the whole region of space to edit out an Internal Pocket Dimension!
This spells out how much of a joke your whole damn rebellion was? Don't even bother trying to waste" MP" on this status effect, its not your body but the whole rules of the realm! You thought putting together a few more " warriors of light" was going to cut it? You want to see how many I can rally? How about a word fam!?"
She snapped her fingers before a wall of faces appeared out of her that blocked out the sun. Each inch had a screen of someone shouting like a fanatical fan, and countless texts's raging from," YOU RULE CARMEN!"
To" SUCK IT REBELS!" To many far harsher remarks before Carman laughed again." Now do we understand each other? Are not so humble gentry was drawn to the carrion reek of your failed dreams! See it's not enough for you to die, you have to know your damn place!
We want you 2 give yp yr dreams, we want yu 2 abandon all hope, we want 2 make yu like us, we get delight breaking this arrogant man's god strength crush his courage and his heart.
Your dignity will die, and your flesh will follow! There is no release from this moment of ruin, so how bad is it going to be before you take your own life? One way or another, it's getting peek ratings so time to down vote these losers!"
Her" premium subscribers took a "poll" before Vincent Valentine had a hand hover over him. He tried to raise his gun while shouting out," No…Lucrecia…RAHH!"
Carmen waved her blade before Vincent flashed, and the number 99999 flashed across his sprite-like body before he turned into red dust. She licked her blade before she shrugged. " No need for extras at this stage of the game right fam? Who's next?"
She eyed Davis and Magnamon and Tagiru and Arresterdramon before Davis yelled out," C'mon V-Mon! We got to push till we make are, AHHH!"
She had the two humans and there Digimon partners all get slashed for" 99999" damage, and as they vanished into red dust she snickered." Everyone hates lame follow ups get lost! Who else wants to fade?"
After a " Poll" a cursor mark came over Jecht, the former host to SIN yelled out in defiance." No…I'm outta your league you hear me? The invincible sir Jecht is not, GUAHH!"
She casually slashed his sprite for" Critical 999999" next and as he shattered into red sprites she rolled her eyes." Only finding out too late that Blitzball is canceled to you has been! It may be underwater but that game has no "drip"! NEXT!"
The arrow then went to Genesis before the sprite of the member of the Rebel Alliance winced." We are... Monsters ... We have neither dreams nor honor. Yet now all I want is most, is the gift of the Goddess. So at last, I, RAHHH!"
Carmen slashed Genesis, causing another "Critical 99999 damage" to flash across him before he also vaporized into red particles. As he died Carmen laughed harder." Oh man, you got the gift from the goddess you deserved you emo has been! Poetry is so not trending, but at least your death caused you to go viral!
The IV&C is cutting all the waste and fraud that's dragged down the Multiverse till not one waste of space ugly parasite is left! And that means all of you hero's are so canceled!
Every last one of you Warriors of Light, Enji, Green Lanterns, Power Rangers and everyone else has kept trying to promote what has gone out of fashion ages ago! Just could not accept that heroism is just a lame thing for losers and the strong massacring the weak is the trend that never dies!
Winners don't need hero's, and people want to WIN! The thrill of victory... The scent of fresh blood is in the air... ecstasy!
I put on a song but honestly, the blood-curdling shriek of defeat is more beautiful than any music...so if you want to die painlessly smile!
Oh hell I'll do it anyway. You thought you were the all stars, till the door hit you in the face yo! That's because your all so god damn stupid! You let your killers walk into the place and push out everyone that wanted to help yah because you brought in the killer and pushed out everyone else because your all style over substance! You shot yourself in the face, and burned everything that could save you because you thought you could just will everything to work out, till you burned your self to ash! And why?"
She pointed to the subscribers before they all shouted out," BECAUSE YOUR ALL GOD DAMN STUPID!"
"Hell yah! And time to drop the beat!"
Ezan struggled to move before he glared at Carmen." The Enji Knights may not have ever had everyone want us, but people always needed us, and people still need us to fight what they cannot. That's why, to the end, I won't fail this mission!"
Carmen cracked her neck before rolling her eyes." But you already failed soldier boy, because you were playing a failed game from the start. After all, the weak have nothing to offer and will be culled and beaten till they know their place forever!
Even if you somehow got out of this, you would just keep fooling yourselves till you killed yourselves anyway.
But lucky for you we don't have to wait that long for the series finale, because one way or another your quest ends. The emptiness you leave behind is a thing of beauty, for me!"
Anyone left is useless, so the show's over!"
She prepared to kill again, only for a flash of light to break out from behind her. She swerved around to slash a missile in half before she saw the Multiversal Rebel Fleet coming for her with Gaiou leading the charge.
The man in the rainbow winged mecha had his machine glow before yelling out," Oh the show is just getting started! There's plenty of warriors left to put you in your place harlot!"
Besides him was Caruleum Vaull in a new mecha, a giant black one like a skeleton before he yelled out," ! You will answer for your crimes with the Ultim Fini, a Magine whose power is said to be an "Unassailable Truth", the ultimate legacy of the Quaestors!
You of the IV&C have caused so much damage to the Multiverse, but we will shatter your pride!"
Carmen raised an eyebrow before spitting out," How dumb are you retards? Can't blame me right fam? They chose to leap to hell on their own!"
"WE will see who the fool is by the end! Abslouto Factum!"
The Ultim Fini suddenly had blue shadows of his mecha come out in all directions before the alliance member yelled out," Carmen Idrissa Harla! Learn of the truth irrefutable!"
His shadows all attacked Carmen at once, but she easily slashed them apart one after another before she narrowed her eyes." Ugh…there was still some of you lame ass Quaestors left? Guess you really can't read the room till every last one of you is rubbed out because only the winners get to make the truth!"
She unleashed a barrage of lighting fast slashes and tried to carve the real one apart, till Gaiou charged at her and shouted out," And you're learning that you're not as untouchable as you think!"
His mecha unleashed a barrage of rainbow-colored blows that all moved at the speed of light. Yet she blocked his mecha's strikes easily before she sighed." And yet you're not Six Dimensional Beings so you learned nothing. Oh?"
She saw Masaki fly up with an orb on the Cybuster before the green haired man yelled out," Oh we learned a few things, lets see how much it paid off!
Prep the Space Time Oscillation Bomb!"
Voltron then put the bomb on its shoulder cannon before firing it right at Carmen. Lance then yelled out," Unload all the Quintessence into the trans-reality comet!"
The mecha with many lion heads fired a glowing comet in a rail gun like manner just as Masaki fired the glowing orb. Carmen narrowed her eyes and hissed out," You really think you can build a bomb powerful enough to waste me? Get out of, huh?"
Billy Butcher showed he was still there as he once more formed a energy bazooka." I know I say this a lot but out of everyone you are the most cunt like cunt of them all. If anyone has to be taken down its you, and with how much I hate Homelander that's a lot!"
He fired his own blast, and while she batted it away it caused the bomb to get to her. She tried to block it but Anissa dashed forward to push it into her face as she yelled out." I don't care what you are, you will never be on par with a true Viltrumite!"
She was about to hiss back till the bomb explode and cause the entire region of space to explode into a white hole. The "game screen" then cracked and shattered before Ezan and everyone else turned back to normal.
The sliver haired man saw the entire region of space where his foe was looking like a chaotic storm before he sighed." Well done Masaki, everyone."
Krysta saw the entire region of space start to glow and become a cosmic storm before she muttered in shock that they were able to build a bomb powerful enough to defeat someone like that before Masaki glanced at her." We did not kill her but we did bury her lady in a collapsed reality.
See the Space Time Oscillation Bomb can cause a dimensional quake that can fracture realities. It's normally a really horrible thing but well, this is war and, got to fight fire with fire.
See, this chick was using her aura to bind everyone to her domain, so we used the Dimensional Quake and a trans-reality comet to cause a "counter domain." She may be bigger then a universe, but now her body is collapsing on itself."
Daigo rubbed his head before uttering," Wow that's hardcore! How long will that keep her down?"
"Er…we don't really get to test this much so, not sure."
Everyone felt the entire region of space to crack before they heard demonic laughter and the entire fracture storm of realities formed Carmen's face." That's your trump card? I'm way to flexible to trip on myself!"
Carmen burst out of the fractured space looking delirious before she spat out," You broke my stage…I'm going to break you even harder! Your throwing out whatever junk you can get your hands on but I'll show you how you carve reality like a boss! The final moments of the waltz of death are when its beauty shines most. So, get your death face ready!
Spatial…Cosmere…Transection!"
Carmen had the very fabric of space bend around her, and her hands were moving like she was in a kaleidoscope as her body rippled more and more.
Ezan took a deep breath before he grasped his katana tightly." No matter how good you are at cutting through the very multiverse, we will not be cut down so easily!"
Carmen saw Ezan charge at her incoming attack before she licked her lips." You really think you can parry my kill move? Oh, you already lost your mind eh? Your delusions, your despair... They all belong to me now!"
Ezan blocked the strike, though the impact nearly ripped his arms off. He saw his katana start to crack but grit his teeth." I have not lost my mind, I'm just a Super Elite who does not dub a mission impossible so easily!"
"You sure got balls soldier boy to think that but, no soldier in the Multiverse can match what I am!"
"Maybe alone, but I'm not alone! Kamui!"
Carmen saw Ezan open a rift in space behind him before her eye twitched." You think you can escape just by trying to bail into a pocket reality? I'll cut through every universe left to cut you down! Huh?"
She saw Aeris, Daigo, and the Alliance fleet fire at her but her extra hands slashed the blasts with her blades before she laughed darkly." Man your lame, everything you got can't keep me down you, GUH! Huh?"
While she taunted Aeris, before she could finish she felt a sensation of pain in her back. She then realized that Ezan had used Kamui to warp behind Carmen's shadow , and have her be stabbed by her own attack. She yelled out in pain as her eyes widened." No…you made me hit myself!?"
"That's what happens when your eyes are to focused on the spotlight, your blind to the opening! Maybe I can't cut you, but I saw before at Night City a being on your level can hurt you, so I made it happen again! If you can only be hurt by someone on your level, then let your own power be your undoing!
Limbo: Susanoo Sanjingi no Ni Kageoni Reflection Slash!"
Carmen saw the pillar of purple fire erupt at her and for the first time did not look amused before she spat out," You think you're going to make me cancel myself!? Like I said, I'm beyond any soldier Ezan!"
"Even god like power can't save you from checkmate forever Carmen! At last, your sins are catching up to you! Its to late, you already put everything into your attack, so may your own momentum be the, GUH!"
Before Ezan could try and see his attack through, he felt something suddenly stab his shoulder before he could swing down his sword.
While Carmen looked as shocked as Ezan, suddenly her mouth on her hand giggled darkly." Carmen…this has gotten intense enough for me to see this as a worthy hunt. I'm taking over from here."
Aeris saw Ezan's sword drop and his attack shatter before she yelled out," Ezan no! Don't tell me, that Seig showed up?"
Daigo looked around in alarm before responding with," I don't sense anyone else suddenly showing up Aeris! But, wait, this lady's scent just changed! It's like, huh? Something, is coming out of her!"
Everyone saw Carmen's hand twitch before she muttered," Jaguara…you think he's worthy? Well…if you want to make the show even more extreme, then your call sis."
Everyone was horrified to see her hand twitch, and grow, before a head came out of her chest. It looked like Carmen in some ways but also looked sharper and much more serious.
The new head moved to take Carmen's place as Carmen's moved to her gut before the new face looked at Ezan like a beast waiting to stalk its prey." Congrats…you fight well enough for me to have a personal desire to hunt you, Ezan Zeon.
I'm Jaguara Balalaika Idrissa, Carmen's sister. Carmen has her talents, but I'm the one who focuses on killing. It's been so long since someone was worthy enough for my personal attention so congrats, you proved your worth. Thus…your death will be one of the more noteworthy across the whole Multiverse."
Ezan eyed Jaguara carefully before muttering," You're her sister, and you exist in her body? Your, Siamese twins?"
"Hardly." Jaguara sharply replied." We were once individuals, but merged together to reach, peak productivity. Carmen is better at the schemes, and I'm better at killing. Together, the likes of you are nothing Ezan."
Ezan braced himself before spitting back," Whatever abomination you are, you still don't know what I am Jaguara."
Jaguara snickered before replying with," Oh…but I do. After all…you and I…are kin. After all, I'm you, from the Negaverse Ezan."
Everyone's jaw dropped before Aeris looked at Jaguara carefully and turned pale." Oh god…the makeup threw me off at first but, they do look like they could be related!"
Ezan grasped his sword tightly before spitting back," And what of it? You never existed in my universe, you and I might have some DNA but we are as related as Xion and Bezan were."
"Heh, distant cousins still know how each other think because they share the same blood dear "Brother." I climbed out of a deeper pit then you to take my rightful place. My father was not Garma nor Ansem, but Abijah Thrane of the Dark Angels of the Empire of Man. As demanding as your step father may have been, he was a saint compared to my father. After all, I was a Onryo, someone that everyone wanted to be a ghost.
The Dark Angels are considered amongst the most powerful and secretive of the Loyalist Space Marine Chapters.
They were the First Legion of the original twenty Space Marine Legions to be created during the First Founding of the 30th Millennium. My father had an affair and I was the result. He kept me around because he would not admit a mistake, but he always looked at me with disgust.
I could never be a Space Marine despite surpassing everyone around me because it would ruin his plans. The universe saw me, and sees a hateful monster... an Onryo. My own mother saw it, too, and could not love me. And in the end, they were right!
I would not give up my own pride for anyone, so I killed everyone but Carmen hear."
Carmen snickered before replying with," The old man was a drag anyway,him and everyone else never got my style. That's why me and Jaguara being our own thing made us both way more trend worthy!"
Jaguara snickered before she grasped her hand tightly." Hunting, killing, that's the only thing that's ever made me feel, whole. My enemies fell like domino, one after another. Not once did I feel threatened. I was adrift... without challenge... without purpose... At times, I even envied my prey. At least they had a cause to die for. And then... I met him, my reputation got the attention of Sieg.
He saw my value and we made an agreement. He found me so worthwhile, that when the universe collapsed, I and Carmen were allowed to be spared.
When the chance to be a Sixth Dimensional Being was offered, instead of picking, we decided it would save time to both take it at once. This way both of us can be spared from what we both find a waste of time.
Since we are now one of the most powerful beings in all existence I'd say it proves my drive eh? I killed so many, even those that saw themselves as " God" that I admit I become bored of the hunt. But you Ezan, you reawakened my thirst. After all, I killed so much, but an inferior version of myself is one of the few things left to add as a trophy!"
Ezan had his energy flare up before he retorted with," Even if your not lying, your wrong. This fight, is still not over yet. If you were truly invincible this fight, and this whole rebellion would not have lasted as long as it is. And a real warrior knows its never over till the end!"
"All to true" brother." But…I know I will win. Because after all, your blade is dulled by inferior ideals. After seeing your fight is clear now, your technique lacks something... You deny your weapon its purpose."
"I am my weapon, and my purpose is to protect the innocent with it."
"Old habits die hard, pathetic. There are no good men brother...only good prey. Da...Here you are, the child soldier, fighting for the children. Ah, but you're a man on a mission, aren't you... Gonna fix everything. Just you and your little sword there. Solve everything with violence, is that it? I'm honest about what I am Ezan, but your blind to what you really are."
"My sword is a means to an end: to protect those you'd pray on. There's always a cost, but if the cost of my actions saves lives then its worth it."
"You been telling yourself that for lifetimes eh? As long as its your duty you don't care how many you carve apart?"
"Your master has brainwashed so many. And besides, for those that are doing this out of there own free will? They're adults. They… made their choice."
"Sure, they're adults. Sure they signed up for this. Right on the dotted line of their company contract. Usually they're no strangers to war. How else would you provide for your family when your country's embroiled in civil war?
But you just give any excuse to feast on the insides of your enemies. How easily you ignore the loss of life when it suits your convenience. So tell me: Who saves the weak from the man who saves the weak?"
"You're the ones exploiting them. You take advantage of their weakness... of course they get hurt when you set them up as your human shields!"
"Kill or be killed, Ezan, my father taught me that."
Carmen giggled darkly before adding," Yes, you aren't the only one to grow up on the killing fields. War is a cruel parent, but an effective teacher. Its final lesson is carved deep in our psyche: That this world, this universe, that the entire multiverse and all its people, are diseased.
Free will is a myth. Religion is a joke. We are all pawns, controlled by something greater: Memes. The DNA of the soul. They shape our will. They are the culture - they are everything we pass on. Expose someone to anger long enough, they will learn to hate. They become a carrier. Envy, greed, despair... All memes. All passed along."
Jaguara narrowed her eye before adding," You can't fight nature, Ezan. Wind blows, rain falls, and the strong prey upon the weak. You kept telling yourself you fight for the weak as a tool of justice. Something that saves lives - a means of justice. Now there's a pretty meme.
Exquisite! It's spared you the burden of all the lives you've taken... Absolved you of guilt when you enjoyed it. That is, until the illusion was broken. Don't be ashamed. It's only nature, running its course. You have no choices to make. Nothing to answer for. You can die with a clear conscience.
But it's all been a lie. After all, who's ideals have won in the end? We are going to have everything, and most of your people have forsaken you. Right now anyone that's left in your universe would stab you if they could, because you failed them.
Oh we lit the final match, but your universe was already on fire because of your own failures so we just put them out of their misery! Let us make this a glorious ending Ezan! It's the best you will ever have at this rate!"
Ezan saw the pure madness in Jaguara's eyes before he remained defiant." I will decide my fate till the end. I don't care who thinks I'm right. And I've got cause enough for killing you. I will protect those who are important to me."
Jaguara saw Aeris in the distance before she snickered." You want to hold on to the last shred of humanity " brother?" It has made you weak."
"Aeris, and all of my comrades have made me more then just a mindless tool and stronger than I ever would have been if I acted with no honor. You, you remind me of Dahak, Zannacross's Supreme Demon Lord who saw himself of the God of War. He thought might was the only thing that mattered and he fell all the same. "
"Tsc, I killed plenty of" Gods of War" across the Multiverse. I'm not the same as a mere demon lord. He relished the glory, I crave the feeling over any shallow emotion. honor, pride, all of it worthless. There is only the glory of the hunt, and the agony of being devoured.
My sister and I don't, always agree on things but she's right that hero's, warriors, soldiers, and everything like that are just toys for those in power to play society with. The hunt is not a lie of society, the hunt is the law of nature."
"And you think that you mastered it so much that your above its rules? That Sieg will keep his promise to you for real compared to the lie he sells to so many others?"
"I'm no fool Ezan, I know what this relationship is. But only a equal has the right to taste my last breath!
It's pure. Long have I dreamt of a perfect death, drenched in fire and blood! Will you give it to me? I want it to be WORTHY of me! Sieg may very well kill me at the end, but at least it will mean weakness will not claim me! If I am to die soon, I will die ROARING!
You gave up on surpassing your rival Ben Auro brother, you lost your pride, your fangs have dulled. But at least Ezan, you put enough of a fight to make me roar. Da…I will grant you, dying by my favorite sword so that we can make this a glorious ending brother!
Time to roar, Amatsu-Mikaboshi!"
Jaguara punched a hole out of reality itself, before pulling out a black and purple katana that was glowing before she looked psychotically at Ezan." Fall like cosmic leaves, here at reality's end – failures of the light!
Others have fought me... Countless gods from other worlds... Now those still in one piece fight as my slaves! All good things must end... So the greater thing can start: The Oblivion. Do not resist me! I am inevitable... The End of All Things!"
Ezan slowly got into a fighting stance before he braced himself." And yet even if your two siblings in one body, even if you're a Six Dimensional Being, your not perfect! You can still fail, and you will fail! This, is where my long journey has brought me. The oath of the Enji was not a journey without a destination. Today…today is where the journey had prepared me for!"
"Then do you think your prepared?"
Ezan saw Jaguara had taken a fighting stance that was a mirror of his own before he narrowed his eyes." Think you have no openings? Its once thing to take a stance but another to, huh?"
He felt something, and noticed his face was suddenly cut before Jaguara snickered." What do you think?"
"Tsc, that your fast…but there is more to a fight then speed."
"Oh, you think you are prepared, but you have no idea what its like when someone of my supremacy has her eye on you. Now…no more games to hold back, feel my full fury! Carmen focuses on the show, but I focus on the torment!
Cosmire Apocalyptic Mistral!"
Her aura surged to cover the entire sky, before it felt like the very universe was being blown in a blizzard.
To her opponent's horror, planets were being rained down like hail stones.
"I thought Sephiroth's Super Nova was overkill…" Carbuncle muttered. "He's dead meat."
"Perhaps," Tiamat idly responded, never taking his eyes off of Ezan. "But it matters not whether his opponent is a god. He won't yield."
Ezan nodded." Come on Daigo, it's all or nothing. Omni Nova Burst!"
"Versus Explosive Ray!"
He and the others fired what everything they could and destroyed the planets coming their way.
Ezan took heavy breaths as he saw planets had stopped falling, before he heard his opponent chuckle." You are almost as resilient as me Ezan. But, because your focus is divided, all you can do is fail.
Ezan saw that the area around them had suddenly become a black empty area save for a few floating particles in the distance, and that Jaguara was looking at Aeris in the distance a chill crept across his spine." NO!"
He instantly used his warp magic to switch places with her, only to see his opponent was above him before she hissed out," To easy."
Before Ezan blinked and could no longer swing his sword. To his horror Jaguara slashed off his sword hand before he could even react. As he yelled out in pain he cast Amaterasu on his opponent. The black flames landed but Jaguara yawned before she cracked her neck."
The heat of these flames only tickle "brother." Amatsu-Mikaboshi can slow time all around me, and divides one second into twenty-four frames of animation using my field of view as the projection angle of view.
I can trace a predetermined set of movements into those twenty-four frames and execute them in that single second.
Even your Rinni-Sharingan was too slow to notice till it was too late.
Because your body still has to react to something, but you can't counter what happens outside of time da? This fight's over."
Ezan summoned his katana to his other hand as he took labored breaths." Hardly. I only need one hand to use a sword."
Jaguara saw his defiance before she sighed." And yet if you had five hands and a thousand more swords it would make no difference. Gazing at the pile of leftovers you are offers no value to my refined eyes. All that's left is to, oh? Please."
She swerved around to catch Daigo's incoming blast before the Digimon yelled out," The only thing left is to take you down! No matter how nasty you get, we are not giving up!"
As more attacks barraged her she casually bat them back one after another before she snickered out," The final moments of the waltz of death are when its beauty shines most. Still…what a truly uncouth beast you are... You're not even fit to be a rug beneath my feet!"
Carmen laughed before she added," He grinds down lives like a walk in the park! But we'll see just who's your patriarch!"
Jaguara licked her lips before nodding." I will carve you into something beautiful. And I'll cut up that weak little heart of yours while I'm at it. Huh?"
She prepared to move, till she saw a barrier form around her. All of the alliance ships had unleashed a barrier around her before Masaki yelled out," You done enough cutting you freak! Ezan, we can't defeat her but with are ships combined power we can stall her long enough to get you guys in here and get the hell out of here!"
Jaguara laughed madly before hissing out," Don't you get it? There's nowhere in the Multiverse that's safe for prey! And all of the ships you have left are nothing to, huh?"
An energy beam distracted her, till she saw that the Omega Weapon was firing at her from above. Rufus snickered bitterly before he declared," Whoever you are calling yourself now, this is for making a deal in bad faith with Shinra, and me!"
As Jaguara hissed in disgust Carmen snickered out," Blame your own lame ass for not making the cut mister president. Anything worthwhile from Shinra has been assimilated into the IV&C, with all of its weaknesses discarded, like your failed leadership."
Rufus took a deep breath before uttering," If I had the resources I would have won already."
"And yet not one Rufus Shinra across the Multiverse has gotten as far as Sieg V-Day Elgan! That's because you're too weak! You don't deserve to be on top and yet the president was still merciful enough to give you scraps if you knew your place!"
"Or there's the other option…to support the other side to eliminate the competition."
As Omega Weapon fired another laser from above, Jaguara snickered as she slashed it in half." That machine was a generous donation from the IV&C and it can be taken away just as easily. You have, huh?"
She saw a flash of light, and grunted in annoyance as she saw that Space Time Oscillation Bombs were being fired at her as well. As the very fabric of space became unstable from the resulting Dimensional Quakes Jaguara did not seem damaged, but each Quake caused her to be paralized for a few seconds, and Rufus kept firing a relentless barrage to keep her busy as purple rods came out of the shoulders and tried to further isolate his target in a pocket reality.
As she tried to cut it down, Masaki flew by Ezan." This will hold her off, even she can't blow up the Tuner Fork without screwing up her own plan! So get in while we can!"
The combo attack was weighing Jaguara back, but she was resisting, causing the very fabric of the universe to shake as she hissed out," There's no where to run…the entire multiverse is my hunting ground!"
Ezan staggered to his feet as he spat out," Damn it…at the moment…I just…can't see how to take her down."
Aeris grasped his arm and shook him to get him to look at her." Its not your job to defeat her alone ok Ezan? Remember, just staying alive was the mission so remember to focus on that."
Ezan winced before he nodded." Sorry, losing a hand, cut into my pride even more."
"I'll fix that up when we get out of hear dear but we have to move!"
Jaguara narrowed her eyes before spitting out," Running away like the wounded prey you are? Its better to just die now then to linger on as a ripped apart dog!"
"I decide what to be prideful about, not you. This is not over."
"Yes it is…YES IT IS!" She yelled out as Carmen also giggled." The show's over " Soldier boy" the credits are rolling and you don't even know it!"
"Shut up already!" Daigo cried out as he fired another projectile. It pushed his target back, but she was slowly pushing back before he winced." Unless you guys have another trick bomb sounds like some of us have to keep it up just to get away!"
"No!" Aeris yelled out defiantly. Just let me warp us to the ship, we lost to many already!"
Ezan saw how psychotic the Eldritch Sixth Dimensional being looked before he winced." She can control time Aeris, a experience I felt first hand. She just needs a second, at least, to catch up. I'm afraid I don't see a option without casualties."
"I'll do it."
The other turned to Eden as she swooped in, her children following her. However, no sooner had they landed alongside her than they turned to her in shock at what she had just said. While she looked a little nervous, she nevertheless exhaled and began to focus her full power into her armor.
"From one soldier to another. Besides, teleportation and after images are my specialty too. Might be able to distract whatever that thing is for a bit longer…"
"Mother…" Leviathan slowly murmured.
"No," Bahamut flatly responded, practically commanding. "I'll stay behind. I have part of the same power Shinryu had. I'm the strongest here aside from Sir Ezan, Sir Daigo, and Lady Aeris now."
Eden turned to him. "And that's why you have to go with them. You and Tiamat. I don't know what good power does against an opponent who can just rewrite the rules of reality to declare you're already dead…but I still believe you're the ones among us that still have the best chance of helping them win."
"I'll go with you then," Carbuncle spoke up, coming forward. "You know you're hopeless without me anyway! I can give you that second!"
"And I as well," Leviathan spoke up. "Better we all go against this together than simply stand aside and wait for the end…"
"All of us," Ceja spoke up. "We're still one group. We fought against the end together once. If I am to die, it will be against this so-called hunter…"
"And I'm not letting you go into this alone either, Dael," Quaren answered. "Maybe I can at least…I don't know…give her another target…"
"All of you be silent."
Bahamut spoke with such force that it filled almost all of them with dragonfear, causing them to be quiet and recoil. As for Bahamut, he spun to Eden. "None of you are doing this because I am the one who is going."
"No you're not," Eden flatly answered. "You will leave with the others and you will do it now."
Bahamut's jaws clenched. "I will not-"
"Bahamut!"
Her voice radiated with such power and force that even the dragon, with all of his mighty, was cowed before it. Eden's visor retracted, revealing her human face beneath. It hadn't looked this bold, firm, or cold since her days in Esthar's Hawks.
"There is not a debate. We have no time for this and we've already wasted too much of it. I've told you very clearly what needs to happen. You have to live because you can still help them. I can't, but I still have enough power here to stall them. And if you try to stop me one more time…"
In a flash, her blade was out and pointed right at Bahamut's heart.
"Then I'll make you retreat. Is that understood?"
Bahamut hesitated. His face softened. "Eden…don't do this… I…"
"Bahamut, I'm sorry. We knew this would be a one-way trip getting on that ship. I'm your mother but I'm also a planet. I have to do everything I can to make sure neither you nor anyone else from our world dies." After a pause, she gave a weak smile. "I wish we would have had more time."
Bahamut couldn't answer. He continued to hold, but in the end he wouldn't deny her. Slowly, he relaxed, and as a result she lowered her sword. Giving a big exhale, she turned back to Aeris and Ezan. "Sorry for the delay. You all need to hurry up and get going."
"Wait."
Eden heard a new voice calling…this time it was Tiamat. She turned to him, but she and the others would have seen he had changed. Instead of his normal form, he had shapeshifted again. And into all things, he had turned himself into the form of a small, black-haired, red-eyed boy.
She stared silently at this for just a moment. "What are you doing, Tiamat?"
"My brother got to feel what it was like to be 'hugged by his mom'," he retorted. He swallowed, and after a moment raised his own hands. "If you really intend to throw your life away…then this is my last chance to ever feel what it's like myself. Can you do that for me just this once?"
Eden didn't show anything. She stared at him a moment, and then hovered a little closer. He extended his arms and reached them out to her as she did. His face looked hopeful.
Yet while still at a distance, she stopped and sighed. "Nice try, Tiamat," she spoke quietly and darkly. "But I've already been tricked by one of my offspring today."
The boy looked back at her a moment, blinked, and then lowered his arms and sighed.
"Well…I tried doing this the 'nice way'. But you forgot something, little woman—I'm a lot stronger and faster than you now."
In a blur too fast for anyone to detect save Ezan, the boy vanished as if he was made of vapor…right as Tiamat Fury in his full glowing body reappeared behind Eden. She didn't even have time to gasp before he struck her with the back of his elbow in the back of her neck with a blow that sounded like a thunderclap. She gave a single gag, her eyes widening, before all consciousness faded. Her glow died as she went flaccid and began to fall to the ground…
His claw swiped out and snatched her up before she could. With a grim face, he looked up at Bahamut and flung her body at him. Stunned, he caught it as he and the other Guardian Forces as well as Eden's human allies gaped at him in disbelief.
"You get to keep her a little longer at least, so stop simpering," he snorted, before he turned their backs on them and faced Ezan and Aeris. "I'm the one who will keep that amalgamated bitch busy. Death will be a kindness if it means not having to listen to their inane rambling any longer. Especially the first one."
Leviathan opened his mouth. "Ti-"
"One word out of any of you weaklings and I'll rip your throats out, got it?!"
As powerful as the former dragonfear was, it was nothing compared to that.
"I'm the best one for this job! I'm strong, I'm fast, I can regenerate, and I'll have the smallest amount of people blubbering like infants if I die! Anyone tries to stop me and they'll die by my hand, understand?!"
Bahamut stared on at Tiamat, almost stunned by what he was saying. However, he firmed after a moment and glared darkly at him. "You can't win this fight, Tiamat," he stated flatly.
He let out a bitter snort, never looking back at him. "…I know."
"Then…why?"
"Let's just say I'm putting a gamble on all or nothing." A snicker. "Or maybe I want to be remembered for something besides trying to kill you, eh?"
"The scaly bastard won't be going alone."
This caused the others to look back, and saw Cryder had spoken. Somehow, he had made the ground burst forth in plant growth to give himself an impromptu peg leg. He grinned on showing it off. "Heh…more sea dog than ever now, eh? She's a mite crude, but she'll get me that far at least."
He nodded with his head, and the others turned and looked to see it was motioning toward a damaged IV and C ship that had been knocked to the ground nearby.
"The ship?" Taraketh asked.
"What better way to go out like a true pirate?" he chuckled. "'Sides…I had a feelin' goin' into this that I had cheated ol' Davy Jones one too many times. Might as well pay up, eh? At least this way I get to make things up to the ol' lassie I never was a proper father to."
"Cryder, you don't even know if this will work," Cid protested. "That ship probably won't do any more good against her than anything else that's been tried."
"If anyone should stay behind, it's me," Taraketh put in. "You said it yourself. You still have a daughter to go home to."
Cryder laughed. "Oh, don't tell me you've gone all soft on this ol' pirate after all that rot you used to give me! And don't be wishin' so badly to cash your chips in! In case you haven't noticed, those folks seem to be gettin' what they asked for. But as for me? I always have a spot of the devil's own luck on my side. I reckon that'll do better than just blind hope, eh?"
"Mister Morningjay…" Jalab quietly spoke.
Faerio frowned as she began to get out her whip. "You stubborn old man-"
He wagged his finger at her. "Ah-ah-ah, little lassie! I had to wait 'til Dael was takin' forty winks before I could be bold enough to volunteer myself, but I'll be more than willin' to bend you over my knee and spank you if you try sassin' me. I got a family back home but I got an even closer family right here. And what good is a 'crazy uncle' if he doesn't go to bat for 'em, eh?"
Ezan took a deep breath. " Pirates may at one point been called, Hostis humani generis, the Enemy of all mankind for being out of reach of the law, but your proof they can also be true warriors of light Cyrus.
I thank you both for your courage, but are you sure? There is no going back from this. Even the afterlife might be bound to the Infinite Victory and Conquest Corperation at this point."
Tiamat smirked. "It wouldn't be the first time Death thought it could keep me down."
Daigo winced before uttering, "Damnit Tiamat this is no time to try and be cool! You made mistakes but that does not mean you have to die for them, again!"
Tiamat kept his composure, but turned away from them again. "Daigo…" he spoke softly, addressing him by name for the first time. "There's more on the line here than my pride or atonement. You and Bahamut…you're leaders. The weak don't just look up to you…they need you. Now more than ever. I'm only good for one thing now—keeping my family…"
He swallowed.
"…keeping my friends…alive. If I can do that, then it's all worth it."
Daigo saw he was serious before he nodded. "Tiamat…I won't forget this. No matter what, I'll never forget a friend and I'll make sure everyone knows you were a hero!"
Ezan nodded before he gave a salute. "Despite how we are introduced Tiamat, I can see you have true honor. For what it's worth, I'll forever see you as a true warrior. For whatever worth honor still has at least."
This, however, made Bahamut turn his head to him. "Sir Ezan…correct me if I am mistaken, but did you take the words of those women to heart?"
Ezan winced before he looked at his severed hand." I don't think she should be allowed to win Bahamut. Its just…I been fighting this war for a long time…slowly losing ground each day.
I just, have found it difficult to know the path forward these days. For now, all I can think of is to do whatever it takes to survive, but I admit, I have no idea what to do to ever have anyone have faith in what I thought I was standing for when its lead to nothing but illusions and suffering."
The great dragon squared his shoulders.
"I may not have the power they possess, but I would like to think my word still counts for something if you see me as an ally. I may not have lived in the world you were born into and I may not have seen what has happened since. I may have never fought alongside any of your Enji Knights and I may have never dwelt under a Lylat Kingdom.
Even so, I will not deny that there may be some kernels of truth in what they said. Perhaps it is true that the races that ran your world and your universe were never any better than the ones of mine. Perhaps they could only ever struggle in vain for a goal that could not be reached in which there was no more war, inequity, misery or oppression. And maybe it is true that any such attempts they made not only ended in failure but were destined for it.
"But even so…from what I can gather, even if your principles of justice, honor, faithfulness, fairness, kindness, charity, fealty, bravery, and nobility did not give you the perfect universe that you were hoping for…it did keep your universe alive, relatively peaceful, and as equitable and fair as it could have possibly been for much, much longer than any other kingdom had before it or has since.
You created a universe where hundreds or even thousands of planets worth of people worked together instead of against one another for entire generations, and it took nothing short of the sum powers of the forces of evil themselves to finally break it. To try to dismiss such a feat as worthless is ignorance at best and jealousy at worst.
"And if this Infinite Victory and Conquest Corporation declares both it and all the toil, struggle, and sacrifice that was made to sustain it as nothing more than foolish hopes and dreams compared to what they consider 'reality'…a multiverse where everything and everyone exists only to sate the pleasures and desires of a fistful of individuals…then I'd say their reality is a rather hollow one. Even with all their power behind them, Carmen and Jaguara's lives…even Sieg's life…will always be more sad and empty than the life of a 'soldier' like yourself.
"You and your honor and nobility—and all the actions that have come with it—have more purpose and meaning in just one universe than theirs ever will across all the multiverse combined. And our 'foolish dream' has more worth and value than anything they can create ever will."
Ezan saw how confident Bahamut was before he nodded. "Thank you Bahamut…I admit the pressure has been getting to me, I almost lost sight of what I was fighting for. But talking to you all has made me remember why I fight."
Bahamut looked away. "It was my pleasure. All of us…no matter how wise or strong…need people to remind us of why we fight sometimes."
The others quickly moved in to follow suit behind him. Bahamut looked one last time at Tiamat, who still didn't look back at him, before he turned away with Dael.
"Bahamut."
He froze when he heard his brother call out one more time.
"Tell that idiot when she wakes up…I made her proud." After a pause, he followed that with a scoff. "No…don't tell her that. It'll just make her blubber. Just tell her I died like an stubborn fool…as usual."
With that, he took to the air.
Ezan smirked before adding," And that's why I'll fight whatever it takes to keep you alive love. Let's go!"
Jaguara snarled out a vicious," Your words are worthless! Power…power is the only thing that has true beauty!"
Heh…the ones who broadcast their irritating screeches across the multiverse are going to lecture us about words being worthless, huh?" he snickered as he flew up to be level with them. "But I agree. And I guess that means I must be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen!
"What a truly uncouth beast you are... You're not even fit to be a rug beneath my feet!"
Tiamat laughed wildly as he flew up above them. "That may be true…but come on anyway! This is my last battle! Let's make it a gloriously bloody one!" With that, he opened his jaw and went wild with a flare bombardment.
The Omega Weapon kept firing as well to give Tiamat some cover, and Caruleum and Gaioh also resolved to keep her pinned down no matter the cost to also keep the pressure up before she narrowed her eyes." I simply have no words for a disgusting oversized meat sack. Let me rip you apart while, huh?"
At this time Cyrus, with help from alliance members hijacked the near by IV&C Pyramidas ship and slammed into her at lightspeed.
The sound of an engine roar nearby went off—courtesy of the IV and C Pyramidas once again taking to the air. While it had required a rush job from some alliance members, the ship was once again up and in the air. And now, it was hovering up to be level with her.
From the cockpit, Cryder managed a swaggering grin. "Aw, left you tongue-tied, love? Sorry, I have that effect on folks."
He reached over with one hand and flicked the switches in the cockpit to prepare the engines for lightspeed. With his other, he reached into his boot, fished out his flask, broke the bottle tip off on the console and downed the liquor in one gulp.
"Pirating from the most powerful group in the whole multiverse? Not too shabby way to go out! The rest of you better run like ya' got the devil on your tails, because I'll really be pissed if you get yourselves killed after all this!"
Throwing one final switch, he flipped off the sisters.
"Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of-"
And then, he was silenced forever as the ship took off at last; slamming into the two and obliterating itself in the process.
Carmen got annoyed before she spat out," You old school eyesores hero acts can't cut it! Your all just canceled content going through the motions you, huh?"
Two beams fired into the area to try and seal the area, beams form the Keyblade of Riku and Kairi. The two keybladers used their power as much as they could to further seal the area before Riku spat out," You thought you had everything, but you are going to lose it all!"
She tried to shoot at the two, before she was blinded by light as the Warrior of Light charged at her besides Tiamat and yelled out," You sisters, are so fixated on the future that you forgot the past. Your ill forgotten power, obtained by exploiting the best of us, will not dominate everyone's destiny! The light, will guide people to happiness! OVERSOUL!"
The warrior fired a crystal that hit his target and caused parts of her body to crystalline. She looked enraged and yelled out," You worthless relic, your light is a failed ideal! Your existence is an outdated ideal!"
"No…the light of justice…is not a failed fantasy! Only light can break the chains of time! Only light can luminate the way to a greater future! GUH!"
In an instant Jaguara had one of her arms stab him through the chest before she spat out a sadistic," And yet you are just a foolish man who's light alone is worthless! Your just, huh?"
Garland jumped into and smashed her hard enough to cause the crystalline structure to spread across her body while he yelled out," Sometimes light is not alone, but that's where the darkness is to guide it.
If I have to become a shadow in the night, where only the bravest may trend, then that's fine by me! To bathe the world, no, the whole Multiverse in are brilliance, and cleanse the cycle of despair from its surface, is worth it to at last break the endless cycle of chaos! One way or another, I will knock you down, and live forever! So go on everyone, and shine your light on eternity and cleanse this stain of chaos!"
Ezan nodded before he closed his eyes." Understood."
As they flew to the alliance ships Garland had a solemn smirk." Good…don't fail us."
Jaguara yelled with fury as she hissed out," PREY CAN NOT STOP THE HUNT OF THE APEX PREDATOR!"
She had more of her arms break out of the barrier, but Cloud took one of the blows. As he got impaled by the chest he coughed up blood and spat out," This is still…my home. I won't let you get away with ruining it!"
Zack widened his eyes and yelled out," No, CLOUD!"
"Its ok Zack." Cloud uttered bitterly." Even…if you're not the same Zack…I'm repaying my debt. Just make it count. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as SOLDIER!"
Jaguara laughed before hissing out," No matter how many stupid men throw away there lives your all just dying alone!"
Another blade came out of her back to try and carve Cloud up, only for Barret to run up and fire back with his Catastrophe limit break." Your not knocking us out of this train lady! I got you on this job Cloud, we are finishing this together."
Tifa got along side Cloud before she nodded." Cloud…whatever happens, wherever we go, we will go together."
"Tifa…thank you."
"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally Cloud."
Jaguara had her eyes glow before hissing out," Your love is worthless when your so weak!"
She had another blade come out to try and run them through before the younger Sephiroth came down and impaled it from above with her blade. He got cut, but he held his ground before he looked at Cloud." My other self put you on this path, so at least I can share the burden with you."
"I never thought I'd say this…but thank you Sephiroth."
Carmen snarled out," Your older self is the more trending meme for a reason you emo loser!"
"Maybe." The Sephiroth part of the Rebel Alliance retorted." But at least I'll die without any regrets!"
"OH you will regret everything before we are done! Die knowing just what, huh?"
At this time Tiamat grasped her by her chest. "Come on, you oversized cyst and your older sister!" He roared wildly. "You're not making this fun for me! I said fight!"
"Your ugly swollen body doesn't bear looking at. Get away from me!"
She stabbed Tiamat again and again, but he took the blows—only looking crazier and more enthused as she spilled his blood. Even as he spat out blood, he laughed right in their faces so that it sputtered on them. "Is that it, you mangled bitch?! Don't you have any more spirit than that?! Or do you need your precious little followers to give you more 'likes' before you can kill me?! Carbuncle stabs better than you!"
The shock-wave blew the groups outside back, causing Ezan's group to be near the Hague and Bahamut's group to be near the Eternal. Aeris saw Krysta and Ragnar's tension before she yelled out," Ragnar, Krysta, we will have that family dinner one day, I promise. No matter how crazy it gets, there is a light at the tunnel. Please, please don't die till then!"
Ragnar hesitated. There was a look in his eyes; one showing he was clearly thinking this was the last time he would ever see her. Yet he swallowed it back. "I believe you, Aeris. I'll always believe you."
Krystea was like wise hesitant, but forced herself to smile back. "I'm a Turk, remember Aeris? I always finish the job."
"All of you…good luck," Quaren threw out, giving one last salute before boarding.
"Let me at them one more time! I've still got fight in me!" Faerio shouted as Cid quickly drug her away, only throwing out a nod to the others.
"Take care of yourselves!" Carbuncle threw over his shoulder as he ran away. "Or no one's going to be left to talk about how awesome I did!"
"Thanks for giving us old timers one last chance to shine," Leviathan added as he went in after.
Finally, there was only Bahamut and Eden…the latter of which was beginning to come around. He glanced back at Ezan one last time, and gave him one final nod. "From one warrior to another…it was a true honor."
Tiamat saw his family and friends were jumping out of the universe before he laughed, albeit much weaker than before in spite of his persistent grin. "Heh…what do you know? Dying for a cause ain't so bad. Now I've got no regrets."
Oh…you will regret being so confident dragon. I suppose your undefiled integrity is a fresh flavor for me to relish! I'll, ugh!"
Her sides where held back by both Gaohu and Caruleum had there mecha hold back Carmen back even as there machines started to rip apart form the pressure as Gaoh yelled out," I just met this dragon but I'll respect his burning soul! Do it now!"
While she tried to kill him Omega Weapon distracted her with another barrage of blasts as Rufus chuckled bitterly." To work along side those I was trying to kill and enslave, life is strange at times. But, at least, one way or another, I can fight to the end with someone I know."
Tiamat finally let them go at this, quickly descending and not just intentionally. He grasped his sides, feeling them still bleeding in spite of his regeneration. Blood was frothing at his mouth at this point. Nevertheless, the moment he touched down on the ground, he laid out his tail and unfurled his wings.
"No going back now… Nothing to do…but put everything…on one last gamble…"
Immediately, his golden luster ignited to full fury. It blazed almost as radiantly as Shinryu in that moment. His eyes again grew wild even as blood began to leak from his eye sockets and ears as well as his jaws. His scales began to rip and flail off as his power surged further. It was clear he was literally putting everything he had into this—including his own life force.
"Heh…finally made a friend…and this is how it ends… We never even shared a beer together…"
Craning his head to the sky, he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Here's one last flare you'd never be able to counter, Bahamut!"
Cracking his mouth open, he exhaled a blast so powerful, so blinding, and so strong that it immediately blew out his jaws entirely. In moments, it annihilated his face and head as well.
His body soon began to fragment and deteriorate…and yet somehow the blast sustained its full force as it ripped across the sky and slammed with the full sum of his power and vitality into the sisters' amalgamated body.
Carmen saw that after this point they were being pushed into the Tuner Fork before she looked on in fear." No…wait that…that can't be edited out! This is so not the photo bomb I was thinking of!"
Jaguara looked ballistic before yelling out," Squalid beast... I will cut out your soul! You will, RAHH!"
With a terrible cry that sounded like it had Tiamat's own spirit inside of it, the attack erupted, and rapidly began to turn the entire world into nothing but a blaze as bright as the sun.
Caruleum saw the attack and closed his eyes." Comrades, you have my thanks for keeping the truth alive."
At the same time Gaou snickered bitterly." Just wish, I could have eaten one last hot dog."
As the explosion consumed them The Warrior of Light saw the light and closed his eyes." May the light guide us, forever."
As Cloud saw the light him, Tifa, and Barret grasp each other before Barret uttered," Looks like…the train's at the last stop."
Cloud nodded before uttering," Hey, would you say, I became a hero?
"We sure did Cloud." Tifa uttered as she kissed him before the light consumed them.
The younger Sephiroth closed his eyes and uttered," May we return to the life stream, one way or another."
The resulting explosion caused a chain reaction with the Tuner Fork, as Rufus caused the Omega Weapon to self destruct before he closed his eyes." No matter how much wealth and power you have, learn that my pride, and the pride of Shinra is never for sell!"
As he was consumed his machine's own self destruct the blast blew up all of Midgar, planet Cetra, and the entire region of space.
The Multiversal Rebel Alliance got away just in time, though the shock-waves blew the ships off course. Ezan and Aeris grasped each other as Ezan uttered," Aeris, stay close to me! Whatever happens, we will not be split apart again! Huh?"
He saw his wrist glow before a computerized voice cut in with," Conditions met…target locked…DNA signature lock confirmed… Emergency crises retrieval Spiral Sepulkore Getter Warp…activated."
Daigo widened his eyes before he responded with," Wait, that voice!? Boss is that, whoa!"
The shock-wave caused them to see nothing but light, but the Hague was warped away, though the other members of the Alliance were not aware. But one way or another, everyone was now gone from the region of space, aside from the ones who wrecked it in the first place.
Carmen and Jaguara survived the explosion, but the twins did have burns all over their body. The Six Dimensional being saw her hand was shattered before Carmen snarled with rage." Those damn vermin…how dare they go off the script. They can vomit out whatever hammy last words they want but they still are just losers in the end trying to stall the end count till last moment."
Jaguara saw the remains of Shinryu had endured even the collapse of the universe before she snickered." They are already dead sister…they just don't realize it. They failed to do anything but show what vermin they are. And…we still have a mount to present to V-Day. Shinryu's corpse will be, the results of today, nothing else matters."
Wilhelm had endured by leaving the universe after Carmen appeared, and as he looked at Shinryu's remains he cleared his throat." Master Idrissa, you think the credit will be yours when you did not kill Shinryu and failed to kill those that did kill him?"
Jaguara paused before she turned around." That depends…is anyone else who was in this Knot Gan World alive?"
"Not at the moment but, GUH!"
Jaguara instantly stabbed him with Amatsu-Mikaboshi before she licked her lips." Then you dying will make sure no one knows the truth da?"
Willhelm winced before uttering," How dare you…I'm not a mere,"
In that instant she sucked up his soul with her blade before she narrowed her eyes." It does not matter what you were, the fact is everyone not on the board of directors is replaceable, only those with true worth will be spared…and if it means that when the entire multiverse is reborn to the Monoverse and only a fraction is left, then it will be a fraction purged of the fraud and waste that defied it. Now…to present the offering to V-Day to sate him till the final reckoning. Carmen, you take over form hear."
"You got it sis! Thankfully all shows are edited am I right? That damn piece of bacon thought he was saving anything? What a lame loser to the end that made a big deal out of nothing!"
As Carmen became the head on the torso again she went to lift Shinryu's remains up.
As she did she was not aware that it twitched sightly, as inside the body something was going on.
" Heh…I don't believe it. A gamble that actually paid off. Here I am. Oh, father dearest?
…
Not talking huh? I guess missing your brain will do that. Come on…there's got to be some residual of a soul in here. Weren't you the one boasting that there was only you?
…
Speak up. You don't expect me to believe that's the end of the legendary dragon, do you?
…BE SILENT.
Ah, there you are. Heh…I figured you'd be lingering around here. They may have all thought you were gone, but me? I saw your power didn't diminish at all after that blast, did it? If I can regenerate, you must be able to do much better.
I SAID BE SILENT, WYRMLING!
Aw, what's wrong? Not still sore about that loss, are you? After all, I'm the one who's dead now. And I might as well stay right here if there really isn't a Hell for me to end up in. You at least got another shot, don't you?
…
Heh…no, you don't, do you? We rammed a nice little fact right into your thick skull before we blew it off, didn't we? You could tell we're far weaker than Sieg V-Day…and yet you lost to us. So, logically, what does that mean?
BEGONE.
It means you always had a snowball's chance in Hell against Sieg. And now that you know what it's like to be beaten, you're not so big and brave anymore, are you? You're hiding in here. Not even regenerating. You've given up.
I SAID BEGONE, CURSE YOU!
You miserable old fool…don't you get it? This is where the fun really starts.
…WHAT?
Both of us have lost our crown. But now there's nowhere to go but up. And our malformed twins here are about to deliver us right to the tip top. You want to be the greatest of all? I can help you with that.
WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
I'm saying you're now as pitiful as the rest of all the mere mortals out there. You know what it's like to lose and, since it's your first time, you're just going to pout and sniffle about it. But me? I know what it's like to fight for my life and lose the battle. And right now? The fear of death has never made me feel more alive.
…
So now that we're both in the same car…let me drive. I'll show you what you're really capable of. And you'll get your chance to finally get the fight you really deserved. And the chance to smash the face of the one who thought dragons were antiquated lizards for him to sneeze at right into the mud where it belongs. At the hand of said dragons, no less. What do you say, daddy dearest?"
At the moment, Sieg was still looking over the data, but at the moment his attention was distracted as Homelander, Stormfront, and Black Noir entered.
Homelander saw Sieg looked focused before he cleared his throat and let out a uneasy chuckle." Hey there boss. I know this is the end game and all but me and the boy's have not gotten any update's in a while and just wanted to know what was going on."
Sieg gave the leader of the Boy's a look that made Homelander freeze up before he cleared his throat." If I had something to say to you, I would have said it."
Homelander let out an uneasy chuckle before he cleared his throat. But before he was about to say anything Black Noir threw Homelander back and nodded." Tension aside, we all understand the chain of command.
We have just heard a bit of conflicting reports from others around hear about things and, figured it would get the truth from the source, if there is time for that."
Sieg paused before he closed his eyes." I do want my employees to have a clear grasp of the situation I suppose. Carmen, Mary, and Gingrich have all gone to tidy up things across the various Gan Knot Worlds.
The process was never going to be, completely precise but it seems the Multiverse wants to drag this out to the last moment. But alas…everyone everywhere is learning the hard way that I never lose, just have to make adjustments along the way. And now, it's time to make the final adjustments. The others on the board will get back to me and then, oh?"
Carmen's hologram appeared on screen before she appeared with a victory sigh." Hey there boss man. Got Shinryu's corpse if you want to add it to your trophy wall. He huffed and puffed but he learned the hard way how old school he really was."
Sieg eyed Carmen for a moment before he closed his eyes." You preformed within acceptable margins Carmen. But we won't bring it hear, but to my exotic trophy rack in Norvrandt. I wanted to check the settings in the Negaverse one more time before the end anyway."
"You got it!"
As the hologram faded Sieg eyed Black Noir and stood up." I will leave you in charge of keeping things in the Prime Universe under control in this short time. I take it you understand the weight of this responsibility and what it requires?"
Black Noir narrowed his eyes and nodded." Give judgment to anyone that's out of line, and make sure everyone pays their proper respect."
Homelander gulped before he nodded eagerly." Oh don't worry V-Day I won't let a single person in the whole universe not pay the respect we deserve!"
Sieg grasped his hand before he looked at another chart showing the state of the Prime Universe." Oh, I think after only a few days of a universe without a sun and everyone needing to live in a IV&C plantation tower to live they are understanding the state of things. And after taking away the gravity and atmosphere from any in the universe who even uttered disapproval, only the most insolent dare to defy for my efficiency agents to purge every last trace of fraud and waste in the universe.
But, before I go, time for the final lesson."
He took out his gun and pointed it at Homelander. The last of the Nahobino winced before he saw rifts in reality appeared all around Sieg. The CEO of IV&C smirked at Homelander's fear before his eyes glowed golden." Yes…on the final day… the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. Then god blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made.
For I will pass through the universe on this night and I will strike down every firstborn both man and beast; and I will execute judgment. I am the Master, and tribute is due."
He then fired a bullet that at first looked like it would go for Homelander, before at the last second went into a portal, and screens showed that bullet cloned itself as it did, before coming out, and killing every first-born child of someone who was not in a Plantation tower in the Prime universe. Many were killed right in front of their parents, causing countless screams of despair.
Sieg saw all the death and despair in front of him and just looked delighted." The power to take everything from the majority of the people in the universe, and they can do absolutely nothing but despair about it, that is what defies an act of God.
There are people that things happen to and people who make things happen.
And you need to land on which one you want to be. And when you do that, when you decide what you want to feel, that is the true source of power. And when you get there, people will see what you want them to see on your face.
Most people never figure this out. The ones that do, they get to run everything. Thankfully for you I still enjoy seeing you try and figure it out. But show me which man you are by the time I get back, and you will get what you deserve."
Homelander struggled not to look afraid as he just chuckled weakly." Oh don't worry V-Day you will see you were not wrong about me!"
"Good, because I'm about to show what happened to someone who thought he could trick me."
He snapped his fingers till the Totality ascended, and left the Prime Universe. With the very Multiverse condensing, it did not take long till Sieg arrived in his original home in the Negaverse, Amaurot.
Sieg appeared in a city that nearly looked like a giant machine, filled with countless black skyscrapers that looked more like giant building sized servers then living quarters all in perfect symmetry across a blood red sky.
The only things breaking up these buildings, were a dozen Tuner Forks, and the former capital building, the Imperial Palace of Altdorf, which had its own tuner fork coming out of it.
In the sky were giant chains with dozens of planets surrounding the world.
As Seig emerged in the Negaverse, Carmen appeared moments later, carrying Shinryu's remains in her hands. Sieg saw those like Xehanort, Ganondorf, Nine, lord Drakkon and others had gathered at the entrance to Altdorf, before Drakkon bowed." My lord…we apologize that process has been slowed. The majority of the Gan Knot Worlds have been subdued, but worlds including Gan World C, A and F have had complications."
"So far its only, minor setbacks." Sieg calmly replied." I was not naïve enough to think that there would be no resistance to taking over all existence. But everyone's learning the hard way, that even everyone left in the Multiverse cannot delay destiny for long. Mary, Gingrich, and Carmen personally went to dispatch the most noteworthy rebels.
In fact, Carmen has just appeared before me with one of the more stubborn ones, at least half of him at least."
Carmen giggled as she descended before she shrugged." Shinryu 's a stubborn beast but he could not fight the future. Can I at least skin enough of him to make up a new coat?"
Sieg paused before he smirked." Let's hang it on the Source Wall, see how it fits next to The Spectre, Adonalsium,Mystra, Mundus, the Zodiarchy, the Ellimist, Athena, The Mortis Gods,Rymus, Sha Ka Ree, The Anti-Spiral mecha, the Granzeboma, Kronika, Mother, Logos, Amara, Primus, Eru Ilúvatar, Arceus, and Morpheus the" Sandman", and I'll see how generous I feel. First…since this is a moment to celebrate are earnings, I suppose we earned a small reward. So, I'll grant our employees a work break so they can see are progress."
He snapped his fingers before a gong sound was heard. The server like buildings around the capital, all had planks open up, from the sides before naked people, young and old alike slowly walked out of the planks. Some had grey rings that produced IV&C uniforms on them.
Sieg waved his hand as a hologram appeared above the capital of him before he smirked." My dutiful employees, your master will grant you a respite to give the time to properly see his progress.
The dragon Shinryu was one of the first who thought he was superior to me, but now he's what everyone else that opposes me is, as a trophy to mount.
The moment is soon approaching, where we prove we are the superiors of everyone else!"
The population of the city heard Sieg and nearly entirely in unison all cheered out," All hail Master Sieg! We are winners! Lodsam hanti, we are the chosen ones. Cahanna risone hanti, we are the fortunate ones. Sabbatha hanti, sabbatha hanti, sabbatha hanti. We are the True Knot and what is tied may never be untied!
AS LONG AS WE WIN THERE IS NO SIN!"
Sieg basked in the cheers for a bit before he put his hand out, and the cheers stopped before he grasped his hand." Yes, we are the winners, and everyone else is learning one way or another who the losers are. Some part of me wanted Shinryu alive to be mounted but well, I can always image the sensation."
He was about to mount the corpse on a giant wall outside the city where countless slayed god-like beings were mounted, till to his shock Shinryu's body twitched. A moment after, it flipped onto the ground, where it only twitched even more violently. The burns suddenly burst open again and began to ooze fresh blood and fluids. The muscles contracted and snapped several times as bubbling sound went out within it.
Then, most suddenly, a new head and torso ripped out, complete with wings, arms, and a crested, horned forehead. At once, the entire body began to glow the golden color again before it dimmed into Shinryu Verus' form's blackened scales. A moments later, the body tensed up and the eyes opened, to the tune of the face giving a tooth-filled grin.
"Today's your lucky day," Tiamat's voice emerged from Shinryu's head. "You don't have to imagine it."
Carmen saw Shinryu emerge before her jaw dropped." You're alive!? No, you were hard core dead I did not sense a damn thing from your body!"
"Another oversight on your part… You'd think with four eyes and two brains you'd be smarter," Tiamat snickered as he cracked his newly-formed neck. "My body was gone…but you didn't exactly drag my body back here, did you? It seems it took a little more than just blowing the head off of my old man to do him in. He had the power to regenerate even from that. That is…if he had someone along to direct him to do that.
"You know how all dragons are a bit of his essence? And he's out to gobble them up as soon as they turn strong enough? Turns out blowing my own body away after I had fused myself to my share of dragon souls was enough to get a bit of that nature. Enough, at least, to get me to return to his own body.
Only since I went in directly, I bypassed the stomach and any kind of 'digestion'. And since my dad couldn't deal with the humiliation of us blowing him away before the Doublemint Twins here even had a chance to drag him back to their boss, his body's under new management…mine."
Carmen had her eye twitch." What, he can do that?"
Sieg closed his eyes and snickered darkly." Well, I suppose since this never happened before I can't blame you for not knowing this Carmen. Still, this is for the best since I can finish this personally."
Tiamat grinned from ear to ear. "Now that's what I like to hear." He gestured a clawed thumb over his shoulder at Carmen. "Much as I'd like to knock her teeth in so hard they come spitting out of the other one's face, I didn't risk this gamble just for them. I'm not here for Shinryu's grudge, either.
The only thing I wanted from the old man was to kill him myself…which I did. Guess the Doublemint Twins messed that up too, didn't they? Nah…" He crossed his arms and held his head up higher. "I wanted to be face to face with Mr. V-Day himself. That's one gamble that paid off in full."
Sieg eyed him carefully during his speech before his eyes glowed." I admit I did not expect this. You're not Shinryu, you're the one known as both Tiamat and Wyvern, from the universe where you and Bahamut were brothers yes?
My look at your file was brief, but I remember everything. But I'm impressed your even more stubborn then I was told. I'm almost impressed. If you play your cards right, you might have a future yet."
Tiamat saw Sieg's amusement, but he didn't answer him right away. He looked him up and down instead a few times. "Hmph. I thought the man who's supposed to be the ruler of all universes would look a little less…human. So how'd you get your position? Like him?" He pointed to his own new body. "Just born into it and rolled with it? Or did some god give you the idea that was your destiny?"
Sieg's view hardened in response." I don't know what you heard, but while at some point I became a chosen warrior of darkness, no one gave me this destiny, it's one I gave myself.
There is no solace above or below. Only us. Small. Solitary. Striving. Battling one another. I pray to myself, for myself.
This wasn't to free my ego. It was to let it run loose. I thought I would show them all who they were. And who I was: better than them. Higher on the food chain. Evolved.
You want to know what sets me apart from the likes of Kefka, Mateus, Sephiroth, and all the others like Frieza, Palpatine, Lex Luthor, Victor Von Doom, and all the others? Because in the end they are all lesser Caesars compared to me.
Pax Romana. I'm going to manifest it. Every generation there's maybe three people close to being like me. Why should I waste being one of them? Because out of those three, every years, nine every century, every millennium, maybe one guy doesn't " drop the ball" when he actually gets the reins. Someone has to sit in that seat. So I ask myself, am I the one in a thousand years? And my answer is a full-throated yes.
I will mold all of existence into its most profitable, ideal state. Tiamat…you can join me if you're willing to see reason."
Tiamat's talons rubbed his chin, as he continued to stare at V-Day and look him over. "So…you've got some understanding of the Altar of Power…at least the fundamentals." He hesitated a moment, still looking like he was calculating, before he slowly nodded. "I can appreciate that. It's what I know best, after all. What I don't get…"
He casually pointed off to one side. Far in the distance, there was the entire population of a planet—all mindlessly cheering for Sieg and every word he said.
"…is how that fits into it. What are they supposed to be? They aren't the ones you're 'purging', I can tell that much. You wouldn't even bother keeping those alive. So I can only assume they're your subjects. Is that what I get to look forward to in your brave new unified universe? Being shoved onto a planet-sized prison where I get to sing your praises until my body rots?"
Sieg snickered before responding with," Oh don't misunderstand, higher ranking members do get more perks. These before you are just the basic level product so to speak. The best thing about human beings is that they stack so neatly. They are not my subjects though…nor are they citizens. They are either my employee's, or my slaves.
And I free my property of the delusions of reaching to be more than what they were meant to be.
See I don't waste delusions on loyality, because I demand fidelity instead. Loyality is based on trust, fealty is rooted in obedience to your superior.
My binding them to the algorithms that steer them to a life most clear of…inefficiency.
This is control Tiamat. Sector Z2, your production is the lowest in the city. The five of you that remain can get promoted, but everyone else must kill each other off."
With the snap of his fingers, everyone in the building went to kill each other without a moment of remorse. Sieg just looked delighted at the sight as he turned to Tiamat. "
As they say, If you can convince the man near the bottom he's better than the bottom of the barrle, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.
There will always be a leader, but what most are truley resentful are the elite directly above them. I erased all of that. There are no doctors, teachers, actors, and any other elite, just the master, and the servant. Just see for yourself."
He had a image expand of a random bald man bashing a thinner man's head in and grinnning as he see's he's killing him before Sieg smirked." As long as you know your dominating someone, to many, that's all that matters to feel content in life. Many rulers get overthrown when there middle class gets tired and rebels. Despite the strories, rarely do the poor ever manage to win on there own without insider help.
So my solution, is to erase everything in between for peak " effecny." Like I said, there is no need for doctors when company AI will tell you what is wrong with you. There is no need for teachers when company AI will teach you only what you need to do for your job. There is no need for meddling artists when AI will create things to distract workers enough. Between that and by ensuring the workers never have the time or resorces to do anything but what's needed to stay alive, there is no room to even form thoughts of rebellion, let alone act on them.
The odds of defiance are sharply reduced when they not only can't poessess anything to use aganst you, but there very skills can be withdrawn the moment they are not serving your will, leaving them entirely at your mercy.
See Shinra came close and did dominate the world more then the likes of the Palamecia or Gestahl Empires. But even the control they had over Cetra with there Mako reactors was not enough to secure there rule. Control over energy does control a lot, but they took for granted that was enough. I do not.
For me, I perfected the algorithm to completely control a employee from there birth till there death and never give them time to rebel. And its gained me the power to be on the verge of mastery over all universe's, and I did not ever waste any time on nonsense like kindness.
The truth is that in empires the common man knows he is a pawn and acts like one, but in a democracy or anything else were the lie that" everyone is equal" is spread the common man is allowed to think his worthless thoughts have value and so many, Earth Prime most of all, were ruined by the common man's delusions.
Too much talking these days. Talk talk talk. But hear...people learned how to suffer in silence. I control everything, and so no one has time to decide to be inspired rebel after hearing some story, because my narrative, is the only story, and fraud like kindness and " Justice" is not in my script.
See the truth is Tiamat, kindness is an expression of weakness. The kinder you have to be, the weaker you are.
There's a reason they say nice guys finish last, because its true. Kindness was seen as dumbness for a long time, because only fools were kind and socities that evolved to think otherwise, deserved to fail.
Having ultimate power, means not having to waste any capital on compassion. Soon, I won't have to be express any compassion aside from the one percent of people in existence that have sincere interest to me.
You hated just about everyone but your brother too did you not? You're not seriously telling me you're going to defy me out of compassion for those you spent lifetimes despising yes?
Only those bound by failed cultures still defy me because they won't get over there " Tyrant Phobia". The problem is that more primitive kinds give a chaotic impression, but me, the CEO-style dictator gives the best results after being liberated from the regulations of the naïve.
Alas, I expected more from you but it seems you to are deluded by those emersed by the sin of compassion.
So many cultures think compassion is something to cherish, but all it does is weigh things down with meaningless gestures. There's so much empathy that you actually suicide yourself, so that - we've got civilizational suicidal empathy going on. Empathy is dangerous. Empathy is toxic. Empathy will align you with hell. They can have empathy, or be winners, and they are grateful for being guided to the right choice.
It's not compassion that drives things, but fear. Fear has no end. Fear is limitless. Fear thrives and feeds on itself, preparing you for calamity, preparing you to believe that the most important things are the most dangerous. So do you want to die for a failed ideal or do you want to win?
Don't you want to win Tiamat? Your entire career is just trying to kill your brother to take what you deserve. I can relate in some aspects. I too had to, in a sense, rebrand, to get to where I was suppose to be.
When inferiors have what they don't deserve, when you have to take their very identity to set things right and get what you deserve, that's something I can understand more than you might think.
It's because of that, that I'm willing to give you one more chance to make the right choice. Your brother gave you nothing but dying as his meat shield. Won't you rather take the place you always deserved?"
Tiamat once again smiled from ear to ear.
"Oh, but you are giving me what I deserve, Mr. V-Day. Didn't I tell you I risked the gamble just to be here? You don't think I came here just to say 'hello little megalomaniacal human', did you? Nah…"
His eyes filled with wildness and violence.
"I came here for my 'shot at the title'. The chance of a lifetime across my universe and all universes! How could I let something like that slip by?"
With that, he uncrossed his arms, although he began to chuckle as he did so.
"And you supposedly read about me… You must think I'm crazy." He gestured to Sieg's highest-ranking employees nearby. "You know so much about me and you think that's what I want? To be one of your miserable little sycophantic suck-ups? If you're done with your little 'mission statement', allow me to explain my little allegory of the Altar of Power a bit more succinctly. And since you're apparently one of the more tiny-brained humans, I'll make sure to make it clear enough so that even you can understand.
"Power is like life itself—a fire. It craves fuel for burning. It needs it. Otherwise it dies and becomes nothing but a smoldering pile of coals and, eventually, ash. That's what makes it so wonderful and vivacious and passionate. That's why power is as essential as breathing. It needs to keep burning! It needs to keep growing! It's raw! It's potent! It's like blood in your veins and wine on your lips!
"You, on the other hand, are just like all those little afterthoughts you listed off. You see power as just a goal or a destination. You think there's some magical point you can end up at, and then you can just kick your heels up, lean back, and rest on your laurels."
He snorted and spat.
"Pathetic. Absolutely…totally…miserably pathetic. Is that the end goal, Mr. Big Man Master of the Universe? To be the greatest sponge in existence? Or the biggest piece of mold? You have only one real purpose, Oh Mighty Wielder of His Own Destiny. And it's the same purpose the rest of those corpses had—to get dethroned.
Whatever purpose or meaning or spirit you think you have inside you amounts to a bunch of lukewarm piss. Your fire went out the day you founded your little LLC. But mine? It's blazing hotter than ever. This morning I was only Tiamat. Now I'm Shinryu reborn. Oh…and I'm only one of many. That's the problem with smug little spits such as yourself. You get so high up toward the ceiling you spend the whole day getting high off of your own flatulence and it starts messing with your head…making you think you're the only one with any drive or vision.
"You wanna live? You wanna be more? You claw…you scrape…you bleed…you struggle…and you keep on clutching and grasping and yanking and pulling until you drag your bleeding body up to the pedestal before you slap the pompous son of a bitch off of it and put his crown on your own head.
It's the only way to live…and it's the only way to power. There's a lot of folks like me who've been doing that for a while now thanks to you. And while I'd love to see them do a dance on your smarmy little face, I've got pride in my own power too. So…I think I'll see if I can't save them the trouble."
Sieg saw Tiamat looked ready to attack before he motioned to the wall before him." Oh I understand pride all too well. I understand you don't have faith in my ambitions, few do till I show them I can make come true what no other can, I will break the cycle of power you worship so that its impossible for any to ever take from me what I deserve.
I get clinging to your ego to the end. I do. You're an individualist. Rugged individualism. It simply doesn't work anymore at the scale I operate on. Brands. Sure. A useful heuristic. But ultimately, everything is all systems interlaced, a single product manufactured by a single company for a single global market. Spicy, medium, or chunky. They get a choice, of course. Of course! But they are buying salsa.
But you're the one who's delusional if you see the wall before me and think I have not broken countless beings like you who thought they knew better than me. The thing is Tiamat…you let the others make you forget what it means to have respect. With great power, comes greater respect. If you don't have respect, you have nothing. You need to give the world, the universe, the Multiverse, a reason to respect you."
Tiamat let out another chuckle. "So you think being able to kill someone makes you smarter than them," he spat back. "Then congratulations…you've got the brain of a flu virus. And no…I don't think you do 'get it'. Unless you're trying to tell me you call all of this 'respect'. You think even one of these little brown nosers would ever take a shot meant for you? Or would shed a tear if you dropped dead right now?"
Sieg closed his eyes in response."
"Love, friendship, that's not respect. The only thing worthwhile is the respect where no one dares defy you because they know you will crush them like the maggot they are. Do you want to be a winner or a maggot Tiamat?"
Now Tiamat really did laugh. He let it burst out loud and long and echo through the chamber for several moments.
"All this time I thought I was going to be coming face-to-face with something new and powerful and glorious…something that defied anything I had ever seen before I could even dream of! Something that would make me see the world and all worlds in a totally new light just from speaking with him!
And in the end, all I see is more of the same! Another miserable, stinking human who thinks he gained enlightenment from beefing up his muscles! Who thinks he's somehow unlocked the secrets of life and existence because he had one too many 'shower thoughts' and hasn't had anyone strong enough to slap the stupid out of him for far too long!"
He narrowed his eyes.
"You aren't 'special', you aren't 'different', and you aren't 'unique'. And I should know, because I once thought a lot like you. So why don't we stop wasting time with this garbage and get down to the kind of business your 'IP' is best at, huh? Because even if you do manage to kill me, the last thing I'll ever respect is some little toddler who thinks he's a god because he can step on ants."
While Carmen and some of the others prepared to attack Sige froze them with a gesture before he smirked." You still don't understand so much Tiamat. I did not come this far because I was afraid of pain. Oh, I cherish it, it proves one is alive. There are two kinds of pain. The sort of pain that makes you strong, or useless pain. The sort of pain that's only suffering. I have no patience for useless things.
But I took the pain of purging my own world from fools, even my mother, to not be weighed down by their delusions. I gambled the demise of my universe, and was rewarded with more power than everyone in a universe combined. And that was just the start.
Life's a gamble, and the greater the risk, the greater the proof you're alive. I already gambled everything when my universe died, and came out on top. Now, I raised the stakes even higher. I embraced that everyone their is would be out to get it, for its only proof that overcoming such odds will prove I am superior to all."
Tiamat saw the total confidence Sieg had before he snorted. "A gambler who plays with one-sided dice, maybe. Or only games where he gets to use an 'infinite life cheat code'. Well, that proves you're delusional, at any rate."
" No, it proves I'm human. I never lie. I merely project the possibility of the truth, and everyone in time has to submit to the one absolute truth, mine. That's why you dragons and so many other life forms fall to humans despite your natural advantages. For are hunger overcomes all and no one in the multiverse has more hunger than me.
You're drunk on the power of syncing with Shinryu but if you think that will change anything your about to be proven how wrong you are. Proximity to power deludes some into thinking they wield it."
Oh, Mr. Man Who Always Wins…no, sorry, let me try again…Mr. Man Who Only Plays Games He Thinks He Can't Lose…I assure you. I don't just think I'm not going to lose…I won't lose!"
With that, he bellowed out again—far louder this time. The roar had enough force to shake the planet.
Sieg smirked before he grasped his hand." You act confident but I can hear the doubt creeping up in your bark. You made your stance clear but know this, when I pull a deal off the table, I leave armageddon behind.
Its time to settle what happens when the legend of the past and the vision of the future, the alpha and omega, collide.
There's no better way to overpower a trickle of doubt than with a flood of naked truth, so let my truth crush you for I gave you your chance and my hand is now empty."
Fine by me!" Tiamat roared back. "I was wondering if you'd ever shut…up?"
He paused, noticing that Sieg was suddenly bigger then him.
"You think getting bigger is so quickly is going to change things?" He snarled out.
He snarled out that getting bigger so quickly won't change things till Sieg shrugged." Your mistaken…I did not get bigger…you're now the size you really are compared to me."
While Timat did not realize it, Sieg cast the Sukunahikona spell to shrink Tiamat to the size of a normal sized puppy
"Feh! You think some enhanced 'Mini' spell will be enough to-"
he was cut off as Sieg suddenly kicked him with his " Genocide Cutter" strike so hard he was knocked out of the planet, and in only a few seconds was smashed into one of the planets above.
Before he could reply it only took Sieg a second to land on the planet and smash his foot on the shrunken dragon with enough force to cause the entire orbiting planet to crack before a sadistic look formed in his eyes." I don't throw darts at a board. I bet on sure things. Read Sun-tzu, The Art of War. Every battle is won before it is ever fought.
Carmen is only an amateur compared to me Tiamat…to say you bit off more then you could chew is an understatement. If you cry and beg, you might live on as my pet worm. But you're only going to get smaller from hear."
Tiamat coughed up blood, before having his eyes glow. Even beneath his foot, he heard a chuckle that rapidly got deeper in spite of the small size.
"BUT YOU'RE NOT DEALING WITH ANY DRAGON, BIG MAN…" Shinryu's own voice resonated back. "I'M SHINRYU, REMEMBER? AND CHILDREN MAKE FOR POOR PET OWNERS!"
He then unleashed his own power break out from underneath the foot and grow himself, and became so big Sieg was just the size of the edge of his claw.
Despite this Sieg wiped off the dust form his tuxedo and cracked his neck." I see you're learning how to use your new body quickly. But even the supreme dragon's flames are but a fleeting flicker in the face of fires of my destiny."
"Those still look like they're burning a little low to me!" Tiamat roared back. "Let's see if I can't heat 'em up!"
Snapping his head back, he let fly with an Exapyrin, only for the flames and energy to defuse the moment they touch Sieg.
The leader of the Infinite Victory and Conquest Corporation widened his hands before making a beckoning gesture." No matter how vast your flames are, even the flames of all dragons can't burn infinity. You thought you were a god in the past Tiamat, but even after merging with Shinryu you and him alike never had an idea on what true divinity means.
As a reward for being so resilient I'll let you understand just what such a state means before the end.
Mukagen...Infinite Void."
As Shinryu tried to strike, Sieg's Rikugan eyes glowed with golden light, before he cast Shinryu into the Limitless itself.
The dragon saw his surroundings change into an endless void resembling outer space in appearance, with a large black hole, distant galaxies and numerous white patches in the background. Before he could even speak boundless raw information flooded into the target's mind, overwhelming him to the point where he was completely immobilized.
Sieg saw Shinryu became motionless before his grin widened." Ironic that when granted everything you can do nothing eh? But that's just because you're not fit to grasp omnipotence. You may not be able to move but I can hear it. The sound of your self-confidence shattering. Do you still think it was worth shunning my offer for your brother's delusions? Is it a fool's pastime to be a martyr to an unattainable dream? Hmm, pathetic."
He took out his gun before he shrugged." At the very least, the frozen look of yours will make an entertaining addition to my trophy collection."
Sieg prepared to blast Timat, only for his target to shock Sieg,
Sieg prepared to blast Tiamat, only for his target to shock Sieg, by suddenly resonating with his golden aura again. For a moment, Tiamat's body seemed to waver as if it was shuddering or shimmering…right before it abruptly broke out of the effect of Infinite Void and hit him with another breath attack just as Sieg was about to fire, thus is barrier was down.
As Sieg was blasted back Tiamat roared back in his native voice. "I think I like the stupid look you had on your face when I hit you just now even better! Didn't I already tell you?! For the last time…fighting for your life is the only way to live!"
Opening his jaws wider, he soon unleashed another flare barrage—each one of them having the power of a Teraflare at least.
While the barrage lasted for a few seconds Sieg suddenly bellowed out," NO YOU DISMISSED THE REALITY OF YOUR SITUATION FOR THE LAST TIME TIAMAT! BEFORE I FINISH YOU, I WILL LET YOU LAMENT YOUR CHOICES!"
A shockwave blew Tiamat back, before he saw Sieg had transformed into his Darkest Knight form, and once more had the fiery hair that was like star flares, countless faces over his chest, and once more there were several " lenses" that were shrinking how large the being before him was.
Tiamat let out a long exhale on seeing it, but still kept his body primed and the wild look on his face. "You finally gave yourself a body almost big enough for your ego, human? Bring it on! I'd be disappointed if before was all you had!"
But before he could even attempt his next attack Sieg unleashed his Sukunahikona: Rapid Succession spell to have rods burst up all over Shinryu's body.
Sieg snickered at Shinryu's defiant look before raising his now giant gun." YOU TRULY ARE STUBBORN TIAMAT. BUT NO ANGER…NO RESOLVE CAN OVERCOME THE TRUE MASTER OF ALL! ONLY NOW DO YOU KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING! DRAGONS MAY BE KNOWN ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE FOR THERE POWER…BUT TIME AND AGAIN THEY CAN NOT COMPETE WITH THE PURE FURY OF HUMANITY!
FOR WHILE MOST DRAGONS ARE STRONGER THAN MOST HUMANS…AS KEFKA AND GARLAND SHOWED YOU ON YOUR WORLD, A DRAGON"S RAGE IS NOTHING COMPARED TO HUMANITY'S INFNITE POTENTAIL FOR MALICE AND GLORY! ANGELS AND DEMONS BOTH TRIDE TO SHACKLE ARE AMBITIONS, BUT I SURPASSED ALL THEIR LIMITATIONS! MACHINES MAY TRY AND BE MORE AUTOMATIC BUT THEY CAN NEVER MATCH ARE DRIVE FOR GLORY!
SHINRYU MAY VERY WELL HAVE BEEN CREATED BY GOD TO CONSUME FAILED UNIVERES'S…BUT I HAVE HUSTLED MY OWN DESTINY AS THE ONE WHO WILL REFORMAT THE ENTIRE MULTIVERSE TO MY WILL TO PROVE THAT NOTHING IN ALL CREATION CAN TRUMP MY DESIRE!"
Tiamat spat bitterly. "Save yourself the trouble of creating a universe meant to adore you and just create the biggest mirror in existence, you self-absorbed eyesore! Listening to your endless stream of vanity is worse than any of your attacks!"
A pause, before he growled lower.
"Besides…if you were truly unstoppable, your precious little corporation and bootlickers wouldn't even be necessary."
Sieg pointed to the giant cable in the right going across the entire Negaverse." I AM UNSTOPPABLE ALREADY, THIS IS JUST THE MEANS TO MAKE SURE NOT ONE ATOM IN ANY UNIVERSE WILL EVER DISOBEY ME AGAIN. YOU SABOTAGED ONE GAN KNOT WORLD BUT THAT ONLY DELAYED THINGS. IT WON'T BE LONG TILL MY OBLIVION MACHINE, THE SONG OF NEPHILIM FINISHES THE BIG CRUNCH OVER THE ENTIRE MULTIVERSE!
THEN ALL OF EXISTENCE WILL BE REBORN…UNDER MY COMPLETE CONTROL! THEN I WILL BE WHAT I DESERVE…THE TRUE MASTER OVER EVERYTHING!"
Tiamat saw the machine and was quiet for a moment. He could no longer lower his head, but his gaze fell for a moment. In the back of his throat, a small chuckle went out.
"Heh…guess this is my destiny too…"
After saying that, he glared at Sieg again with the same fanatical violence.
"Oh…you'll get what you deserve, Mr. Master of the Multiverse… You're such an expert on me and my brother, so let me steal a page from his playbook…just this once…"
Suddenly flexing his neck, he shattered the rods that were across it and his head, looking wilder than ever.
"Until the last blow is struck, the fight's never over!"
With that, he unleashed a surge of power that shattered all the remaining rods on his body.
As he charged at Sieg, the now gigantic man narrowed all his eyes." THE FACT YOU BARE YOUR FANGS AT ME EVEN AFTER DEFEAT PROVES YOUR BRAINLESSNESS. YOUR FATE WAS DECIDED THE MOMENT YOU GRITTED YOUR TEETH AT ME. NOTHING MORE! YOU ARE A FOOL IF YOU THINK YOUR TEPID FLAMES COULD BURN ME NOW TIAMAT! "
"Aw, is it really that important to you that I cower and beg for mercy, human? Will I hurt your widdle feewings if I don't grovel before you before I die? There you go again…thinking I give the slightest damn in the entire multiverse about what you think! Well that's one thing you're never going to get no matter how much you control! Deal with it, you disgusting pile of conceit! If you even have the guts for that!"
Sieg heard his roar raised his gun." YOUR STUBBORNESS IS NO LONGER ADMUSING. I'LL JUST TORMENT YOU TILL YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE! SHAWL I REWRITE YOUR MIND AND HAVE YOU KILL YOUR FAMILY?"
Suddenly holes in reality formed around Tiamat, before other hands with guns formed around Tiamat on all sides before Sieg hissed out," ON SECOND THOUGHT…ITS NOT EVEN WORTH THE EFFORT. YES…TIME FOR THE GAME TO END. I ADMIT IT WAS A RIGGED GAME ALL ALONG…BUT RIGGED GAMES ARE THE EASIST TO BEAT. IT MAY BE UNFAIR…BUT SOON IT WILL BE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN, IN ALL REALITES! YOU LASTER LONGER THAN I THOUGHT BUT YOU LOSE TIAMAT!
ABSOLUTE MAGOG TESLA EXECUTION!"
While asteroid sized bullets fired at Tiamat from all sides, like the thousand laser attack Xemnas once used, only with each blast being able to rupture a galaxcy.
While he got holes blown all over his body, Tiamat moved to avoid blows that would cripple him. Even as the injuries accumulated, he remained resolute as he closed his eyes and let out yet another bloody snicker at Sieg's latest tirade.
"So you spew whatever word vomit makes you feel better about yourself, you self-righteous hypocrite? Was I really that pathetic once…?"
In spite of his growing injuries, he once again grinned wildly as he looked up once again and laughed almost madly.
"You pompous, stupid, little jackass… I may not be able to win, but I told you before… Like Hell am I going to lose!"
Sieg only snickered at disgust at seeing Tiamat gather as much energy as he could before his eyes widened." A TRUE EVERYTHING OR NOTHING BET TO THE END? ALAS YOU DON'T HAVE THE CAPTIAL TO INVEST ENOUGH TO BANKRUPT ME BEFORE I LIQUIDATE YOU! DIE!"
Tiamat pre-formed his ultimate attack, his biggest and baddest flare yet, and Sieg prepared to strike it down. However, just as it reached its zenith and prepared to eject itself from Tiamat's bloody jaws, his voice again took on Shinryu's tone as he cried out one last time.
"I'M THE ONE WHO'S 'PATHETIC', HUH? THEN TELL ME—HOW'D YOUR PRECIOUS SIXTH DIMENSIONAL BRAIN GET STUPID ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A TARGET THIS DAMN BIG?! ZETAPYRIN!"
At the last second the dragon pivoted his head downward and fired…not at Sieg but at the cables below him that were part of the Song of Nephilim.
Sieg saw this and widened his eyes. "NO…DAMN YOU!"
It was too late. The Zetaflare connected, and immediately resulted in a far, far bigger explosion from the Oblivion Machine that rapidly began to sweep through the area.
Tiamat didn't even try to run. Rather, he held his head in the air and spread his arms wide as if he was embracing an old friend. His near-manic laughter continued to ring out until the blast consumed all remaining gas that was in his lungs.
As it swept over him to deliver him to annihilation, however, his telepathy rang out one final time within Sieg's mind.
Alright…I admit defeat. Bravo, human. You stomped on another ant. You must feel so proud of yourself. So here's the epitaph of the dragon race…
For your sake, I hope you really did get rid of the afterlife. Because mark my words…the next time you run into those humans you let escape, you're going to die.
And if there's still a Hell, I'll be waiting for you."
With that, the blast fully consumed him—and he was gone.
Sieg saw this and widened his eyes." NO…DAMN YOU! "
As he died, the part of his Oblivion Machine exploded.
Sieg saw this and used his power to keep the explosion form spreading across the Negaverse. While he was successful, the backlash still caused his doomsday machine to stagger all over before his eye twitched." HE INTENDED TO DIE FROM THE START JUST TO TRY AND STALL ME? ITS USELESS…NOTHING CAN STOP ME IN THE MULTIVERSE! NOTHING!"
As the entire Negaverse quaked his minions just struggled to not be blown away. Nine looked at the most recent data report before he winced." M…Master…the Oblivion machine's systems are not responding? What, what will be the best way to proceed?"
Sieg saw his subjects were looking at him before he snarled with disgust. He instantly returned to his human form and landed next to his subjects before clearing his throat." The damage hear is already fixed…but it caused a chain reaction across the entire Multiverse. We will pin down the errors and regain are progress…instantly. Time is money, Money is power...money is everything! And since money never sleeps, till this is over neither do any of you."
As the lesser employees went to work instantly Sieg glared at Carmen and narrowed his eyes." Have Mary and Gingrich return instantly. I am no longer amused with obsolete relics refusing to see the future. All the so called gods in the Multiverse that might be keeping this pathetic alliance alive will soon be joining Tiamat in being bankrupt.
Every move I make is calculated to perfection, ensuring that I stay three steps ahead of everyone else. Alas, sometimes fools just act beyond reason. Did you think this made you strong Tiamat?
Absolute power demands absolute sacrifice; it is a lonely summit, but one I am willing to climb. With great power comes great respect, and soon I will get the respect I deserve. You achieved nothing with this but making me angry, and those comrades you died for will feel so very foolish for thinking otherwise. This is the final gamble of all who think they can defy me and we will all see what trump's everything else once and for all."
As he went off to reverse what Tiamat did to his endgame, if nothing else the dragon's family was able to feel safe for the moment.
At the same time Bahamut's group landed in the Eternal. They barely had a chance to catch their breath before they arrived at their destination.
And no sooner had they docked, that than a door slid aside. Soon afterward, Maritza came sauntering out and waving at the group with Mack and a few of the others behind her. "Aloha, survivors! Nice to see you all in one piece…uh, figuratively not literally because I'm sure you've all had enough of that. We're all now part of the lucky folks who get to do this all again on a much bigger scale with a lot higher casualties in just a little bit! Hooray!"
"Colonel…Maritza?"
The scientist's demeanor ebbed a bit on hearing Krystea's voice. As she stepped forward to her, the woman hesitated uncertainly. Krystea, however, said no more. She looked just as uncertain and awkward back at her. There was a moment between the two where they stood a few feet apart—not knowing what move to make.
Finally, however, Maritza sighed. "Oh, no time for this… When we could all die at any second, so there's not a whole lot of time to get used to this sort of thing." With that, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Krystea's neck in a tight hug.
The Turk was honestly shocked. However, after an uncertain moment or two, she slowly raised her arms and began to hug her back.
As for everyone else, they saw the House of Hope in the distance before Kari smiled. "Don't worry everyone, that's the headquarters of the Multiversal Rebel Alliance...we made it back safe."
"Alright then!" Faerio announced. "Let's regroup then get back out there five minutes ago!"
Carbuncle, looking rather exhausted, gave her a tired look and shook his head. "Gawd, I'm so glad you weren't with us last time…"
Taraketh wasn't looking to the House of Hope, however. He was still looking behind him. "I used to hate that old pirate… Now I just keep wishing I could have done something to keep him from being so stupid…"
Quaren grimaced. "He always acted like he was so self-interested and lazy, but…he'd always be the first one to put his life on the line for his friends."
"It looks like no matter what universe we're in, someone always ends up having to make a sacrifice…" Cid grimly added.
"We can weep for him when the battle is over," Ceja coldly responded.
"Now comes the true trial," Veriguno stated as Jalab looked on at her warily. "Now we will see if we really can defy destiny or if we were just fools for trying."
"The battle for Planet Cetra is over. The war for the Multiverse is just beginning," Leviathan grimly added.
Bahamut, on his part, had yet to restore his human form. He was now looking at Eden who, after begin recovering from the blow and being released, was looking back the way they had come as if she could still see the destroyed planet. She was quiet and couldn't seem to care less about the House of Hope.
"Did Tiamat…say anything?" she finally asked him.
Bahamut hesitated before bowing his head. "No…nothing."
Eden didn't respond or react. She simply lowered her visor so that no one could see her eyes.
Lezard sighed before he closed his eyes." I'm sorry you lost your kin, it took many sacrifices. I honestly did not expect that version of Rufus to betray them till the end, but even he had his pride. I just wish, in the face of such godly monsters it would have made more a difference. But, we have to have hope we can."
While the others looked wary, Maritza saw everyone looked at there wit's end before she shrugged." "So I've been taking a gander against our overwhelming opponents. A couple things ended up coming to light. First off...they aren't quite as 'Sixth Dimensional' as they'd like to believe. Take a look back at your tussle with Carmen and Jaguara. Sixth Dimensional means they should be able to perceive all time and space across a multiverse as a singularity, right? They should've known every move we could make before we could even think to use it. Yet they both kept getting surprised by our cheap little three-dimensional tricks.
"Looks like they may have bulked up their bodies to be sixth-dimensional, but they were born as regular ol' average three-dimensional joes like you and me. I don't think they even have the brain capacity or faculties to think in six dimensions or even perceive in six dimensions. That's like me asking you to see a 4D object. Or describe a color that doesn't exist.
Or tell me how to move slower than being at rest. They can't do it any more than we can. That's why they're having to use all this technology in the first place. They may have an edge on us in terms of experience, but conceptualizing the Multiverse is just an abstract concept to them as us. I mean...heh...if it wasn't, they would have just killed you all outright at the onset, wouldn't they have?
"Second, and this may be a bit more obvious...they just love to hear themselves talk. The Sisters Myslexia could have killed us all in an instant. Their boss could have done the same. Instead, they want to make you all suffer first. Not just physically, mind you. They have entire universes worth of people for that. Naw...they specifically wanted you personally to feel crushed and defeated. And not just you, but everything you've ever stood for or tried to do. Now ask yourselves for a moment... Why is that? It doesn't give them any more power. It's not like they're perceiving you as anything more than a joke because, quite frankly, you are. It's not for adoration or acquiescence either. If they wanted that, they could just rewrite the universe to make you worship the farts they toot. So what's left?
"The answer, dear children, is validation. The sort of validation that someone with an inferiority complex feels. I don't they they DO see you all as bugs to stomp on or debris to brush aside. They see you as counter-examples. They see you as alternatives. Most of all, deep down in their widdle Sixth-Dimensional hearts, they see you as rivals. Things they can't get any satisfaction from just killing and being rid of. Things they have to prove they're better than. And not just you yourselves but everything you stand for.
Everything you've ever represented or created. Because if even one of those things remains, it'll be a little maggot in their souls telling them they really aren't the best of all possibilities. It'll be doubt. It'll be regret. And it'll be something they can't get rid of simply by merging all universes into their ideal fantasy.
"I'm beginning to think the IV and C never were the cream of their crop or ANY crop. On the contrary...they're acting more like the bottom of the barrel. Guys and gals so small, so weak, and so pathetic that they actually had the realization one day that they're actually the WORST.
We're talking lower than cockroach dung. Folks so used to thinking they're the lowest of nobodies that they're downright psychotic about proving that wrong. And if I were a betting woman? I think something...or someone...decided to give them their shot at all that.
"But bottom line...saying these people are psychotically warped is an understatement. Get them to doubt themselves...get them to see their own flaws? They'll crack. Their egos will implode. They'll lose their focus completely. They'll degenerate into your basic 'Blargh! It's all lies! I'm the best! I'm the greatest! Me, me, me, me, me!' like a five-year-old stamping their foot and throwing a fit. I think you can work with that, can't you?"
Kari grasped her Keyblade tightly before she nodded." Your right miss, there ego's caused all this suffering, and it also will cause their ruin, it has to."
Bahamut exhaled as he thought everything over. He looked back up and out the way they had come as well; his mind's eye replaying everything that had transpired before the end. At last, however, he turned away and began to step back…
When he stopped.
Suddenly, a burst of light went out in front of him, punctuated by bolts of white energy. For a moment, the air in front of him began to split as if reality was nothing more than a window. He gasped, and quickly flexed his muscles and claws, assuming it was another attack.
Yet what he saw on the other side wasn't one of the IV and C. Rather, much to his surprise, he saw a monstrous draconic face mottled with blood and burns. Larger and more terrible than any other great wyrm he had ever seen. He recognized it immediately as the face of Shinryu Verus.
But there was another flash of light and the image changed. And he stopped. There his brother stood before him.
His Fury form was gone, but it was him in his full glory. Or rather how Bahamut had remembered him from years so long ago he no longer recalled exactly how many it had been. He was there only a moment, like smoke that had twisted itself into just the right shape, or a shine from the lights that had tricked his eyes. Perhaps, had he blinked at that moment, it would have been gone and he could have dismissed it as fatigue and an idle brain dwelling on him.
Yet he couldn't. He could only stare at it in silence.
"Tiamat...?"
However, the moment he spoke, the vision faded. In moments, it was just the interior of the ship again, with no sign that anything had ever been there at all. Nothing save a voice he almost thought he could hear in his ear.
I would have liked to throw down with you, brother...one last time.
"Master?"
Bahamut snapped around in surprise-so violently and so suddenly that Ragnar, the one who had addressed him, leapt back in alarm. Immediately, he looked to the elder dragon with concern. He had never seen him look so spooked before.
"Are...you alright? Is something wrong?"
Bahamut hesitated. He looked back to where he had seen the vision, but there was nothing there now. Not even a trace of a whisper. He slowly closed his mouth and stared a bit longer, then exhaled.
"No...nothing. I was just...imagining things."
Zack grasped his head before he let out a heavy sigh." Cloud, I'm sorry I could not save you. I, I just hope we did not lose everyone."
Riku took a deep breath before he grasped his Keyblade tightly." We did not detect that they were killed, just that the ship was warped. Wherever they went, hope it was some were safer. But c'mon, we have to prepare for whatever comes next."
The Alliance member before him nodded in grim agreement before showing Bahamut 's group around, as they did, they did not realize that their comrades were not sure if they were safe or not but were about to find out.
Ezan, Aeris, Daigo and those on the Hague were wondering if the shockwave was going to cause them to die, before they felt the ship stop shaking, and saw a blank white space before Aeris winced." Oh great, we are not dead are we? Or worst, a special hell of the IV&C or something?"
Masaki looked around before he winced." We are not alone guys, there's a ship I never recognized. Huh? Hey Ezan, the frequency of that ship match's your universe!"
Ezan widened his eyes before he spat out," Wait, that, that's the Cathedral Elysium Terra? That's Auro's ship!"
Daigo gasped before uttering," Boss, you, you made it after all?"
Ezan quickly put in the command code before a hologram of KOS-MOS appeared. She smiled before bowing." Lord Ezan, Lord Daigo, its good you also made it as well."
"As well?"
He saw in the distance more ships before he saw both Mike and Astra's groups before holograms of both Mike and Astra appeared.
Mike saw Ezan and Astra before the curly haired man blinked." Oh wow, you guys both made it here to? Guess Lady Luck is giving me a, eh, nah still don't want to jynx it."
Astra looked around before muttering," Wait, so this was not just a break for us to?"
Ezan saw the Tri-Edge getting closer before he grasped Aeris's hand tightly and nodded to Daigo." Looks like…one way or another…this is the true endgame now. No matter the cost, I will be ready for my final duty as a Enji."
Authors Notes: Well, was a crazy ride but this is the conclusion of the unofficial " The Servant the Shinryu saga." I know it was twice as long as the other Gan World arcs but well, with it not just being my work I think there's a valid reason eh? Thanks again for Piccolo Sky for getting this all to work, made it a true Multiverse arc to say the least lol.
Meanwhile, Jaguara is an original creation, but she was inspired by those like the villains Sakon and his older brother Ukon from Naruto, with a few inspirations from what Maki Zenin and her twin sister Mai Zenin. And yah she was always planned to be a counterpart to Ezan.
Her Time Cell Moon Palace was from Jutsu Kaisen while her Video game like power was inspired by Yukio Hans Vorarlberna of the Xcution group in the Bleach series.
Andrew Waltfeld is from Gundam Seed.
Ultim Fini was the final non DLC boss of Super Robot Wars 30.
The Altdorf castile itself is from War Hammer Empire of Man.
Norvrandt is the final area of the Shadow Bringers section of Final Fantasy 14.
And that should cover it. Hope everyone saw the war across the Multiverse as more then a side show, next time big things are going down as we are getting closer to the finale of Cosmic Wars…its not going to be just a few chapters but, it is getting there. Hopefully can make it to the finish line before both this site and the world fall apart…hopefully.
In the meanwhile thanks for the reviews, hope you liked what you seen enough to leave more and see you next time.
Oh, but before that, one more bonus Authors Note from Sky.
Guess I got to write one last death for Wyvern. It was kind of fun having him talk smack until the end. :) Thanks again for letting me take the gang on one last ride, and sorry for how long winded I tended to be at times. Hope I was able to add to the experience."
