The Final Verdict I (All Worlds United)

Heaven, the divine paradise that welcomed the souls of those worthy enough to enter its gates after death; a Garden of Eden in which the dearly departed could rest after their lives on Earth had ended.  It was a place devoid of sickness, pain, and sadness, the ultimate destination for those who believed in the afterlife.  A golden city with similarly colored streets, lush green fields, and pure and crisp flowing rivers were all just a taste of its luster. However, the current state of paradise was in jeopardy.

As mankind and history were instantaneously incinerated by the Demon King, not even the mighty Elysium could wean away from the effects.  The mighty pillars of the noble cities home to the various deities and epic heroes crumbled and began to collapse.  The free-flowing rivers turned to blood thus running over its banks.  The green fields withered and decayed as if the essence of spring was ripped from it and the golden streets had rusted throughout the realm.  Without the Counter Force, the very foundation of the realm was degrading rapidly. The pristine, azure skies of this realm became enveloped in dark hues of purple and indigo as a vortex of energy began to crack the heavens like glass.  

Black portals compact with ominous auras appeared on the roadways leading into the city.  From these thresholds appeared a particular legion of insurmountable mystery.  As they silently trod into the Golden City, each figure had been shrouded in an insidious, white glow covered by hooded, raven black cloaks.  They were all female figures built like Amazonian warriors each standing over 6 feet tall.  The long, slim bodies of these women had been concealed by dresses akin to nuns.  

Appearing from another portal to lead the unknown armada were two distinct figures.  The first one was a woman.  She had long, flowing white hair with silver eyes that oozed an impeccable sense of beauty. Pale, lavender skin molded over her curvaceous shape only added sex appeal to her strong presence and fearsome expression.  Her body was covered in provocative attire consisting of a black and gold bikini-like armor, long leather boots, leather arm sleeves, and a black and red cloak draping over her shoulders with a golden, vampire-like skull at her neck.  Her daring gaze indicated that she did not care about prying eyes over her 6' 4" visage.

The second in command was a male figure clad in unique armor molded from steel and the bones of dead dragons. His face had been concealed by a veil of darkness provided by the hooded cerulean cloak over his shoulders. Boasting a height of around 6'7, the mysterious dark knight possessed a strong physical build comparable to that of the Red-Eyed Hero.  However, the aura he emanated had born significant weight showcasing that he was a formidable opponent.

Reacting to the bizarre phenomenon caused by the invaders, the warriors sworn to defend Elysium had risen to arms.  Armored knights gilded in silver and gold armor drew their steel blades blessed by the gods to engage in combat riding on horseback.  Alongside them were giants whom boasted massive hammers capable of dismantling small bi-level buildings in one shot with their bulging muscles.  Providing air support were the Valkyries whom excelled in runic magic and other mystic arts. Reinforcing them from the rear were angels carrying spears, swords and other holy weaponry designed to incinerate evil. 

These and other kinds of valiant heroes directed their fury at the dark armies coming forward.  The knights sought to impale the enemy by rushing through them as the cavalry unit while the giants swung their hammers about to bat aside any targets that were missed.  The Valkyries sought to use their elemental magic to barrage the advancing legion from above in hopes of stopping their advance while the angels elected to go for a flanking maneuver to impede the enemy on either side.  Hundreds of thousands of brave souls stepped up to repel against the force that had the audacity to invade their sanctuary.  Regardless of what happened to the Counter Force, as long as they had the power to fight back then they would carry out their duty without delay.

The dark knight advanced a short distance to separate himself from the army behind him as he stared down the warriors of light.  He took his blade and raised it up in the air before spinning it around and stabbing it into the rusted roadway before him.  In that moment, a wave of black mist washed over the ground rushing towards the heroes in a blink of an eye.  The cavalry never relented with their charge so they continued to press on.  As the ocean of black brushed underneath their horses and chariots, they suddenly found their speed grinding to a halt.

The mist began to pull the knights in like quick sand as the sounds of horses crying out paired with the screams of the armored warriors rang out in the air.  Mixed with their mind-numbing screeches were the echoes of a crunching sound as the molecules of darkness literally ate away every inch of the armored soldiers leaving not even a trace of their bones.  Though rattled by this sight, the remaining forces continued to press on.

The evil knight focused his gaze towards the sky as barrages of elemental attacks were focused on his location.  The advanced magic held quite the punch.  Each assault was enough to cleanse entire civilizations across various universes in one fell swoop even possessing the capability of damaging divine beasts; however, such pitiful attacks meant nothing to the fierce knight of darkness.  As he absorbed the mystic rain without flinching, he merely snapped his fingers.

In that next moment, the mist that had consumed the knights evaporated into the air above the female, winged warriors.  In that very next instant, black needles had struck downward like precipitation thus impaling each woman more than one hundred times over.  These tiny spine-like attacks severed every vital organ within the body as well as infected the targets on the molecular level disintegrating all affected parties from the inside out.  However the deterioration of the Valkyries was not enough to decimate the aerial forces, the angels were next on the sinister being's hit list.

Taking note of how the holy guardians split their troops up to circle and attack from each side, the male guided the dark cloud above and split it in two.  Each half of the cloud dived back towards the ground moving like oceanic clusters of shadow to either side.  The angels were already coping with the loss of the cavalry and the Valkyries; however, they could not afford to let grief distract them from the task at hand.  Though that kind of mental fortitude was admirable, it ultimately distracted them from taking into account the severity of the coming threat.

As the pools of darkness took up fortified positions on the flanks of the dark legion of troops, the angels elected to press forward for their attack.  In that very next moment, the darkened grounds transformed as hundreds of phantom hands sprang forth from the ground to assault the winged guardians.  The angels were swatted out of the skies like flies.  Their feathered appendages were ripped from their backs as their bodies were torn limb from limb.  Some of them were impaled or cleaved in half by their own weaponry while others were beaten to death by their wings.  The phantom hands spared no one of a gruesome demise.

Three parts of the defending forces had been decimated leaving the giants to remain.  Proud men and women representing the embodiment of pure, unadulterated might that imposed fear into the hearts of fools by just their appearance had remained; however, they were all stunned and mortified by what they just saw.  At least 75% of their vanguard was destroyed in seconds by one man.  This was unprecedented.  If anything, it proved that the enemy force greatly outclassed the lesser and celestial gods with ease.  As a result, their enemy could not be underestimated.  However, there was no other choice.

The giants stampeded their way across the battlefield towards their foe.  Even if it was a futile endeavor, they were determined to land at least some form of a blow on the opponent.  Recognizing the valor of this advancement, the dark knight withdrew his blade from the ground and walked towards the oncoming foes.  Without any further delay, he vanished faster than lightning could strike.  Instantly, the first five giants heading up the charge were hacked to bits by a spiraling cloud of darkness.  Reacting to this, another small ground of giants swung their hammers down upon the cloud.

The mist disappeared then reappeared before that group was hacked to bits.  It was then that a ghostlike entity just wafted between the imposing brutes as each one was dealt an untimely demise.  Bloody limbs flew through the air along with many different heads rolling across the dirt.  After about 10 seconds, the melee had come to an end.  The knight beheaded the last of his foes before he ceased his movement to take a look over the battlefield.  All that remained were the bodies of crushed angels and the severed heads and limbs of giants.  The knights and Valkyries left nothing of note behind aside from the effort they put into fighting a one-sided battle.

The merciless warrior raised his blade to the verdant hills in the distance while not even bothering to wallow over the dead around him.

"Inferno is already ours and Goetia has conquered Gaia, now Elysium falls!  Go, my loyal worshippers, take over this kingdom.  Let us kill the cowardly king and seize the Seven Sealed Scroll!" the Goddess of Night declared to the army of nuns.

Like a plague, the forces washed over the battlefield.  The concept of death and despair made flesh, they wafted over the field through the remains of the warriors phasing through them and erasing the remains of any corpses.  They passed through the Golden City eroding the ground they walked upon.  As the male and female began to march together, only the fierce woman spoke.

"We shall put his head on display for all to see.  The gods will fall in line once their Great Hero is erased."

***** 

Far across the reaches of the meadows in the countryside of Elysium sat a large, lone estate.  As the greenery and color of the fields turned to ash from the decay of the realm, the 21st century temple-like construct stood proudly without any sign of ruin.  The dark legion of souls marched upon this land without any reservation for any signs of life in the area.  Coming to a halt on the grounds, the two commanding figures walked briskly towards the doors of the home.  Without any further delay, they kicked both doors down only to find themselves welcomed by one individual.

"Took you two long enough to get here," a masculine voice rang out.

The illumination within the structure gave a clear image of the man.  He had long, raven black hair and shimmering black eyes whilst sporting a pair of black rimmed glasses upon his face.  He had lightly tanned skin with a muscular build dressed in a mix of casual and formal attire.  Wearing a long black trench coat with a red sash around his neck overtop a white collared shirt, black trousers fastened by a dark, brown leather belt with a silver buckle, and matching black slacks and black leather gloves, he sat in a black chair that was in the middle of the empty foyer of the estate.

A small pile of this man's favorite books were piled high to his right as he held a book in one hand and a cigarette in the other.  Taking a moment, he had one long drag of the tobacco item before crushing it in his hand thus grinding it to dust.  Then he closed the book in his other hand and sat down atop of the stack.  The individual in question was a man known by many titles.  He was called the Hero of Elysium and the King of the Primordial Gods, but he was most notably known as the God Hunter.  His name was Alexander Grayson-Mercer.

"Nyx, the Primordial Goddess of Night and Death alongside Erebus, the Primordial God of Darkness and Nightmares and heir to the title of Primordial King, I reckon you two lovebirds would like to chat?" the God Hunter cut to the heart of the matter in a blunt fashion.

"You know of us?  What an honor.  Though I must say, you look a lot different from what the old legends say," the fearsome female, Nyx, mockingly retorted.

"Well y'know, thought I'd try a new look after that blue hair phase," the God Hunter casually replied, a sly grin forming with his lips.

Meanwhile behind the duo, black nimbus clouds began to spiral in the skies above the mansion.  The thunderous roars of a sudden, oncoming storm made the pair tense up as they felt an intense aura occupy the air.

"You've made quite the mess in this hallowed place.  I hope you don't mind if I clean up a bit by doing something about that army of yours," Mercer remarked before snapping his fingers.

"Unyielding Tempest."

Flashes of light occupied the spiral of clouds rotating above the structure.  It was within the very next second that an enormous bolt of white lightning came crashing down upon the roof of the Mercer Mansion.  As soon as the plasma made contact with the large structure, the entirety of the house began to quake.  The rattling shook every orifice of the home down to the very foundation that held it securely within the ground as a reaction occurred that gave birth to a massive pillar of light.

The chasm began to expand from the top of the roof into an all-consuming storm that decimated the entirety of the mansion and the verdant hills.  With every inch that the light expanded, the territory had withered away before devouring the dark legion that surrounded it.  In that following instance, the once mighty army that merely breezed through the Golden City and trampled over the remains of the fallen heroes and angels were reduced to nothing more than dust particles.  The only two that remained of this invasion were Erebus and Nyx.  The pair remained untouched due to their Primordial nature; however, they held little choice in observing how the light erased their followers.  As a result when the light faded away, they had to prepare themselves to face the God Hunter.

The trio now stood upon a barren wasteland that had been scorched by the storm.  Nothing more than the soil of Elysium beneath their feet had remained as about 4,000 acres of land was vaporized.  The man who caused all of this merely stood there with a silent, yet focused expression on his face.

"I hear you two are looking for this?" the king had calmly stated whilst pulling the fabled scroll out of his pocket only to then spin it on the tip of his finger like it was a basketball.

"We're here to claim the scroll…and your head!" Erebus proclaimed whilst his body and armor became enveloped in ominous black flames.  To his side, the Goddess of Night mimicked a similar action by drawing a sword from behind her back that was obscured by her cloak.  Pulling out the long sword with a golden hilt and dragon scaled steel, she ignited the blade with similar flames.

"How touching to see husband and wife stand together in the face of adversity.  I think it will become abundantly clear that you two need more than fancy fire magic to bring me down," Mercer declared in rebuttal.

Feeding into that remark, the evil Primordial beings lunged towards their target without any further delay.  Regardless of the difference in body types or weight, the pair was in perfect unison with their initial motion of attack.  Erebus held his giant blade with two hands thus seeking to swing his blade over his head onto his opponent.  Nyx held her long sword with one hand and went straight for a piercing thrust.

As the two deadly forms of motion threatened to land fatal hits on his person, Mercer merely pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.  The God Hunter poised his body to go on the defensive.  He anticipated the very moment each impact would attempt to land his body before stepping back thus allowing the motions to follow through.  As the dangerous couple struck nothing more than molecules of air, they looked to see their target crack a sly grin daring them to attack again.  At this point, the outrage over the man's cockiness began to take hold over the two gods causing their onslaught of attacks to begin.   

Erebus rushed in once again swinging his blade wildly in a series of arcs and crescent moon shape attacks.  Trails of darkness and black flames tore apart the air causing tiny, hairline fractures in space to appear wherever he swung his mighty blade.  Springing from these tiny rifts were needle-like threads of darkness that culminated together into umbrakinetic limbs that pursued after the God Hunter.

Nyx dived in from the right flank with her blade dancing around like a ballerina alternating between swift cutting motions and micro-thrusts as if she was wielding a rapier.  With each precision strike, her weapon effortlessly cleaved through the air leaving a strident blaze of black fire.  The effect from her sword melted the space between herself and her target thus allowing her to close the distance faster without having to get caught up in the attacks being dished out by her husband.  It was like the Goddess had 'cursed' the concept of distance until space caved in to her will thus allowing her to skip through the air.

For Mercer, he merely sidestepped around the attacks coming from Erebus' front.  He dodged and weaved around the brutish attacks headed his way while slapping aside the faux hands that tried to grab hold of him.  Simultaneously, he used his greater foresight to move around Nyx's attacks in advance of the points in which her strikes would land.  As a result, it appeared as if the man was leaving afterimages of where he was while stepping towards the next space he would be located to frustrate and confuse his foes.  Nevertheless, they continued to attack in perfect harmony.

So it seems one goes for a full-frontal assault while the other uses deception in her attacks to force her foe to get caught up in their thoughts of how to move next.  Therefore if one were to focus on avoiding the brutal attacks of one party, then that person would eventually be caught by the other's elaborate trickery.  In conclusion, she is the one I should focus on removing from the equation first.

After taking a moment in the back of his mind to analyze his evaluation of the skills of both opponents, the man diverted his gaze towards the erotic yet ruthless woman to his left.  The moment he felt her attacks approach him; he took a momentary pause to place a single fingertip up to stop the blade from penetrating the air.  Upon having a tiny hold of the point of the blade, he pushed the weapon over to his right towards the armored swordsman.  This transferred the momentum of her attack in that general direction and caused her trick maneuver to activate in the direction of her husband.

"Guh!" grunted the male as he felt the force of that attack.

"Tch…dammit," Nyx spat in annoyance, but she continued to pursue her enemy not even stopping to check if her husband was affected by her attacks.

The slight counterstrike that Mercer put into play was a small application of a martial art known as Aikido.  It was the act in which a person fights without actually fighting.  The practitioner defends themselves by taking the energy from the attacker and redirecting it back without actually causing harm to either party.  Mercer put this principle into action by allowing Nyx's attack to follow through towards his position.  With the use of his index finger, he allocated the use of his energy to act as a rubber wall that absorbed the impact of her motion.  From there, he redirected the flow of force thrown his way in another direction.  This is why the Goddess of Night's attack was blown towards her companion.

Nyx continued to pursue her enemy using her fancy swordplay while Erebus proceeded to do the same with his attacks.  The King of Elysium only reciprocated his attacks by implementing a pattern of dodging each and every strike thrown his way while occasionally using Aikido to throw off their rhythm.  He redirected a crescent moon slash from Erebus by tossing the energy from the strike towards Nyx.  However, the woman was cunning enough to skillfully maneuver around it.  She essentially dipped backwards inverting her body like a bow whilst the dark flames barely grazed over her breasts.

"You bastard, stop toying with us already!" she shouted out with frustration taking hold of her voice.

"Cursed Usurper, you are only prolonging the inevitable.  The sins of your past have caught up to you.  Do you really think dancing around like a buffoon will save you from your fate?" Erebus echoed in a taunting voice.

"I do hope a petty grudge isn't the sole reason you decided to become the authors of your own demise.  I find your ignorance level to be disturbing," the God Hunter responded in kind.

"You son of a—…"

Nyx lashed out at that moment as the perceived cockiness of the man had stepped upon her nerves.  She took the blade in her hand and whirled it around her head before moving like she was about to throw the weapon.  In that moment, her blade broke into segments and stretched out into a chain-like whip.  The serpentine steel lunged forth towards Mercer's position before being batted down into the ground causing a small crater to appear.  With a flick of her wrist, she altered the direction of the weapon and began to whip the air trying to assail her target.

Admittedly, the long-haired male had a feeling that such an occurrence would eventually take place when he glanced over the blade upon touching it; however, he wanted to test how long it would take for her to use that trick.  Given her flair, he surmised that she had a very short fuse or that she preferred getting to the point.  Yet, Mercer had a nagging feeling that the two opponents he faced were trying to rush through with the action of defeating him.  There was something else going on here.

Nyx lashed the air repeatedly leaving a curse in the air molecules that allowed her attacks to travel faster and faster in an attempt to just land an attack on her foe.  Erebus knew it would be a fool's errand to charge in there while the woman elected to take the offensive edge in this way so he observed at that moment.  In that next moment, he came to regret that fact.

"Gah….?!" the chaotic knight grunted in pain.

"Dead center," echoed the voice of Mercer.

During the flurry of attacks, Nyx allowed her anger to get the better of her so she was carelessly tossing her blade around by whipping the air where Mercer had been.  Each time, the God Hunter skillfully dodged and occasionally blocked her attacks with his fingertips.  At a certain point, he made use of Aikido once more and batted away the tip of her blade sending it soaring through the air opposite of his direction.  It was then that the crown of the edge struck the armored being directly in his chest causing the dragon steel armor to crack.  Like skipping a stone across water, this caused Erebus to be slapped across the ground.

"Why didn't you dodge instead of just standing there?" Nyx criticized as she quickly pulled her whip back to revert it into a sword.

"He didn't really have a choice if we're being fair," Mercer called out, "I did double the efficacy of your attack with that redirection move just now."

"You think this will be enough to stave off your punishment?  Did you really think you would be able to live out your days sitting on a throne that you stole without any consequence?  Your arrogance is the exact reason why the gods have strayed from the path.  Your existence cannot continue to be left unchecked!" Erebus ranted regaining his composure to fight.

"Such a grandiose speech, but with your current skill level…I sincerely doubt you will be able to accomplish what you speak," Mercer mocked.

"Tch…Nyx, it seems we need to cease holding back.  Goetia will not need our assistance so we should devote all our strength into putting this dog in the ground where he belongs," the menacing knight suggested flipping his blade over his shoulder.

"Oh? You're ready to become a man? You just might be able to turn me on again," the female vixen smirked deviously.

Their auras increased in density as the pair reaffirmed their resolve.  In that moment, Erebus and Nyx charged at Mercer whilst drawing from their Primordial nature.

The combatants seem to be multiplied in the millions as the three fighters were going at it from all across the realm at once.  Using their omnipresence, Nyx and Erebus directed their prowess to overwhelming the God Hunter using their speed in combination with their enhanced attacks.   All over the realm from the empty field where the Mercer Mansion had once stood to the gates that sectioned off The Crossroads, the nigh-innumerable duplicates of each fight clashed in the air.  A rainstorm of aura poured out over the heavenly space.  Mercer continuously evaded the swordsmanship and martial arts of the two dark deities, his relaxed yet stern expression never wavering. 

Erebus eventually stepped up to the plate by taking the lead in the onslaught.  He rushed forward with his great sword in tow.  The man swung the blade downward in a massive overarching slash attack that threatened to cleave Mercer in two, much like his opening move when the fight began.  From there, he immediately pressed forward by an attempted shoulder rush before bringing his blade around him by swinging it horizontally to his left.  Supporting his actions, the flames from his body generated shadow limbs that reached out to try and grab a hold of the God Hunter's body.  This was done to give Erebus a chance to recover his footing with his giant sword before he attempted his attacks again.

The God of Nightmares repeated this pattern of attacks in a variety of combinations to try and throw off the Hero of Elysium's footing, but it seemed to fail every time.  It was then that Erebus shifted movement by allowing one shadow limb to grab his sword and chase after Mercer.  The limb swung the blade horizontally before another limb came up from behind to grab the blade and swing in the opposite direction.  The limbs continued their sleight of hand technique thus creating a net of darkness and black fire around the target.  It was then that Erebus dissolved into the dark aura cast from his body before springing up within the net.  He launched himself at full speed with his blade in hand and swung the weapon once more seeking to behead his target.  Mercer narrowly evaded the attack, but not unscathed.

As the God Hunter backed away, Erebus halted any further movement twirling the weapon around in his hand.  Nyx floated over to his side.  Mercer raised an eyebrow and felt something warm on his face followed by a stinging sensation.  He reached a hand up to his face and gently pressed his fingers against his cheek.  When he looked down, he could see a liquid substance covering the surface of his leather gloves.  The scent of iron filled his nostrils allowing him to identify it as blood.

That blade can bypass a Primordial's immortality.  I see…

"Obsigno," he uttered.

A blinding flash of light occurred in that moment.  The power emitted from that incantation caused an aura to seal the omnipresent nature of all present.

"What the hell?!" Nyx gasped upon feeling the ground beneath her feet where the battle had initially began.  It was like the entire scuffle beforehand never happened.  Her partner, on the other hand, remained calm to anticipate his opponent's next move.

"Cheap tricks will get you nowhere.  Honestly, I expected the fabled God Hunter to be more aggressive in a fight.  Failing to land a single blow is most disappointing," the Dark Prince mocked confidently. 

"Hahaha, look at him.  He bleeds just like a filthy mortal," the Goddess of Night laughed victoriously before taking the next moment to boast.

"How does it feel?  Mortality, that is.  We knew that your power would be more than enough to decimate us, which is why we searched for a way to end you for so long.  You must have guessed it by now, haven't you?  The flame-like void of the Ginnungagap, a vast power-filled realm that existed prior to the birth of our Omniverse, is where the fabled Root of Origin can be found.

It was never meant to be.  A being of the Omniverse created by Akasha was to be forever prohibited from venturing into the Root for all of eternity.  However, an exception to Akashic Law was made possible when the one who calls herself 'Arayashiki' ventured into the void and bestowed us with the armaments she built using her newfound knowledge."

"…Arayashiki?" Mercer pondered the meaning behind that name as he touched his fingers to his cheek again.  The red blood of a human being had still been streaming down his cheek.  Realizing that it was not some cheap illusionary trick, he took a short breath.

"Very well then, you two are going to spill everything you know after I defeat you," the King of Elysium boldly declared as he stretched out both of his hands like he was grasping for air.

Suddenly, two armaments were summoned out of a small burst of blue lightning.  In his right hand, the God Hunter summoned what appeared to be an ordinary hunting knife.  It had a curved, serrated-edge blade and an antler handle.  Upon closer inspection, one could see that symbols were engraved along the steel surface.  In his left hand appeared a gun.  It had a rustic steel barrel styled like a six-shot revolver with an oak grip.  To be specific, it was like a replica of the Colt Paterson 1836 ball and cap gun albeit modified to fire metallic cartridges.  Along the barrel was an inscription of a Latin name: deus fractus.  This roughly translated to "Broken God" or "God Breaker".

Seeing these actions take place before her eyes, Nyx was less than impressed.

"It does not matter what you do, Mercer.  Our weapons can beat yours.  My beloved's armor will erase any of your offensive maneuvers and our blades will certainly kill you," she mocked.

"Are you sure about that?" the long-haired male responded without any hint of anxiety tainting his voice.  A subtle grin pursed his lips which sent a chill down the Goddess' spine.

Contrary to that feeling, Mercer thrust his knife forward as if he was stabbing the air.  Nyx raised her eyebrow with disbelief.  Just as she was about to relinquish another haughty laughter…

"Sweet dreams," uttered the noble king.

"Nyx! You-…"

Erebus had shouted out, but the words did not reach her.  The world froze for the briefest of moments.  It was like someone had just pressed pause on everything that existed in that one single period in time.  When the principles of cause and effect came to be once more, the God Hunter's knife was inexplicably lodged in the fierce beauty's abdomen.  The woman was rendered speechless as she cast her eyes downward to see the dagger piercing her body.  From there she collapsed to her knees, her eyes widened like a bug and her vessel completely paralyzed.  Her husband witnessed this mind-numbing visual which sent him into an uncontrollable rage.

"As if killing my father was not enough, now you injure my wife? Mercer…you…you….BASTAAARD!!!!" he cried out.

"It was your choice to step foot in Elysium again after all this time.  I told you before that I hoped you weren't invading over a petty grudge.  You willingly walked into this situation," the God Hunter responded in kind.

"You vile wretch, surely you just.  None of this would be happening right now if it wasn't for you killing the original Primordial King to begin with!  Did you really think that a pretender could sit upon the Throne unabated for all these eons?  Did you really think that your life would go unpunished?  You, who dares to defile the throne that is promised to me with your insignificant mortal life?  You, a man who thinks himself a god because of a few special powers, are by far the definition of a fool.  Your existence is an affront to everything that stands to be.  A man like you who has forgotten his place is exactly why this cycle stands to end!" the maddening knight rages on while aiming his sword at him.

"I tried to keep these feelings of mine suppressed for the sake of a clear mind.  Yet daring to touch the woman I love….was your biggest mistake."

"So you are trying to justify your anger by blaming the results of the current situation on me, of which you caused by the way?  I see…fine then.  If I am to be the villain, then I openly accept your challenge.  Show me the depths of your hatred.  In the end, you'll learn that coming into this place was a mistake on your own part."

It was then that the flames burning around Erebus' armor expanded in all directions forcing Mercer to back further away.  In a blitzing tornado of darkness, the armored man came spiraling after his target fully consumed by his bloodthirst.  His power over conceptual darkness crafted shadow duplicates of himself that pursued after the God Hunter—about 10 in all.

Each one was a perfect, convincing copy as they all showcased the same appearance of a knight-like warrior clad in black flames.  As the small force rushed in, they dashed towards Mercer from any given direction swinging around that hefty blade supported by limbs of umbrakinetic energy.  One clone would swing the blade from the left side before another jumped over that one's back by swinging its blade from the right.  Two came from opposite ends of a diagonal path jumping over each other trying to swipe in from different heights.  Then the next pair attacked from behind.  Each duplicate had attacked in a coordinated manner attempted to keep the God Hunter boxed in.

Mercer was forced to contort his body in a variety of angles and positions in order to effectively evade the Primordial Prince.  As he maneuvered as skillfully as he could, the man projected a visage as if he was a master thief trying to get around the laser grid of a highly secured vault.  There were many close calls, yet he was somehow managing.  However, he would not be able to keep that pace for much longer.

"Detonate," Erebus uttered.

His clones evaporated into a black mist generating a large cloud of darkness that enveloped the experienced slayer.  In that instant, the knight dissolved into that insidious cloud and took advantage of the blacked out space.  He began to swing his blade around under the cover of darkness since Mercer was temporarily rendered blind.  As a result, Erebus was able to land a few more cuts placed across various areas of the man's body.

"Tch…"  Mercer gritted his teeth.  Once more he had to retreat except this time, he was cornered against a wall constructed of fire that the prince had placed whilst following through his onslaught.

"Not bad, kid.  I would even go as far as to say that I underestimated your abilities," the Hero of Elysium genuinely complimented his foe as the veiled individual rematerialized from the darkness.

Erebus, the son of the last Primordial King, was banished from the heights of Elysium alongside Nyx and the other Dark Gods.  They took refuge in Inferno having nowhere else to go before conquering it and turning it into their own grim version of Eden.  Over the eons since the reign of his father collapsed, he planned vicariously of how he would rise to prominence once again.  His desire to return to glory was a slow, burning ember that grew into a blaze that threatened to consume creation.  Seeing his father's killer cornered like a rat gave him great satisfaction as he sought to bring this act to its close.

"Hunter of yore who dared to raise your hand against the gods and steal away my birthright, today you meet your demise.  Gods like myself are something that an insignificant, pathetic mortal such as yourself is incapable of ever understanding…much less, emulating," the emboldened warrior declared as he raised his blade high in preparation for his final blow.

His wife may have been injured, but this moment was something that he could not help but to enjoy.  The man had dreamt of this day for countless centuries.  He longed for the day when Alexander Grayson-Mercer would be at his mercy as judgment would finally be cast upon him.  To be judge, jury, and executioner of this being was a blessing all in itself.  The pleasure of his vengeance being fulfilled coiled around the inner workings of his mind.  Erebus was experiencing a kind of euphoria that could not be seen through the visor of his helmet.  Composing himself, he only had one last thing to say.

"Any last words before I claim your head?"

Silence was met for a terse period.  Mercer merely lowered his gaze and gathered his thoughts before speaking his mind.

"Are the Gods truly such grandiose beings?  Before them, are humans truly so insignificant?  We mortals always do our best to live our lives to the fullest.  We're flesh and bone—our lives can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye.  Nothing but death awaits us, and yet we always move forward.

Erebus, do you think you deserve being a God?  When instead of protecting those who give their all, you laugh at those who fight to survive?  To bring forgiveness and to care for life is that not the purpose of the Gods?

Akasha is always willing to share her life with us…she believes in us.  How can you call yourself a God if you have no love in your heart?  If this is what a god truly is to you, then I will always be a blasphemer in your church."

The son of the original Primordial King tensed up in that moment from the speech uttered by the man before him.  He felt himself welling up with an unspeakable sensation of rage all over again, boiling up inside him from the very core of his being.  Even in the face of imminent demise, the God Hunter dared to be defiant to the end going so far as to insult the very principles that the dark prince believed in.

"FOOL! I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOU!  You are the bastard children of Lesser Gods.  Why would a perfect, eternal being such as me care for your struggles?  Would you care about the struggles of microbes or cockroaches?!  Your folly is beyond insufferable.  Every breath you take is beyond the definition of an insult to me!  Die like the rest of the insignificant beings erased by history and be forgotten!" Erebus declared aloud.  Without any further delay, the knight brought down his blade in a vertical arcing motion.  It was then that the voice of the intended target rang out within the mind of the angered deity.

"Wrong, Prince of Darkness…"

The God Hunter disappeared just before the finishing blow collided with his original position then reappeared behind Erebus.  The God-Breaker pistol was held to the back of the berserk swordsman's head.  Before the trigger was pulled, Mercer had one last statement to make.

"There is something eternal within us as well.  Though born without an iota of strength, we can acquire infinite wisdom and power through our experiences.  That way, we mortals can become endlessly stronger and surpass even the gods themselves.  My family is the ultimate proof of this.

We gained countless scars to arrive this far.  We lost countless friends and made many sacrifices.  Therefore, even if it's far from enough, even if it's only one step a time, we'll keep walking forward.  For as long as there is hope, miracles will always be possible.  That is what our bodies learned in all of those past battles.  For all of our friends, and for Akasha, we must keep on fighting!  We are this world's and Akasha's hope!  If you insist on standing in our way, then you leave me with no choice but to kill you."

That speech resonated deep within the mind of the God of Darkness.  It overcame his shock at the fact that Mercer evaded his attack.  Though he would not verbalize it, he felt a small part of him acknowledge the man's conviction if nothing else.  However, that speech…that testimony of the Hero of Elysium's faith would not break his outlook on lesser beings.

"You think you can kill me with that little gun of yours?  Don't be a-…"

The sound of a gunshot swiftly severed those words in that moment.  A bullet shell encased in white lightning escaped the barrel of the weapon, the Dark Prince rendered unable to react to it.  His fate was sealed the moment that devilishly powerful piece of weaponry's trigger was pulled.  The bullet had instantaneously entered his armor before his physical form imploded into a pillar of brilliant radiance leaving only the cloak and helmet behind in the aftermath.

"…Jackpot," Mercer spoke whilst letting out a long sigh.  He felt it deep inside his bones that this was not the end.

Lowering himself down to one knee, the tired hunter had picked up the helm.

"No head…it was empty from the beginning.  He only showed himself to test his weapons against mine," he concluded.

"Guess that leaves you..."

Though the King of Elysium hoped to get information out of Nyx, it was already too late.  As soon as he turned around to see his prisoner, all he found was his hunting knife lying in a pool of golden blood and melted flesh.

"Abandoning your current physical form in order to escape?  A desperate move," Mercer remarked as both his knife and his god-killing gun vanished in a burst of blue sparks.

He claimed victory though given the devastation of Elysium; one could say it was a hollow one at best.  The battle may be over, but the war was far from it.  Nevertheless, the next step was obvious to the man.

"It's time to take a trip downstairs," he said before standing up.  However before he could start his journey, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Wait up!" the youthful voice of the great blacksmith, Alexis, called out.

She rushed down the ashen hilltops towards her grandfather before coming to a full stop in front of him.

"Are you alright? Didn't know you could even bleed regular ol' red liquid," she inquired curiously.

"You know when grown-ups tell you everything's going to be fine, but you really think they're lying to make you feel better?"  Mercer asked whilst adjusting the glasses on his face.

"Yeah…"

"Everything's going to be fine."

"Right…anyways, here.  Give this to Uncle Raizo," she remarked as she handed over what appeared to be a circular, black metal disk.

"Yes ma'am," Mercer acknowledged taking the item into his possession thus accepting the task given without question.  His mind then immediately focused on the confrontation that was going to happen while readying to depart.

"Oh one more thing, don't forget to tell him it might hurt a bit at first; it's a massive upgrade over the original."

"Duly noted."

In a chasm of white and blue light, Mercer vanished.

***** 

In the twisted realm that was crafted by Goetia, thousands of giant red eyes stared down upon the last group of warriors able to fight against the threat that incinerated all of humanity.  The colossal pillars manipulated by the King of the Demon Gods converged on their location threatening to erase them and snuff out any remaining hope for what was left of creation.  However, the warriors were not going down without a fight.

After being forcefully cut off from his nigh insanity by Kimiko, Raizo put forth his effort to keep the enormous tentacle beasts away by carving a path straight to Goetia.  The Stormbringer used his blazing speed to weave his way towards the goal by channeling his electrical aura inside Vajra.  The legendary blade radiated with crimson electricity as he began to butcher the beasts before him.

He stabbed his blade inside the closest eye of the pillar that was nearest his position before dashing up its side eventually carving it in half.  Leaping high into the air, the youth discharged a series of crescent slashes that carried the crimson energy towards another crowd of targets.  In an instant, another batch of the large demonic pillars was obliterated with little difficulty.

"Oh shit look at that! That guy uses crimson electricity like me!  Heh, guess I should give him credit for literally stealing my thunder," Mordred scoffed with a chuckle whilst holding the rearguard position.

"Could you try to be serious for once given the situation at hand?" Artoria sighed standing beside the Knight of Treachery with her legendary blade in hand.

Together, the two knights released twists of golden and crimson energy from their swords concentrating their Noble Phantasms to keeping the mysterious tentacle beasts behind them at bay.

"Hey I can kill things and talk shit at the same time, Father.  These guys are total pushovers anyway!" the naïve female expressed with a confident grin.

"As a knight of Camelot, surely you know to never underestimate your opponent correct?"

"Well…yeah but…they're just so weak.  I mean come on…"

"Mordred-san, I'd appreciate it if you would try to maintain some form of focus.  Are you forgetting why you and Artoria-san are on the rearguard detail already?" called out the Maiden of Orleans crouched down just a short distance behind the two knights.

Jeanne had been kneeling down beside the enthusiastic blonde swordswoman, Lucy, whom was still in a state of unconsciousness after Goetia's opening assault.  On the opposite of her position, Nightingale held her hands over the girl's chest using her pledge to keep the area around the girl safe.  

"Tch…guess I was getting a little too far ahead of myself," Mordred professed with a sense of humility.

"This would not be a problem if I had the Hanging Gardens with me.  I could not only provide aerial support, but give shelter to Nightingale-san while she attends to Raizo-san's mother," sighed Semiramis in visible frustration.

The Wise Queen of Assyria kept the immediate vicinity protected by runes of her design covering an immediate 330-foot radius.  Blasts of concentrated magical energy fired off towards any limbs that attempted to cross her threshold.  She was essentially covering any blind spots that were left open while the other Heroic Spirits were battling on the front lines.

"I could have attempted to absorb some of these beasts inside the Gate of Skye…though, a previous confrontation has rendered that null and void," Scathach added while standing next to the pointed-eared beauty.

"I hope you are not trying to place the blame on me for that," the Saint interrupted referring to the battle with the legendary Celtic spear user.

"No, not at all, for this is a failing orchestrated by my lack of foresight.  The real enemy was that thing all along.  I should be doing my fair part to rectify my foolishness, however…the most I can do is provide runic magic right now."

"So…it's happening to you as well?" Semiramis inquired.

"Yes, though I thought it was at first because of my battle with Miss Ruler over there, it seems to be something deeper than that," Scathach nodded with a heavy tone.

"Our mana is gradually being drained from us," Jeanne concluded.

Meanwhile, Raikou and Altera were busy on the left flank working together to cause damage to the enemy.  The two swordswomen worked surprisingly well together as their attacks were seemingly in perfect unison with one another.  They charged ahead bashing down their opponents in a wide arc that was gradually pushing the enclosure back.

The Great King of Destruction would swing her tri-colored Sword of Mars with one hand.  The blade extended outward like a whip slinging through the air carving anything and everything it touched.  As the tendrils of the demonic pillars were cleaved open left to boil like cesspools of rotten flesh, the dark-skinned warrior brought her blade back to her person.  She then aimed it like a cannon and discharged balls of fire and ice at it.

On the other end, Raikou took hold of her katana and swung her blade around as she rushed through her share of the pile.  She diced up various demon pillars as purple arcs of electricity radiated from her blade.   The Berserker did not hold back at all.  She still held quite a sizeable amount of mana since she never really found herself in the midst of an intense battle in recent events until this point.  Therefore she wanted to do her part to not only repel the enemy, but to hopefully impress a certain someone.

Taking a minute for pause, the two women stood side by side staring at the numerous foes before them.

"I see you are managing to keep up," Altera remarked casually.

"I could say the same to you.  I suppose you are also showing off to impress Raizo-sama?" Raikou asked with a devious tone.

"What? That's ridiculous.  Surely you jest given the impending crisis right now?"

"What's wrong with the notion that love can bloom on the battlefield?  Besides, did you not cross swords with him once?  Furthermore, you have seen his prowess in combat on different accounts firsthand.  For one who is so protective of him when others are around, you are not honest with yourself."

"What?! That makes no sense.  Having this conversation is absurd right now.  Also, you make it sound like you have been around him longer when all you did was surrender to him recently."

"Well as a woman of experience, I have a deeper sense of knowledge about these things."

Altera could not even counter due to the fact that the logic was giving her a headache.  She merely shook her head and stood on-guard.

"We can discuss this later.  The enemy will not allow us to discuss affairs of the heart."

"Then perhaps we should just breakthrough in one go without delay."

"It seems you have some good ideas after all."

In that moment the air around them became saturated in the flow of their mana.  A dark purple energy gathered around Raikou whilst a reddish-pink aura gathered around Altera.

"I'll unleash mine first then you follow it through," the giant woman proposed.

"Sounds good enough," responded the Hun.

Raikou stepped forward towards the enemy beginning to recite an incantation.

"Come to me my loyal subjects, my limbs, my arms and armor…the Four Heavenly Kings themselves are as before you.  Begin!"

Four identical clones of the legendary figurehead known for slaying Shuten-douji had materialized around the daughter of Indra.  Each one was distinct from one another by wielding a specific weapon.  As a cluster of about 10 targets were before the women, the clones had attacked.

The first clone wielded a longbow imbued with the element of air.  She crouched down on one knee and fired an arrow filled with that element towards the crowd.  Before the bolt would hit, the second clone had charged in reaching the crowd first.  This particular copy had wielded a unique looking axe that had a yellow wheel-like blade.  As this axe-user dropped down on the crowd, the power of earth had shaken the ground underneath them.  This hit was followed up by a clone wielding a red katana infused with the power of fire.  She rushed in and released a wave of flames soon after the axe-user hit.  Teleporting behind the group was the last clone wielding a naginata blessed with ice.  She dealt her hit on the crowd from the rear then disappeared alongside her sisters.  After those three elemental attacks landed, the wind bolt flew in and dealt its share of damage.  At the end of the attack formation was the blow to be dealt by the real Raikou.

"Goo Shorai – Tenmokaikai!" she cried out.

Her prized katana cascading with the awe of purple lightning was swung by her hand in a brief spinning motion.  The discharge was then shot directly at the demon pillars with all its might concluding the powerful formation of Raikou's Noble Phantasm:  Ox-King Storm Call – The Inescapable Net of Heaven.  A dismal cloud of miasmic mist erupted from the location as the damage from the incredible hit had registered on the affected targets.  More than half of the pillars were severely damaged to the point where they were literally boiling to pieces.  However, Altera was preparing to finish the job.

The Great King of Destruction pointed her blade towards the sky.  A chasm of red light appeared seemingly charging the sword with divine energy.  She then angled her body and took aim at the remaining cluster of creatures before her.  Like a drill, the tri-colored sword began to rotate rapidly generating energy.  A conical umbrella of crimson, pink and bluish white light gathered around the body of the Hun.

"I won't take life, only destroy your civilization…Photon Ray!" she yelled aloud.

The girl was thrust forward like a rocket as she headed towards the enemy.  About midway into her charge, she stopped her footing then allowed the energy she gathered to discharge like a massive beam cannon.  The laser blasted through the crowd of pillars that had been damaged by Raikou's Noble Phantasm essentially decimating all that remained.  Taking care to retreat back to her partner's side, the two women took a moment to observe the damage they dealt to their enemy.  Sharing a smile, the two nodded approvingly at one another's efforts.

About the same time as those large-scale attacks collided with the enemy, Raizo's attacks continued to erase the demon spawns one after another.  As the pathway towards Goetia began to open up, the youth dashed back to Kimiko's side for a moment.

"Onee-sama, I think the path is starting to clear.  Shall we go take this bastard out together?" he asked.

"I'm afraid that won't be enough Raizo," she responded.

The young man tilted his head to the side with a raised eyebrow before turning to see what the woman was talking about.  The pillars that had been slain so far due to the combined efforts of the Heroic Spirits and himself were regenerating.  At least 50 or so of the grotesque manifestations had been hacked to pieces, yet it only took a few seconds for them to regenerate as fast as they disappeared.

The Stormbringer looked over his shoulder and could see the dejected expressions of the others in the distance.  He could sense their fatigue as well as the fact that their auras were weakening in potency.  They wouldn't last much longer if this battle was going to continue like this.  He saw Raikou and Altera in the distance doubling back towards the group as they tightened up formation around Lucy's body.

They're putting so much on the line to protect her without me even asking them to do so.  I wonder if I could share some of my power with them somehow.  Then again, I don't even know how much longer I can hold out.  Those back-to-back fights with Arjuna and Gilgamesh are starting to catch up to me.

"Relax, we can handle this.  We'll cover more ground if you and I split up.  I'll worry about getting to Goetia.  You keep the others safe," Kimiko suggested whilst interrupting the Crimson Harbinger's thoughts.

"Right, so you take half and I'll take half? Fine, but make sure to give that asshole an extra shank for me when you reach him."

"Will do, but for now…"

Kimiko then turned her attention to the boy before reaching up and grabbing him by the back of the head and pulling his face towards hers.  Without a second's delay, she firmly planted her lips over his for a moment that seemed to stop the flow of time.  As she elected to tease him with a threat of invading his mouth with her tongue, she pulled away slowly with a small smile on her face.

"O-Onee…sama…." Raizo blushed heavily.

"Make sure to hold your ground, and you'll get the rest later," she winked before taking off towards the enemies in front.

Snapping out of that daze, the youth took hold of his sword and dashed over to the area where the Heroic Spirits had gathered.  Detecting his arrival within her field of runes was Semiramis.

"Raizo-san, you're back here so soon?" she asked in a surprised tone of voice.  Excluding Nightingale, the other heroes turned to face him.

"Yeah, looks like we have quite the complication on our hands with these bastards constantly respawning," he sighed.

"Where's Kimi-san?" Altera questioned with concern.

"She's making her way towards Goetia.  Looks like this battle will be over soon enough.  We just have to hold out a little longer…though I'm sure that might prove difficult."

"You can tell what is happening to us?" Scathach raised an eyebrow capturing the hint the Stormbringer was making.

"Yeah, I have an idea of what's wrong with all of you.  Each of your individual power levels is fading which means…"

"We're all going to fade away and return to the Throne of Heroes.  Goetia is draining every last bit of mana from the Arcana Grail, which leaves us unable to remain manifested for much longer.  If we stand idle, we can hold out; however, given our current state of affairs…"  Jeanne stated with a grim expression before her voice trailed off.

"Tch, we'll be snuffed out before we truly have a chance to fight," Mordred gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"How's Mom?" the red-eyed male asked whilst turning his gaze towards the unconscious blonde.

"She's stabilizing, though it would seem that she will not be regaining consciousness anytime soon," Nightingale reported before focusing back on her work.

"Raizo-san, you know we are prepared to give our all in this fight," Artoria spoke up to reassure the youth.

"Senpai, we're with you till the end," Altera declared.

"Raizo-sama…" Raikou called out with a gentle yet concerned tone of voice.

The Stormbringer looked over all of their faces and could perceive that each one of them were genuine with their intent.  Allies and enemies that he only knew for a short period of time would become comrades to stand and fight against this menace.  These women were all fearsome warriors that he felt honored and privileged to have fighting beside him.  Yet, this was not something he was willing to take advantage of.

"I appreciate your encouragement and your willingness to stand up and fight against these things in spite of the odds.  However, I can't consciously allow myself to let you all sacrifice what little time you all have left to fight in a battle that may continue to drag on.  I want you guys to see life come back to the desolate world you were all waging war on after all of this is said and done.  How can any of you do that if you disappear before this fight ends?  This might sound like an insult to your prides as legends from different eras, but…I just can't," Raizo explained with a pained expression.

"Senpai, what are you saying?" Altera asked whilst the other heroes passed glances at each other in confusion.

"I'm saying…I want you all to stand down…"

"Raizo-sama, you're joking right?" the Berserker samurai professed in shock.

"Hey…I know you ain't tryna show off right now buddy," Mordred winced in slight irritation.

"Raizo-san, with all due respect, I cannot condone your proposal.  Such a thought would besmirch my honor as a knight," Artoria added in as well.

"Take it from me, arrogance will get you nowhere in this situation," Scathach sighed once again.

"Raizo-kun…" Jeanne murmured with worry.

"Please…we can help you," Semiramis reached out and touched the boy's shoulder.

"You all…don't…gah…dammit I'm so awful with words," the Crimson Harbinger gritted his teeth feeling a strong churning sensation of his insides.

The Heroic Spirits merely stared at him with varying looks of concern on their faces until the male began to speak again.

"I…I just want to protect someone for once.  All my life I've needed someone to protect me or save my ass from situations that I stumbled into that were too great a risk for me to handle alone.  As a result, many have died in my stead.  And if that's not the case, then it's because I've become complacent with the fact that they will handle everything for me and I won't need to do anything else.  It's left me feeling powerless.

It's not about pride or proving that I'm powerful enough.  I just want to feel like whatever task I'm entrusted with, I can carry out.  I don't want anyone else dying or sacrificing their lives for me because I wasn't good enough to stand on my own.  Maybe that's being selfish on my part; however…right now, this situation is a task that I need to shoulder.  Not just all of your sakes, but for mine as well.  So please…just protect my Mom for me.  For all I know, aside from Onee-sama, she's all the family I've got left."

"Senpai…" Altera mumbled feeling moved by his words as did Raikou, Semiramis, and the others in their individual ways.

"Well I suppose I'm open for entertainment.  Besides, I haven't really had the chance to see everything you can do.  I'm open to seeing why a certain redhead has such an interest in you," Scathach nodded with an approving smirk.

"Your words move me, Raizo-san.  If you feel this is a test for the sake of your honor, I do not wish to impede it," Artoria relinquished a nod of encouragement.

"Well if Father says so, guess I'll have to stand down too.  Besides, I wanna see more of that crimson lightning o' yours too!" Mordred grinned.

"Do not worry, Raizo-kun.  I shall not leave Lucy-san's side," Jeanne relinquished with a nod.

"It should be obvious that I will not be moving either.  Though if you get hurt, know that I will be performing medical duties on you even if you should die," Nightingale promptly noted.

"My, my…I wanted to fight alongside my dear Raizo-sama.  But if that is how my darling feels then as a dutiful woman, I shall abide," Raikou sighed with disappointment.

"Ignore her Senpai; she's just caught up in her delusions.  But…do you really think Akaro-senpai and the others are dead?" Altera questioned with a hint of anxiety.

"My faith in Aniki is strong, I know that if there's a possibility he survived then he made it happen.  However, that son of a bitch on that throne has a lot of unknown capabilities with that Arcana Grail in his hand.  So I don't really know what he's capable of.  He managed to do that to my Mom…so it terrifies me to think of what happened to anyone caught outside of this alternate space."

"Then…fight with everything you've got…for everyone's sake both present and non-present."

"Yeah, you got it Altera."

Just as the male went to run off to battle, he was tugged by someone.

"Raizo-san," spoke out Semiramis with a reserved tone.

"Hm?"

"Listen, the words you spoke earlier moved me.  It…allowed me to have hope that I have not felt in a long time so you keep that feeling alive in your heart too.  If hope dies, then what else do we have to live for or to fight for?  We're all believing in a tomorrow.  So we're entrusting everything to you.  Let that be a source for your strength if nothing else."

"I understand.  And…thank you for sharing that wisdom with me."

In that moment, Raizo turned his attention towards the horde of demonic pillars encroaching around their location.  Taking a moment to focus his mind, he cleared out all other unnecessary thoughts.  He was slowly but surely analyzing his foes knowing that he was up for an impossible task.

I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold out, but I'll do whatever it takes to protect everyone until Onee-sama deals the final blow to that bastard.

Raizo's crimson eyes shifted to the garnet shade, enhancing his sight with the pseudo mystic eye element that Kimiko helped him unlock via training.  Through that perception, he could see the compositions of the Demon Pillars.  He stared through them as if they were nothing but hollow objects before stumbling upon a difficult discovery.

"I see…well, why don't we turn this hypothesis into an actual proven fact?"

He tightened his grip around Vajra taking a moment to scan over the giant, hideous creatures with care.  Then he scanned the area in a 270-degree direction pinpointing the locations of all the nearest pillars.  Each one had a small tick appear above their structure in his mind.

"Bladed Whirlwind…"

The Stormbringer vanished in that instant before appearing in front of one of the pillars closest to his location.  With a swift slicing motion of his sword, he split the beast in half before vanishing and reciprocating the same motion to the next one.  Then he did it again and again until it looked like he was teleporting all over the place thus disappearing and reappearing in a wide variety of locations almost simultaneously.  The pillars dropped by the tens then the hundreds until Raizo appeared in his place of origin again.  As the mist spewed into the air from the toxicity of their foul blood, the male never once took his analytical eyes away from the targets he killed.

The servants who were witnessing his prowess were all filling with varying expressions of hope; however, that feeling then immediately receded as the disgusting creatures instantaneously respawned.  Tense expressions were tossed all around, yet Raizo remained calm confirming his suspicions.

They're physical manifestations of Goetia's aura.  That is why they keep coming back so fast.  We're not battling distinctive Demon Gods like the people I fought in the past; we are literally trying to kill material energy.  It's almost like that Demon King is just reincarnating the very concept of his power to prove that we are stuck in his realm.  We can probably contain it by causing him to spawn more of these pillars, but given the state of affairs…we'd need some serious backup.  Damn…maybe I should use Morana and trigger Siphoning Fate; no, that wouldn't do me any justice since I am not draining from the source.  And I can't get to the source without compromising the safety of the Heroic Spirits and Mom...

He shook his head back and forth to free himself of being drown in his thoughts.  The male had to keep trying his best regardless of the outcome.  As he tucked Vajra back in its sheath, he elected to go for another approach.  

Raizo jumped high into the sky overlooking the immediate area staring at the pillars.  The rejuvenated mob were closing in again, however, he felt like he had the perfect remedy for this.  He spread his arms wide open whilst acquiring the targets of the demon pillars beneath him.  In that moment, he channeled a strong surge of electrical energy from his body into the palms of his hands.  The lightning sparks became dyed in a mix of blue and purple as he was preparing to unleash an attack.  Bringing the bottoms of his palms together in a horizontal jaw shape, he discharged his offensive.

"Indigo Rain Unyielding!!!!"

Bolts of lightning fired from his hands like a barrage of laser-like spikes down to the ground where the pillars stood.  Like a swarm of bullets being unleashed by a Gatling gun, the arcs of electricity pierced through their targets without any further delay.

The Stormbringer had put a spin on the attack he learned from Vesta by imagining the electricity flow to become much like a hailstorm of arrows thanks to his fight against the King of Heroes using the Gate of Babylon.  Adding onto this application was the Indigo Rain technique passed onto him by his father.  Since the constant regeneration was becoming a tenuous issue, he had hoped that a widespread attack such as this would help curb the issue at hand.  As the entire vicinity was cleared away from the evil menace, Raizo landed back on the ground near the party of heroes.

"Senpai, you did it!" Altera called out first before any of the other Heroic spirits.

"Man that was one hell of a fireworks show," Mordred smiled approvingly.

"Dispelling the enemy in one fell swoop with such a clear and concise move, truly a stroke of brilliant strategy," Artoria added with admiration in her voice.

"Eliminating a nigh infinite force with simultaneous force on a grand scale such as that is truly a marvelous feat. I am quite inclined to agree with the King of Knights about such a move," Scathach analyzed with a curt nod.

"Such a beautiful display with the power of thunder…ara, ara, my heart is so moved in this very instant.  Oh my Raizo-sama!" Raikou cooed in delight with a passionate smile.

"Sigh…you are truly letting your thirst show.  Control yourself, Raikou-san.  But nevertheless, that was quite the move to use," Semiramis said with a nod of her own.

Indigo Rain should have affected Goetia's aura so that the Demon King would not be able to easily recreate these clones; however, the dominion over this realm had its own set of rules.  As a result, the Stormbringer's efforts were essentially erased.

"So it seems a power to stifle regeneration means nothing in this alternate world created by the King of the Demon Gods?  Or…is it a result of my own weakness?" Raizo dismayed with a tone of defeat.

"Senpai, don't give up…miracles have been known to happen when you least expect it," the Saber-class Hun Princess advised.

Suddenly, the ground within the confined, alternate dimension began to quake.  Tears in space had appeared above the battlefield as the air began to fold into itself as if someone was trying to turn a page in a book.  The energy around the fracture began to destabilize and relinquish traces of aura that were foreign to all present.  Something was coming, but to assume that it was just one particular thing was a foolish notion.  It was then that a certain set of melodic chants rang out:

"Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron…"

"Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron…"

"Killter Ichaival tron…"

"Zeios Igalima raizen tron…"

"Various Shul Shagana tron…"

"Seilien coffin Airgetlam tron…"