The Final Verdict III (All Worlds United)

Before the massive war went into full swing and all of the different heroes had joined the fray, Kimiko had casually crossed the battlefield to approach Goetia's throne. Any demon pillars that were in her way had waned from sight allowing her passage to the master of this realm. The sight of the sinister King of the Demon Gods sitting atop his throne came into view, his gaze cast down upon her vessel.

"Even the billions of heartbeats in this world are nothing but insignificant to you, are they not? Whether we're trapped in the past or lamenting over the future, predetermination does not allow even the slightest mistake. The infinite dreams and futures before us are but vain privileges allowed to us by you, the Goddess-Above-All," the insidious individual chastised in a heavy tone of voice.

"You're wrong. I may have set all of this into motion, but the possibilities of what may come were always left to the participants," the woman elegantly expressed.

"Is that what you believe, Kimiko Hanate? All I see is your true self lying to her human counterpart. Finitude is what both clock hands show; we're forced toward a cruel destiny and choice."

Around this time in their discussion, the warriors from the other universes had arrived to reinforce the struggle on the battlefield. The girl turned to witness this before exuding an aura of confidence.

"A cruel destiny, you say? Is that not ironic of you to say considering the cruel fate that you thrust upon humanity and all of creation? If my true self is indeed lying to me, then why are all the allies that Raizo has gained over his journey showing up to aid him?"

"They are only present to delay the inevitable. They may have answered your—no, 'Her'—call, but they are nothing but pawns in a greater game they cannot perceive. Though, was it not 6 worlds that boy visited? It would seem that the first is missing…oh that's right; you already cast your judgment that they were too weak for this fight. Though I agree that those individuals would be nothing more than chew toys for my horde…one could say that they were robbed of the choice to fight for survival thus left with a cruel destiny of being destroyed. Yet, I am the one who is the villain here? How amusing…"

"You…stop hiding," Kimiko said knowing exactly what was to come next.

Goetia raised his arm to attack, but the girl immediately reacted to this by appearing directly in front of it. With a blinding motion that the human eye could not perceive, the right arm of the Demon King was severed with the utmost precision. In that following second, a harrowing howl of pain escaped from him as his dark blood flowed from the injury.

Kimiko backed away a few steps giving the beast room. He fell from his throne and writhed in pain for a brief period before the red and black aura surrounding his body began to corrode his current appearance. A few seconds later, the true form of the man was revealed. He had the appearance of a tan-skinned human being with long, flowing strawberry blond hair. Burning orange magic circuits lined his left arm and two legs. Black flames with red markings covered half of his face down the right side of his body to conceal the injury before coating his pelvis and upper thigh areas. Even though the form was still warped to a degree, this appearance suggested that the Demon King was indeed a form of a human being.

"You finally figured it out…" he uttered whilst raising his body off of the ground.

"You're more than just Goetia. You're also the Grand Caster—Solomon," the woman declared.

"Precisely. Unlike other versions of me, I didn't just don his skin or possess his body for a temporary amount of time. I truly became one with him. All for the sake of this power," he spoke whilst holding onto the Arcana Grail with his one arm.

"It seems you have a point," Kimiko sighed while closing her eyes, "Akasha has been keeping things from me, this matter in particular."

Diving into the depths of her consciousness, the red-eyed female saw the silhouette of her true self with the long-flowing hair and the fabled Mystic Eyes.

"Why?" she questioned.

"Some things you have to find out on your own. You are alone this time," the divine woman spoke in a distant tone.

Kimiko then opened her eyes once more gazing at the deformed being before her.

"Why would you become one with a demon?" she inquired of the King of Magic.

"Not yet, Goddess-Above-All, you should first worry about your beloved," Solomon spoke ominously before focusing his devilish stare upon the Arcana Grail. In that moment, the ancient vessel of untold power channeled the corrupt king's wish.

A flash of light had occurred near the throne. In that next moment in time, four silhouettes had appeared. Bael, Asmodeus, Lucifer, and Tiamat—the Demon Gods slain by the Stormbringer—had resurrected and immediately taken off to the battlefield where Raizo and his allies were making their stand against the pillar beasts.

"You'll know the truth soon, but first you must go play hero," Solomon had stated in a foreboding tone of voice whilst relinquishing a small smile of delight.

Kimiko did not bother with a response. She merely turned her attention towards the warzone ahead. Severing the concept of distance, she warped closer to the boy's location.

*****

With the enemy subsiding in activity, the heroes from the different worlds rallied back to the original gathering place. The Saiyans appeared to be a little roughed up indicated by their worn out clothing; the Sins had a few scratches here and there but were otherwise okay. Dante was virtually unscathed although his ride suffered from a few scrapes in the paint as well as dents along the framework. As for the Symphogear girls, they were in perfect condition despite a few hiccups in their battle. Unfortunately, the only person who appeared to have gone through the struggle the worst was the man who had brought all of these fighters together. Chris, Maria, and Kirika sat him down on the ground, some of the Heroic Spirits made their way over to investigate.

"Senpai!" Altera called out upon seeing the male's condition.

"Raizo-san…is he…" Semiramis gulped fearfully.

"I…refuse to accept this, no…no…no…" Raikou uttered in a dismal tone of voice.

"That's not good," Scathach commented as she walked over to investigate sensing something was off.

Artoria and Mordred were also curious, yet chose to remain guard over Nightingale and Jeanne as they tended to Lucy.

"Tch…dammit, he's already reached his limit?" Vegeta gritted his teeth irritated over the sight before his eyes.

"Merlin, can you do anything at all?" Meliodas questioned.

"I'm sorry Captain, but I'm not sure my magic would even work on him. I don't understand anything about his genetic code and I lack the knowledge of his kind," the Sorceress exhaled regretfully.

"His kind? But…Raizo's a human being, right?" Goku pondered.

"Kakarot, you idiot…don't you remember what he said when we were battling Zamasu?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. Raizo said he was half mortal and half Parmesan right?"

"No you damned buffoon….he's half mortal and half Primordial…" Vegeta shook his head. This caught many of the others present off-guard.

"Half human and half Primordial…that's divinity on an entirely different scale. Not even the goddesses of our world can compare," Merlin analyzed.

It was then that the Stormbringer began to move, gradually raising himself to his feet.

"Jeez guys…you're talking as if I'm almost dead or something. I just needed a little bit of a break, that's all," he chuckled whilst shaking his head.

"Sensei…you shouldn't be trying to move right now. Stop trying to show off, dumbass…" Chris uttered worriedly.

"Don't worry about it…I've been through much worse. We should be grateful that we have a chance to…"

In that moment, a flash of light occurred in the background causing the warriors present to pause. Following suit, a twisted and suffocating pressure of dense energy washed over the battlefield. In that next instant, the group of heroes was surrounded by four silhouettes radiating with demonic energy that far outclassed the collective group of pillars and amalgamations they had faced earlier. The Stormbringer's eyes widened as he recognized the sensation of these auras.

"There's no way…that's not possible…no, you've got to be kidding me. I…I destroyed all of you!" he cried out.

His comrades merely looked at him in confusion before turning their attention in the general direction of all those present. The first being was a demon of imposing muscular stature with blue skin, red eyes, platinum hair, and burning fists. The second being was a beastly knight with burning wings carrying a giant broadsword over his shoulder. The third being was a man with deadened skin and silver wings with demonic looking eyes. Lastly, the fourth was a female with serpents coming from her hair and golden scales covering her arms and legs like a dragon. Each one of these beings was all enemies that Raizo had faced beforehand as the fighters from each universe took notice of the respective deity that tried to corrupt their world.

"Bael, Asmodeus, Lucifer, and Tiamat…it would seem you've all returned for round 2…" the red-eyed swordsman stammered trying to raise his fighting spirit.

"It seems that fortune has elected to shine in our favor, Raizo Mercer," Bael boasted in a deep and bellowing tone of voice.

"Yes, we were blessed with life once more to enact our revenge against you," Asmodeus followed suit.

"You and your allies shall suffer unparalleled amounts of pain for the glory of Goetia and for all of the Demon Gods watching this from the depths of Inferno," Lucifer declared.

"I cannot wait to see the expression on your face as your friends are butchered before your eyes. I'll savor every moment before I make you mine…and disembowel you myself for the humiliation you forced on me, Raizo~" Tiamat smiled devilishly.

"Seems like these guys think we're a bunch of pushovers," Goku said pounding his fist against his hand.

"That's an insult to my warrior's pride, I won't forgive these bastards one bit," Vegeta added on.

"Yeah…guess it's time to show them what we're truly made of. There won't be any blindsiding this time," Meliodas stated boldly.

"They dare boast of their strength before me? How truly insulting indeed," Escanor noted.

"Let's show them what the Seven Deadly Sins are made of," Diane spoke up with King floating alongside her.

"Man, this place really is quite interestin'" Ban licked his lips in anticipation.

"Beating the same demon twice? Well…not like it's the first time I've had a good laugh," Dante uttered channeling his aura around his body to prepare for combat and revving his engine.

"We need to beat this bitch up for the last time ladies," Chris said with fiery determination.

"Right, as long as our hearts are one, we can win this!" Hibiki cried out.

"We'll become the swords of salvation for all mankind," Tsubasa spoke.

"Desu!" Kirika cheered.

"Jiii…." Shirabe stared.

"I'm with you," Maria nodded.

"And unlike whatever experiences you all had before, this time you have us," Altera said with confidence as she, Semiramis, Raikou, Scathach, Artoria, and Mordred readied themselves for battle.

The brave warriors from all walks of life stood together to make a stand against these insidious beings, only the man whom rallied them together seemed to quake with an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety. They were all strong, some more than others; however, this situation before them was beyond any of their capable hands. He felt it. He could feel the burning sensation of the combined aura oozing from the four resurrected Demon Gods. He knew just how strong they exponentially became with their revival. Though they held the forms of their evolutions with individual fragments, they were individually enhanced by the full power of the Arcana Grail.

"Guys…don't try to-…"

Just as he made the attempt to stop his comrades from rushing into battle, it was already too late. The Saiyans charged at Bael, the Sins went for Asmodeus, Dante faced off against Lucifer, and the Symphogears charged at Tiamat. As for the Heroic Spirits, they elected to divide up and prepare to support each faction from the rear taking caution of their remaining mana. The Saiyans in their Blue forms, the Sins unleashing the full might of their potential, Dante in his Devil Trigger form, the Symphogear users with the S.O.U.L. drive that had touched the precipice of X-Drive, and the Heroic Spirits that willingly took the risks of preparing their Noble Phantasms were not enough to deal with these beasts. The battle was decided before it even began.

In what may have been as little as a second extended for a cruel eternity in the mind of the helpless Stormbringer. He watched what could been considered a nightmare unravel before his eyes. The Saiyans were snatched up out of the air by Bael's mighty fists and beaten to a bloody pulp. The fiery fists of the brutish Demon God literally shattered the bones inside the two warriors' bodies as they were treated as nothing more than sandbags.

Asmodeus glided through his opponents thus turning the Sins into bowling pins. He brushed past all of them in one fell swoop with a single swing of his blade and managed to butcher them like hunks of meat hanging on racks. He took care not to cut too deeply with his massive blade, however, that did not stop him from ensuring that each individual was immobilized after his blade made contact.

Lucifer's assault was much colder and more calculated. He was drunk on the thought of revenge against the Son of Sparda. The fallen angel had all different kinds of ideas running through his mind to cut his opponent down to size after what the Devil Hunter did in his domain; however, he knew that he should just cut to the chase. First off, he flipped Dante and his bike off of the ground using a volcanic fist sprung from the ground beneath. Then Lucifer pulled out his long blade and impaled the silver-haired man on its edge before slamming the male on his back into the ground. From there, the child of The Architect grabbed the two-wheeled vehicle and smashed it into Dante's helpless body again and again until he grew tired of it and tossed it away across the fields of despair. Lucifer then pulled his blade out of the man's body and flicked the blood off before turning his attention ahead.

For the Symphogears, Tiamat was not too concerned with them. She saw the girls as nothing more than playthings to be used and discarded. The Demoness could have easily bound them up and defiled them before the eyes of all those present in order to rob them of their dignity. In addition, she could have also toyed with their minds until they broke causing them to commit suicide or just kill each other. However, she was too uninterested to be bothered with such elaborate methods. Her thirst for vengeance was mostly directed against the Stormbringer. Conveying her lack of interest in these childish females, she merely bound them by her serpentine hair strands and squeezed their bodies tightly until their armors began to crack before bashing their bodies into one another. The devastating assault for their armors back to their regular state as the S.O.U.L. drive was forced back into dormancy.

The transaction of time exchanged for the nightmare had come to an abrupt end. In that moment, the brave fighters that had appeared to reinforce the heroes were rendered all but executed. The air became filled with cries of pain as Raizo and the Heroic Spirits were left speechless before the gruesome display of power. The four resurrected Demon Gods hovered victoriously over their foes as their gazes penetrated their next targets. Taking note of this, Raizo had no room for error.

I won't let it end like this!

"HAAAAA!" the male shouted aloud drawing on his inner strength to force his body into Omen of Eternity.

"Senpai?" Altera turned her head in surprise alongside the other heroes.

In a blinding display of speed, the male had quickly snatched up his wounded comrades away from the Demon Gods as well as the Heroic Spirits one after the other. He did not know how long his body would withstand the might of his transformation so he made sure to make every moment count. As a result, he brought his comrades to safety around Nightingale so that her Noble Phantasm would affect them as well. The other Heroes had to wrap their minds over the sudden blur of motion, however, their senses quickly returned to them.

"Damn man, that's some serious speed," Mordred commented whilst shaking her head.

"Quite the impressive save, if you had not have done that…we'd all be dead by now," Scathach complimented.

"Raizo-sama, you saved us but…" Raikou regarded in gratitude yet cast her gaze over the injured fighters.

"Nightingale, I'd hate to do this to you, but…can you attend to them as well?" the youth asked.

"I appreciate your belief in my care; however, I'm unsure how long my mana will last. Though, I'm sure that my Noble Phantasm should be able to take care of these individuals relatively quickly given how their bodies are not nearly as complex as our own. The giant woman might prove interesting, but my skills can deal with her as well," the nurse explained.

"Relax, I should be able to help a bit," Merlin suddenly spoke as she raised her body up off the ground.

"Merlin, how'd you…"

"I managed to activate Perfect Cube in the nick of time thus displacing the point of impact on my body and sending it out into space. I merely played injured since I was analyzing the strength of our opponents. Safe to say that we are severely outclassed," the wizard answered frankly.

"How astute of you…listen, can your spells-…"

"Provide healing? Of course they can, though it might take a little more time than your friend over there."

"I can help too…" King suddenly added.

"Oho…King, you seem uninjured as well," gasped the female.

"I used Chastiefol to protect my blind spot, however, that force from the attack was enough to cause me to blank out for a moment as well. But still, you saved us all, Raizo-san…for that, I thank you," the fairy king nodded before casting a glance at the giantess lying just a few feet away.

"Spirit Spear Chastiefol Form Eight: Pollen Garden…"

The pillow-like object that was the sacred treasure of the Grizzly's Sin of Sloth had transformed into thousands of cotton looking balls. It gathered around the wounded warriors lying on the ground and created barriers around each of them. This form was similar to Nightingale's Noble Phantasm. It repelled enemy attacks, healed the wounds of those inside of it, and nullified the concept of pain any person felt. Though it was weaker in terms of potency compared to a Heroic Spirit, it was immensely helpful in this moment. The Saiyans' bodies began to mend themselves back together, whilst Dante's wound from being impaled had quickly sealed up. The Symphogears had healed underneath their armors which had also returned to their shiny luster. As for the Sins, the only ones needing specific medical attention were Gowther, Diane, and Escanor. Meliodas had his demonic regeneration to bring him back up to full speed and Ban had regenerated due to immortality. Though both of their healing effects were somewhat delayed, they had regained consciousness ahead of the aura. In conclusion, the fighters were all brought back to full health. However, even with the pain nullification surrounding them, they each felt the scars on their souls over what had just transpired.

"What the hell was that?" Vegeta questioned in disbelief regarding the entire situation.

"Dunno, those guys moved way beyond the capability of my senses," Goku responded.

"Son of a bitch threw my ride away, that's rude," Dante sighed in slight annoyance.

"Looks like these guys are the real deal," Ban analyzed with a smug grin.

"A lucky shot, it won't happen again," Escanor added.

"They're leagues above the Ten Commandments, this one might be considerably difficult," Meliodas affirmed.

"Diane, I'm glad you're okay," King sighed in relief seeing the girl come back.

"Yeah…that was a cheap shot by that big blue bastard," the giant girl gritted her teeth.

"Seems like we're all good to go again…but," Hibiki pondered over what their next move as group was going to be.

"Tiamat was trouble the first time, fighting against three others who are just like her…" Tsubasa mulled over with concern.

"Wait…Sensei you're…" Chris called out turning her gaze to the empowered individual. All of the other gazes were focused on him as well.

"I'm relieved that everyone is okay…but this isn't a fight that you all can handle. They're all infinitely stronger than the last time they showed their faces in your worlds," the Stormbringer spoke in a foreboding tone of voice.

"Whoa, whoa, surely you don't mean they're as tough as Zamasu right?" Goku asked curiously.

"They make Zamasu in his fused state with the fragment enhanced form look like child's play. These guys have been enchanted by the full power of the Arcana Grail…which is the fully forged Arcana Crystal merged with the holy relic of this world. Even with everyone at 100%, it would not be enough against them…I'm sorry."

"What are you saying then, Senpai? Surely you can't…" Altera was about to say before the youth raised a singular hand.

"I have no choice. They'll have to become my opponents…"

A massive barrage of protests came from the group one after another.

"You've got to be fucking kidding…"

"Stop telling bad jokes…"

"You're insane if you think you're gonna fight these guys by yourself…"

"You're at the end of your rope…"

"Sensei, that's a bad idea…"

These were just some of the statements being tossed his way, but the male just shook his head side to side.

"It's not the ideal situation…but all of you have families and friends to get back to in your worlds. Others have hopes and dreams for their world when all of this darkness is banished for good. I won't let any of you die here just because I can't seem to get my shit together. While I still have the ability to maintain this form, I plan to take care of them once and for all. All I ask is for you guys to trust me on this. Believe in me…please."

Silence then followed suit as the small crowd went silent. There was nothing else that any of them could say. Anyone who was a hardened veteran of the battlefield knew that the Crimson Harbinger was willing to lay down his life for them. He was preparing to sacrifice everything that he had in order for them to live on. In other words, he was placing his honor and pride on the line for their sake. To protest against his decision at this point would only amount to being received as an insult. It hurt some of them, while others could only feel respect. Regardless of what anyone was feeling, the former blood wolf merely drew his sword and walked off to battle against his fated enemies.

"I must admit, that was quite impressive seeing you save the lives of those measly mortals," boasted Bael as he folded his arms whilst watching the youth approach.

"It seems you managed to get stronger while we were in the grave; however, anyone with half a perceptive eye can tell that you're at the end," Asmodeus expressed condescendingly.

"You saved their lives only to set them up to be killed again. Your noble sacrifice will mean nothing," Lucifer bluntly declared.

"Oh Raizo, my dear sweet boy, you are such a deluded child who is merely playing the part of a hero. When will you realize that you are the cause of the deaths of others?" Tiamat chastised in a teasing voice.

All of their provocations only served as fuel to Raizo's growing fire in his chest.

"You're all just generic and repetitive at this point. You attacked the people I cared about instead of capitalizing on your perfect chance to kill me. I was wide open, virtually powerless, and now I'm standing before you—fully focused and determined. With all the strength I have left in me, I will make sure that I drag you down to the depths of Inferno for all eternity. No matter what kind of life you were given by the Grail, I'll be sure to strip it away all over again."

"Quite the speech, but you'll be eating those words in 3…2…1…" Bael counted down.

In that next moment, the Omen of Eternity form had blinked out of existence all over again.

"What? No…I was sure that I had more time!" Raizo panicked.

"That you did, but you wasted your chance," Lucifer spoke in a grim tone of voice.

"Guh?!!" coughed the youth.

"Congratulations Stormbringer, you played yourself," Tiamat chuckled as her serpentine tendrils bound the youth in the air.

"And now you know how naïve you were," Asmodeus followed as he zipped over to the boy's location taking advantage of the moment and pierced him with his massive blade.

"RAIZO!!!!!" various individuals of the group in the background screamed aloud in terror.

Asmodeus withdrew his flaming blade from the body of the child before Bael rushed in immediately after. He began to beat the body of the youth senseless throwing a series of successive punches and kicks that were narrowly perceived by those witnessing the show. In seconds, the Demon God must have bashed his body over a thousand times or more.

Tiamat then released the youth before using her tendrils to slap the body of the boy over and over again. Then she tore a small rift in space on the ground underneath him to which the male fell through. As he was hopelessly tossed through the space of an alternate dimension, an exit portal had opened up in Lucifer's direction.

The Son of the Architect had gathered a cluster of energy in his hand. This energy ball was the territory of Inferno that he once controlled as the tiny chunk of universe amplified into an unstable bomb with enough power to wipe out a multiverse. Lucifer threw this ball directly at Raizo's body causing it to explode before following up with a quick slash attack. The male was sent flying backwards.

From there, the four Demon Gods had surrounded him and began to swat him around like a volleyball as the drained youth suffered their cruelty firsthand. He did not even have the amount of time necessary to cry out in pain before the next decisive blow was struck. The injuries he received should have been healed due to the Gemini sheath, but the scabbard's healing effects could barely keep up with each wound he received. His comrades could only bear witness to this display as their sense of helplessness escalated second by second. Little did they know though, the male was secretly grateful that it was him being treated like this over any single one of them. This was worth it if they could live.

He reached into his side pocket for a moment and felt the necklace that he and his brother both wore symbolizing their bond. He almost forgot he put it there awhile back so that he would not lose it during his more intense fights. Feeling its texture, a thought had crossed his mind.

Aniki and Onee-sama, I'm sorry that I'm so useless. Guess I'll make myself useful for one final time.

However, it was in that moment that he felt something…a presence that he had not felt in an unknown lengthy period of time. It was overly familiar to him and it gave him hope, but it was too good to be true. In that next moment, he saw four spikes of flaming energy come firing down upon the Demon Gods.

The crimson bolts of light narrowly missed their targets as they landed at the feet of the four sinister deities. Confused, each of them looked down at the ground attempting to grab the projectiles that were discharged at them. As they each went to touch it, the spikes dissipated into embers of light. They peered up into the abyss in the sky. A crimson sphere had materialized from a random spiral of thunderous clouds. Erupting from it was a cascading, vermillion meteorite which crashed through the heavens above descending towards the insidious gods.

"YAAAAAAHOOOOOOOO!" a voice resonated in the air coming from the source of light.

The four demons had dashed away from the impact zone, but the meteor seemingly tracked them heading towards Tiamat first.

"What manner of sorcery is-…"

Before the demoness had a chance to finish her sentence her mouth met the edge of a pitch black sword with crimson trim along the side. The longsword was lodged down her throat forcefully before it split her directly in two causing her body to explode in a vermillion inferno. Standing there was a mysterious individual saturated in the color of these flames holding onto the red, gold, and white hilt of the blade.

"Fire happens to be my specialty!" Asmodeus declared as he rushed in with his broadsword towards the stranger.

"That's cute," the silhouette of flames responded with a confident tone

It was here that the black bladed weapon transformed into a pair of short swords with the same style blade and hilt pattern. As the Demon God rushed towards this person, the stranger had ducked underneath the oncoming attack and instantly brushed past.

"You're just gonna dodge like a coward?" Asmodeus turned around with an insulted expression.

"Nah mate, you're already dead."

"What?"

The Demon God found his body severed at the waist as an X-shape pattern had been layered deep into his flesh. The enhanced beast was bisected into four large chunks as black fountains of blood sprayed from his body. Then he was reduced to ash.

"You'll pay for that," Lucifer uttered in a seething tone of fury.

"Indeed, prepare to die stranger," Bael declared.

"Again, cute but you can just…disappear."

In that moment, the weapons that the stranger used had transformed again becoming a massive, black longbow with crimson arrows. Infused in them where black and red flames. She knocked two of these bolts at the same time and fired before the projectiles had lodged into each targets' head. Both Demon Gods had been blown to bits simultaneously, their chunks then raining down.

Raizo had struggled to move due to the extent of his injuries; however, he had managed to capture the occurrence before his eyes. As he stared at the silhouette of flames, the male could only form a pained smile upon his features.

"So that's where Aniki…ran off to…heh. Well then, it's been a long time…hasn't it, Adena?" he stammered over his words as he gradually worked up the strength to stand.

"Damn right it has."