CELESTIAL THREAT Part 1
The sun inched closer to its zenith as the two individuals remained engrossed in conversation on the balcony. A gentle breeze swept past, offering a momentary respite in this world cloaked in darkness.
"By the way," he began, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, "could you kindly refresh my memory regarding the other members of The Assembly?" His words stumbled out, reminiscent of a child hesitantly acknowledging the beauty of their own mother.
"Have you only managed to recall those five!?" Nine exclaimed, his frustration palpable.
He let out a weary sigh, grappling with the challenge of guiding this mighty yet clueless being. "Alright...let me once again explain the assembly. Surely, you wouldn't forget important matters, right?" he suggested, hoping to strike a chord of remembrance.
"I can't make any guarantees, but I will certainly do my utmost," Shiki replied calmly, his voice a soothing balm.
"The Assembly, as you may or may not recall, is an esteemed group comprising eleven individuals, each representing the pinnacle of power within their respective races. This includes Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins, Fairies, Seafolks, Angels, Demons, the Undead, and Giants. They all convene at the metaphorical roundtable known as the [Room of Phanes], embodying a symbol of cooperation and tasked with mediating disputes that may arise between factions or groups, fostering goodwill and understanding among the members," he explained, his voice tinged with a hint of impatience, hoping that these words would finally leave a lasting imprint.
"Rex Farin serves as the representative for the Undead, if my memory serves me right," Shiki inquired, attempting to grasp onto scattered fragments of information.
"Yes, indeed. Let me provide you with a brief introduction to each member, their respective races, and a glimpse of their character," he paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "Marina, the young Empress of the Seafolk, holds dominion over a vast expanse of oceanic nations. She is renowned for her kind and benevolent rule, leading the seas and oceans to flourish under her reign."
"Girlboss," Shiki interjected, a hint of amusement coloring his voice.
Nine's expression morphed into one of confusion, his left eyebrow arching higher than the other. However, he quickly dismissed it, refocusing on the task at hand.
"Next, we have Michael, the Godsent Leader of the Angelic Order, revered as the Holy Champion of God and the strongest Archangel. He fought alongside us during the Uncrowned event," Nine continued, hoping that these details would spark a flicker of recognition.
"He does have that 'el' in his name, doesn't he?" Shiki replied, a glimmer of recognition in his voice.
"I can't argue with that observation," Nine conceded, realizing that Shiki's memory was akin to a complex puzzle, with scattered pieces strewn across the vast expanse of time.
He proceeded to provide further information. "Now, let me introduce Hogner, the current Dwarven Overlord, a true Warrior King. He wields the Heaven Divider, a Cosmic War Axe capable of slicing the universe in half with even the slightest effort."
"This is the second time I've come heard a dwarf wielding an axe as their weapon," Shiki mused, his mind momentarily drifting to an anime he had watched.
Nine gently steered the conversation back on track. "Do you remember Xander?"
Shiki pondered for a few moments, his left hand instinctively covering his face as he delved into the recesses of his mind. Finally, he replied, "He's the Emperor of the elves, isn't he?"
"Exactly. So, do you recall the others now?" Nine asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.
"Unfortunately, no," he admitted with a tinge of frustration, his memory still veiled in a haze.
Nine's weariness was evident as he remarked, "I understand that you've mentioned your forgetfulness before, but this seems to go beyond mere absentmindedness."
"Yeah, I'm genuinely fed up with it myself," Shiki confessed, his tone laced with frustration.
Curiosity sparked within Nine as he inquired, "When did you first start experiencing memory loss, anyway?"
Shiki pondered for a moment, offering a theory that had crossed his mind. "My forgetfulness or memory loss is likely a repercussion from the Uncrowned event. Back then, I wasn't as powerful as I am now, so I sustained some damage. As you know, I wasn't the strongest before."
"Doesn't that suggest that you are currently the strongest?" Nine inquired, his eyes reflecting a blend of curiosity and exasperation.
"Well, I am indeed the strongest at the moment. So, I suppose it holds true," he responded, a mischievous smirk forming on his lips.
"That's incredibly arrogant, even for you," Nine commented, his gaze fixed upon him.
"Do you really think so?" he asked, his smirk widening.
"This... must have something to do with your power," Nine revealed, his voice filled with a mixture of concern and intrigue.
"Your ability is aptly named 'Memories,' and now you possess 'Lost Memories' for all the names you assign to your power..." Nine continued.
"It's rather fitting, wouldn't you agree?" Shiki replied, his smirk deepening, as if embracing the irony of his situation.
"There's no doubt that you are one of the most formidable beings alive in this world, and you have indeed grown stronger since. However, if I were to rank you, you would currently be placed at the 29th position," Nine stated.
"That's disappointingly low," Shiki complained without hesitation.
"Let's just... plan a meeting for the remaining members in the summer, so that your sister can join us," he suggested, clearly shifting the focus of the conversation.
A few minutes passed, their conversation concluded, and now they were contemplating lunch. They made their way to a local restaurant a few blocks away.
As they strolled side by side through the streets of London, something troubled both of them.
"Something feels off..." Shiki admitted.
"I feel the same way," his friend agreed. Indeed, there was something unsettling and wrong about the atmosphere. Something powerful, something vast, something... serpentine?
A loud and deep ominous sound startled them, so loud that it could rival the seven trumpets of the end times in heaven.
"Has the rapture begun? It seems a bit early for that," Shiki remarked.
Suddenly, in the sky above, there appeared a creature that could only be described as the unholy offspring of destruction and re-creation itself, a never-ending cycle—Ouroborus, the [Cosmic Serpent] .
"IS THAT A BIG FUCKING SNAKE?!" he exclaimed, pointing his finger at the behemoth, astounded by its monstrous presence.
"Calling it 'big' might be an understatement. That creature can span from several kilometers to encompassing the entire universe and some. But right now, it's no more than two kilometers in size," Nine explained.
"Shiki, try using your [Absolute Technique] timestop on it and let's see where to go from there." he suggested.
Shiki nodded and began uttering the words that would halt space and time in all of existence itself.
"Memories: Sands of Time, the Alpha and the Omega!!"