Judge the Dystopia I (The World of Fate)

One last ride, the last journey before finally heading home, that was what this trip to the final destination of the sixth piece of the Arcana Crystal was supposed to be but the situation changed.  Raizo's mind was still vividly processing how he lost all of the fragments he had in his possession in one swift move by the sudden arrival by the King of the Demon Gods.

         "All of those fragments I fought so hard to gather and all of them are gone thanks to my carelessness.  Seriously…it's like I become stupider and stupider without you guys around." Raizo thought.

         Raizo chastised his actions harshly feeling like he was a helpless child without his family around to guide him.  He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist with some agitation before taking a glance at the girl floating along beside him surrounded in the protective barrier she generated while they journey through the cosmos. 

"At least Kimi-nee is here now and I don't feel so alone but…why do I feel so strange inside?  Is it because of what I saw before when I nearly fell to Tiamat? What's wrong with me?" he thought.

He clutched his chest for a second looking down at himself through the mask before stealing another glance at the girl he felt strongly for.  The youth wanted to say something to her but the words didn't come out of his mouth for some strange reason.

Good thing my face can't be seen right now, I can only imagine how embarrassing I would look to her.

         The pair entered the universe where the energy from the fragments was gathered at.  The transportation bubble floated in the stars for a moment as a small stint of silence passed between the two.  It was then that the young woman in the red jacket parted her lips and asked her companion a plain question that she already knew the answer to.

         "So what's up with the mask and getup? Are you trying to be a Sith Lord or something?" she asked plainly

         "Oh this? It's just the Janus Armor fully activated; the mask comes with the territory.  It's actually something I've gotten used to wearing at this point.  Sorry about that," he says with a slight chuckle at the end scratching the surface of his faceplate.

         "And the whole 'Obsidian' thing came with the territory too, right?"

         "Oh…um…well you see...that's uh…  It's not like I wanted to go with it but let's just say that a nagging voice in my head told me to pick an anonymous name or moniker to run with throughout this journey.  At first, I thought it was a stupid notion to consider but analyzing the idea led me to believe that…well with a false name, I'd be like a ghost.  I mean, it seems like everywhere I go trouble follows so I figured that if my name and face weren't things people could remember that maybe I would not be able to leave a lasting impression on anyone.  Every universe I visited would forget all about me, but the Demon Gods kinda killed that in hindsight.  With each stop along the way and each time I came across the heroes of said universes, I got to meet various kinds of people and being able to help them avoid the tyranny of the Demon Gods allowed me to see things differently.  That's probably the real reason why I just tossed anonymity to the side when I met the Symphogear users."

         "I did tell you once upon a time to "be the Crimson Hero I know you could be"; honestly Raizo, that false name and mask were just things you used to hide how you truly felt wasn't it?"

         The Crimson Harbinger paused for a moment as not a single sound had parted from his lips.  He could only speak in his mind.

You're perceptive as always Nee-sama, always cutting to the heart of the matter without a moment's delay.  Man, why do I think I can ever hide anything from you? For Heaven's sake that alone just proves how foolish I truly am.  Why can't I just get my act together and actually grow instead of being the same damn stupid kid you guys have to keep saving?

         "Well, you're not wrong Kimi-nee…not even in the slightest.  I thought I would feel differently in this guise, like I was something else but…I've only felt ashamed of myself.  No matter what I did to preserve the worlds I've visited so far or how many of the heroes I managed to help, I felt so much shame in the back of my mind.  This whole journey would not have needed to happen if it wasn't for the fact that I made such a dumb mistake to begin with.  Then I run into a group of enemies that I know next to nothing about yet seem to know everything about me.  This ultimately led to me almost being taken by the hands of a…overly physical Demon Goddess—whom I still don't understand how I defeated—then surprised by their leader with a dagger through my stomach to be left for dead.  What good am I to fulfill my promise to you if I can't even have the wisdom to protect myself?"

         Raizo sided heavily underneath his mask as he laid out his feelings before the woman. He was frustrated and tired of this pattern that he put himself in.  Just once, he'd like to feel like he didn't make a stupid decision but it was harder than he thought to do so.  Kimiko didn't say anything and just floated over towards him. She reached up and gently grabbed the mask removing it for a moment.  As their eyes came into contact with one another, she merely placed her other hand on his cheek.  An elongated 5 seconds passed between them locking gazes onto one another before the girl spoke.

         "You don't have to worry about any of that anymore.  I'm here with you and we will finish this fight.  Stop beating yourself up over the past, this is what led to that thing from the last time.  You're young, you make mistakes but you have to learn from them and move on.  But always remember Raizo, no matter what happens to you or wherever you are…I will be watching over you.  And if you ever need me, all you have to do is call out to me.  Nothing will stop me from coming to you," she reassured him.

         "K…Kimi," Raizo muttered with a slight blush filling his cheeks.

         His heart thumped heavily in his chest before his mind blanked out in that instant.  The memories that he saw before when he was in that fatal battle with Tiamat came rushing back into his mind for a brief period.  That strong feeling and desire seized his chest cutting off the air he breathed but then it quickly faded away leaving only those emotions burning inside him once again. 

"That…that feeling again…it felt stronger but…I don't understand…" he thought.

He kept quiet for a moment before nodding slightly acknowledging Kimi's words.  The female removed her hand and placed the mask back on his face with a small smile.

"The only reason I'm letting you wear that mask is because it does match the armor, but don't use it as an excuse to hide from me.  I told you already, I know everything including that feeling in your chest that you can't describe right now."

"E…Eh? W.,.What are you talking about, Kimi-nee?"

"Come on now, our destination is just ahead."

"O…Oi, don't say something unnecessary and try to play it off, d-dummy…"

"Such a tsundere~"

"Nee-sama!!"

It was then that the bubble took off in a stream of light heading towards Earth…wherein everything would be different from what Raizo had seen on the homeworld of humanity so far.

*****

Year: 4250 A.D., 6th of February

Time: Unknown

Location: Fuyuki City

Towering skyscrapers jammed together reaching ever so endlessly into the skies, institutions of various cafes, shopping centers and clubs, numerous hotels and apartment complexes spread out among various blocks and districts composed much of the grand, monochromatic metropolis that was this city in Japan.  Separated by winding airways or retrograde streets and alleyways serving as paths for flying cars to navigate through the heavy industrial areas or the great pyramid shapes of key businesses that held significant influence in this location, such was the overall landscape of the technologically advanced Fuyuki City.

However, such a location was just one of many major areas that held similar appearances spread across the world as the definition of what this age looks like. In this area, the mix of cultured structures where timeless monuments of history met with the contemporary feel of the 21st century were long forgotten as relics of old, where humanity had advanced to a point where the digital age truly reign supreme.  Mankind became a slave to their own technological advances and endeavors; monochromatic steel fortresses like these were just a small testament to that fact. Unfortunately, this city that would normally be dazzled by neon lights and other gleaming displays of activity had been rendered dark and dismal mimicking much of the greyed out skies above it.

Shattered glass, rusted metal, wrecked machinery, cracked concrete, busted waterways, plant growth over abandoned buildings and collapsing formations all around was what remained of this city at this point in time regardless of all the innovations that developed over the years.  Where rain combined with the pollutants in the air over the city wore away at the crippled settlement, time eroded the rest.  It was impossible for this place return to its former glory simply because the human beings that called it home were all gone.

In the vast quiet of the empty streets where dust, debris and such blew gently over the streets, a rift in space tore open with thunderous vigor as crimson lightning sparked around the dark void.  From its depths emerged Raizo and Kimiko entering this world where the energy signature of the Arcana Crystal burned strongest.  As they stepped out of the portal and observed their surroundings, the image of the apocalyptic landscape burned into their minds.  For the One-Cut Killer, she already knew everything about this place, but for the Stormbringer it was culture shock.

         "Wait…what is this place?" he asked in a perplexed manner.

         His curiosity caused him to step forward slowly looking around taking in the sight of the metropolis from every angle he possibly could perceive.  Seeing these designs reminded him much of the city that he saw when he visited Kimi's universe a long time ago but these buildings were much more advanced.  Although he was not an expert on devices of the modern age, he could see the varying styles of architecture that seemed to adhere more to sleekness rather than a robust nature.  Despite of the vigorous and overwhelming nature of his environment, a location such as this should be busy with activity but it was completely the opposite.

         Through his mask, Raizo was able to perceive and feel the desolate atmosphere wash over him as the eerie sound of silence filled the area coupled with the uneasy breeze of emptiness.  He could see the devastation and decay encompassing the cramped cityscape and thus felt a cold, hollow sting of reality flowing into his mind.  It was like this place had fought a war with time and clearly lost.  This was even crueler of a reality than the destruction he saw in the world where he fought Zamasu among other battlefields throughout his journey.  Thinking back on the past universes, he made an astute comparison; if the world belonging to the Symphogear users represented mankind's ability to harness life, then these ruins represented what happened if the world was ruled by something bleak.

         "Kimi-nee, I don't understand.  This just doesn't feel right.  This world is…" the youth stammered trying to process this feeling he was getting.

         "It's dead…that is the fate of Earth in the year 4250.  Life is completely extinct save for what little bit of plant life elected to grow around here.  Humanity is gone simple as that but don't let the emptiness of this space fool you, we are not alone," the girl with shorter hair responded.

         "How could this have happened? Goetia couldn't possibly be thinking of using the fragments to conquer a dead world.  Perhaps he is trying to resurrect the world and bring it under his domain or something?"

         It was then that there was an echo of incomprehensible speech coming from the distance.  Taking note, Raizo and Kimi began to walk in the general direction of the disturbance's origin while taking in the view of their newfound environment.

         A few blocks down the way along the street that the pair of red-eyed individuals arrived at was a massive dome-like structure that would have served as a home to sporting events or concerts if mankind was alive during this day.  The basin shaped structure that was damaged on its sides at various points stood at least 400 feet high with a circumference of 200 feet.  Inside, it was constructed much like a new age coliseum where the audiences sat in stands and a field—which changed based upon the event—was cleared out in the middle.

         Currently, a 50-foot platform arranged for a performance of a stage play or concert sat in the middle of the open field where a gathering of a few hundred or so individuals crowded at the front of it.  On said platform were two individuals, the first was a man sitting upon a grandiose golden throne adorned with fine jewels.  He sat in golden armor with a red sash draping down from the front and back, had spiked golden blonde hair, and blood red eyes.  The second stood to the right with long, light green hair and blue eyes draped in white sheet-like robe that covered practically the entirety of the body save for the exposure of the hands and a bit of the feet. Together, these two loomed before a mass of other heroic spirits that remained in this world rallying them to join under the Golden King's leadership.

         "The only way to rebirth the glory of this world is if everyone falls under my leadership.  I'm the only one with the wisdom and capability necessary to bring forth a new age for humanity.  Regardless of the age we live in, the Earth always belonged to me since my time of rule in Babylon.  This state of ruin is but a result of how mankind became lost without my superior guidance.  You all fail to grasp the depths of my glory.  I, the oldest legend among you, the one who holds the greatest treasury ever known, and the one who dares to shun the ideology of the foolish gods that dare to rule from a perch of falsehoods. Only through me will you ever be able to find the new dawn you all crave," the man on the throne boasted proudly without regard for anyone else's opinion.

         Those in the crowd did not hesitate to voice their displeasure over the arrogance of the man before them.  Most of the individuals present had a strong hatred for the king but given how most understood their advantages and disadvantages plus the overwhelming power that this one man possessed alone, they merely wanted to see how things would play out.  In the meantime, the ostentatious man on the throne could only scoff at their disdain.

         "So many of you dare to speak out against my ideals yet none of you have the capability of forming your own faction to challenge the other two 'leaders' that you could follow in this war that is at present.  One leader desires only the strongest while the other holds onto the weak notion of hope.  If either were correct, would this world not still be alive in some way, shape or form?" he proposed to the masses.

         "A strong, central power directed by one person with a clear vision such as I is what is needed to bring back this world.  I am willing to shoulder the burden all on my own, can any of you honestly say that you would do the same?"

         Meanwhile during all of this controversial speaking that took place, Raizo and Kimiko arrived and slipped into the building.  The male was silently fascinated by the evolution of mankind's ingenuity with the change in technology and use of raw materials to give birth to all that he had seen so far.  Compared to the age in which he hailed from, he could not surmise how humanity developed over the years.  On the other hand, with all of this advancement, he could feel that it had consumed something within leading to their sudden disappearance.  As for the girl, she merely sighed slightly in annoyance because she could already guess whose voice it was speaking out loud but she felt irritated over one thing in particular.

         "I should have had more pancakes before coming out here…"

         After a few brisk paces, they made it out onto the field observing the crowd in the short distance.  Slipping into the group, they heard the speech of the man on stage which got on both of their nerves causing them to yield deadpan expressions at the same time—even with one of them wearing a mask.  The long and seemingly winded speech only got on their nerves more and more.

         "This guy is consistently annoying no matter how you try to slice it," Kimiko sighed placing her hand over her face.

         "You know this guy, Nee-sama?" Raizo asked curiously.

         "Yeah…the one in the gold is known as Gilgamesh, the Ancient King of Mesopotamia and often referred to as the King of Heroes.  He's gotten his ass kicked by Akaro and I on two different occasions; both times ended with beheading.  At this point, he's going to become the Team AKARA punching bag.  The person beside him is his best friend, Enkidu," she explained with a sigh.

         "Well his voice annoys me…so I think I'll politely shut him up."

         "Make it sassy, I'm already bored."

         Merely nodding at that point, Raizo weaved through the crowd making his way closer and closer to the front so he could confront the overly boastful king.  The words of the man reminded him of many foes that he faced before that took too much pride in their power.  Such people were small-minded individuals that eventually found themselves falling into an early grave often in a quick fashion because every one of these arrogant types deserve the proper shutdown.  As he looked at the faces of those in the crowd, he concluded that despite of their tension towards the man they were being swayed by his words.  The way this world was currently must have truly bogged down their reason allowing them to be easily fooled regardless of the pride they should have as individuals.  Whatever this world's situation was, it must have made them all desperate for a central pillar to adhere to; however, the Stormbringer was about to make them realize that they need to hold true to who they were.

         "Excuse me, hey you up there in the throne with the ridiculously overcompensating attitude…over here for a sec," Raizo called out loudly leaving silence to ensue.  Being the only one in the armor and cloak that could stand out in such a unique fashion, it wasn't long before everyone's attention was fixated on him along with the King of Heroes and his aide.

         "Ho? And who might you be?" Gilgamesh asked with a slight hint of interest.

         "I'll get to that in a minute but um, I just wanted to share my opinion with you on something real quick since everyone here is a little divided over how to react to your 'charisma'.  You must be really one of those types that loves to hear himself talk, am I right?  I mean, all you're doing is boasting about how great you are and what you could do if this world was in your hands or something.  Well…if you're so great then instead of bragging about it, why don't you just do something to prove? Bring life back to the planet; give these lands streets of gold and rivers flowing with milk and honey and all that. After all, the only reason why you are going on this long, boring rant is to show everyone how much of a god complex you have.  Stop being an ostentatious child already," the cloaked individual spoke candidly without care for what others might think.

         Hearing all of that caused whispers to be passed amongst the warriors around him.  Some were pleasantly surprised that an individual would speak out against the King of Heroes while others were frustrated that someone so stupid would speak in this fashion risking the lives of everyone present.  Regardless, the recipient of the brutal criticism was not pleased by this message in the slightest gripping the arm of his throne in anger.

         "You have quite the bold tongue on you, but I find it ironic that you can be so brave while wearing a mask.  It's funny how people are only brave when they have something to obscure themselves knowing full well they can be easily crushed.  You should hide your face like a coward and whimper before my might," the arrogant king proclaimed beginning to rise from his throne.

         "Ah the mask, well that's to protect me from catching your ignorance.  There is no cure for stupidity after all," Raizo swiftly countered.

         "You are truly one to push my buttons, stranger.  Were you this foolish during your time when you were alive I wonder?"

         "From time to time, but I'm not dead yet so who knows, I'll probably grow out of it."

         "You're testing my patience…"

         A series of golden portals opened behind the Golden King as numerous weapons began to emerge from it slowly directed at Raizo's location.  Refusing to get caught up in the crossfire, the individuals around him quickly began to move away from his position leaving him to die alone in his foolhardy endeavor of pissing the King of Heroes off.  The one who was once referred to as Obsidian merely cracked a smile beneath his mask as sparks of crimson and indigo electricity began to spiral around his body.

         "I'll cut you down before your brain even registers the fact that you are already dead," the male spoke reaching for Vajra on his hip.

         "Ho? Let's see you try, mongrel…"

         The two armored warriors were about to come to blows in front of everyone present when a dense aura filled with immense pressure from various source of energy came from above.  The stadium shook like an earthquake was about to hit when suddenly a gigantic, floating landmass descended from the greyed out skies above down towards the open dome area.  It was a mystifying, floating fortress assembled with systematically ordered masses that were covered in floors of marble, stone balconies, innumerable pillars, and various kinds of plant life that bounded all of these constructs in a manner that could be surmises as the unification of unsightly disorder and luxurious beauty.

         The sight of this monstrosity caused some unease to occur within the crowd as they stared into the sky feeling cautious about what was going to happen next. Gilgamesh's golden gates with the weapons closed behind him as the king crossed his arms with a slight smirk on his face seeing the silhouette of a lone warrior standing on the rim of stone along the surface of the colossal land.  The person appeared like a small insect but had been visible for all to see if their eyesight was trained enough.  Meanwhile, also being curious, Raizo turned his attention upward to see what would happen next.  In that instant, a large projection like a screen materialized and the visage of a woman was featured in it

A woman with fair, pale skin with red eyes and long, dark violet hair appeared.  She wore black armor overtop a skin tight, purple bodysuit.  Draping from her waist in the back as well as styled in a cloak that came down to just above her rear was a set of black cloaks that complimented the armor pieces.  The only lighter colors she had on were golden straps on the shoulders and upper thighs of her body that bound the articles of clothing together as well as rubies on the black veil that she wore on her hair.  She was a dangerous beauty that emanated an aura of absolute dominance and ferocity that foreshadowed her prowess in battle.  Those who knew of her heard of her impeccable skill with the spear as well as her title as the Queen of the Land of Shadows. 

"The infamous Queen of Death and self-proclaimed God Slayer has elected to descend on her high perch to grace us with her presence.  How thrilling it is to see you, Scathach," Gilgamesh mocked with his haughty tone.  The woman merely narrowed her eyes before speaking.

"King of Heroes, I see you are busy being frantic to recruit people to your cause.  You are so desperate to establish your rule over the world again that you are willing to call anyone who has to listen to your rabble to fall under your banner.  When will you give up on this two-dimensional ideology of yours?" she lectured.

"As soon as you realize that I'm right and your forces submit to me," he countered.

"I do believe you meant to say as soon as I force you to submit to me.  You should consider yourself lucky that I admire your strength, Former King of Babylon.  When will you lay down your pride and just admit that your goal and mine align?"

"Ho~? I wish to simply use my glorious wisdom to guide us all back to glory without the need of the gods.  You just simply wish to have a harem of strong warriors for your own fetish benefits."

"Ara? I see you wish to insult me, how adorable of you.  I only wish to lead the strong who realize that we don't need the power of the Grail or the Gods to make the world a better place.  Humanity died because of weakness and greed.  Only the strong are fit to survive in this world, and those with strength can remake this world thus forging it into something better than it was before.  Survival of the fittest is an accurate doctrine for the times we live in."

Hearing these two argue back and forth made Raizo feel sick inside.  They just didn't get it.  One party wants to exploit the world's current state for the sake of realizing his own agenda while flaunting a god-complex. It was something he saw in various scenarios with many different forms and faces in his universe as well as other universes he visited so far.  The other party only believes in power and the advocacy of a world built by the strong and for the strong only. 

"That woman seriously reminds me of my mother. No sign of Goetia and the fragments and shit is already hitting the fan.  I'm glad I got Kimi here to help.  Oh wait…"

"Shit…" he muttered realizing that by coming this far into the crowd, he lost track of where Kimi was especially since the large group shifted in position.  Before things escalated any further, he had to find her but…much to his dismay, circumstances were about to change for the worst.

"I think it is best that you and I agree to disagree, so shall we skip the pleasantries and get on with why you're truly here?  Surely you don't think you can defeat me right here and now?  Even if these individuals don't agree with me, I'm sure they would never fight for you," Gilgamesh instigated with a smile.

"Yes, you're right but fortunately I have allies who already do," Scathach responded.

At that point, a bunch of energy signatures took forms of many different silhouettes which descended into the stadium.  Countless skeletal lifeforms and undead spawned holding a variety of swords, spears, clubs and other objects ready to fight.  Supporting them were other epic heroes who fought under Scathach taking up their arms before all of these forces charged forth.  Without having much choice, the heroes that served as Gilgamesh's audience beforehand now found themselves in a life or death skirmish.

"You have your dogs do your dirty work forcing others to fight for their lives as a result, what kind of leader are you I wonder?" Gilgamesh called out.  It was then that the screen above vanished from sight.

A few seconds later, a stride of crimson and black energy came spiraling down towards the earth landing on the stage with a loud explosive impact.  Dust and debris kicked up momentarily before dissipating with one smooth motion of a swing.  Standing there was Scathach holding two crimson lances in her hand staring down the King of Heroes with pure killing intent.

"You shall fall before me right here and now, King of Heroes.  Your prideful nature will be the death of you."

"So you think, Death Queen," Gilgamesh responded opening the golden gates behind him with Enkidu moving towards the back of the stage.

The Stormbringer simply observed the exchange taking place just before him.  He was expecting to fight the overzealous individual onstage but someone else had come along and taken that privilege.  It wasn't like the youth was particularly upset at this fact but turning around and seeing a full-scale battle taking form out of nowhere was the more surprising fact.  Before getting caught up in whatever mess this was, he prioritized something else.

"I have to find Kimi-nee before this escalates even further," he spoke aloud before taking off towards the midst of the battlefield.  Just before he started to get his pace going, he found his path impeded by a large, muscular being with grey skin, messy black hair and a brutish blunt sword with serrated steel along its curvature.

"Well then, look at you with the big muscles and shit…mind moving out of the way? I got someone much more important to find," Raizo asked with a casual tone.

"RAAAAAAAGHHH!!" the towering individual roared with an incoherent slur of speech that was filled with rage.

"Ah, one of those unreasonably angry types…but, this seems a little familiar now that I think about it. Hmm…have we met somewhere before perhaps on another battlefield?  I mean…I'd remember you if I killed you myself but…"

The muscular man merely swung his weapon down upon Raizo's location with extreme prejudice; however, the youth instantly moved out of the way.

"Hey man, that was rude.  Fuck it, you can't reason with muscle brains anyway," he sighed drawing Vajra from his side for a fight.

Before all of this chaos began, Kimiko was silently watching the exchange between Raizo and Gilgamesh from the rear of the crowd listening to the words of her little brother.

"He's definitely picking up the sass from all of us but he's more like Lucy's son than Hestia's," she spoke to herself with a hint of delight in her voice.  Then just as things were about to escalate, she caught the sight of Scathach on the projected screen and heard her words.

In her mind, the words of the woman reminded her much of Hestia with her attitude about strength. At that point, she could not determine which of the two individuals were more annoying to her.  She had heard enough and was ready to leave but that notion would have to wait as a battle was about to begin.

Snapping back to the present moment, several of the skeletal creatures and some heroic spirits from the crowd had turned their weapons on her.  She was outnumbered by about 30 to 1 or so, yet she did not even remotely flinch at the odds before her.  Instead, she just had an emotionless expression upon her face observing the enemies standing before her.  The girl only sighed because of how boring the situation she faced was to deal with.

"Always with the numbers game…" she murmured but regardless she pulled a singular knife from her red jacket and flipped it around in a reverse grip. 

The forces before her all rushed in at once trying to overwhelm her but in a single motion that was invisible to the untrained eye, they all fell.  Taking note of their comrades falling into the dirt, more of the ghoulish monstrosities tried to rush at Kimiko—this time from behind.  The girl sensed this and yielded a sigh filled with boredom.

"Attacking from the front doesn't work so let's try a back attack, seriously…how predictable can grunts be?" she criticized casually. 

Tucking the knife back in her jacket, she just walked forward without paying any attention to the nuisances.  They jumped in the air in an effort to pounce on her and tried to encroach on her position from a wide 120-degree angle.  It was an inescapable pincer move that was normally used as a means to overwhelm the target or drive them into a panic.  However, for the One-Cut Killer, this was just an unappetizing distraction that wasn't even worthy of her line of sight.  She snapped her fingers inside her jacket pocket which caused a concentrated bubble of energy to spawn behind her.  Influencing the behavior of vectors, a barrier of motion-shifting aura blocked the advance of the undead foot soldiers; actually, they still foolishly advanced but it was only to their demise.  When they tapped the surface of the barrier, they dissipated into dust and were swept away the wind as their remains scattered about the battlefield.

"Oh joy, more fodder-tier enemies.  Well…at least you're all heroic spirits but negligible characters at best whose appearances aren't really worth describing in the story."

The heroic spirits before her numbered around ten or so.  They were fighters with a myriad skills that hailed from different periods in human history yet they collectively came together to take on a singular threat.  The girl in the jacket merely tilted her head and brushed aside her locks of hair away from her eyes. She casually observed their postures then just let out another sigh once again.

"Alright, I'm just gonna make this amusing for my own sake so come on.  Show me what you can do."

The heroes charged simultaneously in that very moment trying to take advantage of their opponent.  Just as they entered not even 10 paces of her, Kimi felt herself close her eyes and take a deep breath.  When she opened them, she caused all of them to stop altogether in their tracks.  Arranged like mannequins being put on display, they no longer had control over any part of their bodies.  They couldn't even grunt or scream out in protest over this as the girl before them seized control of their blood flow without moving her body at all.  At that point, she manipulated how the red liquid was carried throughout their bodies reversing itself flow entirely which led to each individual to swell up like balloons before bursting at the seams in a bloody spray.  Kimiko projected another vector shield in front of her that erased the crimson liquids from splattering on her clothing.

"And we're done here.  Now then," she began to say walking casually across the field.  It was then that she sensed an incoming mass of energy towards the arena.

"Ah, perfect timing."

*****

"Man, you really don't know how to die do you?" Raizo sighed with a hint of irritation in his tone as he saw his opponent regenerating from a fatal blow once more.

During the time of his little fight with the individual before him, he killed him at least 3 times by now.  He beheaded his target, cut him in half, and stabbed him in the heart but each time the Stormbringer thought the foe was dead; he recuperated and shrugged off the damage like it was nothing more than an annoying paper cut.

"Man…what the hell are you, a cat with nine lives? Wait…" Raizo pondered in that moment taking his smart remark seriously.  Each time he 'ended' the live of his enemy, the behemoth resuscitated.  In fact running back those moments through his mind, he distinctively remembered that the muscle being ceased movement for an instant or so before coming back to life.  What if the monster did in fact die but possessed multiple lives?

"If that's the case, then I'll just have to attack you with a technique that can kill you many times over…or better yet, I'll just erase you altogether."

Sheathing his blade, Raizo then projected six crimson lightning blades between his fingers that he colloquially referred to as 'Six Claws'.  Readying himself, the youth rushed in towards his adversary dodging the myriad of colossal strikes that the monster tried to land.  They bore considerable weight and force behind each motion but were otherwise negligible in terms of potential damage to his person.  The Stormbringer merely evaded in an effort to slow down the berserk being but it only served to irritate the monster more and more.

In a flash, the armored assassin blitzed through the muscular monster's offensive front and unleashed his counter.  He impaled all six blades into the beast's body from various angles that made his foe appear like a snowflake or a star.  As Raizo stood before the monster watching him attempt to regenerate, the youth could only let out another sigh knowing that the beast was just yielding a futile attempt to stay alive.  The Crimson Thunder effect imbued within the blades was erasing the target's subatomic structure essentially breaking down the beast's body from the inside out.  There was no room for the berserker to come back for this but Raizo wanted to be certain of his foe's destruction.

"I got more important things to do than deal with you so it's the end of the road," he stated plainly before snapping his fingers. The six blades lodged within the beast detonated all at once yield a ball of crimson light to fire off as a result erasing the former monster where it stood without the possibility of returning.

"Now then, back to what I was going to do before I was rudely interrupted," the Stormbringer sighed in relief turning on his heel to run off before he found himself nearly blasted by a massive, crimson beam of light which blasted a hole straight through the other side of the area.

"Whoa there," he said stepping aside as the energy wave shot past him vaporizing a small group of skeletal soldiers and other heroic spirits as a result.  Turning his attention to see who discharged that attack, he found a lone individual walking towards him.

The silhouette came walking towards him with silent fury burning in her deep crimson eyes.  She had dark skin marked with white lines and white hair in which the bangs obscured an inverted triangle of red, blue and green on her forehead.  She had on a white veil patterned with black rhombuses along the top of her hairline, at the base of her neck then at the end of the train that reached just past the back of her calves.  Her arms were sleeved in white and black fabric and her body embraced in a white battle dress with similar patterns that matched the veil she wore.  She wore black, mid-calf leggings and dark red heeled shoes. With red and black straps that bound her dress up top and around her neck, she marched towards Raizo holding a unique blade.  It was a black handled weapon that had a red, 4-pronged claw opening upside down with a matching black claw that served as the guard.  The blade was divided into three colors that matched the marking on her forehead being red, blue and green.

         "Masked warrior of unknown origin who slayed the mighty hero, Heracles, hear my declaration. I, the King of Destruction—Altera, hereby challenge you to singular combat," she spoke in a commanding yet calm tone.  Her aura was filled with a density that eclipsed the beast that came before almost rivaling the likes of Scathach and Gilgamesh onstage.

         "Well…I'm not sure why you'd challenge me but you mind if I take a raincheck? I don't want to keep someone I care about waiting any longer than I already have," he countered casually.

         "Draw your sword, you who fight for the sake of advocating strength and absolute power.  Your mission is one of a bad civilization that must be destroyed," the maiden of destruction proclaimed aiming her blade at the male.

         "Wait what? I think you're jumping to…" Raizo was about to say before the woman rushed at him at a blinding speed he was not expecting thrusting her blade straight at him.

         The Stormbringer instinctively drew Vajra blocking the incoming attack but was ultimately pushed back across the ground.  Unfortunately for him, Altera wasn't done. She then unleashed a series of slashes at the male putting him on the defense, thus forcing him to step back more and more. The girl was relentless with her attacks not giving Raizo room to counter for a period of time.  She swung her blade wildly in a pattern that seemed to change up on a moment's notice.  The Crimson Harbinger took deep breaths to focus his thoughts to analyze her.  However just when he thought he had an opening, the girl's blade warped in shape becoming flexible and wormed around the male's guard slapping him away from her.

         "Tch…" Raizo gritted his teeth stabbing the ground forcing his body to correct itself.  He had a tense expression on his face at the moment knowing that he would have to take this fight a little more seriously since this wasn't a typical pushover opponent.  He removed the tip of his blade from the dirt and took a stance as Altera rushed in.

         With a loud clap of thunder, the blades of the two fighters collided sending out a wave of air pressure to echo throughout the arena.  The instant following after that, the pair of fighters were unleashing attacks at each other that could only be seen as blurs of motion complimented by sparks lighting up the air around them.  They attacked and countered each other's movements as the next level sword fight carried on.  This caught the eye of the woman with red spears observing the fight out of the corner of her eye while facing the duo of the King of Heroes and his aide.

         "Heracles was defeated just a few moments ago and now Altera is here fighting with that mysterious male?  I lost a strong asset but with the King of Destruction here, that means that the Saint will be coming here soon.  I was hoping for more time to deal with Gilgamesh but…I sense things are about to change."

         She thought all of this to herself while briefly scanning the battlefield.  A certain fox was unleashing a variety of elemental spells on her foes. Supporting her was a dark-skinned archer whose projectiles took down all foes that tried escaping the fox's magic.  A phantasmal specter was zipping through the crowd hacking away enemies in a flash as well.  These were some of the allies that descended with Scathach to this confrontation while being supported by the ghoulish forces. Though they were maintaining a low profile, she felt like they would have to pull out of the field soon.

         "You should learn to keep yourself focused and not worry about the struggles of other mongrels," Gilgamesh called out launching a volley of weaponry from his fabled Gate of Babylon.

         Scathach merely twirled her twin lances around deflecting the oncoming projectiles with ease.  She caught one axe around her weapon and spun it around before swinging it back at its owner with full intent of decapitation.  However, an automatic defense field activated as bolts of lightning shot down the oncoming object.    Gritting her teeth slightly from the nuisance, she jumped into the air and launched a series of red lances that bore down upon both individuals causing them to move out of the way.  Quickly after that, the Dun Scaith Warrior rushed in with two of her spears brought to bear.  She did not hesitate and trained her crimson irises on her target with the full intention of settling her fight right here and now. Just as she was about to seize the moment, a dense power level ceased her movements.

         Meanwhile, Raizo and Altera were still dueling with full fury as the clanging of their blades echoed out into the sky.  The Stormbringer had to admit it; this woman was quite the skilled warrior.  Her unorthodox fighting style was one that could not be underestimated for a single moment.  She was unpredictable and even when one thought that they could capitalize on an opening to attack, it was a trap meant for her to take advantage of the fight.  As a result, the Son of Mercer had to go beyond trickery and speed to beat her but he had to rely on something else—the classic brute force approach.

         He gripped Vajra with both hands and channeled crimson electrical energy into the blade.  Taking a deep breath underneath his mask, the youth honed his focus examining his opponent's guard and stance.  A similarly colored aura sparked off his body as he lowered his upper body angling his blade horizontally across his chest.  He silenced his mind and trained all efforts of thought towards the woman before him.  Time seemed to stand still all around him but in that next second; he kicked off the ground and attacked her dead on.

         Altera focused herself and readied for her opponent's next move.  As the armored assassin attacked her from the front, she instinctively batted aside the opening thrust just barely but found that her blade reacted with a violent spark upon the defensive parry.  Examining the crimson blade that her opponent wielded, she found herself engaged in a brief flashback feeling that she felt a similar energy signature directed her way once before.  Catching her off guard, her assailant seized the momentum that he discovered and began swinging at her with his weapon directly.

         "Tch…" she grunted being forced on the defensive.  For some reason, she found herself trying to keep herself at a decent range so that she would not be at odds with the oncoming assault.  It was like her body was telling her to stay away at all costs.

         Raizo would not humor the mercy of such a courtesy as the speedster quickly closed the gap between them spinning his wrist with the blade in hand keeping his rhythm of attacking from a myriad of directions.  Sensing the panic and anxiety within her, the masked male swung his blade one hard time before being blocked by her weapon.  With his free hand, he charged blue electricity to his fist and punched her directly in her abdomen sending her reeling back into the ground.  It was a cheap shot but he didn't have the time to be wasting on someone that was blatantly impeding his path to getting to Kimiko.  He would finish this right here and now but just as he went in for the kill, he felt a massive pressure that just cruised onto the battlefield without any warning.

         "What the…" he spoke to himself as he turned to see a silhouette approaching his location with a singular sword in his hand, armor along the shoulders and chest and a flowing cape of sorts behind him.  Aside from making out these details, he could not see the person's face but that power was enough to give him knots in his chest.  Whoever this was had strength that was unlike anything he's felt so far since being on this journey.  Not even Tiamat's secondary evolution form could compare to this.  As a result, he felt unsure of what to do and fear crawled down his spine.

         "When faced with a stronger foe whose power eclipses your own, bet everything on one attack.  Don't hesitate for a moment.  That's the difference between life and death." Recalling the lesson his brother taught him when last they trained together; Raizo tapped the side of his mask to snap himself out of it and did just that.  He quietly released the Mastered state of Heart of the Storm underneath his armor as the amethyst aura surrounded him and changed the colors of his armor.  He channeled his strength into Vajra.

         "I am the one who was forged in fire,

         My body of steel honed with a refined edge.

         I wandered onto numerous battlefields bathed in crimson,

         Yet I have saved the lives of many.

         While being a blade, I cannot embrace you;

         Without being a blade, I cannot protect you.

         For I was always one with the sword,

         And the sword was always me.

         Entranced in this mindset, I am absolute

         So as this soul soars through the heavens,

         Kieru sen!"

         Raizo burst forth in less than an attosecond with his blade imbued with the Anti-Multiverse technique that he used to defeat an arrogant deity in another universe not too long ago.  He charged at this overwhelming presence betting everything on this one attack hoping it would at least do enough damage to wound him.  Wherever Kimiko was on the battlefield, she could take care of the rest.

         "HAAAAAAA!!!!" he shouted out bringing his blade down upon his target. 

Just before the move even had the chance to connect, the figure before stopped his attack cold with a single finger.  Before Raizo could even gasp in surprise, he felt a blow hit him in his center mass knocking the wind out of his lungs.

         "Guh?!!" he coughed before being sent flying back.

         The body of the Stormbringer tumbled across the dirt and rubble before impacting against a wall.  His armor was shattered completely and his transformed state while the energy concentrated in his blade was negated.  Unconscious, Raizo's fight came to an abrupt end.

*****

         The fighting that consumed the area seemingly paused for a myriad of reasons.  Firstly, the energy that was given off by the intense struggle between Raizo and Altera caused many to watch on in awe of the prowess between the two warriors as well as caution of whether or not they would be caught up in it as collateral damage.  Secondly, a cluster of dense energy signatures came rolling in as well.  One of which already presented itself out of nowhere on the battlefield approaching the duel between the sword-wielders. Unsure of what was happening, everyone couldn't help but to stop what they were doing.

         A loud whistle noise echoed out in the skies as a fleet of floating pirate ships came rolling in.  A lone, red, black and brown vessel that was a Galion-class vessel led the foray into the area threatened to ram into the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  These forces did not belong to Scathach's or Gilgamesh's forces but to a third power altogether.  Standing on the stage holding her red lances almost rushing into what would be certain demise, the purple covered battle maiden made a scornful expression before parting her lips.

         "Be grateful King of Heroes, that pesky Saint and her comrades have saved your life from being claimed by me," she uttered.

         "The fact that you think you could kill me is amusing in itself, witch," Gilgamesh responded with a smirk.

         "I would have if not for her presence but you shall fall before my spear soon enough.  It's only a matter of time," the self-proclaimed God Slayer responded.

         The woman backed off revealing the cracks and tears in her armor with blood trickling down her cheek.  She raised her spear into the air discharging dark crimson energy into the air as a sign of retreat.  As her forces began to do just that with her key officers jumping into the sky, she soon followed suit returning to the looming gardens above.  After collecting the important forces and what not, the undead soldiers that were left continued to attack to serve as distraction in order to cover the retreat of the masters that led them.  The floating fortress then listed away and took off into the skies above.

         "We shall retreat as well then," Gilgamesh responded dusting off the dirt from his shoulders.  He turned to the field where most of the weaker heroic spirits had fallen and sighed in disappointment.  However, humoring those left standing…he had a surprising statement.

         "Those left alive and who wish to stay that way can follow me or die like the worthless mongrels you are," he spoke out before vanishing in golden light with Enkidu behind him.

         The survivors who felt obliged elected to try and follow as opposed to fighting the seamlessly endless horde of undead.  In addition, they were also feeling anxious about the intent of the more powerful presences left behind.

         As all of this, Raizo slowly came to finding himself laying on something soft yet warm.  His crimson irises captured the greyed out sky but in his vision, he also saw someone else.  His awareness returned to him which allowed him to comprehend the visage of Kimiko looming over him with a pleased expression upon her face.

         "Nee-chan…?" he muttered unsure of what was going on.

         "You were out cold for a minute there but welcome back," she said gently caressing his head that was lying in her lap.  Understanding what this warmth meant made the youth's face fill with a shade of pink and his heart thumped heavily in his chest.

         "Oi, rise and shine there sleeping beauty," another voice called out.

         "Eh?" the Child of Thunder pondered before turning to see a familiar face standing by.

         Wearing a black leather battle suit to cover his torso and legs, the man had silver armor plates on his shoulders, gauntlets on his forearms, and greaves on his calves.  A red cape was adorned around his body as the straps and buckles laced over the front while the collar appeared like an overgrown scarf around his neck.  With red eyes and black hair appearing like a more mature twin of the Stormbringer, the youth gasped in shock over who stood over him.

         "A…Aniki?!" he cried out.

         "Yo Raichu, sorry about that punch from earlier but I didn't know that was you underneath that armor nor did I recognize that dangerous technique ya had goin' on there," the Red-Eyed Hero named Akaro explained.

         "Goodness, you could have just come to me first you know," Kimiko sighed.

         "Oi, I didn't know you were here with the kid either. How the hell am I supposed to know that you'll pop up outta nowhere?"

         "You have a phone idiot…that's how."

         "Well…true…but…"

         "They work anywhere regardless of the universe or timeline we're in, don't pull the no signal excuse."

         "….Dammit Kimi, you're really bein' hard on me here."

         "Of course I am, you know better than to go dark."

         "Well the phone rings both ways!"

         "Don't make me shank you."

         "I'm sorry."

         "That's what I thought."

         "I'm just gonna pretend I know what the hell you two are talking about. Regardless, it's good to see you Aniki…though I'll find a way to repay that punch at some point in time," Raizo expressed raising himself up from Kimi's lap slowly while rubbing his chest.

         "Ah come on, it was just a little love tap.  You'll be fine."

         "...…."

         "All right, no need to give me a deadpan expression like Akame and Kimiko like to do."

         "Um…Akaro-san…" another voice echoed out approaching the trio slowly.

         "Damn it, you again?" Raizo jumped up reaching for his blade but Akaro just extended his arm out.

         "Hey relax; she's a friend of mine."

         "Wait…what?"

         "Ah, so you know this one that had on the armor beforehand? We nearly killed each other you know," Altera sighed while gazing over at the true face of her opponent from before.

         "Yeah…these two are both a part of my family.  I wasn't expecting either one of them to show up but we should get out of here so we can all properly catch up," Akaro explained.

         In the meantime, the ghouls that were left tried to rush their location but came into contact with a vector barrier cast by Kimiko and were being erased on contact.

         "Yes, Scathach and Gilgamesh have escaped unfortunately.  I'm sorry Akaro-san…if only I stayed focused on my main objective then the battle would have went differently," Altera apologized.

         "Hey don't worry about it.  It's actually a good thing they escaped.  A three-sided war is not something this arena or the entire city could handle," the legendary hero spoke with a reassuring tone.

         "Three-sided war?" Raizo asked with a head tilt before turning to Kimiko who merely shrugged.

         "Yeah like I said, we've got a lot of catching up to do.  Why don't we head up to the ship and travel back to our base so we can do just that?"

         "Lead the way, Aniki."

         "Wherever we're going better have pancakes, Akaro," Kimiko remarked snapping her fingers causing the barrier to disperse.

         "Hey, I got this okay? Now let's get aboard the ship."

         The four clustered together then jumped up to the red pirate ship sailing overhead leaving the arena behind.

*****

         Observing the entire power struggle between factions inside his crystal ball, the Demon King watched the entire battle take place.  He felt himself grow slightly irritated by the sight of three members of Team AKARA gathered together but otherwise kept his composure.

         "So the Son of Mercer isn't alone…no matter, I can still get what I want out of this exchange but I'll have to change my tactics.  Fortunately there are plenty of pawns to manipulate.  With the Holy Grail and all of the fragments of the Arcana Crystal in my possession, it won't be long before I will be able to bring the war that will change the shape of the multiverse forever," he said with a sinister tone.

         "This will be your grave, Raizo Mercer.  And there is nothing that the Red-Eyed Hero or Akasha can do to stop it.