Perpetual Samsara (Part 14)

A blinding chasm of yellow lightning blitzed the minds present could fathom. A lengthy pause that seemingly slowed the atmosphere around the immediate area ensued as the source of radiance fixed itself in a poised position. For the smallest instance of time, the gathered cluster of plasma energy took upon the shape of a wolf with prideful, ravenous intent as it lingered in the gap between the Tengu Queen and the Sovereign of Cocytus. Sparking rapidly as if the beast was hungering for a meal, the aura receded thus revealing a silhouette of a man embraced by the spiraling aura of electricity.

Standing there in a tattered white gi whose upper torso was all but torn away, Raizo stood tall as the wolf mark on his back radiated with divine energy. He seemingly plucked the projection of a wolf's mask away from his face as his crimson eyes sparking with subtle bolts of yellow light whisked down his face. In the breeze, his black train of hair stretched almost completely down his back as it flowed carelessly in the breeze, the white patch of hair now stretching backward in a full streak.

"The pup's done it, he's finally become a hound. He took what I instructed and gave himself to the Tao. That yellow lightning wrapped around him in tandem with his phantom movement is proof of it. He's trampled over the mental blocks that kept him from achieving his Primordial Heritage," analyzed the smiling teacher that was Sivanah as she folded her arms over her bust with a small grin creasing her features.

"Even his presence is different now. That raw pressure has greatly surpassed his strength with his Oversoul form. He has no use for any of his old transformations now, they are beneath him if anything. And now…he has taken a step towards his destiny…like my brother with the Crimson Dragon, and myself with the Royal Butterfly. Welcome to a whole new world, Raizo," Reina commented with praise and adoration. The sight of the boy becoming a man was an understatement. He finally managed to achieve the growth he desperately needed; his resolve was finally uncovered.

The malevolent, elegant witch known as Featherine was taken aback by the sudden arrival of the Stormbringer. Observing his position, she could sense that something changed within him that was vastly different than the boy she observed before during previous encounters between their respective factions. She raised her sleeved arm towards her lips while her eyes narrowed.

"How wonderful that you could make it here, Raizo. Your arrival heralds an opportunity to put an end to this frivolous fighting if you but entertain one thing. The Abyss Order is willing to cease their advent in these lands if you come with us to Elysium. You'd like to end all of this without further bloodshed, wouldn't you?" she emphasized.

Those words fluttered from her lips like a honeyed position. As they tickled his ears, the proposal she spoke felt more like a command. It was as though some unknown force was trying to bend his mind to see the fruitfulness behind the words and attract his mind to agreement like gravity. His soul was being forced to a narrative that she was weaving as those words were tinged in red coloration that threatened to twist reality towards her meaning inscribing its truth as undeniable. However, the training Raizo endured and the understanding of the Tao, he saw the red letters floating through the air towards him and with a subtle breath…he ignored them. Seeing him unfazed, Featherine raised an eyebrow of confusion.

"It's pointless to try and control him now," Sivanah interjected with a subtle scoff.

"Those who have gained innate knowledge of the Tao become inapplicable in relation to any form of existence, any form of information manipulation, any form of simple duality, any form of time-space, regardless of its complexity or its size. Tao is the underlying root of all things and phenomena in the stories created by Akasha. Therefore, regardless if an impact is tangible, intangible, spiritual, mental, logical, verbal, and so on; nothing can affect those who operate through the very root system of all realities. To oppose the Tao, you would be required to possess an equivalent or greater understanding of it. To he who has attained enlightenment beyond your compression… you are much less than a black ant."

"Well that was a boring ass lecture among the many I've heard before in my lifetime," the razor-toothed Megane sighed as she threw her arms up in the air. Undisturbed by the might of the Tao that Sivanah glorified, she just turned to her partner with a despondent sigh.

"Just use that Abyssal Authority and end this crap; that way we're not saddled with this stick-measuring contest all damn day," she suggested.

"As much as I believe it would be a waste and total overkill, I am inclined to agree. It would make up for the time wasted at this point," Featherine nodded in kind, but just as she was about to make her next move, she felt a subtle wave of pressure blast past her from the man in question.

"Featherine Augustus Aurora…a godlike witch with near-infinite life and nigh-omnipotent control over the story you originated from. Someone who often plays the role of an observer weaving the narrative to her preferences. Was the promise of power beyond your wildest dreams really all it took to make you a pawn of Perdition?" Raizo asked while crossing his arms.

"What the…" Featherine's eyes widened as she stumbled backward, "How do you know so much…?"

"Isn't it obvious, foreign witch? It's easy for one who is aware of the inner workings of creation to see through someone so weak," Sivanah chuckled in kind.

Before Featherine had a chance to formulate a counter rebuttal or take the next action, Raizo channeled yellow lightning into the illustrious blade of Soteria. With what may have been fathomed as the man hunching forward ever so slightly, he zipped in and cleaved her clean in two.

"What…?" she expressed feeling her body slowly coming undone. Then the newly birthed Envoy raised a single hand towards her and channeled his energy before unleashing a colossal blast of primordial energy that incapacitated her beyond the point she could heal from.

"You son of a bitch!" Magane cried out in desperation, panicked over what she just witnessed take place before her eyes.

"To hell with this being reserved, I'll use my own authority!" she declared, her voice shaking from the cold sting of fear before reaching out with her right hand.

Yet the opportunity to take the offensive was robbed from her at that moment as a streak of light rained down and severed her arm from her body.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Magane screeched in agony as her limb dropped to the ground, pools of blood spurting like a fountain from her right side. Then more sabers fell from the sky encapsulating her in a steel prison as she was able to capture the details of the elegant cutlasses with ruby red hands and curved golden crossguards.

"You always talked too much…" a dominant voice echoed out.

"Tch… you again… it had to be YOU OF ALL PEOPLE! DAMN YOU!" Magane cursed with intense hatred.

Raizo, Reina, and Sivanah looked above their heads to see a figure descending from the sky holding one saber in hand while composing a symphony on what appeared like an automatic tommy gun hitched against her left side, the buttstock leaning against her chin. As she came further into view, the trio were able to get a further grasp on her identity.

A long, silver-haired beauty came into view with lengthy bundles of her hair tied up into a twin-tailed style on either side; the top of her head was decorated by a black hat with an elaborate golden decoration. The pentagonal shape on the front was adorned by a strange creature's head with rays of light emitting from it. Draped in a military uniform style that reminded Raizo and Reina of Hikari's attire, they could see further of her elegant attire.

She adorned a black and gold trench coat with golden paulets on each shoulder and a raised golden collar. The black trail of her jacket transitioned into white and gold plated coat-tails. Underneath the jacket, she wore a crimson and black battle dress then created the illusion of a single-piece skirt that traced just down to the mid-range of her thighs. Then she wore black steel-toed, knee-high boots with golden plating over them. The girl relinquished her weaponry that dissipated in bluish-violet embers of light. Her pale skin combined with eyes that were dyed in a perfect blend of red and blue.

Before they could ascertain the stranger's identity, she was then joined by two other figures that blipped onto the scene through a violet rift torn through the fabric of space. 

The second individual was another female with long, lush violet hair and lavender-purple eyes. She wore black-trimmed glasses and a daring almost skin-tight bodysuit that was plated in golden armor and accented various points along her shoulders, the backs of her gloves, and at the knee, shin, and toe-to-heel areas of her knee-high boots. Her black and gold dress portion of her body suit yielded a high amount of exposure where her bountiful chest almost escaped; the voluminous nature of her peaks practically spilled out if not for the dark purple pasties that were attached by translucent straps to the upper collar area of her dress.

The third figure was a recognizable face. She was one with long black hair and red eyes with a black suit underneath and matching black trousers with red and black combat boots to match. Her pants were fastened by a red and brown leather belt. She wore a red trench coat with red and black plated armored gloves topped off by a white scarf wrapped around her neck.

"Well then, is this not a pleasant surprise?" Reina smiled, noticing the presence of the younger Akame from Raizo's timeline, who also smiled at the prospect of a familiar face he felt like he hadn't seen in an eternity.

"Yeah…long time no s–...mmphh?!" the Crusader was about to say before he was attacked by the purple-haired female. His face was smothered by her large breasts as she hugged him tightly between their softness.

"My darling senpai, Rai-kun! Your ever so exciting kouhai, BB, is back on the scene! Didja miss me, Senpai?! Heehee I've grown up quite a bit ya know!" she teased before pulling away slowly. A small blush filled Raizo's cheeks, but he didn't clam up immediately.

"You um…look different, BB… Or…are you Sheele at the moment?" Raizo asked.

"Well since the last time we met, Sheele and BB have merged to become one unified persona. You can call me SheelBB! Or for all the confused viewers, Shelbee works too~ Do not say it as Shelby though or we'll kill ya reader!" she said with a playful wink.

"But…it really is good to see you, Rai-kun…" she smiled earnestly.

"Yeah… it's good to see you too considering I did not think I'd ever see you again. Nice to see you brought Big Sis, Akame, to the party," he chuckled.

"Well Shugo-chan and Rudy-chan sent out a nice little distress beacon, so I had to scoop up a familiar face and a new ally," Shelbee explained.

"You look well, little brother," Akame smiled as she walked up to the man. "I trust you are eating appropriately, correct? Protein is important. Then again, your physique tells me everything I need to know. You're lean muscular, but you need to hit up Akaro so you can get those broad shoulders."

"I'm trying my best out here. We definitely have a lot to get caught up on," Raizo smiled wryly. Then his eyes turned towards the new stranger of whom he knew nothing of.

"So…as much as we do appreciate the help, who exactly are you?"

"Someone who has been reading your story for a very long time, Raizo Arashi. You may call me… Altair. You feel confused right now, unsure if someone you know nothing of is actually here to help you in your cause without wanting anything in return. I understand the apprehension; but I assure you, and the Great Sovereign and Tengu Mother, I am your ally. I have long awaited this day when I could become a part of your living legacy," she spoke in what felt like riddles. As he processed her words, she approached him and reached out to touch his face. Gently, she caressed his cheek as she was drawn in by his eyes.

"Your story has been one of unparalleled inspiration for many in the All-Mother's white page. Now a new chapter must unfold that I feel honored to take part in," she expressed which confused the Crusader, but Raizo felt that she was genuine with her words.

"And here we go again," Reina sighed a little watching the women interact with the man.

"It will only get worse from here; after all, he's a Tengu now," Sivanah shrugged.

"Wait…did you not explain to him…"

"Hush little Ajari, such details can come later."

The purple-haired girl in the glasses cleared her throat loudly to try and get things back on track.

"Altair here is a powerful ally who has the ability to traverse the stories within the Archaeus," Shelbee explained.

"I see…" Raizo remarked, his mind flashing back to the experience he had within the Vaitarani.

"Well, on behalf of Team AKARA, thank you for aiding us in our time of need," Raizo bowed his head graciously.

"Such a nice reunion, but uh…do you really think you can trust someone like them with their bullshit?!" Magane was ranting aloud. Reina merely sighed and walked over towards the steel prison that she was kept confined within. Altair snapped her fingers to make the sabers disappear which created the opportunity for the Sovereign to make her move.

Reina unapologetically knocked out Magane, then went over to Featherine's collapsed vessel. She restored her just enough that would allow the women to live for the moment, but not too much to where they could get the drop on the group.

Continuing on with the discussion, Shelbee laid out what was about to go down. "Altair and I can be the reinforcements you need to reclaim Cocytus. Rai-kun, you and Akame should focus on taking back Elysium," the purple-haired beauty surmised with a subtle push of her glasses.

"What are you talking about? Time is all but running its course. I should be able to face Perdition now," Raizo countered. That was when Sivanah walked over and slapped the boy over the head.

"Or how about a better idea? We need an army to fight their monsters, so boy…how would you feel about becoming the King of Hell for a little while?"