CELESTIAL THREAT 1

The sun climbed towards its zenith, casting a warm glow over the balcony where Shiki and Nine stood, their conversation a hushed murmur against the backdrop of a world cloaked in perpetual twilight.

"By the way," Shiki began, a blush creeping up his cheeks, "could you remind me about the other members of The Assembly? I seem to have forgotten..." His voice trailed off, a hint of embarrassment coloring his words.

Nine let out a dramatic sigh, his frustration evident. "You only remember those five? Seriously?"

"I'm trying, I promise," Shiki said, his voice calm, almost soothing. "Just tell me again. The Assembly, right? Eleven powerful individuals, each representing their race."

"Yes, yes, I know," Nine said, his voice losing its edge. "Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins, Fairies, Seafolks, Angels, Demons, the Undead, and Giants. They meet in the Room of Phanes, a symbol of cooperation. Their goal? To mediate disputes, foster understanding, keep the peace."

"Rex Farin is the Undead representative, right?" Shiki asked, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes.

"Correct. Let me give you a quick rundown," Nine said, his voice regaining its usual calm. "Marina, the Empress of the Seafolk, rules over a vast expanse of oceanic nations. She's known for her kindness and benevolent rule, a true leader."

"Girlboss," Shiki interjected, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

Nine raised an eyebrow, momentarily thrown by the comment, but quickly recovered. "Then there's Michael, the Godsent Leader of the Angelic Order, the Holy Champion of God, and the strongest Archangel. He fought alongside us during the Uncrowned event."

"He's got that 'el' in his name, doesn't he?" Shiki said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"You're right," Nine conceded, shaking his head. "Your memory is a bit...fragmented."

"Next, we have Hogner, the Dwarven Overlord, a true warrior king. He wields the Heaven Divider, a Cosmic War Axe that could split the universe in two."

"Another dwarf with an axe," Shiki mused, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Reminds me of that anime I used to watch."

"Remember Xander?" Nine asked, gently steering the conversation back on track.

Shiki pondered for a moment, a hand instinctively covering his face as he searched his memories. "He's the Emperor of the elves, right?"

"Exactly. So, do you recall the others now?" Nine asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"Unfortunately, no," Shiki admitted, his frustration evident.

"I know you've mentioned your forgetfulness before, but this is...beyond absentmindedness," Nine said, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fed up with it too," Shiki confessed, his tone weary.

"When did this memory loss start?" Nine asked, curiosity piqued.

Shiki considered for a moment. "It probably started after the Uncrowned event. I wasn't as strong then, so I took some damage. I wasn't the strongest before..."

"Doesn't that mean you're the strongest now?" Nine asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Well, I am the strongest at the moment," Shiki said, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

"That's incredibly arrogant, even for you," Nine commented, shaking his head.

"Is it?" Shiki asked, his smirk widening.

"This...must have something to do with your power," Nine said, his voice filled with a mixture of concern and intrigue. "Your ability is called 'Memories,' and now you have 'Lost Memories' for all the names you assign to your power..."

"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're one of the most formidable beings alive, and you've grown stronger since," Nine said. "But if I were to rank you, you'd be at the 29th position."

"That's disappointingly low," Shiki complained, his voice laced with mock disappointment.

"Let's just...plan a meeting for the remaining members in the summer, so your sister can join us," Nine suggested, shifting the focus of the conversation.

A few minutes later, their conversation concluded, and 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, a strange feeling settled over them.

"Something feels off..." Shiki admitted, his voice laced with unease.

"I feel it too," Nine agreed. There was something unsettling, something wrong. Something...serpentine?

A deep, ominous sound echoed through the air, a sound so loud it could rival the seven trumpets of the apocalypse.

"Has the rapture begun? Seems a bit early," Shiki remarked, a hint of humor in his voice.

Suddenly, in the sky above, a creature appeared. It was the unholy offspring of destruction and re-creation itself, a never-ending cycle—Ouroborus, the [Cosmic Serpent].

"IS THAT A BIG FUCKING SNAKE?!" Shiki exclaimed, pointing a finger at the behemoth, his voice filled with astonishment.

"Calling it 'big' might be an understatement," Nine said. "That creature can span from several kilometers to encompassing the entire universe. But right now, it's no more than two kilometers in size."

"Shiki, try using your [Absolute Technique] timestop on it and let's see where to go from there," Nine suggested.

Shiki nodded, his eyes focused on the monstrous serpent. He began uttering the words that would halt space and time in all of existence itself.

"Memories: Sands of Time, the Alpha and the Omega!!"

The battle for the fate of the world had begun.