A New Member Appears

We walked to the next pyramid and I walked ahead. I looked at the key and sighed softly then closed my eyes. I had Saito, Tengu, Yae, and Orika on my mind. I wondered if they were safe while I was away in Egypt to destroy the Core of Sin.

"Hey...You felt that energy from Hisumi right..? That was some frightening energy. She evened the odds against Nubis who's said to be one of the strongest Uprising Goddesses out of the Twelve." Ataraxia said.

"Yeah. She's reaching new heights in her power. Not only is the Original Ruler of the Skies this powerful but Hisumi doesn't follow the normal principals of a typical Ruler that is here to serve the Sovereigns. She has her own goal, a goal I can't foresee. She can create her own path into a future she wants. I can see that she will become more powerful than me...She's destined to become the strongest Ruler." Nagini said.

"The strongest? But for ages since you became a Ruler...no one could match your abilities other than Maruno. How will she become stronger than someone who's practically undefeatable without the Key of Origin?" Ataraxia asked.

"I don't know, but that's what I'm seeing. I'm seeing her being the one...to kill Fallan." Nagini said.

"Hey, Hisumi." Raiden called out to me.

I stopped and turned around to look at Raiden. "What?"

"May I request something from you?" Raiden asked.

I crossed my arms and looked at Raiden. "What is it?"

"I wish to spar against your Ruler Form. For years I've been training to keep up with Rulers and you seemed to have raised the bar with your Indomitable Will. I can sense it...your will to be the strongest. Your will...to save everyone. Your Will is what makes you the strongest and I want to face off against that same Will! So if you'll allow it, I want to face you in an all out battle! Your best against my best." Raiden said.

I looked at Raiden then closed my eyes. I opened my eyes and looked around. We were in an open area with no distractions other than the Fallen if we ever encounter one of them. I looked at Nagini.

"It's fine with me." Nagini shrugged and smiled.

I looked at Raiden then unsheathed my katanas. "Let's get this show on the road then."

Raiden smirked and nodded then unsheathed her odachi. She got in her stance.

"This battle will end once one battler is unable to continue! This is an official Infinity Battle so both of you give it your all!" Nagini raised her hand in the air.

"Yeah!" We both said and our eyes shined.

"Ready...Begin!" Nagini swiped her hand down.

I immediately dashed toward Raiden. She looked surprised then became serious. She grunted as she blocked my attack then slid back. I ran toward her then lightning surrounded my body. I slashed at her quickly and she parried each attack then bellowed and slashed at me, pushing me back. I backflipped then landed on my feet.

Ataraxia crossed her arms as she watched. "Hisumi would seem to have the slighter advantage in speed and quick attacks to wear down her opponents, but her true strength doesn't appear until she's in her Ruler Form."

"Yeah...I noticed that as well. My Lab Rat's base form is only used for her quick attacks and movements to wear down her opponents, but her own stamina and defenses are low. She has to rely on her godly speeds to avoid certain attacks." Nagini said.

I bellowed and used my Flash Step to move around Raiden then began to strike her from all directions. Raiden grunted as she was being attacked. She growled then her eyes shined brightly. She bellowed and her aura surged around her body, pushing me away from her. I slid back and glared at Raiden.

"Her energy just increased further.." I said then stood up straight.

Raiden looked at me and her red eyes shined brightly. Her Oda Crest shined and she got in her stance.

"Meanwhile Raiden is fast, durable, powerful, and has Nobunaga's Blood within her. She's worked twice as hard as any one of us to match our strength and I can sense that in her." Nagini said.

Raiden dashed toward me and vanished then appeared behind me. I looked surprised then looked behind me. She slashed and hit my body. I grunted and my lightning sparked around my body. I grunted loudly when Raiden sent me flying in the air.

Liao Ru watched and looked at me seriously. "Hisumi...why are you holding back..? Your energy hasn't even raised.."

I landed on one knee then exhaled. I heard Raijin's voice in my head and covered my right eye.

"You have my power and yet won't use it...You can awaken it at will and yet...you still rely on a few light shows. Raiden Oda is a fearsome opponent. Although Human, she is as powerful as a god. I know you can't control the Oni within you, but you can't be frightened by it forever." Raijin said in my head.

"I don't want to hurt her..." I said.

"You won't. It's up to you to know when enough is enough. Once you realize that, you're on the right track of knowing how to control your power." Raijin said.

I lowered my hand then looked at Raiden. Raijin was right. She has the power of a god...She's trained her body day and night to match a Ruler. It wouldn't be fair to not give her what she wants. I stood up and my eyes shined golden. Divine Lightning crackled around my body and I bellowed as I began to awaken my Ruler Form.

Raiden grunted and covered her face from the sand. Liao Ru smiled and nodded. Raiden looked at me and noticed me summoning six raijin symbols behind me.

"She's showing me true power...This is gonna be fun!" Raiden laughed and stomped her foot down then her hair slowly turned red. "Hisumi!"

I looked at Raiden then sheathed my katanas then held my hand out and summoned my hammer. I ran toward Raiden and she ran toward me. We swung our weapons and clashed. A powerful repulsive force of energy blew around us and we clashed multiple times. I bellowed and swung my hammer then knocked her sword out of her hand. Raiden jumped backwards and bellowed then blasted me with a beam of pure dark energy.

An explosion happen and Raiden lowered her hands. She looked surprised when the smoke cleared and there were no scratches on my body.

"Elemental Immunity.." Nagini said.

"She's 100% Immune to all elemental attacks...Her Oni Physiology proves to be a bigger threat than ever." Ataraxia said.

"Show her your true Oni!" Raijin bellowed.

I bellowed and my aura surged powerfully around my body. Two horns protruded from my head as I began to embrace my inner oni.

Raiden smirked and stomped her foot down then got in her stance. "I'm loving this....to fight against an actual Demigod at full power. I won't hold anything back!"

I made my hammer disappear and looked at Raiden. Lightning surrounded my fists and formed gauntlets. I looked at Raiden up and down then smirked. She looked a bit surprised then smiled a bit before looking serious.

"You see that..? She's enjoying this battle." Ataraxia said.

"She seems to have some form of control over herself." Nagini said.

I dashed toward Raiden and she dashed toward me. Our fists collided and she grunted then was pushed back. I punched her stomach and she groaned then I sent her flying. I flew after her and teleported above her then kicked her down. She groaned and was crashing to the ground. I flew after her and teleported under her then kicked her upwards, trapping her in lightning energy.

"Raijin Hypernova!" I bellowed and the lightning energy shined rainbow colors. A massive explosion happened and everyone covered their eyes as they watched.

"That energy...that's our target." A masked man said then flew toward my location.

Raiden grunted and fell to her knees then panted. I looked at her then sensed some dark energy behind me.

Liao Ru gasped. "Hisumi!"

I looked behind me then noticed a man behind me then a bubble protected me from his attack and I looked surprised. A portal opened and a mecha flew out of it then slashed upwards at the man. He grunted as he blocked the attack then groaned as the mecha's sword broke through his defenses. He landed on the ground and slid back.

"Vinci...show no mercy..." A soft spoken child said then the eyes of the Mecha shined and rushed towards the man.

"That voice." Ataraxia said then noticed a young girl emerge from the portal.

I looked at the young girl. She had light blue hair with silver highlights in her hair. Her hair was styled in two low pigtails. She wore a silver frilly dress that went down to her feet. She was barefooted, but it didn't seem to bother her.

"Mona.." Ataraxia said in shock.

Mona looked at Ataraxia. "Mama Ataraxia.." She said in a very sleepily way.

I sensed another figure then noticed a woman appear behind Mona. "Behind you!"

I blocked the woman's attack and glared. I used my green lightning to heal Raiden then she stood up. Mona looked behind herself then noticed the woman in a black coat.

"They work for the Overlord...I know that energy anywhere.." Mona said then summoned her weapon.

I looked back at Mona. "A large paintbrush..? Is that a scabbard or something?"

"It's a scabbard.." Mona asked. "But the scabbard is the true weapon..."

"Well...let's see your abilities in action. We've got a lot of company." I said then noticed a swarm of Fallen being summoned around us.

Raiden looked around and glared. "Damn, I should've known there was someone tracking us. They seemed to be good at concealing their aura."

Nagini and Ataraxia summoned their weapons then looked around. Liao Ru summoned her sword and got in her stance. We rushed into battle against the Fallen.

Mona swiped her scabbard around then painted images of floating swords then made them into reality. The floating swords flew towards the Fallen and took them down in one hit.

"Whoa..." I said then awe then grunted when Raiden bumped into me and blocked an attack.

"Keep your eyes on the battle!" Raiden said.

"R-Right!" I said then regained focus on the battle.

"Dammit..! These Infinity Council members..." The man said then dodged Liao Ru's attack then flew in the air. "We gotta retreat for now!"

"Of course." The woman said then flew off with her partner.

The Fallen disappeared and we lowered our weapons. I sighed and looked at Mona. She was so young get so proficient in battle. I sheathed my katanas then my lightning disappeared. I walked over to Nagini.

"Who's she?" I asked.

"Mona Picasso. Age 15. Born in year 1881. Died in the year 1896 due to Qiao Zhi's attack. Race Hispanic. Hobbies Mech Building, Painting, Spacing out, Looking at the stars, sleeping. Her dream was to become the first painter to bring her creations to life and she achieved that with her Mecha named Vinci. She died too young...but lived long enough to become a legend for the Infinity Council.." Nagini said.

I watched her speak happily to Ataraxia and watched Ataraxia fix her hair and hold her cheeks to see if she had any scratches on her body.

"She's never lived long enough to grasp the true nature of the world...but lived long enough to understand why we fight. She was chosen and she understands that but...she still doesn't know the true reason for our existence. Infinity Council is used to protect life for an infinity. We are immortal beings. Guardians of the Universe and Beyond. When you unlocked your Guardianship that's when you truly became an Infinity. Mona unlocked hers when she witnessed her parents die in front of her eyes. She was only 10.." Nagini explained.

I looked at Mona then crossed my arms. Mona was extremely young and still is the youngest of the Infinity Council. Guardians also crossed my mind. All the Infinity Council members have Guardianship...I wondered about the true meaning of the Infinity Council. I had to know more about the Infinity Council and Mona.