Slay the Falsehood I: Battle Against the Corrupted

Elysium - Kingdom of the Afterlife

Year 1025....no that's not right, time matters not in a place like this. Such trivial concepts have no place in the world of Heroic Spirits, Gods, and Counter Guardians. Yet regardless of such facts, a beautiful young woman now sat upon the chilling, obsidian floor that seemingly extended across the entirety of the Throne of Heroes. Alone this female witnessed the movement of the stars above with a pained expression present across her face.

In her clouded mind all that remained was a distant memory of her arrival in this strange kingdom. It all happened so long ago. Did the Red Knight she met back then even remember their first meeting? The Maiden questioned herself as the light of the innumerable galaxies above filled her with doubt. As she closed her eyes, memories of that fateful day invaded her consciousness, memories of the day she first stepped foot in this place.

Kindness, Humility, Honesty, Purity, Faith — the Maiden's heart carried only these things and nothing else. It all started with the pure saint, Jeanne D'Arc, the woman who abandoned the chance to be loved and devoted herself to the Lord wholeheartedly. Put to death at Place du Vieux-Marché in Rouen, scorned by words of damnation as she was led to the pyre, she felt slightly pained as she endured it abandoning emotions such as fear, disappointment, and regret from the outset of her battles. Thus she was able to walk towards her death without faltering in her steps. Even so she unconsciously reached for the cross that had been at her chest until they took it from her which caused her sadness as there was nothing to support her heart. Shortly after, she was given a wooden cross fashioned by an Englishman who revered her thanking him quietly as he knelt and wept. Her hands were then tied to a wooden stake behind her while the priest present completed the recitation of her final judgement before throwing a torch upon the pyre.

In their belief that the loss of flesh was the greatest of fears, this was the cruelest punishment that could be laid upon Jeanne. The flames began to burn her skin, scorch her flesh, and char her bones, all while she spoke the name of the Lord and the Holy Mother against those who denounced her prayers as only a lie. She could only find such sentiment believing that prayers are nothing more than prayers no matter to whom are prayed carrying no intrinsic truths or falsehoods strange. Although she wished to tell them of the thought, she was unable to produce any sound.

As she burned she saw visions of her past, her ordinary family in her rustic village and herself: "the fool who ran away and tossed all that aside." Having known how her journey would end from the start, she felt that she may have certainly been foolish in her actions. She may have been able to have lived a regular life, gotten married, and lived together with her husband and child. Had she simply shut away the voice and abandoned the lamenting soldiers, she could have had that life...but even so, she felt that it was not a mistake to have walked her path due to those she had saved.

She knew from the moment she chose to take to battle that she would have such an end, and she felt that she would never come to self-derision for her choices. Her past, impossible futures, and the cruel reality before her were meaningless before her prayers. Even if all others were to condemn her, she would not betray herself. Rather than continue to look back on her path or crave for another future, she only wished for a silent rest. Within the inhumane savagery that unfolded, she only kept a single prayer within her heart to the very end, one unblemished by regret and filled with sincerity.

As she said her final words:

"...O Lord, I give myself to You..."

Her consciousness ended and she was released from her suffering. Although the girl's dream ended there, her role in wars to come was only just beginning. Jeanne had dreamt of the Lord's embrace, of the moment her life of struggles would give way into never-ending rest, but what she didn't account for was that the words she so desperately adhered to were not those of her so called "Lord".

With the eyes of her disembodied mind, the holy virgin looked down upon the abyss that awaited her. The afterlife she embraced and had hoped for was nowhere to be seen. The scent of true despair filled her entire being wholeheartedly. In death all Jeanne could see was her own naked image reflected upon the darkness of the abyss beneath her. She was like an altered image formed of shadows, a demon lingering above a sea of unholy water. Falling into that darkness was now the only path available to the one that was once considered a figure of light, embracing that was Jeanne's only choice. If she still had eyes at that moment, she would no doubt be crying.

"My, you look like a wandering soul if I've ever seen one. After all, it takes a real lost cause to make the gods send me of all people here."

Jeanne's darkness shattered like a glass window as shards of blackness fell down upon the abyss; her own altered image was no more. Instead she felt a heartwarming hand being placed around her spirit; the naked figure she now perceived as her "body" found itself held by strong arms unfamiliar to the female.

The red-eyed man who floated above the shattered darkness had soft white skin and messy black hair giving him the look of an older teenager or perhaps a young adult. Alone he floated above that endless darkness without ever giving an opening to any lesser, fearful or cowardly emotions. As his long crimson scarf danced in accordance to the harsh gusts of wind, he looked down at the spirit he carried and in response she looked back up at him.

"Are you an Angel of the Lord?" Jeanne inquired.

"Pfff Angel of the Lord? Way too rich for my blood."

No second intentions, no malevolence, only a genuine smile, Jeanne could almost hear her own heartbeat increasing due to the presence of this man.

"Alright, hold on tight."

"Wait-.."

Not bothering to give Jeanne the benefit of finishing a sentence, her mysterious savior launched towards the endless infinity above the darkness. Transcending time and space, the pair's vision was flooded by brightness as they crossed a blinding wall of light which separated the infernal realms below from the Crossroads of the Afterlife that were known to always be guarded by the holy Archangel, Jibril. Opening her eyes once more, the pure maiden was greeted by the sight of a road that seemingly extended infinitely above an endless sky.

That road could lead wandering souls to the deepest ends of creation. Only those worthy enough to embrace true peace would be granted safe passage to the realm of the Celestial Gods. Now back to her true physical self, Jeanne was surprised by her current situation. Had the darkness she witnessed only existed in her dying mind? Was this all some twisted vision of death? Or perhaps...had she finally lost it? All of those questions troubled her...yet all she needed was the words of her mysterious savior.

"Still feeling lost are ya? Well don't be…Jeanne was it? You of all people deserve to be with other Heroic Spirits in the Throne of Heroes; I'm sure that you'll be a big deal there. For now though, just remember that life is a first step; from now on things will be different."

His back was now turned to her, but he didn't look any more distant. Instead his kind words only made the amethyst-eyed maiden smile softly.

"Tell me O Great Knight of Red...what is thy name?" she inquired, her head respectfully lowered as she did so. The Red Knight couldn't help but let out a quick chuckle at the female's respectful and educated mannerisms. As someone who never cared for such things he felt lucky to even get this kind of treatment from someone as important as Jeanne.

"Name's Akaro," he responded with a smile.

"C'mon Jeanne...we got a long journey ahead so let's get a move on before that nasty archangel who guards this road tries anything funny on ya," he remarked before gently grabbing the female by the hand and guiding her all the way to the gates of Elysium.

Not wasting any more time or words, these two figures lived through countless lifetimes and at some point embraced each other; however, when the Primordial Gods struck down Lord Mercer and brought down Elysium, Jeanne received news that her beloved Akaro had lost his memories after being stabbed in the back by a so called god who betrayed his duties and decided to become part of the all but completely unstoppable enemy force. Of course the war was eventually won and Elysium taken back, but Akaro never came to fully remember or love Jeanne D'Arc as he once did.

"And now...I'm alone while he has the Akames and Kimiko. He never even remembered our time together," Jeanne uttered in the dark, her mind only now snapping back to the present. She still silently stared at the galaxies above, the translucent sky giving her a full view of the cosmos.

It was then in that moment of self-reflection and loathing towards her decisions that her eyes widened with fear. Only now that her mind had ventured into the darkness of oneself and returned she allowed herself to see the truth that occurred around her. The planets, stars, constellations, and even galaxies...it was all vanishing into nothingness almost as if a great darkness had suddenly decided to blanket reality. Jeanne could hear the prayers of countless souls crying out in unison while glimpses of civilizations were being silenced as their inhabitants were erased. Every World Line...every time—past, present, or future—every place, every dimension, everything that was, is, or will ever be...it was all coming to a premature end.

The voices in her head, the pain in her chest, Jeanne couldn't possibly withstand nor comprehend this entire calamity now unfolding before her eyes. Placing her shaky hands on the sides of her head, the former love interest of Akaro Hajime finally gave way for her tears to gracefully cascade down her cheeks. Her painful, almost inaudible suffering overlapped with the comparatively louder sound of footsteps that now echoed across the Throne of Heroes.

"Someone...help...me," she cried out in between heavy breaths as the realm around her began to dissolve and fade away. The owners of the footsteps she had just heard however finally decided to appear before the weeping female. An old man with long flowing white robes that shined with the light of ever-changing constellations, his long white beard and hard expression contrasted well with his tall, slender frame and constantly shifting eye color. He looked like the stereotypical figure of a god in some aspects, but one could tell he was far from being holy.

His female companion on the other hand was immensely different. She had extremely long, jet black hair that dropped towards the floor. Near the bottom of the black trail, her hair parted into big braids that were tied off by a bandage-like band. At the top, the hair strands curved towards the left-side of her face and a few strands in the middle were parted and tied by a smaller bandage which rested on her left shoulder. Her outfit consisted of a ruby-red corset that revealed her midriff with an insignia visible below the belt. The same belt rested of her hip and above her torn, black denim trousers appearing like shorts. Those same trousers had a chain and multiple belts wrapped around her right leg, a few which spiral towards the lower half of her left leg. Over her corset, she wore a black jacket in the form of a robe with red, velvet lacing; the jacket was ripped towards the bottom and was tightened towards her chest by the belt.

"As fate would have it...you're the last one aren't ya, Ruler?" the strange female spoke with a deep sense of indifference, yet her voice was like a sharp knife that slowly cut through the ears of those who dared to listen.

"May I devour her?" she questioned as she turned to face the older man who followed closely behind.

"You'll have all the food you want after the Red Kings and the Mercers are no more. For now, store Jeanne with the other servants. If her pure soul won't accept corruption no matter what we do then at least she'll be a valuable hostage. Use her if Akaro somehow gets the upper hand on you my dear Rias."

His words were cold, like those of someone who places no value in the lives of those considered below them. This man's name was unknown to all but himself; those around him only knew the title given to him by his mother.

"Architect...if you keep me waiting I might just have to eat you as well," Rias spoke as she took a single step towards Jeanne who could now do nothing but observe these two figures that suddenly appeared in front of her. The world that once existed around them was now a wall of darkness; all spirits that once resided in this realm were bathed in the black mud of evil desires.

"Apzu should be more than enough to bring down the God Hunter, we'll deal with the others ourselves," The Architect plainly remarked.

"Hey! Did you even listen to me?" Rias complained at The Architect's lack of interest in her previous statement.

"Quit wasting time and take Jeanne already," the old man responded bluntly. As always he cared not for the well-being of his subjects or the wishes of his allies, only his ambitions.

"Well whatever you say old geezer, don't blame me if I suddenly get hungry," the Scarlet-Eyed Reaper spoke before she finally followed her orders by grabbing hold of Jeanne's neck only to then lift her up like a weightless bag.

"Feel free to cry Jeanne. Once a pure maiden, now Akaro's abandoned bitch...how far have you fallen? I sure wonder if he'll even bother trying to save you when the time to prove his hypocrisy comes," Rias continued with the emotionless remarks. In her eyes the female she held like a toy was little more than an insect, something worth squashing.

"The other me might've failed due to her inexperience with the powers she only very briefly obtained from Pandora's Box, but I who consumed the countless lives in my original World Line shall succeed where others have failed."

Jeanne couldn't speak; the female's grip around her neck was slowly choking her into unconsciousness. She tried flailing her legs about and kicking Rias' upper torso and face, but that only resulted in her own foot breaking. There was no hope of escape, and deep down Jeanne D'Arc knew that. Before finally giving up, she forced herself to speak.

"Y-You can do whatever you want to me, demon...it doesn't matter because they'll stop you. No matter the outcome, no matter how many fall victim to you...they'll end your corrupt ambitions."

Jeanne's voice lacked anger, hate, or any strong emotions of ill intent. Even as she was choked and humiliated by someone far stronger than herself, the pure hearted maiden remained ever hopeful.

She then passed out almost immediately; this merely got a brief smirk out of Rias before the tall female decided to imprison her hostage. With a simple thought on Rias' part, Jeanne was enveloped in a light blue and purple glow, one that resembled a fusion of the powers of two Teigu; those being the Mirai Nikki, the Teigu that belonged to Deus, and Shiva's Maelstrom, the Extract Teigu utilized by Orion. In a matter of a fraction of a second, Jeanne's entire body from head to toe vanished in a vortex of blue and purple particles.

Left alone with The Architect, Rias observed the darkness around herself. It was all magnificent in her eyes, a true achievement, one that should be all but worshipped. The scourge of Akasha's creation was now underway; The Architect would finally bring an end to all the conflict and pain in this world using the power he planned to steal from Akasha. Finally the cruel reality of hardship created by the Goddess-Above-All would come to an end.

"Rin...your dreams were erased alongside our home world...but I'll make them remember what you stood for," Rias spoke under her breath as she took a trip down memory lane.

When the Pandora Conflict was first ignited, the Rogue Imperial Rin Hanate was successful in slaughtering the Sapphire Phoenix and opening Pandora's Box by unknown means. Rias being the strongest and most reliable under Rin's command was the obvious choice for becoming the host of all the malevolent power contained within the box. After fully merging with said darkness, Rias killed the Raizo of that original World Line; but before she could bring about an end to everything, the Counter Force interfered erasing that world and creating a new reality where Rin, Deus, and her were defeated by Team AKARA.

"I alone survived to avenge you and fulfill your dreams...Rin," she went on and on with the melancholy words before turning to The Architect, "Old man...just tell me what to do."

"Just stay put in the Capital city, Kimiko likely already noticed my puppets preparing the stage for my conquest. I need you to go there, join the others and wait for further instructions," The Architect promptly ordered. Rias merely nodded in approval, her eyes filled with excitement for the carnage to come. The pair then vanished leaving behind the nothingness that once was the Throne of Heroes behind.

*****

Year 1025, 20th of November

Time: 8:00 P.M.

Time in this world is one defined by experiences, the people we meet, and how it all molds our character. Be it good or bad, pleasure-filled or painful beyond belief, everything we learn or go through ultimately allows us to prosper and accept who we are.

For the boy known as Raizo Arashi-Mercer, the war for Pandora's Box was a wake-up call for himself and the world that surrounded him. That event quickly became a powerful revelation about the existence of other universes and gods. In a matter of hours the entire world was brought to its knees, and the masterful scheme The Architect pulled only served to break Raizo's resolve.

The Shatterpoint Paradox that followed after was ultimately a trial of the mind engineered to bring the Red-Eyed Stormbringer to his lowest point. The past is immutable, only by accepting our sins and regrets can we come to one day better ourselves. That is the lesson that was instilled into the depressed young man who was once made into nothing more and nothing less than a puppet by a disillusioned god who dreamt of grandeur and almighty power. Those memories still plagued Raizo's mind from time to time:

"Everything...was a lie."

"That's right Raizo. I manipulated your life, brainwashed your friends into speaking lies just so you would end up here; I made them work against you. Absolutely everything thus far has been engineered to lead you here, the end of the road."

"Why...Why would you do all this?! Who the hell are you?!"

"Because I saw her...when I looked into the future I would create for you, I saw her presence guiding you through the darkness. 'I'm proud of you', she said as you continued your journey into the Nightmare Forest. But where are my manners?! Allow me to introduce myself...I'm the writer of all stories in existence, the greatest inventor to ever grace this Omniverse. I am the one who seeks Akasha, The-Goddess-Above-All, I am...The Architect."

"Don't tell me you're trying to..."

"That's right, Raizo. This crisis was created with the intention of pushing you to edges of sanity and far beyond your physical limits. Once your spirit finally breaks...I'll use your body as a vessel. Undoubtedly Kimiko—the current form of Akasha—will let her guard down around me if I use your body. Once that happens, I'll take her power for myself."

Those haunting memories invaded Raizo's mind occasionally but nonetheless the Stormbringer knew better than to allow himself to drowned in that nightmare. He could tell that another battle fast approached. That old man was still out there plotting against Kimiko and if something happened to her, Raizo would never forgive himself for not being there to help. By now she had saved him over and over again both from dangerous situations and from himself, the absolute least he could do in return was be there when she needed him.

"You told me to wait here for you Aniki, even though waiting was never my forte," the youth complained. As he sat there on his bed alone in the darkness of his room, the boy's memories wandered back to the last moments of the Pandora War. He could still vividly remember the sensations and sounds he experienced; the dust filled air from all the collapsed structures, the stench of corpses and rivers of crimson, the sensation of pain brought upon by the use of Sundering Strike and his now inaccessible Soul of the Storm state.

Of course he also recalled the sight of the nigh-invincible Rias stepping back as despair itself became visible in her facial expressions, Kimiko's approach made the female fall down to her knees. Even Raizo could see that at that point Rias realized her end was assured. She accepted that much, but that didn't make the thought of falling victim to Kimiko's eyes any less horrifying. No matter how powerful she may have been, the moment Kimi stood in front of her with her sword positioned for a horizontal slash; the Dark Angel began to cry.

"I...I don't wanna die..."

Raizo remembered the demonic beauty begging, for once having a moment of clarity. The answer that followed...was that of a true assassin.

"I don't care," Kimiko simply responded before slashing away at all the lines of death she could see, "We gave you way too many chances and you refused all of them; embrace eternal rest for it is your only salvation…"

In the end those were the last words Rias Makiri heard before having her entire body dismantled in all analogues of existence. All that remained was the echoing of her scream as her mortal body ended up bifurcated into little more than mincemeat; her spirit was also annihilated. Everything that Rias Makiri once was dissipated into something indescribable, something beyond mere nonexistence.

That was the true power of Kimiko Hanate; the ability to take a life no matter how powerful or resourceful the receiver of her blow was, their demise would always be delivered swiftly in one strike. This intoxicating shift Kimi could pull off…with the flip of a switch she could go from being the incarnation of absolute kindness to an unstoppable one cut, one kill machine. Even in his days as a rogue lone wolf, the Stormbringer could only dream of matching the lessons and fighting prowess instilled upon her by Akame and Akaro.

The bringer of true peace, but also the ender of all conflicts...Raizo was overwhelmed even in that moment of sorrow. Kimiko Hanate had back then proved her status as a shining beacon that dwarfed his hopelessness. In that moment of clarity the former blood wolf realized that families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one. That is the unchangeable truth of this world even as that Great War came to a close. Deep down he knew that no matter what the future may hold they would never be alone.

In his last sane moment before Shatterpoint, that wonderfully blissful moment that combined regret and happiness, Raizo stood up once more and walked up to Kimiko as the war for Pandora came to a close. He unexpectedly found himself embracing the female into a hug. Resting his head on her shoulder, the Stormbringer reflected upon everything this girl had done for him once more. Everything from saving him and Akaro during the battle against Vesta, to aiding his misadventures in the Nightmare Forest, and even the shoulder she always offered for him to cry on. Reaching closer to her ear, Raizo spoke the truth he felt buried in his heart at that moment.

"You know Kimi, I think I love you."

Raizo chuckled at his own remembrance of that moment, was he really so stupid as to say something like that before Shatterpoint? Yeah, definitely not one of my finer moments, he thought to himself. Back then Kimiko reacted by closing her eyes and sighing happily. The Stormbringer didn't know what to make of that reaction, but he remained positive.

"I know."

Raizo remembered Kimi's response as she opened her eyes once more before rubbing his messy hair. What did that moment even mean? Raizo wondered as he lay down onto his bed and allowed his head to rest on his comfy white pillow. Looking up at the dark ceiling, the young male smiled softly as rain poured outside on the dirty ground and grass. He and Adena were now together but...something more had to be said between the boy and the one he confessed his feelings to. Truth is her teasing back during the time he spent with his family only made his heart more confused, though one thing remained absolute in his mind.

"I have to keep you safe," he said to himself, rain still pouring heavily outside. Insurmountable pain and darkness awaited the boy, but nonetheless he remained steadfast in his newfound convictions and beliefs. He ultimately knew that Adena was his responsibility and that love had bloomed between the two in the heat of battle, but...that still didn't matter did it? In the end his affection and admiration for Kimi wasn't something solely based on the desires of the flesh or a conventional definition of love; it was instead a sense of undying passion and respect to someone who allowed him to live by saving him whenever he was in need. As a result, she allowed him to forge his path to where he is today.

"I owe you everything I have so I can't allow that old man to succeed. Even if it's the last thing I'll do, even if I die trying, I'll get at least get one hit in that manipulative bastard's face."

Raizo's words rang with confidence as he punched the air above him, he was mentally recovered and up to the task at hand. He had defeated Aquilo, bonded with his real father, worked through his pain with the help of his family, and finally brought Fujitora and the Silver Fox to justice effectively clearing his name. All of these events could be classified as build up to the fateful day of reckoning where he and his family would face The Architect one last time.

"Raizo..."

A familiar feminine voice called out to the young man as the wooden door that separated him from the chaotic weather outside sprung open with enough force to slightly crack it. Soon Adena's figure stepped into the room catching Raizo by surprise as her body was soaked by both sweat and rain; her expression was filled with a very clear sense of fear.

"What's going on?" he questioned before quickly jumping up on his feet.

"Outside now!" she exclaimed.

The Stormbringer then dutifully followed after his girlfriend, the two quickly descended down a set of stairs before moving outside. On his way there the boy noticed that the storm outside had suddenly stopped, but nothing could've possibly prepared him for the events he saw once he stepped out of what once was one of Night Raid's headquarters. One look at the sky was all it took for him to grasp the situation.

"The stars..." he stumbled on his own words as his crimson irises bore witness to the scourge that ate away at the cosmos. One by one the lights in the sky went out of commission vanishing with a mere whimper the once star filled sky became completely dark. By his side Raizo could see Adena's body shaking as all fire in creation was being erased; if this disaster kept going no light would remain.

"Adena calm down, we'll get through this," Raizo tried to bring her some comfort, but that would prove meaningless in the face of what was to come.

"All hail The Architect..." a ghoulish, almost demonic voice cut through the night as a tall, male figure emerged out of Raizo's shadow. His long, violet hair flowed gracefully up and down the back of his neck as he swung his claymore, Chaos Reaver, horizontally with the intent of slicing both Raizo and Adena in half. The Stormbringer saw this coming and appropriately reacted by quickly grabbing Adena and ducking under the incoming attack.

"Genesis, what the hell are you doing?!" he immediately inquired as his body skyrocketed in power with the activation of the Heart of the Storm. The giant's response was a cold stare. His deep, amethyst purple eyes were quite fearsome to behold. He then jumped back a considerable distance of around six to ten feet. Landing on his feet the giant was quick to unleash another attack after stabbing his blade against the muddy wet grass.

"Fulmination Phantasm!" Genesis muttered as he unleashed his two handed beam attack composed of highly concentrated dark energy that could level entire stars. Raizo could tell that his mother's personal bodyguard wasn't holding anything back as his move soon built up the power required to obliterate the cosmos. If the Stormbringer were to dodge, the destruction done would be far too great. He had no choice; he would have to bring down the giant. Positioning his right hand like an invisible gun, Raizo prepared to use one of his moves.

"Sorry big guy but you're gonna have to catch this—Crimson Thunder!" Raizo shouted as a single bolt of red lightning was released from his index finger only to then completely cut through the incoming beam of dark energy like butter. In the battle between black and red, the technique taught to Raizo by his big brother provided an overwhelming landslide victory. Mere attoseconds passed before Genesis felt the bolt make contact with his form-fitting black and dark purple armor that was reminiscent of a dark knight. His body was sent spiraling backwards by the power of Raizo's attack before he ultimately came to a stop hitting a nearby tent.

"Wow..." Adena silently reacted, Genesis was no pushover yet Raizo was able to put him down like that, the boy sure had come a long way.

"I purposely restrained myself from destroying your atoms with that attack. Stand down Genesis!" Raizo warned the giant who now emerged out of the cloud of smoke caused by the last clash. His armor now had a hole in it located in his upper right area; the giant's skin in that spot was also melted and noticeably bleeding. Genesis acknowledged this small and all but inconvenient battle wound as he walked over to retrieve his Chaos Reaver.

"Not gonna give up huh? Alright then, you asked for it," Raizo remarked as he closed his eyes to focus. Seconds later two sheathed weapons materialized under his possession. The Gemini sheathe formed with a fragment of a powerful artifact; it now served as the home of Raizo's Vajra while its companion served to conceal the presence of the Stormbringer's most powerful weapon—Morana.

What Raizo didn't realize however was that Genesis' next attack wouldn't target his body. Reappearing behind his opponent using his Shadow Leap technique, the fearsome dark knight targeted Raizo's shadow. By merely stepping on it the master of darkness made the boy freeze in place. This Shadow Paralysis immobilized Raizo's movements and soon the boy found himself being controlled like a puppet by this technique.

Being forced to take a downward swing at Adena, who still watched the fight unable to do much due to the effects of the ongoing death of all light in creation, Raizo struggled but could ultimately only narrowly avoid hitting her. Seeing this, the bloodlust driven knight used another one of his tricks, Mind Shatter: an illusionary technique that allowed Genesis to use the darkness at his command to personify one's fears or regrets. Primarily used to drive a person mad, this technique would prove especially useful against a warrior like Raizo whose versatility and power were almost impossible for Genesis to match in straight up physical combat.

Snapping his fingers, the giant knight was assured of his victory the moment Raizo dropped to his knees as the youth had his mind flooded with the vision of the deaths of those he loved. The Stormbringer could see Kimiko's dead body in front of him; he could see all worlds coming to an end. It was a grim reminder of what could happen if he failed.

"Rest in peace, Son of the God Hunter..." Genesis mumbled with that same possessed ghoulish voice from before as he positioned his Chaos Reaver over Raizo's neck. Adena valiantly and angrily attempted to move in order to stop the brutal decapitation that was about to occur, but her body just didn't obey. The blade then swung down as this battle was over and the Dark Knight Genesis was victorious.

Or at least that's what it looked like…

"Don't insult me, just who the hell do you think I am?!" Raizo confidently spoke as he maneuvered his body so that his back would be against the ground. The Crimson Harbinger brought out both Morana and Vajra forming a defensive X-stance just in time to block Genesis' killing blow. He was still pinned against the ground, but the giant who attacked him couldn't help but question how the boy escaped his illusions.

"Confused huh? Don't blame you...I'm guessing it has something to do with the Janus Armor," Raizo remarked while briefly looking at gauntlet he wore. The Stormbringer didn't know much about its hidden functionalities but surely its ability, Reactive Durability, saved him just now.

"How did you..." the former blood wolf's opponent began to question.

"I've evolved beyond the person I was before, unlike you my strength grows and adapts to the dangers I face. The mindless warrior guided by bloodlust you are now Genesis will never best me," the young assassin remarked as the same crimson energy he utilized previously began to envelope and empowers his blades transforming them into strange, electrical swords.

Cracking could be heard as the Chaos Reaver claymore had its atomic structure cut apart by Raizo's weapons of light. In response Genesis was quick to back away, thus allowing the youth to get back up faster than the giant could perceive. Mind tricks wouldn't help due to Raizo's gauntlet and its ability to adapt. He was also fast enough to keep up with Genesis' teleportation, the Chaos Reaver was cracked and any more hard impacts might break it fully. One cut from those energized blades would spell certain doom. Now more than ever, the possessed giant knew he'd need backup to win this fight.

"You lose this time, big guy," Raizo spoke as he let out a confident smirk.

"We'll see..." the knight taunted, "Can you keep up with this, Raizo Arashi? Kamui: Celestial Bloodlust!"

Genesis' shout echoed across the night. In no time flat the full moon became visible in the night sky. Gen felt his body drawing upon the power of the moon, his frame became larger, and his eyes were filled with pure murderous intent. In Raizo's eyes it was obvious this berserk state amplified the knight's power significantly and his movements would also end up becoming unpredictable as a result of the insanity now flooding his brain.

"Raizo, look behind him," Adena pointed out bringing Raizo's attention to the squad of individuals emerging out of a newly opened portal. The Stormbringer immediately recognized them as the remaining members of the Order of the Sapphire Phoenix: Hestia, Orion, and Zephyria, all of them looked dead set on ending Raizo's and Adena's life as if controlled by some external force. It was then that a disembodied voice spoke…

"You did well against Genesis, but can you keep up with four Teigu users of that same caliber while protecting a weakened Adena? Heh...enjoy a quick death, Raizo Mercer," The Architect's voice loomed over taunting the young man he once used as a puppet.

"Bastard..." Raizo's words showed his concern; Genesis alone was a challenge but all four Sapphire Phoenix members at once? That was suicide.

With a mere wave of her hand, Hestia unleashed an excessively strong wall of gravity powerful enough to crush even somebody like Deus at his maximum potential into a ball. Genesis followed that up with an attack called the Umbral Star—an attack even more condensed with even more power than the Fulmination Phantasm. Orion meanwhile unleashed something known as the Void Annihilation—a beam attack that combines matter and antimatter to virtually eliminate anything within an instant. Finally there was Zephy who used her powers to influence how air molecules interact with one another thus generating small electrical currents that she then discharged at her foes alongside the other attacks.

Raizo had a few picoseconds before all of those attacks could come into contact with him and subsequently the female behind him. To someone who can run and react faster than attoseconds, the attacks were rather slow. He could try to run but if he did everything would be destroyed. Truthfully when put against such overpowering forces, the Stormbringer's only chance at victory would be to bring out his ace. If he didn't then all hope of surviving this encounter would be lost. Returning Vajra to its sheath, Raizo held his other weapon with both hands.

"Very well then...Awaken!" he shouted as his blade morphed into a large, obsidian black scythe that oozed with a miasma that instilled fear upon the heart of its enemies, "Here we go...Siphoning Fate!"

Jumping directly at the combined might of all incoming moves, those around Raizo could only watch as his scythe ate away the combined might of the Sapphire Phoenix while at the same time empowering the youth far beyond his current limitations. When Raizo landed back down on his feet, the aura of his 'Heart' state reached through the heavens and escaped into the planet's orbit as if creating a dazzling beaming light to all who now lived in The Architect's darkness.

One could say that for the moment, Raizo's powers had surpassed those of the possessed Teigu users he faced; however hopeful that moment was, it was still truly terrifying. Forcefully returning to his normal state, Raizo dropped to his knees as a dark aura left his body and returned to the Sapphire Phoenix members.

It made sense; The Architect could control his puppets and all of their abilities. Absorbing their energy to empower oneself wouldn't do any good when the master puppeteer could simply pull that energy back. Raizo didn't realize such a thing could happen, and Adena herself was still under the effect of The Architect's scourge of all light. To make matters worse the four corrupt phoenixes now stood ready to end their targets, so much so that they were surrounding the defeated couple as if eyeing up their dinner.

Raizo could still see the full moon in the sky; however its image was now different, it had somehow adopted a crimson color. The situation was quite desperate. The Stormbringer couldn't even run anymore, but that red moonlight...somehow it brought a small sense of safety and comfort to him.

"Look at what you've gotten yourself into, Raizo," a voice echoed throughout the battlefield. First her blade fell down like a meteor piercing the ground, and then its master performed a back flip mid-air exposing her beautiful silhouetted figure to all before gracefully descending, grabbing hold of her katana, and assuming her trademarked battle stance. Black hair, red eyes, a sleeveless assassin uniform with a red tie and a battle skirt, Raizo recognized her immediately and at the same time couldn't help but smile.

"Akame," he said, to which the female responded with a respectful nod as she looked over her shoulder. This small opening was more than enough time for the corrupt Orion to appear in front of Akame; she turned her head in time to see his psychopathic eyes. Much like he did with Ran, the mad man planned to take her heart. As he directed his right hand towards her chest area like a missile, the Red-Eyed Killer smiled in bemusement. At first her assailant didn't understand her reaction, but nonetheless the pain he felt in the following instant proved itself to be mind-blowing.

"GAHHHHH MY ARM! YOU BITCH!" Orion howled in pain as an invisible force twisted his arm. All of his fingers were bent like spirals shortly before his body was sent spiraling back first into the nearest wall. He was out cold, almost as if his entire body had suddenly been hit by a lifetime worth of kicks to the nuts.

"What was that saying? Introduce a little anarchy, upset the natural order of things and everything becomes chaos easily? Well I just kinda finished upsetting the natural order of your entire bone structure...and that chaotic reaction sure was priceless," Akame remarked in an attempt to "show off" which only made Raizo realize how much of Akaro's attitude was beginning to rub off on her.

"How did you do that?" he inquired.

"You should know by now...the Counter Force guides me to the fated future," she spoke before vanishing in the blink of an eye. Her next target was small fish, or at least a considerably smaller threat.

Reappearing next to Zephyria, Akame quickly and without fail slammed the butt end of her sheathed Murasame against the stomach of the dark skinned assassin. Enough force to shatter multiple stars was put into that move, more than enough to literally knock the wind out of Zephy. She then followed that up by performing a jump and kneeing the target's face as it was propelled forward by her previous blow. From the physical trauma to the lack of oxygen in her brain and even the impact of Akame's knee, the host of Rudra was left unconscious on the ground.

"Not using your sand armor to increase reaction speed is a wise move, but nonetheless I'm too fast for you...anyway that's two down."

""Incredible,"" Adena and Raizo spoke simultaneously. Taking down enemies with a systematic strategy like that was Akame's specialty; she knew Orion would try something, so she exploited the passive protection given to her by the Counter Force to neutralize the mad killer.

"Fall..." Genesis' possessed voice reached Akame's ears as he swung his claymore in an attempt to behead her, but such an attitude would only bring about his downfall as the same force that defeated his comrade paralyzed him mid attack inches away from Akame's neck. She had a bored look on her face. The dark knight tried to push his blade to finish the swing, but it just wouldn't move until finally he was blasted away by the invisible power that surrounded and embodied Akame's existence. The giant fell unconscious; he was worn out after having battled both Raizo and Akame to some extent.

"Looks like we're the last ones standing...Hestia," the Red-Eyed Killer spoke before bringing her Teigu out of its sheath, "You're powerful but can you fight the force that commands all destinies?"

Running her fingers across the blade of her katana, Akame made everyone watch as a discharge of black and purple electricity began to run along its length. She took several swings at the nothingness ahead of herself in order to demonstrate the blade's ability to command this unique electrical energy. It was a marvelous sight to behold; in the end consuming Yatsufusa was quite the upgrade for Murasame even though its user barely made use of its further abilities.

"Foolishness Akame, foolishness," the corrupted Hestia remarked as the blackened aura that once manipulated her retainers transferred into her boosting her powers even further; one could say she now existed beyond the very necessity of dimensions much like a celestial god. This malevolent strength bestowed upon her by The Architect brought the white beauty to a sense of absolute pleasure and bloodlust. With a mere motion of her hand, Akame's blade flew out of her hands and into Hestia's possession.

"Might controls everything and without strength you cannot hope to protect anything...let alone yourself," Hestia boasted as she lift up her other hand in order to apply gravity to her target's neck as if to force choke Akame to a premature death. The young girl's body rose into the air as an unseen force began crushing her neck with enough strength to snap entire sets of cosmos with dimensional layers beyond that of what is conventionally known.

"You will die here and so will this world!" the Stormbringer's mother declared while barely resembling herself. Her ambitions of a new world were now replaced with an unrelenting need for death and destruction. Raizo recognized that look in her eyes, though different and under the control of someone else's will, he could still draw comparisons between her and the version of his mother that existed in the Shatterpoint World Line.

""Akame!"" Adena and Raizo cried out trying to somehow save their friend from certain demise, the Stormbringer in particular trying his hardest to move as he knew Akame's death would bring about the premature end of the world.

"H-Heh...d-do you honestly believe I would fight you without a plan," the Red-Eyed Killer tried her hardest to speak as the weight of Hestia's force threatened to ultimately break her neck.

"Your power couldn't even compute as a threat to my retainers, what the hell does an insignificant insect like you think you can do against me?" she further mocked the killer whose eyes continued to brim with confidence. In Hestia's eyes it didn't make sense how someone so underwhelming could stand up to her.

"That so? Then I'm sure this will be nothing to you... Scourge of Death's Door: Murasame!"

Of course to no one's surprise Akame's plan took effect as the electrical energy contained in Murasame's blade discharged into the gravity queen's body directly causing her hair to stand up before she dropped the stolen weapon and by extension Akame herself when she went to clutch the small scratch left in the hand that held the Red-Eyed Killer's blade directly. Hestia looked dumbfounded, had she really let her guard down that much? No, that couldn't be it.

"H-How did you?"

"You were distracted plus disarming me was a big mistake. No matter how powerful you are, if I catch you off guard and find a hole in your defense then you can be sure I won't let you go unscathed."

Hestia's primrose eyes widened with a semblance of hatred as the vision of Akame's adult self flashed in her mind overlapping with the Akame she faced now. Even though Hestia was possessed by another's will, even if her actions were not of her own choosing, this battle served as a powerful reminder of who this red-eyed girl she faced was destined to become and perhaps even come to surpass.

"You see...I've been having these strange dreams lately," Akame began, "It started after me and Akaro embraced each other for the first time and has only occurred more and more frequently afterwards. I can see the battles and struggles my other selves went through, I can see their abilities and techniques, I'm learning from them, I'm learning from myself. The ways to defeat you are all in my mind because one of me singlehandedly dealt with you and the conclave. Honestly Hestia...right now I feel like I can do anything."

Both Raizo and Adena were left dumbfounded by Akame's words. The Stormbringer in particular was never one to believe in destiny, but here and now the Counter Force's chosen one was winning in a battle with all but completely unfair and impossible odds stacked against her.

"Damn you Akame...very well then...I shall use my all to wipe you out," the white beauty remarked as her eyes became dead set on Akame. As if influenced by her will, the laws of gravity began to be undone thus threatening all celestial bodies slowly causing them to collapse and enter free fall. If this were to continue stars in the distant void of space would go into premature supernovas, black holes would spawn, the very fabrics of time would break. It was a truly terrifying power, but unfortunately for Hestia she wouldn't get to fully make use of her abilities.

"All Shall…"

"Fall?" a familiar voice cut Hestia mid-sentence. She immediately recognized it but nonetheless the surprise in her eyes was clearly present for all to see. She carefully looked over her shoulder to check who had appeared behind her and just as she predicted, Akaro was there. He now wore a form fitting, sleeveless black assassin uniform with red outlines next to its edges and the word courage (Yūki) stamped in the top right end of the upper part of the suit. The new attire did quite a good job at highlighting the man's defined musculature due to its tight nature and of course the lack of any sleeves did an excellent job at showing off his biceps.

"Aka-Akaro," Hestia slowly stumbled on her own words.

"Oh don't mind me, Hesti. Just dropping by," he teased leaning in closer to her in order to look her eye to eye. Slowly she turned to face him, his red gaze piercing her courage to fight. Gravideus had stopped taking effect on the world's laws; in fact its repelling gravitational force that could keep all danger away just stopped functioning. All Hestia was left with was a passive control over the weapons she kept stored in the planet's orbit.

"You should've realized that Murasame is not the only Teigu on my side," Akame sneaked in a precise remark as she held out her hand. In the next instant Murasame flew out of the ground and back to its owner's possession. She then returned it to its sheath before walking over to Akaro and Hestia. Meanwhile, both Adena and Raizo wanted to get up and say something as well but their weakened states still restrained their actions.

"There are two choices for you now, Hestia," Akaro started the discussion.

"You either use your spears to attack us since that's the only offensive option we left for you and get knocked out by Akaro over here. Or you can do nothing and get the corruption slowly ripped out of you," Akame bluntly followed up on her beloved's statement. Against practically impossible odds, the lone swordswoman somehow managed to triumph against the all but unstoppable group of Extract Teigu users.

"Tch...damn you, damn you! damn you!" Hestia began to shout as her eyes oozed with a red glow. It was rather out of character for her, but soon a demonic voice with traces of The Architect's voice began to overlap with her own. The corruption within her had reached unparalleled levels. As expected of someone that had been consumed by the will of the primordial who threatened creation, she decided to bring down her spears as homing missiles.

"Welp we tried," Akaro jokingly remarked, "Should I?"

"Sure go ahead," Akame quickly responded. Bringing his fingers together as Hestia's projectiles rapidly fell down at the speed of light, Akaro nodded before activating his ability.

"Omnifiction," He muttered. By his command reality and fiction weaved together in a dance of order and chaos as the concepts of all that is became realigned. The endless night brought by The Architect became day; any and all destruction caused to the location where this deadly encounter took place was erased in the blink of an eye. Those involved were relocated and put in two different lines of people; one containing Akaro, Raizo, Adena, and Akame, while the other contained Hestia and her retainers. All danger had passed like a storm that came and went; those plagued by darkness were now free.

"That...was incredible," Hestia spoke as she was left dumbfounded and awestruck by the technique she had just witnessed.

"Big Bro, you did it," Adena declared, her excitement quite clear. The return of light was enough to restore her strength.

"No, we did it," Akaro quickly corrected the former jade princess before proceeding to mess up her hair as if she was his little sister

"Akame...I didn't know you could do all that," Raizo added to the ongoing banter. The girl meanwhile merely put on her usual deadpan expression in response before speaking out.

"Yeah a lot has changed in the time you were away; you could say I did a lot of catching up. Nonetheless the Counter Force and Akaro were here to help me out," she proudly explained for all to listen.

"Catching up is putting it lightly...you're light years ahead of who you were in our last battle. The same goes to you Raizo, those techniques...Crimson Thunder and Siphoning Fate? They were astonishing," Genesis openly and honestly voiced his thoughts. Orion meanwhile still clutched his arm, Akaro's strange power had fixed it but the pain inflicted upon the young killer by the Counter Force still lingered.

"The hell is wrong with you lady? I was just trying to take your heart is all, no need for such violence," he said letting his twisted sense of humor show.

"You got out of this with a phantom pain and a broken ego, trust me when I say this could've ended a lot worse for you," Akame responded with her typical bluntness, but something was different about her attitude. It was only present for a split second but Raizo definitely saw a small semblance of pleasure for the thought of violence hidden behind her strong words. It was only a small possibility but...could this Akame be receiving the hatred and bloodlust he saw in the eyes of the Red-Eyed Killer who attacked him the day he returned from the Shatterpoint World Line? He had heard tales about how she decapitated her own sister...so it was definitely a small but very real possibility in his mind. After all, the Bleeding Effect could do such a thing.

"You alright, Raichu?" Akaro inquired after seeing his little brother lost in thought.

"Yeah sure, I'm just surprised we actually made it."

"What now though, Big Bro?" Adena joined the conversation.

"We're going after The Architect. It's time to end him...once and for all," The Red-Eyed Hero proclaimed before turning to face the gates of the Sapphire Phoenix encampment.

"If we don't then there'll be no tomorrow, for any of us," he continued.

"We're with you Big Bro," Adena reassured him of her support. Raizo stood to her side ready to head into the war that awaited him and Team AKARA at any moment.

"You're leaving...again, Adena," a familiar voice echoed her concerns. Turning to face the Sapphire Phoenix members the trio, who prepared to leave, saw Zephyria as she walked up to them. Her eyes were dead set on Akaro of all people.

"Why do you have to take her away every damn time?! You can solve any problem with a snap of your fingers can't you?! You're a legend even when among gods, we're nothing to you! So stop taking my Adena into danger she can't handle!"

"Uh...your Adena? This shit again…" the redhead sighed in frustration.

"It's alright, Addy," Akaro interrupted the former jade princess giving her a look that showed he had the situation under control. Even Zephy was left a bit confused as the supposed almighty hero lowered himself down to her level in order to see her eye to eye. Gently bringing her hand to the center of his chest, he slowly pulled her closer allowing the female to feel his beating heart.

"See? I'm not that much of an invincible god am I? Yeah I may be different and be part of another world, but I'm still just a man with one heart."

Zephyria was left in a daze after hearing those words; her cheeks were dyed with a rose hue due to her confused emotions. The way his strong arms held her up close, the brilliance of his smile, the gentleness in his words, it all combined perfectly as his confident red eyes made her heart skip a beat. There was no malicious intent in his expression, no hint of any second intentions, in a way the sensation of his heartbeat filled her with hope. She was never one to really dream of a world without sadness or conflict, but this man somehow could make her believe in something beyond her so called mistress.

"You've been through a lot, Zephy. I was born in the Alexandria Desert y'know? In our own unique ways...we've both been through that hell."

"Aka-...Akaro..."

"I know it's hard to say goodbye to someone who was close to you, I know it's hard to be alone in this world...but you still have your friends here, Addy included. Even if you two are not super Lesbos anymore, there's still a bond there," he thoroughly explained, though he used a joking tone in that last part.

"Y-Yeah...you're right," the dark skinned female mumbled under her breath, her face was now mere inches away from that of Akaro. Building up a bit of courage to speak, she took a deep breath.

"I want to help you as well dammit, why is it always Adena? Do you like her or something?" she confessed, her breathing had now become quite tense and irregular. The others could only watch in awe as the Red-Eyed Hero put his skills to use. Hestia in particular could barely believe how quickly the group's biggest trash talking machine was subdued into a defenseless state.

"You're already helping me quite a bit, Zephy," he whispered in her ear before moving closer to her lips. She was about ready to be taken right then and there, but instead the tall male merely kissed her forehead as a powerful gust of wind blew around the two. Zephyria could feel the tattoo that represented her Extract Teigu heating up and glowing beneath her clothes. The embrace of an Ultimate Teigu was proving enough to dominate even the power of Rudra's Pandemonium.

"Welp that was fun, one more for the collection," Akaro remarked as he stood back up leaving the still dazed female. The wind around him danced gracefully symbolizing the complete assimilation of all components and abilities that formed Zephyria's Teigu. He then offered her a hand and helped her stand back up.

"Thank you," he said, once more causing the female to find herself flustered. She quickly stepped back in order to reunite with the other Sapphire Phoenix members looking quite satisfied. Orion wasted no time in making an observation about the situation.

"Hey Zephy, you should go change your panties because you sure got dripping wet there woman."

"Oh fuck you."

The two began arguing back and forth while Hestia decided to approach Akaro and the present members of Team AKARA, Genesis followed closely behind her. It was quite clear that Hestia didn't have much choice in the outcome of this current crisis. After all, she would've become a puppet to a corrupted deity had Akame and Akaro not stepped in; a turn of events not too different from when the darkness of Pandora took over her mind and forced her to fight the adult Akame with all she had.

"Am I really this...weak?" Hestia questioned while looking down at her own hands. Seeing this, Akaro looked at her as his comrades stood by his side; Adena and Raizo to his left, Akame to his right. Those four looked like they belonged together and as much as the Gravity Queen might want to deny it, deep down she knew interfering in their family affairs would be wrong.

"You did this to yourself, Hestia," Akaro let out his stinging remark.

"Akaro I...I want the power to rule and to conquer. I want a power so absolute that even the gods would bow to me."

"But you see Hestia, that's your one problem. You grew so obsessed with power, with being a ruler, with being a goddess, that you forgot something very important."

"W-What? What did I forget?"

Hestia's question was one of nostalgia; this moment with Akaro, this small conversation was like a trip down memory lane and Hestia would soon realize that. As the Red-Eyed Hero prepared to speak, an image appeared overlaid on him like a ghost only Hestia could see; it was an image of a woman Hestia knew all too well.

Crimson eyes, tanned skin, dark brown almost black hair with red highlights and bangs over her forehead while wearing a plain white shirt and a black overcoat that was accompanied by fingerless gloves of the same color. Her waist was oddly covered by samurai armor that sported multiple colors belonging to a clan unknown to Hestia herself. Her expression was that of an older lady that'd be in her late 40's to early 50's. This woman's name was well known to the gravity user, but she still couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

""There's something mortals have that gods don't,"" both Akaro and the image of this older female spoke simultaneously. The young man had the same unflinching and strong willed tone as the female, only difference being the lady's husky voice.

Hestia's mind immediately went back to one specific memory, one of a different time so distant she must've forgotten about it till now. In that memory Hestia was still a child, her hands were cut and scrapped, blood streamed down her left eye from a cut above her forehead. Alone she stood in the middle of an open field in the heart of a dangerous forest, facing this young girl was the woman envisioned by Hestia's adult self.

"Akatsuki-sensei...I can't do this, I can't fight a swordswoman like you," the would-be gravity queen spoke with a melancholic tone as she picked up her practice spear, her little hands could barely hold it due to her injuries.

"Aren't you the one who wanted me to teach you how to be truly strong?" Akatsuki quickly and precisely countered Hestia's tiresome excuse, "Gonna surrender to the pain already? How pathetic."

"I told you...there's no way a mortal like myself can stand up and fight someone like you."

"That's not the point, Hestia Arashi," Akatsuki scolded her student. When she used the girl's full name it was because she was getting angry at her little prodigy's willingness to surrender.

"A man destined for greatness once said: No one is invincible. The gods themselves can even be killed if they ever descended from heaven; they have to live as humans after all."

"Who said that?" the young Hestia inquired.

"A mortal named Raizo...it all happened in the distant past...or was it the future? I always get those two mixed up," Akatsuki wondered.

"Raizo huh? Hum...I like that name."

"Maybe you'll get to meet him someday, but point is...there's something mortals have that gods don't."

"A-And what would that be sensei?"

"If you have to ask, then you've already failed."

Those words echoed in Hestia's subconscious as her mind snapped out of that flashback. After all these years, after all the pain she endured, she still had no answer to Akatsuki's question. Akatsuki was a mysterious entity; she always looked the same, never aged, never addressed herself as anything more than a teacher and an imaginary friend, but nonetheless...she was always there for Hestia whenever she needed her much in the same way Akaro is always there for his brother. Of course that didn't last; eventually she vanished only to emerge once more years later when the Pandora War concluded.

"So Akaro, what do humans have that gods don't?" she calmly inquired, but of course as she lifted her head up once more to see the members of Team AKARA, they were already gone.

"Couldn't even wait huh? You're just like she was."