Time Before The Plunge

Entry 173:

Linus Ozias POV:

As the world has been incinerated, it has presented an interesting visual as from the facility. You can see the flames in the far distance still burning, and the snowstorm only makes the colors a bit harder to see. 

Sometimes, I just stare out the window to remind myself that I am here and this is happening. This is a bit of a late understatement, but such thoughts do come to mind at some point, yet I feel no fear or doubt.

I feel fully capable of ending this, and to be honest, I am a bit over-prepared as I have the powers of a silver-age Kryptonian and a Biblical God stacked on top of multiple different essences. It does make me wonder where the being that sends me to these places gets these essences or how he makes them, but such a study can be made later. Knowing myself, I might eventually send someone else on their own journey. 

Such thoughts come and go, but for now, my thoughts are interrupted by Medusa standing next to me, and as we stand in silence gazing out onto the endless snow, Medusa spoke first, "I have been told about what happened in the last singularity. You truly do represent an odd Enigma for a Divine being. At some points, you are a confident leader, and others a humble inventor, and in those rare moments of being, those could worship. You represent both kindness and control, yet such contrasting forces should not be able to exist. Such an enigma leaves me confused about how I should view you."

All I can say is, "View me as you wish for better or for worse, and while I may be a god, I do not need to fall to the depravity of those before me because, unlike them, I have the one thing they all desire: satisfaction. I shall never fall to the ravages of age nor the redundancies of Eternity. I see Mortals and Immortals all the same. It is a basic philosophy that applies quite well to treat those how they treat you. You have never done anything against me, and we have never met before this. I may have heard your story, but I do not let simple stories define one's existence, at least most of the time."

Medusa then turned towards me, looked me in the eyes, and said, "I am but a servant, and I shall see my duty through, but it is comforting knowing that your presence helps inspire others so much." 

I smile at this as I say, "Honestly, I feel like I'm only kept around for the food sometimes." Medusa then nods as she retorts, "Yes, it does make me wonder if you hold a domain over cooking for others."

My right eye slightly twitches at that comment, but I simply accept it, and we stand in silence, which is then interrupted again by Da Vinci as she says, "Hello there, you two. Oz, do you have a moment? I require some of your expertise in some matters relating to powering the facility." I nod to Medusa as she fades into her astral form, and as I approach Da Vinci, she asks, "So I do not wish to pry, but what were the two of you talking about?"

Sighing, all I could say was, "We were simply talking, but to be a bit more specific, we were speaking about how Medusa is handling me being well myself, and with her history with gods, she wasn't exactly taking my presence very well." 

Da Vinci nods as she says, "Yes, that is understandable, and with the increasing number of servants, we have to hold such conflicts, and they may escalate at some point." I nod, agreeing with her as I ask, "So, is there any issue with the power cores? I believe that the necrodermis shells were keeping them stable."

Da Vinci then shakes her head and says, "Oh no, it's not the structural Integrity of the power cores. That's the issue. What's frustrating me is that I can't understand them, which drives me mad!" I immediately stop and ask, "So you have been trying to study them?" Da Vinci then nods again as she says, "Yes, just in case we don't have access to your knowledge, I would like to have some backups just in case."

I would not want to introduce too much out-of-context tech that can be scanned, in addition to the fact that Da Vinci could be compromised via multiple things because of Nasuverse. "I can understand your frustration, but I keep my technology from being analyzed so that it may not be used against us. I will provide you with some schematics that you can use, but if you are ever captured or manipulated, they will be deleted from your memory. Is that acceptable?"

Da Vinci nods as I place a hand on her head and pass some info into her mind. The sheer volume of knowledge widens her eyes as she says, "So much knowledge. I can understand your fears, and I promise not to let this knowledge be used against us."

Nodding in agreement, she then walked with me to my lab, and as we entered, she simply chuckled and said, "You know this room used to be used as an extra closet for our scientific materials, and now it seems to be larger than half of the facility and holds technology that could destroy planets. Time can cause such beautiful changes." 

Agreeing with her, I showed her some other tech she could use to upgrade the technology here, but to be honest, it was tech she crested in the future in addition to some Kryptonian and Imperium tech. For now, though, that was enough as the facility, thanks to my upgrades, is lined with ant magic wards as well as a vibranium and proto adamantium mesh that lines the insides of the walls with the outer layers being covered in a necrodermis alloy. Currently, this is the safest place on Earth.

For now, though, Da Vinci and I talk some shop as the sun sets in the sky, but eventually, she leaves, but not before saying, "Thank you, Ozias, for giving us a chance." I shake my head and say, "I never needed to give you one in the first place. I'm just here to help as is my duty and my own desire."

Da Vinci nods as she says, "We have been able to locate the coordinates for the next Singularity and should be able to lock into it tomorrow, so I would recommend both you And the orange-haired master prepare yourself and based on the coordinates, it's going to be a bit of a wet and wild ride." 

The woman then leaves as I sit in my lab, but not before thinking, "I probably should create some kind of seafaring vessel just in case." So, I got to work on creating a submarine based on designs from Atlantis from DC and other designs of the same nature. Why do you need to worry about power if the water itself powers your underwater vessel?

The vessel itself I could create with my creation magic, so I do so but enhance the design using various metals and adding additional stealth wards and weaponry. But as I was placing the last upgrades to the design and was about to begin making a more traditional sailing vessel, a wild Ritsuka appeared.

"Oz! I am bored, so show me the weapons!" I simply stare at her and say, "You really should focus on training or studying, my friend." She then sits on the table and says, "Well, I can barely follow what the other servants can do, so I feel a bit useless." I nod but say, "That is understandable, but you are definitely not useless, and while you do lack the power and strength of a servant, you make up for it in your sheer charisma and extroverted nature."

This brings a smile to her face, but she then says, "But I wish to help you guys fight instead of just borrowing your inventions." Honestly, I can understand her feelings as I would feel the same if I didn't have all the powers and knowledge I had. "There is a way to improve much faster, but it would have a great cost."

Ritsuka then stood in front of me and asked, "Is it possible to learn this power?" I shake my head and say, "Not from a normal magus, no. The cost is more spiritual than that." Ritsuka being curious, asks me, "Then what exactly is the cost?"

I then show her the binding mark and say, "Due to my nature as an angel, I can share my power and my abilities with others, but the binding is permanent and is much greater than many vows that can be made in addition to a vow it is also a promise to stick together through thick and thin, and it cannot be removed without great cost."

"The Binding would allow you to prove at a rapid pace, leaving even some servants in the dust eventually, but it would mean binding to me forever, and what truly makes it difficult is that the binding enforces loyalty, and while I did not design it to do so it is what it does and I myself am not very comfortable with mind control unless the person asking for it is fully aware of what the cost is. 

The other benefits of the binding include essentially immortality as you would find yourself being ageless and unable to die, and even if you do you are returned to my soul where your body is reconstructed and then brought back to life. So as long as I exist, you cannot die."

I expected her to look at me in some disgust or even fear, but instead, she looked at me with a smile and said, "Oz, we have known each other for weeks now, but I can understand that you would never do anything to harm those you care about. And while the whole enforcing loyalty thing is truly the only off-putting thing, it only reinforces the loyalty of those you choose to bind."

She then grabs my right hand and says, "I have lived my life knowing that I am less than average in both Magic and skill, and if the cost of becoming truly useful is to bind myself to someone I know will not betray me nor take advantage of me I'm willing to take that cost."

I grab her hand and say, "There would be no backing out of this if you take the mark. You will be mine forever." I say possessively, trying to unnerve her, but she simply says, "You really should not say it like that, you tease." I sigh and take my archangel form, and as she looks at me, she says, "If I can be tied to something so perfect, it would be worth it."

I then place my hand on her shoulder as I ask, "Do you swear to follow your goals lest they signal the end of humanity?"

"I do."

"Do you swear that you are of sound mind and body making this decision?"

"I am."

"Are you prepared to see eternity?"

"If I am with you, then yes."

"Then the binding is complete. Welcome Ritsuka Fujimaru to the Iscariot Order. May all who stand in your way fall to your might and resolve." As the binding takes place, the symbol of the blood angels forms on her other hand, opposite to the hand with the command seals. 

The essences I gave her are the diluted versions of shattered limiter, archmage, and ROB insurance, as well as any protections from the other essences. I would also give her reality marble, but she needs more experience.

Ritsuka then stands looking at the symbol and rubs it with her hand as she says, "It feels so warm, like an embrace that lasts forever." I nod and say, "Currently, I have separated you from the other people who have been bound so that you don't need to hear everything in your head as well as experience their emotions in addition to the fact that I'll have to introduce you to everyone once we fish these singularities." 

Ritsuka then looks at me and says, "You are going to take me to that Nine Tails you keep talking about, right? Because I want to fluff them."

( Unknown to both of them, a certain nine-tailed Yokai in Kyoto shivers as she feels like she is in danger)

I then began to train her myself in my reality marble, and Ritsuka never stopped smiling, feeling her power grow with every second, but she wondered one thing: "If I feel this powerful from only a bit of training, how strong is Oz?"