Journey Into Cocytus III

"The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul…" – John Calvin

Darkness and silence—an endless abyss of uncertainty where the lost ventured through the deep unknown. For what truly lied on the other side when one's soul was taken from the body? It was uncertain to say…especially when it came to the case of one whose life was defined by endless bloodshed. A lone warrior who traversed the endless plains of life from battlefield to battlefield carrying his blade and the weight of the world on his shoulders, when could such a person find peace? With all the lives taken, did that person deserve it?

The journey that began with vengeance resulting from betrayal had ended with betrayal that desired vengeance. Was it irony or a cruel joke played by fate? To think that his life ended under such circumstances was somehow laughable and degrading all at the same time. That sensation of being robbed of all your power, that one moment of absolute helplessness, those were obstacles he faced before; however, he was unable to be saved from it once again. The searing flame of judgment passing through him reciprocated through whatever collective conscience that was present. But then…a glimmer of hope appeared.

In the midst of the dark abyss that he found himself in, a light radiated like the brilliance of the morning star. Seeing it in the distance, he reached out to it desiring whatever it had to offer in the midst of all of this despair. It drew closer and closer until it basked him in its warmth before bringing him to the other side. As his eyes adjusted, the paradise of Eden awaited. The crisp freshness of the air, the lush and liveliness of greenery and nature, the winding rivers of pure cerulean luster, streets of gold and fountains of milk and honey, it was the heaven he saw once but knew its embrace all too well.

Raizo Mercer had found his way home. He felt his body listlessly glide through the atmosphere over the area approaching the holy ground awaiting him. The calming sensation of joy and serenity swelled within him causing his heart to sing with these words:

"I start to levitate with the wind beneath my wings,

My warming heart allows me to taste the air I breathe.

The end I saw, through bittersweet, has brought me to this peace,

Now as I rest, my soul begins to sing.

The echoes of the world I've left behind,

It pains me so, but victory is mine.

I pass through these gates and find my paradise,

As I touch the ground it's…it's disappearing from me…

Now I can't see it…I can't see it…what's happening?!!"

Yes…as his feet went to touch the ground beneath, the surface of the land began to crumble at the seams. In addition, the heavenly forms of nature began to dissipate into dust. The youth turned his head in a panic before he seemingly fell back into the abyss. In that moment, he saw a strange, flaming face with a sinister smile painted across its mouth. A booming voice then echoed into his ears.

"OH RAIIIIZOOOO! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! WAKE UP YA FUCKIN' BASTARD!!!! IT'S YOUR BIG DAY!!! YA DON'T WANNA KEEP ALL THESE HUNGRY SOULS WAITING NOW, DO YOU?"

Limbs of darkness reached out and pulled him down into an abyss of fire as the voice called out once again.

"This is the story of consequence when a little puppet thinks he can dance freely without his strings binding his body!"

After that…the ability to scream was robbed from him and his vision faded to black.

Fire consumes, but it can also embrace. For what greater beauty is there when the everlasting fire burns into the night when the phoenix rises from the ashes unapologetically claiming what is rightfully theirs?

Raizo opened his eyes finding himself in an illuminated room. As his vision gradually cleared up to adjust to the setting, he noticed that the decoration suggested that it was a massive bedroom. To the left side of the area was a small dining table with two chairs, one on each side. Two candles were flickering on the wooden surface as silver plates covered by metallic lids were present. Alongside those were two glasses filled with red wine.

Ten paces ahead of that area was an opening leading out to a balcony that overlooked a forestry area next to a decently sized lake. Reflected in the water's surface were the countless stars shining overhead along with the radiance of the full moon. Then to the other side of the room was a small fireplace that had a gentle ember going on within it adding further ambiance to the atmosphere. In the middle of the sleeping space was a gigantic, circular queen-sized bed draped in the finest silk and cotton fabrics dressed with rose petals on top. The youth wasn't sure what all of this was for, but then he heard someone walk into the room.

This lone figure quietly stepped inside as if to really take in the sight of everything present. The silhouette was that of a familiar female with long, red hair and cobalt blue eyes. She had on a black dressed that greatly conformed to her curvaceous figure as the front had a deep V-cut accentuating her supple breasts. Taking in the image of the room, the familiar face of Adena gasped.

"Wow babe, you really wanted to go all out! I never would have you'd be such a romantic," the excited woman called out as she stepped further inside of the room.

"Did I really do this? I…I don't even think I'm capable of doing such a thing, not unless Aniki gave me a hand with it. Wait…how are we even here right now and there was a war…huh? What war? My mind is so clouded…better to just go with the flow I guess."

That was the thought running through his mind. He must have been trying to hide from her given his current perspective of the place, so he knew that he'd have to jump down. However…he was unable to move.

"Weird…then I guess I'll just use my voice to surprise her?"

Yet the youth was unable to speak…

"What the hell?!"

He strained to part words from his lips, yet it felt like his vocal chords did not want to respond. As he continued to struggle needlessly with this, a second voice filled the room unexpectedly.

"Well, I figured I'd try to do a little something special for your birthday and all. Granted, I had to seek some external help and do a bit of research; I'd like to think it all worked out," a masculine voice responded to the woman's exasperation.

"Look at you trying so hard for me. And here I was planning something for ya after being gone for so long," Adena turned to the presence with a smile.

"Come now, regardless of my lengthy time away did you really think I'd miss such a special occasion? Tonight is all about you, I'm just happy that I'm able to bask in it."

As the banter continued, Raizo was in a panic over the source of that voice.

"Who is that? I don't understand this. That's not my voice at all. Dammit, why can't I move? I have to see this person!"

He struggled endlessly in order to get a better perspective over the occurrence taking place. It was then that he heard the footsteps of someone advancing inside the room. He saw a silhouette decorated in a sleek, black suit with a red tie and a white scarf around his neck. In addition, the man had black, spiky hair.

"You always think of me above everything else, my love," the red-headed woman fawned as she stepped closer to the man.

"Of course, you are the fire that ignites my life."

"You really know how to use those words. You make my heart skip a beat every time, my dear sweet Rin Hanate."

"As you do with mine every time my eyes glass over you, my Adena Zao-Long."

The female wrapped her arms around the man's neck before they shared a passionate kiss in the blend of the moon and candlelight. As that exchange occurred before his eyes, the on-looking boy could not help but to feel speechless.

"You kinda stole my idea of a romantic dinner," Adena began as she pulled her lips away from the male.

"Oops, should I apologize then?" Rin smirked deviously.

"Nah…besides, as much as food can be nourishing…I make for a better meal, right?"

"Of course, I never tire of your flavor."

The pair of lovers wrapped their arms around one another again engaging in an even deeper kiss. As the lips interlocked together, their tongues began to wrestle against each other between their mouths. The groping between the pair intensified as they began to step toward the bed that awaited them. Moans of joy and pleasure soon filled the room. The sound of the bed rocking against the wall and the squeaks of the rails soon followed. The candles and the fireplace had ignited even further with heat as the auras of the two fire users had spilled out from their passionate mating process.

"Addy…why...why are you doing this? I…I thought…I thought we were…What….the…."

The Stormbringer wanted to do something…he wanted to say something…but he just couldn't. There was no way to stop this and he didn't know why until he took note of something.

With the combined light sources, the witness to the display now discovered the reality of the situation through a decently sized mirror hung above the bed.

"WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!"

In that reflective surface, Raizo saw his face. The reason why he could not speak or move or do anything at all was that he was nothing but an embalmed head encased in a glass sitting atop a wooden shelf.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Suddenly…his vision faded to black.

*****

It was raining. The heavens unleashed a torrent of tears over the dismal display that had occurred on the ground below. In the midst of an undisclosed location deep in the forest, the freshly dug-up dirt and sliced tree limbs all around paired with noticeable points of scorched earth littered the immediate area. As evident from the scenery in the background, a great battle had taken place here.

Standing in the middle of the drenched greenery were the members of Night Raid: Tatsumi, Rabac, Mein, Leone, and Akame. On the other side was one of the last members of the Order of the Blood Wolves—Raizo Arashi. The youth had chased down the group for information that he believed would lead him to the man who betrayed his clan, Aquilo. As a result, he found himself in an unavoidable conflict with the entire group of assassins simultaneously. The fighting just came to a stop only because the boss of the assassin group stepped in, the eye-patched female called Najenda.

"This is…the past, right? I…I thought Adena was…no, maybe that was a dream. But…this isn't right either… I don't think?"

Raizo snapped into this memory out of nowhere. His mind was still in a haze due to the sight of the redheaded woman with one of his archenemies sharing a time of intimacy together. Suddenly being thrust into this current setting made it seem like a nightmare being overtaken by a flashback; however, if only that were the case.

"My arms…they still feel tingly…"

The youth felt the muscles in his forearms radiate with tension; he felt this sensation after dealing with an intense combat scenario. He surmised that the fight against Night Raid ended with Najenda's intervention. Then, he felt something else was wrong. A strong iron smell filled his nostrils as he felt something warm splattered over his hands and his face. He turned his eyes downward to see that he was covered in blood.

"What? This…this wasn't in the memory…right? I mean...I had some scars but this much blood is…oh…oh no…no no no…no, this can't be it!"

His eyes hesitantly wandered across the crimson soaked soil beneath and came across one person's body lying before him. It was then that he noticed the head of the eye-patched woman rolling across the dirt, lifeless never to rise again. As his eyes then sought out the reactions of Night Raid, he came to notice their expressions of distraught and terror. Yet one of them was completely consumed with bloodlust. As a result, he found himself stricken with fear and numbness.

Flashes of memory came to him in that second. Raizo was struggling to stand his ground against the members of Night Raid, yet he continued to draw upon Indra's power thus gaining the strength necessary to keep going. It was then that he and the Red-Eyed Killer faced off in a one-on-one battle. The pacing was seemingly even. Her swordsmanship and his were directly on par; at least, that's what it felt like. However, Akame was only holding back. It was as if she knew that he was not an enemy, but was waiting for a key moment to land a decisive blow. So their battle continued for a moment before he backed off.

"Yeah…I had to take a step back to catch my breath…then I caused a rainstorm to occur to give me some form of an advantage. I channeled lightning in my body as much as I could to enhance my movement speed…then what?"

Raizo prepared himself for one more charge. The famous assassin before him did the same. The sound of the rain had drowned out every other noise around them. However, for one moment, everything just stopped. For both red-eyed individuals, they were drawn into another space isolated from the rest of the world. In the narrowest blink of an eye, the youth rushed at the girl with all his might. This was the do or die moment that he had elected to take. As for Akame, she did not bother moving because she knew that one cut was all that was needed to win. Yet, a nagging instinct had kept her from wanting to kill the boy so she sought to disarm and immobilize.

The charge continued. Raizo was prepared for whatever came next; at least that is what he told himself. He was mostly trying to stave off the fear that was shrouding his mind of confronting this demon. He closed the distance by one step…then two…three, four…and finally it happened. Najenda had seemingly dropped down out of nowhere to put an end to the fight. She dropped right between the two warriors at that critical moment, but…unlike the ending that the observer knew…

"Why…couldn't I stop?"

The momentum he generated was far too great. Consequently, Najenda was decapitated by Raizo's blade. Her life was stripped away in a freak accident, but to the onlookers—it was nothing less than cold-blooded murder.

Currently the youth stood over her corpse unsure of what to do or think. He stammered over his words as he was drowned in confusion. However, that mental state would not last much longer. He snapped back to his senses and gazed at Akame once again whose face was filled with a silent rage. In that singular moment, no person in the entire land would be able to intimidate the girl. Even the sadistic general and Ice Queen, Esdese, would quiver in the face of that fury at this point.

"Akame…I…please…this isn't…this isn't right! This has to be a cruel joke! I'm…I didn't do this at all! Wait…we're…we're friends right?!"

Those words would never reach anyone…because not a single person present cared enough to hear them. Instead, all Raizo received was the most decisive judgment known to man. The Red-Eyed Killer vanished faster than he could even remotely think or process, faster than the electrical signal sent from his brain to the muscles in his arms to register the command to dodge…it was over.

"You're done!" the assassin shouted aloud.

Raizo felt the cruel sting of death coming to claim him as he found Murasame impaling his chest with the length of its sharpness going out of his back. The privilege of breathing was robbed from him in that instant. A wave of coldness consumed his senses which led to his powers fading away and his weapons falling from his hands into the dirt. It was then that the curse of the dark blade began to run across his skin as he felt every cell in his body being eaten away.

"This isn't….right….not at all…"

"Go to Hell…and know that you have been forsaken…" the Red-Eyed Killer cruelly expressed before ripping the blade out of him and letting his body drop into the ground.

"No…no…I…I can't…be…"

The visual before his eyes faded away then 30 seconds passed. The harsh crispness of the air battered his exposed body as the male awoke once more. His body was heavy, his breathing was ragged, and it hurt to even attempt to move. He wasn't sure if he was dying again or what, but he ached heavily. His crimson eyes made out the surrounding area only to take note that everything was dyed in white. Given the battering winds and the frigid temperature, he knew he was in the snow.

"Wait…I remember this…it was…just after Shatterpoint. No that means…no no…not this!"

"Look at you…you're just so pathetic," an unforgiving voice called out in the background.

Before he could even turn to look, he felt his scalp grasped firmly by someone before his face was slammed into the snow for a brief second.

"Just the sight of your face alone pisses me off. But you're so damn revolting to look at that I almost have no use for killing you," the voice continued.

"You should look at me when I'm talking to you, oh failed prince."

Raizo's face was lifted out of the snow by his harasser. Just as he was given the opportunity to breathe, he felt a hand go around his throat before it squeezed.

"The great Stormbringer, Raizo Arashi, oh how powerless you truly are," the assailant echoed before the youth recognized her.

"Y-you're…" he narrowly managed to say.

"I must not be squeezing hard enough if you're able to talk."

"I…I don't recall this encounter happening this way either!" the male panicked in whatever mental state he was in right now.

"Black Death has a fitting ring to it…you should know who I am, after all, you did change time to give me life. I should thank you for that. In fact, I should be grateful for you because now I can have my revenge on that man."

The body of the youth began to flail around as he struggled to breathe.

"Ah…yes…you're just about out of oxygen. I can feel the life fading from you. Perhaps I should bring you close to the ecstasy of death before letting you go? That would be most entertaining correct? Yes…yes indeed, however, I suppose disposing of you now would be mercy enough…so that being the case…"

"Wait…she didn't kill me?! This has to be a dream! But…it feels so…"

Silence occupied his thoughts. Akame had suddenly pierced his chest and took hold of his heart before gently squeezing it.

"Ah…so you do have one? I'm honestly surprised. Though it's not as if I particularly care…" she uttered.

In that instant, she tugged carefully as she let every vein and artery snap around the different ventricles of the muscle. After an agonizing 3 seconds, she ripped it out of him along with the life fading from the boy's eyes.

"Yes…you should experience the same pain I felt when it came to that man…you caused it after all. I guess I had the right mind to kill you after all. No matter, you won't be alone in Hell for long," Akame, no, Arayashiki proclaimed before she marched off on her own leaving Raizo's body to rot in the snow.

"Akame…please…"

His eyes were consumed by darkness in that very next moment. As his mind sank further into despair, he found his consciousness materializing as an astral ghost basking in the light of the crimson moon. In that luminescence, a figure with large, black angel wings had appeared before descending upon his form. With it coming closer and closer, he came to recognize the face as the woman he looked to as his teacher.

"Aka-sensei…?"

"There is no hope in someone like you. I thought you could be redeemed, but I was wrong. You are not worthy of your place in Team AKARA. Your death is a godsend for us. Know that you shall be made into an afterthought because you have refused to change. Be gone like the rest of your clansmen so many generations before you. Become the forgotten and revel in your failure for all eternity," the Angel of Death had spoken as her statement rang deeper than any bell ever could.

"Not you…too…"

Unable to counter argue, once more Raizo was cast into the depths of despair.

*****

"What's happening to me?" Raizo asked himself. He did not know whether the visions he saw were true or not.

"This has to be some sick joke. I have to get out of here."

"Raizo-san…"

"There has to be a way to escape…"

"Raizo-san…"

"Who's that? Who's calling my name?!"

"Raizo-san!"

The Red-Eyed Stormbringer's eyes shot open in that moment upon the third beckoning of his name. His gaze beheld the view of a space enclosed within the confines of a tan tent illuminated by lanterns in two opposite locations. There he sat atop a soft bed alongside another individual with white hair and rose-colored eyes.

"V-Vesta?" he stammered in disbelief.

"You spaced out for a second there, Raizo-san. Are you unwell?" she asked before leaning in closer pressing her forehead against his.

"U-Um…hey…don't you think you're…kinda close?" he asked hesitantly. The heart within the boy's chest began to thump heavily as his cheeks reddened.

"Wait…this is…another memory right? This was…right after the Pandora Conflict…but…why is this happening right now?"

"You seem to be rather warm, perhaps you need to lie down?" the female suggested whilst moving aside to invite him to lay back.

"No that's…not it really, I'm fine," the male nodded reassuringly.

"Raizo-san, your body needs to rest after such a major battle. Just lay down, okay?"

At this point, the woman had stood up and pushed the male's shoulders gently to get him to lie back. Of course, being the stubborn one, Raizo was rather adamant about it.

"Seriously Vesta-chan, it's not that serious…c-come on now…" he mused shyly.

"I insist. If you don't then I'll force you to-…whoa!"

"Hey…-mmph?!"

A sudden slip of the hand caused Vesta to push Raizo down; however, it wasn't in the way she was expecting. Instead, she wound up on top of the boy over the bed. The muffled noise emitted by the Child of Light was due to the fact that his face was currently smothered by the Godspeed's ample chest.

"Hiyah?!" she gasped before raising her breasts up to allow him to breathe.

"I-I'm sorry Raizo-san, I didn't mean to…"

"V-Vesta-chan…you gotta be…um…"

The pair then locked eyes with one another in that moment as a wave of silence rushed in. In tandem, their hearts began to race yet coincidence with the movement of the other. Their faces were filled with blood as they both shared heated breaths between them. Vesta began to lean down towards Raizo's face, her lips intended on colliding with his. As for the tan-skinned youth, he did not resist the advance at all.

Their lips were locked together intimately and longingly as if this moment was a long time coming between the pair. The kiss seemingly blocked out all sense of time for them as their tongues desperately wrapped around each other between their mouths competing in a waltz for control of the other. As they held each other close, the kiss that had lasted at least 30 seconds came to an end as trickles of saliva and broke between their parted lips. Following that instance of time, Vesta felt a yearning sensation stir within her before reaching down towards her lower region causing her insides to moisten. With Raizo, the same sensation was keenly felt before causing his manhood to swell with anticipation.

"Raizo-san…I don't think you're the only one burning up now…" she blushed heavily.

"Yeah…I…um…I don't think I'm sick…but I really am feeling hot right now," he confessed.

"I can feel it…" she said as she moved her hips against his groin.

"Aha…hey…" he gasped before his hands grasped her curves before sliding over her soft ass.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah…more than anything in this universe."

In that moment, Vesta began to pull away her clothes one layer after the other whilst Raizo did the same in his current position. Though it was difficult trying to remove the articles of cotton without removing their bodies from their current position, Vesta used her vastly superior speed to quickly strip both of their bodies naked before taking her position on top.

"Show off…" Raizo joyfully teased.

"Hmm maybe…but perhaps I wanted this more than you could possibly know…"

Vesta began to trace her fingers across Raizo's growing manhood before hoisting herself up for a moment. She took the tip of his pulsing length and prodded it against the lower lips of her honey pot to tease him while also increasing the lubrication of her entrance. Simultaneously, she seductively maneuvered her hips in order to stir his arousal for her to greater heights.

"Vesta…ah…that's…not fair…"

"Fufu…just because we're the…same age, doesn't mean I don't have…more experience~"

As she teased him for a few more seconds, she began to penetrate her vagina using his stiff rod. His cock was gradually being devoured by her heated tunnel as she positioned herself to lean over his body. Her hips swayed as she adjusted herself appropriately. Then, in one swift drop, she took all of his meat inside her thus crashing her hips against his crotch.

"AH!!! Dammit…it's tight…" he groaned from the feeling of her insides wrapping around him.

"I know…just so you can't escape from me. Let's forget the rest of the world…and indulge in the kind of love that only two speedsters can ever truly share~"

Within that moment, the two began to share a kind of intimacy that was indescribable to the human language. Breaking away from time and space, the pair of Stormbringers had aggressively yet passionately enjoyed sex that transcended the imagination. Their movements were intensively coordinated to respond to each other's wavelength at every possible moment of perfect synchronization. They were like two dueling melodies coming together into a singular harmony that crafted the most immersive symphony that could ever be heard. With her superior hip movements, Vesta had milked Raizo's shaft again and again almost constantly bringing the boy to climax and forcing him to release inside of her all while satisfying herself of his juices flooding her insides.

They switched from one position to another faster than anyone could notice. At one point, she was on her back with her legs wrapped around Raizo's waist as she let him move for a brief period of time. In the next moment, she was bent over the bed with him standing behind her grasping her hips and thrusting repeatedly in her depths. Another point was when Raizo had been standing up straight and Vesta was riding on top of his dick like a jackhammer. Then there was a point where she was on her side and had one leg risen in the air whilst her lover was slamming his meat inside her holding onto the extended limb like a pole. Lastly, there was the position where she was on top once more except she was riding his dick in reverse.

Within that attosecond of time spent between the two, the speedsters had shared the kind of ecstasy that the average human being would not reach even if they possessed 50 lifetimes. They had tried a wide variety of sexual positions that stimulated the imagination before the two lied on the bed together—Vesta lying on top of Raizo—as trails of sweat and steam rolled off of their bodies.

"What the…heck was that?" Raizo panted heavily trying to process what just happened.

"I told you…it was the kind of experience…only we can share…" Vesta chuckled as she danced her fingers across the man's chest.

"I…can't feel anything going on downstairs…honestly…"

"Well…I did milk you dry…but I never thought you'd reach so deep. I feel stuffed~"

"W-Well…I mean…I guess I did get a little too excited at some points…"

"Yeah…someone's quite the grower when he's stimulated enough~"

"Mou…don't talk about it like that…jeez…"

"Even after all that you're still so innocent. How adorable of you~"

Raizo could not even afford the effort to respond. He only blushed and turned his head away for a second.

"This memory…is….rather embarrassing to relive…but much more preferable compared to the others…"

Peace had settled in the youth's mind. He didn't seem to mind it. Even if this was just a dream, it was a pleasant one. It was one that he'd prefer to stay in as long as he could.

"Raizo, my sweet, you truly are precious. You saved my life and made me realize the error in my actions. I owe everything to you…however, there's something I desire even more now," Vesta stated as there was a small tonal shift detected in her voice.

Just as the youth shifted his gaze over towards her face, he felt something pierce the center mass of his chest. Feeling the very concept of oxygen seized within his lungs, the male had managed to look and see Vesta's hand penetrating his heart. However, there was no presence of blood or breaches in his flesh apparent. It was like her hand had bypassed his skin and entered his body. In reality, it was all due to intangibility.

"Ves-ta?" he grunted in dismay upon the recognition of what she had done. As his eyes looked upon her face, he saw that she had an expression of ecstasy-fueled joy upon her face.

"You may have freed me from my compulsion, but your power was still something I found myself desiring. Having sex with you reassured me of that hunger; therefore, this is the result," she explained tersely.

Suddenly, Raizo felt his energy being siphoned from his body. It was like he became liquid inside a glass filled with ice and someone was sucking on a straw to drain him from the container. He felt his consciousness beginning to waver as an aura of blue and gold spiraled around the hole in his chest channeling through Vesta's hand.

"I'll take all of your power and replace you as a Mercer, and then I'll steal the throne of Elysium for myself. I'll turn you into an afterthought and make it to where history never even knew you existed. You shall join the Earth and become the nothingness you were always meant to be, Raizo Arashi. So with that, I bid you farewell…my dear, delicious, Onii-chan~"

Once more, Raizo's consciousness faded to black as he experienced the terror of having everything stolen from him.

"No…no..stop it…STOP IT!!!!!"

*****

"Where am I now?"

Raizo came to his senses once more as his vision was clouded by darkness. He was unable to perceive anything, almost like he was walking around with his eyes closed. On instinct, he attempted to move through the void dimension; however, he soon discovered that the lower half of his body was having difficulty responding to the commands of his brain.

"What the hell is this? It's like quicksand or something…ugh and what's that…smell?"

As the youth struggled to move his legs, he inhaled the stench of iron along with a rotten odor through his nostrils. The potent mix had grasped a firm hold of his senses forcing his brain to dig through information in order to identify what the source was. And then, only one thing came to mind.

"It reeks of death in here…"

The moment that sentence ran through his mind, the space became dyed in a crimson aura that granted the realm a semblance of radiance. Unsure of what was going on, the boy quickly ascertained his surroundings before understanding what it was that he was standing in. A dark ocean of thick, murky liquid carrying lumps of flesh and mangled remains of human beings floated around him. The horrific sight instantly sent him over the edge.

"Why is there so much blood? What is this oceanic graveyard?"

From beyond, ghastly specters of darkness became to float around him reaching out towards him. Seeing this, the youth attempted to move with all of his might but the attempt was rendered useless. Within a matter of moments, the haunted hands grabbed at his body releasing a collective voice of despair.

"Rai…zo….Rai…zo…mur…der…er….mon…ster…cause…all…this…"

As the ghosts began to claw at his body, the youth's jacket and t-shirt were being torn away.

"What is this?! Who are you people?!" he cried out whilst attempting to fight back.

"You mean you can't even recognize them?" someone uttered in the short distance.

"Who's there?! Help me!"

"Unbelievable, acting like the victim through the bitter end. To think I called you my brother…"

"Aniki?! Wh..what the hell? Is this some idea of a sick joke?"

Appearing just over the youth's head, he could make out the silhouette of the Red-Eyed Hero donning his old Red Knight armor that he sported once upon a time. The man's crimson eyes shimmered with an unspoken atmosphere of rage and disgust as he glared at the boy below.

"Welcome to the World of Blood, where all of your sins are given the opportunity to physically manifest. Only those with a truly repentant heart can escape from here. I'm amazed you were able to survive the torment for this long. I suppose that's what happens when you pay no heed to the people you killed for sport. You were given a lot of leniency for so long…until you killed her…"

"What the hell are you talking about, Aniki? Why are you doing this?!" Raizo continued to shout as the ghosts around him continued to smother his body.

An air of silence then consumed the distance between them. In the midst of the youth's confusion, an area in the sea of blood began to bubble signifying something coming to the surface. In a matter of seconds, the body of a single person floated above the pools of liquid and drifting limbs revealing the visage of a black-haired woman. The body had a multitude of gashes and scars all over the body with distorted limbs and a disfigured face making the identity almost unrecognizable. However, the clothing was what ultimately revealed her true self.

"It can't…be…." The former Stormbringer gasped.

"To think…you of all people would be the one to kill her. You were just biding your time, weren't you?" Akaro judged with a cruel and unforgiving spirit.

"What?! That's ridiculous! Why would I kill Akame? She's my family!"

Akaro clenched his fists hearing the words part from the younger male's lips as the aura of the man pressurized further causing the entire realm to quake.

"We were all you family, but you still found a way to take advantage for your own desire for power! You ripped Adena's heart out of her chest, raped Vesta repeatedly until you consumed every essence of her Tempest abilities and then…you did this…to her...my one true love of all people! Who would think you would actually become intoxicated by Indra's lies and adhere to The Architect's will? You truly fucked up kiddo…and now it's time to pay."

Akaro snapped his fingers as the bodies of those he killed over the years came after him. The victims from Shatterpoint, the soldiers from the Capital, and the innocents that died under his 'protection' came after him. Slowly but surely he was dragged down into the sea of blood by those victims. As his vision of light began to fade, he could see the harsh gaze of his brother watching him fall. Then…the husk of flesh that was Akame's corpse had risen before jumping down after him holding the broken edge of Murasame.

"No, no, no, NOOOOOO AHHRHGH!!" he screamed out.

The zombie had lodged the blade down his throat before the calls of the haunted devoured him whole.

*****

The visions that he experienced thus far were too real for his consciousness to handle. The people he loved dearly were abandoning him left and right thus pushing him to the edge. He felt his heart wavering, teetering on the line to break. Adena, Akame, Vesta, and Akaro…four people he treasured above all else had left him to ruin. He wasn't sure if he should believe what he saw because they felt so real…like they were indications of how they truly felt about him all along without him even noticing it. He was one step closer to the edge, and he was ready to break. All he need was one final push.

"Why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong? Somebody wake me from this nightmare! Help me, Onee-sama!"

With the invocation of his words, Raizo's spirit was suddenly transported to a boundless meadow filled with the most beautiful flowers known to mankind. The myriad of colors and vibrancy of life, the crispness of the fresh air, and reassuring gentle breeze fueled by the sweetest smell of peace had washed over him. As his spirit was just about to shatter like glass, a lone figure appeared behind him.

"You seem like you're having a rough time," a female voice spoke out causing the youth to turn around.

It was there that the familiar woman in the red jacket had appeared before his eyes.

"Kimi…Onee-sama, is that really you?" he asked in disbelief praying that this wasn't another dream. As the male hesitantly reached out towards her, a simple nod followed by the opening of her arms was all he needed to believe it.

In that next moment, the youth rushed over towards her and wrapped his arms around the girl. With all of the scars from the visions eating away at his sanity, her warmth was what he needed to keep himself grounded. He held her close unlike ever before. Unable to hold back his emotions, the child began to cry as his heart just burst into an intense foray of emotion. His legs were shaking violently which led to him collapsing to his knees, the girl going along with him.

As for the pinnacle of divinity, she yielded only the most soothing of tones whilst caressing the back of the child's head like a doting older sibling should.

"It's okay; you don't have to worry about a thing anymore. I'm here for you," she spoke while the boy continued his sobbing.

"Onee-sama…Onee-sama please….what's happening to me? What are all these things I'm seeing? Make them stop!" he begged her earnestly.

"I know…I know it's hard. Everyone has a point where they just break. As much as it hurts, it was unfortunately meant to happen."

"W-what?" Raizo gasped as he pulled away from her to wipe his tears away.

Kimiko did not say anything for a moment.

"Is…Is this some kind of test?"

"No…" she responded whilst holding the male's chin in her hand for a moment before standing up.

In that very next minute, Kimiko's entire vestige transformed. Her clothes shifted into a flower-patterned, pink kimono with long, blackish brown hair. Her eyes illuminated with the blue, purple and pink colors that designated her signature Mystic Eyes. As her gaze pierced through Raizo's body and held his chin gently, she used her thumb to wipe away his tears before parting her soft lips.

"You are only suffering so much because of your misdeeds…" she began.

"E-Eh?" the boy murmured in disbelief.

"Time after time you have failed to meet the expectations I set for you. And so, I have drawn my conclusion. I was wrong in choosing you for the task at hand…I was wrong to love you. You truly are my greatest mistake…" she declared.

"O-Onee-sama…wh-what…are….you saying?" the boy stammered over his words due to the mind-numbing sense of pure disbelief.

"Izunia was right, I never should have placed so much faith in a puppet. Farewell, Raizo Arashi…"

As the woman began to turn from the youth, the Goddess-Above-All snapped her figures causing two silhouettes to appear.

"Do what you will with him. He is all yours."

Turning to face the individuals in question, Raizo's face grew pale as he recognized the forms of Rias Makiri and Hikari Hanate. They loomed over him with wicked, sadistic smiles on their faces as they reached and grabbed his shoulders before they began to drag him away. Raizo tried to turn back towards the great creator to plead for his life.

"Onee-sama! Onee-sama, please! Don't abandon me too!" he begged her, but she did not even give him the courtesy of looking back.

As he was dragged away, his sight perceived the world as a giant fractured mirror. Each segment carried one of the nightmares that he saw thus far played on repeat with the sight of Akasha's silhouette in the center walking away from him. His brain still could not handle wrapping around her words; nevertheless, they repeated.

You truly are my greatest mistake…

I was wrong to love you…

Again and again, those words had played back whilst merging with the animosity that his family had shown him in every scenario. As Rias and Hikari pulled him into the depths of the abyss that waited for him, the will within the boy began to erode away. He then heard the voices of all the people he killed call out to him from beyond. In addition, he saw images of his body being tortured by Hikari's various tools of entertainment. Each part that was deemed useless was fed to Rias like the girl was a pet. Yet all of that torment was nothing because, without Akasha's love, he felt dead inside. The light of hope meant nothing anymore.

*****

Year: Unknown, 14th of September

Time: Unknown

Location: Purgatory

If the souls of the redeemed are sent to Heaven, then the souls of the damned are condemned to Hell. That is the balance of the afterlife and such dictates the balance between Elysium and Inferno. However, a place exists in the deepest pits of Inferno that none of its inhabitants dare to enter. As such, the shadowy border that separated this place from the rest of the fiery depths was given to segment this place from all other realms. That was the terrifying place known as Purgatory.

What would one find if they made the unfortunate decision to pierce through this foreboding veil? There weren't many people that dared to find out unless one was condemned to its clutches. To be sent to this place was deemed a fate worse than death as one would never be able to find peace, tortured for all eternity.

Behind its phantom cloak, Purgatory was a complex realm layered in the blankets of frozen tundra, jagged mountain terrain, brutally cold temperatures that would burn the flesh off of any ordinary person with frostbite, and icy rivers compiled of the lifeblood and tears of its victims. Comparatively, the Antarctic environment at the South Pole on Earth in the human realm was a summer island getaway compared to this place.

The desolate, subzero landscape was next to impossible to traverse unless one was a part of the overseers that monitored its prisoners. The mountains and rivers composing this space would deter any would-be invaders of the realm attempting to free any soul imprisoned here. In addition, the terrain also concealed the various tribes who held duties of protecting this place.

Observing the entire sanctity of the complex void sat a massive castle atop the highest mountain in the center of the space. It was a 7-story structure that utilized the architectural design of the Warring States period in human history of an island nation in the Far East. The stacked stone plating that compiled the roof tiling was colored black with hints of gold along the trim as the edges of the wooden truss design had a deep crimson dye with golden statues of wolves at the vertices. The walls along the castle's surface were painted white as it sat surrounded by stone barriers outside of it giving it the illusion of a privacy barricade.

Sitting at the top of the summit, the castle grounds spanned a five mile perimeter in all directions. In spite of sitting in a space where it received the harshest brunt of the blasting winds, the grounds within the walls were dyed in greenery and plant life that seemed to thrive off of supernatural nutrients. In addition, there was a tall cherry blossom tree at the right side of the area that was so tall that it reached the second story level of the entire structure. The paradise-like castle belonged to the sovereign of the realm.

Inside the building on the first floor lay a massive reception hall leading towards the throne room. Massive arches of gothic design draped by deep purple banners along with six giant statues of dire wolves welcomed anyone who entered this place. Further in, the walls were decorated with hundreds of martial arts tools and armaments of various designs from different cultural origins. Along the most distant wall was a 20-foot engraving of a mystical tree of unknown origin. It had no leaves covering its innumerable branches but had hundreds of roots going towards the floor. One could infer that it held some form of symbolic meaning; however, only certain individuals would be able to perceive it.

Sitting on top of an elevated platform was a crimson, icy steel throne compiled of swords with the mold of wolf heads on either side. The bizarre yet intimidating seat was large enough for at least two people to sit in, yet there was only one individual present. There she sat with her legs crossed and her eyes closed in a meditative position. Dressed in a white kosode over her torso with a black hakama covering her bottom half, the female was of a medium, dark skin complexion with long, white hair as immaculate as an untouched blanket of snow bound by a black ribbon in the back. Her bangs covered her forehead draping just past the brow line as long braids of hair hung on either side of her face towards her collarbone. In this peaceful pose, she concentrated quietly.

Her mind drifted into a heightened state of being that was able to sense the shifting of energy beyond the confines of Purgatory, past Inferno, and into the greater Omniverse of Akasha's dominion. There, the woman was able to observe the sizable amount of disturbances that occurred. Within her mind's eye, she was able to perceive just how empty the cosmos was due to the devastation that currently affected creation. She could sense that Elysium was in shambles and that a select number of verses remained. Upon her delicate features, the woman was greatly disturbed yet she knew that this was bound to happen.

The door to the Throne Room had opened in that moment as four silhouettes then appeared marching into the room. Two masculine and two feminine figures entered, each possessing a daunting aura that was distinct from one another. In spite of the difference between their energies, their power levels were potent enough to warrant fear and intimidation. Collectively, their combined prowess would make even the mightiest of armies waver and morale shatter before their peerless demeanors. As they stepped closer and closer towards the seat where the woman sat idle, their intensity grew. In a matter of seconds, the quartet stood about 20 feet from her position.

The first of the group was a giant, muscular male of an imposing 7-foot 6-inch height. His skin was dyed gray with dark crimson and leather vestments covering his body across this torso and legs leaving his powerful arms to be openly exposed. His charcoal silver hair flowed down past his shoulders while donning a white mask with a red striped design over it complete with a red headdress overtop only showcasing his glowing yellow eyes. Three yellow horns protruded from his skull with a matching drape hanging over his shoulders. He was an Oni from the western region of Purgatory where his fellow Oni subordinates along with ogres and trolls roamed freely.

The second was a female Ryu-jin, a Draconian species that resided in the eastern region, standing at about 6-foot 2-inches. She had a toned yet curvy figure as her body was bound in dark violet armor from head-to-toe. However, she did not showcase the stereotypical idea of a full-body armor appearance. Instead, her scales had greatly revealed her tanned skin such as her well-endowed breasts, abdominal region, inner thighs, and her butt. She also had long, wavy magenta hair, luscious lips, and yellow eyes overtop of her black eyeballs. Regardless of the scandalous and seductive nature of her appearance, she was still an imposing threat as the presence of the steel blade grafted in the gauntlet along her right forearm and razor sharp claws along her hands and feet clearly showcased.

Thirdly was another male standing at approximately 8-feet in stature. He was layered in pitch black armor designed with complex, yet intricate plating giving him the appearance of a horned samurai warrior. On his back, he had a circular shell protruding from him due to his body being a part of the Kappa family. They were a species of aquatic creatures usually a hybrid of humanoid and reptilian or amphibious qualities hailing from the northern territories.

Last, but not least, was another woman that stood at about 6-foot. Though slightly shorter than the other female, she also notably wore red, high-heeled shoes that made her stand about four inches higher than she actually was. She was a curvaceous beauty draped in purple silk garb that wrapped around her body with a large matching witch hat giving her the appearance of a sorceress. She had a white corset peeking out from underneath as the fettered design piqued around the midriff of her shoulders and along her bodacious chest that was greatly exposed. Coupled with her voluptuous hips and thick thighs, cream colored skin, and juicy pink lips, it was impossible not to fall into temptation at the sight of the long, red-headed woman with hazel colored eyes. Such beauty was customary of the rare race that she belonged to: the Yakshini. They were a divine race long thought extinct yet she was one of the last. She lived in the southern region where the harpies, sirens, and other avian subspecies lived.

As these four individuals stood together, in unison they bowed before the throne awaiting the acknowledgement of the woman that sat over them. Regardless of their combined strength, they paled infinitely in comparison to just the mere breath of the person they showed reverence to. The idle woman on the throne then opened her eyes carefully as she exited her trance revealing a pair of amber colored irises underneath. From her calm yet ferocious stare, the pressure exuded by her had shaken the room for a brief moment. As she cast her gaze over the four individuals who knelt before her, the woman had taken in a small breath before speaking.

"My Cardinal Four, what is the latest report?" she inquired.

"The Tiger of the West—Yaten-douji—reporting first My Queen," began the muscular Oni, "All of my forces are mobilizing as per your command. At this time, no activity has been reported along the border. However, it would seem that the Dark Gods have indeed been up to something. Their armies number less than what we previously estimated before and appear weakened."

"The Dragon of the East—Ashura Gozen—reporting in, Your Highness," spoke the Ryu-jin warrior.

"The Eastern region has been relatively quiet as well; however, my people have all been reacting to the awakening of a new presence amongst the Draconian lifeblood. A tremendous power unlike any before in our bloodline has my people filled with apprehensiveness and hope. In addition, the Oracle of the Crimson Dragon has been prophesying that this newborn will soon make its way into Purgatory. Truth be told, my instincts believes that this may be true as well."

"The Turtle of the North—Zion—reporting in, Your Grace," added the giant knight of the group, "We of the Kappa race have lost our connection to the Counter Force. We do not hear its wisdom nor do we feel its soothing presence through the water. The cycle of life has also been greatly disturbed. The great river has turned red with blood, an omen of great misfortune has befallen life outside of this realm."

"The Bird of the Southern—Garuda—reporting in, Your Majesty," began the Yakshini of the quartet, "The Arcana Crystal is calling the Devas together again. The vision that you have foretold is indeed coming true, yes? The depths of despair have consumed the celestial energies of the greater foundation. The one whom was deemed never to rise again is about to make their return…yes. A time of great sorrow approaches…"

Hearing these reports coming together in the silent queen's mind only assured her of the truth in what she saw. The devils of the West were always sensitive to conflict and were prepared for war at any given point in time. Yaten-douji's report proved to her that Erebus and the Dark Gods attempted to bring down Elysium in an effort to stir a new war that would consume the Omniverse…far greater than the Second Primordial War that took place not too long ago.

Ashura Gozen's testimony gave greater clarity into the awakening of the new Envoy of the Crimson Dragon. This meant that the next great shift in power and the crowning of the next generation was to come. In addition, she would have the opportunity to meet the man in the near future.

Analyzing Zion's report proved that the Counter Force was indeed destroyed and that all of human life along with history had been erased. The Queen knew that Goetia was planning to do this and wanted to do something about it, however, the Demon King had shown his unpredictable nature to the end. However, she did not feel his soul or the souls of the other Demon Gods pass through to this side.

Lastly there was Garuda's fortune telling. The Queen had a premonition about the reemergence of the Arcana Crystal. She was being optimistic that it would be destroyed alongside Goetia when his plan came to ruin, but the worst outcome had begun. If the Devas were to reunite with that power once again, something was going to come that was a threat she thought she had seen the last of since the Age of Gods. If that person was allowed to be given the center stage again, there would be a paradigm shift in the balance. It would be the greatest threat to all of the realms combined and there would be few capable of stopping it.

"It would seem that my preliminary investigation into the current state of the Omniverse was true…proven by each of your words. You have my gratitude for this clarity. Nevertheless, we now have a greater task before us. Akasha's creation is in danger. Though the exploits of Team AKARA have become widely known even to us in the depths that no person wishes to travel, we are in the darkest timeline as it currently stands. As a result, we must prepare for the new war. We must prepare to do our part to restore balance throughout the cosmos for the sake of life everlasting," the ruler of Purgatory pronounced with pride and noble distinction.

Collectively, her trusted retainers stood and saluted by crossing their arms over their chests.

"Yes, Queen Morana!"

"Now please dispense with the formalities. Though you are my retainers, you all are my trusted friends are you not? Please, let us partake in some hot tea. There are a great many things we shall have to discuss-…."

With an abrupt interruption, the sanctity of the castle was shattered in an instant. This was due to the sudden emergence of an indigo projectile that seemingly burst from nothingness inside the chamber and was hurled straight at the woman sitting upon the throne. Just as she went to stand up and descend from her perch, the strange source of energy struck the step right before her fabled seat. In that next instant, a massive pulse of amethyst energy was discharged causing the woman to be consumed in its aura. Arcs of electricity had consumed the seat in a tornado of indigo mist before echoing out in a large pulse that shook the foundation of the castle and knocked the Cardinal Four back onto the floor.

As the light faded away, the body of their queen appeared limp on her throne. Seeing this, her retainers quickly dived into disarray.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" they yelled helplessly before jumping to their feet and collectively moving towards their beloved leader.

In that split second that followed, a dense aura filled the room. The force of the energy flow choked the atmosphere as if draining the concept of life from it. The structure of the castle began to quake once again, except the phenomenon spread across the mountains and eventually throughout the entirety of Purgatory. A mix of dark crimson flames, obsidian clouds, and purple miasma had conflagrated together around the woman's body as the metallic rattling of chains had resonated within the chamber.

"What's going on?" Ashura Gozen inquired nervously as she tried to maintain her footing.

"I don't know…but this aura is too intense. Every muscle fiber in my body is screaming from the tension right now," Yaten-douji responded as he narrowly turned his head about to stretch.

"This power…I can barely breathe under my armor," Zion gritted his teeth beneath his helm.

"This feeling…surely it cannot be THAT….yes?" Garuda hypothesized whilst calling forth a wooden, hooked staff with an emerald jewel grafted within it to lean on.

The long-haired beauty had risen from her throne in that next instant as the thunderous vibrations had suddenly grinded to a halt. The array of colors gathered around her body and shrank to a visible ember spiralling about. The noise of the metallic clanging had faded in volume as well only to then be replaced by the sounds of her footsteps as she descended from her perch and walked towards a mysteriously placed saber jammed into the ground. She reached out and took a hold of it before yanking it up out of the ground to admire its cruel, blunt edge.

As the aura around her dissipated completely, her mind became flooded with visions. She saw visions of conflicts in which a certain red-eyed youth fought against impossible challenges stemming from the likes of the infamous Scarlet Cerberus, to the likes of the feared Architect; then there were visages of the Demon Gods, legendary figures recorded in the Throne of Heroes, as well as the Demon King, Goetia. Calming moments of times spent with trusted allies, painful memories of despair and attempted suicide, and even the last moments in which this warrior found his life stripped away by one final act of betrayal barraged her mind. These experiences along with others had assaulted the queen repeatedly causing a tear to fall from her eye.

"I see…but if this is here…then that must mean…" she uttered before pausing.

"Oh no…"

Then without so much as uttering a command to her retainers, the woman vanished instantly.

"What just…" the Draconian female was about to say.

"Don't ask, we have to follow after her!" the Oni suggested.

"No…this is not a matter that we have any business intruding in. If what my reading of the situation is true, then we must wait here…yes," Garuda proposed.

"I see…this matter pertains to..." Zion began to say before the sorceress nodded.

"Oi…Rudy-chan, the hell are you on?" the Dragon of the East cocked an eyebrow using the nickname of the Yakshini.

"Shugo-chan, one mustn't trifle in the matters of the heart. Even our Queen has personal business that you may not understand. Just believe that you will in due time, yes?"

"Tch…you know how much I hate waiting…especially when someone clearly attacked Her Majesty without any clear indication. We should be getting ready to kick some serious ass right now!" the girl colloquially called 'Shugo'—Shu from Ashura and Go from Gozen—scoffed in irritation.

"Regardless, we'll just have to wait it out," the masked tiger general sighed heavily.

"Indeed…all shall be revealed in time," Garuda concluded.

*****

Across the frozen tundra of the barren, arctic wasteland of Purgatory, the lone queen had traversed the chilling skies towards a particular location that was about ten thousand miles to the southeast of her castle. She came upon a central influx of where the different rivers throughout the land converged at one singular point. Locked with a large glacial basin spanning more than a thousand miles in diameter was a dark blue, oceanic body of water that thrashed about wildly as countless currents collided within it. As if a storm was contained beneath the surface of the water, the jaws had spun endlessly about as various whirlpools were spread throughout the area. This untamed zone was known as Charybdis.

This colossal force of otherworldly nature served as the location where all of the souls condemned to be tormented for all eternity were gathered. The chaos of the seascape was the clear indicator of their collective despair which warded off many occupants that called Purgatory home. Madness had constituted much of the atmosphere within this part of Inferno. This was one of the major reasons why many people refused to even touch the threshold of this realm.

The tribes of the four regions could withstand the affliction as they were considered "naturalized indigenous". However, even they could not bolster themselves around Charybdis. Simply put, it was too much for them. Only those of a certain authority level could withstand being here where the atmosphere of insanity had concentrated the greatest: the Four Cardinals, the Queen, and the master of this area who also served as the executioner of Purgatory.

Morana hovered over the area ignoring the battering winds, harsh rains, and other stormy conditions over the seascape. Her cold, amber eyes had stared down at the watery grave beneath her.

"Great Executioner, Guardian of the Abyss, by my authority as Queen I summon you. Come forth!" she declared in a booming voice that silenced the chaos surrounding her.

A few seconds passed before the dark ocean stirred. The waters began to part as the sight of two glowing masses of orange appeared breaching the surface of the water. A 100-foot colossus now towered over the immediate vicinity with only its upper half appearing from the shadowy depths. Its body was like muscular male with the wings of a dragon and the head of a giant squid. Green skin, black talons, and a dark and gruesome aura that would cause the concept of fear to blush radiated from this monstrosity; yet as the eyes of beast gazed at the floating woman, the being had bowed.

"My Queen, your humble servant—Cthulhu—answers your call. What dost thou require of me?" the voice of the beast echoed aloud whilst bowing his head before her.

"Lift your head, old friend. Surely you know how much those formalities bother me. Granted, I have learned to deal with the honorifics; the titles are a different story," she responded waving her hand casually to the side.

"My apologies, Morana-sama, how may I assist you?" the tentacle beast uttered as he did as instructed.

"I am certain you have felt the disturbance in the celestial balance, correct?"

"Yes, to a degree. I have been able to ascertain that something rather significant has upset the balance of life in creation. As for the details…I have been investigating the cause thanks to the memories of a peculiar soul that entered the domain recently. Therefore-…"

"That soul…would not happen to belong to a boy of about 19 years of age right?" the dark-skinned female interrupted the deity.

"Why…yes actually. How did-…"

"I wish for you to free him from the Abyss right now. I command it under my Authority as the Sovereign of Purgatory."

Cthulhu paused in that moment. His job as the Guardian of the Abyss was to oversee and execute the torment of the countless souls sent to be imprisoned once sentenced to Purgatory. They were subjected to a fate worse than the circles of Inferno itself. Their greatest regrets, their fears, their animosity, literally every sin that the person ever committed would constantly assault them for eternity. This was to rob them of the concept of hope and suffer under the weight of their own demise. Every thought that they ever had, every negative outcome or 'what-if' situation that could have altered their fate would manifest one after the other on repeat. This cruelty held such potency that even breaking the threshold of Purgatory would cause one to succumb to the madness.

For captured souls, the idea of being freed from their prisons was a faint glimmer of hope that would be quickly snuffed out. Once someone was caught in the grasp of the madness and mental torment handled by the Great Beast of Insanity, there was no such thing as escape. However, the only exception to that rule was Royal Authority held by the current ruler. For the centuries that Morana held the throne, there was never an instance where she used her authority for such a thing. In fact, she rarely advocated her entitlements as ruler at all unless absolutely necessary. Hearing the request from the woman made Cthulhu realize that the matter was quite serious, therefore he did not even dare to question it.

"As you wish, Your Grace," he uttered.

He turned his gaze towards the oceanic current below. His eyes glowed brilliantly for a moment as the sea began to part with the luminescence of a golden orb emerging from its depths. The spherical light levitated in the space between the two individuals before inching closer towards the woman. As her amber colored eyes peered through the light, she saw the body of the youth in question.

His black and white hair was severely ruffled and his clothes had dissolved leaving the entirety of his body exposed. As she opened her arms, the boy's spiritual frame gently fell into her arms whilst the light faded away. In that moment, she snapped her fingers causing a light blue blanket to spawn from the frozen air to cover the child's body.

"Morana-sama…this boy…is he…" Cthulhu was about to ask before noticing the woman nodding.

"Yes, he is the Child of Promise, the firstborn son of Alexander Grayson-Mercer, the Sovereign of Elysium, and one of the members of Team AKARA that has been the gossip amongst the divine realms."

"I see…I did not believe it at first whilst going through his memories. I beg for your forgiveness for my treatment of the boy."

"There is no need for that, Lu-san. After all, any soul condemned to this place is subjected to your cruelty…no questions asked—regardless of who it may be," the queen sighed as she watched the youth's seemingly peaceful expression.

"Well…you are addressing me by that nickname so I know that you are indeed sincere to your word."

"Indeed…and…even though it should go without saying, but due to the technicalities of this place I shall make it known. I hereby enact my authority. Raizo Mercer's soul shall not be subdued by the negative effects of this realm nor subjected to the torment of Madness. I grant him immunity from all curse ailments and grant him the right of being a protected citizen in this domain. So sayeth I, Morana, Sovereign of Purgatory, the Queen of Cocytus."

In that moment, a spiral aura of purple and white descended and wrapped around the boy before forming a small hand that gently touched his forehead. Upon contact, the ghost-like appendage vanished into light symbolizing the deed was completed.

"There…now he shall have peace while I get to the bottom of this phenomenon. I am going back to my palace now to tend to him. I ask that you see to it that your Wraiths are informed of this matter prior to their regulatory patrols."

"Without question, it shall be done. Before you depart, Morana-sama, there is something I wish to disclose," Cthulhu began.

"What is it, old friend?"

"The torment that this boy has endured so far is unlike any I have ever witnessed. Normally I nonchalantly sift through memories since I have to process so many different souls at once to ensure their sentences are carried out; however, this child… The struggles he has endured whilst being alive was torture enough. To see his hell carried out was quite the gruesome sight I am unsure I will ever see again. He is sure to have lingering effects from this experience. With your blessing, I am sure you can provide him comfort; however, should he ever walk among the living again…he may never be the same way mentally."

"I see…I will take that to heart. For now, it is just one step at a time. I shall do what I can for him. After all, I have waited countless centuries for this moment. Besides, 10% of myself did spend nearly a year with him."

"I shall wish for his complete recovery. Until then, Morana-sama," the elder god bowed his head.

"Indeed, you have my gratitude for your assistance."

With that, the woman carried the boy away back to her castle. Having completed his task, Cthulhu went back down into the depths of the Abyss to continue his duties.

*****

Five restless minutes passed since the Queen's sudden departure from the palace. The anxiety within the throne room eased amongst the Cardinal Four, however, that did alleviate the desire for questions to be asked upon their leader's return.

"You sure that it's not possible some jackass decided to get cute and try to assassinate Her Majesty?" Ashura Gozen tilted her head whilst requesting the opinions of her peers.

"Though that would be a prudent observation, the result is highly unlikely. I doubt that anyone would be able to launch a surprise attack on Purgatory given its reputation," Zion responded plainly.

"That and I would have been the first to pick up on any hostile intent by instinct alone and acted on reflex. You know how we Oni are when it comes to conflict," Yaten added.

"Oh quit with that damn braggin', Ryu-jin got y'all beat when instincts are concerned."

"Oh? I distinctly remembering you having the biggest freak out expression when Morana-sama was attacked, Shugo-chan…"

"Oi, you tryna start somethin' right now?" the draconian general's eyebrow twitched as the air of hostility began to emanate from her body.

"Maybe I am? I wouldn't mind a decent opponent for once to sharpen my skills," Yaten-douji grinned beneath his mask as he sought to reciprocate the same intensity.

"Perhaps you both should calm down and not act like children, yes?" Garuda had whimsically chimed in with a slight air of indifference.

"The fact that you two would even dare to act in such a careless manner in this place is what is most appalling to me," Zion criticized harshly.

"He's the asshole who started it, I intend on finishing it."

"The Dragon of the East versus the Tiger of the West…just like old times then, no?"

Showing no signs of backing down, the growing air of hostility continued for a brief second before being overshadowed by another aura.

"Ah, impeccable timing, yes?" Garuda smiled slyly being familiar with the source.

Morana had burst through the doorway of her palace with a lone male's body in her arms. She had tension written across her face due to the immense concern running through her mind.

"Yaten-san, Shugo-chan, now is not the time for your little games. If you need an opponent to vent your frustrations, I am more than happy to oblige you both," the woman spoke in a cold tone.

The pair of generals instantly froze in their tracks before kneeling down on the ground.

"No Your Majesty, that is unnecessary. We apologize for our insolence," Yaten-douji spoke first.

"We were growing agitated out of concern over your well-being, Your Highness. We just got carried away," Ashura followed suit.

"Forget it, there are more important matters at hand," the sovereign responded dismissively.

"My Queen, who is that in your arms?" Zion asked as she advanced further into the chamber. During this time, the generals of the west and the east had risen off of the ground to take notice too.

"He is…just a child it seems," the Oni surmised.

"He smells of the Abyss. Surely he didn't manage to escape from Cthulhu-san," the Ryu-jin said.

"My, my, it truly is that child. Of all people to wind up here…yes…" Garuda sighed with a sullen look upon her face.

The other generals merely showed signs of confusion and curiosity as to the Yakshini's meaning.

"The boy you see in my arms is the child of promise spoken of by the Goddess-Above-All. He is the seventh generation descendent and firstborn son of the Mercer Family."

"Wait…wait…the son of Alexander Mercer is here? This is the same child that is one of the reasons why the different gods have their panties in a bunch nowadays. With all due respect, Your Highness, but how in the absolute hell is this kid down here slinging it with the forsaken ones?" Shugo expressed bluntly.

"If he was sentenced to Purgatory…then…what does it mean for the prophecy? This child's death would surely stir Elysium to war…" Yaten analyzed.

"Your Majesty…if he is here with you then does that mean that-…" Zion perceptively noticed before the woman nodded.

"Yes, I used my authority to grant him clemency whilst his soul resides in Purgatory…in my Cocytus," she corrected herself using the name she gave this place upon taking the throne.

"As such, you all will protect him with your lives as if he held the same position of power and reverence as me. I know not of who may attempt to move on us now that such a high valued target is here; therefore, I need you all to be prepared for whatever comes next," Morana commanded whilst laying the body of the boy in her throne before turning her attention back to her retainers.

"Without a doubt, if that kiddo is important to you then he's beyond important for me. I'll protect him like he's my own flesh and blood," Shugo declared.

"He'll have the entirety of the West prepared to fight for him at a moment's notice; so I swear on my honor as an Oni," Yaten-douji nodded.

"He has my protection as well. I shall do everything in my power," Zion added in too.

"And mine, yes," Garuda curtly regarded.

"I am glad. I am certain you all are still concerned with the earlier occurrence. To make a long story short, a part of me that I sent out into the Omniverse returned to me after nigh eons of being away. That is part of the reason why I was able to ascertain the whereabouts of this boy. As my loyal retainers, I know you were expecting more details in this regard; however, I ask that you accept this reasoning for now."

The Cardinal Four merely nodded in unison.

"You each have my gratitude…truly. As of right now, I wish for you all to prepare your forces for a coming attack. Someone will make a move soon since I am positive that this child's demise has spread to every corner of the divinity hierarchy," Morana requested.

""""Yes, Your Majesty.""""

The Cardinal Four bowed their heads once again before turning to exit the palace.

"Garuda, would you wait a moment?" the queen called out.

"Of course, Morana-sama," she stopped whilst her compatriots exited to head to their respective regions.

With the two women left alone, they were able to relax.

"Listen, I may need your help with this. You are far more knowledgeable with medicine as well as caring for souls directly. You have always been like a sister to me. So…it would mean-…"

"Morana-sama…please, with everything you have done for me in my life, I will gladly do anything for you in return…yes. Just trust in me, I shall do everything I can, eh?"

"Without a doubt, I shall do so. Come with me then. We shall take him to a proper place for him to reside in."

"Will you be using one of the guest rooms?"

"No, I wish to keep an eye on him directly. Therefore, I shall be taking him to my bedroom."

"Oh my, taking advantage of a young, healthy boy while he is sleeping? Goodness, how bold of you. You have been quite lonely, yes?"

"Do not be foolish…I…I simply wish to keep observation over this child as he is precious to me…"

"That does not help your argument any, you know. Neither does that red glow dyeing your cheeks right now, yes?"

"Rudy-chan, shut up…mou…"

"Ara…it would seem that rare tsun-tsun side is showing~"

"Rudy…do not make me slap you using your own breasts as boxing gloves."

"Now, now, no need to bully your little sister, Morana-neechan~"

"Tch…just come on and help me with this child."

"Yes, yes~"

Morana walked back to her throne and gently scooped Raizo up in her arms before walking with the sorceress towards a circular, platinum pad about 20 paces away from the throne. This area was a teleportation transponder that allowed for travel between the floors of the castle via magic. As the two women with the unconscious guest stepped upon the spot, it radiated with blue light around them. A holographic console appeared before them. Sparing a single finger, the sovereign used it to press a key in which sent them to the desired location.

In an instant, they were brought into the private chamber belonging to the Queen. The space was large enough to accommodate a party of at least 20 people in all. In spite of this, its decorative taste was rather simplistic yet aesthetically pleasing all at the same time. There was a giant, black rectangular kotatsu table in the center of the room with a beige blanket draped around its sides. Red velvet cushions were arranged around it for about 10 people to sit down. To the far left of the room were two oak bookshelves filled with ancient texts, scrolls, and other articles of literature that the owner had fancied. The right side of the room had a podium that had seven illuminated candles arranged around a small banzai tree eerily shaped like the design in the throne room. Across from that was a rack of katana that numbered four in all encased in glass paying homage to someone else that was important to the female. Then there was a small coffee table with two chairs on either side where the queen could dine if she so desired. There was a wooden double door located about 90-degrees from the transponder which contained other areas such as a restroom containing a private bath and a space for the sovereign to sleep during the night.

As Morana and Garuda arrived in this area, the former of the group instantly moved towards the empty gap beside the kotatsu. She snapped her fingers thus creating a single tatami mat with sheets, a blanket and a pillow that was instantly arranged for the youth to lie in. Gently, she sat the unconscious boy inside it before covering his body over.

"There, you can rest peacefully now dear child. I shall not leave your side," the dark-skinned woman declared whilst sitting on a cushion by the table.

"I will brew some tea for us, yes? That should…take the edge off, no?" Garuda suggested. Morana only nodded in approval.

The sorceress then sauntered towards the coffee table where two small cylindrical cups were already present. Using her magic, the woman waved her hands over the dishes causing hot water to spawn within. She then used additional spells to generate proper tea leaves before crushing them up and raining them inside the drinking devices. After a few seconds of blending, the beverages were ready.

During that time, the gaze of the long-haired beauty never broke away from the sleeping youth. Even though only a few seconds passed, her gaze radiated the feeling that more time passed. Garuda came along and sat the cups down on the table before sitting next to the woman. Then the redheaded woman also turned to look at the boy for a moment.

"You know…is it wrong of me to point out just how cute he is? You have quite the taste~" she teased to break the tension within the room.

"Of course he is cute…he is my master after all…n-not that I think of him like that or anything…" Morana responded with a slight blush before grabbing her tea and sipping quietly.

"That side of yours is showing again, yes?"

"Mou…be quiet."

"Yes, yes…but in all seriousness, you refer to him as your 'Master', right? Does this have to do with that vague explanation you gave us before?"

"Ah…yes…it does actually."

"I know you try not to show favoritism towards me especially when the others are around since we have such a longstanding friendship. So I understand if you do not wish to share right now…okay?" Garuda assured whilst reaching out to pat her friend on the shoulder.

"I am grateful for your understanding, but as I have said…you and I are like sisters. I place my trust in all of my retainers, but I know I can confide in you the most without worry of judgment."

"Exactly, but you do not have to share with me the details of that story if it is too painful…"

"It is not that, I just…am having a hard time coping with my memories. Eons ago after I became tethered to this place and conquered the realm, I still held bitterness in my heart over my fate. I felt like I would be forsaken by Akasha if I just sat on the throne embracing my fate. We all know that once you are in Purgatory, there is no way out. However, I used a loophole by separating 10% of my total power to create a perfect Astral Ghost. With that ghost, I sent it out into the Omniverse to observe and learn everything I could about the happenings of creation while shouldering my sentence here.

I was unable to monitor whatever my ghost saw. I could not see through her eyes when I wanted to or swap perspectives with her. However, I could perceive some of the happenings around her using my senses if I focused hard enough from time to time. This is why I requested to be undisturbed during my meditation times. As the centuries passed, my ghost suddenly returned to me thanks to that disturbance you and the others saw in the throne room earlier. When I became 'whole' again, all of the experiences, abilities, and knowledge gathered by that projection assimilated into me allowing me to know everything."

"I see…but…that still does not explain why you refer to this child as 'Master.'"

"It would seem that my ghost acted upon a certain prophecy given to me regarding the Seventh once upon a time during the Age of Gods. My projection became a part of a Primordial Armament that was wielded by this boy. I was able to bear witness to all of his fights, his struggles, and resonate with his power and help him grow. When he became able to communicate with the spirit in the weapon, I referred to him as such. Though, our bond goes rather further than that. Ironically, so does yours…in a way."

Garuda tilted her head in confusion in that moment.

"He does have a bit of a relationship…with your mother and your uncle."

"You mean…he's…"

"Yes, Indra and Raizo had intertwined fates. He was one of the six that was granted powers by the Devas."

"I…see…yes…" Garuda murmured before casting her eyes towards the floor. In the meantime, Morana took a sip of her tea which the sorceress soon did the same. As the warm liquid satiated her pallet, the girl could not help but to ask.

"What about…-..." she was nervously about to question.

"Your mother was also present in his life…ironically in the form of his mother," Morana swiftly answered.

Garuda's pained expression only became more present in that moment. She knew that her mother was a difficult woman to deal with. The Yakshini were the daughters of the Goddess of Influence and Manipulation—Durga. The sorceress was the youngest and most powerful of all the Yakshini sisters. She knew that her mother had possessed some degree of kindness and affection, at least towards her children, but those memories were often overshadowed by the woman's cruelty and shrewd nature. She saw life as an entity to be manipulated regardless of being mortal or divine. It amused her to see just how frail and weak-minded people could be given a little push in a certain direction. In that sense, Durga shared a kindred spirit with her brother Shiva.

As her children who were taught to guide mankind, the Yakshini attempted to change their mother's wicked ways trying to get her to see the potential in mortal life and how the gods and mankind could work together. However, she only grew annoyed by this and eventually orchestrated the deaths of her children. One by one, the Yakshini fell but Garuda had the fortune of escaping her mother's tyranny. After a whirlwind of events, the girl found herself fleeing into Purgatory which eventually led to her meeting with Morana. Thus the girls grew closer leading to the building of their friendship which lasted into the present.

Taking note of Garuda's long withstanding silence, the Queen said something a little more lighthearted.

"In some weird way, I guess you could consider Raizo to be your distant cousin. Indra was this child's benefactor while Durga was his mother's. So now you have someone else to look out for."

"Aha…yes Onee-chan. I suppose you are correct, but given the relationship between the two of you…would it not be more accurate to consider him to be my great ne-…"

Suddenly, a loud noise filled the room as the eyes of the sleeping youth shot open and his body sprung to life.

"Hyaauggh…haa…haa…haa…No..no… STOOOOP!" he cried aloud between heavy panting noises.

In a state of disorientation and confusion, the male's movements were sporadic for he was unsure of where he was at. He began to pat his body all over while his ragged breathing indicated hyperventilation. After enduring the torment of those nightmares, his ability to perceive reality was distorted. Seeing this occur, Morana wasted no time in springing forward thus wrapping her arms around youth tightly.

"Calm down, everything is okay now. Just breathe…you are here with me," she spoke warmly trying to alleviate the male's nerves; however, he was still clearly shaken up.

"Where am I? W-what is this place?" he stammered whilst asking a barrage of questions.

"This is a safe place, the nightmares you saw cannot hurt you here. No longer will you have to worry about anything…"

"But…I…"

"Master, would I ever lie to you?"

That sentence gave the youth pause as it resonated within his mind. His breathing suddenly slowed down and his widened eyes narrowed. He slowly pulled away from the woman before staring into her eyes. For some reason, the child felt a great sense of familiarity with her like she was watching over him for the longest time. He felt a certain degree of peace as he stared into her amber irises. However, he was unable to ascertain her identity.

"Who…are you?" he asked.

"Someone who has been with you for what seems like an eternity, watching over you…seeing you grow and overcome while fighting alongside you almost every step of the way. At long last, I am able to see you with my own eyes…even in this state of misfortune, you are everything I hoped you would be. Master…must I truly reveal my name to thee?" she confused with a saddened look.

After taking in those words for a minute, he felt a little more confused. However, processing the clue given to him by the way she addressed him was more than enough. There were only two individuals that referred to him as 'Master'. The first was the blonde scythe spirit, Nirvana. As for the second…

"Morana…is that…really you?" he uttered with astonishment in his voice. The woman before him only nodded as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Yes…it is truly good to finally see you again," she smiled joyfully.

"A…gain?"

"As I said before, I have been watching over you for quite some time. I have anticipated this moment for countless centuries."

"I…see…."

"Ahem…" coughed Garuda, "I understand that this is a tender-hearted reunion, but it is rather rude not to introduce someone properly…yes?"

Raizo looked around the former spirit that dwelled within his scythe to see the curvaceous figure sitting behind her. The redheaded woman made direct eye contact. As the male studied her for a moment, he noticed her bold appearance that was rather captivating to say the least. Feeling his cheeks redden, he swiftly turned his gaze aside. Witnessing this, the sorceress only chuckled innocently.

"My goodness, aren't you the adorable one? Do not be afraid child, allow me to get a better look at you," she suggested whilst standing up from her seat to saunter her way to the other side of the male's futon.

"I was getting to that, but since you wish to be so bossy in spite of me technically being your superior…goodness. Anyways, Master…this is my best friend whom I consider like a sister. Her name is Garuda," Morana introduced. It was during this time that the woman in question crouched along the other side of the youth's bed and held a smile upon her face.

"It is an honor to meet you, Raizo-kun, ne?"

"Yeah…nice to meet you too, Garuda-san…" the male hesitantly said while still averting his eyes.

"No, no, you can call me by nickname, Rudy, okay??

"Er…well…if you insist then, Rudy-san…"

"Mou…that means no honorifics too. Also, didn't anyone teach you that it is rude not to make eye contact when you are speaking to someone, yes?" she instigated before reaching out to grab the tip of the male's chin to turn his face towards her.

"E-Eh?! H-Hey…that's not…um…" Raizo stammered over his words.

"My, you truly quite the cute one. These reactions of yours are truly priceless, yes?"

"Oh boy…I forgot how much you enjoyed the shy types. My apologies, Master…Rudy-chan is only acting like this because of repressed desires," the queen sighed heavily.

"Onee-chan, you're only going to give the boy the wrong impression of me, yes? Ara…forget about that, Raizo-kun…why do you insist on trying to look away?"

"M-Mou…this…just…" the youth tried to pull away and jump out of the covers.

"Master, you do not wish to do that. You do not have any clothes on currently…"

"E-EH?!! W…Why?! Jeez…I almost got up just now you know. Mou…I'm naked in front of a woman I just met…"

"Well…you do have the blankets covering you, though I would not mind seeing more than just your chest. I could inspect the quality sculpt more, yes?"

"EHH?! Rudy-san…w-we just met!"

"I also forgot to mention that she is extremely forward with her thinking. Rudy-chan, you are scaring my Master you know…" Morana said whilst shaking her head in disappointment.

"I do apologize…I just find myself uniquely enchanted right now by this one. I shall stop now, promise," Garuda nodded before pulling away with a slight sigh of discontent.

"Well…Raizo does have a charm on redheads for some reason," the dark-skinned female analyzed.

"Wait what? That's not even remotely accurate. I mean…the only redhead I know is Adena…stop spreading false ideas. Gosh…anyways, why am I naked still?!"

"You are technically just a soul right now so of course your body does not have any clothing."

"Mou…can't I get something to cover up at least? Come on, Morana…"

"Clothing would be pointless. I need to examine your physique anyways," Garuda swiftly interjected.

"Stop with the sexual harassment, too lewd for me…" the youth whined.

"No, she does have a point. Rudy-chan is an expert on the ethereal form and the mystic arts. She needs to scan you using her magic to ensure that there are no abnormalities in your soul."

Raizo shifted underneath the blankets in that moment whilst looking down as his face was dyed red.

"F-fine…I guess…if it's necessary then."

"Good, good, now hold still. I will be gentle, promise, yes?" Garuda suggested before gently pushing the youth's forehead suggesting for him to lie back down.

Doing just that, he instinctively closed his eyes tightly. The sorceress took her staff and waved it over the boy for a moment as a pale, luminescent green aura wafted over him. In that instant, she was able to ascertain the condition of the child without so much as touching him in the way she alluded to before.

"And done…see? That was not so bad, yes?" the woman teased.

"Wait…really?" Raizo asked as his eyes shot open noticing that the blankets had not been moved at all.

"Yep, I was just playing with you. I told you, those reactions of yours are too cute for me to resist."

"Anyways Rudy-chan, what is my Master's diagnosis?" Morana pressed.

"From what I can tell…he is okay. There is a bit of imbalance in some of the energy markers, but that is because of the effects of the Abyss along with the conditioning to Purgatory's atmosphere…"

That name rang out in the youth's mind for a moment. Just then he began to recall the visions he saw while under the control of Madness. Those violent visages, his worst fears and insecurities, all of that negativity brought to light to attack him at once and break him. It all made sense now.

"So…that's where I was condemned to by Goetia? I see…" he uttered with a saddened tone.

The youth knew that he was free, yet the experience remained. He still felt that anxiety over everything that he saw as if it was his true reality.

"What if I'm still trapped in that hell right now and this is just some elaborate set up to get me to let my guard down?"

That thought occupied his mind and his heart. It plagued him desperately causing his breathing to grow ragged again. He felt like he was about to spiral out of control even with the pair of women around him.

"Master?" Morana turned her attention towards the youth.

"Oh dear, he is experiencing a relapse into that conditioned mindset…clearly the effects have not diminished," Garuda analyzed.

"Master, hang in there!"

Morana grasped the boy's hand in which his grip tightened. His hyperventilation only grew worse until his vision faded and he passed out unconscious once more.

"Is he…?"

"He is just sleeping as of right now, Onee-chan. The child does need his rest. Though…his case is rather advanced, unlike anything I have ever seen. Allow me to head to the lab here and create a tonic to help aid in his recovery. I know for a fact you will watch over him. Just remember to eat and rest as well, my Queen," Garuda proposed.

"Of course my dear little sister, I will not do anything rash. I am trusting on your quick return," the long-haired beauty nodded.

"Indeed, until then," Garuda bowed before getting up and heading to the transponder to leave.

Morana was left alone watching over the sleeping boy. She felt pain in her chest in that moment, agonizing over her master's suffering. She was helpless over his condition so she could only afford to wait.

"How much more waiting do I have to endure? This moment was something I have dreamed about for so long…and now, I am being robbed of the opportunity to even tell you who I truly am."

She watched over the boy closely as his chest rose and fell from a steady breathing pattern. His face appeared peaceful as he quietly snoozed in the futon, but Morana could feel the hurt within his heart. Their Soul Oath was still intact even now, however, the woman could not help but to feel helpless. Gradually she slinked her hand down towards his face and began to caress his cheek. The surface of his skin was cold to the touch. Whatever curses were implanted on him were stripping him of the warmth she knew that he had. For all of his imperfections, Morana was certain of the goodness within her master.

The woman leaned over the vessel of the unconscious young man. As she studied his facial features, she had a slight blush overcome her face for a moment. It was not until now that she truly did pay attention to just how handsome the youth was.

"Mou…this is rather unbecoming of me. I hold our current relationship in such high regard. But…for the sake of your condition, I hope that you will forgive this one selfish moment I am about to have…" the long-haired maiden pleaded quietly over him.

In that moment, she stood up and undid the lacings around her clothing. The first article she stripped away was her black hakama thus exposing her long and smooth legs. Her nether region was covered by a pair of black panties as her white kosode still hung over top. However, she soon pulled the ties away from the kosode thus allowing it to open up exposing her ample, braless, bosom and toned abdomen. Donning the torso wear like a comfortable robe, she opened the youth's futon before sleeking inside of it inching closer and closer to the boy.

Nervously, she looked over to the face of the child. Even with this sudden disturbance, he was still asleep. Upon the certainty of this fact, she pulled her body closer to his.

"You must keep warm, Master," she murmured even though she knew her behavior was rather bold.

Then as she snuggled closer, the queen closed her eyes before drifting off to slumber.