End the Cycle VII

The end was nigh. Akaro, Akame, Adena, Vesta, Inari, Reina, and Hikari were sapped to the point where they fell unconscious one after the other. As for Raizo, he was leaning heavily on the Soteria blade whilst forced down to his knees as sweat poured off his body. Not a single muscle in his body would respond to his commands to stand up.

The last one standing was none other than Kimiko Hanate, silent fury adorning her gaze. The silhouette of Arayashiki then manifested from nothingness as she blocked their view of a heavily weakened, half-dead Sakinah Vashti. A unique, dark crimson and golden aura began to spiral around her body as she flowed with a level of strength that was extended beyond the imagination of those present.

"You shall not die here, Lady Sakinah. Your role to play in our plan begins now. Fret not over your current state. You did all that you could; unfortunate that you let your emotions get out of control to drive you to this point. However, let it all go. It was a valiant, yet foolish last-ditch effort to distract you. The time of the final rites of the ritual has come. It is time we begin creation anew."

The woman who manifested as a corrupt essence of the Root snapped her fingers. Immediately afterward Sakinah was enveloped by a brief flash of light that restored her body to its original state, unblemished by the dark energies and corruption of the Pandora's Boxes summoned from different timelines and restored from all of her wounds. As much as it vexed Sakinah to be driven to such a point, she merely nodded her head in gratitude before turning to leave giving Raizo one last glare of resentment.

"The time has come for me to overcome and do what is right for all to see..." Kimiko murmured before she turned on her heel and walked over to Raizo. The female knelt down and tilted his chin up towards her as she placed her lips over his for one last passionate kiss. Then she whispered a few words in his ear:

"The wolf shall weave the last chapter in this tale of life."

At the same time as she valiantly stood up to face her enemies, everything seemed to freeze. However, Kimi suddenly found herself slipping, her mind taken away from her physical self. It was as if gravity itself inverted, Kimi's astral essence ascended upward to the heavens at neck-breaking speeds until finally she found herself waking up in that same realm where Raizo previously saw the large tree of life, an embodiment of the Root itself.

"This place… I…" Kimi mutters to herself. Her heart weighed heavy, like something was tugging at her very core. Amidst that confusion, her other self unexpectedly emerged from a beautiful and vibrant flash of blue. Akasha smiled graciously as her almighty presence was made tangible.

"You certainly recall this place… this gap, this stretch of white," her gentle voice echoed within that endless realm.

Kimiko pondered for a moment before the words seemingly flowed from her lips, "This place is the Archaeus…a realm of origin, the inception behind infinite truths that are, will be, could be, or will ever be. The Archaeus is the primeval foundation, the true blank page."

She stopped in surprise, "How did I…—"

"You already know the answer, you know everything after all," Akasha kindly interrupted, the two seeing eye to eye.

"..." Kimi looked up to the flowing sky.

"I… Akasha, why did you leave us when we needed you?"

The goddess smiled, "Observe once more, Kimiko Hanate. Different minds perceive different things, but all are imprisoned, asleep in a paradigm of reality. Awakened minds bearing a more malleable paradigm can bend its rules, but never truly break them. To cross that boundary is to become something more or less human. A god if you will, but absent of the restraint."

"..."

"You've realized it from the very beginning. Kimiko Hanate was never a mere vessel and I was never your owner. The reality is…the Akasha you see is merely a figment of your own creation—a reflection given palpable influence. A projection meant to awaken its creator to the truth when the time is right."

"You mean..." Kimiko mumbled before stopping herself and taking a deep breath.

"You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a so-called future that has been sealed by Azoth in advance. This is truly an unjust game and your chances of winning are almost none. But there is yet a possibility open to you."

"I… what if I'm not ready to be by myself again…" Kimiko mutters as a realization comes upon her mind.

"Alone? You haven't been a lonesome creator in a long time. Are you simply going to deny it and watch it all end? Are you forsaking him to save yourself? An end worse than the True Void awaits all of them if you do not act."

"...That's right," Kimiko closed her eyes. The recollections of her past made tangible in the realm around herself.

LONG AGO…

"H-How...c-could...you?"

Tears streamed down the face of a noble girl in disheveled red pajamas. Her silky smooth, chestnut-colored hair gracefully cascaded over her back and a few bangs partially covered her forehead. In front of her, the woman who was once the boss of the assassination group known as Night Raid stared her down. The girl would continue to shed tears from her crimson eyes for a few minutes.

"Do you know exactly what your father's job was?"

"N-No…"

"His job was to "collect taxes" from the townspeople, but really he was just stealing all of their money and leaving them to die. As for your mother, she forced women to abandon their families and work as slaves for the other nobles, threatening to kill their children if they didn't obey. So then we got a request from one of the victims, and that is why we killed them. First, we mapped out your house using Chelsea's abilities; when that was finished we broke into your home and took their lives."

A spoiled brat being told her entire life came at the cost of others. The girl went silent, her tears turned into a swelling fury.

"I...—How could they?! I HATE THEM! I HATE THEM! THEY DESERVED TO DIE! I HATE THE EMPIRE! THEY'RE ARE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF EVIL, FILTHY RULERS WHO SHOULD ALL DIE!!!"

The hypocrisy of a child. Kimiko could only chuckle at the explosive nature of her fourteen-year-old counterpart. Another recollection formed in her mind at that moment:

The warmth of a certain tall man, who looked to be in his late-20's with distinctive, bull/bison-like horns coming out of the sides of his head, was apparent as he held a weeping girl in his arms.

"Kimiko please listen to me… sometimes the people you care about the most are the ones who will end up giving you the most pain. I know it must be hard knowing that everything you cared about was just an act, and everyone you loved never loved you back. But now you're here, and we all have to move on at some point. I'm not saying we should forget, some of it should stay as a reminder as to why we are strong today."

He stopped for a moment and before staring at her eye-to-eye.

"A long time ago, your father ordered me to protect you. He told me the truth about how he felt for you, and his plans to make you just another tool for the Prime Minister. Now that he's dead and you are here with us, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. Since you joined Night Raid, I've kept my eye on you because… I still wanted to protect you. The reason for that was...what once was a simple goal to follow my previous master's final command, grew into something else, something deeper."

The adult Kimiko smiled in reminiscent fashion.

"Su… you were the first to see me as I really was back then… a child scared of where life led her," she remarked.

Alas her own doubts had begun to voice themselves.

"There at the edge of dreams like heaven,

in the rain that pours without ending,

with my shoulders soaked from the burden of bloodshed,

I walked forward to the dawn…

The love I had…

The light I had…

Was it a mistake?"

The realm around Kimiko was suddenly drenched in the darkness of her own anxieties. Rain poured over endless hills of corpses, the corpses of the lives she had taken. Seemingly unfazed, she walked towards the top of this hill of death.

"Hey… that's hell you're walking into…" the voice of her mind's doubts echoed.

"No," she strongly rejected, "This is what you have forgotten. I'll admit, it started out as just admiration for them… a group of people saving us from evil through more than questionable means. But at the core of it all, was a wish. A wish for Hell on Earth to be undone, a wish to save everyone you could see, to create and love."

Reaching the top of the hill, Kimiko Hanate stood above her mortal sins.

"Something so simple, so beautiful… even as an impotent girl… that was my nature. I'm sure of it… and it was such as Akasha too… for she is I, and I am her."

"You crave the life of a human who fights for humans? A deity who simply cares for all? The life of a machine, a tool, a sword?"

"I'll forever fight for their sake… that is who I am."

Enveloped in Akashic blue radiance, Kimiko Hanate opened her eyes once more. This time, the eyes of Akasha made truly her own.

"Very well...I have heeded your resolve. Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I… bring forth the final awakening!" the echo of Akasha spoke before she vanished into dense sparks of blue light, its remnants swirling around and then merging into Kimiko. No more a vessel, she, at last, realized that she was the true totality of the All-Mother.

"With every breath I take

Every scar, and every defeat,

I know I control my fate!

I know my heart still beats!

So then, farewell Judas!

Begone. Burn up!

May every piece of this dream live on…"

Her resolve, her iron soul, her blood of fire and a heart of glass, it shook the very foundational blank page which she stood upon.

Kimiko's consciousness returned to reality, the girl's appearance shifted. In an instant, her damaged clothing morphed into a pitch-black kimono with the iconic crimson leather jacket over top of it. Her crimson eyes brimmed with light as the guise of the Grand Ruler took over; a dense aura shook the foundation of all Worlds and the True Void beyond. With her trademark mystic eyes, she glared at Arayashiki. From there, the powerful presence snapped her fingers. The aura around her wafted from her body to open up four portals from which the same number of silhouettes emerged:

The first was a 6'7" tall woman at the center of the group, her tanned skin and older complexion of a mature woman combined with her dark crimson irises, defined curvaceous build, and long, flowing, dark brown hair made the female quite the fearsome sight. Around her waist she wore part of a traditional samurai armor known as the kusazuri. It was quite an impressive piece as it possessed red, black, and golden plates. This contrasted well with her dark pants, boots, plain white shirt, and a dark trench coat with red highlights whose left sleeve she kept rolled up revealing part of what appeared to be a black dragon tattoo flowing up her arm. Her name was Akatsuki Tenbatsu.

The second was a 6' 5", muscular woman with long, flowing black hair and reddish-brown eyes. She wore a rather stylish tattered gakuran with a cap and metal epaulets, a rope belt, and a pair of tengu-geta. She also wrapped her bosom in a sarashi and her wrists with the bandages typical of open-hand fighters. She bore the title of The Fist of Calamity and was Adena's older sister; her name was Marayah Zao-Long, or Aria for short.

Then came the third one of the group. Aqua blue eyes, short, dark blue hair, black priestess robes, white gloves, 6' 2", and a young adult's body with well-developed assets and curves hidden beneath all the clothing. Assana Demiyah entered the stage again.

Lastly to Assana's side was a female that was the same height as the former party who wore a shallow cut black dress, five necklaces with an assortment of beads, a red girdle-belt, and a pair of matching gauntlets. She also wore fingerless gloves; an object that looked to be made from feathers hanged from the right side of her skirt. Furthermore, she used detached black leggings with a red splatter pattern and black leather boots beneath them. Her most distinctive feature was definitely the fearsome, full-face mask that resembled the face of a strange Danger Beast. The mask had four eye slits that further enhanced the character's inhuman appearance.

With the four individuals commonly referred to as the Aspects of Akasha gathered behind her, the fully powered Goddess-Above-All made her resolve known.

"You have my full, undivided attention, Arayashiki," the awakened Grand Ruler asserted calmly though her words were injected with a sense of relentless fury.

Arayashiki paused seeing the new arrivals and the return of the Grand Ruler, but more so she was astonished by the overwhelmingly strong pressure around Kimiko. The presence of Ties of the Storm and even Kimiko's original Grand Ruler state during the war were nonexistent in comparison. Something had changed.

"You are far too late, Akasha. It is over! There is nothing you can do to stop this…" Sakinah spoke whilst clenching her fists. The dark violet aura around her had begun to ripple violently and spike upward. The Goddess of Harmony reached out with one hand, the might of the Golden Ark infused with her now made reality fragment as an ominous black sphere materialized in front of her palm.

"You ran away before… and now you come back to perish. Know that I have only grown stronger after being healed. Let me show you!"

The sphere grew dense, sparking with an unknown number of unique strengths recorded in the Golden Ark until it was fully bubbling with atrocities untold.

"From the linchpin of existence to the crawling chaos and the evil of Pandora. This is the total summation of faithlessness, of dreadfulness, of all that is recorded in my Golden Ark and that which awaits mankind in your reign should we fail…" Sakinah's words oozed with hate whilst her sleeve and clothing began to dissipate under the weight of that sphere; a total summation of the World's sins, the True Void's dearth, and endless other terrors added to her own ultimate power.

"I made this technique specifically to kill you back in the Age of Gods, Akasha… sadly you disappeared and I was broken before I could deliver it. Here's hoping you like it, you bitch!"

With those words spoken — Sakinah thrust her open palm forward. The sphere erupted into a chaotic flow of blackened power and utter chaotic faithlessness.

"Very well…" Kimiko spoke, calmly stepping in front of the oncoming storm. Her loyal Aspects merely watched the predicament with varying levels of amusement. Likewise, Raizo could do naught but watch.

The totality of the tidal wave engulfed Akasha, the Grand Ruler eaten by the dark. Or so it seemed.

"Ultima Stance: Testament of the Once and Future Savior…" she spoke, and suddenly a golden light erupted from the dark. She absorbed all of it and dispelled it into falsehoods that never were.

As she emerged once more, Kimiko's hair was now long like that of her old goddess form but her attire remained that of Grand Ruler. Yet more impressive was the tantalizing golden mystic eyes she wielded. The blue and violet flow of the root still danced within them, but a newfound golden radiance flared to the surface.

"That is… inconceivable," Sakinah ground her teeth.

"Seems I don't have a choice after all..." Arayashiki suddenly muttered to herself before turning to face Legion.

"Sakinah... I wouldn't trust myself to be an unbiased judge. I brought you back so you could change the World as the epitome of neutrality. I know a Goddess of Harmony like yourself will be able to put personal grievances aside to at last save us from Azoth's coming."

"But if I go now you will…"

"It's fine, Sakinah."

"...Th-thank you, Arayashiki. Though our meeting in this World was short-lived, we will see each other again on the other side."

The two share a gaze of camaraderie before Sakinah took flight, ascending through the broken heavens and toward the Swirl of the Root.

"..." Sakinah looked over her shoulder before disappearing into the event horizon.

"Good luck, Arayashiki," she murmured.

Like a comet streaking through the heavens, the Divinity made her ascent to complete the duty she was entrusted with. As the gap between herself and the combatants below grew tremendously, only one person stared at her with growing frustration in his heart.

"No… I won't let you…" the voice of the Son of Mercer silently echoed.

He took a glance over his shoulder and saw how everyone was still fatigued from the transformation they shared together. Then he fixated his gaze to the noble entities of the Aspects before him. Lastly, his eyes settled upon Kimiko's visage. He felt it in his heart that the woman he loved and the woman whom he placed so much faith in were truly one and the same. The sight of that quintet reminded him of the Second Primordial War when they brought down Rias in her insanely powerful beast form. If it wasn't for them, they would have lost that fight. Now, it seemed like history was going to repeat itself.

"I can't...let this fight end here...not like this."

Though the form was undone, he still felt the lingering energies of Team AKARA and company burning like small embers within him on top of the great strength loaned to him by Assana. They still coalesced in unity with his newly awakened self, but that power was not meant to be permanent.

"I still have something left to prove...something that I was entrusted to do..."

As he tried to collect his physical self to draw on that power within him, he felt the faintness of a foreign aura contained within the Soteria blade. The devastating attack that Legion unleashed on him when he used Devour was still present to a degree. There was just enough of it left to bring all of the energies together and harmonize it for one last fight.

"I don't know how long any of this will last...but while I still have it...while I still draw breath...while I still bear the will to fight, I will finish this battle. I have to...there's no other way for this to end. So...move...dammit...move!"

It felt like he was a farmhand wrangling a stampeding livestock together to move as a herd. He drew the different auras burning within him to harmonize for one more battle. He was going to do everything he could in order to finish what was started. His aura was inconsistent in tone as a spiraling mix of crimson, amethyst, cerulean, silver, black, and gold all gathered around him. He reached up with one hand and placed it just over his forehead where he still felt Akasha's subtle touch.

"If I can't finish this fight and use the gifts that you gave me along with the strength of my loved ones within me, and the hopes of all those who believe in me...then how can I...how can I become the hero you know I can be?!"

Raizo gradually stood up even with every fiber of his being screaming in protest and agony against it. The multi-colored aura around him shifted to white for a brief moment as the angelic wings reminiscent of Eternity of the Storm took hold and sprouted from his back.

"I won't let you get away, SAKINAH!!!" he shouted aloud before springing to life and giving chase with Soteria in hand.

"Raizo wai—..." Assana tried to warn the boy, but nevertheless, he leapt high into the air and was already gone.

"He's quite spirited, isn't he?" Akatsuki took note from a casual standpoint.

"The little pipsqueak still has a long way to go, but I suppose I can give him an ounce of credit for finally blooming. Maybe I should put him through a personal boot camp when he gets back," Marayah added with a scoff.

"You want the child to die before he reaches adulthood?" the masked swordswoman questioned.

"He can handle her. I gave him what he needed to finish off that narrow-minded child," Kimiko called out.

With a curt nod, the four Aspects focused on the foe before them as the stage was set for the final round.

*****

Sakinah saw what could be described as the True Void outside all of existence — also known as the Ginnungagap. In the realms below, she saw the endless Omniverses in the form of brilliant, neon greenish-blue trees of pure energy, an infinite forest of Worlds. Thanks to her Primordial nature, she could see into the Astral and Abstract realms. The former being a beautiful non-physical mirror of the material world and the latter a home to the vastness of archetypal beings, or in other words, ideas of the World given a face. Then far above there was Elysium and Inferno, realms which those abstract creatures could not fathom despite being the primal truths of the Celestial Gods' creation. Furthermore, Omniverses outside of Sakinah's own home World possessed similar realms and structures. Some were different, yet it all represented the infinite possibilities of perpetual creation.

"To think all of this will fall to Azoth…" Sakinah pondered. As Legion grew distant from all of reality, she saw a purely black void all around her and rippling waves of genuine Akashic energy pulsating from a singular point of the same color—the Root.

When close to the Root, the void around Sakinah shifted to a pure white color, much like the pages in her grimoire. She then put a hand over the Root whilst recalling everything it took to get to that point only to alas finally grasp it.

"I will destroy this Root and make my own," she claimed. However, events she had not foreseen occurred. Unexpectedly renounced truths flash into Sakinah's mind overpowering her wholly.

She saw something she did not anticipate. The beginning — or rather that which was before such a concept. She gazed upon a kind of "realm" that was strange and foreign, a vast stretch of white. Below her feet, Sakinah discerned what seemed like a blue sky and clouds that flowed flawlessly. She was taken aback by the vastness of this place.

Amidst the calming atmosphere, she saw something even more shocking—two young sisters, perhaps twins, playing a game of chess whilst sitting on the flowing sky. One had long, dark hair and gorgeous Akashic blue eyes while the other seemed to have a deep vermilion gaze with similar properties.

"No fair... why is it that we have to play this game at all?"

"We're at our best when we're playing it together."

"But wouldn't it better if we filled this place instead of just maintaining it?"

"Our duty has always been to maintain order here."

The white realm started to brighten thus blinding Sakinah. The heavenly voices of the two girls began to feel distant.

"I suppose you're right, Rakshasa."

Sakinah felt herself being pulled down into the sky she stepped on, drowning in it like a child in a deep pool. Alas…she saw something terrible. A white mask with empty eye sockets and a lipless, malicious smirk.

"Azoth…" her mind cried out. A voice echoed deep within herself as rapid images flashed before her eyes.

"In the prime age, in the first battle when darkness first lengthened, one-act forged hate, the hate of the first. The loathing of Rakshasa birthed the embers of Armageddon, the hole of absence, and the dawn of evil. Its very whims sparked the fires of damnation and tarnished all beyond ascension.

In the face of creation, Rakshasa chose the path of perpetual torment. In its ravenous hatred, it never found any peace, and with boiling blood it scoured the plains seeking retribution against those who had taken her away."

Sakinah's eyes shot open. She was now back within the Swirl of the Root standing before the heart and origin of all. Sweat ran down her body, her eyes flashed with the blue of Akasha, but her mind was the one thing that truly shifted.

"What was that?" she slowly remarked only to then take a step back. She prepared to turn around and leave, but just as she did…

"Ugh!" she gasped, feeling a cold blade pierce her heart. The one wielding it was none other than the boy who had bested her in battle and followed her here.

"It's over…" he mumbled, using up whatever remained of his strength.

Sakinah could not help but smile, a solitary giggle escaped her lips, "Heh…Even now you insist on getting in my way?!"

"With every fiber of my being...you're goddamn right I do."

"Useless…" the Divinity gritted her teeth as she clenched her fist, her aura gradually spilling out from around her body.

"Useless, how utterly useless…"

Raizo tried to put more of his body weight onto the blade and push it through her abdomen further, but his muscles were beginning to waver.

"Tch…" he gritted his teeth whilst attempting to force his way through to victory, but it was all for naught.

"USELESS!" Sakinah exclaimed. A strong pulse of her aura rippled out causing Raizo to fly back, his blade dislodged from her body. Without a second delay, the wound on the female's body sealed shut as if nothing grazed her flawless skin to begin with. She turned around to face her foe as he narrowly managed to stand up on the transparent energy of space within the void.

"All of that power you had swelling within you from before has all but faded away, I can see it now. Even that power boost you gained from your little awakening has waned in efficacy. You are just as fragile as glass right now," Sakinah pointed at the boy with a taunting tone.

"No, as long as I have the strength to wield this sword...then there's still a chance," Raizo shot back whilst tightening the grip on Soteria, inhaling a deep breath to numb the fatigue spreading throughout his body.

"This ends now, Legion…" he said before he began to walk towards her.

"Oho, you're approaching me? Even though you're on the verge of collapsing where you stand as your strength deteriorates while I possess my full strength, you still wish to come and face me?" the amused goddess remarked.

"I can't shut that annoying fucking mouth of yours up once and for all without getting closer to you."

"How brazen, very well...come, let us see how ready for death you truly are!"

The echoes of footsteps emanated throughout the void as the pair inched closer to one another. Their gazes were locked, neither one batting an eye as they analyzed each other's movements. Raizo clenched his sword in hand and grit his teeth together before going in for the first swing, but he would find himself at her mercy.

"MUDA!" the essence of her voice called out.

Raizo found himself feeling a great deal of pain as if someone took an inanimate object and slapped him across his face causing his body to twist for a moment. He nearly dropped his blade before turning his head to look up. It was there that he saw something unexpected. The golden silhouette of a six-armed deity appeared from behind the woman as the aura around the female's body continued to ooze out.

"What is the matter, Raizo? Surely you remember my Ruling Bodhisattva, yes?"

"We're not even...inside your World so how is it possible?"

"Oho, you mean you were not listening earlier? I have grown stronger from each near-death experience so far. You have no idea what I am capable of. Bow before the might of the Progenitor, boy! Take him down, Ruling Bodhisattva!"

The divine spirit form of Legion came rushing at Raizo with blinding speed. The male went to attack with his blade, but his attempt to counter was quickly denied by a swift punch to his jaw from one of the six limbs. Not even a hairsbreadth of a second later did the next punch follow suit as well as the one immediately following that.

"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!!!" the astral projection of the Goddess of Harmony echoed whilst throwing hundreds of blows at the youth.

"Hahahahaha! USELESS! How utterly useless! You are undoubtedly at the end of your rope, give up and die with what little bit of dignity you can manage to hold onto right now!"

Sakinah's voice rang inside of the Son of Mercer's head as his armor cracked and shattered across various areas long his torso, the fabric tearing away before exposing his skin as he was being covered in bruises. With a harmonized blow from all six fists, he went stumbling back before collapsing to his knees, Soteria fell out of his grip and onto the transparent patch of space.

"Guh…" Raizo emitted a grunt before coughing up blood. The blows that he just received completely bypassed whatever protections he had from his armor and the powers he absorbed from before. It was like he was just some amateur street punk that just got jumped by a gang in the back alley of the Capital back on his world. His ribs were broken, one of which punctured his lung. His heart had an irregular beat to it which threw off the circulation of blood throughout his body. He could hardly feel his legs and his arms felt like they became dead weights. His mind was sending panic signals throughout the entirety of his nervous system, but nothing seemed to respond. All he could do was avoid completely falling over thereby admitting defeat. As he gazed up at the woman, the glint of defiance still irradiated his crimson eyes.

"I must admit Raizo, you truly possess an unbreakable spirit. Even in the face of imminent demise, you still maintain a burning determination not to lose. You refuse to give up on your goal. It is admirable. That attitude of yours mimics my own passion to ensure my victory. To lose someone like you in this corrupted World would be a true shame. Do you not understand that we are fighting for the same thing? A world free from the evils that plague it, one that does not have to live in the fear of Azoth and the tyranny of the gods! What I seek is only a way to start over, to remove the cause of all the chaos that affects this life. With my knowledge, I can guide all of creation the right way so that these cycles will finally come to an end! Do not be a fool, just see the bigger picture!

I ask of you again, will you join me? Say yes and I will ensure that you stand by my side in the next world. You will become a guardian for the new generation of life to come, a warrior whose sword will never have to be drawn unless truly called to do so. Say yes, and all your suffering will come to an end right here and now. I will restore you and you will bare witness to the birth of a new beginning. What say you, Raizo Arashi-Mercer?" Sakinah pleaded her case whilst extending her hand out.

She was offering a chance at a new beginning, a new life devoid of the chaos that will bring about the Fall. No more wars, no more strife, no more sorrow; a paradise devoid of the evils that have wrought human history, an Eden unblemished by the folly of the gods. It was a dream worthy of pursuit, but that was all it would ever be...a pipe dream with no real value—robotic and stale. Raizo chuckled before spitting out a small glob of blood from between his lips.

"Don't insult me, Legion...just who the hell do you think I am? I thought I told you before: I'd rather die for what I believe than live a life without meaning. Heh...even with my body a total wreck right now, with death looming over me ready to take my soul, I still retain that belief. Where you see a means to destroy and rebuild, I see a means to restore and defend. You claim that because of the seeds buried within mankind's hearts that all life must be eradicated, but that is only a narrow-minded perspective.

If children behave a certain way due to the influence of their parents or elder siblings, then doesn't that mean humanity only failed because of the disdain the gods have shown us? Are we not the reflection of our creators? Regardless of whose fault it is, the capacity to change still exists. You say that the slate must be wiped clean for everyone's sake, yet that is only a view you adopted because you've only seen the ugliness of the World...not the beauty of the potential it holds! That's where the difference between us truly lies, Sakinah.

Yes...this World has had its share of ugliness. Destruction, greed, ambition, death, war, suffering, and the like has plagued history for thousands of years, but regardless of all that despair...there has always existed a chance to rebuild, to start over and begin anew. Where there is war also exists peace, all it takes is the right people to come along and give a chance. So long as that chance isn't zero, then there's a reason to fight for it. And if it doesn't exist or seem impossible, then someone will make it so!

So you go ahead and fight for those lofty ideals, those arrogant views insinuating that your way is the only legitimate one, I'll keep on defying it. You say that this world cannot be redeemed from its sins, but even if that's true, I'll damn sure reach out for that light of salvation and reclaim it for EVERYONE!"

"You speak of my lofty ideals, yet your logic is flawed and full of naivety. You claim that you will reclaim salvation for everyone, but you do not possess the depths of experience to understand exactly what it means to do such a thing!" Sakinah fiercely criticized.

"And you are just a complete hypocrite. You say that you want to free everyone from the shackles of the gods that corrupted everyone and center your hatred on Akasha, but you realize that by doing this, you are becoming the very thing that you hate so much! How can you guide anyone to peace when you don't possess an ounce of love or forgiveness in your heart? You're not a goddess, you're just a tyrant with divine powers who's throwing a temper tantrum!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You know nothing, Raizo Arashi-Mercer! You are far too deluded by the charms of that accursed All-Mother to understand what I desire! You are nothing but a short-sighted fool whose faith will lead him to his grave! Trying to break through your logic to get you to see is a futile endeavor. You can join the world you love so much in premature oblivion!" Sakinah shouted out.

"Repulse!" the Ruling Bodhisattva echoed as all six of her palms opened and slammed into Raizo's body. The youth was then sent tumbling back through the infinite void outside of reality. The weakened child flew downward in an unstoppable free fall that dwarfed the speed he once held before all the way through the greatness of the Omniverse into the frozen tundras of the edge of Cocytus.

He was surrounded by the bitter cold, the impact alone should have churned him into paste yet something protected his vessel. As he felt himself trying to raise his body up off the snowy wasteland, he saw a calming, blue aura emanate from his body and dance like flames around Soteria.

"The time hath come...Child of Promise, Voice of Redemption, no longer are ye the Crimson Harbinger of Death, or the Red-Eyed Stormbringer. Thou art the Testament of Change, and the Advocate of Hope. Let the bell toll and all rejoice for thee. For thou hath awakened to the true path, the one of the Reclaimer. Let all witness the rise of the Crusader, the Beacon of Faith, the Believer, and titles worthy of thy renown."

"This...voice...Onee-sama...is that you?" he stammered in confusion.

"I am the one that encompasses all, the lifeblood of creation that serves as the witness of truth. Many seek me, but reach out in vain. For I am but a part of the greater whole that is She. I, the origin, am but a part of Her will."

"That...means...you're the...Root?!"

"Receive the blessing as imparted by Her, the one who chose thee. The time of reckoning dawns, the new day arriveth so."

Raizo's mind flashed back to the moment when he saw Akasha before the fabled tree, he remembered when she touched his forehead lightly to pass something to him. The appointed time was now, but even so, he had no idea what that gift was. As he reached his feet, he felt the all-consuming aura spiral around him. Then he felt a sharp burning sensation radiating from the mark on his chest.

"Hnngh!!!!" he groaned in pain for a brief moment, then he felt something spread across his chest as if someone was writing on his body. In the middle of his neck just where the collarbone met with the manubrium, right between the pectoralis major muscle group spawned the head of a wolf emanating a black mist of energy. From there, the blue energy wafted over his body as a radiant black aura outlined with a white hue washed over him. What appeared like the fur off the head of a wolf draped around his shoulders as mysterious claw-like markings went down both sides of his body and paw prints over top of his hands. Lastly, his crimson eyes shifted donning the famous color of the Akashic shade of blue. In that instant, everything in his view changed as he was able to get just a glimpse of what it was like to see life through Her eyes.

"I don't know what this is...but...how can I be worthy of it? To feel this kind of strength, to see just how precious life is through these eyes...is it really okay?" he asked as he felt the sting of tears trickle down his face.

"Thy humble spirit has carried thee to this defining moment. Let thy path be clear for thou hast earned the blessing thou hath received," the voice of the Root echoed aloud.

"My dear Raizo, let my strength guide you to bringing the light back to my World. For this is just a taste of what is to come. I believe in you, I always have...I always will."

A phenomenon known only to a select few...those closest with the Goddess-Above-All. It was a process in which the convictions that one carries is recognized by the will of the great All-Mother. When a defining moment in one's life is reached, it is written that the chosen will experience a shift; one that allows them to get just a taste of the gift that is to come. It is a rare commodity, one that has only happened every-so-often. In recent history this occurred with the legendary Red-Eyed Hero, the Envoy of the Crimson Luster, when he faced the many incarnations of Rias. This process as recorded in the Akashic Records is known as Resonance.

As Raizo stood upright, he gripped the hilt of Soteria as the mysterious power spiraled around him. Looking up into the blackened sky of Cocytus, his vision pierced through that veil of darkness across the Omniverse to the precise location where Sakinah stood. Her arms were raised above her head as she began taking in more energy from The Root. In a flash, the male merely bent at the knees ever so slightly before taking off through the air. In less than an attosecond, he soared through the cosmos passing by the various celestial bodies that comprise the greater Omniverse. The azure streak that symbolized his vessel blasted across the infinite dimensions blazing through the hellscape of Inferno, to the golden heavens of Elysium, and over the gap of Arayashiki's reality marble as well as the Earth from whence he came. He broke through the edge of space and beyond as he barreled his way towards his target outside of the Root – Sakinah Vashti. With Soteria in hand, he twisted his body at such an angle that was set up for the last strike.

A few milliseconds before the Son of Mercer was in position, Sakinah was immersing herself in the power of The Root.

"Everything I have hoped for, the goal that was torn from my grasp long ago, all that I have envisioned is now within reach. I will remake this world and guide it the right way. Arayashiki, your sacrifice for this moment will not be in vain. I will ensure that I complete this task so that we may reach our shared vision together. No one is left to stop us. No one at…"

She turned around in that instant as she felt something coming towards her. The density of the aura was beyond her comprehension. It was something unfamiliar, something that was vastly different from the auras that emanated from Akasha and her Aspects. For some reason, this entity caused a chill to creep up and down her spine. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she felt her heart beginning to race.

"What is this presence? Just what could possibly generate so much strength?"

In the blink of an eye, the visage of Raizo Arashi-Mercer cloaked within the divine radiance appeared with his blade trained at her position. She barely had a chance for her mind to process what was happening. Just as he was going in for the opening, she reacted by instantly assuming her Progenitor of the Storm state whilst infusing the full authority of the Ruling Bodhisattva into her body. It was a quick, defensive reflex that her body took understanding the gravity of the power contained within the youth; yet from the mental point of view, she could not fathom why it happened. That was when she took note of his eyes.

"No, no, no, no...NO! WHY?! WHY DO YOU HAVE THOSE EYES?!"

"It's over, SAKINAH VASHTI!!!!"

"Tch, did I not say before that your attempts at killing me were useless?! Akasha, you coward, sending an underdeveloped boy to take my head?! Very well, regardless of those wretched eyes, I WILL END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

The six-armed goddess braced herself as the youth lunged forward with his blade. In Raizo's eyes, he could see a dark thread in her central mass. That was the spot he was aiming for. Even though he was inexperienced with the power of the Mystic Eyes, his instincts screamed at him to pierce that singular spot. With the great chasm of energy encompassing his blade, he drove the sword through to that location; however, Sakinah managed to grasp hold of it just as Soteria was trying to break her skin with her hands. Holding onto the blade, the woman twisted her body and tossed him aside letting the male stumble past.

Just as he did so, Raizo immediately turned on his heel faster than what Sakinah was previously anticipating. Since the blade was still within her grasp, she had no extra hands to prevent what was going to come next. He balled up his right fist and rushed at the girl at a blinding rate going in for the final blow.

Sakinah saw a mysterious image around that fist as time seemed to slow down in her mind. Around the body of the youth were the silhouettes of various spirits. She saw the reflections of Akaro, Akame, Adena, Vesta, Inari, Hikari, and Reina. Around them were the members of the Mercer family, all of the Heroic Spirits that joined their ranks, the Cardinal Four and the Guardian of the Abyss, the Symphogears, as well as every warrior from Elysium and Cocytus. Even the visage of her father, the once proud God of Thunder, Relepagus was among these images. All of their spirits gathered around this child on down to the Aspects as well as she, the Goddess-Above-All in her truest form – Kimiko Hanate.

"All of the hopes and dreams of every person who gathered to fight against you, those who gave their all for the sake of a brighter tomorrow. Let their will be made known in this final strike! GODSBANE!" Raizo shouted out.

His fist made contact with the pommel of his sword. No matter how much strength Sakinah had in her muscles, or how much power she consumed from the Root so far, the blade pierced true to its target bypassing the protections of her form, even with the might of the Golden Ark; there was no resistance at all. Soteria punctured the body of the Progenitor of the Six Paths, the Divinity, the Goddess of Harmony, Legion—also known as, Sakinah Vashti. Her line of death was severed in that moment as her blood seeped into the emptiness of space. Her eyes met with those of the child she underestimated, the one who defeated her. To this woman, the male only uttered these words.

"Stay where you belong, in the records of history," he expressed mercilessly.

"Heh...heh...I will....never be history."

In a spiraling twist of gold and violet light, the visage of the fearsome female disappeared. As her likeness faded away, all that remained was the body of a certain deity that maintained the likeness of the Crusader – Indra. The archaic Lesser God coughed as pools of crimson leaked from his chest and mouth whilst grasping onto the rainbow colored Arcana Crystal.

"How...did this happen? Where am I? Boy...you are...alive?" he questioned.

"Yeah...I am," Raizo uttered.

"He's just a small piece of the whole...of course he wouldn't have any memories as her."

"I see...I don't...recall much of what happened...once the crystal was completed. So...I lost in the end…"

"Yeah...you did...you failed. After so much time of careful planning, biding your time and betraying me, you failed. As much as I should despise you for what you did to me, I am actually grateful to you Indra. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to take this long journey to get to where I am right now. The places I've been to, the people I've seen, the lives I've impacted in some way, the lessons I've learned, and the family I've gained, all my experiences can be tied to you in a way. So for that, I suppose I should thank you…"

"You've grown up…so much, boy. I don't even...recognize you anymore."

"Yeah...I guess you wouldn't...but know that I forgive you, Indra. Not as a means to cleanse your conscience, but for my own sake so that the bitterness of your betrayal does not seep into my heart."

"Hmph...the boy becomes a...man. So this...is what I witness in the end...once again, my ambition fails."

"Yeah, this is farewell. I don't need you anymore. I have my own strength to rely on."

In that instant, Raizo lifted his hand. In his mind, he envisioned what happened to Conquest and how that power was transferred to him thanks to Hikari's final blow. Envisioning her blade, he summoned the infamous aura of the Soul Taker to his palm and channeled it into Soteria's edge.

"Goodbye."

At that point in time, Indra's body emanated dark blue sparks of light. His existence was absorbed and his consciousness completely erased. The essence of his strength as a god of thunder was consumed into Raizo's vessel. Even though the youth rejected him, the true concept of the storm itself chose the boy as the successor. As Indra faded away, all that was left was the remaining vestige of the Arcana Crystal.

"11 out of 12 pieces remain…" Raizo murmured to himself. At that point, the jewel relinquished a sudden glow as five other energies were sent off into the cosmos leaving only the six fragments that composed the jewel to remain.

"The other Lesser Gods' essences disappeared, they must be finding their way back to their respective hosts. Well...Addy will get Agni back, but as for the others...who knows," Raizo surmised.

Holding the jewel in his hand, the male made a decision. He crushed it.

"It's finally over…" he said, the energy of the Root fading away from his body as the marking faded away. The power of the Resonance left a lasting effect, one that he would not come to understand at this point in time. However, the solitary marking of the wolf's head did remain as that mark previously made by the Goddess-Above-All evolved into it. The mystic eyes disappeared as well leaving Raizo with his original crimson shade. Just as the shards of the crystal were set to disappear, the particles of light took aim at the child and began to penetrate his body.

"What the...hell?! GUAAHH!!!" he screamed out as the pixie dust entered his bloodstream. The sensation caused unspeakable agony to take hold of the male's vessel which caused him to drop Soteria. As the all-consuming pain devoured his body, a bizarre phenomenon occurred. There was a unique pattern that appeared on Raizo's back that was dyed in ink like a new sigil. It appeared similar in design to the Tree of Life that he saw before except the concept was different. The trunk of the tree appeared like an upside down sword. A circle took shape around the design that led one to believe that it could be interconnected roots or branches. Along this circle were six points scattered about as if crafting the vertices of a perfect hexagon. At one point was a dark blue, flower-like jewel. The other five were dark with a padlock design over them. Oddly enough, there was a rectangular point in the trunk of the tattoo that was white in color.

The pain stopped, but the backlash from all of the sudden power-ups gripped the boy's fatigue tightly and spread it throughout his body. As a result, he lost consciousness as his body drifted through nothingness. It was as if a force behind the void itself took care of the victorious youth by allowing him to fall safely towards the Earth with Soteria falling after him.

*****

"And then there was only one," Kimiko uttered with confidence whilst glaring through the existence of Arayashiki.

"What are you talking about? Do you really think that boy can truly end Sakinah?" the corrupted form of Akame responded.

"You mean you did not realize? The blue streak that blazed past us not too long ago was none other than that very child. Sakinah is no more, it's over."

"You jest, surely you don't think I'm foolish enough to…" Arayashiki's words were interrupted as she paused to fine tune her senses to seek out her ally's power signature. Sure enough, it dissipated almost completely.

"It can't be...there's no way Sakinah lost to that little…"

"She did, your plan is ruined. Face it, it's all over for you," Kimiko swiftly stated.

"No, nothing is over while I still breathe. So long as I possess this power and this blade, I will ensure the vision is carried out. Resurrecting Sakinah will be an easy task, I'll just need a proper sacrifice. Fortunately, there are five standing before me. Or maybe I should use that pathetic child as a catalyst first and make you watch as he suffers firsthand, Akasha," Arayashiki grinned wickedly as the miasma around the Metanoia Murasame hissed with malevolence. The woman raised the blade above her head as she sought to relinquish its awesome might upon the group standing before her.

"Now witness the revelation be unveiled!"

"You talk way too damn much, you know that?" Assana rushed in without a second's delay holding her trademark, 21st century magnum pistols in hand—Hati and Skoll.

"You threatened to take something from me, you'll pay just for the thought of it," she coldly uttered. She clicked the safeties off of both armaments before sliding low and aiming up at the corrupted deity. As she pulled the triggers, the interchanging of explosive echoes rang out as crimson and cerulean aura bullets flew out beginning to pelt the body of the woman bypassing her divine protections with ease. The sheer momentum of the projectiles lifted her off the ground and sent her flying up in the air without any further delay.

"This time I'm making sure my fists get a little warm," Marayah said whilst jumping up into the air chasing after Arayashiki's flying body. Closing the distance in less than an instant of a flash of light, she blitzed around the deity's helpless form with her fists balled up. At that point, she unleashed a furious assault of vicious punches that came in one after the other utterly obliterating Arayashiki's guard. Quicker than the eye could blink, Marayah dealt more than 100 crushing blows across the girl's body before sending her back with a decisive fist straight to her abdomen before dropping down to the ground.

As the goddess was soaring through the air flying in a horizontal direction running parallel to the surface below, the masked warrior of the group silently leapt into action. She dashed alongside of the woman's flying vessel before reaching out with a dark, demonic aura that snatched Arayashiki out of the air. As she held the woman in her kinetic grip, the masked female slammed the being into the ground hard. The resulting impact bounced the Black Death like a ball on hard surface before her body was immediately met by another aura limb that punched her and skipped her across the cosmic area like a stone over the water.

"Hmm," said Akatsuki as she appeared out of nowhere whilst stopping Arayashiki's flight trajectory with the single dot of her finger on the woman's forehead.

"And now you know how naive you were."

Without the single instance of motion, all that Arayashiki saw was the mature woman's hand brush over the hilt of her sword at her side. She had no clue what transpired. Was she going to attack? Is she attacking right now? Was she thinking about it, but changed her mind? Such questions ran across her mind. The correct answer was that the woman already did without notice.

As Arayashiki was juggled around by the other Aspects, the woman foreseen where the girl's body would fly and strategically cut the air creating a net of unseen slashes contained inside a pocket dimension. Upon touching the woman's forehead, Akatsuki brought Arayashiki's body into that void as the attacks were allowed to carry out. As a result, the girl's body was cut a thousand times but it was done intricately as to not nick any vital arteries or cause immense bleeding. All at once, the wounds from the different attacks assaulted the girl's mind causing her to drop to her knees with her fabled blade losing power as it hit the ground.

The resounding echo of a finger snap rippled out as the crumbling deity found herself on her knees before the fully unleashed, Kimiko Hanate. Her pained vessel only allowed her the courtesy of raising her head to look at the true manifestation of the Goddess-Above-All eye to eye. Those trademark Akashic eyes surging with the golden radiance pierced through her very core with a silent fury mixed with pity simultaneously. As the corrupt manifestation felt her ambitions crumbling away in her heart, she saw the astral ghost of her other self from the Gamma World Line standing just off to the side behind Kimiko.

"Ah...if only...if I was afforded the chance to live a life just one hopeful glimpse similar to yours, would my fate be different?" Arayashiki pondered with a slight grin pressing her lips.

"You were cultivated blindly in a mist of darkness, shadowed by your own anger over what you felt was taken from you. Your self-loathing and lack of apparent value led your wrath to be spilled upon others as you projected your hatred on everything around you. You were wounded because no one gave you a chance to see the light," Kimiko surmised. With two fingers, the goddess reached down and tapped the girl on her forehead.

"Now I release you this burden so that you may find peace in another life. Rest, Arayashiki...your fight is over."

Those words that could have been interpreted as one passing judgment over the life of another was served as a send-off. They were words meant to ease a wounded heart, to lay to rest one whom was mired in misery. Kimiko could have easily bifurcated her body and decimated her soul as penance for what she and Sakinah did to the World, but she chose not to. The wise goddess granted something to Arayashiki that no one ever thought to give to her before – mercy. As a result, the noble Black Death found the chains around her heart broken as she gradually faded away. In her vast hatred, she never felt something so warm reach out and touch her. In that moment, she smiled before dissipating into sparks of golden light.

The clouds of dust floated off as it reached into the depths of space between dimensions. In a brilliant display of light, the visage of the Akame trapped in Limbo materialized into reality essentially resurrecting her presence to the World unblemished by the effects of the destruction of history.

"Feels good not to be a ghost anymore," the girl said as she flexed her hands open and closed whilst popping her neck.

"Welcome back," Kimiko said with a slight smile, then she turned towards the injured members of Team AKARA.

"The battle is over at last everyone. Mission Accomplished," she said whilst casting out a fraction of her aura to heal all of the team members from their fatigue and injuries. As they each rose to their feet one after the other, the Aspects casually strolled up from behind.

The tired heroes stood before Kimiko witnessing her full glory as the truest version of herself. Awe, relief, and anticipation all dazzled in the eyes of the individuals, but one held something deeper in her eyes. Something that gripped her heart tightly in a vice as she was overcome with a wealth of emotions.

"You have truly risen once more, Akasha-sama," Reina professed as tears welled up in her eyes. Yes, for the Queen of Cocytus, the history between her and Akasha stretched across eons; a history in which very few could ever hope to fathom.

"Yes, I am myself once more unshackled by my own limitations," Kimiko said as she stepped forward towards the woman. The dark-skinned beauty stepped away from the group as well before rushing towards the girl. In that moment, the two shared a kiss between one another that seemingly cut their focus off from everyone around them taking their minds elsewhere. The tenderness of each other's warmth and love that eclipsed the passage of the concept of time was sparked all over again. At this point, their reunion was at last brought to fruition.

"Tch...so what if she was there first...I'm still the favorite," Assana folded her arms with puffy cheeks.

"Now, now, no need to be jealous. That is quite unbecoming of a Nun, you know," Akatsuki chuckled.

"Chicks making out, I dig it," Inari nodded with a casual smirk.

"I guess some form of joy is meant to be a thing considering all we've been through. But these kinda moments don't really vibe with me so…" Hikari sighed.

"Nice to see you back in one piece, my other self," Akame, the Angel of Death smiled pleased upon seeing her younger incarnation safe and sound.

"Well, it's not like I died to begin with but being stuck between dimensions was boring. I couldn't get in on any of the action and there was literally no meat. I experienced Hell...it wasn't fun," Akame of the Gamma Verse responded.

"There's gonna have to be some form of naming conventions to be used between you two when you're both around. Sure the monikers are different, but the same name is gonna confuse some readers at some point," Akaro pointed out.

"We'll eventually get to that point," the Angel of Death replied dismissively.

"Onee-chan, long time no see," Adena grinned happily whilst walking over to her taller, muscular sister.

"Pipsqueak, nice to see you're finally not a puppet anymore. Anymore of that farce and I probably would have gotten annoyed to the point of killing you myself," Marayah rolled her eyes in reference to her younger sibling's past of serving under Hestia.

"Hey, I'm stubborn and I learn shit the hard way. I got that from you, ya know."

"Yet I evolved and became that much stronger, you on the other hand was stagnating your own potential. That's an insult to yourself as well as me by being your elder sister."

"Yeah...yeah, I got it. You were disappointed in me before, but now you're proud of the woman I've become so far right? But I got a long way to go before I reach your level, blah, blah, blah...basically what you're getting at."

"I never said that, so stop putting words in my mouth."

"Ya don't have to say it, I can read it all over ya. Silly Aria-nee," the redheaded female chuckled.

"Do I have to flick you in the forehead so hard that your neck will snap six different ways to next week?" the supreme martial artist's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Oh don't be such a bitch, ya love me even if ya can't say it outright. We're sisters after all."

"Tch...shut up Addy."

Around this time, Akatsuki casually strolled up and tapped Akaro on his shoulder so they could talk. The enigmatic woman with the mature atmosphere appeared to visually scan the male as a tiny hint of a smile pursed her lips.

"So you've become the boy with the dragon tattoo, how does it feel?" she asked him casually.

"Honestly, it feels like I was granted a massive weight of responsibility on me. For the first time in a few hundred years, I feel like there's something about me I don't know about. Hell, it makes me wonder what kind of training I will have to do in order to really get familiar with this power. I don't even know where to begin," he explained.

"Trust yourself and your instincts, you'll know where to go from there. But if whatever you find still leaves you with questions, have Lady Akasha call and I'll be there to give you a hand."

"Heh, you sure? I'm basically a stranger to ya."

"We're closer than you think, kiddo."

Akaro merely raised an eyebrow of curiosity over the woman's meaning. She only gave him another pat on the shoulder before walking off towards the other Aspects.

"Hmm…" Vesta watched the display of interaction from a short distance away. At that moment, she was then joined by the last of the Aspects, the Masked Swordswoman.

"You are troubled, I take it?" the mysterious female asked.

"Whoa...hey...didn't see you there," the Godspeed jumped in surprise.

"Apologies, I'm the most silent out of the group. Reunions are not really my thing."

"Yes...you Aspects are an interesting bunch...clearly there are bonds that exist between you all and Team AKARA."

"You are questioning the genuineness of your ties with them too, aren't you?"

"How did…"

"Experience teaches you many things, young one. Regardless of whatever you did in the past, the point of the matter is that you are standing here among them right now. You have every right to count yourself in the group. Look at the one you all refer to as 'The Devil Queen'. She was once your enemy and has managed to find a way into the little social circle going on here. So why can't you?"

"I...don't know. Something that Sakinah said struck a chord in me. When she gave that ultimatum over my life, I thought I was going to be axed away. Yet here I am."

"Precisely, here you are. You have more worth than you realize, Vesta-san. Take time to realize it for yourself."

As the Masked Swordswoman finished her words of wisdom, she sauntered her way back towards the group of her fellow comrades. The four Aspects gathered behind Kimiko whose intimate kissing session with Reina finally came to an end.

"Hey, don't leave just yet….pretty sure Raizo would like to see you...or at least Madam Blue over there," chuckled the Crimson Envoy whom was then elbowed by both Akames.

"Oi...speaking of which...where is my man?" Addy asked.

In that instant, the sky above the area held a gap within it as a lone blade came falling from the heavens.

"Heads up, I got it," Assana called out as she reached out her hand and jumped up in the air to take hold of the inanimate object in free-fall. Upon landing again, the item's identity was revealed to be none other than the Soteria blade.

"Master is…" Reina muttered whilst tuning her senses for the boy's presence. Suddenly the sight of something falling through the sky caught everyone's attention.

"There he is. Hey...is it me or is he falling way too fast?" Akaro asked.

"That's because he's unconscious. I'm not sensing an ounce of energy from his body right now," Hikari commented.

Without a word of delay, Kimiko dashed through the sky to meet the youth's descending vessel. Meeting his limp body in the air, she caught him in her arms for a second whilst floating overhead of the entire area. The boy's eyes slowly opened as he caught a narrow glimpse of her face.

"Onee...sama?" he asked weakly.

"Yes, it's me Raizo...I'm finally awake now. You did a good job."

"I did…? So...Sakinah really is…"

"Yes, she's gone. As is Arayashiki. We won."

"I see...good, that means...it's finally over."

"Yes...it is...I'm so proud of you."

"I just….had to wake up. I couldn't have done it...without you, Onee-sama…"

Kimiko wrapped her arms tightly around the youth as she hugged him close, "I could say the same to you. But alas, I know you are tired. Rest. Leave everything to me."

"Yeah...I could go for a...small nap for now…" Raizo said as his voice trailed off. Then he lost consciousness once again as the fatigue from all of the different power-ups finally took effect thus robbing him of his awareness.

"Sleep now, my love….for when you wake, the beauty of life that you fought for shall be returned to its former glory."

Kimiko snapped her fingers accessing the full totality of her abilities as Akasha. In that instant, all of creation was engulfed in light that blocked out everything.