Turn Back The Pendulum Part 02

Year: ???? (Age of Gods)

Location: The Golden City, Elysium

Through the golden streets of the peaceful Golden City in Elysium which served as the home to various angels, champions, heroes, and lesser deities strolled a singular individual that no one dared to speak out of turn to. She was a lone figure who strolled along silently wearing a long, black haori with white triangular accents along the bottom flowing behind her. This lengthy jacket was layered atop a crimson battle dress stylized in traditional eastern vestments matched by thigh-high, black armored boots with heels that gave her an extra few inches in height. Long, flowing white hair with red tassels binding her bangs past her face, amber-colored eyes, and dark skin formulated her flawless visage as she toted a long-golden handled katana in a black scabbard at her side. She was a miracle-given presence, the famous human who became a God and was chosen by none other than the All-Mother as her blade. Known posthumously as the Specter of Death, her name instilled fear in the hearts of gods and men alike; she was called Morana.

The woman ventured through the streets of the city ignoring her surroundings and focusing on one thing: the reason why she was summoned. She was meditating back on Earth far removed from the watchful eyes of mankind whilst observing her tribe members migrate to a land that would come to be known as Mercury when she felt someone call out to her, requesting her presence in Elysium. The swordswoman continued on her stroll until she happened upon the outskirts of the city where a wide area of rolling plains and hills lay. It was the perfect location for a single home, a palace fit for a king where one could take in the splendor of the city and be lulled by the soothing auras emanating from Sanctuary.

Another figure came into sight standing amidst the humble backdrop. The individual was a singular male in white and gold vestments like a holy priest with long, wavy black hair and red eyes. His youthful vigor was just a distraction from his nigh-infinite wisdom which was further accentuated by a singular, white book that floated around him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned by The Architect himself?" inquired Morana as she walked up towards him.

"Ah what a sight to behold, the infamous Blade of Akasha responded to my summons with haste. It is an honor to see your presence, Lady Morana. Before I answer that question, I am waiting for one more guest," The Architect so graciously responded. Just then, another divinity arrived on the scene.

A young female waded through the grass clutching a small book in her arms. She was wearing a black and purple gown that danced like a cold mist over a lake with golden accents hitched to her hips and along her heels. Her raven black hair flowed in the wind behind her as two bunches of her hair were bound in a twin-tail style by a golden tiara. Her dark, amethyst eyes conveyed an aura of deep wisdom that appeared to hide something away. As she approached, she turned towards The Architect first and relinquished a small smile before bowing respectfully.

"Greetings Uncle, it is good to see you," the girl kindly expressed.

"My lovely niece, Sakinah, I am so pleased to see you. Thank you for coming. Allow me to introduce you to the mythical Sword of the All-Mother… Lady Morana!" The Architect said, directing the girl's attention to the other woman here.

"So you are the fabled Morana? I know about you. I heard the stories of your exploits and your ascension from a human being to a divine being. You are truly a role model," Sakinah complimented whilst reaching out to shake the legend's hand.

"It's a pity that I do not share the same optimism about the human race as you," Sakinah silently added in her mind.

"Morana, this is my niece—Sakinah Vashti. She is a Primordial-Human hybrid who was raised among humans before circumstances allowed her to dwell among the divine," The Architect told with the glee of an uncle speaking about a talented family member.

"Is that so? Well, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Reina politely said. The Blade of Akasha didn't quite know what to make of Sakinah at that point.

"Now then ladies, to business, shall we?" The Architect remarked as his book floated between the girls and opened up to reveal a golden luminescence that projected the map of the Earth.

"All of these areas on Earth populated by red markings are lands which humanity and other sentient life forms have claimed. The areas in pale blue are unexplored habitats that no man has ventured to. There is a region in the north that is bathed in an abnormal miasma suggesting the presence of a foreign entity unrelated to mortal existence," the Primordial deity explained.

"Uncle, I'm sorry…but you pulled me away from my studies to care about something going on in the human world?" Sakinah protested in displeasure.

"Indeed, pulling me away from a major war that will decide the fate of gods and men alike for something so trivial as exploration is just demeaning," Morana tacked on her thoughts on the matter at the end.

"I know it may seem below your pay grades ladies, but I assure you… this matter is of a sensitive nature."

The two women merely shared a casual glance at one another before focusing their attention back on the projected display and simultaneously saying "Go on".

"Whatever the cause of this miasma escapes the knowledge in the Book of Infinite Pages. Any entity that has dared to venture near it has been consumed: lesser gods, guardians, epic heroes, and mankind alike. Those that were fortunate to escape via instinct or divine protection were lucky enough to do so; however, their survival came at a great cost: their sanity. The minds of the survivors were lost to an extent that not even Primordial blessings could remedy. In the midst of various psychiatric evaluations, only one thing escaped their lips: The Crawling Chaos."

"Well this changes things," Morana remarked while folding her arms and narrowing her eyesight on the projected region.

"If this entity is causing this much damage whilst remaining isolated in one particular region, then who knows how long until it decides to branch out. It is an existential threat that has the potential to wipe out humanity. For their sake, I shall intervene," the Celestial Goddess of Death responded.

"I couldn't care less about humanity's survival; however, I find myself intrigued by this entity. For something to be a significant threat to mortals and the divine is rare. This interests me so I too shall go," the Prodigal Daughter expressed with a flip of her hair.

"Then I entrust this task to you both, may the All-Mother's light shine in your favor," The Architect nodded approvingly thereby leaving them to their journey.

In a remote corner of the world unexplored by human hands was a region swept by wild tundras and sheets of ice. The cruel kiss of winter assailed what would have been large sprawls of rolling plains and greenery as howling gusts of wind and blankets of snow consumed the area. The darkened skies depicted the presence of a fearsome storm coinciding with the influence of a mystical malevolence unattended by nature.

The two goddesses arrived on the scene trekking through the snow unaffected by the harsh cold or the turbulent winds. As they marched along the cold surface devoid of life, the women saw someone in the distance kneeling in the snow as if writing in pain.

"I thought this was a desolate domain," Sakinah observed, surprised by the figure's presence.

"Strange…but…wait, is that a child?" Reina asked in astonishment.

The silhouette came into focus of a small girl with white hair and primrose eyes. Mixed with the whipping winds, audible sobbing noises escaped the child as her tears fell to the ground in the shape of ice droplets. Gripping her sides, she rocked back and forth in agony when wisps of black miasma poured out of her.

"Don't take me away…don't take me away…I'm scared, don't!" she pleaded aloud but to no avail. The sinister vortex spread out as if seeping from every pore in her skin; the fields of snow became painted in a widespread aura of madness.

"Reach out to me!" Morana shouted out as she tried to reach for the girl, but the girl was already lost.

A rip in the air appeared where the girl previously sat that split apart revealing a row of teeth and acidic saliva seeping in between. A pulse of indescribable evil wafted out thus assailing the minds of Morana and Sakinah at the same time. Their consciousnesses were overwhelmed as horrific laughter consumed their hearing whilst visages of lost horrors flashed through their psyches. For the first time in both of their existences, the pair felt unequivocally shocked to their cores, bringing the women down to their knees. It was a sensation that was unlike anything they ever faced before, something that made all evils in creation and the gods themselves fundamentally irrelevant.

Darkness devoured the child-like prey being consumed by a pack of ravenous predators. Her vessel was stripped limb from limb as her skin was peeled back like layers of an onion, the muscle fibers and tissue boiling apart like meat in a cauldron; every inch of her material form was seemingly eradicated as a great terror was birthed from within. A terror, unlike any beast, emerged in her position as a colossal entity strewn together by countless tendrils riddled with maws of ravenous teeth and razor-like scales took shape.

Various tentacles indistinguishable from one another coalesced with countless hands of malevolent energy that threatened to tear apart the very threads that compiled the planes of the material world. This beast was unknown to all, a fearsome foe that would make the greatest of leviathans shrivel and cower before its atrocious form. The goddesses had just witnessed the rise of the incomplete incarnation of the Crawling Chaos.

"It all makes sense now," Sakinah said whilst coming to a realization.

"What do you mean?" Reina asked in response.

"An entity like this cannot come into reality by conventional means; I have read about these beasts during my studies. It is known as an Eldritch Horror… a monster that cannot be observed or even acknowledged unless certain conditions are met. In this case, that girl was used as a catalyst to give it presence in our world."

"Wait a minute…so are you inferring that whoever that child was before was…"

"A tool… she was a child born under the curse of this nightmare and used as a gateway to our reality. I mean… look at this thing, Reina. It is an amalgamation of cursed forms; an ever-growing, ever-changing agent of madness, chaos, and ruin. It does not belong here."

Yes…it is foreign; an outlier that does not fit into the equation of laws that dictate this world. It opposes all of existence. Therefore, we have no choice."

"I concur. Before this thing roots itself into this world… we must repel it here and now."

"Then are you prepared to work together, Sakinah?"

"I will do what I must, Morana. Though I care not for mortal life, there is a limit to cruelty. This thing is a fate I would not wish on anyone."

Their auras boiled out of their bodies at the same time. The Progenitor of the Six Paths summoned her book bathed in golden energy that synthesized with her amethyst aura. The Celestial Goddess of Death drew the black and red blade of Kanemitsu from its sheath while her dark crimson energy burned around her. The intensity from the two goddesses shook the foundations of the region thereby drawing the attention of the mythic beast looming over them. Then in a flash, the battle began.

Morana began the duel of the fates by focusing on the giant amalgamation with her eyesight. Focusing her aura, she aimed the tip of her elongated katana towards the monster's chest cavity channeling a mixture of fire, ice, and lightning into a singular mass of energy.

"Fire Stance - Yume no Haretsu!"

A widespread wave of energy rushed from her sword towards the foul beast looming over the area. In a twist of black, vermillion, and amethyst energy, it combined into a devastating move that should easily pierce the heart of the monster and quell this issue with little difficulty; in fact, it would be considered overkill given the might of a normal Celestial Goddess.

A blinding flash of light occurred upon impact causing the two divinities to shield their eyes for a brief moment. A small part of Morana's mind figured that would at least do something, but her instincts felt otherwise. The light faded and visibility returned to normal for the two, as a result of the grand display was the worst outcome.

"Not even a scratch?" asked the Celestial entity.

"That blow would put the Primordial King to shame. Unleash everything you have, Lady Morana, this is not something we can afford to hold back anything on," advised Sakinah.

A mere shriek of displeasure escaped from the beast's maws which shook the ground they were standing on violently. In response, one of its tendrils came bearing down on their location causing both women to take evasive action. Morana ran alongside the monstrosity's tendrils, slicing at the surface of its skin amidst her ascent. At the same time, Sakinah soared through the air parallel to the Celestial Samurai as she unleashed volleys of various elemental attacks from the opposite side. The two were inadvertently coordinated despite their first tenure fighting together.

Morana proceeded to dive into her arsenal of techniques known as the Resolute Blade Arts electing to follow Sakinah's advice. As she continued her rapid ascent and descent across the beast's numerous tendrils, she held Kanemitsu before her and stared into the reflective surface of the sacred steel. Taking a moment to breathe, she concentrated her focus on a singular point along its edge before chopping it in half with her left hand. To an unknowing onlooker, it would have appeared that she purposely broke her only weapon in half during a critical battle; however, this was all a part of her planned move.

"Water Stance - Okami no Shutsugen!"

The two hunks of steel now became a pair of katana imbued with the properties of fire, ice and lightning as she proceeded to dash along the surface of the monster's limbs hacking away at anything that was not a part of her or Sakinah's body. Under normal circumstances, this technique was able to render spacetime around her foes completely null and void thereby cutting into the core of their being that bound them to the physical planes of reality. Even against foes such as this one who escape all concepts—including space and time—it would nonetheless enforce such ideations onto them. Nevertheless if one were to factor in the circumstances of the creature's existence, it was hard to know whether she was cutting into its core or just a small layer of the entity. Still, she continued her assault.

"Begone!" she exclaimed whilst fusing her blades into one again before diving in with the finishing blow; however, she was not stopping there.

"Heaven Stance - Eien ni Ochiru!"

Instantaneously, the woman channeled a greater amount of aura and pressure into the long edge of her sword. She gripped Kanemitsu with both hands and raised the blade above her head. Gritting her teeth, she dared to gaze up at the creature's "face" to showcase the depths of her resolve. At once, she swung the blade down as a chasm of pure, unrelenting, elemental fury cut through space. The energy shaped itself in the guise of the crescent moon passing through the forest of tendrils and consuming everything in its wake. The resulting collision shook the battleground causing the beast to shudder and shriek in response. It was devoured by dust and debris as a great, tumultuous explosion resonated across the land. Nevertheless, the battle was still far from over.

Around the same time that Morana was beginning her assault, Sakinah was in the midst of devising her own way of fighting the foe. She was still perfecting many of the techniques that she picked up during training, but she felt that she had significant strength to keep this beast at bay. With a small sigh, she opened her book.

"These tendrils with their hideous maws are annoying; flailing about is not making anything better," she expressed as she snapped her fingers.

"Rewrite, The Act of Bestowal. All shall be lost to you."

As the tendrils sought to bat her away like a troublesome insect, she redirected the vectors of motion surrounding them thereby redistributing their kinetic energy by forcing them to knock into one another. Playing a literal game of "Stop Hitting Yourself", she began her foray into combat by making her foe's limbs get tangled up with one another.

"Burn everything to ash in my wake, Pyroclasm!" chanted the young divinity.

Giant orbs of crimson light doused in temperatures high enough to scorch all of existence were generated around the girl, numbering six in total. With a flick of her wrist, the chasms of energy were released upon the bound tendrils colliding them with gusto. The monstrous limbs shuddered under the weight of the explosion and smoke and debris filled the area from the blast zone. However, only small puffs of air were left as hardly even the tiniest fraction of its skin cells were damaged.

"Impressive," she mused as some of the hungry maws were flung towards her general direction to which she quickly sidestepped.

"HA!"

"REEEEE!"

An impact delivered by the girl's palm caused the monster to shriek from the surprise hit which led to the beast writhing in what she surmised was pain.

"Strike down with the fury and vengeance of the great storms, Rain of Unyielding Eternity!"

From behind her dancing train of hair, wings of light spread afar as she ascended further into the sky over her foe. Then cast like a gaze of judgmental wrath, arcs of black electricity cascaded down upon her foe with extreme prejudice carving out marks of destruction like needles dragging along bare skin. Yet she refused to let up her barrage of attacks.

"Gaia's Twister."

Funnels crafted from sand with furious, gale-force winds dredged out the atmosphere to dance over the helpless limbs assaulted by the lightning. As their harmonious chirps of destruction resonated, the howling winds of violence swept up whatever got in its path as shards of iron and dust culminated together to create projectiles of dark matter producing a hailstorm of superdense energy meant to pierce everything that came into contact with it.

"Yes, writhe in pain as I prepare a banquet for your downfall. Know my will and let it be done. Behold, as I hold the keys to your destiny. Rewrite, Fate of Origin!"

Seizing an opening, she channeled her focus on the beast's main body invoking her authority over its will. The damage being dealt to the creature was all but none, yet it still responded to pain. While it was distracted by the barrage of nature's wrath upon it, she would use this chance to end the battle.

"This monster is only going to keep growing more and more problematic the longer we wait to handle it. I'll try to reset this beast where it stands before that moment comes!"

Using her invocation, she focused on the core of the otherworldly horror trying to latch onto the consciousness of the girl that was consumed beforehand. Her goal was to manipulate the narrative surrounding her gruesome transformation and alter her story to set her free.

"What? There's…nothing here?!"

There was no presence of the girl left behind, no trace of her existence at all. It was almost as if she vanished from every facet of reality or rather, she was never truly recognized by a state of being to begin with. A sharp hiss preceded by a roar then wafted out and forced Sakinah out of her authoritarian state overturning her incantation. As she descended from the sky and landed on the ground, the girl was breathing heavily as frustration slowly crept up within her.

"It seems we both have yet to bear fruit with our endeavors," Morana said whilst dropping out of the sky to rejoin the girl.

"Indeed. This monster is outside the domain in which my authority can influence it. I just tried to pull the girl back… she's gone," Sakinah said.

"What? But how…"

"The details are not important right now; what matters is that she is no more. If I can't see her, then she is lost. You will have to trust me on this one, Death Goddess."

"Very well… as much as it pains me to bear the thought of losing a child… so what should we do then?"

"If we cannot destroy it with the elements of nature… then we need to destroy the reality it occupies. Do you have any sort of technique that can isolate the beast within a disposable domain?"

"I do… one in particular for situations like this."

"Good, then we can make this work. You invoke that technique and when you do, I will invoke my own technique to trap your reality within another reality. Once that happens…we create a vacuum in which both realities…"

"A breakdown phenomenon…that is what you wish to cause?"

"Precisely."

"Very well, Sakinah Vashti. Let us end this battle post-haste."

"Lead the way, Morana."

With swiftness unlike before, the Celestial Goddess dashed towards her foe. To say that this monster was massive was an understatement. Its size was incomparable to any creature or deity she ever saw or slain in her career as the Sword of the All-Mother. Nevertheless, it was an obstacle meant to be conquered, an entity that must be eradicated.

Without hesitation, only the purest of focus in mind, the woman calmed herself as she grabbed her blade and began to drag it behind her as if carving out her path on a map. Faster than comprehension would allow, the noble goddess traversed the perimeter engulfed by the influence of the great colossus with drive and ease. She gave herself into her disciplined ways allowing the eye of discernment to forge her path forward.

"Earth Stance - Ryusei no Aki [Meteor Fall]!"

The pathway she carved in space surrounded the beast and proceeded to be contained in a titanic eggshell of blank energy set away from their current reality. As the creature's presence faded, its influence could still be felt in the mortal plane. Holding onto Kanemitsu like it was a lever, the woman began to sweat profusely trying to keep the beast restricted.

"Do…it…Sakinah!"

"I got it from here, Morana-san. Let all be devoured in space outside of space. Nexus - Stellar Demise!"

The eggshell was then devoured by an amethyst orb of light expanding out far enough to hold the container crafted by Morana. The space therein trapped the egg inside the confines of its own independent omniverse outside the influence of conventional reality and isolated to a realm of laws created by Sakinah Vashti.

"Together now!"

"Right!"

The women channeled their auras together in distinctive harmony as they poured their power over the ball of dense, reality-altering powers before them.

"FALL!"

Various celestial bodies, elements, atomic particulars, and the foundation of the innumerable planes of existence destabilized and collapsed upon one another. The layers folded, devoured, and shattered eternally as the fragments contained therein repeatedly fell upon the entity within it. As Morana's elements assailed the beast on every proprietary level, Sakinah's laws shattered it on the conceptual and narrative level thereby creating a chemical formula to completely erase the beast in one fell swoop.

However… the abomination was not so kind as to die here…

The atmosphere cracked. Black lines appeared out of thin air and rapidly stretched themselves across the surrounding space. It was as if someone dropped a single stone across the frozen surface of a lake and the ice started giving way underneath the weight of the disturbance. The cracks spread out faster than the pair could fathom as the poisonous miasma from before leaked out once again. Stunned, the two women felt genuine astonishment mingled with terror upon the realization that their colossal foe was not slain.

An audible crash filled the air as if the world just shattered into countless pieces. Exploding from non-space, several tendrils rushed at the duo. Before they had the chance to evade, they were assaulted directly as the teeth-riddled appendages sliced away their skin and captured them in their embrace. Seizing them high above the air, the monstrosity loomed over the area once again as a terrifying, maniacal, high-pitched laughter resonated in tandem with the gruesome howls emanated by the beast's presence.

"I…refuse to be defeated…by an abomination like you…!" Sakinah spat out with disgust.

Her amethyst aura shifted into a golden hue before a myriad of different colors of every recognizable hue under the sun was relinquished in that given moment.

"Behold, I am the Progenitor of the Six Paths, the Great Divinity set to revolutionize the hierarchy of the gods! I invoke…ALL MY COMMANDMENTS! Thou shalt not envy, nor love, nor see, nor sense, nor live, nor covet, nor envy, nor kill. Thou shalt succumb, relinquish, witness, and Worship ME!" she declared with every ounce of authority in her body. She was not sure whether these commandments would work on the otherworldly entity. The monster was beyond the concept of commandments or individuality, not as a means of being above them, but as a means of simply having forsaken such things. Nevertheless, even if she could not remove its senses, instantly kill it, make it submit to her will, reset its origin, or enslave it, she could still influence the layers of reality set foot upon. She could manipulate the dimension it occupied, remove its energy and manipulate its material existence. As a result of her efforts, a window was created which caused the beast to seemingly freeze.

With that, Sakinah created an opportunity for the women to break free of their bondage. As they dropped down to the ground, small streams of sweat mixed with blood seeped through their clothes and dripped like droplets of rain to the dirt beneath their feet.

"This creature… is getting on my nerves. It's lucky I've yet to become fully attuned with my Golden Ark… otherwise, I'd completely erase it with ease," Sakinah breathed out with annoyance in her throat.

"Agreed… I can only see how much more training I need to do… but I still have one more trick up my sleeve," Morana confessed.

"As do I… let's finish this bastard off, once and for all."

Sakinah alloted the Golden Ark to float before her, opening it up as its pages flipped wildly in the wind. Her eyes achieved a soothing, yet furious glow about them that indicated she was about to pull out something far greater than any technique she utilized thus far in this desperate skirmish.

"Vengeance is mine sayeth I, the one who wields the origin of the paths. Chaos I give unto you, my perfect hatred I bestow you. Let your actions not go unpunished, nor let them be forgiven. For thou shalt bear false witness no longer. As such I curse thee under my authority… Heaven's Divine Will - The Ruling Bodhisattva!"

Upon invoking her words, the tundras of the corrupted domain passed away from sight as all within the controlled area were consumed by a new reality. A golden radiance akin to the shining embrace of the sun illuminated the hollow domain as a giant ring of crimson embers decorated the sky. Floating temples filled with statues of various gods levitated helplessly in the area as if giving reverence to their creator. An invisible veil of solid energy held the weight of those standing within the domain's embrace as a colossal shadow loomed overhead.

The visage of Sakinah rendered on a scale at least 100 times bigger than her original body adorned in fine silks and golden fibers of clothing with six arms sprouting from her back lingered with spiritual energy projections of dozens more behind them. Her two main hands were clasped together as if she were praying while the fabled text from her lexicon floated aimlessly in her grasp.

"Under my authority, I hereby grant permission to Morana," the voice of the benevolent entity spoke.

A small breath of golden wind embraced the Death Goddess' body which gave her a renewed sense of strength.

"In this world, I hold all influence; no individual shall reach into the depths of their truest potential without my grace. Hence why I imparted my permission to you. Now then, Blade of the All-Mother… release your full fury so that we may end this battle at once!"

"Right…"

Morana dashed away from the phantasmal beast and gave herself some room just a few hundred feet or more away from Sakinah's looming body. She adjusted her grip on Kanemitsu once more whilst inhaling a deep breath. Then she tapped the blade into the shapeless ground underneath her.

"I give myself to the Resolute Blade Arts…behold the culmination of body, mind, and spirit. Ultima Stance - Zentai no Michi!"

A twist of crimson and indigo twisted around her body as the harsh winds of ice sparked with arcs of black lightning. At that moment, a giant mass of energy birthed from the combined hues spawned from the shadow of the Specter of Death. An entity covered head to toe in black armor whose face was obscured by a ghostly mist appeared. Its sharp, yellow eyes completely by a visible nose protruding from its face gave a small hint as to what it was—an armored Tengu. Six arms appeared from it as each hand held onto a sword imbued with a different element representing the six pillars of the Resolute Blade Arts: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Heaven, and Void. It was the living embodiment of her skill, one of which was still reaching into the depths of infinity even now and would someday achieve perfect mastery.

"Let us end this in one decisive blow!" Morana declared as she held up her blade with pride. The shadow of the Tengu warrior also held all six of his blades in kind.

"Indeed we shall, with our lives at stake! Vajra, come forth! Multiply sixfold!" Sakinah empowered herself whilst summoning six copies of a golden blade with an amethyst hue along its sides.

The abyssal creature was rendered powerless at the moment, unable to move, unable to shriek, unable to cast even a yelp from its poisonous lips. The realm generated by the young divinity combined with the overwhelming intimidation inducement from the weight of the Blizzard of Death was enough to create an opening that neither goddess was able to muster before. If there was ever a given moment to take a shot at victory, this was it.

"GO!!!!!" Both women harmoniously screamed out as their tremendous vessels descended upon the target like angels from heaven. At once, their blades swung in tandem with another at six consecutive instances. Then a flurry of strikes followed suit that doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and multiplied exponentially from there before delivering a final blow that was meant to cleave the creature perfectly down the middle. In the end, the devastating finale of blows was so potent that the reality Sakinah created collapsed under the weight of the goddess' combined might ultimately resulting in an explosion that shook reality to its core for a brief instant.

Wounded by the raw power, the creature seemingly faded away; but really, it merely pulled apart space and retreated; escaping to whatever outer void it hailed from. With its presence gone, the choking influence disappeared thereby leaving the tundra to return to its unblemished self. The battering winds calmed down as all became quiet. Seizing victory, the two goddesses fell to the ground as they lay back in the snow.

"We did it… we managed to pull it off," Morana spoke in astonishment.

"Yes… but we did not kill the quarry; only forced it to retreat to whatever dimensionless hell it came from. Yet I feel like… that was not all it was capable of. Should it have fully manifested in the world, I do not think we would have been able to stop it," Sakinah made her foreboding feelings clear.

"Perhaps, but we still managed a victory. I admit it was a stroke of fortune to be able to fight by your side. Had I been alone, my life would have come to an end."

"Indeed, you would have met an unceremonious end which would have been a disappointing conclusion for your legend. Though this was merely a one-time thing."

"Oh? Why is that, Sakinah-san?"

"Because regardless of your role in this great play set by Akasha, you are still at the core a human being… and I have yet to find value in your kind."

"Give it time, you will."

"Hmph, we'll see about that."

The two chuckled together for that short moment of bliss. They were tired and unable to move. Being able to chuckle to this degree was a nice escape from the pain. Nevertheless, the victory was only a temporary one. They knew this beast would eventually return, and whenever it decided to, it would not come alone.

In the distance looming just above the clouds, a figure in a red and black hooded blazer looked down upon the two women. The individual was a red-eyed female with dark skin and black hair with red highlights. Her identity was unknown to the women below and her presence was hidden well enough that neither of them would catch onto her.

"You've grown strong, Rei," the female said whilst looking out over the goddess' location, her gaze notably fixated on Morana.

"If either of you were to fall, I was prepared to take care of the monster myself as is my responsibility as an Aspect. However, you both prevailed…" she said whilst having a small smile appear on her face.

"I may not be able to intervene directly on your behalf… but I will always watch over you…dear young one," the woman said.

PRESENT DAY

Location: Cairo, Egypt

The beautiful city of the modern-day empire of sand was strewn into chaos as the ghastly spawns called the Tacet proceeded to rampage through what remained of the metropolis after the arrival of the Abyss Order. The shrieks of terror clashed with great explosions and sirens alike as the crew of the Last Word was set to square off against this ontological evil force.

Akaro and Raizo stood against the Abyss Order. The Red-Eyed Hero dawned his battle attire. As always it consisted of his black jacket with gold outlines, a white shirt, black pants, and combat boots. Though notably, the Envoy of the Crimson Luster bore the guise of the Hallowed Gear of the Dragon God on his right arm. Raizo was much the same. The youth wore his trench coat and kept the growing length of his hair in a ponytail. The youth carried the Eclipse Blades in hand and Soteria on his back. The Godsbane flared up to his Oversoul state soon after his arrival to attain the minimum strength required to face these mighty foes. At the same time the Janus Armor enveloped his body as the youth uttered:

"Peacekeeper."

At once the Janus armor responded to his command by adapting its malleable nanotechnology-based form into another configuration. Peacekeeper was a variant focused on ranged attacks. Raizo's armored helm was enveloped in a hooded cape right as giant cannon-like spires sprouted out from his shoulders and started to float around the Stormbringer. Notably, the power of Oversoul normally manifested as an aura flowed into the crevasses of the armor lighting it up with lines of golden brightness. It was as if the armor itself now had veins.

"Think again, Abyss Order," Akaro uttered.

"This great journey of yours ends here," Raizo followed suit.

The Last Word warped in behind them as reinforcements dropped down to the ground. Satsuki and Ryuko were the first to appear with their fully activated Kamuis further amplified by mana thanks to their training and night escapades. The Symphogears dropped in after them. The ladies of SONG were draped in their suits and ready to go. Lastly, Musashi, Reina, and Arcueid joined the fray with Nirvana hanging back on the ship with the rest of the crew to continue her recovery.

The newly added quartet reinforced Akaro and Raizo's numbers and inadvertently organized individual matches. The masked maiden of the Abyss Order in the purple and black armor glared at the Symphogear users with vicious intent before her helm dematerialized in a burst of purple particles.

"Wait...what? How is that possible?!" Tsubasa reacted in shock.

"Another...Hibiki?" Maria's eyes widened.

"Tch...great...as if one wasn't a headache enough," Chris gritted her teeth.

"What am I supposed to think about this, desu?" Kirika ruffled her hair in confusion.

"Hibiki-san...how?" Shirabe stared in astonishment.

"This just became a lot more difficult," Miku uttered as well.

The Hibiki Tachibana that stood with her fellow Symphogear users was shocked to see her likeness on the other side of the battlefield. The girl instinctively took a step back as a drop of sweat ran down her forehead. That girl's glare was the very same that had brought down many of the enemies Hibiki had faced and to be on the receiving end of it made the God-Slaying Fist tremble where she stood for a split second.

"Even if you are another me… I know where I stand in this fight!" Hibiki declared whilst balling her fist. Though the other Hibiki was not intimidated in the slightest by this display.

Meanwhile, one singular unamused witch found herself against two samurai and a true ancestor.

"Three rustbuckets from a forgotten age? How boring," Vainglory yawned as Musashi and Reina stood before her.

"Heh, that foul mouth betrays that lady-like face. Not that it matters so long as you can put up a good fight," Musashi smirked in kind.

"Your fate was sealed the moment you stepped foot before us," Reina remarked whilst gripping her blade.

"I am normally opposed to teaming up in such a way; however, this bitch's face is quite bothersome," Arcueid spoke menacingly as her nails grew into claws and her eyes flared with murderous intent.

Reina was glad to have allies here to face what she felt was the second coming of that threat she had combated all those eternities ago alongside a younger Sakinah. To this day, she had no idea what that foreign entity truly was, but she did know that sooner or later she'd have to face its mysterious kind yet again. Still, she stood steadfast believing her faith in the All-Mother would allow her to persevere through another war.

The matchups were now set in motion.

"Come, Knight of Akasha, show me what a warrior of your renown can do in the face of the inevitable," the knight in dark armor—Vili—announced whilst pointing her sword at the Hero-King. Her dark helm slipped back across her face like a gelatinous black slime revealing the blonde maiden with pale skin and dark blue eyes.

"You ready, Ryuko?" Akaro asked his partner as she stood by him.

"Yeah, I'll make sure to spice up this bitch's ass-kickin'."

At the same moment, the eye-patched woman with a greatsword stood in preparation for battle against Raizo and Satsuki.

"Now this is the fight card I've been wanting… you, you're the fella that was given redemption right? Tell me everything about it. Maybe it's something I can exploit, or better it… something I can plunder for myself," the pirate grinned insidiously.

"She's… rather untamed, isn't she?" Satsuki observed with uncertainty as she held tightly to her blade.

"I don't know what her deal is… but she's not going to win one over us," Raizo said.

"The name's Bellona," the woman spoke with determination. At once her muscles seemed to swell and her violet aura thrived in intensity like a violent wind.

The female warrior wasted no time. In a single step, she closed the ten-meter distance between herself and Satsuki. Bellona's greatsword fell onto the swordswoman like a meteor. The monstrous blade would have cleaved Satsuki in two had Raizo not used his new spires to fire bolts of golden lightning at the attacker. The power that once belonged to the Primordial God of Thunder struck the skeletal weapon, changing its direction by two inches to the right. This was just enough of a change for Satsuki to narrowly sidestep to the left. Notably, her shoulder was still grazed by the passing blade leaving a trail of blood streaming down her arm. Nonetheless, this gave her ample time to jam Bakuzan into Bellona's gut.

"Not good enough!" the muscular woman proclaimed with vigor. At the moment that followed—Bellona grabbed onto Satsuki's face and promptly threw her high into the sky like a weightless doll. From the perspective of the swordswoman, it was as if in one moment she was safely positioned on the ground with her grip on Bakuzan, and in the next, she was hundreds of meters high. Nonetheless, this was only the beginning of the onslaught Bellona had in mind.

"You can have this back!" the woman screamed with glee whilst leaping after Satsuki. In one swift motion, Bakuzan was removed from her gut and hurled toward her target like a missile.

"Dammit!" Raizo uttered. Once more he arrived just in time by rushing after the projectile. The youth barely managed to catch up to the blade in time to grab onto its handle. Even so, he could not stop the sword's trajectory through sheer strength. Instead, the Godsbane focused his electrical energy on the blade in order to magnetize it to his armored grip. In doing so, he was able to halt the trajectory of the projectile mere inches away from Satsuki's face.

Though noble, this action was not without consequences. Taking the window of opportunity, Bellona caught up with the Godsbane in midair and slammed her fist against the lower end of his back, snapping his spine through the armor. She followed this up by delivering a roundhouse kick to his ribs. The potency of said strike sent Raizo off into the horizon with Bakuzan still magnetically attached to his hand.

Now left defenseless in the air, Satsuki readied herself for the brutal offense Bellona would discharge now that the opportunity was allotted for her. The muscular woman flared up with a violet wind-like aura. This intense, swirling energy gathered around her feet only to then construct a sort of circular platform that let her jump again whilst still in the air. From there she positioned her sword in a thrusting position to cleanly stab Satsuki's gut.

Bellona had a deranged smile as she approached her victim. "I'm gonna enjoy watching your intestines raining all over this desert!" she shouted whilst licking her lips passionately. Her simpleminded and brutal approach that relied most on her vast strength was hard to keep up with, but this battle had not yet come to an end.

Right as Bellona was about to claim her victory over Satsuki—the girl's form was wholly enveloped in a cluster of bright, golden electricity that seemed to emanate from her Kamui. In the following moment, Satsuki seemed to disappear amidst a flare of light, and in her place materialized none other than Raizo. The youth reached for his back and pulled out the full length of Soteria. However, something was different this time. The weapon now sported the visual design and unique characteristics of a longbow with golden accents along its length. The youth channeled all of his energy into it forming a bright, powerful arrow of golden electricity. This was further expanded when the floating spires floating above the Stormbringer's shoulders fired off at the ferocious threat coming his way.

Bellona grunted as she was bathed in the energy. Yet to Raizo's surprise, she wasn't pushed back in the slightest.

"Thanks for the massage, dumbass!" She screamed only to once more create another magical platform under her feet to jump at Raizo, completely ignoring his attack as she simply passed through it and grabbed his face.

"Got you now bitch!" she exclaimed before performing a suplex move that sent the young wolf and herself into the desert below. The heat and energy of her aura combined with the impact produced a ten-kilometer deep hole in the sand and an explosion of violet light. By the time he had regained awareness, Raizo was laid out inside a crater as Bellona loomed over him with one of her feet victoriously planted on his chest.

"That armor of yours is something fierce! Took it like a champ!" the maniacal woman remarked with glee.

"Killing you right now wouldn't be any fun, so rest up okay? Get stronger. Meanwhile, I'll go butcher that half-naked bimbo friend of yours," she concluded before jumping out of the crater without any regard for her opponent. In her mind, he represented no danger whatsoever and Raizo could tell.

The youth coughed blood under his helm as he struggled to get up on one knee.

"She's strong… too strong. Saving Satsuki back then was a stroke of luck. I've always been able to teleport to any sword within Cosmic Foundry by switching places with it. The same principle seems to apply to weapons or other things I have projected into reality such as Junketsu."

The Crusader's head was filled with ideas as he thought about the best approach to take. He was wary of Bellona. He could sense that he had done no true damage to her even with a combination of Soteria and all of his energy.

"The depths of her powers are very inconsistent… When she first attacked us, Bellona was nowhere near as strong as she is now… but I don't think she held back. It's more like as soon as we put any effort into fighting her… her power grew to crush ours. She might be stronger than Arcueid was back when we fought," Raizo pondered.

The situation was dire right off the bat. Bellona was nightmarishly strong and Raizo could also sense that something was off about the foe that Arcueid, Reina, and Musashi were facing as well. Still, he needed to get back on his feet and stop his opponent before she could hurt Satsuki or anyone else.

"We'll get through this…" he psyched himself up before jumping out of the crater in order to resume his part in this deadly skirmish.