Come, my people [Chapter VIII]

[Clash]

As soon as Sparda's guard was lowered, a single steel fin gilded with quicksilver emerged from the ground. Clash streamed through the translucent ice. Miracle's tendrils were working through the crystal expanse and threatening to bury Maricul and herself like god knows what else is down there. Clash's headlight eyes cast murky beams of yellow on the Paradox and her fanatical assailant. The tendrils would have to go. Clash lacked the remoraz, they were left within the tower with Veran, who was now the plaything of a being beyond comprehension. With sharky valor and considerable speed Clash raced along. His body was gilded with the nullifying steel of Shark and Awe, his sword that forces normalcy and negates all powers.

Clash's target was Miracle herself though. She was threatening his mistress, and he was going to end that. Rows upon rows of metal teeth revving and spinning as Clash raced towards the child. She might have enjoyed life had she not met Maricul, Sparda, and the rest of them. Clash knew he was also to blame, but he knew he wanted to leave, to return to the sanctuary of Utopia. Miracle was threatening that Sanctuary, and she would have to be eliminated. "I'M A SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK!" Clash emerged from the ground, maw open as he moved to snatch Miracle up in his jaws, though he required a great deal of precision lest he also struck Maricul.

[Linx]

Dante noticed the fin as it flashed up around his position, immediately warning and marking it for his companions telepathically, 'Walking high into the air to survey the battle from above that seemed to have come to a standstill. Linx too, vanished to appear in the air, observers once more to the grand play unfolding before them. Leon, however, would not be so lucky. Warned by his friends quick eyes and quicker thoughts, he knew what was coming, and could deduce what the shark had meant to do. He held great respect for the being he faced Veran alone, but he wouldn't allow it to stop him from doing his duty. He lurches from the ground into a stumbling run, springing full out, racing the shark as it bore down on it's intended target. Hurtling across the tendrils that lay around thrashing like some great beast in it's death throes, he wove the light around himself, and cried out for aid from his companions. Immediately they knew what to do.

A surge of power from Dante coated the young man in mystical armour, hopefully enough to turn the sharks teeth, and a gesture akin to that of a farewell from Linx, and the earth itself launched the young paladin to intercept the shark's path. "Light, give me strength!" he cries out, and blinding light erupted from him as he hurtled through the air, praying his was fast enough to intercept him, to protect Miracle from the one seeking to slay her. His body was no longer just that of a normal mortal man, with the power in his blood loosed to grant him strength, his form was that of an angel, of pure white with brilliant wings that rocketed him through the air, turning side long as he did so, the looming razors maw of death leaping up to snatch the brilliant young man from the sky.

He roars his defiance as his shield expands, golden light erupting from his palms, but it wasn't fast enough to save him. Clash would smash against the light, and unfully formed, it would smash apart, only deflecting his course instead of stopping it cold. However, that razors maw of his would do more than his body. Some property he possessed dispelled the magical protections of his arms and armour, leaving him bare before death. His left arm was taken from him, along with a section of shoulder, chest and his wing. The shield he'd had managed to form would hopefully launch Clash away, as it surely hurtled Leon back to the ground in the opposite direction.

Once a bright star in the sky, a beacon of hope for people worlds over, now fell limp and seemingly lifeless to the ground, a great torrent of blood displaying his scarlet descent. The glow of holy light and faith that had surrounded him blinked out with terrible finality as his body fought to repair the damage inflicted by the nullifying aura of the powerful shark. The man smashed into the ground with an impact that knocked many from their feet around the crater, and he lay limp, his body broken as his lifes blood poured out, white fire burning along the edges of the massive wound as it sought to heal him.

In outrage, Dante roared in anger, restricted from launching an assault that had destroyed worlds by the outstretched hand of Linx, who shook his head sadly. "The boy has chosen. We will not let his act be in vain. It was not to slay, but to protect." he says softly, and carefully Dante reigned in his anger as they both planeswalked again, taking up opposite sides around the golden dome that encased Maricul and Miracle, Linx on the leader of Utopia's side, Dante on the side of the child prodigy. They would allow no further harm to befall those within the dome, and would stand against worlds of armies to do their duty. Both watched helplessly however, as their young friend lay dieing on the ground below, unable to do more than honor his final actions.

As he lay on the ground, his strength fast fading as his own lifeblood soaked into the hungry earth, his eyes opened weakly, and his voice whispered out. With lungs fast filling with blood, his voice no longer rang out clear and strong, but came out barely heard above the din of battle. "Miracle...please...stop this..." he whispers, blood flowing from his lips as his eyes cloud with tears and his vision finally fades to black, falling unconscious from the agony of losing his arm, alone on the battlefield, hoping his plea and his sacrifice would save them all, would convince Miracle to stop fighting. Whether or not he had succeeded in what he believed his final act, his soul began it's journey towards the angelic realm of his home world, as his body slowly gave into death's cold embrace.

[Clash]

Clash swore, that barrier had thrown him off course and some unknown soldier died for it. For a split second everything felt off, Clash felt the blood in his mouth, the chunks of where what an opponent becoming almost a slurry in his spinning teeth and vanishing down his gullet. This person never knew Clash, never knew any of these people, and he jumped in the way of a moving shark, his barrier failed, and he died.

After the distractions passed, Clash's mind cleared. Things resumed as they had before. The split second of meaningless slaughter had passed, and all that had seemed frozen moved again. "I'M A WRECKING MACHINE!" Clash's warcry filled the air once more as he lunged in. A new barrier came up, Clash swam deep then drove to the surface. The great sharky form took to the air in a massive leap, looking down once more on the form that had fallen before him in a mere second by accident. He almost didn't notice that he didn't make his jump and faceplanted back on the ground with a resounding "THUNK".

[Sincara]

Bullseye. They were down. Both targets were down. Sincara has done the impossible. Eliminated two of the biggest powers who currently existed in the world of Genesis but before she could depart her gun was shot out of her hands by some strange silver haired man and several soldiers under Miracle's command came charging her way with their swords raised up high. Sincara performed a roll to the right, grabbing her fallen six shooter and unloading upon the soldiers that came her way, killing them all. Sincara wouldn't stay, she wouldn't allow herself to be dragged into a prolonged confrontation. They would come to her. She was sure of it. As quietly as she appeared onto the scene of war did she vanish from everyone's sight. Unfortunately for her, she would disappear before learning that Miracle and Maricul continued their struggle that was tearing Genesis apart.

[Ayen]

Maricul endured the power being released by Miracle, standing as her equal despite the fact she currently wielded fragments of Yahweh and Aper's power in the palm of her hands, and despite those mere fragments being enough to crush an entire realm. How Genesis managed to survive the full force of Aper that day was inconceivable and nothing short of a miracle. The Seductress feared what would become of this place in a dragged out confrontation so she had to find a way to put a stop to this fast. One way or another.

“You're better than them. Have you forgotten what I said to you back in Aircano? You don't need God. God needs you.”

As she said this Maricul continued to use her own strength to hold Miracle back, one way or another The High Priestess would hear what she had to say.

“Every deity far and wide wants their people to believe that fate is intangible but what they failed to realize themselves is that they made a fatal mistake in their own creation. They gave it free will. The ability to choose! We can decide to walk down the road already made for us by gods or we can build our own path. This is their Achilles heel. The more we continue to learn and grow the more they become obsolete. The more we continue to forge our own path without the guide of gods is the day that destiny itself becomes obsolete! If you do not want to do this all you have to do is say---! Clash, no!”

Too late. Clash has launched himself up from the ground in an attempt to strike Miracle down only to be intercepted by Leon, who in turn, would breathe his last.

“Foolish man.”

[Miracle]

Miracle refused to listen to Maricul. With her unorthodox strength Miracle pushed Maricul away through the air and stepped backwards with the tendrils to gather distance between herself and the Paradox Warrior. That was when Honest intervened with his power and dared to use the very word of her god against her. She narrowed her eyes over him before her reply.

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

The High Priestess used one of her tendrils to swat Honest away, as if he was no more than a mere fly to her, before bringing her attention back to the Seductress. The soldiers down below continued to strive, continued to have faith and even as they watched their brothers fall to their death, they believed they would be rewarded with eternal bliss in heaven. There was no sorrow, but joy. Miracle felt neither joy nor sorrow. She was stricken by a strong sense of duty that only increased the more she stared at Maricul.

Her focus was so strong it was hardly affected by the forced images planted into her mind by Sparda. The Dark Knight spoke to her but Miracle mind and heart was closed off to the truth. Both mind and heart refused to believe any of that was true. Raising her blade Miracle moved to resume her fight with Maricul until the cybernetic shark came onto the scene but before she could raise up her tendrils to block him another threw himself in the way and Miracle quickly reasserted herself and ram into Maricul with her blade aimed to impale her.

[Ayen]

Pity. That was the emotion to flood Maricul's body as she looked over to the young High Priestess. A girl who willingly sacrificed her whole childhood for a god who was unjust. A god who had closed off her very mind and heart to the truth and even to human emotions. Miracle didn't even bat an eyelash when the man gave up his life to save her. That was so unlike the child she met for the very first time in Aircano. Their home. The home that was taken from them not once, but twice. Maricul couldn't allow this fight to continue. As long as Miracle was in the Crystal Expanse so close to the tower it wasn't safe. Using her agility to evade the single thrust of her weapon Maricul wrapped her body around Miracle and in a single blink of the eye, they were gone.

[Alex]

All hell has broken loose as the wrath of heaven was released on the Crystal Expanse and those who dared to oppose the might of God and his people but just when they began to get a footing in the battle Solomon would witness that harlot, Maricul, grab Miracle and cause both of them to vanish into thin air. Panic entered into Solomon but he refused to show it. As Captain of the Aircano forces he did not have that luxxury. He knew however that they could not continue with this attack while Miracle was currently unaccounted for. Looking over to the survivors of the battle he held out his sword and shouted, "Fall back!" The troops of Aircano began to flee from the scene of war as Solomon led them out of the Crystal Expanse and back to Hallowton.

[Sparda]

Just like that, the tide had turned. Just as Sparda, seeing his gambit fail utterly, had been about to rend his heart with the decision to cast off his refusal to bring Miracle and her troops to harm and strike them down to put an end to this madness before more needless blood was shed, Maricul had wrapped her arms around the tragically mindless child and they had vanished; to where, he didn't know, but Utopia was the likeliest guess.

With their leader gone, panic began to spread through the ranks of her soldiers, and Solomon finally called a retreat. Enraged as he was, the Dark Knight entertained for a long moment the notion of giving chase, of punishing them for the innocent blood they had so gladly spilled; but with his foes on their heels, reason returned to the demon's mind and he grudgingly stood down, lowering his blade and the shrinking walls of his shadow.

As Crystal City's bigoted soldiers made their escape, the Dark Knight stood and watched... and the air around him began to stir. From out of nowhere, black, ghostly figures faded into sight. They numbered in the dozens, maybe hundreds - and they were all clad in the same Crusader-esque armour as Miracle's troops.

These were the soldiers who had fallen to Sparda's ravenous familiars within the Spiral, and been condemned to join their ranks. These blind fools would be denied the heaven they sought so single-mindedly, their very souls rent from their bodies and pressed into servitude beneath the demon who now mastered them... and their precious god, their light and salvation, could do nothing to save them.

"They'll be back," Sparda sneered out loud to the gathered defenders with whom he stood. "And with even more mindless conviction... We should regroup in the safety of Utopia. From there, we'll be able to marshal a proper defence for next time." Sighing heavily, the Dark Knight turned and shouldered his sword, the dark miasma of a portal swirling into life before him that would take him to the summit of the colossal tower. From there, he would enter Utopia on foot.

As he strode on through the gateway of his creation, Sparda's voice would echo through once more. "Such a bittersweet victory. Let's hope this bloodshed was worth it."

[The Supreme King]

Honest stared at her. It would seem despite everything she still intended to fight. Something he could not approve of and even lashed out at him. However since the power of her God had been blocked he stood as an equal to her. Her tendril would never meet it’s target as it seemed that suddenly the space around Honest became superheated burning it to ashes before it reached it’s target. A frown appeared on Honest’s face.

Even if she choose to stand against him he did not wish to fight her. There was a way out of this for here and he was determined to find it. That path however would be taken from him as Maricul took her and disappeared from site. Honest pondered pursing them. Given his current connections it would be a simple task. In the end however he decided against it as he surveyed the damage to the area.

And in the end Miracle what is it you accomplished? Was it the death of your people or the further division of this world? At this rate there will be nothing left to oppose the end. he thought to himself. Still he could not, would not fault her on it. He himself had been in a similar situation once before until someone had come along and saved him from it. He could only hope the same could be said of Miracle. He vanished pondering what his next move would be.

---

Tag: Person to Post Next

Song: ” Honoo no Tobira (Door of Flames)” by FictionJunction YUUKA

Key: Thoughts, “Jaden’s Dialouge”, “Honest’s Dialouge, ”Yubel’s Dialouge”, ”Professor Banner’s Dialouge”, “Neos’ Dialouge”, “Winged Kuriboh” (Note: Anyone beside Jaden can only be seen if that person can see Duel Spirits or ghosts.)