The Valley of Death [Chapter I]

[Silver Eyes]

"Clash?! Is that really you?!" Amoura busted up laughing at the shark's excitement of meeting a familiar face. It was a sight for sore eyes to finally find another from her home world! "Clash! No time! We'll catch up later! We've got a big, big, big problem!" The angel pointed towards the chaotic events taking place, still keeping an arm around Miracle. "Keep yourself safe! There's much to discuss."

Amoura's attention was caught by the change in Aper's aura. She felt like a strange wave of gravity was radiating off him, like two magnets forcing each other away, and the currently cautious hybrid flew back. Unease tried to talk her against opening her Third Eye but she had to see what was going on. Soon as it was freed from the confinements of skin, she yelped and threw her forearm over it from a blinding light. Wait, light? Amoura squinted the eye and carefully lowered her limb to get a look at what could be causing this.

Aper's aura was going crazy! It was expanding, taking on the form of a sun with uncontrolled solar flares. All color drained from her face at this unstoppable threat. It was still growing and it was the reason why all who came through the portals were fading into ash, so that means it'll eventually get to everyone else and if that happens...

"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! NOW! HE'S GOING TO DESTROY EVERYTHING!"

They won't believe her, especially Maricul, maybe Sparda and the angered god that had taken on a much more sinister form. How else could she convince them that they were all going to be eradicated if they didn't get out of here right away? If a god had the power to open eyes, then perhaps she could do it and make them see. The Third Eye moved quickly, rolling around in its socket and lifted the veil...

It opened everyone else's eyes to the unstable aura that had grown thrice in size since Amoura saw it.

"'‘‘Within the mass there is one who is the vessel, the harbinger, and if the Arashi does not intervene he shall send forth his terror into all of the realms.’"! The Arashi's power will now invade all worlds, all realms and destroy all life as we know it all because we couldn't open our eyes and see!"

Amoura snapped her gaze to the Witch and resumed talking. There was just enough time to say this. "I hope your display of power made your existence feel grander, because your selfish desire is dooming millions if not billions of lives! Those souls are on YOUR head, Maricul YOURS!. Even now I hear them all screaming in agony as they die! Are you proud of yourself at your defiance against any and all gods? ARE YOU?!"

Nothing like giving someone a lecture right before a supernova but that point had to be made to the vampiress. Let her bitch back, let her defend her cause--there was nothing she could do on a battlefield that will soon be destroyed. Speaking of which, how will they all get out? Sparda could use a portal but not everyone can run to it in enough time due to how spread out they all were and the aura wasn't in a perfect shape either...

Teleport 'em out. Dad used to do that to entire armies so it shouldn't be too hard for you. Though, mind you, it's going to take a lot out of you so make sure you're near the ground.

"I'll certainly try..."

Don't try just think and it'll happen. Trust me. Just picture everyone, concentrate and take them to a safe location. Anywhere works as long as they are far from here.

"Now we must run..." she closed her eyes, focused as Other commanded and a barrier of white light surrounded everyone's body, "...for the storm is at our heels." A bright flash filled the area and faded, leaving only the Arashi and his path of destruction.

Had it truly been worth it to safe so little over the millions more that will soon perish?

[Aper]

The arcs of energy flashed around the Arashi like waves of corporeal shadows, disintegrating everything they touched. Whether it was fate or luck that guarded the witnesses to the fact was lost on Aper whose mind was now fixed solely on its divine purpose. It looked pass the Legendary Dark Knight, beyond the veil of darkness and at Maricul. There was a brief calm as the Arashi took in every detail of the woman – how fragile she was to contemplate as the shadows neared her position. The stillness was disquieting, the fright was instinctive, like the subtle knowledge that calm only forebode the most terrible thing. In one decisive motion, the oscillations of energy lashed at the vampiress…

And she vanished.

An indescribable feeling of displacement washed over the hallowed grounds of Aircano like a terrible sense of vertigo, as reality itself appeared to warp and bend around the Arashi. The disturbance emanating from the warrior was such as the totality of the destruction it had wrought came back in waves across the land: Gravity held the city with an iron fist. The psychic agony raked the mind. Arcs of energy flared out, crystallizing everything it touched. The focus of power was as such that the tears and portals became massive as even the dislocation of the Downward Spiral was drawn to the primal force of the Arashi. In one monumental act of might, the realms were finally merging.

There was no cautionary approach, no more deliberate actions beyond how the Arashi knew this conflict would end one way or another; total annihilation. The sense of entanglement intensified with each instant. The earth shattered and bled. The molten rock and rubble began to orbit around the herald of destruction, spiralling up to the heavens. Gradually magma and stone turned to diamonds; they coiled themselves around their axis, higher and higher until they could form what could only be described as a dark obelisk, shaped like a multitude of helixes converging unto a single point. The sky roared with celestial vindication; lightning striking at the dimensional barriers incessantly – basking the Arashi in a blue-white glow.

While the intense radiance initially came from the heavens, it soon became unmistakable that it was the Arashi which lit the remains of the holy city ablaze with an opalescent gleam. The darkness that covered the sky had retreated along with the shadows, unveiling the clear night sky. Aper was shedding the physical form he had inhabited for all these eons, gradually letting loose the boundless power that had shaped him. A current of unadulterated white energy rose from the figure and up to the firmament of black jewels above. Slowly their dark texture was replaced with a flawless purity, the light eventually reached the apex and shone over all the vastness of the world. In the end, a final thought echoed in Aper’s mind. More so than the simple notion of rage, or even the commemoration of his mortal days; one final verse of prophecy.

‘‘And so it was foretold that the parallels, once reunited, would be shattered again. That was all: Only the thought of the reason for his stubborn existence. He closed his eyes. And yet still there was that tug at his mind – the reason why he had spared the child and her allies upon laying his eyes on her. Their defeat would be illusory – for the final gambit would have yet to be played..."

He too, had faith.

Thus the captive energy was released, and the Arashi vanished into the light. The conflagration was such as it was felt all over the planet. The distant reaches of Isafaro and Jherrazad would see the birth of a second sun, blinding all upon gazing on the true form of the Arashi’s infinite power. And it grew. It grew, and all nations trembled in awe and fear. The earth shook. Burned. And it didn’t stop. It wouldn’t stop. All of the events of all ages had led to this moment; all the life and death in the world – all amounted to this… The end. A flare traversed the mass upon engulfing the portals that had opened across Aircano, and in the most subtle of ways, the star’s progress seemed to slow. Still it wasn’t enough, and the celestial body threatened to swallow the neighbouring Crystal Expanse. More portals tore open in reaction to the unstable currents. They were consumed all the same. It was only upon reaching the distant portals of the Downward Spiral that, in one heart-stopping moment of dread, the light finally ceased its trek.

Impossibly, it held in place – the portals of the Downward Spiral, while having been effectively closed off, had absorbed the never-ending nova... saving the world from certain doom. And so it was that divine conflict had left its mark upon the earth: A shining beacon for all to remember the events that had transpired into the Holy city of Aircano this day. An effigy clad in the image of a never-ending inferno, and the world’s solitary saviour.

The one no one would ever forget.

Aper… The Arashi.

[Ayen]

Maricul wasn’t ignorant to what was about to happen. She kept her eyes firmly on The Arashi not moving from her spot on the battlefield, ignoring the cries of The Night Angel as she stood there unconcerned with the power that was about to be unleashed. A great light soon filled the area looking to transport the others to safety before the destruction occurred.

Maricul rejected her help.

Familiars broke away from her body, forming in the thousands as Maricul was now covered in darkness by their bodies. They ran for their lives disobeying the call of their Mistress as she just stood there in the face of annihilation….

“HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!
HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!
HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!
HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!
HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!
HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!
HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!
HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!”

Laughing.

Her body began breaking away. A white light shinning from her eyes and mouth as her skin cracked. In the midst of it all her clothes were destroyed and then her entire physical form was obliterated. Wiped off the face of the map as the familiars along with it were destroyed in the wake of The Arashi’s unlimited power.

But only her body was lost.

Beyond human, beyond vampire, beyond witch, beyond god. Maricul has broke through the boundaries and evolved into something more. She reached out her hand through the dimensions that faced extinction and grabbed what she could. Who she could. They would be remembered in history as the survivors of The Arashi. They would bound together to exact vengeance against all those responsible. And Maricul would lead them.

From the ashes of worlds rise Utopia.

[Miracle]

For the second time in the day Miracle was stunned silent. Maricul honestly believed all the things that was coming out of her mouth. She didn't find any of it insane at all. This could only lead to disaster and the High Priestess could not allow this madness to continue. Grabbing onto the vampiress robes, clenching them tightly she spoke with great urgency.

"Maricul please, I beg you. Don't do this!"

Her pleads would fall on deaf ears as she heard the almighty roar of Kyal in the distance. She spun around holding up her hands trying to beg the god to stop his charge but that would be the second person to ignore her pleas as the next thing she knew she was now standing directly in the line of fire with no time to escape the god's wrath. That was until the hybrid saved her life and flew them both up into safety.

"I know you are more than capable of defending yourself, so I will be at your command until this is all over--tell me what should be done and I'll do it as best as I can."

Miracle didn't have an answer. She didn't know what should be done. Flying through the air above all the chaos down below she only thought to close her eyes and pray for guidance and only moments after that action would she hear the Arashi's warning in her head.

‘‘Flee.’’

Miracle eyes went wide open on the Arashi as she could tell something was about to go down. She could sense it in her gut through the mercy of Yahweh. And with Amoura's power she was able to see it. The color in her face completely faded away as she then swallowed. Trying to make a sound to urge the rest to run away but she was unable to say anything at the moment. Luckily the hybrid was on a roll with the rescuing as a bright light started to surround the people on the field to get them away from the Arashi's power. Miracle's eyes went down to Maricul, realizing that the light wasn't touching her. Finally overcoming her shock she cried out to the vampiress.

"Maricul, please! Maricul!"

The light finally claimed Miracle along with the others in the midst of her scream as she was taken away from the ruins of Aircano. The future has never been more uncleared to the High Priestess but one thing was certain as she continued to call out the name of the vampiress. This was only the beginning.

"MARICUL!"

IT IS FINISHED!