View source for Beyond the Gods

==Prologue==
"A new Auxiliary Shadow?" I asked.

"Yep," Jun responded, caressing a mass of holographic data in his hand, which lit up the room with a cyan glow.


Great.

Another Auxiliary Shadow. Not like I needed another one.

I already had a Philly boy who would rather try and flirt with women than do missions, and a literal donut addict of a Hero who would get mad whenever I complimented her hair.


"Listen, Master Jun. I'm thankful for the things you've done for me, but I really, really, really don't need another Auxiliary Shadow. I work fine on my own. There isn't a single god I cannot defeat now with the weapons we've created together. So if anything, I could use another gun or something," I reasoned.


"Oh. Is that so? I guess I'll assign her to Outer Shadow Rollo then-"

"Wait wait wait. Did you just say ''her''? Her? Like a girl, her?" I cut Jun off, my chest beating like crazy.

"Yeah. ''And'' she's pretty tall too, just saying."


I got off my knee and approached my Inner Shadow.


"Boy, you're pulling some dangerous strings here. What kind of girl are we talking about? I... I take back what I said earlier! We've got plenty of room at the Hope estate!" I stuttered like an idiot.


Jun smiled.

"Come on out, '''Infiltration Unit TX7F'''."



Infiltration... Unit?

The sound of high heels clicked in the background, as a curvaceous figure emerged from the darkness.


I realized my mouth was hanging open. Suspense filled the air.


No way.

Master Jun... you god... damn genius!


A pair of cyan eyes flashed in the dark, as TX7F approached us. She had a black skin-tight leather suit, and an incredible figure.

Her black hair was combed neatly across the front through a set of bangs.

Sure she wasn't blonde, but... damn.


"M- Master Jun... aren't you gonna introduce us?" I squeaked, my voice an octave higher than usual.

"Sure. This is Auxiliary Shadow '''Sigurd'''. This will be her codename. Notice how her codename is Norse themed? Just like the Outer Shadows. It's because she's special. I've designed her to be the perfect woma- er I mean Infiltrator. And she will be your closest Auxiliary."


I fell to my knees and knelt before Jun, slamming my forehead against the floor.


"ALL PRAISE MASTER JUN! HAIL!"

''ALL PRAISE MASTER JUN GASKET!'' The Shadows whispered in unison.


The walk back to the Barracks were the most nerve-wracking moments of my life.


And I spent six years fighting deities with nothing but stolen firearms and scraps in the street.


"So... uh... Sig- TX- um... what do I call you?" I asked, nervously, turning to my new Auxiliary.


The android gave me a gorgeous, heart-dropping smile.

"You may call me anything you like. I shall accept it."

"Sex- er I mean Sig. Let's go with Sig. Short for Sigurd." Holy shit I was so nervous!



"Very well. From now on, I will be addressed by my Black Legion codename."

Did she... completely brush off my Freudian slip just now?

Awe... awesome!

Finally!

Someone normal in this crib!

Chrissake!


How long did it take?!

No.

Long enough!


Goodbye, cockblocked life! Even if she is a robot, at least I still had my own waifu to greet me in the morning.

Sarah was fine enough... as far as looks go anyway.

But this one...


Sigurd walked into the barracks, standing at the door. Her hair shone in the lights.

This one is a keeper.


And I only had my supergenius Inner Shadow to thank.


"Dainsleif."

"Yes, my lovely Sigurd?"

"What shall I eliminate first?"


?

What?


"Haha, what are you saying? There's nothing to eliminate here, Sig. You're in my barracks right no-"

"My precepts are to destroy and infiltrate. I have now infiltrated the environment, by taking advantage of your desire to do naughty things with my body."

"HEY HEY HEY! Don- Don't phrase it like that!"


"Ayo, can't a homie play some 2K in peace without Bossman gettin' called out for being a horny piece of- holy Christ! chick alert! Chick alert! Alert!" Bryce screamed, stumbling and falling on his face in front of Sigurd.


Sigurd raised an eyebrow.

"This one has been compromised."


Bryce grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Bossman. Explain this. You never bring girls over. How in the hell did you pick this shorty up?"

"She's... my new Auxiliary. Your new colleague."

"I can see that. But..."


Bryce glanced at Sigurd, who approached the kitchen and inspected the knife, before slipping the blade into her... chest.

"This will be adequate for close-quarters combat," Sigurd noted, before turning to us.



Bryce and I made a squeaking sound that didn't sound very manly at all.


"There is a third person in this complex. My sensors detect an extra thermal signature."


Right on queue, Sarah opened the bathroom door and walked in on us, staring at Sigurd.


"Who- who are you?" Sarah asked, bewildered, before turning to me.

Her face looked like a dog that had been denied dog treats.


"Relax, Sarah. She's not your replacement."

Sarah's face turned red.

"Re- Replacement?! What are you trying to say?!"


Sigurd narrowed her eyes.

"Your magical signature is high. Your musculature is well developed. You are a Hero who specializes in the sword."


Sarah blinked.

"How... how did she know that?"


Sigurd then inspected Bryce, who began laughing like an idiot.

"Heheheheh... inspect all you like, Miss! Hell, I'll let ya inspect me all night!"

"You are extremely unathletic. Lazy. Poor hygiene, and inferiority complex on the size of your own genitalia. You rely heavily on your metahuman ability to generate entropic energy from your cells. Defeating you follows a trivial procedure."


"BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I burst out laughing, pointing at Bryce "Uzi" Jones.

"Bro went and saw God after that roast! I'm dead!" I continued laughing until Sigurd glanced at me.


"I will be the leader of this group." The android said.

"HAHAHA- what?"


Sigurd walked to the far side of the room and stopped.

Her body positioning...

Her body language.


No way.

Was she for real?


Sarah took a step forward.

"Your... your name is Sigurd, right? Perhaps we can get alon-"


Sigurd spun around, pulling the knife out of her chest and hurling it at Bryce at supersonic speed, who was still shell-shocked by her roast.

Sarah and Bryce's eyes went wide.


But mine weren't.


I had already pulled out Draugr from my belt and fired a bullet, which soared into the air and shattered the blade into many tiny pieces.

I fired again, the bullet grazing Sigurd's face.


Sigurd dropped to her knees.

"A gunman, a sturdy swordswoman, and an energy projector powerhouse. The gunman cannot possibly be the leader. Of the three who could have reacted to that knife throw, only the gunman could protect himself. From my analysis, you, Outer Shadow Dainsleif, most likely do the majority of the missions for this cohort, while the other two remain inactive."

"Oh yeah, smartass? And who do you think is most suited to be the leader then?" I asked sarcastically.

"Me."

"Oh, that's great. Fantastic! Glad the problem's been solved then. Come with me." I said, happily.



<div align="center">* * *</div>


"Ummm... Aaron, why are you here..." Jun asked.

"Here's your rusting bitch back. I don't want her." I said, nonchalantly, shoving Sigurd into my Inner Shadow's throneroom.

"The hell do you think this is?! Some kind of Auxiliary Shadow bargain sale? Listen, Aaron. She's your responsibility now. I designed her to be compatible with your team. And for you specifically."

"Well she ain't blonde, and her personality is a train wreck. The only things you got right were her height and her boobs."


Jun put his hands on Sigurd's shoulders and turned the android to me.

"Aaron. Take your Auxiliary back to her Barracks. Your home is her home now. Be the bigger man, like I am."


Sigurd's face began turning red.

"Master Jun, why is her face turning red?"

"Oh. That's because I created her to be attracted to me."


Bigger man my ass! You degenerate boss!


I laughed, putting my arm around Jun.

"Master Jun! My man! My very very... young... and hormonal... man!"

I brought myself closer to the Inner Shadow.

"Dude! You ''cannot'' do this to me. She is ''cracked!'' Cracked! I can't deal with her! I have two crazies living with me already! I don't ''want'' a yandere! Please, I beg. Take her back. I don't want her. It. This... thing. I don't want it! Get it out of my sight!"

"Umm... Aar-"

"No! That's enough! She's trying to take my job! With what... this weird ass analyzing thing? What is she, Dr. Cooper from TBBT? It's creepy!"

"Aaron-"

"And for one thing, what is the whole deal with giving her such a seducing body anyway! She's a metal doll. She ain't even human! What the hell is all that seducing gonna do if the guy winds up having his rocket stuck in a USB port? Are you stupid?"

"Aaron!" Jun snapped, causing me to pause.


I slowly turned around, to see Sigurd staring at me.

And the color left my face.


"I'm... I'm aware of that... I'm not a person. I... I was not aware that my presence was..."

"Wait. Sig, I didn't..."


Why was I feeling bad for a machine? You mean to tell me that-


"There was no deceiving... in the hallway leading to the barracks. Dainsleif." Sigurd muttered.

"No deceiving? What are you talking about?"


Sigurd clenched her fist. This... seriously wasn't happening right?


"When I smiled... there was no objective reason behind it. You called me by something other than TX7F. No one has ever called me anything other than that on the first meeting. You were the first person to."

"Sig-"

"However." Sigurd's blank expression returned.


"Should I be incompatible with your team, I shall proceed to dismantlement. Thank you for giving me this experience. I shall cherish it upon termination."

"What?! What are you talking about? Don't go dismantling yourself! Hey!" I stammered, running after Sigurd as she left the throneroom, heading to the dismantling plant in Gasket's world.


Inner Shadow Jun Gasket chuckled.

''I designed her to be compatible with your team. And for you specifically.''


This damn android woman!

"SIGURD!" I wailed, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her away from the entrance to the demolition factory.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay! Come on! Don't get yourself dismantled for god's sake! Come back with me, okay? I'll show you your room. I won't abandon you, I promise." I breathed heavily, trying to catch my breath.


Sigurd regarded me for several seconds.

What was she gonna say?


"That time... was to deceive."

"Heh?"


Sigurd smiled.

"My views on you being different from the others are genuine. However, I wanted to see your reaction upon learning of my destruction. It amuses me to see that you truly care for me. Even if I am just a 'rusting bitch'."

"Wha- you- You-" I stammered, as Sigurd turned around.


"Shadows."

''Yes, Lady Sigurd.''


"My first order. Take Master Dainsleif and me back to the Barracks. I wish to commence my onboarding with my team."


==Gasket's Realm==
"What? Let me join! What you tryna play, huh?!" Bryce squealed after me.

"Only Sarah and I can go. If I bring too many people they'll become alert. We're also the only ones who can withstand any Anti-Narratives via. Chakra Control. I'm not saying you can't handle it..."


I scratched the back of my head. Bryce's face turned red.

"You ''are'' saying it!"

"Look, all I'm saying is, we need to split up. With every second, I'm becoming more and more anxious. We've already sorta secured Kon... eh. Yeling's got that covered. But Master Jun... I'm worried. And I'm especially worried for Annie since she went to him to get upgrades. She's a smart girl but she has limits too. And now she's cybernetic. She's not as pragmatic as she used to be. I want ''you'' to check on Shosuke."

"You're leaving me to check on ''that'' guy?!"


I wagged my finger at Bryce's face.

"Yes. Look. Think of it as a Japan vacation. Who knows, maybe there will be tons of new manga and anime you never knew of!"

"You're getting more cap as it gets! Shosuke's Japan is boring as hell!"

"Apologize to every Japanese person in Earth Eta right this instant!"


I grasped my hair in frustration.


"Just go! I can't have you go to Annie."

"Why not?!"

"Because everybody here knows you have a thing for her! You'll get distracted!"


Everybody went silent.

Sarah blinked.

"Bryce has a crush on Sigurd?"


Bryce choked.

"Oh wow. Thanks ''Hero'' Ultear. As if that wasn't already awkwardly obvious enough! Why did you have to go and out me like that, Bossman?!"

"Relax, as if no one was already aware."

"Sarah seemed pretty damn surprised!"


This guy was seriously giving me a migraine!

"Fine. I'll give you a test. If you can pass it, you can come with me and Sarah will check on Shiki."

"Hell yeah. Esketit!"

"Shadows. Bring in... the ''thing.''"


''The thing, Master Dainsleif?''

''Sir Dainsleif wants The Thing.''

''The time has come. We knew it would be coming.''

''What shall become of us if she finds out?''

''It is our purpose.''

''Yes.''

''No.''

''We cannot allow her to know.''

''Yes.''


"Just bring the damn thing already!" I snapped, causing the Shadows to whimper. From within the dark mass, I pulled out a very rare image of Annelise in a swimsuit.

"Focus on this image and answer the following question. I've gone through this with you before when helping you improve your Scarlet Eagle attack. If you can answer this correctly while staring at Annie in a thong I will let you come with me. Here goes: if a crossbow bolt is fired facing down and enters terminal velocity, is the velocity going to be greater than, less than, or equal to if the bolt is dropped from rest at the same altitude?"

All the color left Bryce's face.


"How is her hourglass- Er I mean, One Hour per glass. One glass per hour. Two big hourly glasses."


<div align="center">* * *</div>


"This is discrimination! Imma cancel yo ass! Wait till I get access to the internet you whack boss! Imma hit up my boys! I swear to god!" Bryce shouted after Sarah and me as we stepped into the Shadows, our destination: Master Jun's world.

The Shadows started to distort space and time around us, as Bryce's internet threats began to get quieter and quieter.


"You didn't bring Bryce along... for another reason. Didn't you, Aaron?" Sarah asked.

I didn't answer.


Because she knew the answer.

We all did.


I clenched my fist, and the image of Robbie playing video games in his room appeared in my mind. The kid who had the coolest action figurine collection ever, the innocent smile of a kid who was given a second chance at life... only to sacrifice it for all of our sake.

I honored his death.

But...


But I was not going to let it happen again.

I can't... I can't have another person important to me die.


First June, then Robbie.

I can't lose anyone else. Even if it is a 1% chance that Vicki's blessing on Bryce could fail, it was an absolute.


I had faith in Sarah. She, at the very least, was the tankiest out of all of us.

But if Bryce entered character de-resolution again like last time...

I'd...

''What's... What's Philadelphia?'' A heavily distorted Bryce muttered in my head.

Hakah's body couldn't take anymore use of Susanoo. She had to save her strength in the final battle against Vala once Loyce was out of the picture.


And that would mean Bryce would die.

I won't know if I could keep going anymore.


This mission wouldn't be worth keeping on. And even if we did end up in the home stretch and defeat Loyce and Vala... the costs would be so great it would be no different than losing.


"Sarah..." I said.

"Yes?"

"Remember our promise. We will come back to each other when all of this is over."

"I will believe in you, and you will believe in me," Sarah replied, as I turned to her.


Sarah laced her fingers through mine.

"Who will raise your children, Aaron? And of Sakura? I can't do it alone."

"Hell no you can't. It's a job meant for the two of us. Swear by it," A smile crept on my face.


The future was going to be decided by us.

I will do everything in my power to make sure of it.


Sakura will have a happy life, free from the burdens of her predecessor. Yeling, Vicki, everybody. Bryce, Sarah, Annie, Jun, everyone.


We will have a happy ending.

And no whack ass stud of a Demon Lord or a deranged Spirit of Hope was going to stop that from happening.


The Shadows transported us into a round, floating city in a purple expanse.

The structure was silvery and white, like a heavenly construct. The gates of Jun's Machine World were guarded by heavily advanced S Rank sentries who would stand by it every day for eternity.

The architecture of Master Jun's world was nothing short of advanced. After all, Jun was a supergenius inventor.


Now, when I say Master Jun is a genius, I'm not talking Iron Man genius.

Or even genius to the level of being able to build a nuclear power plant.


There is a reason behind Master Jun's ranking.

It was the absurd amount of knowledge and intelligence the guy had, and the fact that he was a Stage Five Dogma Holder for '''Hachi''', the God of War and Archery.


Jun learned to speak when he was two. At that time, he displayed a cognitive ability capable of learning mathematics. Teaching it himself, Jun quickly went from a thumbsucking toddler to being so well-versed in mathematics that he was able to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, an accomplishment that shocked the whole world. Jun's intelligence was so terrifying that his parents put him up for adoption due to believing that Jun was a "devil child", and that he was considered "abnormal". Despite being disowned by his parents, this did not stop Jun, who sought intelligence acquisition as his only reason to live.

When Jun was three years old, he was able to prove that his universe was in fact not expanding, but that it was distorting inward through what was known as '''reverse entropy'''. Through mathematical derivations, he was able to show that the entropy of his universe, when viewed on a super infinite scale, in fact, did not branch to infinity, but would eventually curve the other way.

At four years old, Jun learned of a way to prove the existence of reverse entropy, and proposed a way to generate a '''white hole'''.

At five years old, Jun picked up a book on engineering and science and began dabbling in the industry, using his fame as a "miracle child" to accrue mass investments from aspiring investors. And thus became the start of his technology empire.

Since then, Jun's inventions became scarier and scarier, using cutting-edge quantum technology.


I had the utmost faith in Master Jun's abilities.

But...


That all shattered, upon seeing the state of our world.


"No..." Sarah whispered.

My fist began trembling, blood leaking past the crevices of my fingers.



The whole realm, was destroyed. The sentries that always guarded the gates were turned to ash, and the great walls of the floating city were already mostly disintegrated.

The numerous civilizations that Master Jun had rescued from doomed realities...

I had no idea what had happened to them.


But the cities that they lived in this floating fortress were in ruins.

These were all people who Jun had promised Sanctuary.


They were supposed to feel safe and protected, after a life of hell and misery.


What kind of monster would ruin all of that?



I took a deep breath.

"Loyce," I muttered angrily.

I will make you pay.


I don't care if you can change the whole narrative of this entire mission. Of this battle.

No matter what the narrative is.

No matter how much you change my character, or who I am.

I guarantee you this.


Out of all the Aaron Hopes that you can change me into.

There won't be a single one who won't leave you unscathed for everything you've done.


Footsteps broke the silence.

"Cover," I instructed Sarah, the two of us concealing ourselves under the husk of one of the deceased sentry units.

All the while, several voices filled the air.


"Many more shall fall victim."

"Those who begged for their lives never deserved Lord Sol's mercy."

"Yes."

"We shall kill all those who dare defy Lord Sol's presence."

"Kill them all."

"Yes."

"That is good."



I felt Sarah trembling next to me, her eyes were full of murderous intent.

"No." I put a finger to my lips.

Sarah clenched her teeth.

"They slaughtered them... the refugees... the ones who fled their doomed world. Master Jun saved their lives and put a smile on their faces, and these monsters slaughtered them... they slaughtered them!"

"I know, Sarah. But if we do anything reckless, they'll slaughter ''me'' next! Let's lay low for now. Our top priority is finding Annie and Jun."


Sarah took a deep breath.

"I- I know. Forgive me. I let my emotions..."

"It's okay."


I waited for the voices to leave and explored one of the abandoned cities. Sarah trailed behind with her Obsidian Knives in her hands.

I looked around.

If I summoned my Shadows here, I might risk alerting any searchers.


"Sarah, can you help me search for survivors? We'll use Sense Magic." I whispered.

Sarah nodded, as she concentrated.


''Cosmic Aspectum - Great Navigator's Radar''

''Aspectum - Full Radar''


The two of us walked around the ruins, our respective searching spells looking for any signs of life.

The lower the chances got... the angrier I became.


I approached a torn-down structure. The rocks were still stained with blood.

And on the ruins, was the sign:

''Saint Bethany's Orphanage.''


I bit my lip and walked inside, to see blood splattered everywhere, but no bodies to be found.

The bodies must have disintegrated from narrative de-resolution. The blood must have been signs of struggle from those lucky enough to withstand it for a time. But seeing as there were no entrails or any remains meant that they too, ultimately succumbed to Aran's influence.

If they were going to end up de-rezzed anyway...

What was the point of these sick bastards killing them in the first place?


I approached a beat-up bracelet and regarded it, remembering the one Saki had made for me before throwing it at my chest angrily.

"Aaron..." Sarah's voice said shakily, as I turned the other way and approached my Auxiliary.


"What is it?" I asked, my heart beating faster and faster.

Sarah looked at me, her face pale as a ghost.


"Do you... do you recognize this?"

I knelt down next to her and inspected the object that she was pointing to, and my heart stopped cold.


It was an arm.

Wires were sticking out of it, but blood stained the metal as if it was...

Cybernetic.


"No way... no... this can't be happening..." My voice wavered.


I spun around frantically, trying to search for more clues.

"Sarah, we need to use Aspectum again! That's... that's ''Annie'''s arm!"

"Aaron! Calm down! We... We need to think..."


I breathed heavily, trying to formulate a plan.

But my anger was overflowing.


Annie's arm was cut off by something. Could it have been one of the Cultists?

No.

The way the arm was severed was cut in a way that was almost intentional. The patterns didn't look to be from a direct clean slash. Annie was far too fast to let something like that happen to her.


I knelt down and inspected the arm, cautiously.


It was cut by a blade.

A high-speed blade.

Annie's High-Speed Series Ronin blade, meaning she had amputated herself.


I glanced at a nearby piece of debris and picked it up.



"Aaron... what are you doing?" Sarah asked.

"Chakra auras up. I'm gonna try something," I instructed, as I aimed the rock at the arm and tossed it.


Just as I expected, the rock disappeared. As if any trace of its existence was gone.

If I hadn't picked it up or noticed it, no one would have known the rock was ever there in the first place.



Sarah gasped.

"The anti-narrative!"

"So that's it. Annie was afflicted by Aran's influence and was able to cut off her arm before it got to the rest of her. Part of me is relieved... but a part of me is worried sick. Hakah had given us all a blessing through her Susanoo to resist Loyce's reality warping, but now we know that blessing isn't enough to resist Aran's anti-narrative powers."


I gritted my teeth.

Dammit!

I... I should have checked up on her first.

I should have...

But what could I have been able to do?


At the time I didn't even know anything about Aran Sol. I would have gone in blind and been de-rezzed instantly.


Just like Annie did.

"Aaron... we need to have faith that Sigurd is alive," Sarah said gently.

"The facts... the odds and the chances are slim to none... what can I possibly do?"

"We believe in her." 


Sarah wrapped her arms around me from behind, resting her head against the back of my neck.

"I'm terrified too. But it's in times like these that we must remain strong for her sake. Out of all of us, Sigurd was always the closest to being your successor."


That was true...

Many people actually compared her to me. Since we had similar fighting styles.

While I used the Six Hands Trigrams Gunfighting style, she came up with her own, known as the Eight Blades.

Even her accelerated thought processing power, Ultraspeed Processing, was inspired by me.



Faith...

I needed to have faith.


"Faith... is such a human notion."

My eyes went wide, as the figure of a towering monster appeared before me; its talons inches away from my face.


I couldn't... I couldn't escape this!

I couldn't even anticipate it coming!

Usually, when there was a threat, especially something of this magnitude, I should have been able to predict it from subtle clues in the environment.


But it was as if this monster had just appeared out of thin air.

It didn't matter anyway.


There was nothing I could do.

The limits of my reflexes... there was nothing I could-


CLANG.

Sarah deflected the talons with Ygviil, sliding back, her body bumping into mine as I sprawled on the ground.


"Aaron! Are you okay?" Sarah seethed, struggling against the force of the monster.

I narrowed my eyes at the opponent.


If it was strong enough to put Sarah under so much strain from just one hand, that alone spoke volumes to its strength.

I never encountered something like this before...


But why did I feel so terrified?


The monster regarded Sarah.

"A Hero... the natural enemy of Demons. How unfortunate I would have been if I faced you as I was when I invaded Millennium City so long ago."


My heart skipped a beat.

Millennium City?


I stared at the monster as it bared its fangs, pushing Sarah deeper into the ground, but Sarah shifted her weight, forcing the monster to slam into the ground. Sarah leaped into the air, her sword held back, but the monster spun around with blinding speed, to her surprise.

"Wha-?!" Sarah gasped, before the monster landed a punch to her side, then another strike to her head and smashed the Hero into the ground, creating a shockwave that blew me back.


Sarah struggled to her feet, breathing hard. Blood gushed down the side of her head and leaked down her face.

The monster bared its fangs again, this time in the form of a contorted smile.

"A Hero is destined to fight Demons. But I am no ordinary Demon."


Those horns.

That strength.

A strength that was enough to draw blood from an S+ Ranked Sarah Ultear, a Hero of Kalidas.


"Do you feel it? The fear in you. That is your body warning you. Human boy." The Demon turned to me, a deadly green aura surrounding it.

"Stay away from him," Sarah snarled, materializing before the monster's face and slashing with Ygviil, but the Demon simply blocked it with its forearm, then grabbed her by the face and delivered a punch to her midsection.


Sarah's eyes widened as she spat out blood, slamming into the ground, before the Demon stomped on her with its foot, pressing her face.


I tried to summon my magic, or do anything.

I normally would have sprung into action immediately.


But my body wasn't listening to me.

No.


It ''was''.

The only problem was that it was responding in slow motion.

So slow that it was almost not moving at all.



The Demon leaned in and regarded Sarah, who gritted her teeth.

"The boy understands. Why can't you? Is it because you are a so-called Hero? Is it because you are used to the narrative that the Heroes always defeat the Demon King in the end?"


Sarah tried to reach for Ygviil.

I wanted to scream at her to stop, but I was completely suspended in time.


The only reason why I could even see what was happening must have been from my Hyperthought processing.

But even with that, it was like watching everything in slow motion.


"Stupid, ignorant, girl. Very well then." The Demon said as he raised his fists.


Sarah slowly turned to the Demon in defiance, her body still pinned down.


Stop...

Stop!


SMASH.

I watched as Sarah glared at the monster, tensing for the impact. The Demon pummelled my fiancee with his fists over and over again.

Each time the monster's fist left the ground, Sarah's body became more and more bloody.


SMASH. SMASH. SMASH. SMASH. SMASH.


Before I knew it, Sarah lay motionless in the crater, her body was covered in blood and her clothes in tatters.

The Demon then turned to me, raising a finger. My body suddenly regained its ability to move.


I stumbled forward, and against my will, I fell to my knees before the monster, who smiled evilly.


"Very good. You, at the very least, unlike your woman, know the limits of your strength. Especially in the face of an '''Apex Primordial Demon'''."


Move...

Move your stupid body!

This guy... this guy hurt Sarah and you're just gonna kneel like a little bitch?!


I forced myself to glare at the Demon, but my body, for some reason, was alerting me with every danger signal imaginable.


I opened my mouth, forcing my voice to come out.


"Why... why are you here..." I croaked.


I already knew how terrifying this Demon was.

I had seen it for myself back when I visited Valerian with Yeling.


But now...

Now he was an Apex Primordial.


The Primordial who was standing before me was even stronger than the one who terrorized Millennium City and nearly caused the destruction of that entire universe.



Dasc Osa bellowed a sinister, evil laugh. His ancient voice boomed across the ruins of Jun Gasket's world.

"Isn't it obvious? This is my world now. Many lifetimes ago, my chance to rule the Champions Universe was denied as it was destined to be taken by Aran Sol. However, I have seen the fate of ''this'' world. Through my '''Achronologia'''. This realm is mine, and mine to rule."



Dasc's aura expanded violently, transforming the purple skies of Master Jun's world into a pale, ethereal green.

"You boast of a power strong enough to defeat gods. But will this power be enough to kill a being who even gods fear?"



==God of Trickery==
Dasc rushed forward with an overhead strike.

Time seemed to slow down, my movements had become sluggish.


No matter how fast my brain could react...

My body couldn't move in response to it!


I was basically foreseeing myself getting slaughtered!


WOOSH.

Dasc's fist bounced off Ygviil, as Sarah shielded me, her teeth clenched and her eyes wild.

Dasc raised an eyebrow.

"You are the first Hero I have met who withstood those blows. I still remember when the Iron Sentinel used to boast about his resilience only to fall to a mere finger flick."


Sarah snarled, throwing Dasc's fist out of the way and rushing forward, but Dasc grabbed her by the face and slammed her back into the ground.

Move!


Move, you stupid body!

Sarah struggled to her feet, only to be hit by multiple combinations of Dasc's punches.


Why...

SMASH.


Sarah flew backward into me. I managed to catch her but the momentum sent us both back, slamming into the face of a destroyed building.

Sarah breathed heavily, as the dulling effect of my movements ceased.


I scrambled to my feet, inspecting my girlfriend's wounds.

"Sarah... stay here. I think I've got an idea how to fight Dasc. You just-"

"Aaron..." Sarah wheezed, one of her eyes was closed due to a large stream of blood leaking down the side of her head.


"I know about Achronologia. I was only able to withstand its influence through enormous amounts of Chakra. We still can't risk you using too much as you are."

"But you can't... you're-"


Sarah smiled, leaning in and kissing me.

"I have no intention to die. I have faith that you will find a way to defeat him. I will withstand his onslaught just long enough until you find it."


"Are you two lovers finished?"


The building ripped apart by the sheer aura of Dasc's power.


Sarah bolstered Ygviil and charged the Demon, exchanging blows.

"Where's your male, Hero? Or has he abandoned you for his life?" Dasc chuckled with amusement as Sarah began slicing at the Primordial with her sword to no avail.

"If you can't even put me down, forget about trying to go for my husband, you moronic Primordial," Sarah snarled sarcastically, as Dasc grabbed Sarah's sword hand in indignation.


"You dare insult a Pri-"

"A Primordial who backs down from his own kind and must resolve to stomp on weaker life forms to validate his existence. Am I wrong?"


Dasc roared, brandishing his wings and slicing into Sarah, whose eyes widened.

Each time Dasc landed a blow, my heart felt like it was twisting in pain.


But I needed to focus.

Sarah was doing this for me.


I had to come up with a plan...

But for some reason, nothing was coming to mind.


"Of all my centuries dominating realities, I have never lost to beings who were not Primordials. I certainly will not lose to a twenty-year-old ''girl'' whose only weapons are a mere metal stick and sarcasm!"

Dasc slammed his fist against Sarah's head, but Sarah retaliated with a slash of Ygviil.


The two skidded back.


Sarah...

Of all my Auxiliaries, if I got to choose who could come along with me in a full-on slugfest, the logical choice would have been the Hero of the Cursed Sword.

Only Sarah could withstand the punches from an Apex Primordial Demon like this.

If I brought Bryce as he insisted, the cheesesteak addict would be toast. There was barely any organic life at his disposal in Jun's world for him to regenerate. Absorbing the refugees here was absolutely out of the question.

As for Sigurd, I remembered how she once stormed Destruga to get to me. By the time she reached Gigaton, she looked like someone had stuffed her body in a washing machine and then ran her over with an F150.


But even so...


Dasc struck Sarah again, over and over again, but my fiancee refused to fall.

"You... little bitch! Fall already! The amount of damage I've dealt to you has been enough to destroy a Solar System!"


Sarah raised her sword and pointed it at the Primordial.

"Never."


Part of me wanted to shout "Listen to him!"


Logically, Sarah was the best choice.


SMASH.

Sarah flew backward violently once more, bombarded over and over.


But this wasn't a call that I could make easily.


And Sarah knew that.

She knew...


"All that time your precious Ultear bought for you, and the only thing you did was watch her get brutalized. Disappointing," A voice said, as I spun around.


A woman was hidden behind the shadows of the building.

Her helmet had two long horns which curled upward, but I could tell she wasn't a demon.


"Who-"

"God-Eater. So where is it?"

"Where is what?!" I snapped. I felt like falling apart. The girl I loved was trying to buy time for me, but I couldn't even think straight. And now there was this stranger who was setting off the remaining danger alarms in my head.


"Your plan. The plan you promised you would make for her. All I see is a loser who's being protected by his girlfriend."

"Wha- you-"


I was at a loss for words.

A plan...


I should have come up with one already.

Hell, I should have come up with one-


"You should have come up with one the moment I saw the monster. In fact, you should have anticipated Osa would be here. And you should have anticipated that your chakra would be insufficient to deal with that monster."


"Who do you think you are? You-"


The woman scoffed.

"And to think that Sarah was your best bet against Dasc? Even if your narrative has been influenced by this world, this is a bit far, don't you think?"


My narrative...


My narrative!

What the hell was I doing? Wallowing around like this!

I...

I was supposed to be someone who had a plan, who was always five steps ahead of my opponent. This was not five steps ahead! This wwas five steps the wrong way!


I spun around to look at Dasc.

A...

A weakness...


A Demon who could think back...


KABOOM.

Sarah hit the ground again, defeated. Ygviil skittered to the other side of the city, as Dasc stomped on my girlfriend's head.


"Enough games," Dasc grumbled, kneeling down in front of the Hero and picking her face up by the hair.

Sarah sneered at the Demon, but her bloodied face made me want to fall apart into tiny pieces.


"I am going to kill you. I was asked by Lord Hal to spare the boy. But nothing was said about his woman."


I gasped, struggling forward.

"N- No... think... Think!"

Think!

Think you stupid brain.

You useless brain.

You...

You...!


''And to think that Sarah was your best bet against Dasc? Even if your narrative has been influenced by this world, this is a bit far, don't you think?''

I slowly looked at the woman in the shadows.

She gave me a condescending glare.



Sarah was not the best bet against Dasc in this situation.

That was what she implied.

But there was no way.


What kind of idiot would get anyone else tangled with this Primordial?


"Utterly disappointing. I even gave you a hint," The woman leaped onto a broken column and gazed into the distance.

"Your argument makes no sense," I retorted, trying my best to focus on the plan and not the fact that I was letting Dasc beat up Sarah.


"For one thing, Sarah is the tankiest one in this group. There's literally no one else who can face Dasc!"

"For a creature who can manipulate time like Achronologia, you think resilience is the best option?"

"Well, what else is there?!"


I clenched my fist.

"I've had it with your BS. You're just here to distract me. Once I'm through with Dasc I'm coming for you-"

"No. You will never be able to defeat me. No matter how hard you try. No matter how much power you gain..."


''Convocatio - Ultimate Draugr''

I whipped out my handgun and fired at the woman, but the bullet went straight through her.


An illusion!

I spun around, activating my Aspectum.


"I know you more than you could possibly think. After all, of all the people in your life, I was, and am, one of the closest people you ever had."


I felt the woman's hand grab my head, but before I could do anything, she slammed me into the ground. I watched Draugr slide away.


"Here's another hint, just out of pity. If you can even call it that. I'm practically giving you the answer, but I doubt you will accept it right away."


"I'm not listening to you, you nutcase!" I growled.

"And you're going to throw away any chances of saving Ultear? Look at her, Dainsleif. Look at your Auxiliary."


The woman forced me to watch as Dasc charged forward, a green light appearing before Sarah before exploding. The charred body of my girlfriend was sent airborne.

"The best Auxiliary Shadow who could have stood a chance would have been Sigurd." The woman said.


Sigurd?

Are you serious?

"Oh. So you're another dumbass then. Sure, I'll send Sig right away. Let her land a few blows before getting one shotted from a lucky hit! She may be faster than Sarah and is the fastest Auxiliary I have but speed alone for an A Rank is too much of a risk against-"

"See? I figured you're too stupid. To even think you're Aaron Hope makes me nauseous with disgust. I was told by Vala and Loyce that this was the outcome with which everything would play out for us... main cast. But even I am baffled. At this iteration of Aaron Hope. The least logical and most irrational of them all."

"Why you..."


I forced myself up, summoning my DS35's which surrounded the woman.

"Those horns. Illusions. And now you're playing mind games. I figured as much," I snarled, aiming my Draugr at her, then firing behind me.


The real one caught the bullet with ease, behind me, and landed on the ground, regarding the projectile with curiosity.

"Then why don't you say... who I am," The being smiled evilly.



"You're a god. And I'm not gonna fall into your traps. You can approach me however you want, but if you think mind games are going to save you from me, then you're just like the rest. I've killed many gods. You're nothing special."


"Oh? I'm nothing special? You ignorant boy. If only you knew the full picture. I am... very, very special. Especially to you. I know everything about you, what you like. If you want, I could even change my hair to blonde. I can accentuate my curves, and even change my entire personality!"


"Zip it. Man or woman. Doesn't matter what sexuality you go for. I'm not gonna be fooled by you, '''Loki'''."


Loki smiled, turning to the fight. Dasc was still beating on Sarah, but Sarah was still holding her own.

Hang in there... hang in there Sarah!


"You can claim to not fall for my tricks all you want. But you know it in your heart. In your situation, even as we speak, you are considering my solution. And you will soon realize there is nothing you can do. Even if you are aware that everything I say can potentially be a lie or a means to manipulate you into doing what I want, you ''know'' you don't have a choice."


Loki held out his/her hand, wiggling their fingers until something resembling a Convocatio chant appeared in front of me.

It was a Thompson Contender.

"To defeat Dasc. And to search for Sigurd. The city of '''Trion''' still holds survivors. They were saved by her."


I clenched my teeth.

This was 100% a trap. But I needed to find Sigurd.

I needed to stop Dasc.


Loki was right.

I had no choice.

Not right now.


I eased, the DS35's circling around me. Loki smiled.


"I would watch out though. Even if you do find a way to stop Dasc. Nothing is as easy as it seems. After all, you are fighting a coward. Cowards are the worst type of opponent."

Loki began disappearing in blue light, the mark of Vala on their shoulder glowing and dissipating along with its owner.


Sigurd was the best bet.

Speed was a better choice compared to toughness.



I watched as Dasc cackled, slamming his fists against Sarah over and over again. She had summoned her Luna Wings, trying to shield herself, but the magic began to crack.


Think.


Sarah was able to get past Achronologia because of her chakra.

But Sigurd had no way of channeling chakra.


SMASH.

The Luna Wings shattered, as Dasc grabbed my girlfriend by the throat and lifted her up. The sounds of her retching echoed in my mind, pushing me to the edge of insanity.


Think.


When I faced Dasc, I was able to perceive his movements, but my body couldn't keep up with his time dilation. The reason was that my brain operated faster than my body.

If that was the case... then the reason why Sarah was able to at least deliver some counters was because of her superhuman speed.


But even so...

There was no way Achronologia could be bested by superhuman speed. There was no way.


Sarah retched, grabbing Dasc's hand and struggling. Her face was turning pale. And my chest felt like it was going to explode from guilt.


Think.


There was no way Achronologia could be bested like that. Unless...

My eyes widened.

Dasc intentionally didn't want to look that far ahead.


He didn't...

Because just like in the Champions Universe, when he had unleashed that wide-scale Achronologia attack, he had ended up seeing so far into the future that he foresaw Aran's arrival.

If that was the case, then... no. That didn't make sense.


That didn't make sense. Dasc said he saw the fate of this world to be under his rule.

But...


What if...

''Cowards are the worst type of opponent.''


Dasc was lying. He never used Achronologia to that degree.

His hesitance to see into the future was fed by his inferiority complex and his fear for his fate, after all, seeing the future would cement what would happen next.


A surge of energy welled up in me. A familiar white light.



Dasc stopped choking Sarah and turned to me.

"Emission Chakra... You wield the power of the '''First Architect'''... Loyce... Loyce never told me about this!"


Nothing matters.

Nothing matters to me anymore. In this minute and this hour, the only thing that matters is solving the problem.


Everything is just a sequence of logic and thought processes.

The unknown is due to one's lack of perspective, but in the end, everything is a linkage of thought processes transcending narratives.


Dasc Osa was a coward.

He feared the future, and would only fight beings weaker than him.

Because they would never get him to use Achronologia to higher degrees.

The power to slow down time was the perfect counter for those who moved fast.

This was the reason why Sigurd was a perfect match. Why Dagrun would have been a perfect match.


"Tell me... Osa..." I approached Dasc, who stumbled back.

"When the forces of Loyce Hal turned against the Black Legion, the responsibility of '''Tokiko Marin''' was never assigned to you."


Dasc lowered Sarah, who coughed out blood, staring at me.

"A- Aaron...?"


The Primordial took a step back, as I took a step forward, approaching the towering being with menace.

"Because you fear her."

"Y- You dare make light of a Primordial's strength?! To say I fear a feeble half goddes-"

"You fear her speed."

"I do not fear such things!"

"You fear an opponent who is so fast that they will force you to slow down time, for you to experience the future. To see your fate."

"Stop! You- You dare insult me?! I have conquered many! I have conquered-"


I raised my hand, summoning my Caliga.

''Embodiment of Wrath - YAKSHA MODE.''


Dasc stumbled back, as Chakra overflowed my body. Blood splurted from my nostrils, but a vicious smile appeared on my face.

"Come on, Osa. Let's see it. Let me see your Achronologia to its fullest! Let's see our futures... TOGETHER!" I snarled, electricity crackling off my body, which had now transformed into a goblin-like state.


"SHUT UP!" Dasc roared, swinging his fist, but I zipped out of the way.

''Advanced Electricity Magic - COSMIC AUGMENTUS''

''Advanced Convocatio - CHAINED SUMMONING''


I fired my Caliga, the Destreum bullet catching Dasc in the eye, then the spot under his chin. Every weak point that I had subconsciously identified while watching Sarah fight the Demon, every time he watched for her blade to get anywhere near those areas he would discretely reposition his body.

All the information from watching them fight suddenly comes to light.


I dropped the Caliga and summoned another one at hypersonic speed, shooting faster and faster and resummoning over and over again.

Chained Summoning, is only possible through Augmentus.

And Augmentus was heavily amplified in Yaksha Mode.


I continued bombarding Dasc with overwhelming firepower and speed, chaining my assaults.

"Stop... STOP!" Dasc screamed, as he reached out and summoned more of Achronologia. I felt my body slow down. Dasc tried to predict my next move and aimed his wing to slice me in half, but I had already changed my style long ago.

I weaved out of the way, creating a whip out of interlocking DS35's and wrapping it around the Primordial.


"Laceration Protocol!" I cackled crazily, as the DS35 whip tightened, severing the Primordial's leg in a giant blood explosion.


Dasc screamed in pain, reaching out desperately, but more and more DS35's cladded the Demon's hand, corroding and melting it away, forcing the giant Primordial to his knees.

''Achronologia - Great Recession''


My momentum suddenly left me, my body suspended in the air.

"I won't lose. Even for a little bit of my future to be revealed, I will not let that risk cloud the humiliation of losing to a powerless HUMAN."


I glared at my body, forcing more of my Chakra to course through it, but a huge surge of blood exploded from my mouth.

"ACK! GRRR!" I coughed, staring at the sharp edge of Dasc's wing which was closing in at frightening speed.


''A DYING MORTAL NO LESS.''

''I SHALL NOT LOSE TO YOU.''

''I AM A FAILURE NO LONGER.''

''THIS IS MY WORLD TO RULE. FOR LOYCE PROMISED ME.''


Dammit! I had no choice.

I had to escape.

More... more!


MORE!!!

CLANG.

The blade suddenly stopped, as Sarah appeared in front of me.

"Aaron! That's enough! Your chakra... it's... it's...!"

"I'm fine!" I snarled.

"No, you're not! Look at what your chakra has turned you into! Let me help. Tell me what to do!"


I clenched my teeth. The chakra flooded my brain.

"No, this is not logical. Your presence here is not logi-"

"TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"


My eyes widened as Sarah brought herself close to me.

"Aaron... please... let me help you. Just this once."


I looked at Dasc, who roared and approached us, storming his way like a charging bull.

"His weak spots... lower right pectoral, his nape, and the spot that connects his left leg to the rest of his body. He's been guarding those areas when you fought him last. Take em out."


Sarah took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Alright then."


Sarah's body began glowing silver, as Chakra trails streamed out of her robe.

''Embodiment of Passion - Great Luna Form''


I watched her hair begin turning silver.

"Then let us slay this beast together. Just like in Kalidas."


I nodded grimly, my Yaksha Mode fueling my need for destruction.


The two of us blasted away from Dasc with overwhelming speed, causing the Primordial to roar in frustration.


"ULTEAR. HOPE. YOU WILL REGRET EVER RAISING YOUR WEAPONS AGAINST YOUR GOD."


"Go!" I shouted to my DS35's.

"Devil Fireworks Protocol!"


The DS35's Sanctuaries flew into the sky in an organized formation, glowing red and unleashing a blinding light-show of explosions, clouding and obscuring the Demon's vision.

"Such imputent-"

BOOM.


Dasc flew backward from a Chakra-enhanced Caliga blast, ripping a hole into his chest.

"AARON!" The Demon roared, swinging his fist, but Sarah appeared in front of me, catching the punch and forcing the fist to the ground, along with the towering opponent.

Dasc's face slammed into the ground.


"Restraints!" I shouted at the Sanctuaries, as they wrapped around the Primordial.

"Do it! Sarah! Spark him up!"


''Gates of Ygviil'' Sarah's body glowed with a blinding white light, Chakra spilling out.

''GREAT LUNABOLT''


The green sky suddenly turned silver, clouds forming around the Hero and emitting a white light that shone across the entire city.

A white lightning blast came from the heavens, slamming into the Primordial.


"GRAAAAAH!" Dasc screamed in agony.

''ACHRONOLOGIA - PENULTIMATE RECESSION''


I irked, as my body became suspended once more. This time, it was even harder to break free.

"Sarah! Finish him off! I can't move!" I yelled.


Sarah nodded, as she landed on the ground before a heavily injured Dasc.

Dasc seethed, his mouth foaming in frustration.


"Stupid... stupid girl!"

Sarah blasted forward, as I held out my hand.

"Transfer Protocol," I commanded my DS35's, which began shrinking into modular marbles and orbiting my wrist, circling my blue magic circle.

''Anti-Hope Magic...''


Finish this bastard off.

This lackey of Vala's.


You're no Primordial God.

You're just a dog.

A dog to Loyce, and a dog to Vala.


Blue light began to shine on Ygviil, as Sarah stared at the blade, bewildered.

"Do it, Auxiliary Shadow Ultear. I'm counting on you," I smiled at my girlfriend, who raised the sword.


''Anti-Hope Magic - SWORD OF JUBILEE''

Sarah yelled, slicing the blade against Dasc's neck.


"No... NO! YOU CANNOT KILL ME! I WAS SUPPOSED TO RULE THIS WORLD!" Dasc cried out in fear and anguish.

"For eons... FOR EONS! I COULD NEVER RULE A REALM FOR EONS FOR MY KIND ALWAYS TOOK MY GLORY!"


"A being who holds nothing but contempt for others... will never rule anything!" Sarah roared, forcing the blade deeper into the Primordial's neck, causing the Demon to scream in terror.


"Despair, Demon. Your reign of terror ends now. At the hands of the Hero Ultear!"


SLICE.

Dasc's screams echoed across the realm, as the Primordial exploded into a green light, the Achronologia became undone, allowing me to move again.


I sighed with relief, as my Yaksha Mode became undone. My body flooded with exhaustion, leaning heavily against my DS35's.

Sarah lowered Ygviil, breathing hard.


"Aaron..."

"It's over." I smiled.


Sarah managed a weak smile in return.

"For now... but please. Promise me, no more questionable ideas. That Yaksha Mode... it frightens me when I see you like that."

"I promise I'll try to find a better way to use Chakra."

"Good. Then let us-"


SQUEALCH.

My heart skipped a beat, as Sarah's eyes went wide.


What...

What...?!

This... this can't be happening.


''Even if you do find a way to stop Dasc. Nothing is as easy as it seems.''


Sarah and I stared at the blade which sprouted from her stomach.

Blood exploded from my girlfriend's mouth as Sarah's pupils dilated. I watched in horror as the Hero of Kalidas was lifted into the air, to reveal the owner of the sword from behind her.


"Oh dear me. Did you really think Lady Vala would let that Primordial Clown manage a realm all on his own? He ''is'' a coward after all. As calculating as you are, Aaron, I never imagined the Anti-Narrative would affect you so much that you would think Dasc was the ''only'' threat. After everything you threatened me with back then."

"You... you bastard!" I roared, trying to summon my DS35's, but my body exploded in pain.


Sarah tried to reach for the sword, but began choking on the blood that was coming out of her mouth.

"Ack... gah...! Ah... Sar... Sari..."


The swordswoman brought Sarah closer until their faces were inches apart.

"Dear sister. I promised I would kill you first. I never said it would be through a frontal battle. I'm a ''Demon'' after all. You turned me into a being who's known for trickery. You only have yourself to blame."


I stared at Sarah, who's eyes began to roll into the back of her head.


"SARAH!" I screamed, rushing forward in a frenzy. Thompson Contender in each hand.


==Sarina Ultear==
When Sarah and her sister were born, they were destined to fulfill a role in their world.

That was how Kalidas worked.


Each person was given a purpose, a way of life with which they would carry out.

Templars were meant to guard the kingdom.

Adventurers were meant to explore the world.

Farmers were meant to tend the lands and provide.


And among those roles, was the most prestigious of them all.