End of the World
As the group of seven traveled, carried in the colossal hands of Agnethe, Al couldn't help but ponder the connections between the creatures Loh' called the Rakh-ahtan and the creature they had witnessed in captivity, which had effortlessly slain two of the Dawn-keepers in a matter of seconds.
These thoughts weighed heavily on his mind as they descended deeper into Lake Huron, reaching depths of up to 700 feet. Agnethe, in her towering Titan form, navigated through the pitch-black depths with ease. Cultivators with a Will rooted in the material plane possessed a heightened perception that allowed them to see beyond the limitations of physical sight.
Al continued to contemplate the strength of the enemy and his own struggles against a small knife-wielding woman, Loh' and Jin engaged in conversation, their voices blending with the meditative silence of the others.
The colossal hands surrounding them opened, revealing a breathtaking sight—a vast, vibrant green world illuminated by luminous crystal stones. It resembled a natural sanctuary, with a magnificent waterfall at its center. Embedded within the exotic trees and plants was a sprawling city—the destination Agnethe had guided them towards. She had led them through the cascading waters at the bottom of Lake Huron, unveiling this awe-inspiring cave.
"Where can we find Immortal Nobutoshi Yoshinaga?" Loh' voiced his question aloud, attracting curious glances from the Unrecognized disciples passing by. Agnethe reverted to her regular size, earning a strange look from Asoto'.
With farewells exchanged between Al's group and Agnethe and the two Tonovians, she proceeded to guide them towards the completion of their mission, while Al and the remaining members began their exploration of the Blood Leaves 5th Immortal Ring.
"I know our intention was to look for potential additions to our Phantom Seed but I think we found one on our way here. You guys, Agnethe is the perfect addition, her Titans Will is rooted in the material plane bringing some balace to our Phanton Seed." Ellie said enthusiastically However, Jin raised concerns about poaching a team member who was already affiliated with a phantom seed, potentially inciting a vendetta.
Cesar and Al agreed, understanding the potential consequences. "Let's focus on reaping the benefits of the merits we gained from beating down her own Phantom Seed." Al said as he emphasized the last part, as the four of them headed towards a pyramid-like structure reminiscent of the Del Santos Collective in the Blood Leaf's 15th Mortal Ring.
Time passed, and the group of four explored every nook and cranny of the esteemed Immortal Ring they found themselves in. They discovered that Romann had indeed passed through the area, but they had missed him, uncertain when they might encounter him again.
They were hoping to bid farewell to the two Tonovians and Agnethe, but they had not seen them since the parted.
They made their way towards the exit through a series of interconnected tunnels that led to upper Michigan. Within the tunnel system, Al and the crew encountered familiar faces—Loh' and Asoto' walking side by side. However, Agnethe was no longer accompanying them.
Ellie quickly approached Loh' to reunite with him, eager to know the outcome of his conversation with Immortal Nobutoshi. She wasted no time in asking, "Loh', what did Immortal Nobutoshi say? Will they send help?" Loh' lowered his gaze, and Asoto' averted his eyes.
"He said that the Blood Leaf's God will not send any help anytime soon, nor will any of the Immortals of the Blood Leaf mobilize to assist us," Loh' replied somberly. "He mentioned that the only possibility of immediate aid lied with the Evergreen Leaf. He advised me to travel to the Evergreen Leaf's 2nd Immortal Ring and seek out Immortal Aldahard. The problem is, I don't know the exact location of Pennsylvania where the Evergreen Leaf's 2nd Immortal Ring is situated." Loh' said with a bitter tone.
As Ellie, heard Loh's words, she couldn't help but smile, which seemed to upset Loh' even more. He expressed his frustration, questioning why surface humans didn't take the situation more seriously when his people were dying, and the threat of war and death loomed over the world at large.
Ellie spoke up to address his concerns. "You're right, Loh', and I apologize if my smile seemed inappropriate. The reason I was smiling is because our initial intention was to traverse the God Leaves Immortal and Mortal Rings. However, the lack of a comprehensive map displaying all the God Leaf's Rings makes this very difficult. You need directions to Pennsylvania, and we wouldn't mind you sharing the location of the Evergreen Leaf's 2nd Immortal Ring with us. You see, it seems we might be traveling together again." Ellie's words aimed to reassure the blue giant.
(A day later)
The group of six found themselves outside of Lake Huron, moving through the Canadian border. They were briefly spotted by the Canadian border patrol, but the two giants, Loh' and Asoto', quickly subdued the officers, leaving an unbelievable story for them to tell. Continuing their journey, they entered Attica, New York, with plans to head southward and enter Pennsylvania.
However, their progress was abruptly interrupted by trembling which turned to violent shaking. The small creek next to them split in half, and the sky started flashing on and off. The sun itself began vibrating between red and cyan making giving the sun a stereoscopic visual effect, while a deafening noise reverberated throughout the world.
The Oceans seemed to convulse, as if hiding a multitude of terrifying creatures within its depths. The ground beneath the group began to lift, and across the globe, buildings collapsed, and ocean waters surged, consuming beaches.
Humanity had gone through devastating losses, with nearly a billion people vanishing over the course of months. In a matter of moments, millions more were instantly killed, and the death toll continued to rise.
In Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, a mountainous structure emerged forcefully from the ground. The Yellowstone Caldera in Wyoming violently split, triggering a catastrophic eruption that shrouded the sky in darkness for hundreds of kilometers. The San Andreas Fault in California ruptured, demolishing even the most fortified skyscrapers as vast stretches of land were lifted and flipped. Massive tsunamis ravaged the west coast, while Florida's coastline faced a similar fate.
Similar cataclysmic events unfolded across the world depicting a planet in agonizing pain, as if writhing in its dying moments.
Massive portals hundreds of Kilometers across connecting to the unknown opened in various locations across the world, including one in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the water boiled.
The portal that opened in the base of the sprawling mountain in Mammoth Kentucky, tore apart, unleashing a swarm of Rakh-ahtan warriors. before the invaders could advance further, a jet airplane flew by, dropping a powerful warhead that detonated with an explosive force equivalent to a small sun. This devastating blast engulfed the area around the portal, covering half of the state.
Similar scenes played out in the four other portal locations worldwide, as the unleashed destructive nuclear warheads neutralized the immediate threat of the Rakh-ahtan incursion. However, one portal in the center of the Pacific Ocean remained untouched. A Rakh-ahtan warrior, distinguished by a blue Jewel, was lifted by the ocean's forces, soaring kilometers into the sky to intercept the warhead and alter its trajectory.
Meanwhile, just as the ground beneath the group began to crumble, a massive hand reached down and rescued them. It was Agnethe, who had grown to an astounding height of nearly 90 feet in order to save them. After their rescue, Agnethe returned to her normal size, visibly exhausted from the tremendous effort.
"Agnethe what the hell are you doing?" Cesar shouted but before another word could be spoken the group found themselves in the midst of an intense battle unfolding before their eyes. A dark acolyte and two dragon-like hybrids emerged from the devastated forest, attacking a gemless Rakh-ahtan warrior and tearing it apart.
A massive spaceship, composed of a metallic material similar to that of the Rakh-ahtans, materialized in the sky. The massive aircraft, measuring 20 meters in size, unleashed a devastating laser weapon, eradicating both hybrids and creating an explosion that got dangerously close to the seven of them.
Seemingly in response, waves of hybrids and a small group of dark acolytes emerged from the woods, engaging the gemless Rakh-ahtan forces that feel from the spaceship. It became apparent to Al and the others that the world was being defended by beings they had previously considered a scourge on humanity.
The sky was soon filled with the awe-inspiring sight of winged Dawn-keepers descending upon the alien spacecraft, resembling an army from a distorted realm of heaven. Overwhelming in number, they engaged in a fierce battle, unleashing fiery spells and attacks upon the massive ship. The skies ignited in flames as the Dawn-keepers relentlessly pressed their assault, gradually overwhelming the alien craft.
Al and his companions, watched in a mix of awe and fear as the cataclysmic conflict unfolded before their eyes.
"We need to get out of here," Ellie urgently whispered, and in an instant, she vanished from sight. The day became night as the sky above them becamebbecame crowded with alien spacecraft, ranging from 20 to 40 meters in size.
The sound of a sword being drawn filled the air, and a colossal slash spanning thousands of kilometers decimated the center of the enemy fleet. The perpetrator of this devastating attack stood some distance away, gazing upward with his blade held at his side. Clearly exhausted from unleashing such power.
Without delay, four jeweled Rakh-ahtan warriors, each on par with someone in the Immortal Chasm, descended upon him. To their surprise, they grabbed onto what appeared to be a cloud resembling their sword-wielding adversary.
Suddenly, the man materialized ten meters away, surrounded by swirling clouds. Unexpectedly, he sheathed his blade and launched hundreds of needles into the air. The very clouds that enveloped him came alive, capturing the falling needles.
The four Rakh-ahtan warriors left him no room for escape, closing in with their unique weapons manifested from their own flesh. Astonishingly, the man transformed into a cloud, adding to the clouds that held the needles. The needle-filled cloud converged upon one of the four Rakh-ahtan warriors, distinguished by a red jewel on its forehead.
The Rakh-ahtan warrior swung its dull gray blade, which somehow produced a searing inferno, but before it could strike, the cloud of needles devoured its arms.
Upon closer inspection, one could see the needles effortlessly cutting through the seemingly impenetrable hide of the warriors, as if it were mere butter. The cloud swiftly moved towards the head, slicing it and the jewel into countless tiny pieces. All that remained was a grayish blood, which the cloud sliced and turned to ash.
A white jeweled Rakh-ahtan, wielding a staff unleashed a hurricane-like force which pulled the man out of his diminishing cloud form. Unfazed, the man unsheathed his blade and launched himself towards the three-remaining jeweled Rakh-ahtan warriors.
As Al and the group stood in awe, witnessing the unfolding monumental events without knowing which direction to take, a man clad in a resplendent white and red robe appeared before them.
The man's gaze fell upon Loh' and Asoto'. "Loh', it seems even if we had intervened, we would have arrived too late. I suggest you speak to Lightning-Stone he might help shelter any of your people if any survived at all. With a mere touch of my Banishing Will, I can transport you there." Loh' recognized the man standing before them—it was none other than the Captain of the Blood Leaf's 5th Immortal Ring, Immortal Nobutoshi.
Loh' harbored resentment towards the God Leaves for sending him away, especially the way Immortal Nobutoshi spoke made his blood boil, but he recalled Al mentioning he would have better luck with regular humanity in seeking aid to fight back.
Loh' preemptively spoke up. "Take me to the Human in charge of base humanity."
"Very well. Make sure all of you are holding hands," Nobutoshi instructed. He placed his hand on Loh', who grasped Asoto', and Ellie ensured she held onto everyone with her mirror. In an instant, they vanished, leaving Nobutoshi to turn around and join the ongoing battle.
Miles away, deep beneath the ground within New York, was a highly advanced system of buildings boasting technology that appeared to be decades ahead of its time.
In one of the lowest chambers, a bearded man conversed with five other individuals when, to their utter astonishment, a group of seven humans—two girls, three boys, and two towering blue humanoids—materialized before them.