Unfathomable Evil

Even as just a world amongst the countless Fragmented Realities, a crude and unworthy imitation that cannot match the all-encompassing fate of the Original World, this is still the world that I was born into… it is still a world that I am not permitted to abandon nor afford to lose and be left to fall to the hands of chaos.

In the beginning of the age of reality, my Principle was born. The laws that bound reality to unreality and the rules that govern the very foundations of matter, mass, space, time, forces and its inversed forms… it was these things that "demanded" the existence of what eventually gave birth to my personified being.

At the beginning of the age of man, my Form was born. As mankind struggled against the "consequences of their very existence", the crude name that this world gave to what started the destruction of the Original World, I was given flesh as the form of man and my very being was taken from the Essence of the Original World. Like a human, I was given consciousness and a fate to be fulfilled.

For hundreds of thousands of years, I battled against the monsters born from the dark and savage wiles of mankind. Where there was weeping from injustice and chaos, I was beckoned to fulfill what was demanded of me.

At the rise of the age of man, my title as a Celestial Spirit was born. I met those born of the same circumstance as me and oftentimes have crossed blades with them as I either judged their disposition as Spirits as violating the Divine Principles or have seen their ultimate fate to be to the detriment of the world.

Though I stood atop innumerable corpses of humans, monsters and Spirits alike that all lost their lives to my hands, I was never demanded by the Divine Principles to cease my existence. I continued to live for decades, millennia… maybe even eons, travelling across the world and ending the existence of things that do not belong to the world or those that cannot be allowed to continue existing in the world.

And yet, as I resolved myself to face this task forever, unchanging and unable to face any solution other than the absolute eradication of those monstrosities and destructive ideals alike, I met the "Guardian Spirit" and her people.

She changed my perception, gave me a "heart" that can understand mankind and a "reason to exist" that goes beyond what was demanded of me by the Divine Principles. For the first time in what could've been forever, I was not alone… In the eyes of what I used to be, my decision to stay beside her and simply protect what we already have with us instead of a very impossible aim of protecting all of mankind would've been seen as naivety worthy of death… and yet, it was right… it felt right for me.

And yet, where has that landed me other than a greater loss than I could've ever thought possible…

Monstrosities that I used to banish into the void or slaughter altogether roamed the lands beyond our purview. Dangerous ideals of hedonism and chaos reigned in the heart of those who did not seek our leading. A desire to topple the Divine Principle that limits the influence of that hideous creature of darkness and disorder became the enduring desire of those that opposed us.

In the end, I lost our people, I lost many friends and… I lost her.

[From dust we were formed and to dust we shall return]

These are the words that dictated the lives of man… and it was also true for us who was born from their wishes. And because of that…

"<Subspace Subjugation>"

It is now time to fulfill my part in our deal. Just like how you have offered to me back then when we made our oath.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

In this chamber that reflects the power and authority of the strongest Spirit to ever exist, he made the decision banish this monster in his presence.

"T-this is-!"

For the first time since she was made, Yoshino feared nothing. She heeded no law of man nor any law of God. Every single thing that she did, she performed without a moment of being afraid of what can happen to her or those around her.

That was all that she was ever since she took on her Tainted Spirit. She hungered for knowledge, of uncovering every mystery and wonder no matter how much it would cost. She exists to discover all that there is… and right now, she discovered something that she never faced before.

Absolute despair.

"…"

"You… What is this?! What is this place!?"

"…Don't tell me that you already forgot about it, Acedia."

"Ghh-!!!"

Yoshino clutched her chest, holding back an immense sense of pain as if it wanted to rip out of her body.

"This place is the last chamber between this world and the thing that you and your fellow Tainted wanted to reach back then… the place where you can be freed from all that limits you…"

"Ahh-!!!"

"The place where you can finally be as gods."

"GIVE IT TO ME NOW!"

Suddenly, a monstrous voice echoed in the chamber from the disproportionate mouth that was on Yoshino's chest.

"…Finally, you appeared… Acedia, Tainted Spirit of Sloth."

Ephraim narrowed his eyes after confirming that his enemy was indeed carrying that Tainted Spirit within her.

"What are you doing!? You are supposed to be resting just as we agreed!"

"Foolish girl! Are you dumb?!"

"Khh-!"

Every time the mouth on her chest shouted, Yoshino winced in pain as even if she has a human body modified by science and Psychic power, the unnatural structure of her body after the mouth appeared was akin to having her body constantly being quartered.

"This is our chance! Our chance to finally be free! Our chance to finally win against Caelestia and the Divine Principles!"

"AHHH-!!!"

"Come and serve me, my underlings! We will strike back now!"

Upon Acedia's order, Yoshino's flesh began to pulsate and stretch out to form empty-faced humanoid creatures that disconnected from her body.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH-!!!"

"Charge! Defeat him and we will finally be victorious!"

Upon the Tainted Spirit's command, the flesh puppets charged towards Ephraim, each wielding Psychic powers that Ephraim noticed to have come from someone.

"<Pyrokinesis! >"

"<Aerokinesis! >"

"…Unforgivable…"

In a flash, every single one of the puppets near him became dust and on his hand appeared his spear, emanating a far greater aura of power.

"I know I shouldn't be surprised anymore… but seeing it with my own two eyes, Acedia and Yoshino…"

"-!!!"

"I will make you pay for doing this!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

In the settlement of Sunogahara-cho, the battle has ceased, and the people were cleared to return to the surface to see for themselves the death and devastation that it took to keep them safe.

"What in the…"

"There… there wasn't even a single wall left…"

Many people lost their houses and belongings. After seeing their house be toppled entirely or severely damaged as collateral damage, they can't help but be weakened… and yet, they are the ones who lost the most…

"AHHHH!!! MY SON! MY PRECIOUS SON!!!"

"Kuk-! Damn it… DAMN IT ALL!!!"

Some people lost their loved ones who are either civilians who was not able to evacuate immediately or are S.S.S Agent that was lost during the battle against the Malignances.

{"Casualties from the Psychic Services department are as follows… Psychic Agent Kageyama Goro… Psychic Agent Satoru Koji… Psychic Agent Endou Jun."}

"…Casualty figures received. How about the wounded?"

{"Agents Kamiya Kanna and Amamiya Misaki are heavily wounded and are still in a comatose state after overexhausting their Psychic powers. Agent Asato Hotaru is moderately wounded and are recovering at the settlement hospital."}

"In just a single battle… Damn it---!"

Even Mana can't hold back her tears as she received the news from the S.S.S Agents that three of her six subordinates were killed in battle. The worse part is that she didn't even get to save them or tell them that she is coming to their aid.

Knowing full well the feeling of hopelessness while facing death, with no one else behind you to keep the enemy out… it made her shudder while thinking how those three died in despair.

Which is why after she met up with Yuri and the other higher-ups again, Mana abandoned her sense of mercy towards the family that she will effectively be ripping apart by agreeing to this thing.

"H-Hold on for a moment, Fujikawa-san! This isn't right!"

"…"

"Are you… are you telling us to hand over the children and you won't even tell us what for?!"

"…Exactly."

Just as Himari told them earlier, Ephraim was hiding the fact that the Miyazaki children are Replicants, and they will serve some kind of purpose that he cannot be allowed to do.

Normally, they wouldn't heed Himari given that even if she was abandoned by her faction, she is still aiming for the same objective as them and she has no spot of loyalty for the S.S.S.

However, this sentiment changed after Ephraim's name was included in the equation. Unlike before when he can hide the fact that he is a Spirit Vessel, everyone now already knew about it and the immense power that he wields… and that breaks the balance of power and influence between him and the S.S.S.

And now that it was exposed that the Miyazaki children are Replicants and he has hidden it with so much care that not even his own sister and mother know about it, the suspicion was enough for them to turn their back against Ephraim and heed Himari's words.

"I know we are short in time, but I believe we still deserve a proper explanation, young lady…"

"Mrs. Catherine…"

"Tell me, Mana-chan. What is it really that you and your superiors want from us."

"…We need to hold Mio, Yukari and Rea in protective custody. We believe that someone wants to-"

"Don't lie to me, lass!"

"-!"

"Do you think you can hide your true intentions with that flimsy lie!? Don't screw with me!"

Despite her fragile and elderly appearance, Catherine berated Mana with fury that she hasn't seen before.

"One question and one answer! Are you taking from my family again?!"

"Kh! This is Ephraim's fault!"

Unable to keep up the act anymore, Mana gave out that reply which silenced everyone who heard it.

"Ephraim… Rai-kun hid that fact from us. He's done nothing but hide the truth from us again and again! Even when I told him to tell me everything so I can help him, he was still hiding things and lying to us!"

"…"

"We don't know why he has to hide the fact that those kids are Replicants… but even if he wanted them to live a normal life by making it seem like they are nothing but normal children, the fact that even you, his sister and mother, doesn't know about this, is something that makes all of us wary about his true intentions."

"Mana…"

"At best, he may just really want them to live a normal life… and at worst…"

Mana hesitated for a moment before she gave that accusation, but she eventually said it.

"…he intends to use them for something dreadful."

Mana knew from the bottom of her heart that Ephraim cannot do that… those children were entrusted to him by the only person he trusted like a brother when he first came here, and he treated all three of them were like his own children. And yet, the words that Sayaka and Himari both gave made her dismiss those thoughts.

"We need to hold them and force Ephraim to explain himself…"

"…Are you telling me to just let you hold them hostage?"

"…Yes."

"Then I only have this as an answer to all of you…"

Even if she was already too weak, sickly and old, Catherine straightened up her body and spread out her arms as she stood in front of her own child and adoptive grandchildren.

"Even if I must join my late husband while doing it, I will never let you take another one of my family from me!"

"Mrs. Catherine…"

"They are my children! I am more than willing to die for them!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Inside the Subspace that encompasses the entirety of New Tokyo, a lifeless body pierced through the heart by a blade laid curled on the ground amidst her own pool of blood.

The sight of her death was seared in the mind of a maddened man who currently stands at the apex of power wielded by humans. And the one who slew that girl was facing off against him in a battle that has devastated everything in sight in the eastern part of New Tokyo.

"RAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

"GHH-! ACK-!"

Beams of searing light clashed with each other, destroying everything caught up in their explosions and heat. In the whole hour while they were fighting, there was nothing left standing in the eastern part of New Tokyo and slowly, even the sea along the bay was rescinding after it received much of the stray light beams and bursts that evaporated the sea water.

"<Photokinesis!!! >"

"<Photokinesis!!! >"

Endless barrages of blinding light filled the sky, and everything was awash in either that light or the shadows that it casted.

"Wow… they're really giving it their all."

"William…"

Behind a boulder, two figures hid among the shadows as they watched the ceaseless battle between the two brothers who have all the reason to murder each other.

"Listen well to me, Kaede-kun. I can only give you ten minutes of time to plead with both of them. Use your time wisely and make sure that once your time is up, you will fulfill your end of the deal too."

"…I will."

From behind the boulder, the robed figure stood up and walked out in the open and with a booming voice, shouted.

"<Subspace Subjugation!>"

At that moment, time stood still in the area where those words can be heard and out of nowhere, both Kaede and one of the brothers disappeared.

"<Domain of the Divine Principles>"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

With countless wounds on his body and a sense of exhaustion that permeated ever fiber of his being, Lucas Tetian was shocked after his opponent suddenly disappeared and he was transported into a strange space with an otherworldly aura.

"Lucas… I see that you are the first one that I have to meet."

"Kaede… what… what are you doing here?"

"…"

"Where are we…? Where is William?!!"

Coming from a battle which was either victory or death, Lucas cannot draw out any other feeling than wrath towards Kaede who kept her mouth shot about what is happening.

"Lucas… I have made the decision to abandon the Sumeragi syndicate."

"W-what…?"

"William… no matter how much I try to tell myself that convincing him to come back from the Miyazonos is hopeless, I… I still believe that there is good in him! I still-"

"Stop with your delusions already, Kaede!"

"…"

"William… He betrayed everyone! He killed so many of us!"

"He can still change!"

"He killed your uncle! He killed Touya-sama! How can you delude yourself that someone like that can still change?!"

No matter how much he loved her, even without the context of Kaede being so infatuated with William, he cannot understand the utter delusion that she held for him. It was one thing to simply see someone as a one-sided love and an entirely different thing to abandon everything for the sake of being with them.

Right now, Lucas, no matter how much he cared for and loved Kaede, cannot fathom having to understand her desire to believe that William still has a chance to be brought back to their side.

"You don't understand, Lucas… I can feel it, this time… I know that after everything that happened, he can finally see that it's pointless to side with the Miyazonos and come back to us!"

"You're the blind one, Kaede. William doesn't care whether the Miyazono corporation wins or losses. To him, there is only one reason why he is still with him."

"Don't say that absurdity again… I dare you…"

"William only desires to be with one other person… and unfortunately for you, it's not you. It's the heiress of the Miyazono corporation, Miyazono Hi---"

Before he can even finish his words, Kaede launched a wave of flames towards him that he barely managed to dodge after his hand was burned by the fire.

"Don't spout that nonsense! William will never have such an absurd reason to wide with the enemy! He was just misguided! He wanted to be strong and the Miyazonos gave that to him!"

"Khh!"

"You- You have always been envious of him! You knew about the feelings I held for him and abused it for so long just because you wanted it for yourself! And even right now… when it is my last possible chance to get him back, you are still here and being the pest that you always were!"

As Kaede turned her back against him, leaving her conversation with Lucas unresolved, he spoke something that caught her ear.

"I wish I was lying to you, Kaede… I wish I can tell you that it was only envy that drives me to stop you from meeting him again."

Lucas, holding his burned hand, spoke those words.

"But I am not wrong… I know what William wants more than anything else and I know that he cannot be reasoned with anymore! So please, Kaede… I beg you…"

To Kaede's surprise, even if she didn't let it show on her face, she was astonished as Lucas bowed down to the ground towards her and begged.

"Stop right now… even if you will never forget or forgive every wrong that I did to you and what happened between me, you and Will… even as just an acquaintance… I beg you to not meet him---!"

His last words, could've broken Kaede's resolution…

"I don't want to lose you too…"

…however, she has made her decision, and this was her last chance. She knew that she cannot waste it.

And so, as Kaede left the place, there was only one sound from one man that echoed all across the chamber.

"Kuh-! Forgive me, Priscilla… Hik-! Touya and Kaede-san…"

The weeping of someone who knew that he is about to inevitably lose everything.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After being kicked out of the special Mental Subspace by Ephraim, Kai appeared inside of a place that he once called home.

"Damn it, Rai-kun! Why here of all places!?"

Inside the inner courtyard of the Sumeragi syndicate's headquarters, the wounded and the dead were being tended to as the battles that raged in New Tokyo has spread and is still left unresolved in Kabuki-cho where the estate was located.

"I need a hand over here!"

"Someone! Hold him down while I'm healing him!"

"Leave it, he's dead! Get your stuff and let's move to the next one!"

"Right!"

Those that were brought from the outside showed either severe battle wounds or an ongoing Malignance infection that is festering on their body and Astral form.

Amidst all of this, Kai wrapped some bandages on his head that he put some colored antiseptic to in order to pretend to be someone lightly wounded and tending to the sick.

"Hey you! Get some bandages here like the one around your head! STAT!"

"Y-yeah!"

He suddenly gets orders from the healing psychics and doctors alike as he tried to pass into the Imamura dojo where he can hide. Eventually, he arrives at the empty building and hid behind a locker of training weapons where he can finally weather out the hubbub from the outside. 

However, before he can relax, he heard a familiar voice that he never expected to hear.

"…I don't recognize you."

"-!"

"You're new here… yet you seem to know a good place to hide."

Slowly, Kai stood up to confirm his suspicions and sure enough, it was the one that he expected it to be.

"You… are you, Hogosha Imamura Kirin's child?"

"Hogosha? Haha… if mother was here, she'd want you to cut that out. She doesn't like to flaunt her title around like that."

"…Is that so?"

"While she maintains a cold demeanor and unfriendly attitude, she's actually very caring and loving to the point that she even treats some of her students like they're her children. Hehe… every time everyone is here, it feels like I have a lot more siblings."

"I heard about that too… she's really caring isn't she…?"

Kai already knows all about this. From the fact that Kirin doesn't like to have her title attached to her name or the fact that she treats her students like they are her children. After all, for the past 16 years, he was there to take the place of the person standing in front of him right now.

"Your breathing and footsteps are strange. I've never heard it before, yet it feels quite familiar… as if I have met you before. Say, have we met before, sir?"

"Meet? Well, we didn't exactly meet. I guess you can say that I borrowed something from you that I was supposed to give back but am still holding on to."

"H-Huh?"

"Other than that, we are nothing alike… or should I say, we should never be alike."

Kai finally turned to face him, and he saw a perfect reflection of himself, except that he wasn't staring at a mirror but instead, the person whose life he has lived for the past 16 years. 

This was the real Imamura Kai, the son of Imamura Kirin that was put into cytokinetic sleep for the past decade and half. While his body has grown capable of resisting the enormous Astra energy inside his body, his eyes that hasn't seen any light is still like that of a newborn, underdeveloped and blind to light, forcing him to sense the world around him primarily through hearing and smell.

"I apologize for saying this, sir. But I didn't really understand anything about what you just said. Can you explain it better?"

"There's no need, I'm leaving."

"B-But-"

"Just promise me one thing, dude…"

"Y-Yes?"

Kai wanted to hide it, but in the end, his heart still wanted to wish the best for those people dear to him.

"…Take care of your mother, will you?"

With that, he left the dojo and headed for the inner sanctum of the estate, aiming to meet with the people that he knew can change the course of battle for everyone.

"Just a bit more… just a bit closer…!"

Little did he know that it wasn't only him who sneaked into the stronghold of the Sumeragi estate. For in the injured body of one of the Sumeragi fighters lurked a soul that seamlessly hopped from body to body in order to get to the same place that Kai is heading.

"Once I get rid of her, father's ascension will become easier!"

And it was no other than Miyazono Reiji, the one who aims to topple the remaining celestial spirits the most.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Inside of the subjugated subspace that contained the battle between Ephraim and Yoshino, the destructive battle has taken a great toll on only one side.

"ARGH!!! AHH!!!"

Although she's supposed to be the Vessel of Tainted Spirit Acedia and thus, the one in control between the two of them, Yoshino is currently being forced to spend her own strength, flesh and even her life force to produce the flesh puppets that fought in lieu of Acedia.

"<Hemokinesis! >"

Meanwhile, Ephraim's attacks were flawless and slowly, his movements exuded a sense of momentum that reminded Acedia of something that it buried in its memories from so long ago.

"T-THIS IS-!!!"

"<Blood Rush!>"

In a burst of crimson, Ephraim shot out and pierced through the wave of flesh puppets, heading straight towards Acedia with his spear that gleamed with unrestrained bloodlust.

"GHH-!"

"AHH---!!!"

Despite it not being in full control of Yoshino's body, Acedia's fear was so great that even Yoshino sensed it and dodged out of reflex. However, they never escaped a strike from him.

"Hup!"

"GUAH!!!"

Ephraim let his spear to dissipate into particles and now that his hands are freed, he curled his left hand into a solid fist and planted it squarely towards the mouth on Yoshino's chest.

*KI-BYAK-!!!*

The force he shot out was enough to cause several deafening sonic booms that it sounded like an echoing thunderclap. On the ground, Yoshino's body became motionless after it wasn't able to process how fast all of that happened.

"W-What the…"

"Get out of there."

"KUH-!"

Again, Ephraim struck the mouth with a forceful punch that filled the chamber with a deafening blast.

"I told you to get out of there…"

After the mouth opened up from the two destructive punches that it received, Ephraim held it open and began to pull it open and out.

"GUAAAAHHH-!!!"

"ACEDIA!!!"

With inhuman strength, the mouth stretched out of from Yoshino's body and along with it came some flesh and blood that formed an orb separate from Yoshino.

"You damned Vessel…! You… How dare you force me to- GUAK!"

"<Hemokinesis! >"

"ARGK! GYAK-!!!"

"<Ceaseless Blood Burst!>"

Not even giving his opponent a chance to prattle about, Ephraim gave out a series of blows using his fists before resummoning his weapon and doling out a Psychic attack that tore a large part of Acedia's torso.

"Before you and your fellow Tainted can do your wiles, I will stop you!"

As soon as he saw Acedia focusing its Astra energy to rapidly recover its wounds, he stabbed his spear into the wounds and with his hemokinetic ability, made every blood vessel there to burst out and rapidly deteriorate its cells, rendering it necrotic.

"I will not let you take anything from us anymore!"

Endless barrages of attacks struck Acedia's form, from physical spear stabs and slashes to Psychic attacks that exhausted its strength from the inside. Ephraim was attacking with the full intention of slaying his enemy.

"I will change what was fated! I will not be forced to destroy this world!"

"Gihi-!"

"!!!"

Before he can give the final strike that can kill Acedia, Ephraim sensed an immense power coming from behind him.

"M-Made you look the other way, didn't I?"

"You dam---"

"<Ars Goetia>"

Still tethered to Yoshino's body by a very fine thread of neurons, Acedia puppeted Yoshino's body and made her cast an ability that can turn the tide of the battle in its favor.

"<Domain of the Broken Promises>"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

At the other side of the world, what little that remained of human civilization has devolved into a cesspool of filth and hedonism. Without the heralds of order, what little that remained of mankind's great legacy has become an afterthought to the destructive vices that evil has to offer.

"Lady Aishi, preparations for the ritual have been finished. From the west to the east, everything is ready. Just say the word."

"Good. Let's move on to the other side of the sea. Open up a portal!"

"Yes!"

As the Gardeners, Spirit Vessels, Seers of Death and Sumeragi & S.S.S fighters fought in Japan, the children of Miyazono Ryuuichi prepared for the fruit of their very long life's work.

"To eliminate the Celestial Spirit guarding the Principle of Faith, Devotion and Divinity… and finally bring the authority of godhood over mankind to the hands of a man… we're nearly there, father… We will finally get there!"

And so, despite all the actions of the Divine Challenger, the fate of the world came ever so closer to the devastating end that it was fated to have.