End the Cycle II

Year: Unknown

Time: Evening Hours

Location: Dimensional Gap – The Castle of Stardust

After five long days, the time finally came. Within the white room loosely referred to as the Hall of Ascension, the magnificent, star-shaped, hexahedron jewel known as the Arcana Crystal sat atop a lone pedestal. An aura brimming with power emanated from the priceless relic as a myriad of colors spiraled around it. Standing before its encapsulating luster was the figures of Indra and the owner of this realm—Arayashiki.

"After so many eons...finally, the dream I have longed for is at hand," Indra marveled before the overwhelming radiance of the jewel.

"It is truly a sight to behold, but if only you heeded my advice and paid closer attention then this event would have happened much sooner," the long-haired female said dismissively.

"A minor setback, The Devil Queen's presence was one of which I failed to anticipate. Regardless, the plan was able to proceed."

"Only because I was able to save you from fading into nothingness; had I not awakened from my rest in time, you would have died. But alas, such things are of the past. What matters now is the next phase."

Arayashiki took a singular step towards the pedestal. As if sensing her intentions, the jewel's retroactive barricade immediately surrounded it within a complex higher dimensional barrier.

"Impossible, my workmanship was superb! Truly this device seeks to insult the power I possess," Indra exclaimed.

"Quiet, your foolish pride only shows me how dissonant your attention is to the finer details of things. Sometimes, there are things that require a more delicate touch."

In that moment, the woman snapped her fingers. The reverberating sound waves within the room caused the barrier to shatter into dust. Suddenly, five orbs of light entered the space almost instantaneously as if harmonizing with the call that the jewel relinquished.

"Ah yes...my brothers and sisters, though removed from your vessels, your sacrifice shall not be in vain for I was always the one meant to bask in the glory of this moment. Agni, Rudra, Kali, Shiva, none of you were ambitious enough to walk the path that I trod. And Durga, your schemes and wicked ways only made you complacent in the end to greater wisdom. As my dear older sister, truly you must feel envious over what I have managed to achieve!" Indra boisterously claimed whilst raising his arms and laughing heartily.

"What are you talking about? You've achieved nothing," Arayashiki replied in a cold tone of voice that silenced the Lesser God's tirade of laughter.

"I beg your pardon? Are we not partner's in this endeavor? You would dare rob me of my chance to gloat after seeing plan more than a few centuries in making finally reach its tipping point? You would not exist if not for me compelling that boy with so much guilt to change the past and give rise to the Shatterpoint Paradox."

"Ah Indra...it truly astounds me just how much your arrogance outright emulates your stupidity. Did you really think you would be my equal in my vision of what to do with this creation? The time I spent in the Root has given me much insight on what needs to be done and whom I truly need to trust. I know of every detail recorded in the past during the Age of Gods up to the present in this very moment. Everything that I do now is for the future I long desire, and there is only one person capable of truly aligning with me. Granted, I did need you but only to a certain extent. Like your siblings, you are just one small piece to the greater puzzle. I almost pity you. At the end of the day, you were nothing but a puppet driven by his own desires for something that was always calling out to him. You only deluded yourself into thinking it was for a higher cause."

"You insolent wench, do not think that you may speak to me in such a way and not have to pay any consequences. The Arcana is drawing in every ounce of strength it can possibly muster from my five siblings and it naturally has affinity for my divine blood. The moment I take hold of it, I shall attain power that is greater than you could ever fathom. Do you really think I have the patience to withhold my growing fury against you?"

"How sad it must be to want to reach out and obtain something you long for without even knowing the reason why? Tell me Indra, do you understand why you strongly desire the Arcana Crystal for yourself? Or why any of your fellow Deva brethren desired it to begin with?"

"What nonsense are you spouting now? Surely you realize that the relic is our birth right. It is the key to awaken our latent Primordial selves suppressed by our father! We were going to use it to free ourselves from his curse!"

"See, but therein lies the problem. You say 'we' as if the six of you would share it cohesively to ascend, yet you squabbled over who would get to it first. Then you are standing by whilst your siblings are being offered to the jewel as a last supper. Poor little remnant...oh how imperfect you are as a fraction of your true self."

"I...I don't...what, no...that does not make sense..." Indra stammered over his words trying to abide by the words of the woman before him.

"In the end, you are nothing but a fraction of a greater whole...a flaw given flesh to think independently; yet you were always destined to return back to where you originally came from. Though you and your siblings left your marks in history as part of the divine hierarchy, even going as far as having offspring...at the end of the day you are but a stepping stone to her arrival. Farewell, puppet...you have served your purpose."

A pale-like ghostly aura engulfed the totality of Indra's body as he felt like he was a piece of paper being torn in half. The howls of his pain rang throughout the space before his physical form melted away and his essence was captured in a ball of plasma. Joining the balls of light representing his brothers and sisters, the Deva Gods were consumed by the Arcana Crystal. The rainbow shades of color blinked like a spasm as everything grew quiet. In a flash, the entirely of the dimensional space created by Arayashiki quaked to its very core.

The jewel levitated in the air by its own accord as arcs of electricity, spirals of flames, gusts of air, tendrils of darkness, auroras of cosmic space began to pull together by the density of gravitational movement. A blinding pillar of ultraviolet light burst in the room causing the Hall of Ascension to be completely blanketed which led to even the mighty Arayashiki herself to shield her eyes. Within this dazzling display, a singular silhouette began to form. As the illuminating display came to an end, the form of a feminine figure remained.

She was a stunning, elegant beauty whose physical appearance would instantly captivate the hearts of any whom dared to stare at her. Long, silky, jet black hair, dark amethyst eyes, french vanilla cream colored skin, and soft, honey-like lips, her perfectly curvaceous form was obscured by a translucent, black fabric that mimicked a bodysuit. Her bountiful breasts were covered by a dark, opaque bra that was trimmed in gold just underneath the bust which displayed adequate cleavage. Around her waist was a similarly colored golden sash with a double zig-zagging pattern over top. Two curtain-like pieces of cloth were cut to hang in front of her crotch in the front and over her plump rear end in the back. She wore long, black, knee-high boots whose silky appearance was decorated with gold around the ankles, along the knees and at the midpoint of her thighs. Golden braces bound her wrists as different color gems hung off of them around the middle of the forearm area. Finally, she had a golden neck piece that covered the base of her neck down to the collarbone and wrapped around the top area of the trapezius muscle group in the back. Lastly, hanging from her shoulders was a black and violet cape with golden trim complete with a golden tiara around her head. Her attire was a mix between that of a high-classed sorceress and a woman from the famous collection of tales in the human world: The Arabian Nights.

Feeling the immense pressure from this woman's body, Arayashiki merely grabbed the hems of her dress and bowed as a sign of true respect towards this woman knowing exactly who she was. The gaze of the mighty figure danced around the room for a moment before stopping on woman who planned all of this from the beginning. With that, the new presence descended from the air.

"Thou hast awakened me from mine slumber..." she spoke in the old tongue.

"Yes, I have been working tirelessly to ensure your resurrection...Lady Sakinah Vashti," Arayashiki replied formally.

The one often feared as Legion stepped towards the girl before reaching out and tapping a solitary finger to her forehead. In that instant, Sakinah cleared her throat.

"You have my gratitude child. After so many eons, I am able to hold breath in my very own lungs once more," the divine being responded having achieved the modern tongue from a simple touch.

"Yes...though it took great peril to achieve. The Foundation of Humanity had to be erased, the Demon Gods were sacrificed, and many allies were lost in the process to ensure your-..."

"Worry not, young one. I know all of the struggles you have gone through to get to this point. Though I was in fragments for countless centuries, I retain the collective experiences of all my individual parts. The struggle matters not, for the future is now in our hands to change. You have seen the Root and experienced the knowledge it has to offer. I trust you know what shall come next?" Sakinah asked.

"Yes Milady..."

"You do not have to be so formal with me. You have endured much to ensure I return, the least I can do in return is consider you my equal in this. Rejoice Arayashiki, on this day your dream and mine shall come true. All that stands in our way is a band of children whom need to be properly educated."

"Yes...and...fortunately...they come to us."

"Let them come, for today begins the dawn over a new world," Sakinah responded as she walked with her companion outside of the room onto a balcony. From the high perch, she gazed down towards the open space before the castle gates where a large emerged from several golden gates.

MOMENTS BEFORE…

The time to decide the fate of all creation was now. In order to truly face the threat that was looming ahead, every surviving and able-bodied individual would have to come together to fight against this great peril. About three days or so passed before the coalition was able to reach their destination. The forces of the rebellion marched together carrying the hopes of everything that was lost during the Demon Gods' War.

Coming through the first batch of portals emerged the surviving heroes, divine spirits, and other warriors from Elysium. Those that survived the onslaught by Nyx and Erebus focused on recovering their strength and stamina knowing that this day would come. Alongside them were all the tribes of warriors from Cocytus. Beings that have not seen the light of day from what they considered the 'surface' world for eons set aside their anxiety when their Queen called them to arms for the conflict at hand. As the armies numbering far above the tens of thousands marched onward to what may very well be the end of days.

The Heroic Spirits and the Symphogears walked together ahead of the mythical beings behind them. The former held enough mana with them to get them through one last bout before the Throne of Heroes would likely call them home. Whereas the Symphogears were charged up by the phonic gain emitted by Raizo and Akaro's energy waves to supercharge their strength in order to surpass their limits. Across from their position was the Cardinal Four and Cthulhu as their auras brimmed with expectation of the battle to come. Leading the entire pack however, was the Mercer family. It wasn't just Lucy and her husband though; they were joined by none other than the infamous Archangel, Jibril Blake, and the renowned blacksmith of Heaven – Alexis. The young female with platinum hair and steely blue eyes was armed with a singular longsword whilst wearing a combat skirt and a sleeveless t-shirt walking side-by-side with the sadistic angel of terror.

Just ahead was the great, white castle that housed Arayashiki. The dense aura that emanated from the castle for a brief moment shook the ground that the armies trod upon. Feeling the immense power that was born as a result, the God Hunter knew that they arrived too late to prevent her arrival. In the distance, the man saw the solitary female figure step to the balcony with her conspirator at her side.

"This is not where it ends, but where it all shall begin anew. Armies of Elysium and Cocytus, our battle for survival begins now!" the normally reserved man declared to rouse the morale of the heroes behind him. A resonating battle cry filled the atmosphere in response as Arayashiki and Sakinah merely watched from afar.

"It would seem that no matter what the time period is, some things never change. Such is the fate of all fools whose ambitions cloud their judgment. As it is written: people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge and wisdom thereof," Sakinah spoke aloud.

"It is truly sad. Admittedly, I couldn't care less about them at this point; however, I do find myself offering some form of pity in their futile endeavor," Arayashiki responded.

"Yes, but it would seem that history is bound to repeat itself."

EONS AGO…

They say that the birth of a child is to be the happiest experience one can ever have. It truly represents the union of flesh between a man and a woman as new life is given fruit to carry on the legacy of their parents. Regardless of the long, arduous journey to reach the point of birth, it is like everything stops and all fears are cast aside just to relish in the moment of something so precious being introduced into existence. However, there are times when this road takes a sharp turn into darkness.

The Age of Gods...a time when mankind and the divine walked hand-in-hand together on the surface of the same planet. At one point, both coexisted peacefully without too much sway over the other. However, it became filled with conflict as many gods grew envious of one another with how much faith they inspired within mankind due to acts of worship and praise. While others sought to rule over their fellow divine brethren in a quests for higher power. The tumultuous nature of these events sparked various wars that impacted the fate of humanity. Many were enslaved, others were sacrificed, and some organized revolts in hopes of killing the gods that lorded over them. Regardless of the reason, humans and gods may have walked the same planet together, but they worked against one another. As a result, the idea of peace between them was a lie...a myth told in fairy tales to children. Yet the biggest irony and taboo of these things: the union of man and divine.

"It all began on a cold, dark winter night when the Primordial God of Thunder—Relepagus—visited a temple fatigued from his constant battle with his brethren in the divine realm. A lone shrine maiden that worshiped him and sought to interpret his will for the humans that desired his guidance was alone that evening praying. She was a young, beautiful girl at the cusp of her womanhood and beauty; pure and desirable by many. Unexpectedly seeing the god that she prayed to incessantly stand before her, she was rendered speechless. Finding her favorable to his eyes, he had his way with her just to relieve his frustration before vanishing leaving her to deal with the consequences. As a result of the affair, I was conceived.

Afraid for what might happen to me, my mother fled from the people before she could give birth to one of the many secluded underground settlements connected by mazes of tunnels. After I was born, I was raised in secrecy by her. The society I grew up in was home to many different people from all kinds of walks of life. They were the collective bunch of outsiders and rejects; people who did not conform to the ways of the surface world where war and conflict seemed to remain incessant. Nomadic as some of them were, the only place where they could live freely was outside of everyone's sights.

I was always an inquisitive child. I had the natural affinity for desiring knowledge. I wanted to know everything I could about what was around me. I wanted to know why things existed as they were. Unlike the children whom I was exposed to, I cared little for playing silly games or getting into trouble by playing pranks on others. I just wanted to take a step back and watch things unfold as if I was a playwright compiling a story or a composer constructing a symphonic piece. I wanted to understand what everything was around me. In many respects, I was the outsider among outsiders.

I never really knew about my divinity until I found someone lying sick in bed one time with a disease that caused the body to become numb with fever and be in constant flux of hot and cold. This person was none other than one of the eldest children of one of the village leaders. For some reason when I knelt next to her, I felt compelled to reach out and touch her forehead. Many urged me to stay away lest I get sick as well; however, I never bothered listening. In that moment, something emanated from me and covered the girl from head to toe. After that, she recovered almost instantly. Those that witnessed it could not believe their eyes, but it got people talking.

Eventually, I began randomly performing supernatural acts unknowingly. Kids that hurt themselves playing were healed when I walked by and touched their wounds. People that became paralyzed due to some unknown ailment began to walk as I passed by them. Even those that were born blind were miraculously able to see when I just laid my eyes on them. I did not understand what was going on, but the villages praised me and flocked to me for their needs.

My mother sat me down and explained to me why I had such powers. This is what led to my discovery of whom my father was; yet I was expressly forbidden from disclosing that information. Given the climate between mankind and the gods, she feared that my life would be in danger if I ever revealed myself as a hybrid. That notion instilled a firm belief in my heart: I wanted to bring the two worlds back together in harmony once again.

I continued to perform miracles indiscriminately because I grew to possess a genuine desire to help any and all in need. The villagers started to worship me, treat me as some kind of Savior that would unite God and Man once again. This inspired a rather large following; however, there were also the fair share of naysayers too. It sparked some conflict in the settlement, but I just wanted peace.

Like mother, I grew up as calm and quiet. The desire that the villagers had for me became my own goal because I knew that this great war on the surface was only spreading more and more suffering. Some of those around me proposed to use my power to fight back against the oppressors and have me gain strength in order to bring down the gods, but I emphasized my ideals of restraint and patience.

There were times when I faltered though. Infighting between villagers broke out when it came to whether to raid certain settlements for supplies or other goods when things were running low; these situations often arisen during the dry season and the cruel winters when the harvests yielded nothing. Violence then ensued leaving some people murdered inside their homes for whatever items they possessed. It angered me to the point where I wanted to assert my dominance over those who held me in high esteem. I wanted to make people suffer, begging on their knees for forgiveness. Yet my mother kept my wrath sustained.

She explained how my father's darker tendencies were passed down to me thus creating this seething fury that could not be sated. Managing it and learning to control it would become my test over and over again. Fortunately, the kindness of the woman who raised me and the warmth of the villagers kept me sane and away from that abyss.

I loved my people. I treated almost everyone like they were close friends I had known for years. Those that considered themselves my followers, I regarded as family. Everyone was grateful over my presence because they felt like someone was there for them in the midst of the crises on the surface. I never paid too much attention to the pedestal I was placed on. I just wanted to do my part to care for others because no one else was willing to do so and it was the only place I could call home.

My thirst for knowledge managed to be satiated by the stories my mother would often tell me. The fable of how creation came to be as well as the origins of mankind were spun to me quite repetitively, yet I never tired of it. She also told me of the different gods that humanity looked to for guidance and everything she could remember of her life as a priestess and the customs she had to endure. Then she told me of the legends that were passed around among humanity. One of the greatest stories she ever told me was the tale of the Syndicate led by a former slave whom broke free from the chains of captivity only to rebel against mankind and gods alike. These stories inspired me and gave me an affinity for literature as well. It also made me curious of the world outside. I wanted to see it when I felt I was competent enough to do so.

Eventually, that time came and I stepped into the outside world. Regardless of my belief, the desolation and sense of hopelessness was spread far and wide thanks to the seeds of war and destruction. Yet for all that was lost, there was also symbols of things to gain. The sight of the rising sun over the hills gave me hope that there would truly be a day where life—whether mortal or divine—would know true peace.

As I lead caravans of migrants across the lands, I helped people in other settlements as well as survivors of various conflicts that were spread far and wide. It was not an easy road. Monsters of mythological proportions, raiding parties, environmental disasters, and so on impeded our way yet I never hesitated to use my power to protect my people.

I met many kinds of people throughout my travels. From the most honorable to the worst of sinners, there were multitudes that I encountered. Yet I never judged anyone or considered people less than their true worth. Everyone was equal in my eyes. Even those that were considered irredeemable because of their despicable ways, I forgave them and granted them ease.

I began to record everything in my travels within my very own book. Everything that I learned about the world and the people I encountered as well as the trials I faced was kept in a singular grimoire. To the people whom treasured me so much, they named it the "Golden Ark". I never really considered it anything special, but the people felt it was an item that should be cared for whenever I was done with it. They treated it almost as a holy object that should never be defiled by the wrong hands. For me, it was just something I wanted to have as a record of proof that I experienced the world. Yet I never realize just how much power there was in the 'words' I wrote.

I returned home for a brief period of time spending it with the family I grew up with and my mother. Once I turned 18, I wanted to go out into the world...this time on my own as a grown woman. I left my book with my mother. I wanted her to read everything that I experienced in my 10 years of travel. I wanted her to feel the same thrill I felt with every story, lesson, and thoughts that I collected over that time period. I wanted her to be my audience for something I wanted to tell her. I wanted it to be something to leave her wanting more when I came back from my second adventure into the world; but...it would appear that fate had something else in store for me.

My instincts urged me to return home not even six months after I departed from my village. Once I did...I made a gruesome discovery. The settlement I grew up in, the people I grew up with and dedicated so much of my life to helping, was engulfed in flames. The stench of death lingered all around. Children were flayed and crucified. The men were hacked to pieces and left to be food for the livestock we raised. As for the women, their bodies were left fully exposed in the nude with bruises covering their bodies; their eyes hazed over as tears streamed down their faces. I was not so naive that I could not understand that they were raped and left for dead.

I was rendered speechless, I could not understand how such a tragedy could take place while I was away. Many questions ran through my mind trying to comprehend this. As I looked around, I saw tattered banners hanging up on the walls of some of the rundown huts. The symbol on it was something I recognized. It belonged to a group of barbarians that I once reformed in my previous travels and helped to lead better lives; but it seemed that their change was only temporary just to fool me.

As I continued to walk around drowning in the despair gripping my heart, I heard a voice calling out my name. There she was, lying on the ground in her own blood. She was cut from head to toe and her clothes were torn to shreds as well. The men must have treated her the same way as they did the other women, but she was prized enough to them to where they marked how many turns each of them took. Of all people...why my mother? As I knelt next to her, I could see her holding my book close to her chest.

"I...read it...every single...page. You had...such a wonderful time...didn't...you? My Sakinah...my beautiful...little girl… Look at how much...you have grown. No...matter how much hardship...I had in...my life...you...are my greatest hope. I love you...so much..."

I tried to heal her...I tried to save her, but for some reason...for the first time in my life...my power did not reach someone. So many people that I saved over the years since I was a child and the one person I could not was my own mother. At that point, everything within me just shattered. I lost sight of what it meant to be alive, I lost my peace, my dreams...everything. All that was left for me was unending sorrow and pain. As a result, all that I had to grab onto was rage.

I grabbed a hold of my book and I embarked on one last journey to the surface; but this time, I had no home to return to. I felt overwhelming strength surging within me, growing with each step that I took. When I found that barbarian tribe, I did not even give them a chance to raise a finger to protect themselves. Instead, I just opened my book like I was going to record their deaths and as a result they were erased. The very concept of their existence was destroyed and even in non-existence, each and every one of them was forced to relieve their demise for eternity.

From that day, I swore a singular oath: The current age of mankind and gods did not deserve to exist. Everything must be destroyed and recreated into a different image in order to achieve true peace.

Sakinah brought her senses back to the present to end her brief stint of reminiscence. As she gazed down towards the battlefield to see the warriors march towards the castle, the woman shook her head.

"A futile attempt from a last ditch effort of resistance," Arayashiki criticized, "I will go and erase them all where they stand since they dare to invade my domain."

"No, that is unnecessary. I could use the opportunity to warm up after so many eons of sleep," the divine entity suggested.

"As you wish. This dimension should be more than capable of handling whatever you elect to throw their way."

"Duly noted, but it will not take much for me to finish this swiftly."

From there, the woman nonchalantly braced herself before gently leaping over the balcony and soaring through the air. After what felt like the longest 10 seconds in the world for the spectators, the lone female descended to the battlefield like an angel sent by the heavens to judge mankind. Taking a firm stance in the soft turf underneath her heel, she placed a solitary hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side slightly to see just how the mighty army before her would respond.

The armies tensed up obviously, there was uncertainty and caution washing over the multitudes as they held their weapons to prepare them for any momentary shift in the opponent. Their leaders stood together collectively in a solitary line. Mercer was primarily the one everyone looked to as the head of the army given the absence of Team AKARA.

"She definitely knows how to make an entrance, I'll give her that," Lucy smirked.

"So this is the daughter of Relepagus, I have heard stories but I never thought I'd have the opportunity to see her in person. She is quite the beauty, perhaps she'll be fun to break after all~" Jibril maliciously licked her lips.

"Oi, calm down ya lewd ass angel," Lucy spat out.

"Am I the only one who isn't sensing anything from her?" Alexis asked cautiously.

"Indeed, there is virtually nothing emanating from her. It's almost as if she bears no hostility towards us at all," the giant, masked figure of Yaten-douji said whilst stepping forward with his weapons in hand.

"I can't even smell anythin' off her and my sense of smell is forever on point...my instinct's ain't diggin' this one bit," Ashura Gozen commented anxiously.

"It is as if she is the epitome of serenity...as if the concept of conflict does not register within her one bit," Zion analyzed.

"….." Garuda was silent as she was caught up in her own emotions right now being troubled over the woman's presence.

The sorceress' disposition was unsure of how to feel about this situation. The truth about Legion's identity stirred within her greatly given how her parent was one of the six Devas. Knowing that Durga was 1/12th of this figure before her made the woman hesitant.

"I feel like I don't even comprehend what I am anymore..."

She was not the only one feeling this way. On the other side of the line-up, Minamoto-no-Raikou held one of her hands against her chest too. She was visibly shaken by the sight of the mysterious woman.

"Raikou-san? Are you okay?" Jeanne asked in concern whilst noticing her action from the side.

"Yes…at least I think so...but this woman...I...I am unsure what to make of her."

"Heh, ain't nothin' to say...just another obstacle that needs to fall like that asshole, Goetia! Ain't that right, Father?" Mordred boasted.

"Such an unwise child, this is not an enemy we can take lightly," Artoria declared back.

"We have to do whatever it takes to overcome this great challenge before us," Scathach declared from behind the two knights.

"Heh, we got a God-Slaying Fist over here...we can do this," Chris smirked confidently.

"We just gotta believe in each other-desu!" Kirika said aloud.

"This won't be an easy fight, but all of us have had our fair share of challenges to get where we are right now. This is a fight for everyone's sake," Tsubasa stated with a nod.

"My son has truly brought together a coalition of unique allies. It makes me glad that we are all able to stand together like this. We're going to make it home, just remember what you're fighting for," Mercer said calmly.

The morale was raising in spite of all the anxiety in the air. However, just as that stint of dialogue took place, the mysterious figure in front of them began to clap slowly.

"Truly fascinating...each and every single one of you. Warriors of mankind, monsters, and divine beings all coming together just to stop what is inevitable. I applaud your bravery...and audacity. I say unto you all that I hold no malice towards any of you...in fact, I do not wish to fight you. Not because I fear the possibility of losing, but I feel it would be a wasted endeavor. Powerful all of you may be, you are all merely obstacles in my way that can easily be swept aside. Therefore, instead of engaging in pointless bloodshed, I wish to give you all a single chance to escape your demise. Lay down your arms, surrender to me, and reject your claims to this false existence you all so desperately hang onto. Become my vassals and secure your place in the new world I aim to make," Sakinah addressed the crowd.

Silence then ensued from that point as murmurs were passed along through the armies; but no one moved a muscle.

"Perhaps you did not understand what I meant...I see. Then allow me to put it plainly for most of you to understand. Reject the will of the Goddess-Above-All, recognize that she has failed you and yield to me. Only I can save you from your fate."

"What the hell? Is that bitch serious right now?" Ashura Gozen shouted out in disbelief. The multitude of her sisters at her behind began relinquishing growls of displeasure.

"You dare speak of the Mother of us all in such an arrogant and demeaning way?" Zion questioned in disbelief feeling his emotions begin to boil.

"Damn, she's got an ego everyone...oh boy, what is this a copy and paste antagonist?" Lucy joked causing a few of the Heroic Spirits to smile.

"Not like I really get all this divine stuff since I was never really the religious kinda gal, but if you think we're seriously about to just bow down to you without a fight...ya got another thing coming sister," Chris spoke out.

Other rousing shouts of dissent soon followed before Mercer raised his hand to quiet the crowd.

"What everyone is saying is: Hell no. You may be some great entity that people feared in the past, but in this day and age...everyone falls...even the gods. I would know, I am a God Hunter after all."

"The spirit of rebellion...yes, another admirable trait; it inspires a need to survive and to defy all odds. Yet, that spirit cannot save you...not from me. It would seem that I need to illustrate why it is pointless for this battle to take place. I shall gladly indulge."

Instantly, the atmosphere was dyed with tension and apprehension as a dense aura gathered around the woman also called 'Legion'. It dwarfed the understanding of those before her except the Primordials among the resistance. The entirety of the dimension began to quake as ruptures in space seemingly tore open in response to the divine woman's strength.

"The Revelation is the means by which truth is unveiled...for in the face of adversity lies the chance of a new beginning...Absolution!"

A cloud of violet energy billowed from the body of the woman and rushed towards her adversaries like a crushing tsunami hell bent of wiping away the coastline of a massive metropolis. The wave surged past the front line as if disregarding the Heroic Spirits, the Mercer Family, the Cardinal Four and the Guardian of the Abyss, and the Symphogears. Instead, it made direct contact with the armies of Elysium and Cocytus. Instantly, the hundreds of thousands of warriors were rendered stuck in their positions.

"Begone..."

The warriors of the different tribes and nations suddenly felt something being siphoned from their bodies. The eyes of the platoons appeared dazed and confused as space began to warp around them. In the seconds that followed, each one of them vanished into a cloud of dust one after another. It was as if they were being disintegrated in their tracks without even so much as a single hint of struggle. After just 3 seconds, thousands upon thousands of people were gone.

"Impossible..." uttered Cthulhu causing the sea creature to stumble in place.

"My...sisters...they're all..." Shugo stammered.

"How? Just...how?" Yaten-douji asked in bewilderment.

"This...woman is...truly horrifying, yes..." Garuda stated.

"That's not possible...no way all those warriors I armed with some of the greatest protective armaments I ever forged just disappeared like that," Alexis commented in disbelief.

"Ah...I...don't understand, it's as if all of those souls are traversing the Crossroads right now," Jibril remarked.

"She...killed them all in one fell swoop? All of those epic heroes and beasts of legend?" Mordred asked fearfully.

"She's a bigger monster than Tiamat," Chris spoke.

"What did you do, Sakinah?" Mercer inquired with agitation.

"Relax, they are not dead. I simply invoked my will upon them and destroyed their reality...well in this case, I stole their will to fight and forced their physical presences to return to whence they came. In other words, I sent them all back to their homes in Purgatory and Elysium. I projected the idea that they had no reason to fight anymore, they just needed to go home and wait patiently. I told you before did I not? I have no reason to kill any of you. However, that does not mean I am not prepared to discipline you to see the errors of your ways."

"You...you...you rotten bitch…" Ashura Gozen gritted her teeth angrily as the ground began to crack underneath her.

A surging dark crimson aura began to spiral about her body as the twist of blood red flames spewed out of her mouth before circulating across her skin and armor. Two giant red and black wings sprouted from her back with similarly colored horns poking out from her skull. In addition, a lengthy, 5 foot tail sprouted from back just above her butt. Her claws, fangs and talons all became visibly sharper as the fearsome look in her eyes glimmered with killing intent.

"Banishing my sisters? Ripping them of their will to fight? That's like severing a dragon's wings and forcing them to crawl on the ground for their entire lives. You may have robbed them of their will to fight, but you will feel their wrath in my claws. I'll draw on their predatory rage and infuse it with my own to become a beast you cannot tame! Blood Rush!"

The Ryu-jin general channeled her tribe's infamous technique that increased their draconian instincts by 500%. Though it sacrificed the individual's sense of reason, it allowed the user to tap into their pure, unfiltered, animal instincts and increase their physical prowess many times over. For Ashura Gozen, her position as the leader of her people both metaphorically as a general and literally as a part of the species itself, she was able to draw on the strength that lied dormant within the tribes of her domain. Even though their wills to fight was shattered and they were banished back into Cocytus, the connection she shared with each of them was not easily cut. Therefore, the latent wrath within them all gave her power beyond unimaginable heights.

This technique was a hassle to deal with. She trained tirelessly to overcome her faults so she could use it better; however, she mainly wanted to get to a point where she would only use the technique as a last resort against a strong opponent.

"Seems like our sassy little salamander is showing her teeth at long last...granted, I'd be a fool if I didn't showcase my anger either. Dishonoring my people by forcing them to retreat without a fight is like calling us cowards without a cause. I'll do my part to ensure that your resurrection is short-lived," Yaten-douji masqueraded in boldness.

"Allow me the honor of bringing to life the true fury of the Oni!"

The six-armed warrior reached out with one of his left hands as a giant, foot-long in diameter, red sadazuki cup. A neon, green colored aura spewed out of the pores of the Oni general. In that instant, the cup began to fill with a bright, green liquid.

"Like my colleague here, I too can draw upon the wrath of my people. However, I draw on my strength from the mountain where my sister once lived as did all of us Oni before we were driven out from our lands by mankind. I summon the greatest elixir ever concocted from the springs of Mount Ooe itself!"

"Brother..." Shuten-douji murmured from off to the side.

"We haven't had time to speak, but hopefully we can get caught up soon. After all...I'm not ready for my sister to head back to the Throne just yet. For now…"

Black and gold twisted around Yaten's body upon drinking the mysterious liquid from the cup. As he did that, he felt the voices of his brethren reaching out to him from Cocytus. Their strength, their hopes, everything they treasured was placed on the man's shoulders. He took on the weight of their dreams and the beliefs that his people treasured throughout their existence. From there, the mask upon his face cracked in half thus revealing the face of the three-horned individual underneath. His yellow eyes shimmered with the wrath of his people as his long, flowing hair fluttered through the air as if sustained by a constant breeze. Then, his muscular arms pulled out his six trademark weapons as they became dyed with golden energy.

"Intoxicated Blight..." bellowed the great demon general.

Emanating with power like Ryu-jin warrior, Yaten-douji's strength drew upon the latent potential within himself and the hidden strength of all the Oni in his domain. The enraged states that the pair displayed were similar in many ways and different in others. The two collided with one another at one point in time while in these states and half of Purgatory was destroyed as a result. Zion's shell almost split in two when the Kappa warrior attempted to stop them; ultimately, it was Reina whom had the last word.

The two generals of great renown in Cocytus stood prepared to unleash everything they had in one strike betting everything on their now unleashed strength. Their allies watched as some marveled at their great strength while others felt inspired by the pureness of their anger. As for their adversary, all she could do was stand there and smile.

"How interesting, I am curious to see what this rage of yours is capable of. Come, show me the might of the forgotten souls of Purgatory. Hit me with everything you have in one decisive blow," Sakinah entertained with a solitary waving gesture of her hand.

Before anyone blinked, the pair moved towards their foe. It was as if someone snapped their fingers and caused their bodies to disappear and reappear from one position to the other. Both of the generals aimed for a strong physical blow that would shake Legion's body to her core, something that would cause enough of a quake to ripple throughout the remaining aspects of the multiverse; however…

"Reacting out of rage means nothing...it would seem that both of you were poorly instructed. Regardless, thank you for being my first volunteers," the dark-haired beauty said.

In that instant, she opened her hands and placed them both on the chests of the two warriors as their motions went to follow through. In her eyes, Shugo and Yaten were stopped in midair in action poses waiting to strike.

"Rewrite, The Act of Fury: Those whom are quick to anger exposes and exalts their foolery. Let thine wrath lead to thy downfall."

Instantly, the bodies of the Ryu-jin and the Oni were sapped of their empowered states. It was as if the power they accumulated was erased without a single trace. Helpless, the two warriors attacks fell listlessly through the air as Shugo's shallow punch and Yaten's shallow swings with his weaponry failed to do anything to their opponent.

"Let peace guide you to bliss as your fight draws its end."

Sakinah walked past the both of them casually before swinging her left arm back in a horizontal chop. The breeze that passed smacked both warriors on their vulnerable points across their necks before causing them to collapse unconscious.

"Who shall be next?"

"Allow me to oblige you!" Zion called out as the imposing giant leaped into the air.

His large, armored body transformed into that of a spiked ball that mimicked the head of a mace. Invoking his mastery of the visionary arts, he envisioned himself as an unstoppable object that would fall down upon its target at great speed causing calamitous damage on impact.

"Meteorain!!!!"

"Free falling? Amusing to an extent, but horrifically cliché and dull. You bore me," Sakinah said with disdain.

As Zion's body brushed further towards hitting its intended target, the woman opened the palm of her hand and jabbed upwards at the air—the iconic Buddha's Palm technique in martial arts. The shockwave from striking through the wind pierced through Zion's momentum and caught up in a weak spot of his nigh impenetrable defense. In that moment, the masked figure's body unraveled as the blow shattered his armor revealing his humanoid, amphibious body. The crushing blow caused fractures throughout his entire body as it sent him flying in the opposite direction before skidding across the ground.

"So far I am rather disappointed by the great generals of Purgatory..."

"Do not slander the Cardinal Four in such a way in my presence! To do so is to dishonor our Queen!" Cthulhu beckoned.

"Four...and a mascot character, but so far I have only taken down those 3. The fourth is...ah...that one," Sakinah said as her gaze fell upon the sorceress in the distance.

"Hmm...I shall hold off on you, but as for the creature of the sea..."

"I shall drown you in your worst nightmare for all time..."

"My worst nightmare just came to an end, and you barely possess enough power to even cause me to twitch my eyebrow. However, I must say...I am curious what would happen if you were to experience the same torment that you normally inflict upon your victims. Rewrite, True Karma."

Instantly, Cthulhu was stopped in his tracks before he was clutching his head in agony. The insanity that he normally caused victims that fell into Purgatory was happening to him except amplified by a thousand fold.

"Drown in despair foul beast of the outer world. My use for you is limited in scope, therefore, I do not mind breaking you to a degree."

The sea creature fell to the ground as his body became static with the occasional muscle spasms. Sakinah took down the armies of Heaven and Purgatory without so much as single wave of a sword, then knocked down 4 of Reina Arashi's top retainers. If it was not clear that she was an individual that could not be stopped, it was becoming obvious now; however, the remaining warriors still held onto hope.

"We can't compartmentalize our attacks, we just have to throw everything we have at her. She can't stop everything right?" Chris asked aloud for anyone to throw in hand.

"If that's the case, then we might as well use the Climax Song and bet everything on one single attack; especially with our newly tuned gears," Hibiki responded.

"The feedback should be manageable, we may need some time to properly sync up," Maria analyzed.

"Take all the time you need. We'll use our Noble Phantasms to stop her dead in her tracks," Scathach boasted whilst twirling both of her lances.

"This is gonna be something else, but we've done crazier shit before," Mordred cocked a grin.

"You might need a little help of the Primordial nature so I'm down to kick it up a notch with ya," Lucy spoke confidently.

"It's been a while since I had the chance to participate in a real fight," Alexis noted.

"Ara...punishment time is at hand," Jibril smirked.

"I should do something too...for the sake of my fallen comrades, yes..." Garuda noted with shakiness in her voice.

"No...I can sense the hesitation in you. Given your disposition with arcane elements, it would be too dangerous for you to cast with your current mental state. If you can, try to give us all a boost with support spells as you can," Mercer suggested.

"R-Right..."

"Think it's best you stay back too, Raikou-chan...I'm gettin' the same vibes from ya," Lucy chimed in.

"E-Eh? No, I can fight too..." the busty Berserker professed.

"Raikou-san, something is obviously off. You seldom have this aura about you. There is nothing wrong with taking a step back to gather your thoughts. We just have to buy some time if nothing else," Semiramis said wisely.

"Fine...but make sure you don't miss."

"Then let's take a firm stand before Senpai and the others get here," Altera suggested. The group collectively nodded in unison.

The six gear users clasped hands with each other and closed their eyes. The radiance around their new armor sets emanated the color respective to each user. Harmoniously, the girls took a deep breath before beginning to sing:

"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal…

Emulstronzen fine el balal zizzl…

Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal…"

In response to their opening melody, the phonic gain generating their abilities coalesced together in a glorious rainbow as the density of their strength began to increase. As they chanted their song, the Heroic Spirits shifted into action by releasing everything they had with the mana they gained in rapid succession.

"It's our turn now, you scallywags! King of the ghosts, night of the storms, let the Wild Hunt begin!" the Pirate Queen, Francis Drake called out.

Leaping into the air, a wall of oceanic blue water seemingly hung down like drapes in the atmosphere. Busting through the waves was the crimson ship that she sailed upon in her great legend. Alongside it were the hundreds of vessels she commanded during her time. Holding out her flintlock pistol, the notorious captain pulled the trigger as all of the cannons fired at once releasing gigantic beams of cerulean light towards the target.

Shuten-douji was the next person to release her ultimate technique as she pulled a mysterious gourd from nothingness behind her back. She squeezed the neck of the item until it shattered causing a giant green wave of alcohol to bust forth and rush like a flood composed of toxic energy.

"Go on and die now….Exuberance of Colors, Godly Demonic Poison!" she said with a wicked smile.

"I did it once...and I'll do it again. For the sake of the salvation of those who were lost so that they may live again! My unwavering faith, my devotion to those crying out in the wilderness, take everything bestowed upon me in this blade! World Etude: Dystopian Revelation!" the Maiden of Orleans declared whilst swinging her great sword.

She used this move once before when Scathach was her opponent and destroyed the Queen of the Land of Shadows' Gate of Skye. Now it was time to use it again channeling the miracles she has witnessed throughout her life both as a human peasant girl and as a noble Heroic Spirit. Drawing deep upon the experience she gained, she unleashed a golden light of hope in one destructive swing.

"Unlike my sister, I'm not nearly as holy. Take all of my hatred, my regrets, and my pain...all of the bitterness that was buried in my heart. Taste the stinging sensation of the flames of Purgatory with which my vengeance burns! La Grondemont du Haine!" the dark version of the Holy Maiden, Jalter shouted out.

A wave of dark crimson hellfire washed out from beneath the dark maiden's armor as it barreled towards Legion. Snaking beneath the ground were black spears seeking their victim to impale before being burned at the stake.

"I unleash the greatest light of Camelot, the hope of a nation whose burdens I carry in my blade. Behold the greatest light that serves as a beacon for those lost in darkness, Excalibur!!" the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, relinquished.

She held her holy sword high above her head as the golden radiance shot up into the sky as a signal of rebirth. Then she swung the blade downward to release the intense build up of energy much like Jeanne D'Arc.

"For the honor of my father, and to prove that I am worthy once and for all. Clarent Blood Arthur!" Mordred followed suit thus mimicking Artoria's actions except discharging a beam of crimson electrical energy.

"For honor's sake, for duty's sake, I shall do what I must. Go forth and pierce, soaring spear of death—Gae Bolg Alternative!" the Celtic Warrior, Scathach, screamed aloud.

She kicked one of her crimson spears up into the air before jumping after it, then did a flip in the air and kicked it once more before throwing the second one immediately after. Suddenly, the two lances multiplied in number as they rained down upon the target like a hailstorm.

"No longer a monster that craves destruction, but a hero who wishes to become a symbol of freedom for those whom are lost. O Mars, heed my call and bestow my blade with the might of War. Teardrop Photon Ray!" said the red-eyed, dark-skinned swordswoman, Altera.

Her tri-colored blade opened up at the hilt as a massive crimson pillar of energy was shot down towards it. Then, she aimed the weapon forward as a twist of pink, blue and while light burst forth like a drill towards the enemy.

"Unburdened by the chains of dismay and regret, I who have been given a new sense of purpose in this life. Though vain it may be, let this holy construct become a revelation for mankind to someday achieve. For their sake, I shall crush you using a relic from the Age of Gods! Hanging Gardens of Babylon!" Semiramis released.

It was here that the massive, heavenly stone fortress that normally takes three days to build was instantaneously constructed and manifested just near the great fleet of the Pirate Queen. Then, magical runes spawned around the nose of the mysterious craft as a great chasm of royal purple magical energy infused with the Wise Queen of Assyria's deadliest mix of poison and other forms of magical arts was discharged.

"My primary objective is to heal under most circumstances, however...I can just adjust the effects of my power just enough to make sure my enemy receives all that is due! Nightingale Pledge!" the Angel of Health said as a giant shell of green energy covered Sakinah's location.

Though it seemed like it would protect the woman from harm, it was actually a shell meant to amplify the damage of all incoming attacks as it passed through to assault the individual.

"Blasted Tree!" Fran yelled out as her body became a bomb of green electrical energy.

"I suppose I should make sure you're unable to move so you can take everyone's huge, gushing loads at once fufufu~ I wanna see you squeal under the might of a greater power...Hedylogos!" Jibril uttered in a seductive tone accompanied by a twisting action of her body.

Her words that dripped with honey became a compulsion spell that was specifically designed to bind female targets so that they would be unable to move. This allowed the archangel free reign over what to do with them as she saw fit.

"Bone of my sword...hear my cry,

The might of the forge burns in my heart,

Molten steel courses through my veins,

The might hammers strike the anvil as my will is made flesh,

For I am the Blacksmith of the promised destiny,

So as I pray...Infinite Birth of Blades!"

Alexis chanted this brief stanza to call forth the concept of every blade she has ever forged in the past, the present and the future to come. In that instant, thousands of holy and demonic constructs erupted from the ground before firing towards Legion's location.

"Guess I'll get in on the action too since my faceclaims over there are doing it. Let's go then...X-Calibur, X-Calibur Morgan…awaken and shine! Intertwined light and darkness birth a new world!" Lucy exclaimed whilst holding the holy blades of a blue and gold sword in one hand and a black and red sword in the other.

"Cross-slash Calibur!"

She swung both weapons at the same time in an X-shape as their respective colored energies billowed across the ground and barreled down towards its target to erase the core of its existence from the fabrics of time that bound the alternate space together.

"I'm not one for fancy declarations, so allow me to keep this simple. Go back to the hellish hole you crawled out of…God-Breaker," Mercer said as he instantaneously drew the old revolver he used to take a shot at Nyx just a while ago. In that instant, the same bullet capable of killing and sealing away a Primordial was discharged and soared towards Legion's head.

The barrage of attacks erupted from the varying sources simultaneously, all before the Symphogears could finish their song. The combination of the Noble Phantasms and Primordial attacks would certainly send a rippling effect throughout the reaches of the Omniverse thus sending a message of hope to those banished to Elysium and Cocytus alike. However…

"How magnificent...and truly fascinating. All of you would place everything you have into one combined attack in order to take me down. I respect your resolve, but it is futile," Sakinah said as she saw the equivalent of overkill bear its fangs upon her.

"Rewrite, the Act of Bestowal. Give and it shall be given unto you...with great pressure, strongly shaken together to overflow. With the same standard you use, it is measured in kind."

Sakinah's answer to the onslaught of attacks was reciprocated at this point as time seemingly stopped all around her for the smallest attosecond. Within that freeze frame, all of the techniques that was turned her way was reversed instantly.

"Receive the gift of one so kind for the kind offering you hath given me, I return unto you with a greater blessing. Rejoice. Though I regret, some of you may not live to relish in it," Sakinah said. As she finished those words, time resumed. In consequence, the one-second slaughter occurred.

Drake's fleet was assailed by a barrage of beams that her fleet relinquished. Every single one of her ships were penetrated by the cosmic light from her mighty cannons. As a result, the legendary Wild Hunt was turned into Swiss cheese as the galleons, schooners, and Man O' Wars were turned inside out thus causing them to crash onto the ground in a sea of flames. As for the captain herself, the first bullet she shot was redirected and sent through her chest cavity.

The chasm of poisonous liquids that was released by Shuten-douji's gourd was sent back to her, drowning her in all of its corrosive glory. As she was forced to guzzle down the liquid refreshment of death, the skin on her delicate body began to boil and melt away from the toxicity of her deadly elixir. But even so, the angle of which her body was assailed let the damage only be carried to a certain extent to where she was still eligible to cling to life.

Jeanne, Artoria, Mordred, and Altera were bathed by the same divine light that they unleashed from their blades respectively. The bodies of the four weapon were absorbed by the pillars of energy. As the brilliant lights faded, the Knights of Camelot and the Holy Maiden found their armors completely disintegrated and their flesh burned. The same happened to Altera except her clothing was mostly dissolved and her skin received burns that were worse than the former parties.

Scathach's spears were effectively nullified as the duplicates got slapped into clouds of dust. However, the two spears that she usually carried were delivered back to their original owner as they both impaled her stomach and nailed her into the ground. The infamous self-proclaimed God Slayer coughed up volumes of blood as every facet of her body was dyed in pain.

Nightingale's barrier was banished and rescinded back as a projection onto the original caster. In that moment, the effects of the luminous shell was altered to where the person inside had every wound they ever received reopened. As a result, the combat nurse found her body covered from head to toe in cuts and stab wounds with even two gunshot wounds to her abdominal region thus causing her to collapse onto the ground.

Fran was merely caught up in a ball and forced to implode as giblets of her flesh rained down upon the battlefield below.

As for Semiramis, her Hanging Gardens self-destructed as the chunks of stone and architecture came crashing down. For the creator of the fortress, she was bound in chains to her throne; the metal being made of the same poison that she was notorious for using while she was alive. However, the effects were slowed down to ensure maximum suffering.

"Emulstronzen fine el..."

"Such a beautiful song, sadly...it is time that your songs be silenced. You shall not gain power from music today," Sakinah waved as the voices of the Symphogears were robbed of the ability to sing.

The six girls found their vocal cords cut as not a single note of harmony was uttered. In addition, their throats were dry and raspy before they coughed up droplets of blood. Without phonic gain to power their suits, their gears shattered leaving them with the protective body suits underneath. On top of that, the feedback from the climax songs was suddenly imparted upon their bodies causing them to keel over on the ground, writhing in pain.

Jibril wound up being bound by the same spell that she cast turning her into a mindless slave. The consciousness of her normally seductive attitude disappeared thus rendering her into a lifeless mannequin. As for the blacksmith, the blades that she cast out were returned unto her thus trapping her inside a compromising prison of sharp objects. If she moved, she threatened to sever one of her limbs or puncture a vital organ. Her Infinite Blades became a prison of sharp steel.

Lucy was hit by the technique that she unleashed which destabilized the link with her cool gadgets that gave her abilities an enhanced edge. The two divine blades she wielded were shattered by the amplified effects of the redirected energy attack. As for the cheerful goddess, she was disarmed but not completely helpless.

"I'll just have to try something else," she said.

"No...you shall not. Lock..." the resurrected Primordial goddess said with a snap of her fingers.

"Bind..."

With those simple commands, Lucy was captured inside of a capsule that was similar to the medical pod to which she was placed in stasis with.

"Absolution – Augment Time-Shatter..."

Using her will, Sakinah caused the concept of time to break within the skilled swordswoman. She would normally be immune to anything having to do with time, but what the daughter of Relepagus did was cease the flow of time in the form of 'progress' within every cell of her body. As a result, the real-time action of every action beneath her flesh was frozen in time individually. To top it all off, Sakinah did something else.

"Banish, Avalon."

With that invocation, the woman severed Lucy's bond to the ever-distant utopia that gave her absurd healing which made her vulnerable to the effects of Sakinah's will even more.

The God-Breaker bullet was still hurdling towards Sakinah even as she sauntered like a ghost across the field to steal away the advantages her opponents held. As the bullet inched closer and closer, the woman reached out and caught it with her two fingers.

"King of Elysium...this is quite the nice trick, but alas...to me, it is just gravel to be stepped on. Perhaps you would like it back?" she said as she flicked it directly towards the man.

"Tch...Time Hack – Triple Accel," he uttered before moving through space-time to avoid the round. As he moved out of the way, he saw his pistol get shattered into pieces as the bullet made its impact. He barely made it out of the impact. However, even as he dodged, he could not escape.

"I do not wish to kill you Mercer...besides...I knew your ancestor. I looked up to her quite a lot. Therefore, I shall just throw you into an enchanted prison of sorts."

Sakinah pulled out the Golden Ark and rushed at Mercer. With a singular swing, she smacked the man in the face with the spine of the book with blinding speed causing him to transform into a giant tarot card.

"You are an important piece of what comes next. I shall leave you like this for a brief while. Now then..." Legion said whilst letting her book dissipate into nothingness, then she passed an observational stare over her foes.

"Noble heroes of human history and renown, though I declared my desire of not wanting to kill anyone...you are all the only exception to that rule. You are already corrupted by the summoning of that failed goddess. Even though the weight of the Arcana gave you the mana, your cores are still tainted. Therefore, I shall release you from your temporal existences and re-summon each of you to serve me in the coming crisis."

The fading golden light began to wrap around the bodies of the servants whose bodies were damaged severely: Drake, Shuten-douji, Scathach, Jalter, and Nightingale followed Fran into the path of nothingness as they were forced back to the Throne of Heroes. Jeanne, Artoria, Mordred, and Altera were still hanging onto life, but only by a thinning thread. The imposing beauty turned her gaze towards Semiramis' position and snapped her fingers to halt the poisoning.

"You...you lived during the Age of Gods, yes. You are a special exception to the fate of the Heroic Spirits. You and another," the goddess uttered before seeing Raikou's face near Garuda.

Sakinah began to saunter her way towards the two women dismissing the carnage she just inflicted to her victims. She did not even remotely bat an eye as she briskly strafed past the fallen heroes. All she cared about were the two individuals standing frozen by one another.

"Move...I...have to move..." Garuda uttered to herself, yet the sorceress felt numb for some reason.

"I cannot...let my comrades down, not like this. My honor is at stake here," Raikou remarked whilst facing the same struggle.

"Your willpower is impressive, but neither of you can overcome the force of gravity. I suppose my direct eye contact with the both of you have nullified the nerves throughout your bodies; therefore, your brain is unable to transmit the proper messages to your muscles. Relax children, I do not wish to kill either of you. How could I? You two are technically my daughters after all," Sakinah relinquished a softened expression as she used her abilities to bring the two women close to her whilst reaching out and touching their cheeks.

"Minamoto-no-Yorimitsu, also known as Raikou, the daughter of Ushi Gozen...who is commonly known as the Sakra or Indra. And Garuda, the last of the Yakshini, and the only surviving daughter of Durga. Two offspring of sibling deities whom are only one-sixth of the whole that is I, Sakinah Vashti. By ordinary terms, you two would be defined as cousins; but by the current arrangement, you are my descendants. There are a great many things that I must do in this conflict; however, spilling the blood of my children is not one I wish to execute so casually."

"You...must be...joking, yes? Surely it must be so," Garuda responded.

"Such...nonsense, even if it is a shocking revelation...your words mean nothing," Raikou reiterated.

"Is it wrong of a parent to reconcile with their children? I offer you both a chance to escape from the dark fate destined for this futile resistance. Join me and be at my side as this world and every other world spread throughout the infinite cosmos is rewritten. I shall make you both into the divine goddesses you were meant to be in the new world to come."

"That is ridiculous. Utterly so...even if you are a higher being that my mother is just a part of, I refuse to acknowledge you...and give into your ways! You exude nothing but the atmosphere of vengeance and destruction. Though you may possess such eloquent mannerisms, you are just a closeted monster veiled beneath human-like flesh!" Garuda exclaimed.

"You will do nothing except make us your puppets. My father did the same to me and used me to inflict harm on those I cared deeply about. Though I was powerless then, I am not now and I refuse to become a puppet of gods like you. Even if my power is inferior to yours, I will not let myself be used as an instrument of destruction by your kind ever again!" Raikou declared boldly.

The Yakshini Sorceress gripped her staff tightly as she began to rapidly chant a powerful spell.

"I call upon the great elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Aether...lend this one your ear and let creation bask in your glory..."

Simultaneously, the legendary Oni Slayer gripped her two handed katana and channeled her aura all around her body to prepare her Noble Phantasm.

"Come forth my four heavenly generals..."

"Foolish children...it would seem my faults have passed onto you in the worst way possible," Sakinah sighed whilst creating some distance between herself and the two women.

"Seraphic Cataclysm!"

"Vengeful Lightning of the Ox-King!"

The mature beauties of deadly demeanor released their fully powered attacks towards the woman whom dared to proclaim herself as their mother. Regardless of their relation to one another having never met once in their lifetimes, the two stood together in this single moment to wound the imposing being that swatted down their allies just a few seconds ago.

Garuda's hailstorm of magical attacks mimicked the appearance of the Gate of Babylon from the King of Heroes. What began with five runic circles symbolizing the five elements she channeled multiplied innumerably as thousands of beams of concentrated energy spewed forth towards her target. As for Raikou, her Noble Phantasm shifted. Normally the Berserker would create five copies of herself that wielded different elemental weapons to wipe out her targets; however, the duplicates transformed into raw applications of power representative of the elements they wielded before she swung her mighty katana with the chasm of purple lightning in kind. Together, the mix of supernatural energies sought to wipe out the cosmos in order to eliminate their foe.

The impact resonated in a loud clap of thunder pouring out a pillar of white light firing into the air high above the battlefield. The two women were breathing heavily having released so much of their power in one shot. However, as the light faded away, a singular silhouette stood there unfazed.

"As I expected of my offspring...you have potential, but your naivety clouds your judgment..."

Sakinah merely reached over her shoulder and brushed off the dust having not a single scratch upon her. The mixture of transcendental energy released by the two should have at least left some form of a mark on her. This caused the pair to tense up instantly unsure of what to think. All they could do was ask one simple question in unison:

"How?"

"My sweet children, you underestimate me. Surely you did not think that pure elemental energy would inflict injury, correct? I must say, I have to thank you for the delicious appetizer. I absorbed every bit of that combined attack with ease. Thank you for the meal, but I am afraid I must punish my misbehaving children."

Sakinah disappeared before reappearing behind the two women.

"Go to sleep, it will all be over soon."

Before they even had time to process it, both women dropped their weapons before falling face first on the ground. Everything went black for them in their eyes.

"No way...how can she be this...powerful? Your Highness, my esteemed sister, I...am sorry...I cannot do more than this..." Garuda thought as she lost consciousness.

"This woman...far outclasses anything I have fought before, she truly is in a class of her own. Raizo-sama, forgive me..." Raikou stated before mimicking the same action.

The battlefield became quiet as Sakinah's eyes glanced over the progress of her work so far. She held a faint smirk upon her features for the briefest of moments before she began to walk back towards the castle.

"Is this truly everything the Resistance has to offer? I suppose I must wait for the next wave..."

"You...how could you do this?" Jeanne stammered over her words whilst trying to fight off the call of the Throne, the two knights of Camelot and the former King of Destruction struggling to maintain the same posture.

"I shall do what I must to ensure there is order. This is all a necessary sacrifice for the preservation of life. In order to save the system, I must destroy it and recreate it. All that is old will become new again," Sakinah explained.

"But what will it cost? And will it truly be worth it?" Semiramis uttered from a short distance away.

"It will cost everything...and nothing at the same time. I offered a path of salvation by giving you all a chance to surrender to me and to submit to my will, but you all rejected it. This is the result."

"Tch...you're just a psycho bitch on a power trip...doing this for some self-righteous endeavor when all you really want to do is prove yourself," Mordred criticized.

"Interesting the Knight of Treachery dares to speak such words considering her history...I dislike hypocrites."

"Then you should hate yourself most of..."

"Silence."

Sakinah pointed her index finger at Mordred's head and discharged a sharp beam of light. The projectile was condensed like a bullet as it penetrated the knight's skull causing her head to explode; then her body faded away.

"Mordred...you...how dare you?!" Artoria gritted her teeth in anger.

"A shame to see such potential squandered...perhaps it is best this way. Even so, her insolence got her killed. Do not waste your breath on such frivolous matters King of Knights, your time is coming soon enough. All of this could have been easily avoided if you just would have listened to me."

"I refuse to bend the knee to someone who clearly has no desire to preserve life as it is even when we have lost so much already! We have next to nothing left, but we are fighting to protect what remains so that we may thrive. Yet, here you are in all of your divine wisdom trying to snuff out what little bit of hope we have! You are nothing but another tyrant, no better than Goetia..."

"If only you realize just how wrong you are. But alas, I have no use for this version of you. Perhaps if you were more mature or had a hint of darker nature coursing through you then you would understand. Nevertheless, there is no point in trying to explain my intent to such a failure of a king. Return to ash like the kingdom you fought so long to preserve in your history, King Arthur."

Similar to the homunculus before, Sakinah discharged yet another beam of light causing the knight's head to explode as her remains were sent back to the Throne of Heroes.

"Like father, like son...how poetic and tragic at the same time."

"You're a monster...you truly have no regard for life in your heart!" the Wise Queen of Assyria called out from her throne.

"Just...wait...until my uncle and his family gets here," Alexis gritted her teeth while captured in her steel prison.

In that next instant, a dark, crimson vortex was torn open in space as seven new figures emerged.

"Ah...now things are finally getting interesting," Legion remarked with a wicked grin as she levitated in the air and backed away from the area of carnage. Then she crossed her legs and leaned her head on her hand to watch the reactions of her next targets.