96 Knock Knock!
In a time span that felt like the snap of a finger, Sora returned to his position on Earth. He hadn't moved a single bit, which made him wonder if only his soul had made the journey. Maybe Aeolia was a type of astral realm? Forget it. He'd think about it later.
A coordinate was being displayed in his mind, seemingly in the vast reaches of the mediterranean. This was the location of the rift, no doubt. The sleepy man took a few steps in the air while rubbing his chin. A bit of stubble was growing. He was getting older…was age even a thing to him?
'I sure have been pondering a lot of things recently.' He thought.
It was only now that the young Lockhart noticed how contemplative he'd been in the last few months. Was this maturity? Heh. Maybe it was because he no longer had to worry about Alice's safety. Zel was by her side at all times, invisible to all.
"Ugh…Enough. Let's have some fun." He muttered.
DING
From the far outskirts of Metropolis to the Mediterranean sea, it had only taken a second. A mountain range could be found on the edge of the horizon. That was it. He stood a few meters above the ocean water, ready to accelerate once more.
"You're here." A voice called out.
Sora immediately paused. Turning his head to the side, he found the golden-winged warrior. When the hell did he get there? Heh. Just kidding.
"...Sagittarius."
"I know how it feels to be at the whim of the gods. Just know that this isn't the same. Our cause is a noble one! What we achieve today will ruffle the seats of Olympus." The warrior declared.
"Ah…that's cool? I guess." Sora answered while scratching the back of his head.
He could honestly care less. This was more of an opportunity to stretch his legs. When one grew so powerful that opponents were few and far between, it was hard to find entertainment. Not to mention that his power just went through a qualitative change.
"Is something wrong?" The golden warrior asked.
"...No. Let's go."
That wasn't all. Ruffle the seats of Olympus? Please. When Sora finally comes across Ares and Poseidon, that would be their end. How could this possibly compare? This was just a side mission to the young Lockhart.
Upon arrival, the entrance to the Underworld was revealed. There was a rift sitting on the beach to the mountain range. Monsters were pouring out by the second. If a member of the Justice League saw this, they would turn pale. These monsters ranged from the common undead to hulking legendary beasts.
No matter. The sleepy man raised his hand in the shape of a gun and pointed at the monster horde. Sagittarius lowered Sora's hand with a shake of his head.
"Let me."
A golden bow materialized in his left hand. As he pulled on the string, a golden arrow of pure Cosmo energy appeared. It was like a funnel. Energy constantly poured in the arrow as it grew brighter and brighter. The monsters had long since noticed the bright phenomenon and charged toward them. Sora only watched with his arms crossed. It wasn't everyday one could observe a Saint in action. Right when the horde reached the ocean water and attempted to cross it, Sagittarius released the arrow.
FWOOSH
It turned into a trail of golden energy that split the ocean water. It drilled through the middle of the horde instantly. There was no sound as it immediately turned whatever it touched into…ash? No, not even that. They just disappeared as if they'd never been there.
Once the arrow slammed into its target, a wave of golden aura washed across the horde. It was like a holy flame that washed over the sinners. Nothing remained. Beside the massive tear in the sand and ocean, there was nothing else.
It wasn't even right to say that the enemies were killed. That didn't feel like the right term at all. More like…they were purged and sent to heaven. Sora didn't think any warrior would be sad dying to something as holy as that. Since he now had cosmos energy incorporated into his light, would the death of his enemies look the same?
'Only one way to find out.' He thought.
"Let's go." Sagittarius spoke.
Right before they entered the rift, a set of armor appeared in the warrior's hand. He held it out toward Sora with a slight smile. The intention was clear.
"Athena had this made for you. There's no telling what type of beings we'll face, and what type of energies we'll encounter." The young Lockhart shook his head.
"Actually...I have my own armor."
"You do? Why don't you wear it?"
"There isn't a reason to wear armor when nothing can even breach your skin, you know?"
"Do you believe yourself infallible, Sora?" Sagittarius questioned with a frown.
No matter how strong he became, he wouldn't think of taking off his divine cloth. They were on different levels. The golden warrior wouldn't understand…but that was fine. Sora would indulge him.
Looking into his skyrealm, the sleepy man located his divine armor that'd been sitting on the still waters. It had been soaking in his divinity for the longest time. There was a flash of darklight that slowly turned back to the normal mix of white and blue. Sora had turned off his divinity, allowing his new form to be revealed.
His armor was perfectly fitted. White polished metal with a golden finish. Every single white armor piece was followed by gold. Only the under armor was black. A helm covered his face, leaving only blue lights where his eyes would be. There was a cape…no. Multiple capes that flapped in an ethereal manner. Almost as if they weren't real. Hard to explain but lovely to see.
The universe could be seen on each one. Stars, planets, and black holes alike. Sagittarius tried to feel one of the capes, but his hand went through it. They were intangible!
"Incredible…" The winged warrior muttered.
"Not bad huh?" Sora spoke lightheartedly.
"I can't even tell what I'm looking at. What pantheon does this armor even represent?"
"Mmmm…the right one."
Sagittarius could only look at this celestial being. The right one? Maybe…no. All he needed to worry about was Athena. He would not waver.
Without wasting any more time, they entered the portal. Not before Sora muttered something quietly though. His words were lost in the wind.
The transition was extremely smooth. The surroundings that were initially broad day, had become deepest night. An expected change.
The two fighters found themselves in a beautiful meadow. The flowers were glowing as if something resided within. While beautiful, it was somber. Dreadful and ominous. This place was known as the Asphodel Meadows.
Souls could actually be seen in the distance past the River Styx. They walked slowly in an unorganized line. Almost similar to zombies, they headed toward the kingdom in the distance. There was no doubt that Hades resided there. Fun fact…The gates to Tartarus were actually right beside the two warriors.
"Are you ready? From this point on, I cannot be seen." Sagittarius commented.
"I'll be fine. No one in this entire realm will discover you. After all, they'll be too busy dealing with me." The celestial being responded with supreme arrogance.
Sagittarius could feel the brimming confidence and excitement wafting from Sora. He could tell that although this man didn't tend to act arrogant, the arrogance was hidden deep inside. It was born alongside him. When this light humanoid gained consciousness, so did that arrogance. It wasn't as simple as someone not knowing what was good for them. All encompassing pride. Irrefutable.
"Good luck." With those words, Sagittarius turned into a ray of energy that beamed across the horizon.
Immediately, Sora moved to cover the warrior's tracks. His armored hand rose to the sky, creating a construct of pure cosmo light. It was a rune that quickly grew to encompass the whole realm. Every single being that resided in the Underworld looked up to the sky.
In this realm known as the Underworld, there was no such thing as day. Only eternal night existed here. With the arrival of this beautiful symbol in the sky, the phenomenon of day had arrived.
Even Hades, who was trying his best to mend things with his wife Persephone, looked to the sky. His wife, who was disappointed in her husband's actions against the mortals, looked to the sky. In the temple of the Architect, also known as Pandora's Temple, the guardian of Pandora's Box looked to the sky. It was a minotaur covered in divine armor, even his face not seen. Cerberus, who was resting on the nearby hills of Asphodel, turned away from the delicious souls and looked to the sky.
Sora had gained the attention of the entire realm. Still…it wasn't enough. Not enough for the celestial being to find enjoyment in the massive battle that was about to happen.
His starlight greatsword…damn. He really needed to give it a name. Sora looked at the blade that materialized in the air beside him. While looking at the several galaxies held within the blade, he decided to give it a quick name for now.
'Saheil. A homage to the Egyptian god of the stars. This will be your name.'
VRMMM
The half-greatsword half-claymore blade given birth from Sora's divinity, couldn't help but hum in response. Almost as if the blade was a woman, berating him for finally giving her a name after so long.
Ignoring the cries of his blade, a ball of light grew in the palm of his hand. It grew larger and larger only to condense into a small ball. This action would repeat several times over, until a ball pulsing with overwhelming light remained.
He shot the ball into the gates of Tartarus and watched as it fell deep into the abyssal pit. It continued to fall, even when the light it gave off disappeared. It fell deeper and deeper. After what felt like forever, a quiet explosion could be heard on the other side.
The pitch black darkness of Tartarus slowly grew brighter in extremely tiny increments. But that wasn't what mattered. No. It was the horde of angry beasts escaping the explosion of light, charging out of the gates.
RUMBLE
Each of them were as tall as buildings and skyscrapers. From chimeras, griffins, even Argus the hundred eyed giant, to gorgons, harpies, sirens, echidnas, lamias, amphisbaena, basilisks, even a few princes of hell. Even a god. There were millions of enemies.
Sora raised his hands in welcome, and his body floated above the ground. A crooked smile adorned his face which couldn't be seen due to his helm. His voice echoed across the entire realm, greeting the monsters and sentient beings alike. The celestial being covered in armor spoke.
"Knock, knock everyone! Greetings to all from Tartarus. Greetings to all in the Underworld. I…am your trial by faith. The true being of this universe, and I've come to play!"
