8 Rise of a God's Hand

In the Kingdom of Midland, a certain Band of the Hawk's leader had just declared his extreme desire for life, activating the conditions of his crimson Behelit and summoning the god's hand. All around the Band of the Hawk's members, swarmed uncountable numbers of abominations in a dome as black as ink, which blotted out the night sky. The four godly beings known as the god's hand stood upon their pedestal thrones, with a much clearer and more present form than a normal Behelit summoning.

These demons that waited here had all poured in from the first layer of hell, Eternity, waiting and watching the grand ceremony that was about to take place. But there was one individual among them who was not a demon and had followed them there; Marick. He kept himself hidden among the countless demons and moved himself blurred pace weaving himself near one of the pillars a god's hand throne sat on. He could see further than before, even seeing into the essence of things and this god's hand member was perhaps the most dangerous of them all. Only Marick himself would have a chance of winning against him.

He watched as the small egg-shaped god's hand member tempted Griffith with its emotional manipulation abilities.

"Your body is destroyed, all your dreams were shattered at that moment, and you'll never achieve your dreams." Ubek, the egg-shaped god's hand recounted.

"And yet, with your great determination you have summoned us; the god's hand. You only need to sacrifice your friends behind you and you will become more than anything you can dream of."

"Not only will you accomplish your dreams, you will become the fifth god's hand."

"All you need to do, is nod your head." The god's hand leaned forward slightly

A soft pained whisper of the broken and crippled Griffith was barely audible to most of his friends near him. But Guts heard it.

"I agree," he whispered.

"Wonderful." The god's hand member commented. 

"Such a grand sacrifice has been brought to us, let's make sure to enjoy this coronation ceremony of a new king." The god's hand spoke, addressing the apostles and demons filling every corner of this dimension.

"Griffith." Guts said in disbelief.

Griffith didn't look at him, he didn't look at any of his friends, he just kept his gaze pointed at the ground while he was floated upwards by the ritual.

"Gah!"

"Arg!"

"Wha-what is this?" 

Screams of pain and confusion came from members of the band of the Hawk as the Mark of Sacrifice was engraved into the back of their necks.

And then, what can be described next can only be described by those who witnessed it as pure hell. The demons present at the new king's coronation, began to slaughter them all for fun. They became sacrifices necessary to satiate the causality of Griffith's ascension. Sold by their friend for greater power.

Guts shook with hatred through it all.

He watched his best friend betray everyone, abuse the love of his life in front of him, and look down on him from his now impossibly high throne. He couldn't accept it, how could his friend do this?

"GRIFFITH!!!" He screamed, looking up at the Giffith, now the fifth god's hand member, seated on a new pillar throne.

"Now the ceremony is complete, causality has been satisfied, and-"

*Shing*

A silence descended on every demon present as they watched the god's hand member, who stopped speaking midsentence. It was Void, the god's hand member with an exposed large brain and bat-like cloak surrounding him. He was the god's hand member who commented on fate the last time Marick had seen his distant figure. He was the oldest and perhaps one of the strongest god's hand members, not because of his direct power, but of his ability to know causality and through extension manipulate fate. He was the one Marick most feared when he had arrived in front of him, afraid he might be exposed.

And now, the Sustainance Blade was pierced directly through his chest with Marick holding the end of it.

"Impossible," Void commented in shock, seeing that he was attacked beyond what he could see.

*SCREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA*

The Sustainance Blade screamed as it pulled in parts of an astral spirit far too dense than it could handle, attempting to feed Marick like it always had. Void began to shrivel up as his left arm dried out completely. But Void was too much for the blade to handle and like a bloated human whose stomach burst from overeating, the Sustainance Blade shattered.

*Crack* *Shatter*

Marick fell off the pedestal in agony as the immense power that entered the blade was cut off. The blade looked like it was barely useable now, it only had enough remaining that it could be called a dagger now.

*Shake* *Shake* *Crumble*

"I don't know who or what you are, abomination." Void studied Marick seriously.

"But you failed." He commented.

*Cough* *Cough*

"I didn't." Marick grinned.

Suddenly, Void's expression changed.

"Impossible, how could you possibly know or even see it? You've damaged causality from this." Void exclaimed.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!" He screamed, dropping all pretenses of elegance.

"Fate was boring anyway," Marick commented while grinning.

"YOU-"

*Crash*

The metallic skeleton riding a skeleton horse broke through the bubble of blackness and rushed down to save those lucky enough to stay alive. He grabbed Guts, Casca, and Marick and swiftly swung them onto his horse.

"STOP THEM" Void screamed.

But it was to no avail, the Blade of Actualization wielded by the skeleton could cut through space itself, they left this layer of the deep astral just as quickly as the skeleton had arrived. 

Marick smelled the fresh air of Midland and let out a genuine smile. He was finally out. 

...

In regions throughout the world, small tears formed like scar tissue in the world. They were pure black lines, seemingly floating in space itself, but if one were to look closely the cracks grew bigger ever so slowly. The sound of roaring, fighting, screams, and laughter could be faintly heard through the cracks.

In addition, a powerful wave of grey light exploded outward from the origin of Marick's strike in the physical world. The moment the Blade of Sustainance was shattered a wave of metaphysical power ripped through the physical world, affecting every creature with an astral presence.

It would seem, that Marick's actions would cause some drastic changes to the world.