Pandemonium

The air is freezing up here. I can see clouds pass us by, filled with forming raindrops and miniscule shards of ice. Far below, I can see the oceans—of its crashing waves and the fauna that lives beneath the waters. The blue reflects the peering sunlight, glimmering like a bed of endless gems.

I take a breath, and I let it loose as a puff of mist.

"Scared?" I hear, and I turn to my left. Akeno is there, kept afloat beside me by those black crystalling wings of hers. There's a slight smile on her face. "I hope you're not getting cold feet after all this."

"To be fair, it is very cold." I quip back, and she rolls her eyes. "But I'm fine. Just taking everything in."

And I do mean everything. Every corner of the planet, every person, every electronic device, every television—all of it kept under the surveillance of my eyes. It's taking just about all my mental capacity to keep myself conscious, but at least my adrenaline is dulling some of the pain.

Right now, Akeno and I are floating high in the Earth's atmosphere. We're just high enough that our spell can reach across the entire planet, but not so far that it's detrimental to our immediate health. Because in the case that we're discovered, we'll need to escape as quickly as we can, and that's not something we can do while we're struggling to keep ourselves breathing.

Around us are nearly 200 Mana Crystals, larger and purer than any Mana Crystal the world has ever known. They all orbit around us, and there's a tiny thread of blue connecting each crystal to the two of us. These crystals are acting as extra batteries, in a way. They're there to make sure we have enough Mana to keep the spell going.

I take another breath. "Okay." I take her hand, and her fingers intertwine with mine. "Let's do this."

She smiles. "Let's."

We close our eyes. For a moment, nothing happens. 

And then the world lights up as our Mana combines into one. Akeno's affinity for lightning 'infects' our Mana, and the formless blue light turns into jagged, cackling electricity. It rises into the sky as lightning, and it suddenly stretches out across the sky, forming into a magic circle the size of a small country. 

I can already feel some blood falling from my nose, but I do my best to ignore it. The spell is mine to maintain, and I'll be damned if I let it fall before it reaches completion.

More lightning rises into the sky, and they form into strange runic letters not belonging to any language known to Human history. A mixture of formulaic science and eldritch unknowing, coiling around one another into the catalyst for Magic. An art of manipulating Quantized Information, turning the stored data of one's mind into electrical signals.

I can hear Akeno gasping in pain just beside me. I can do little else but hold her tighter. 

Distantly, I can hear the Mana Crystals shattering one by one, their integrity failing as they run out of Mana. Most Magicians will probably cry rivers of blood if they're seeing what's happening right now.

The hilarious thought helps keep my mind slightly at ease.

More runic formulae are formed. This time it's one focused on Translocation, of transferring the quantized data formed from my memories into the various coordinates I'd seared my mind a day before.

More crystals shatter. More lightning forms. More formulae are written.

And then, finally, a tipping point is reached. The entire magic circle is finished, their formulae finalized, and I grit my teeth.

It's time!

「Committed Step has been reached. Finalizing Data Coordination. Settling for Highest Definition Threshold. Taking temporary Control over Synthesized Sequence-」

I take one last breath-

「Activating Designated Sequence: Pandemonium」

-and light vanishes from my eyes.

…

…

…

One moment, the world spins along as it normally does.

The next, every and all screens around the globe flicker to life, and a video begins to play. People attempt to shut off their devices, but it doesn't work. Some even attempt shattering their screens, only to be horrified as the screens remain untouched.

But what immediate fear the people held fades as they see the footage being played, and soon horror overtakes the world.

They see people being tortured, children being experimented on, innocent men and women being killed, lies being told. All done by people donned in the clothes for priests and nuns. Some of the faces being shown are incredibly familiar to most, and some familiar only to those in the supernatural.

Fear follows.

The supernatural is quick to act. But their attempts are in vain. Any spells thrown at the screens are deflected with ease. Any physical force is rendered null by some invisible force. And even those that stand above the natural order—those with powers that equal or surpass the gods—they can only stare in terror as the shattered screens reform in mere moments.

And so the world watches. For the first time in forever, the world units. The common man and the gods, the moral and the immoral, the publicized and the hidden, the weak and the powerful, the ignorant and the paranoid—they all bear witness to increasingly heinous acts, all done for the sake of 'God'.

Nearly eight hours of footage. Nearly eight hours of torture and sin displayed on every screen on the planet. Not a single eye is spared.

Then, the moment it ends, before someone can announce that it must've been a play of some kind, the world trembles. The skies darken, thunder roars, and the air itself begins to shake as auroras stretch across the entire planet. 

And then, chaos.

Tornadoes of water rise from the oceans. Plumes of ash rise from erupting volcanoes, each bursting with red lightning. Giant streams of lightning crash onto the planet. Sparks of light gently fall from the auroras, and any flora touched by its glimmer suddenly mutate, turning into plants never before seen.

Not a single person was injured during it all. Not even a single building or location was damaged. It's…almost as if the disasters knew to avoid causing harm at all cost.

It settled in the people's mind then. What else could it be but magic? 

But if that's the case, if the supernatural truly existed in the world-

Did that not mean that the video they just watched is genuine?

The common people can no longer deny that. And once that settles into their mind, they realize what it means. Those people—some of which are figures the world knows—are heinous monsters.

The Vatican is invaded in hours. 

The military tries capturing them, and then retaliates with firearms once they see the exorcists and priests attacking with things the world has only seen in fiction.

The Vatican Church burnt down in three hours.

Not because of the common man. No. Once the Vatican realized that their secrets were compromised, they began attacking back, securing the Vatican by force. But when the people of Rome thought it was all over, a massive gathering of dark clouds formed over the entirety of Vatican City.

The exorcists realized their folly too late.

The clouds swirl, forming into a funnel heading towards the unseen skies. And then, a pillar of plasma falls upon the Church. Any magical defenses laid over the Holy Sacrament are burnt in an instant. The mystical marbles and stones evaporate into smog. Those unfortunate enough to have faced the pillar head-on are burnt in seconds, filling the air with the stench of burnt corpses. Those who had hid underground can only shake in terror.

The world watches in awe. "How can this be?" They say, pointing at the auroras stretching across the entire planet. "Who could've done all this? What kind of being can it be?"

But then, almost on a whim, someone else will say, "Can it be God?"

Many would've refused such a notion. But after watching that video, and seeing what just unfolded, what else could it have been? Who else more fitting could it have been? If God Himself had seen just what terrors those who serve His name are doing, is it not a surprise that He finally lays out His hand?

Faith in 'God' surges exponentially, and followers are formed in numbers unlike anything ever seen in history.

Of course, this Faith is fragile. But this Faith will only grow as more and more fantastical things occur across the entire planet. 

For weeks, the aurora remains. And for weeks the Earth seemingly evolves. New species of plants begin growing all across the world, each mystical in one way or another. Animals touched by the sparkling glitters are changed, growing bigger, stronger, more magical. 

Some people even begin awakening some form of supernatural power. Enhanced strength, super speed, instinctual control over elemental magic, and more. They're minor powers at best—and nothing compared to the juggernauts hiding in the shadows—but this is a change that occurs all around the planet, and all at the same time.

The changes don't stop. Even as a month goes on, the world only becomes more and more fantastical. Supernatural beings that once hid are either discovered or reveal themselves on their own. Many are eager to exploit this new Humanity, and many fall.

But in the midst of it all, a new force makes itself known.

Kuoh City becomes a haven for all. Offering protection and education, giving our relief for those that need it, expanding to house more people. Some attempt to strike it, only to back away in fear when they see the coalition of beings that live within. 

Devils, Fallen, Youkai, Stray Exorcists, Sacred Gear wielders, Magicians. The heirs of Gremory and Sitri, Team Slash/Dog, Saraiorg Bael, Dulio Gesualdo.

Another month goes by.

Kyoto makes itself known as the home of Youkais. And they display strength that combats even the Grigori, with their leaders—Yasaka and Nurarihyon—comparable to even some of the Satans of the Underworld.

Another month goes by.

The world continues to change, but the chaos slows a little. Some form of order is restored, acts of terror and violence slows, and the temptation of magic becomes too much for the common people to bear. To know that the supernatural has hidden themselves for so long, that the myths and legends of the past are all real-

It sparks a new desire to learn, and through it, a new Age of Discovery is born, one focused on the now-widespread concept known as 'Magic'.

And finally, after four months, the aurora stretching across the planet fades. The planet's evolution grinds to a crawl, but the deed is done. The world is forever changed, and the common world and the supernatural have merged into one.

The Awakening, the event will be called. It'll be known as the moment when 'God' finally returned to the Earth, and blessed the world once more.

Amidst it all, the Faith for 'God' has only risen. Though any form of religion is now looked upon with suspicion and fear, the reverence for 'God' remains ever-strong. After all, who else could it have been? 

Yet Heaven does not receive this outpouring of Faith. After all, the Christian God has long passed, his soul shredded upon the sealing of Trihexa. 

But it doesn't matter. The world still trembles from the wake of such a powerful show of strength, and the skies are filled with channels. That aimless Faith is caught up in the web of Mana just barely maintained across the entire atmosphere, and that Faith is directed towards the source of it all.

And so, for the first time in forever, a single entity gains the Faith of over 7 billion people.

…

…

…

「Returning control of Mental Parameters to Host. Recalibrating Data Channels to Host. Reforming connections to the Annex.」

「The Host has yet to Awaken. Alarm set.」

「...」

「The Host has yet to Awaken. Alarm set.」

「...」

「...Temporary Mental Hijack initiated. Forcefully activating set Alarm. Igniting in 3, 2, 1-」

I scream awake as the sound of thousands of clucking chickens suddenly sound in the back of my mind. The damned sound continues for nearly five minutes before it peters out, and it leaves me winded in ways I never thought was possible.

"...what the hell was that." I say dully, already knowing just who it was that did that. 

My eyes remain suspiciously silent.

I huff. "Whatever." I take a quick stretch. "Now, where am I-"

My words stop as I finally see where I am. I'm…floating in a liquid of some kind, encased in what almost looks like amber of some sort. And surrounding the amber are blood red roots, thicker than any root I've ever grown. And from what I can see using my eyes, beyond those roots is a shrine, and there are people kneeling and praying.

It takes me a moment to realize that I've been enshrined.

It takes me another moment to realize they're praying to me.

And so, as I stare at the Faithful with mounting horror, only a single word slips past my lips,

"Fuck."