Later that night, on that same day...
There wasn't a doubt in his mind that they'd been plotting, silently and mischievously, just to seek out him, his son, and his 'brother.' Ben sipped some of the water from the cup that'd been placed with the plate of food he'd ordered, cutting some of the steak with the fork and knife easily slicing off a piece so he could stab into the tasty meat with the prongs of his utensil. It'd been hours, and apart from that one time he'd noticed the Headman after walking out from investigating the office of that man... there was no trace of him. Throwing some fries into his mouth, Alex loudly chewed, munching against the saltiness of the food he'd ordered. Rolling his eyes at the rather brash vibrations the younger man of the two had decided to eat at, the Emperor couldn't help but attempt to withhold a laugh.
Then clearing his throat so he could prepare to speak out and inquire Alexander about some much needed questions about this place, Rivera's advanced registration and examination abilities scanned over the entirety of this place for enemies. Gulping down the remaining proves of the meat he'd asked for, both of them did the same motion, drinking the water that had been poured for them after taking bites of their food. Alex from his bridge and Ben from his steak, finally, after they both jokingly burped together; the older of the duo asked,
"So, heh, you noticed some weird stuff too, huh? {Alex: Yup!} Tell me about it, maybe I'll be able to give some sort of explanation- well, actually, I guess it all depends on the way you describe it. Anywayyy, gimme some info,"
Wiping his hands of the grease with a napkin, he hit his chest with the side of his fist and couldn't help but let out another burp from his insides. Alex scratched at his chin for just a moment, making those signature humming pondering sounds before he remembered exactly what he saw, searching the back of his memories to come up with it,
"Alright, basically, when I was coming to the restaurant for breakfast- I saw this weird sight, something you told me about. Piles of corpses on top of one another, but it was sort of; different. The townsfolk'd all been gathered around the bodies together, and chanting some sort of weird demonic... chant? I don't remember exactly how it went but it was something in Latin- you okay?" Al interrupted himself to take notice in Ben's body language, after rubbing his eyes then letting out a rather lengthy yawn to signal his sleepiness- and just as he was rubbing them, one of them popped out so that he could notice Alex staring right at him with that signature worried face reminding him of his wife and daughters,
"Fine, just a little tired; didn't really get much sleep last night for some reason," Ben reassured his young pupil, scratching his back and leaning in his chair so that it'd be on his hind legs. One of the fries from Alex's place had lodged its way into the side of his mouth, chewing down on the crunchiness, Amara rubbed his chin...
"Usually, I'm a pretty deep sleeper but I did hear something in the middle of the night for some odd reason-"
For some odd reason, none of them could put their finger in the specific sound that'd kept them awake, it was though it was on the edge of their tongues. Further down the row of tables, there laid the other two, them on their date together as she sipped from the alcoholic drink with a straw and a lemon embedded to the side of the glass. That look in her eyes accompanied by the held back smile over her bright-red lips, he didn't even notice it as the oblivious August kept blabbering like an idiot,
"So, after I came back, my dad, my aunt, my uncle, Alex, my brother, and my other brother... and some of Alex's friends went to the past of this other world, which was thought to be my dad's future when he was like a teenager. I beat my grand aunt, who was a commander of the Archangels, I think, and after that, we got the Key and returned home after my dad and his siblings beat everyone else. It was so cool and everything! But when we got back home, which had been destroyed, it turned back to normal and was magically repaired as if nothing even happened in the first place! That still doesn't make sense to me and it happened like... five years ago! Bleh, nothing really makes sense anymore- anyway, enjoying your drink?"
The way he spoke so enthusiastically and passionately about the people he cared about, and the adventures he'd been on together, it made her smile, even giggle happily at some parts. The best part about it, none of it was fake or non genuine, she just... it was so admirable for some reason, to have someone this strong, be right in front of her gloating about his friends and family, and not about his own strength. Part of her thought it was attractive, but, as girls do, she was the same, despite how much she liked him- she'd never let that slip out. Well, not until later that night, at least, wink wink. However, I digress. So, after August had managed to do away and finish his story, he opened his eyes and stared straight ahead, remembering where he was along with the situation he was thrust into.
Leaning on her knuckles, the way she stared right at him with such a genuine interest in what he was talking about, part of his mind wandered back. Ever since he'd come back, just eight years ago, he hadn't had someone like this to converse with about these literal universe-altering events, she really was so beautiful, and he didn't even have Celine coming up out of nowhere to bother him about staying connected to the pathetic memory of her. Scratching the back of his head, she took hold of the straw once again with the tips of her tiny fingers and sipped once again, which garb him some more time to think about what to say next. A lightbulb made a loud Ding! over his head, and, thanks to the immense proceeding power imbued within him thanks for the Four Eyes technique- he managed to come up with something,
"Tell me about your powers, how'd you get them and all that stuff,"
She was shocked, on all of the very few dates she'd been on, most of the guys she'd dated had been snobs only talking about themselves, but he seemed... different. Or, at the very least, hospitable, from the looks of it- the past was a hard thing for her to remember, but since he shared his, it was only right for her to do the same. Not because of any sort of pressure, but because she felt it was the right thing to do, so she began to speak out, informing the man in front of her of the history behind this pretty face,
"I was one of those people who'd been violated by Kuno, that dumb bastard. For most of my life, I'd been... a Christian, or catholic, whatever the stupid word is. I guess that asshole was interested in.. alchemy, so he experimented on me. And I had the power to transmogrify elements, fire, water and ice specifically, I lived my whole life thinking I was just a freak. But, you- you were the symbol of hope that made me feel like I actually mattered. Recently... things have changed, in more ways than others. And I was fine with the way they had when I got back, but I can't even sleep in my own home now,"
Part of him had never even realized the depths of his influence after ridding Kuno from this world, August smiled, the way she spoke- he thought about she must've felt when her savior had returned. She was definitely someone who needed another, with the place she'd thought to have been the safest, she was supposed to help him, and as she moved uncomfortably in her seat. The past could be a dreadful thing, remembering things you regret, painful experiences that you'd just want to forget but remain retched into the back of your memories. It was the same with his own, the sting in the center of a heart, trying to rebuild it piece by piece so that it forms once again... he noticed the way she looked away as the memories of the past resurfaced like a wave rising from the ocean.
His hand reached over to take hold of her own, placing it in his palm tightening his fingers against her skin- August realized something as he widened his eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep lately, tilting his head so that his left eardrum could turn toward the back of the cluttered tables, there was a specific portion of her spewing that stood out to him. The Four Eyes technique amplified brain processing paper enhanced his hearing to such a degree that he'd managed to listen on his father and pupil's conversation.
The problem wasn't that they'd been there, they'd actually come to an agreement so they could watch over one another without the need to jump across rooftops in case a threat would appear... it was that they'd said the same thing as she did regarding their collective inability to sleep. The technique had processed it all at once so the the quotes would begin to playback as if on a record player,
"Didn't get much sleep last night for some reason,"
"Usually, I'm a pretty deep sleeper but I did hear something in the middle of the night for some odd reason-"
"I can't even sleep in my own house anymore, because of- something, I guess,"
It was too suspicious, there was a reason they didn't specify, he could feel it. But why? Everything around him seemed to move so slowly as he stood up from his seated position and clapped his hands together to activate the Limitless potential of his Requiem energy, both eyes engulfed by that complete hue of red and green. Just as his father had accessed memories of the future from his father, tapping into a warrior's personal techniques to use them for infiltrating Heaven disguising his very own soul- he too, had that power. Memories, no matter how horrifying and terrible some might truly seem, influence a person's life from that day forward where a specific image is seared right into their retinas. And just then, he didn't access just his father's memories, but Alex and Kristina's too.
The way she slept with the covers sort of off the bed, the way he slept with his legs against the headboard like a maniac, and his father causally being a normal person with a pillow against his ear in the middle of the night with the covers over his body. But one thing was familiar, they'd all slept usually in the middle of the night casually without a care in the world in town- and the reason they hadn't remembered what kept them up at night was because it was getting into their minds too.
Manipulating and engineering, digging deeper so that the chant would awaken something in the depths of their minds, the energy of pure Omni had pushed out from not only August's chest- but Ben and Alex's as the programming had begun to seep away. Kristina fell momentarily unconscious, the trio jumping through the ceiling, the Reaper throwing the ginger over his shoulder as they landed on the ground to the front of the restaurant. The Emperor and the Judge both had their minds become clear, it wasn't brainwashing, it was an intentional memory wiping, so that they wouldn't interfere with what they'd seen! It all came back to them now...
That night, just a few hours earlier, Ben and Alex had enough of whatever was keeping them up so deep into the night- so they both decided to cut it out and confront them about it. As cranky as all tired people are when they wake up in the middle of the night, the Emperor rubbed his eyes, actually preparing to laser just anyone on sight for interrupting his precious beauty sleep. The sight he was truly met with was something much more disturbing and horrid, occultist members gathered around the outskirts of the quarters he'd been assigned unto,
""Hóstias tibi, Domine Magi diaboli. Purga de hoc mundo purissimum ac reponere non solum est peccatum. Hóstias tibi, Domine Magi diaboli. Purga de hoc mundo purissimum ac reponere non solum est peccatum. Hóstias tibi, Domine Magi diaboli. Purga de hoc mundo purissimum ac reponere non solum est peccatum!"
It was as though their minds weren't their own, even Alex out front who'd decided to take matters into his own hands to go out the front door; had been stopped right in his tracks. Both mesmerized instantly by the satanic sounds of the demons above... why? Why did they forget? So they didn't have to intervene, was it truly so lofty and pathetic, like that? But then, Rivera yanked up his sleeve to seen his tanned skin turning to be as bloodied and maroon as the demons he usually slaughtered. They were turning into demons themselves.
Back in the present; Ben and Alex both clapped their hands at the same time, cleansing their souls of any exterior demonic residence attempting to reach their hearts and morph them into devils. Blue and white lightning, Requiem energy actualized in this world as a simple extension of Omni itself, the Emperor grunted- stumbling against a rock then falling forward as he held his head. Al, meanwhile, had already shaken his head out of the spell, and likely, due to his younger age, didn't have any sort of falling forward side effects. Nevertheless, he used his superior speed to simply help his 'brother' before he accidentally snapped his neck against a rock or something, Al grabbed his arm then yanking it back so Rivera could have some stable footing against the ground,
"Looks like this stupid hick town is more than just a minor disgusting annoyance. The residents- they're all demons,"
This new burst of information coming from his mentor had seemed to surprise Alex, but to Ben, eyes darting continuously as he processed and thought deeper about it- it seemed to be the only plausible truth at the moment. There piles of dead bodies, they must've transported to Hell and that's why there was residual Takyr underneath their very feet. But for what, and why? Then it hit him, Alex turning his head, both he and the older man he'd been holding onto remembering the very first day they'd come here, which was only yesterday, when you think about it,
And so, as the events of the past before the trio had arrived unraveled, it went on like this;
Four weeks ago, the Headman of the town was a normal business man, running the place with his agenda and making sure kids didn't do anything stupid. But he always had a sort of craving for something more, another greater power to rule over those absolutely with no restrictions. And, one day, when he was cleaning the garden outside of the office he'd usually slept inside of- he managed to locate something engraved into the dirt. A human skull, but not just any human skull, a pristine black one that gave off the scent of rotting human flesh and death. Shining it clean so the dirty particles would begin to slide off gave the Headman a vision to another realm, where he was met by five Gods, or maybe they were all demons.
Either way, he was chosen by Fate to be picked out of all the others in this world, and so, he was given a choice. He'd be given the power he wanted, at a price or the town would be used for their goals and purposes anyway. Seeing how much he didn't care for everyone else in the town, the Headman sacrificed their souls and went on to create another Alchemist in the world in the form of him. He kept the human skull in his room as a sort of trophy, along with a basic journal filled with the events that'd led up to everything.
The human bodies, the innocents of the town, pure superhuman souls filled with Omni had been overrun by corrupt Takyr, on the outside, they'd looked normal. But, on the inside, it was a complete demonic takeover- the Incarnations' true goals were so advanced that even The Emperor couldn't make out what they wanted a whole town full of demons for. Standing up straight, he heard their horrifying animalistic screeches enter their eardrums as they all burst out randomly. Some of their skin caught on the sharpness of the planks that made up the ceiling and the shards digging into their blooded ripped-apart skin, like a swarm of flies, they soared into the air coming together.
Their monstrous cries echoed into the very distance of space, the very Gods above that watched over this mortal coil smirking in delight as their another step in their plan had come into fruition. As the storm of monsters began to create a blurry image as if splattered by ink onto a comic book, the trio gazed right up at them screeching and roaring. The familiarity of despair itself began to echo through the strings of reality as if it were a crying little girl scared for her life. Fitted with their classic black cloak and hood over their bony face, their scythe, especially imbued with the most negative of energy- the clashing pureness and corruptive nature of Omni and Takyr.
The grip peeling out from a black mist that began to spread like a deadly smoke around the middle of their palm, Death pulled it back with a sinister giggle letting out, beginning to echo as the demons had all stopped to hover behind them in a coordinated line. With the trio of Requiems right beneath them, they had no choice but to ready themselves for the fight ahead with this spiritual entity. But just as things were getting amped up for a battle between the Avatar of Destruction and the Trio of Requiems all closely related together amongst themselves- the inaudible imaginary battle music had ground to a halt, resolving to a quiet building up score as the Grim Reaper went for a gentle landing.
Their head bowed down momentarily, the Honorary Incarnation began to rise to meet the eye line of the Emperor, his son, and his blood brother. The scythe implanting into the ground roughly so the rough end would stab deep to the dirt, it was planted upright as Death began to show themselves off as a sort of human-like being, with the speech pattern belonging to that of one,
"Emperor of Time, I must truly ask you reconsider the offer on your decline regarding your membership into the Incarnations. When I was offered that infinite power, I was hesitant as well, but I realized how much good they're doing. For the world, and so much more than that; the universe, better yet, is more like it. Turn away from the humans, Ben, leave them in the dust and become a God,"
The Grim Reaper's rather 'grim' request sent August to scoff, knowing his father like he knew the back of his hand, Alex raising an eyebrow in a battle stance. Spreading out his arms so the younger followers of his would begin to step further back across the invisible line and outskirts of the future spat, the Emperor rubbed at his chin as if thinking about the offer,
"Ya know, if that I could count the times I've been offered the power of a god, it'd be about twice. Which, the more that I think about it, isn't really that many, but it's weird that it happened twice. But it seems that you insolent excuses of Gods and Demons don't seem to realize but one thing, Headman. Ever since I was born, I was destined to have this future, fated to challenge the Gods and destroy all that remained so it'd turn to but ash. Because, trust me, that is very much my goal- I'll burn down every remaining piece of those horrifying things, the very beings that DARE call themselves gods and deities. And the ignorant humans that praise them? I rid them from this world. A planet of over eleven billion people. So trust me when I say-
I'm already a God,"
Ben's words were that of an arrogant emperor who spent too much time in a world he despised, on a planet and in a universe so easy to manipulate that he basically called it his bitch. The Emperor of Time wove the strands of space and time as if they were that of yarn, chaotic and crazy until sliding together to pieces to be made into something feasible. Rivera's eyes held that signature flare that was always there, ever since he was but a young boy to when he was in his prime to when he vanquished the False God of the Demiurge from this land just twenty years ago. The ball for fire in his pupils only meant one thing- Dark Determination.
Alex felt shivers go down his spine from the invisible energy spreading around his body, beginning to encase and entangle the area in its very own strings of craziness. Even he couldn't see what was being described, Ben's control over every aspect of this fight; all he could sense was an intense battle ready aura that began to ooze off his very spirit in the middle of his body.
August put his hands to his sides, feeling them drop and hit against his pants, he pushed up his sunglasses to cover his eyes for he'd used them a bit too much already. Using the chance he had to rest before the time would come where he'd have to fight with the rest of the horde. After having sat on his ass at the still-intact porch of the restaurant, the White-Haired Reaper used his finger to pull down one fo the all-black lenses of his sunglasses so his green eye could make out what was happening to his right,
"I see..." Death had stated somberly, throwing away their cloak and everything so they could use their hands and arms in this battle. Raising their fists radiating with negative energy created by Omni + Takyr clashing against one another, Ben quirked a brow at this display of rebellion,
"Do you now? I can sense the power coming off of you right now, and you're nowhere even near my level. In this game, there exists only two people. The players and the pawns," Ben informed smugly, that arrogant smirk that usually decorated his son's smooth peach lips spreading further and further to each end. Throwing off his coat so Amara would catch it before it'd get messier in the dirt, he took off his glasses and strongly said,
"And don't flatter yourself; you're not even a player,,"
Just twenty percent? And none of them had even thrown a blow yet, August and Alex both decided to take steps further away from the battle knowing they weren't even close to engine safe. Cackling at the seemingly unimpressive number he'd stated, the Grim Reaper had been too distracted that they didn't even notice, about to begin giving off another monologue-
"As if-"
That they didn't even register Ben had disappeared from his very position, the sockets of darkness in their eyes growing tiny dots that'd act as pupils for them to widen at the abruptness of the movement. There was no way that it'd just been 20%... his movements were just too swift. They left a blue streak of lightning right past their very eyes they hadn't even been able to make out as a percent, and just then, the sound barrier had been disrupted and shattered.
August and Alex holding their ears further away, Kristina was awoken on Al's back thanks to the huge BOOM! that'd just shook the vicinity. Death had went soaring through the cloudscape of the night sky, creating a circular shape in them, the Emperor, still on the ground- looked right down at the watch still in his gloves. Not even a scratch, and just enough time left that he could take care of every single one of these monstrous pawns. If you counted about 30 seconds~ to be enough, at least. Not wasting anymore time before the punch and the other finishing blows he'd lay on the weakened creatures zooming right at him from above with their animalistic screeches, the Emperor stood nonchalantly without a care in the world.
Bringing both of his arms together so the hands would circle around an invisible abundance of energy beginning to build up in a ball, chaotic parts striking out to hit other posts and nearby residents, striking against some parts as the electricity burnt it up instantaneously. The tips of the man's fingers beginning to dip into the ball of destructive Requiem energy, he could feel it naturally expanding wider and wider, burning up the air and heating it to such an intense rate that he started to sweat. They were getting closer and closer, he could feel their bloodlust eating away at his calmer aura opposed to their destructive intentions, and though he was about to break them apart limb by limb, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it without style,
"The Smoldering Chariot's Rage. Personified,"
WOOOOO-BOOOM!!! Space had momentarily distorted just right at the last second for the Emperor and his onlookers from behind, Al's eyes widening at such a feat and August smirking at the accomplishment his father had just displayed. Ben's face became indistinguishable in the blast accompanied by the smoke that shadowed his figure, all nearby enemies that had been remotely targeted by him had perished, turning to nothing but pieces of ash as their once-full anatomies began to crumble and disintegrate. And as the smoke cleared, the Emperor walked out with one hand in his pocket and another free out of that pouch. It seemed that the power had been so incredibly intense and blazing that it had turned one of them into a statue of ash that resembled their former glory and form.
Decomposing so that their particles would begin to hit the ground, sinking further to the inner roots of the world. Ben washed away the remnants belonging to their horrifying bodies pressed against his broad shoulders, Rivera waved his hands together around his body as if performing a sort of ancient ritual. Palms radiating with the intense energy of Requiem energy, blue lightning sparking out chaotically from the tips of his extremities, the Emperor exhaled, calmly breathing. Oxygen hissing out his clenched teeth from the seeping sides on each of the bone toes, the Emperor of Time's eyelids slid over his eyeballs.
The invisible barrier created by pure Omni stretched out, Death's scythe with that metallic edge began to enter and break the shield. Just as it did shatter to pieces and shards of glass, the Avatar of Death had their weapon lodge into the ground, sticking into the dirt and the pure ground composed of dirt. The Time Emperor, seeing as the Grim Reaper had their head down into the ground, eye sockets filled with darkness faced to the world below- just barely releasing their grip their skeletal fingers had on the grip of the weapon. Infusing his knuckles with the most pure Omni of all, made positive by his human influence over the Heavenly energy, Rivera's fist met the structure of Death's bony cheek.
There wasn't enough pressure in the impact so their legs began to flail throughout the air, more skeletal hands widened stuck out their sides to stop their continuous movements. Sticking out a singular finger so that negative energy, cursed and hellish, would aim right at Ben's chest. It bursting through the air, the Emperor simply stopped time for just a millisecond, continuously appearing and reappearing as more blows manifested over their face and body. A lock to the side of their skull, then a punch, and a roundhouse kick to the other side of their face- causing Death to spit out, some bones belonging to their armor beginning to fall right apart, the Grim Reaper snarling as they glared right at their mortal enemy.
Leaping into the air so their fist could prepare to fall right onto the front of his face, Ben rolled right out of the way, converting the life energy in his fingers to a vine. Entangling over the throat of the Avatar of Death from the left, he spun around over and over at an immense speed via one of those other forms of Peace of Mind. The Emperor of Time releasing the grip over the vines, the Elder Requiem threw their enemy into the sky, Ben watched as they stabilized themselves in the middle of the air.
Bone-like tendrils flying out from their back to aim right at their opponent, Ben waved their hand in a sideways motion to destroy and crumble the incoming projectiles. Scoffing at the insolent attempt at hurting him, the Emperor widened their eyes feeling the negative energy building up to his rear, spinning right around and flipping so he could face his rival raising his palm. Feeling it slice his hand off from the wrist downward, the Requiem winced at the excruciating sensation he was experiencing so the blood would ooze out of the socket, Ben attempted to use his other hand and raise his arm. But just then, another arm composed of bones grew right out of the Avatar's shoulder, wrapping around his wrist before he could throw a blow against their frame, Death grabbed the throat of the weaker old man with a sinister smirk and maniacal giggle,
"Your powers are weak, old man. You should likely reconsider the offer the Angels offered you, Rivera... you can barely be considered a Requiem with your decaying strength. I'll take your spot and rid the world of your malodorous stench you've infested us all with,"
Using the tips of their fingers as a sharpened edge to cut through his flesh and destroy him right then and there- but just then, the infinity between had caused them to stop right then and there, immediately blocking and halting their attack. Rivera couldn't help but smile after witnessing this, his theory had come into fruition, the Emperor carefully breathed, life energy surfing throughout his veins as his hand had immediately and instantaneously regenerated.
Just then, the onlookers, Alex and August, who'd widened their eyes in surprise at this supposed new ability there unlocked just then. But August's eyes, peering over the dark lenses of his sunglasses, registered and used all of his Requiem energy to examine and search everything around his father. The Reaper's lips began to stretch further and further to make a smug smirk, all forming together, and the shards of his mind piecing it all together.
Ben Rivera was chosen by God Himself, there was something reserved not only for Him but for every member of the Incarnations together. The deities, angels and devils bunched with the intention to utilize the Blessed Emperor of Longing, they only one thing sought out. Creatures that live for their own pleasure and mission, the misery of those ants that they name their lambs, pawns- they exist only for that corrupt motivation. The True Happiness, intended to purge all humans, and Rivera was especially reserved for that plan, there remained inside of Ben Rivera that MUST NOT BE TOUCHED!
His fate will not be intervened in, personally reserved for them, The Guardian Angels- and just then, all of those in a 100 meter radius; every living creature was transported across the vastness of space. Anatomies composing of spiritual astral-like energy, they all formed together, and there they were.
On the Moon, or rather, what seemed like the moon from a certain point of view, as they all stood there in front of the Sun. Rahab perched on her signature pillar with her legs dangling off the edge, Moriah behind her lover with her arms moving over every part of Him, lips continuously pressing against His bright exterior that resembled the human part of a neck. Sitting against a log composed entirely of human flesh and blood, parts and gore they were ripped off the body of that person to be formed into something that resembled a bench, the Prince of Hell perked up his head with a curious expression. Shirtless, his wings stretched out from his back, contorting and snapping as if he were a shapeshifter changing forms, his right hand held the skull of those he'd recently slaughtered. Lucifer smirked at the sight of their future Sixth Member, pupils insides all of his four eyes tilting so he could make way to the all-black brooding of the Embodiment of Evil themself.
The endless depressing stalk of Satan themself watched on with pieces of fabric from their cloak began to hover in the air via their command. Stepping closer toward the target, the Allfather didn't even spare a glance to His total opposite as the mortals and victims who'd been brought here stared in horror. All but one, the so-called Emperor of Longing himself began to glare at each of them, with the Author sending back one of His own accompanied by an irritated scoff. But they'd deal with him later, the forsaken date was closely arriving, and though the Requiems had decided to flee their home not to get any of their allies caught in the battle, the War would still arrive sooner than expected, and yet, once more, that wasn't the point of this sacred meeting.
Rahab on the far left, Moriah beside The Author to the left to Him who'd been standing to the left of Satan, Lucifer was on the far far right sitting down as if without a care in the world. As the Allfather stepped forward, they all bowed, except Satan, who decided to keep glaring at the quartet that'd been telepathically transported to them in the form of fresh meat. Awaiting the Devil's words to introduce Him to His subjects, the Avatar of Death had knelt, with their forehead touching against the structure of this lunar body that hovered above the Earth. Ben began to rise, using his hand to push him further upright while August rubbed his nape with his eyes closed, whispering to himself,
"Ugh- stupid mind warping,"
As just a tiny side comment as he swipes his sunglasses off of the ground, placing them back over his eyes so that the arms would rest against his ears and he could slide his eyelids back inside of his skin once more. Spreading open his eyeballs, the Four Eyes covered the vast distance of the Moon so he could examine and stare at everything further, he groaned as he quickly realized and processed the energy coming off of the beings to his front. They were none other than the Incarnations themselves, in their holier than thou presentation as they towered over the pathetic small creatures to THEIR front. Satan's mouth, the upper row which held the Devil's face lifting and moving in accordance with their imaginary lips,
"We bid thee welcome to this unnatural nocturnal location in the vastness of darkness, thou should be honored to be in the divine presence of the Right Hand of The Father and the Left Hand of The Demon. We art kinsmen, and the power us Guardians granted to you? Unfortunately for you, irrelevant soul, is but a speck in the mud that means nothing to the Gods we are... the way you dare attempt to fatally strike the sacred prize. O Blessed Emperor of Longing, and the King of the Righteous Empire, he will truly bring about the absolute peace we all strive for. The Lost Requiem across the Seas of Time will bring about order in the waves of chaos. Only with absolute destruction can there be absolute resolution, that is the cycle of life and death, the flow of nature. However, Headman of Renkin, we bestowed upon you the ability to invoke the spirit of Death upon your mortal form. Allowing you to tap into but a fraction of our true power, and just as the Laws of Fate foretold, you've committee the gravest sin known to man and demon kind. We banish you from this realm and from the collective consciousness of those humans you've influenced, to where you are nothing but a distant memory gradually being forgotten as time accelerates on and on. Now you shall suffer as the world, the people you vowed to protect perish before your very eyes,"
About to scream out in horror, the bone-like armor of Death peeled off gradually, so he could feel every intense excruciating detail as it tore off his very skin. As he screamed out in terror, Lucifer and Moriah couldn't help but try to stifle their sadistic laughter at the sight they were witnessing. Flesh as torn from bone, gore dripping out as intestines began to flail out from his exposed stomach, destroyed and obliterated to such a degree that their very own face was just about as disturbing as their bunched-up body and limbs. Knowing that this unnecessary display of sadism was the work of His Devilish partner, the Almighty decided to step forward so He could intervene and end the poor misery their victim was experiencing.
Just taking one step forward as His feet sunk into the structure of the Moon, the Headman's decaying corpse was swallowed up by an invisible wormhole to never be seen again. That was, until Morningstar's head turned up to stare at the sky above them, where the background of Earth and the void of space row long with white stars was nowhere to be found. It was a ball of madness with a plethora of eyes, tendrils poking out of the blob of nothingness as it looked around searching for victims to obliterate and just then, they'd been given one.
The Blind Idiot God wandering around the universe obeyed the commands of their omnipotent Ruler, their shape contorting and exploding to become a giant gateway to another world. Something far more grotesque and horrifying happening over there, sights more vicious and disgusting than anything anyone had ever seen, to the point where Ben Ben felt some throw up enter his throat and as he swallowed, it pushed back down.
Men, women, and children being raped, tortured as tridents stuck into their backs, prongs sliding into their flesh so they could be used as pitchforks, the demons holding up their heads and pieces of their body as symbols of their victory. Bodies violated, being torn apart right in front of their very eyes, Lucifer's psychotic smirk spread like Hellfire over his lips before he began to clear his throat standing up from the bench he'd made of human flesh, he began to explain something to the remaining trio of Requiems... a dilemma,
"The very scenery you're witnessing right now, trying to perceive is the lowest level of the Inferno created by my dear old Allfather over there standing beside my King. Seeing as how you're another Angel in the making, Lost Requiem, I have sworn an oath to not try to kill you and we must support you while testing you in every possible way until the coming challenge. So, you see, we are all incorporeal, and we need incarnations along with vessels to return to the physical plain of existence you three reside within. When we decided to form the Incarnations at the beginning of time, and the Allfather's power was split equally among all of us, we gave up our physical forms in order to hold this infinite power within ourselves. Of course, we could always make physical forms at any time, yet the power we hold within ourselves would destroy and combust our flesh from the inside out. Bring about the change in the new world we inhabit, the Herald of All-Knowing Death," After finishing his part, Lucifer went back to sitting down, manifesting his trident so he could lean against the gold-lined trident. Turning his head so he could face the King of Demons, the Author watched His partner step closer while Moriah couldn't help but giggle at the display of power they showed. All that in just a simple step onward,
"For we are The Absolute. We shall meet you there when the time is right. In that abstract space across a plethora of different dimensions where Chaos rules and the Between is destroyed, Hell will be waiting for you, my distant brother. Befit yourself ready for the coming challenge, shall you fail, then our intervention will be lost and you will perish along with the rest of the world. And your sacrifice will had been in vain, as I make your spirit watch when I torture every single one of your loved ones. Locate The Tower, invoke the Herald, and the Advent will come,"
The world began to spiral, and as the Moon was destroyed, their spirits faded away to the void of nothingness that existed between. Their bodies laid in a cold slumber against the ground, the Emperor sat up rubbing his head and wiping his beard of the dirt, August slapping his legs for the mud sighing as he adjusted his sunglasses for a moment shaking his head,
"That was something," Commented the Requiem Reaper sarcastically, and just then, both the father and the son stood up straight, to see their remaining younger follow. Shivering and holding himself in fear of those beings, the Great Ones, Ben and Aug shared a knowing look.
Inching closer, Ben decided to place his hand to the shoulder of the man, rubbing it gently and helping him up. The son of the Emperor took Kristina on his back, grunting as her weight had held him down for just a moment, and as they went to exit the town through the front- they looked back. The whispers of the damned called out to them, with Alex sighing, calming down with the elder leader calming him down by reassuring him of their combined power. How it would grow to defeat those twisted gods, and just then, Ben turned back... to stare at the wreckage.
The town that once stood there had begun to be swallowed up by the laws of fate, ordained by causality to destroy and contort, before it sunk into the widened portal of Hell opened by the negative emotions of Death and hatred belonging to this location. As it closed up before their very eyes, a ring of fire had stood where it once towered over their heads, in the mud where the spiritual form of The Devil lurkers in the middle of the wall of flames.
Watching their destined kinsman walk away with his new party in tow, Satan couldn't help but snigger, and as if they'd never even even there- the Embodiment of Evil had vanished. And so, their went on, continuously moving ever forward to fight for their future, unpredictable and unforeseen, they dove right into the belly of the beast.
The Fallen Alchemists Chapter - Fin.
To Be Continued.