Glittering Greed (Endymion/Jericho)

[GEAR]

The race for the prize was at its end, as two sets of hands lunged greedily for the golden calf.

One, perhaps too greedily.

The Rein Weissritter, guided by its Sphere, darted through the skies like an infernal bat from the abyss, its rifle drawling level with the ruined Mironga as it closed in, eager to seize the treasure within. So fixated was she on the prize, that the thought of the new arrivals must have seemed like a distant dream...

As well as the now fully functional ODE System, bolstered by the Mironga's own combat data on the White Knight. As Jo attempted to expertly spear the Mironga with the precision of a champion sniper, a pair of Bartolls flung themselves bodily into the path of the weapon, shielding the Core Unit with their lives as they sent up a pair of twin explosions - but their sacrifice would not be in vain.

As one, like an enormous metallic fist closing about an errant bat, the Bartolls rose to meet the Ritter, their own Boost Drives allowing them to easily intercept her approach. Her onrush was met with a head-on tackle from the closest machine, its shoulder slamming into her cockpit as its arms locked about her waist in a death grip. Six soulless metal eyes stared back into hers, as biomechanical limbs strained against a grip as inflexible and immutable as the alloy it was made of.

In the blink of an eye, more joined it - two, three, four more piling in, grabbing, grasping, seizing Johana, pulling her down, down out of the sky with their combined force. The Weissritter was hurled to the ground in a furious piledrive at the center of the metallic mass, as if in retribution for the pain she had inflicted on their fellows.

A dozen laser blades ignited about her, ready to plunge in, to rend her flesh, to shred her until not even ribbons remained of the monstrous machine... and then-

...Stopped.

...

The sentinels froze in mid lunge, bodies creaked to a halt, the morning sun shimmering over their silhouettes.

As though they had never been anything more than mere statues.

It was over.

---

As the Weissritter met a wall of furious drones, the ground about the Mironga trembled and shook terribly. Even the Bartolls that had landed nearby seemed to slow in their attempted rescue, perhaps even their dulled senses of self preservation alerted to the display of destruction that was about to take place.

The Mironga half rose in its crater, Dr. Valdona's consciousness slowly returning as he surveyed the battlefield, groggily. Things weren't looking good. He had to retreat. He had to get away, to fight another day. These were no mere soldiers. These were monsters. Why, oh why had he ever left the safety of the Nevada base? Of his laboratory? Was this the price he would pay for his defiance, for his thoughtless embrace of this malefic artifact?

All these thoughts and more rushed through his head. The machine's single remaining Tesla drive attempted to flare - and then seized, along with the entire machine.

Slowly, it rose in the air, along with the earth beneath it. As if an enormous hand had scooped a perfect semicircle out of the ground below, and was holding it aloft for all to see.

The Bartolls below did nothing but watch, owlishly. Such data was too valuable to waste.

With the most horrendous noise, the space around the Mironga began to contract, miniaturized in Aberon's palm. Every moment wrung more and more of the Melting Metal from its body, like little jets of glowing flame, every drop of the substance being wrung from it.

Spears of metal and glass pierced Valdona's body, crushing him along with the machine that was now his coffin. In his many, many years of existence, he had thought he had experienced the worst pain imaginable, but nothing compared to this - being crushed alive like a mere insect. What an ignominous end, he thought, for such a great hero.

Hero?

His memory fluttered. Like a dying spark, kindled to life by a gentle breeze.

Yes, he recalled dimly.

...

He'd been called that once, too.

A long, long time ago.

All of them had been heroes.

His father. His brother. His dear, dear sister.

Strong, true, righteous, and kind.

Their faces were gone to him, now.

Lost to the soul-rust.

Scoured away by the centuries.

...

Where had it all gone so wrong?

Theirs was a glory that was supposed to burn for eternity.

A shining light of justice that would sear that damnable parasite from the galaxy.

Did any of them even remember, now?

...

Was he the only one left?

Or was all that remained of that warmth, that flame of purpose that had once burned so bright...

As cold as the shells that imprisoned them?

With a terrible screech, the field contracted even closer. Barely perceptible, perhaps only to Johana, currently being dragged to the Earth... The Mironga's gnarled hand minutely stretched, trembling, towards Berlin.

A single, molten teardrop ran down a face crushed almost beyond recognition.

The truest, deepest sorrow it had ever known.

"Atefali... na..."


​

...as the space imploded, and the Mironga with it, there was a resonant hum in Aberon's ears. As the smoke cleared, all that remained was the sought-after prize, its verdant surface shimmering seductively.

The Sphere of the Covetous Ox lingered for only the briefest of moments before floating towards its new, rightful owner, dropping neatly into the same palm that had crushed the life from its previous Reactor only moments earlier. Unlike its ilk, it seemed all too glad to return to the one from whom it was hewn, like a long lost puppy having found its beloved, equally avaricious owner.

Aberon was now one step closer to becoming whole once more.

---

"James? James!"

The Genion's radio crackled to life as, overhead, the Storks seemed to realize that their assistance was too little, too late. With the ODE System's Core Unit destroyed, their vaunted VTX series were little more than paperweights, and they fled as fast as their Boost Drives could carry them, leaving twin trails in the sky behind them.

With a static-y click, the figure of Chethan Sullivan appeared onscreen, his face fraught with concern.

"What the Hell is going on down there? You wouldn't believe the things we've been picking-"

"...Apfalon..." Said a soft voice, beside him.

Sullivan, currently hunched over his laptop, paused in his breathless estimation to regard his constant companion.

Juliette Carpentier was staring out the window, in the direction of the battle.

Her body was held rigid, hands clasped tightly under her chin, barely daring to breathe. He blinked, slowly, and reached out, gently touching her shoulder. This seemed to shake her from her trance - but her normally level voice, the aura of strength she had tried to project since the murder of her Father so many months ago... was shaken.

"That was... Apfalon..." She repeated. Her own eyes glistened with tears - and his heart, even in this moment of crisis, went out to her.

It was always his inclination to step in, to try and solve everything on his own. With her, he'd had to learn the hard way that there were things he was to keep his distance from - and this, he knew, was one of them. When she stepped away, in the grips of a grief beyond his understanding... as much as he wanted to, he didn't follow.

Right now, Steelheart's life was in the balance. The sight of his limp body only heightened his anxiety.

No doubt, he thought, the work of the Quarreling Twins.

Worse still, if what they had deduced about Johana was correct, then he was in the worst kind of danger imaginable...

And their options were limited.

 

[MKR]

The Weissritter impacted the ground as Johanna flailed with her controls, trying desperately to break through the ranks, to move through the army of dolls and strike one blow against the beating heart of their master. Just one blow, just one measly hit she needed to do before the crestfallen deity could claim his piece back. And yet, for all her effort she had nothing to show for it. Not even getting to witness the final moments of the Mironga as the pile of Bartolls mounted atop her.

How- how had he gotten to do that so quickly, James should have interrupted him. Kept him busy, it was only then she saw the message from Merida. A quivering breath echoed through the cockpit as the pile of white machines on top of her stopped moving. Of course, of course the moment she needed him this was what happened. Not only had he denied her the feeling of satisfaction from slaying the nightmares and laying claim to the crab they held but now- now it was because he failed her in this critical moment that Aberon retrieved a sphere.

After all she had done for James, helping him maintain his lie by never- never breaking it despite having all the opportunity in the world to do so.

And with the reaction of the twins happening now and there, he would soon claim three more.

Her eyes were drawn to something that had fallen out of her pocket, a small crystal. Archer's 'gift' to her. Replaying that final moment over and over within its reflections, this- she thought, was the perfect summary of her aid onto the Directory and its successor state. She was never enough, never fast enough never strong enough. And when she did something, when she fought to overcome it all- her reward was this. A pat on the back and worse still and active reminder that she should do 'better'.

What a fool she had been, believing that things would be different now, with him. It was just like that dreadful cell after Belfast, no one was coming to help here and if she assumed she got any help what she got instead was a kick in the shin. After all, no one came looking for her during her entire time away- no no it was worse, they wanted her alright but no longer as an ally but in chains. The only ones who helped her in the interim...

The Rein Weissritter stood up, the small tide of lifeless Bartolls rolling off of it.
A message was returned to Merida.
"He's got Ox, with James inert you'll be next. Meet up and retreat."

Coordinates came with nearby the Genion, based on the immediate path the Weissritter took once it was no longer buried it was a place to meet up some distance away from the Zehirut, out of its immediate sight.
In her palm Johanna rotated the crystal that had been left to her, a memory. Pain.
She felt hollow inside, so so hollow. The sting of defeat and the glory of victory had both lost their taste to her the moment captured between her fingers reminded her that the nightmares still haunted her, that for all her boasting of victory she was still afraid. Still alone, and the blue crystal turned a deep, dark, red.

She waited at the meetup, even with James unavailable Merida should still be looking to her for guardianship in this moment.
And she- unlike him- followed through on her promises.

Like the one made before the battle.

He was helpless, and Aberon would be eager to kill another to reclaim his godhood. She wouldn't let that happen.
To her, he had failed the test of the spheres but he needn't worry since she was here.

And so when Genion would approach their meetup spot the Rein Weissritter, who at this point had gotten more than enough looks at the Genion to identify it and its structural situation, would welcome it by gesturing towards the genuine escape route towards Endymion's ranks only to then give it a loving embrace the hand with the beam cannons would quickly dig its way through the plating towards the cockpit and fire two volleys.

A mercy, death swift and immediate.

As she imagined the situation there was a pang of regret, but such was the course of it.
How this reminded her of Upsilon, where all bar two of its members were made to eat it from the inside out. She- she was the faithful daughter of the directory and yet was the only one punished for her stay. Her eyes burnt red, looking over the ashes of Germany.
The directory had been reborn, but this time- she would not suffer its torment of her.

 

[VeraC]

A surge of vitality coursed through Aberon, a newfound vigor that bordered on the intoxicating. In the palm of his hand, the Sphere of the Covetous Ox nestled like a coveted treasure, its energy merging seamlessly with his essence. It was a breath of revitalizing power, promising untold potential and a resurgence of his divine stature. With this fusion came a glimmer of optimism, a ray of redemption piercing through the darkness that had shrouded his existence. He had finally grasped the first fragment of his yearning, a foothold on the treacherous path to ascendancy. The touch of the sphere felt both comforting and unsettling, like an old ally transformed by time and circumstance, a sensation he welcomed cautiously.

However, the sun had yet to set on this day, and its culmination was far from reached. Aberon understood that his quest had merely begun, and the road ahead promised to lead him into even more shadowed abysses. He welcomed this descent, even as its darkness threatened to engulf him, for within that obscurity lay the potential to resurrect his reign of celestial authority and to rescue a world teetering on the precipice of ruin. The path was ominous, fraught with uncertainties and dangers, yet each step he took was buoyed by a glimmer of hope, a whisper of promise amid the encroaching gloom.

Aberon surveyed the aftermath strewn across the battlefield – the scattered remnants of the fleeing bartolls, the weary retreat of the battered Weissritter, and the enigmatic Genion now bereft of its pilot's presence, its control faltering like a ship lost in a tempestuous sea – a complex tapestry of emotions welled within him. In this moment of reflection, the joint conquest of the Covetous Ox bore a taste of bitter sweetness, a union of purpose turned poignant as it collided headlong with his unyielding ambition. There was a fleeting pang of pity for these beings, his creations and allies, who unwittingly stood between him and his relentless pursuit of dominion.

The single sphere in his hand was a potent reminder that the thirst for power was far from quenched, an insatiable greed that lurked beneath his resolve. It was as if the spark of divinity rekindled within him was now illuminated by the flickering flames of avarice, casting long shadows across his path. The realization that one sphere was merely a drop in the cosmic ocean fueled the fire of his determination. He was resolute in his conviction that to safeguard this realm, to restore himself to the heights of godhood, he would need more than just a taste of his former glory. He felt both pity for the beings caught in his wake and an avaricious hunger for the power they possessed – power he believed would be pivotal in shaping the fate of this world.

“It truly is a shame.”

A lament escaped his lips, a dialogue with the empty Genion's cockpit, a wistful glance into the past that lingered in his voice. Had history taken a different turn, he pondered, the outcome might have been transformed. As Zehirut, radiant in its crystalline splendor, closed in on the faltering Genion, a golden aura enveloped the massive form – a testament to the sphere's activation and Aberon's claim to its power.

“If this had been a millennium ago, perhaps fate would have woven a different tapestry. But alas, history is etched in stone, and my faith in mankind was evidently misplaced. Look at the path it has led us down.”

A crystalline sword materialized in Zehirut's grip, glinting with malevolent promise as the behemoth lunged forward, wings unfurling like the wings of a dark angel. Aberon's words held a deep melancholy, an understanding of his own fallibility. He shared in the blame for the world's state, for mankind's unreadiness to face the impending doom. The weight of history's missteps weighed heavily upon him, further intensifying his resolve to redeem the past.

“I shall remember your soul, Pilot of the Twins. Your power – your spheres – will be harnessed for the salvation of this world. That much, I vow!”

As the echoes of battle began to fade, Aberon shouldered the heavy burden of redemption, a weighty task that he knew was a race against the relentless progression of time itself. There was a bittersweet resolve in his every step, for he understood that within his grasp lay the potential to mend the fragments of a world torn asunder. The Pilot of the Twins had unwittingly become a part of his mission, their essence now a beacon of both power and sacrifice. With a voice heavy with a mixture of sorrow and determination, he offered a solemn pledge to honor their memory, to harness the strength of their spheres for the world's ultimate deliverance. And in that moment of deliverance, as Zehirut's blade descended with swift and merciful precision, it carried a weight of empathy, a compassionate act of releasing the man from the torments of a damned realm, while also unleashing a flicker of hope for the salvation yet to come.

 

[Hitura Rael]

Johanna left them. She just left them, alone, on a battery that would only power Genion's movements for a few moments at most. Alone on the field with this monster of metal and stone! What did the woman expect her to do, McGuyver up some extra juice to make a full speed retreat? What did she think the flare was for?! She could barely get Genion up to a running speed!

“It truly is a shame.”

Fear gripped her core, mounted and redoubled as the black angel of death bore down upon them. Her hands trembled, tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Was this how Adrian felt before that creepy bastard killed him? No, Adrian was stubborn and strong. He wouldn't have feared death. He'd have looked it in the eye, flipped it off, and gone out swinging. If only Genion could swing. It'd be like getting slapped by a two month old babe flailing in a crib on this battery, in her hands. Despite all this, she couldn't give up.

“If this had been a millennium ago, perhaps fate would have woven a different tapestry. But alas, history is etched in stone, and my faith in mankind was evidently misplaced. Look at the path it has led us down.”

She could be stubborn too, strong when she needed despite her size. She just needed to time this right, to keep moving until the rescue squad could pull them from the fire. She couldn't think about how this guy would just obliterate them without Jo's support. She had to keep moving, do the next step, and focus on protecting her friend. So she could be the one to strangle his scrawny stupid ass to an inch of his life and then hand him over to Selene for her turn.

“I shall remember your soul, Pilot of the Twins. Your power – your spheres – will be harnessed for the salvation of this world. That much, I vow!”

Genion jumped backwards, away from the slash. Too little, too late. The blade carved out a massive gash in her exterior, exposing the inner workings of wires, tubes, frame, and gears below. The lights flickered inside the cockpit. Weak sparks danced across the wound, leaking the life of the battery even faster, sapping the last of Genion's strength. It wouldn't be long before she'd go dark and quiet, with nothing but terror to fill the interim until the end.

Merida swallowed her fear and spat at Aberon, the angry chatter of a cornered animal. "Piss off, you relic. Stone isn't permanent."

 

[GEAR]

Discord ruled the battlefield. If the Spheres had voices, they would have been crying out in anger and accusation against one another. Chethan Sullivan flinched as he saw the Zehirut's blade smash into the Genion's chest, sending it careening backwards. The next few moments, he knew, were crucial. The words of the Lunar Queen, of Selene, and the promise he had made to her were ringing loudly in his mind. He grit his teeth, lament filling his soul.

(I promised I'd keep you alive, James.

Please forgive me... For what I must do.)​

His mind and heart committed, he finally spoke. His voice filled the sparking, crackling cockpit of the Lunarian machine, solemn and commanding.

"Access Code Override: TS DEMON."​

All of a sudden, the interior was flushed in a dark, red emergency light. Even the machine's visor grew dim, as a mechanical readout sprang to life. Row upon row of blood-red code zipping across its screen, until a tinny, mechanical voice answered in kind from the Genion's console.

"[OVERRIDE QUERY: STATE CLASS ONE USER IDENTIFICATION.]"

"Directory Central Intelligence Division ID: Black Charisma."

"[USER RECOGNIZED: CHETHAN SULLIVAN.]
[STATE DIRECTIVE.]"

"Diabolus Ex Machina."

"[AFFIRMATIVE.]

[TACTICAL-SYSTEM: DIABOLUS EX MACHINA ON.]

[RELEASING ALL LIMITERS.
DISABLING CAMOUFLAGE.
ESTABLISHING EXTERNAL LINK.
COMMENCING RESTRUCTURING.]"
​

A dread whine filled the cockpit of the Genion. Without warning, the seat around James clamped about his inert body. Unseen to Merida, the machine's life-preserving functions, now unchecked, were taking matters into their own hands. Shots of adrenaline fired from needles hidden beneath the seat into his body, forcing it to life, now a prisoner of forces beyond its control. And for the young man, the dreams he was currently in the midst of-

Would descend into the most terrifying of nightmare.

With the snap of a finger, the spell was cast...

And the seal was undone.

"Rise, Geminion."​

---

https://soundcloud.com/sakuo-izayoi%2F27-chimera ​

Green energy poured off the Genion's body for a moment as it reeled... and halted. Its visor flickered ominously, as its one remaining arm reached up to its face, grasping it. Pulling. As if it were trying to tear it free, as if it were suddenly suffocating beneath it.

With a mighty seize, it ripped it free - and from the chasm where its face had once been, a torrent of jet-black smoke billowed out as it thrashed violently in place, smothering the battlefield, hiding it from sight.

The ground shook, as though an enormous foot had slammed into its surface, shattering the earth to either side of Aberon - thick, deep chasms that now burned with excess Dimensional Power, glowing a sickly, radioactive hue that illuminated the Zehirut's crystalline features.

There was a sound - a distinct cracking and creaking, like the moving of a glacier sped up a hundred thousand times... and the growing of a shadow, as something began to loom over the two combatants.

In the smoke, something gathered - like a great inhale - and a wave of pure, black flame cascaded out. A wave instantly recognizable to Johanna above, directed at Aberon as a monstrous head emerged, wrought of many masks, all bound together, twisted into facsimiles of agonized suffering.

Sullivan gave a shuddering gasp, as he felt the Quarreling Twins beginning to extract its toll from him. No matter. He had sworn to save this world, no matter the cost. No matter what it took. Even if he himself had to become a monster, if it meant that there would be another day, another sunrise, then he would gladly pay it.

Over that wretched, sprawling mass of a head, a humanoid body grasping an enormous staff, emerged - and locked its demonic gaze on the distant Weissritter. Two enormous, crystalline wings beat once - and a shower of enormous DEC chunks was sent hurtling its way in a vicious anti-air display that ripped the clouds themselves asunder, aiming to shred her wings and send her tumbling back to the ground once more.

 

[MKR]

It didn't come towards her, what was Merida doing? The smile that had wormed its way on her face like a sick joke dropped as she watched Aberon make his strike against the Sphere holding machine. Surprise instead took her when it managed to survive. This was good, she didn't need to claim them herself here and now then just prevent Aberon from taking them. Her left hand pressing on her forehead. Pain, like an incessant knock upon the walls of her skull she felt it.

She would have to deal with that, turning her head towards the spectacle unfolding with an inquisitive tilt. Not noticing the blood pooling in her mouth and nose, nor the drops trailing over her cheeks. They were beneath her notice in this moment in time, their cause unknown but not important enough as now, during the transformation of a cocooning butterfly before her the spheres she held tugged two ways. One, was truly loving the sight even as fear struck its heart and the other wished for the fighting to stop.

She frowned at the latter of the two, hypocrite that it was. It was after all sorrow that it reaped, sowed and thrived in. She had given it more than enough of hers but its own was too much for it. No, that voice was drowned out.
"That such a thing was always underneath my nose..." She pondered "Ah- but its not James in charge." The Goat, thriving and feeding, blossoming into something greater gave her information like never before. Its gaze locked onto her, the beast had a leash. Worse still there was an intelligence behind it, one that wished to see her cast down.

The Rein Weissritter's wings adjusted, the vents on its back exposed as the Einst Machine rocketed sideways, away from the very direction the projectiles were fired in. Here however was the true question, the monster wanted her head on a platter. She could stay and behold its majesty or leave with it still attached. Such a grand question. She beheld even the clouds being torn to shreds in the space where she was and her eyes turned to Aberon. Now properly seeing the black flames.

If a smile had lingered, it was devoured by the frown.
"You now are..." She shook her head, "Oh James- No, Twins. Inheritor of Tragedy, may this moment stay with you forever when you wake."

Belfast, everything here was in one way or another Belfast. Which brought her to the fallen god.
"And you, may you I have a painful death."

Lastly she turned her comms to 'friendlies'. As behind her a void opened.
"Congratulations- New Directory. Not even has the first day begun and your Belfast is already commenced. May you all get what you deserve." She had done her part, fulfilled her promise to Sullivan. If they wished to repay her by wanting her dead or in chains then she would repay that in kind. An eye for an eye may leave the whole world blind but simply sitting there and taking it was not her plan.

And with that the Weissritter backed into the darkness, only to be interrupted by a strike from above. The selfsame crystals which had fired skyward now on their way back. The portal left hanging in the air closed as the Rein Weissritter was dragged down.
"What!?" It flipped around, readjusting and spinning through the following hailstorm as they embedded into the terrain. Eyes, twitching turned to face the monstrosity responsible. Her farewells having given the attack a chance to return for a second round.

A grimace as some of the liquid in her mouth splashed to the bottom of her cockpit.

 

[VeraC]

“Tch.”

Aberon's displeasure was evident in the click of his tongue as the Genion managed to evade his blade's deadly descent. Nonetheless, there remained little to halt his course towards dealing the final blow to the Pilot of the Twins. The sword once again poised for a lethal strike, his intent radiated greed-fueled determination.

Or so he assumed.

Abruptly, as black tendrils of smoke coiled from the machine's visage and the ground quaked beneath his feet, Aberon retracted his blade, taken aback by the unforeseen turn of events. What had transpired within the machine's confines? The surge of dimensional energy that now permeated the atmosphere stirred his concern. Another barrier, it seemed, a fortress around his coveted spheres. Yet, even as this new obstacle loomed, his newly fortified machine promised to shatter it like fragile glass.

Anticipating an imminent force, Aberon braced himself as the air itself seemed to warp around the oncoming threat. His instincts guided him to readiness.

“Hexagram!”

Once again, the symphony of power unfolded around Zehirut. Six brilliant crystals materialized in a dance of radiance, forming an intricate pattern that resonated with ancient energies. Like fragments of stars brought down to earth, their luminosity momentarily cast aside the shadows that surrounded them. Then, with an explosive rupture, they shattered in a cascade of prismatic fragments, unleashing a torrent of ethereal plasma that surged forth with a celestial fury.

This surge of iridescence clashed headlong with the encroaching abyss of black flames, a collision of opposing forces that sent shockwaves rippling through the fabric of reality. The very air trembled in response, and the ground beneath quaked as if unable to bear the weight of such raw power. The clash ignited the surroundings with a brilliant, otherworldly radiance, turning the battlefield into a temporary crucible of cosmic forces.

The plasma and flames intertwined in a tempestuous embrace, their volatile chemistry giving birth to a spectacle both mesmerizing and fearsome. Spectral hues battled with the consuming darkness, each trying to claim dominance over the other. The air crackled with the chaotic energy of this celestial confrontation, and a kaleidoscope of colors painted the sky as the forces of creation and destruction waged their furious war.

And in the midst of this maelstrom, Aberon's machine stood as a conduit of both destruction and creation. The surge of energy unleashed by the shattered crystals reverberated through its crystalline form, a melding of ancient power with cutting-edge technology. The very act of releasing this energy seemed to imbue Zehirut with a renewed vitality, a testament to the potent synergy between the acquired sphere and its master.

Yet Aberon bided his time, for he knew the machine's capabilities were far from fully displayed. The enemy would soon spring into his carefully laid trap, sealing their own doom. In the wake of the havoc unfurling from the collision of the opposing inferno and ethereal plasma, Zehirut braced itself for the impending sequence of events. Crystals, like dormant sentinels, surged with newfound vitality, converging and interlocking to forge an ever-expanding blade. With each passing moment, the crystalline structure grew, its dimensions transcending even the towering stature of Zehirut, its uppermost point aimed at the zenith of the chimera's formidable existence.

“Disgusting.”

The word escaped his lips, laden with revulsion, as he beheld the grotesque amalgamation before him. Was this the fruit of human ingenuity, or a more sinister origin? A fusion of technology and monstrosity blurred the line between creator and creature, leaving Aberon to question the very nature of its existence. The darkness of such thoughts threatened to consume him, yet his insatiable greed for the spheres remained steadfast.

Stepping forward with conviction and planting its foot on the ground, the earth beneath its foot quivered and fractured, yielding to the force it exerted. Zehirut wielded the colossal crossblade, a harbinger of obliteration, drawing it down upon the chimera's head. The sheer magnitude and heft of the weapon acted as a cleaver, its impact severing the chimera's entire form in a swift and decisive motion, akin to a guillotine delivering a merciless verdict.

“I tried to offer a swift end. No longer can I promise such mercy.”

The lines etched on Aberon's visage deepened, a testament to the gravity of the moment. Before him stood not just a transformed threat, but an entity reborn from the ashes of conflict. The evolving danger would not leave his presence with life intact, of that he was certain. Despite the abrupt twist of fate, his objectives stood unwavering. His mission to annihilate the monstrosity before him and seize his spheres remained resolute.

 

[Hitura Rael]

For a time, James drifted in the darkness, alone.

So.

This is it, then.

Nothing became... something.

Sorrow crashed in around him, tones of deepest blues, blacks, and purples spilled from unseen sources in that darkness, contained by invisible walls, crashing and pooling. Hands of murky fluid coalesced around him in all manner of shapes and sizes; human, machine, demonic. They grasped and flailed in the short space below, gathering more and more of the ever pouring sorrow to bolster their forms and lengthen their grotesque limbs in their pursuit to grab him and drag him down to silence his soul within their melancholic embrace.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

It's what I deserve.

I failed everyone I ever tried to protect.

What's left to fight for?

He had fought for his cousin, and hurt the younger boy in a berserk rage. He had tried to protect Einfield, and instead dragged him back to a lifetime incarceration. He had tried to protect Selene, and instead had been sent away, chaining Bisen Fortis to protect her because he couldn't. He had tried to protect Adrian and he wasn't even there to try to help when Ze'ev took his life. He had tried to protect Endymion, and that had lead to the death of Zest before they even were able to be friends. He had tried to protect Jo and Merida... And now he had taken Merida with him.

"No- No no no, don't you fucking dare-"

James gasped, eyes snapped open. That- That was Merida, right? Her voice had been faint, distant, but it was hers! He had to do something, anything! He couldn't let her die from his own stupidity. He couldn't just die and leave her a sitting duck. A clawed hand grasped around his ankle and pulled, hard. The distance between himself and the sea of grasping appendages closed. He reached out above his head, reaching for something- anything- to pull himself from this pit.

His fingers grasped something thick and sturdy. He held tight and reached with the other hand to grasp it, to pull himself out. With all his strength, he resisted the pull of the shades below, even as more grabbed on to anything they could grasp. Something stirred beyond the blackness he held onto. Tendrils of angry red and violent purples descended, like vines from a tree, snaking their way down to wrap around him, constricting like snakes around prey. Cold sorrow beneath and burning anger above yanked, tugged, and pulled at him. Their grip was tight enough to bruise. James thrashed, and writhed, tugging his arms and legs against the phantasmal limbs. The more he fought, the tighter they gripped, threatening to each tear him apart.

The pain was unbearable, eating away at the edge of consciousness and rational thought. Frustration burned in his core, the heat above him raged hotter, threatening to blister skin. He stopped thrashing and let go of what he had been holding on to. He stilled himself, and the war between the two sides ceased. He was on the edge of something, a thought bubbled deep within, boiling on the surface, about to break through-

His body lurched forward, a gasp of pain, something burning streamed through his veins.

---

Merida abandoned the copilot seat, unable to override whatever was going on, unable to stop it or take control. Helpless, prisoner within the mutating machine and approaching demise. She scrambled over the controls to sit on James' lap, her knees unfortunately digging into his hips while she tried her best to wake him or release him from his restraints. "C'mon, wake up! You can't leave me like this!"

---

James' heart pounded like a jackhammer. Blood rushed, drawing sweat from every pore. The creatures around him twisted and contorted in sharp jagged forms. They melted back into the darkness. Cracks webbed through the inky blackness, burning white light shone beneath. James fell backward, the blackness shattered like a mirror. Shards rained around him, a long descent in time with him. In each, he caught glimpses of reflections.

"James, we've kept this from you... but it's time you knew the truth." His mom knelt beside him, tears in her lavender eyes. "We took you in when you were born to protect you. You were so weak as a baby... But you're old enough now, strong enough to know-" James turned his head away from the shard, eyes finding another.

His dad adjusted the collar of his new uniform, his knights uniform. "I know this isn't what you wanted to do." Weathered blue eyes locked onto his own, "it's not what you were born to do. But I know you'll make us and yourself proud none the less. You'll grow into this-" It did not bode well. He desperately sought somewhere else to look.

"Come on now James, you can do better than that!" Enfield's orange visor and goofy grin filled his vision. "Try it again, you aren't going anywhere til you get it right! I'll make a royal knight out of you yet-"

"Selene, I hope he has a good personality and nice ass if you plan on finding one right for me." He knew this memory, knew his eyes were rolling at this point. And it went right over Selene's head like the sheltered child she was. "Very funny," she responded with a dry smile, "I-"

He tore his eyes from that reflection. Why did it hurt so much more than the others? Shard after shard, memory after memory, expectation after expectation heaped on his shoulders in such rapid succession, he lost sight of himself. Each reflection held a different James, hiding something about himself, repressing something, never genuine. All to meet the expectations of others as they lead him by the nose like a bull with a ring.

He squeezed his eyes closed and clasped his hands around his ears to block out the discordance of voices, each wanting something of him he desperately tried to provide. A son, A knight, A prince, A king, An Avenger- Who the hell was he? Suddenly hitting the 'ground' took him off guard. He exhaled sharply with an 'oof', then stared wide eyed up at the shards around him. Ignoring the pain, he rolled onto his stomach and covered the back of his head with his arm.

Around him, the black shards crashed to the stark white ground, splintering and shattering into a thousand thousand shards without even a whisper. After a few moments, he raised his head to glance around. Pools of black scattered across the ground and glittered in the light. Like ice, they melted into inky pools. The pools shivered and rippled, then began to move to each other.

He jumped up to his butt and scooted away from the tar like substance. Drop by drop, it grew and grew, but not outward like a normal puddle. Upward. As the last drops joined, the black shrouded figure smiled and shed the darkness like a fine mist.

"Who-" James stammered, wide eyed.

 

[GEAR]

Crystalline death rained down from above Johana, like the world had turned itself upside down. A rudimentary application of Dimensional Power, yet still to be done on such a scale, and on such short notice boggled the mind. Aberon's Hexagram burst in the distance, sending another catastrophic wave across the battlefield. If one didn't get her, the other certainly would - and few would have blamed her, in that moment, had her life flashed before her eyes.

And yet...

Mere moments before impact, something interposed itself between her and the destruction. A shadow, falling across her vision.

A row of horned, armored bodies, seemingly appearing out of nothing. There was an absolutely deafening roar, as the crystals and plasma impacted their bodies... and then, for a moment, only a strange and uneasy silence.

There was a red flicker. A pulse in the smoldering ruin, like a heartbeat. The Weissritter's own core called out to it in kind, pulsing back in such a way that Jo would have felt it all through her being. Sinuous green and bony white bodies intermingled, forming a protective, two-layer circle around the Personal Trooper, facing outward towards the two combatants, yet keeping their distance.

The Watchers had come.

Among their ranks, there stood one taller - greater, it seemed than its peers, yet still of the same make. Its body was a garish neon pink, like the petals of a poisonous flower, as the others parted before it. Underneath its enormous, hood-like head, there was the faint glimmering of something green and slit-like - the remnants, perhaps, of something that had once been fused with it.



". . ."

Wordlessly, the Einst Samt extended a limb that unfurled to reveal a delicate manipulator, as the directive planted long ago in Jo’s mind was asserted...

---

Meanwhile, Aberon's furious assault sent another titanic explosion ripping across the battlefield. Whatever remained of the town before was flattened into nothing as the Hexagram bloomed, the powerful burst of energy smashing into the Geminion's D-Fault Barrier, sending up a kaleidoscope of sparks. Such a weapon was ideal for clearing away lesser machines, but against a foe that was its peer, the blast did little but scorch the surface of the monster as it slithered forward.

Its body took on a sickly green hue, drinking even deeper of its Sphere - and with terrible speed unbefitting of its size, it lurched forward, seeming to almost "skip" through the air, allowing the titanic sword to swing down - and go wide, impacting the spot where it had been, bifurcating the earth like the strike of an angry God.

Blaster Arts Nova, or at least some approximation of the Lunar Geminia's killing technique, that turned even its horrendous weight into little more than that of a feather.

Aberon's reward was a tremendous, mechanical whine, as the thing burst from his right. Its two larger limbs now morphed into a pair of gigantic, whirling drills that swept out at chest level, aiming to pulverize him into dust. This was punctuated as its smaller set of limbs grasped the staff below, charging it with baleful energies before thrusting it out from underneath, aiming to viciously disembowel the would-be tyrant, battering him back with blow after blow that was capable of tearing chunks off even the mighty Zehirut.

As it did so, there was a pulse from deep within it - and the Sphere Act of the Silent Crab spread out from it. A suffocating silence began to descend on Aberon - worse, one that even the Covetous Ox could not stomach, as the ravenous desire needed to fuel it began to dissipate. It was fortunate indeed for Aberon that he was not wholly dependent on its aid - for the monstrosity before him was clearly designed with only one aim in mind:

The murder of other Sphere Reactors.

 

[MKR]

Another- the fiend unleashed another wave? And she was in no position to run from it this time. Thus she prepared herself for the leagues of pain about to wrack her body if not the death to accompany it. Yet that too was not to be. Her gaze went upwards spying the protectors that had arrived. Once more they had saved her from doom, more than she had seen outside of the visions they gave her.

She calmed down from the worry caused by Geminion preventing her escape, the grounded Weissritter adjusted itself as the greater of the group looked at her. Extending and then asserting. The time had come, the culmination of the path they set her on. It was a distraction from the hell that was happening, yet she felt safe even as two titans clashed a small ways away.
The Rein Weissritter lifted its finger up, and Johanna concentrated on the sphere, all the information she had gathered about them. The ones she held and the ones she witnessed she would share.

Judgement, was for them to pass. This she knew and had no issues with, she had been tasked with the collection of this knowledge not providing a verdict.

So she gave them what had been collected.

Knowledge of the Goat itself and its perception combined with its limitations. The madness that flowed through when something was just out of reach.

The Maiden and its sorrow, how extraneous a process it was to liberate a reactor from their sphere let alone have it recognize someone else.

The Archer in defiance, unwilling to give ground even to an inquiry.

The Sheep and its deceit, adjusting reality's perception and fermenting falsehood within its holder.

The Crab, wordlessly suppressing all. And try as she might to separate her trauma from it, it still trickled through.

The Lion burdening its pain in exchange for power.

The Ox, hoarding what it wished only to die of its own greed.

The Scales and their obsession, determination fueled by singular focus.

The Fishes, and their pursuit of a dream. Though she knew not which the methods seemed worth the price.

And lastly.

The Twins, and their danger. A force, unifying and grand. Purpose above purpose hiding beneath a veneer of uselessness. If one could unify them with anything except force, it was them.

Only the Gourd and Scorpion had avoided her these months.

Yet, the underlying feeling told a simple tale. The Spheres would not be unified except by force, one would kill all the others or otherwise they would never be together again. This, was the path they cast one on and refusing it leads to more sorrow than following it. She herself had tried to defy it in her experimentation but even that was punished while monstrosities like those on the other side of the battle reigned. The Rein Weissritter rose to its feet once the tale had been told, standing besides its better. The channel of knowledge was decidedly for the Einst to close or keep open now that its findings had been shared.

Inside its confines Johanna closed her eyes, inhaling calmly as she steadied herself. Her eyes slowly opened once again, gazing out to the Samt.
Remembering that day, what the voice inside her mind said. She could reckon what the verdict would be. Balance, the Geminion razed it to the ground as disharmony was king. In contrast Genion was a bringer of it. But, it was not her call to make she reminded herself.

She peeked the bright pink creature however and the earlier planted curiosity took root, the Goat was directed to gaze at her saviors. As they processed the information she had given them she would inquire herself.

 

[VeraC]

Aberon's gaze intently followed the creature's transformation, its sudden agility resembling that of a cat bounding around him, defying the laws of physics. In tandem, the once-golden radiance dulled, the sphere's energy dwindling to near insignificance, a parallel hush descending upon his thoughts and words. This foe posed a formidable challenge, a troublesome adversary. Paradoxically, he found a strange gratitude that his machine wasn't as tethered to the spheres as some others, offering him a chance to press on against this creature.

This was not the culmination, merely a twist in the saga.

Surpassing Aberon's expectations, the chimera seized the initiative, landing a strike near Zehirut's clavicle, sending shards of its crystalline form into the air. Swiftly recalibrating, Aberon managed to mitigate the potential for critical damage. Yet, the assault persisted. The force from the initial blow propelled Zehirut backwards, the massive machine staggering several steps in a concerted effort to create distance between them. Had it been any other sphere-driven machine, the advantage of reduced weight would have been unjustly exploited. However, confronting Zehirut, this tactic proved among the most inauspicious choices.

The chimera surged forward, yet this time, Zehirut’s response was swift and purposeful. As if tapping into the very essence of its cosmic origins, the machine extended its hand with a reverent command. The unseen, ancient energies that coursed through its frame converged, akin to the threads of fate weaving into an intricate tapestry. From this convergence, an irresistible force emerged, a gravitational pull of immense magnitude directed towards the Geminion.

With a haunting resonance, the air itself seemed to tremble as these potent energies found their focus. The chimera's onslaught met an unperceived barrier, as if an intangible cosmic boundary had arisen to thwart its advance. Unseen threads of power wove a web around the creature, forming an ethereal structure reminiscent of ancient forces at play. The suggestion of binding magic hung in the atmosphere, an unspoken connection to myths and legends, as if the very fabric of the universe responded to Zehirut's call. The suggestion of spectral chains emerged, entwining the once-agile beast, an unyielding grip that rooted it to the very terrain it had aimed to conquer.

An innovative application of Sieben Gebote, Aberon harnessed his machine's telekinetic prowess, aiming to drag the chimera down into the very ground. The effect was potent, amplified by the enemy's weight reduction. The Geminion wrestled against the tightening stranglehold on its mobility, limbs strained against the inexorable pull, its movements constricted, a prisoner to the cosmic force that sought to keep it in check. Slowed and vulnerable, the creature was laid bare.

Exploiting this newly acquired advantage, Zehirut pivoted its sword in a sweeping arc, aiming to sever one (or even both) of the chimera's arms, further curbing its combat capabilities.

 

[Hitura Rael]

The darkness shrouding the figure thinned and solidified. The figure became more defined, as if walking closer through mist. A familiar set of orange sunglasses stood out, obscuring an impossible face. Messy brown hair, shorn short and matted with dust. A marigold colored woman's scarf tied around his neck, pristine despite the thing on his face that James couldn't quite tell what it was supposed to be. An attempt at a beard? Dirt? The man stood clad in an old tattered uniform, a royal knight of Luna, a woman's locket with a man's ring dangled on the outside. Pieces he recognized.

"Who am I?" The man grinned, malicious and predatory. "I'm you. But better."

James struggled to comprehend this. Merida was right. His psyche would depict him as a hobo. He must have had a really stupid look on his face as the man stepped forward.

"Can't believe I was dragged here to deal with your sorry ass."

Before James could get up or scramble away, the hobo struck out with his foot with force, kicking him over onto his back. The black mist lingering in the air coalesced above the pair into a burning orange-red orb. Small arcs of flame licked across the surface, black spots bubbled from the surface, and iridescent green inked in from the edges.

A distant voice and memory played out above them, overlaid across the dying sun above.

"Do you remember me? JAMES STEELHEART!? Do you remember that Hell-kissed plane we called home? If you do, you'll lay your life down now, Sun-Eater!"

The shurouga's face disappeared as quickly as it had overtaken the sun as if it were a projector screen. Blood ran cold, ice pitted his stomach. Suneater stood over him with all the presence of a fallen king.

"A pity for you the Twins called my memory from the grave. But I guess that's what happens when you're a worse failure than I was."

He held his hand out to his side, black mist condensed in his hands to create a replica of Genion's glaive. He raised it and brought it point down at James' middle. He rolled out of the way and up onto his knees, then his feet before Suneater freed the weapon from the ground. "At least you're not stupid enough to have lost your will to live just yet. But, a failure is a failure, and the Twins has decided you're not fit."

Suneater moved blindingly fast, his fist aimed at James' face. He brought his arms up to block the hit. Pain radiated up his forearms. A dull ache edged with tingling numbness radiated up his forearms. The shaft of the glaive swung into his stomach, doubling him over, breathless.

"You're not fit to protect anyone! You're not fit to protect my family or give them the second chance they deserve!" Suneater's foot came up to slam into James' stomach again. He fell backwards once more, the glaive drown into his leg to pin him. He cried out in pain. "You're nothing more than a puppet dancing for whoever gives you the last order. No spine to stand up for yourself. All you do is run away."

Suneater held his hand out again, another glaive materializing. "I set you up for success! I showed you how to take down that black crow bastard! I gave you everything you needed with the void memories to beat him! You couldn't even do that." The spear pointed at James' throat. "Instead of going after him, you let everyone around you put you on their own path. Look at yourself! You can't even stand up against your own self to save your life!"

The glaive planted by James' head, a burning line sliced in his cheek. "You're weak. You've spent your whole life walking the paths someone else directed you to. What would you even do with that freedom you sought? Sit around and wait for the next direction is what! Deep down, you're just a selfish coward, afraid to use your voice, afraid to take command, afraid to be relied on. Well guess what princess? Now, you're taking your best friend with you."

James flinched and looked away. A hard truth, a strike straight to his core. Suneater was right. Of course he was, he had gone through this before.

"If you can't get your shit together, I'll do it for you. You can be a memory, and I'll make sure that this time she doesn't die in vain. What's it going to be? Are you going to fight, or are you going to die quietly in the belly of a monster?"

 

[GEAR]

At Johanna's behest, creation billowed forth. A novel application of Dimensional Power, to be sure - but proof nonetheless it could be used for constructive means. The lights from her show of wonderment reflected off the hulls and shells of the Einst, reflected distantly in their glowing eyes. As the spectacle faded, the Einst remained motionless. Were they engaging in some form of communication not known to her? Judging, as she believed them to be? Evaluating the prize, the knowledge she had so painstakingly gathered to appease them?

". . ."

Thoughts, sensations, data were exchanged between the Samt and its overlord, lurking at the very heart of the Einst consciousness. The evaluation had been made.

There was distant boom, causing the Samt to look up minutely.

Another interloper, it seemed, clear to seize their prize.

But he would not have it. Not today, at least, whilst they stood guard. Her performance thus far had been... sufficient. The Spheres posed no serious threat to them, or the fabric of the world. As such, they would continue doing as they always had: observing, monitoring, always watching. The brethren that had paid with their lives to protect her today would serve as reward enough.

The Samt nodded to itself, and a set of tentacles gently wrapped around the Ritter's hand. With a flash of light, they were gone - a parting gift, delivering her to safety.

The Einst would stay their hand.

For now.

"Tch."



From the smoke stepped a dark, angular form intimately familiar to all present. Whose presence was always felt, and never far. The Hunter of the Spheres itself, glaring, whipping its head back and forth as it casually wiped the remains of several Einst from the surface of its sunlight-like blade. The discalibur glimmered under the morning sun, as Ze'ev narrowed his eyes.

''Son of a bitch." He cursed, under his breath.

He'd been presented with the perfect opportunity to tear the Goat from its owner's hands, and the Watchers had intervened to deny him. Where they had taken her - not even he knew. Not yet, at least. It would take a little time for the pathways to settle. Those unfathomable creatures were good at covering their tracks, if nothing else.

Payback, was it?

Ze'ev's grit teeth settled into a familiar, thin smirk, and his shoulders lowered.

So be it, then. Let her enjoy her freedom, her life, just a little while longer.

She could run, but never hide.

The Dimensional Reaper folded its arms, and observed the spectacle in the distance, being sure to carefully conceal its presence from their senses - a trifling application of its might. As joyous a reunion this would be... there was need to interrupt the show.

Yet.

---

The clash of the titans continued unabated.

Geminion surged forward, drills whirring, the sound almost deafening in its intensity, eager to deliver the killing blow. Like an enormous scorpion it slowed only as Zehirut's spell-like application of its gravicon took place, eye flickering in evident irritation as it was denied a quick end to the farce. Onward came Aberon, equally hungry for victory, bringing his sword down like the monster-slaying hero he doubtlessly imagined himself, his confidence matched only by his skill.

The Geminion's crystalline wings swung inward like a pair of walls, imitating the Arietis that now made up part of it, as Zehirut's sword embedded itself in its surface. There was the definite sense he had penetrated it, but the weapon was now stuck fast - and the machine's head leered at him from between its fortifications, mockingly. A brilliant light shone from within, amplified by all the DEC across its body, blinding its intensity-

And for Aberon, the world itself turned on its head.

Something gripped him, flinging him towards the sky.

Sky?

No. A "false" sky. A wall of Dimensional Energy Crystal, dragged from nowhere, providing a comforting bed for him to be smashed face first into at breakneck speed, like a child's toy thrown in a tantrum.



Where the earth had once been, there was now only an unfamiliar, cloudy starlit sky, its constellations hazy and distorted. An entire compact universe, shaped for the occasion of his destruction. The stars twinkled merrily at him, and then seemed to grow... bigger...

WHAM!

A star fell from above, slamming into the ground beside him. An equally large, spike-like chunk of glowing white crystal, as big as his own machine. Were he to dare to raise his eyes again skyward, he would see the rain of countless spears hurtling from above - not simply piercing in their number, but crushing, burying. And fall they would, seemingly without end, as limitless as the stars above, filling the plane he was in, turning it into a splintered hellscape from which nothing could escape.

While in the distance, unseen but not unfelt, the Geminion watched...

And prepared.

 

[MKR]

She waited and watched as time ticked by, the information she had gathered displayed in earnest. Only to finally be interrupted by the arrival of the very same intruder that had attacked after the defeat of Shiseiten, a pattern formed and by his position his next target was clear enough. It made her nervous admittedly, the prospect of fighting this killer, this hunter.

Still, in this moment she felt invincible, fulfilled. But this was neither the place nor the time for this decisive match as tentacles grabbed her.
She knew, and like that, she had gone.

---

The hollow feeling hadn't gone away, but it had shrunk. Her work had been noticed, appreciated, by those she had sought to appease most. The journey had proved worthwhile and now that the adrenaline and stress had faded, the sights of terror becoming more distant by the breath as she traversed the space between space yet that momentary glimpse into her saviors had given her naught new.

Her purpose hadn't changed either, keep an eye on the other spheres. Report in if the balance threatened to be upset, though it was more likely they would just glean that information when it became apparent to them it had happened. Her hands relaxed, no longer gripping the console as the rifle was lowered. Yet, that raised the question what now? There were two spheres she had not yet found. Two spheres to pursue and get informed on, and then? Protect herself against any would be assassins like the Sphere Hunter that came by earlier?

Would she be content during that instance, once she knew what there was to know about the spheres? It was uncertain, and these moments Johanna was left to wonder that possibility. This had been what drove her to know more, to pursue knowledge. That was her curiosity, or perhaps better seen as 'her' curiosity. Where- where did one begin and one end? So far, it all had been moving towards that the moment she just had. And it was gladdening that she had fulfilled it, yet now that it was in the past the future was a question she could not be certain about.

To that she needed answers, and began to assess where to get them.

 

[VeraC]

Aberon's lips curled into a faint, predatory smile as the blade cut through the Geminion's form, a satisfying strike on the enemy. His sense of triumph, however, was swiftly quelled as the adversary retaliated, launching Zehirut with a force that sent it hurtling towards the 'wall' of Dimensional Crystal. The resonating clash propelled him into a realm akin to a fabricated universe, the transition accompanied by the release of the sword which now found itself lodged in the Geminion's wing. Amid the unsettling disorientation, Aberon's acute awareness indicated that this manipulation was the doing of the Sheep, the omnipotence of the Crab yielding to the emerging dominance of the Sheep. A palpable transformation was afoot; the shifting balance of powers heralded an impending chaos that threatened to converge upon Zehirut. Spears of crystal materialized in the expanse, meteoric harbingers poised to bring about a cataclysmic demise, an orchestrated end tailored for Aberon.

Caught in a pivotal juncture, Aberon's demeanor briefly wavered as uncertainty gnawed at his resolve. A rare moment of vulnerability gripped him, a sensation of powerlessness unsettling his determination. It was a vexing emotion, acknowledging an unanticipated impotence in the midst of his grand designs. A begrudging admiration for humanity's prowess flickered, their creation held the potency to challenge even his celestial might. Yet, beneath this begrudging respect, Aberon couldn't reconcile with ceding victory to mankind, a conclusion tinged with bitterness. An innovation sparked by mortals was commendable, yet was it robust enough to weather the storm that loomed over their world? He found himself doubting it. Only he held the capacity to shape the world's fate, the means to usher salvation from the precipice of ruin. This predicament must be navigated, a way out discovered.

Aberon was sluggish to react as the tempest of crystalline shards cascaded around Zehirut. It was a symphony of destruction, some projectiles deflected by the G-Territory, others etching wounds into the crystalline armor. Within the cockpit, alarms blared in stark crimson, a visual representation of the turmoil that brewed within Aberon's mind. In this fleeting calm amidst chaos, he reached a resolution, a semblance of decision within the storm of doubt.

The air held a palpable tension as Aberon inhaled deeply.

"There's no choice then."

He muttered, his determination renewed. Clenching his teeth, he issued a command, setting into motion a sequence of actions that would test the limits of his authority and the potential of his cosmic machinations.

"Administration System, open."

[IDENTIFICATION SCANNING…]
[SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR: ABERON]
[ACCESSING L’SOLA SYSTEM COMMAND PROMPT]​

An interface materialized before him, a digital testament to his dominion over the realm. Aberon navigated it with practiced precision, invoking the dormant power that lay within his grasp. The menu presented choices, most of which remained inaccessible, a testament to the eons of power fractured and lost. Yet, among them, one option stood illuminated by his prerogative.

"Activate Omega Protocol."

[WARNING: PROTOCOL OMEGA SHOULD ONLY BE USED WHEN [L’SOLA] IS UNSALVAGEABLE OR OTHERWISE AT RISK OF CATASTROPHIC DISASTER.]
[PLEASE CONFIRM: ACTIVATE PROTOCOL OMEGA?]​

A warning, dramatic yet fitting for the gravitas of the moment, flickered across the interface. Desperate times spurred audacious actions, and the Protocol designed for worst-case scenarios beckoned. It bore risks, ominous outcomes that Aberon acknowledged, but in this crisis, he embraced the calculated gamble.

"Activate."

The command resonated like a thunderclap, as if setting ancient mechanisms into motion. Aberon's calculated risk unfolded, the odds now the bedrock upon which his fate rested.

[CONFIRMED: ACTIVATING PROTOCOL OMEGA]
[RELEASING ZYFLUD CRYSTAL LIMITER]
[RELEASING QUANTUM WAVE LIMITER]

[ABNORMALITY DETECTED: COMMENCING EXCISION]
[TARGET: GEMINION]​

As if responding to his command, Zehirut pulsed with energy, its generator roaring to life, bathing the crystalline behemoth in a fiery red aura. The structure that composed its form surged, healing the wounds inflicted by the plummeting crystals almost instantaneously. Simultaneously, shards of zyflud crystal dislodged from Zehirut's form, ascending in a constellation of triangular forms to intercept the falling Dimensional Crystals. The clash of celestial debris and celestial saviors yielded a mesmerizing display, a cascading rainfall of shimmering dust.

Awareness heightened, Aberon sensed Geminion's presence, a looming threat veiled in the unseen. The creature's gathering power was a signal of impending assault, a force more potent and menacing than its previous maneuvers. Aberon and Zehirut embraced this moment of confrontation, determination binding them together. They would not cower; they would not fall.

Zehirut's hand reached upwards, forming a new sword, a manifestation of the Zyflud crystals' fierce growth. The blade stretched into infinity, a manifestation of resolve. Aberon's eyes bore an unwavering intensity, his voice an echo of authority.

"Sieben Gebote."

The sword's glistening form began a dance of compression and expansion, an intricate cycle that caused its crystalline structure to shift, a relentless crescendo of compression causing the weapon's mass to surge. The very arm of Zehirut bore the strain, cracks forming as if the weight of the universe bore down on it. The cracks, though swiftly woven back together by the rabid crystalline growth, hinted at the cost of this formidable power.

"An act truly fitting for a cosmic comedy."

Aberon mused within the confines of his cockpit. A scarlet hue illuminated his surroundings, a constant reminder of Zehirut's dire situation.

"Bestowing power to mortals only to have it turned against the bestower. Yet this power was never meant for you."

The blade's weight intensified, Aberon's tone a blend of scorn and resolve.

"You think you can lie to a god?"

His voice brimmed with determination. While he couldn’t see his enemy clearly, he could at least sense its presence, and its direction, to which he turned face to.

"G-Territory, Shift!"

The G-Territory's response was a spectacle of its own. It quivered, like a living entity awakening to its purpose, its protective mantle bending and warping to accommodate the transcendent power flowing through it. A corona of fiery orange light enveloped the blade, its radiant energy intertwining with the ebony expanse. It was a marriage of contrasts, the intense luminosity of a star meeting the boundless darkness of the cosmos.

And then, as if at the precipice of reality itself, the blade transformed. The metamorphosis wasn't a simple shift; it was a profound transmutation, a melding of metaphysical and physical forces. The blade's edge surrendered its corporeal nature, fading into an indistinct event horizon, a window into a realm where the rules of physics and existence bent to a new paradigm.

Aberon's unwavering gaze penetrated this rift, his irises gleaming with a fusion of resolute determination and cosmic brilliance. He was no mere mortal, no mere commander of a machine; he was a being entwined with the very tapestry of creation, wielding power that spanned eons. His visage was both ethereal and fearsome, an embodiment of celestial will.

As the blade transcended its mortal confines, the surrounding space quivered, a symphony of energy crackling through the air like thunder before a storm. A coruscating aura emanated from the blade's edge, tendrils of energy reaching out like ethereal fingers probing the boundaries of reality. This wasn't just a weapon; it was a rift, a tear, an instrument of cosmic disarray. It hummed with an unfathomable resonance, an eerie echo of forces beyond human comprehension.

Within the cockpit, Aberon's fingers tightened around the controls, his connection with Zehirut forming a conduit for this unleashed might. His thoughts, purpose, and the very essence of his being merged with the instrument of his wrath. He was a conductor of annihilation, orchestrating a symphony of devastation that resonated across dimensions.

As his steely determination met the blade's singularity, the surrounding space buckled. Reality twisted, contorted, and bent to the whims of this cataclysmic convergence. Colors bled, geometries warped, and even time itself seemed to stutter in the face of such an aberration. The event horizon extended voraciously, ravenously, vorpal-like, gnawing at existence with a hunger that knew no satiation.

This was no longer a battle of machines; this was an apocalypse, a clash of godly forces that dared to rip apart the very fabric of existence. The air quaked with a primeval energy, the symphony of cosmic discord growing louder and more deafening with each passing second.

And in the midst of this chaos, Aberon remained a stoic figure, his resolve anchoring him against the tempest he had unleashed. He was no stranger to wielding the threads of creation; he was a maestro of fate, directing the fury of his will toward a singular, world-altering purpose.

"I reject your lies!"

As Aberon and Zehirut channeled their collective might into the blade, it sliced through space itself, tearing a rift in reality, a void of annihilation that seemed poised to devour whatever lay before it. The arm of the machine threatened to shatter under the forces brought upon it by the cataclysmic swing, even the Zyflud crystals working on overdrive could barely keep up to keep the integrity of the arm from crumbling into dust. It mattered not where Geminion's true position was, so long as it stood before Zehirut's attack.

 

[GEAR]

OOC: Per Sess

The sun above them burned, half swallowed by radiant green energies. Suneater was right. He was weak, indecisive, and a coward. He couldn't protect anyone. Maybe... maybe it would be better to die here, let Suneater take over and finish what he started. Do what he couldn't. He could protect them, right? He'd done it before... didn't he?

And yet... Suneater wore a reminder of almost every person he cared about on his person. "You couldn't protect them, could you?"

Suneater's expression softened, James took the chance and sat up quickly, with force. His head collided with Suneater's face, sending the man to stagger back several paces. James gripped the glaive pinning him down and it disappeared into electrical motes of violent green energy. "You couldn't protect them," James accused, standing up despite the throbbing, bloodless pain in his leg. "You failed... and this is your second shot to save them, isn't it?"

James stepped forward and held his hand out toward Suneater, willing the same weapon that had pinned him down into his hand. Suneater was a Jaded man, broken, and lost. A nauseating wave crashed over James, images flashing around him of Selene laying dead, her blood staining the Quarreling Twins, Einfield and James helpless to do anything about it-. James shuddered and steeled himself. Suneater grimaced at the visions and summoned his own weapon once more before charging in.

"Don't you dare judge me!" He brought the glaive down at James' head.

He swung the haft up to block it and kicked out at Suneater. The older man staggered back to regain his footing. "I succeeded where you failed. I stopped them both. I saved them both!"

James jabbed the butt of the staff at Suneater's stomach. Suneater paried it with his own glaive and met James face to face. James dropped the glaive to swing at the man's face, but missed as Suneater leaned back, dropping his own.

"You did, and you condemned your partner to death for it!"

James stood in shock for a moment, taking Suneater's fist in the face. He staggered back and raised his hands to block the next few swings. "No, YOU did that. That's why you're so eager to make me doubt and question myself, isn't it?!" James repositioned himself to deflect the next swing with his hand, then stepped into the blow to wrap Suneater's arm under his. He pivoted and swung the back of his fist into the older man's face. "And you're doing it again by keeping me here!"

Suneater flinched back, the blow softened but not mitigated. He gritted his teeth and barreled forward into James, knocking him over and rolling on the ground with him in a tangle of fists and feet. "You're keeping yourself here! You're the one who refuses to find your own damn path! You'll never know what to do with your life!"

"Who the fuck cares?!" James pushed Suneater away and scrambled to his feet. "No one knows what path they're going to take in life and there is nothing wrong with that! I know what I need to! I have to protect my family and I'll go through you and myself to do it!"

Suneater grinned as he rose to his feet. "I'll be holding you to that. Don't lose them like I did. And if you find my daughter somewhere back here, give her all the love and support Merida and I couldn't."

"Wait- Daughter- What?"

 

[GEAR]

The Geminion watched Aberon's futile struggle, its pocket dimension spread out above it like an enormous canvas. Just as it had calculated, he was utterly helpless against the power of the Lying Black Sheep. All it needed was to keep him contained a moment longer. The enormous staff in its hands began to change.

The handle contracted to barely the length of a saber's, as the three fan-like blades glowed eerily with Dimensional Power. The center, the middle of the three, shone like an exploding sun, as an enormous DEC blade erupted from its core, reaching up, up into the sky, wreathed with its own terrible force. It raised it overhead with one hand, preparing to detonate the entire pocket dimension, alongside its hapless occupant, and brought it crashing down-

But as it did so, the Ox's owner once again demonstrated that his resourcefulness, his desire to live, was greater than any machine.

Like the spear of an angry God, Aberon's slash ripped out of containment, connecting with the Geminion's own. Alarmed, it attempted to force its way past - but the unexpected power boost from the unfettered Quantum Wave Engine proved beyond even its expectations, and the blade swung down - and into its target.

The Geminion took a couple of staggered steps backward, almost a third of its body torn free by the vicious strike... and began to crumple.

"Not... yet...!"

But, it had one final trick left to play. Little more than spite, little more than desperation, a final attempt to forestall its own destruction. The Sphere Act of the Quarreling Twins, courtesy of the man who'd tried to hold up the sky, and was on the brink of succumbing to the same fate as his protege.

As his vision darkened, like a dying curse, Sullivan turned the Quarreling Twins ire on the Covetous Ox - and Aberon, in his moment of triumph, would have suddenly felt as if the floor were ripped out from under him, as his punishment was delivered.

This was it, he knew.

He'd done all he could.

Silently cursing his own weakness, Chethan Sullivan - as if sharing the fate of the Geminion, took a staggering step... and crumpled to the floor, his eyes dim.

---

Ze'ev's eyes watched as the Geminion fell. One hand circumnavigated his chin, thoughtfully, as different futures all played out before his mind's eye. None were pleasant.

"Come on, Steelheart." He said, under his breath.

"This really how you want it all to end?"

Once more, he consulted the futures. Again - none of them agreeable. There were opportunities for him, of course. Even if there was nothing but rubble, the Fishes would ensure he at least sat at the top of it, so long as its directions were followed. Until now, he had been content with that. But now? He closed his eyes... and exhaled.

With a dissonant hum, the Dreaming Twin Fishes faded from his mind for perhaps the first time since they were joined. Even the Shurouga itself seemed alarmed, and he could sense it turning its eyes on him, questioningly. As if it were asking, "Are you willing to accept the consequences?". Defying fate, after all, never went well. He himself knew that better than anyone.

All he could really do was shake his head. If Sedna could do it, could live her whole life just taking leaps into the unknown... he could handle it, just this once. His eyes turned to Aberon. To the crystal monstrosity that grew with every passing second, the embodiment of greed and vice.

Against all reason his heart, at least partially, went out to the fallen God. All of them could feel it, now. Radiating from the Ox. The sense of loss that drove him, the powerful need, and how it resonated with him. His pain. His grief. His ambition to climb back into the heavens, no matter the cost. Even so...

A bright, green light pulsed from the Shurouga, as it raised a hand.

"No offense pal," He breathed; "But you're not fit to rule anything."

He called, for the first time, to the souls that resided within the Spheres he had taken. Few understood the true nature of the bond formed between artifact and reactor - even he could only guess, but in this moment he needed all the help he could get. He focused intently on the distant Geminion, and the comatose James... and released their bindings. Let them lead Steelheart back into the light.

"Swaying Scales. Bring balance to the Quarreling Twins."

 

[Hitura Rael]

Helpless and alone in an automated coffin, Merida fumbled to gather tools from below her seat. The best chance of survival now was to somehow escape. If they made it out of here, some kind of ejection system of the cockpit needed to be installed for sure. A longer life battery or backup reactor too. So many safety improvements needed to be made. And the spanner she had in her hand would be meeting the head of the asshole who installed these restraints in the pilot seat, but not AS hard as she would have had they also been installed in the co-pilot seat. Yes. Enough to knock the fucker out, not crack the skull.

With her tools, she set to work in her attempts to dismantle the restraints in the eerie lighting. As she worked, she cursed and ranted in a nonsensical mix of Gaelic and Arabic that would have made her father's parent's faces red with indignation and her mother's side extremely proud with the weaving of curses and swears. Anger kept her grounded as she struggled to disengage the system and free James. It was easier to ignore her heart pounding and hands shaking. Being perched on James' lap with the lack of room to work just added fuel to the fire. Her knees would likely leave bruises on his hips, but that was a problem for future James to deal with.

Until the crystalline god's blow landed, sheering away a large swath of the monster's body, and rocking the cockpit. Merida bit her bottom lip as she held on and tools cascaded down to the floor in a metallic cacophony drowned out by stone ripping through metal. When all was still and quiet, reality crashed down around her. They were stuck, adrift in a life boat in a storm, far from port, with a monster desperately trying to drag them to the murky depths. Her vision blurred at the corners, eyes burning with the welling of tears that soon began their journey spurred by gravity.

"Please wake up James..." She whispered, "Please don't leave me here alone," She planted her face in his chest and began to sob. No anger left to burn, nothing left to try to save them, just the heartbreaking fear of being alone.

---

(per mk)

A shudder, a feeling coursing even in the place between places where she was at its instant. Knowledge that it was right, feeling that it was good. Yet after the moments there, one sphere reactor felt the internal contradiction welling up. Tying knots in her gut, the words spoken minutes prior were not ones she disowned as in the feeling of betrayal flowed into this mixture of Sphere reactors.

Yet, despite that. She knew the purpose, the goal of this unification and was unable to disagree with it at all. The fallen god deserved to be cast down and even the chaos sown across the spheres prior was soothed. As she had told the Einst, if any could unify the spheres without violence it was him.
And so the Reactor of the Curious goat contributed a thought into this whirlpool she could not stop "Please prove me wrong."

---

"I wonder if I'm that annoying..." James grumbled in the silence, Suneater gone in the blink of an eye. And yet above him the ominous sun remained above him. He estimated around a quarter left unengulfed by the sickly green hues speckled with the black spots of a dying gas giant. He had been given a lot to think about, and yet... no way out of this strange place.

"If this is how the inside of your head looks all the time, no wonder you can't get a date," A deep voice resonated behind James.

He froze for a moment, processing slowly. It couldn't be- He whipped around fast enough to make himself dizzy. There, standing tall as ever in all his bulky glory, was a dead man. Confusingly, others were there too. Adrian, Chojin Zest, Johana... Even the glimpse of that pale bastard with the crow mech. "... Please tell me this is not an intervention." He choked on his chuckle and raised his hand to wipe away the tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. He must have failed Jo too.

"It is," Adrian stepped forward to put his hand on James' shoulder. "You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened to us. It was our choices, our paths, that led us. Our fates are not on your shoulders. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and go protect my sister!" Despite the seriousness of his tone, Adrian grinned, then faded away, leaving... something intangible behind.

Zest stepped forward next. They placed both hands on James shoulders and... somehow he got the impression of a smile behind that mask. "I’m glad I chose you. I can’t lead people, I’m a thief who stole the boots off a real hero. But I died standing, in those boots. And I’m proud to have my light fade while fighting alongside you and Johanna."

James put his arms around Zest, hugging them tightly before they too faded, "You're a hero in my eyes. Without you, we would have both died in that ambush." Like Adrian, Zest left something behind.

With the image gone, he turned his head to look at Jo. She stared at him, harsh, with something wild and desperate behind those eyes. "Please prove me wrong." James nodded at her, and like that, she too was gone, leaving James behind in a field of darkness.

Then, one by one, glittering motes flared to life. A field of emerald stars sparkled around him in unfamiliar constellations. They shifted subtly in their hues, each grouping repeating through a pattern of color all their own. From some, he felt the warmth and love of his friends, and others... The lamentation of their demise.

James closed his eyes and steeled his resolve. "Okay Genion... time for us to step up and be who we want to be. Let's go protect our loved ones." He reached out and touched each one, drawing the constellations into himself, and through him, fed into the Quarreling Twins. When all was said and done, the sun rose on the horizon, the burning red of a new morning.

---

The Geminion shuddered, and contorted. A pained scream echoed from somewhere within the machine, guttural and deep. It curled in on itself, arms held close over it's chest before wings wrapped around itself in a fetal curl. Long cracks formed down the spine and burned through the blade like wings. Thin threads broke free from the metal, drifting in the breeze for a moment before they wrapped tightly around the Geminion like a cocoon hovering in the air.

James eyes shot open in the cockpit. He balled his hands as the cockpit shifted and contorted around them. With a good yank, the restraints shattered apart. His hands gently rest on Merida's back as she trembled and sobbed. His voice remained low and gentle, "Hey, it's alright." He squeezed her tight and ran his hand gently down her back. "It'll be ok. But I need you to be strong and get in your seat so I can drive."

Merida clung to James as he shifted about, fearful of what was going on now. When he spoke, the only reason she did not pull away was his hand holding her head to his chest. He eased her up after hugging her and soothing her. She stared into his eyes, silently sobbing before dropping down to hug him again and hit his shoulder with far less force than she had ever hit someone. It was just enough for him to feel it! She jokingly hit her mother harder than that! Without a word, she let him go and climbed up into her seat, taking her place once more monitoring systems. But what were these new screens?

Threads of dimensional energy pulled back, dropping the desiccated husk of the monstrous Geminion to the ground below with a heavy thud. Where the monster had been stood a knight of blue and silver, with ovals of glowing green mounted across the frame. Behind the feminine form, a cape of verdant energy billowed in the wind. Upon her forearm rest a shield of crystal.

James surveyed the battle field quick as he could once the screens were clear. He nearly jumped from his seat when his eyes laid upon the Shurouga. Things fell into place quickly. His jaw hung open for a moment before speaking, "It was you... Wasn't it?"

 

[VeraC]

The blade cleaved through the very fabric of reality, slicing through dimensions and the Geminion alike. In that fleeting moment, Aberon savored the taste of victory. However, this triumph was short-lived, overshadowed by the blaring alarms and flashing red lights within his cockpit, a testament to the unleashed reactor's imminent threat.

Yet, Aberon refused to yield. His insatiable hunger for power, the ability to master the uncontrollable, drove him forward. He placed his faith in the sphere he possessed, confident that it could navigate this crisis and secure the remaining spheres. Why, then, continue the battle?

A peculiar sense of achievement washed over him. Could it be that he had achieved his ultimate goal? The connection he felt with all twelve spheres, the sensation of their power coursing through him—it was tantalizingly close. Yet, doubts crept into his thoughts, mingling with assumptions. Had he truly fulfilled his desires, or was this just an illusion, a trick played by the timely convergence of events—the Ox's fall and the resonance of the Twins?

In his contemplative stillness, Zehirut's crystalline growth persisted, jagged tendrils extending in all directions as if reaching out to sense its surroundings, to grasp the truth of its situation, and to deliver its verdict. The machine remained motionless for now, a sentinel in pause, leaving uncertainty hanging in the air, a question mark waiting for its answer.

---

(Jamesview)

Last, emerging from the shadows cast by the sun overhead, two figures appeared, stepping out to meet the man. The first was Heidel. Bearer of the Aquarius, she placed her hand over her chest, looking to the man.

"The expectations of the masses can be a heavy burden."

She began with a warm and empathetic smile.

"The path of a hero is a challenging one, filled with uncertainty, stress, and fear. But being a hero is a choice you must make for yourself. A half-hearted hero can't protect anything."

Heidel knew the trials and tribulations of heroism better than anyone. As both the ruler and savior of Crescentia, and the bearer of the Aquarius Reactor, her life was dedicated to her people, regardless of the personal cost.

“Its often the role of ‘hero’ is forced upon us by others, it was true for me, and likely true for you. I was given the authority to rule over the people and ensure their prosperity beyond the future. At first I didn’t like it, I wanted to reject it. The burdens of such a role are far beyond what a human should suffer. It all honesty, I wanted to just run away with the man I loved and live a quiet and comfortable life.”

She continued, her voice carrying the weight of experience. A bittersweet smile crossed her face as she remembered those distant desires.

"But I realized that was impossible. Duty-bound as we are, there's no running away from it. Perhaps during the war, as it reached its climax, witnessing the horrors it brought changed me. I vowed to become someone worthy of my title, of the man I love."

Heidel's determination shone brightly in her eyes as she looked directly at James.

"Those old desires never truly disappeared, but I chose to do what was necessary. If my life is what it takes to ensure my people's prosperity, I'll make that sacrifice. Such is the price of being a hero, the price of protecting those dear to you."

With a final encouraging smile, Heidel released her grip on James's shoulder and vanished into the shadows.

---

There was a long and almost awkward silence as Aberon simply looked upon James, either trying to find the right words to say or hesitant to speak at all. It felt like an eternity before he finally broke the silence.

"...Bearer of the Twins."

Aberon's voice, now stripped of its haughtiness and arrogance, held a sincerity that resonated deep within the core of his being. It was as if he had shed the layers of his godly ego to reveal the vulnerable humanity beneath.

"All I desired was to protect this world, to ensure it was prepared to face the impending end that threatens us all. Understand that my intentions were rooted in the greater good."

His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of introspection. James might have found it perplexing that this former deity was displaying such humility. As Aberon spoke, a flood of emotions and memories surged into James' mind, an unintentional sharing of the former god's inner turmoil. Perhaps Aberon's time spent as a human had ignited the ember of emotions, setting him apart from his original self. Beyond the facade of confidence and proactive determination, James could sense a tumultuous maelstrom of darkness and chaos swirling within Aberon's spirit.

There was anger, simmering from past betrayals and unmet expectations. Regret, like a haunting specter, cast shadows on his path. Doubt gnawed at his convictions, and a pervasive sense of inadequacy clung to him like a relentless shadow.

"I'll spare you any sophistry or justifications for what I've done. Such words are meaningless at this point."

Beyond the emotional tempest, James glimpsed Aberon's entire existence—the world's inception, the Giants' betrayal, the sundering of his form, the bestowment of power upon the five heroes, his rebirth in the modern era, and all that he had witnessed. It was a life marred by the treachery of his creations and the relentless grind of his unmet expectations. It was no wonder he viewed the world as irrevocably broken.

"I'll only ask you this. Do what you must; destroy the Zehirut."

Aberon's voice carried a solemnity, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with James.

"It's only a matter of time before it goes berserk and initiates the purge process, and by then, it may well be too late."

Even in the confines of the dream, James could see the crystalline shards forming on Aberon's arm and face, slowly encroaching upon him, seeking to assimilate him entirely into its crystalline embrace.

"I'll do what's within my power to delay it, but given the current state of the Ox Reactor, I'm uncertain how much I can achieve."

In a rare moment, Aberon graced James with a genuine smile, a glimpse of the humanity that still lingered beneath the surface.

"I've come to terms with my fate. If my consequence for failing to attain my goal is death, then so be it. I'll shoulder the responsibility for it all."

With his final words, Aberon turned away, receding into the shadows from whence he came.

"The blade is now in your hands, Steelheart. You must wield it with purpose and conviction."

 

[Hitura Rael]

Geminion charged forward without warning, without waiting for Ze'ev. No banter, no discussion, not a single fuck given for the Shurouga. As far as things went with Ze'ev, they were even now. James had once spared his life, and now the debt was paid. Trust was deadly when given to a snake. Of course, that was an insult to snakes. But there was no time to correct that thought. No, James focused on one singular goal for the moment: Zehirut.

"Merida, be a dear and call the new toys in." He grinned without looking over his shoulder, the distance to the crystaline mech fast closing.

Merida stared down at James for a moment in shock, then turned her attention to the new screens. New toys indeed...

In a column of red and green light, two hands as big as Geminion appeared as if simply wished into existence. Energy flashed across the hands, outlining every panel. The fell in line with the Geminion, moving in unison with the machine. "Link up complete."

Purpose and conviction. Well, he had plenty of that. Fortunately and unfortunately for Aberon, he was full of piss, vinegar, and stupid levels of stubborn. Stubborn that life and circumstance failed to beat out of him. "Star Grasper, Muspelheim!" Power output on the hands cranked up. Individual emitters studding the fingers burned brilliant and blue, engulfing both of the Bifrost units. Geminion swung her hands forward, the giant versions puppeted by her movements. Crystal shattered and melted under the force of momentum and energy. With it, he would burn away all the crystal invading the cockpit, threatening the man within. The enormous hands curled around Aberon and ripped him free of his would be tomb.

With the outpour of energy roiling off of the Gemionion, altering causality itself, James' stubborn desire to save Aberon from his fate would send him to the safest place James knew of at the moment, back at the ship from whence they had deployed. The Geminion let the heart of the machine fall to the ground, devoid of pilot and crystal alike.

"Time to end this!" The glow around the hands intensified. Fingers curled in on themselves, mechanisms shifted and slid until they resembled the Bifrost canon James had never called into action. Long range was a rare thing for him. Everything loved to be up in his face. This fight was no exception to that trend, and he wouldn't have it any other way. As the hands reformed, the Atgeir launched from Geminion's back, the Hird deployed to faithfully guard Gemionion's back and flanks, controlled by Merida. Geminion spun the shaft of the staff while the two canons moved into position. Crystaline chains formed between the two Bifrost in an endless web. The haft of the Aetgir found it's home square in the center of the two, forming a massive hammer.

"And now the coup de grace! Grow Mjolnir!" Energy surged through the hammer. Panels exploded outward on threads and chains of DEC, doubling and tripling in size until it dwarfed the wielding machine. The void between panel and emitters filled with one chain after another, overlapping in their brilliance endlessly until they could not be picked apart with the naked eye. Mjolnir burned with the vibrant intensity of a new born sun. "Crushing Ragnarok!" Geminion brought the massive hammer down upon the mass of crystal with the all the force of the three spheres.