The Empyrean
Noriko Null carefully takes the Tablet Of Destinies in her hands, knowing well how much thought Roxiana is currently giving to stealing it.
<If the Tablet allows time travel, we could use it to go back to the time of the Drylon. Witnessing history with our very eyes.> Roxiana says, practically salivating at the idea.
<Absolutely out of the question. For all we know, this thing can change history.> Noriko replies.
<Unless we’re part of it, because we were always supposed to use it this way?> Roxiana suggests.
<Girls, I don’t think it’s the right time to discuss the ethics of time travel. We can’t even know how to turn the damn thing on!> Quantum reminds them.
As if shaking at the very ideas being suggested, the glass library housed in the Empyrean is hit by a powerful vibration that reverberates throughout this entire dimension.
<Looks like the decision is being made for us.> Roxiana comments.
<The Last Usurper is approaching. The end of Heaven draws near, yes?> Siduri says. Her voice remains unnaturally stilted, but there’s a glimpse of apprehension hidden beneath it.
The Tavern at the edge of the universe
Leiko Tanaka stands before the portal that leads to the Empyrean. The Tavern has been completely demolished by the telekinetic powers of the Drylon seed controlling her body.
Under the blackened sky that shows the cracks in this reality, Vesta crawls out of the ruins.
She looks at Leiko, whose Drylon-possessed right hand is touching the portal, seemingly struggling to force it open.
But the goddess only spares a second thinking about Leiko; her main concern is freeing her husband Theodoros, who has been buried under the rubble.
Fortunately for her, the old man’s frail body has been shielded by the hulking Gilgamesh: once she moves away a supporting beam from his back, the Sumerian hero moves away to reveal the human is perfectly fine.
<Oh thank Gaea! Thank you, Gilgamesh.> she tells him, as she hugs her husband.
<It was a honor to be a hero one last time, before we all die.>
<Why so pessimistic?> Theodoros asks.
<Every Drylon Seed I ever destroyed was at an earlier stage of development; this one is nearly sentient. We can’t harm it, and there is no way to stop it from getting the Tablet.>
<There’s always a way. I was supposed to be dead, but this gave me a new purpose.> Theodoros says, holding up the hand wearing the handcuff created by Rei… but it’s a little different from the last time Vesta saw it.
<Teraph was able to fix it in time!? He only had a couple of minutes to work on it! Maybe he really is the smartest Nexus host.> Vesta concedes.
<Don’t let him hear you say it, he hardly needs to get an even higher opinion of himself.> Gilgamesh comments.
<Where is he? I can’t see him.> Vesta wonders, looking around.
<Disappeared like all of Heaven’s creations once the Seed showed up.>
<All except me. Teraph didn’t have time to modify it to allow me to exist outside of Heaven.>
<But he did modify it. Can I have a look at it?>
The question comes from a ghostly apparition, a translucent image of Noriko Null seemingly made of electricity. Both Vesta and Gilgamesh nearly punched her as a reflex before realizing who she is.
<How are you doing this!?> the Sumerian hero wonders.
<I can project my mind in multiple places; a trick Roxiana taught me when I was dead. Vesta can explain you the details later.>
<Honestly, sometimes I forget half the things she can do.> the goddess shrugs.
Noriko’s projection examines the handcuff Theodoros is wearing. Vesta nervously looks back at Leiko: she doesn’t seem to be doing much progress.
<Is there a reason why we’re not all rushing to kick Leiko’s butt? Also, since when can Noriko turn into a ghost?> Kari Zel asks, having recovered from having the tavern crash over her head.
<Mind projection? C’mon, I’ve even used YOUR mind to do this trick more than once!>
<Oh yeah, it’s been ages since you last did this. Honestly, I forgot you could do it.> Kari admits.
<There’s no point attacking Leiko: the possession gives her the same properties of the Vial Of Destiny, meaning no power derived from the Drylon can affect her… and that includes every single one of us, except Theodoros and Gilgamesh.>
Torn also approaches the rag-tag team of survivors to comment:
<Null. Glad to see your wraith projection. To be honest I…>
<Lemme guess: forgot I could do it?>
<Of course not. I was going to say I think you should do it more often; why would I forget the abilities of my teammates? It is literally a matter of life and death.> the Demon answers.
Vesta and Kari exchange looks, silently agreeing not to embarrass themselves on this point.
<Okay, I think we’ve got something. All Teraph did was enabling the handcuff to be removed… it should, theoretically, work on anyone now.> Noriko reveals.
<How is that going to help us?> Kari asks.
<Wouldn’t removing it make Theodoros cease to exist?> Vesta adds.
<Yes, it would. But if Leiko were to wear it…>
<Forget. He is not going to remove it. Find another…> Vesta objects, silenced when Theodoros grabs her hand.
<What would happen, Null?> Theodoros asks.
<It might stop the possession, if we manage to isolate Leiko’s mind even for a brief time. It might allow us to unlock the Tablet, which could stabilize Heaven and potentially separate her from the Drylon entirely.> Noriko explains.
<“Theoretically”, “if”, “might”, “could”, “potentially”… I don’t like those odds, Noriko. How confident are you in this plan?> Vesta asks.
<I think it’s the best, no, the only option available to us at this moment.>
<You didn’t answer. Does this have any realistic chance of working?> Vesta insists.
<Well, I… I really…> Noriko’s ghostly image falters.
The Empyrean
Quantum puts his hand on Noriko’s shoulder, and gets closer to talk to her in a hushed tone.
He’s been listening on the conversation, which she is broadcasting through the Soul Relay.
<Give her a number.> he tells her.
<What?> Noriko replies, activating her Sound Nullifier to make sure Roxiana doesn’t hear their conversation.
<A percentage of how sure you are this will work. Like 90% or something.>
<Max, there are too many variables, I really have no idea if this is going to work or not.>
<You’re asking her to watch her husband die again. She needs a number.>
<I don’t have one! Should I just lie to her?>
<Can we do this without the handcuff thing?>
<No. We can’t.>
<How sure are you about that?>
<Relatively sure. Like 90% or something.> she repeats his words.
<Then it’s either that or no chance at all. So it’s not really lying, right?>
<Max, if this works, I’ll hate myself for lying to her about this.>
<And if it doesn’t, we’ll all be dead. Hate me for pushing you to do this, if you want… you don’t always have the one to take all the weight of the world, Noriko.>
<It’s the responsibility I took. I could never hate you for reminding me who I am, Max.> she responds, switching off the Sound Nullifier.
The Tavern at the edge of the universe
<Noriko? Hello?> Kari says, waving her hands through the intangible ghost which has stopped talking several seconds ago.
<Sorry, I was running the numbers. I’m 90% sure this will work, Vesta.>
<That’s not enough! I already lost my husband once, I won’t…> she protests, but she stops when Theodoros steps in front of her.
<It’s alright, my love. I had a wonderful life, married to a most lovely goddess, and now I can save all of creation. There is no greater honor.>
<I can’t lose you a second time, Theodoros. I’m not as strong as you are.>
<You are the strongest and gentlest soul that will ever exist, my love. You must grow beyond me: you are destined for greater things than you can imagine.>
The couple share a brief and tender kiss, then embrace each other knowing it will be the last time.
<I will love you until the end of time.> she says, with tears in her eyes.
<Stop doubting yourself. You’re stronger than you think you are.> are the last words of Theodoros: the embrace ends, and he removes his handcuff.
The device falls in Vesta’s hands, and he evaporates into nothingness as Heaven is now incapable of sustaining his form.
Even though time is of the essence, nobody has the courage to say anything as she stares at the last memento of the love of her life.
<Ninety percent?> she then asks, looking at Noriko and sniffing to hold back the tears.
They evaporate once her body completely catches fire.
<Let’s make it a hundred.>
She takes flight towards Leiko, moving faster than any of the others can react. She’s pushed back by the sheer telekinetic power unleashed, but not matter how much the Drylon hybrid tries, the goddess still makes very slow progress towards her.
<Now that she’s distracted: Gilgamesh, Kari, keep her immobilized. Quantum’s coming back to your side to help!>
<Got it. Let’s go, bronze hunk!> Kari hypes Gilgamesh after activating her 10K rise, with both of them running towards Leiko from each side.
<Torn, it’s all on you. You’re the one who fused Heaven versions of all of us back together: can you separate my mother’s Heaven incarnations from her soul? The empress and the housewife?>
<If they left enough of an impression of her, it will be very subtly. I will need to achieve the utmost precision in soul surgery, and she will be fighting back.>
<I will open a path to her soul. You handle the surgery, I’m not one for delicate things.>
The suggestion came from his father Reaper, who has been observing the discussion from afar and only now has deemed it necessary to get closer to his son.
<I’m supposed to trust you? We wouldn’t be in this situation if you hadn’t meddled with one of Leiko’s incarnations!> Torn protests.
<A general goes to war with the army he has, not the one he deserves.>
<There’s no time left. Just do it!>
Torn reluctantly nods in agreement; Reaper throws himself into the fight, and Torn concentrates.
<I hope you know what you are doing, Null.>
<You and me both. I’m dropping the projection, I need to focus on this.> she adds, and the ghost vanishes. On the other side of the portal, Noriko Null takes a deep breath.
<Ninety percent.> she tells herself.
Locked inside her own body, Leiko is not entirely cognizant of what is happening around her.
She’s aware of being surrounded: Vesta is putting all of her power in flying towards her despite the telekinetic repulsion and Quantum is bouncing against her telekinetic shield as a laser beam.
She’s expending so much power against them that Kari and Gilgamesh are able to get close enough to grab her left arm, the one still normal, and use their superhuman strength to pull her away from the portal inch by inch.
And yet, there’s only one thought pulsating through the still developing mind that has taken over her body:
<PRESERVATION.>
Slowly, Leiko regains more and more consciousness. If she could feel souls, she would sense that the parasite is protecting it from the constant barrage of attacks by Reaper’s use of Ichor.
Instead, her mind is split between two sets of conflicting memories… one where she’s the Empress Of The Universe who created her own slave daughter, and one where she’s a humble housewife who is a loving mother.
<She’s exposed! Now’s the time!> Torn exclaims.
<Hold her still! ETERNAL…> Noriko prepares, as the portal to the Empyrean opens.
<…ERASER!!!>
Leiko screams, feeling her own soul torn asunder when she’s hit by a torrent of dark electricity flooding through the portal. And the voice in her head screams as well:
<PAIN!>
The parasite shifts its efforts to protecting itself against this new attack, and Noriko orders:
<Vesta! Lock her NOW!!!>
One last push and the goddess closes the distance, locking the handcuff on Leiko’s possessed hand.
A final release of sheer telekinetic power emanates from her: it’s all the parasite had in it, enough to knock everyone out.
Leiko loses her balance, seemingly too weak to stand… and yet she refuses to fall.
She looks down at her disfigured left hand, with its skin charcoal black and alien, closing it into a fist. And without hesitation, she walks through the portal.
The Empyrean
Roxiana watches Leiko emerge from the portal, resolutely walking towards their position.
<It didn’t work! She’s still possessed!> she shouts, terrified at the lack of options left. She tries to take the Tablet Of Destinies from Noriko’s hand, but she doesn’t have the opportunity.
A telekinetic golden glow envelops the device, which flies straight into Leiko’s hands as she’s still walking towards them.
<Yes, she is. You better hurry, I don’t know for how long I will possess her.> she says.
Roxiana is confused by this, and even more by the fact that Noriko doesn’t look worried.
<Which version of my mother are you?> she asks calmly.
<The one from your version of Heaven, dear.> Leiko answers, placing the palm of her hand on the device. Its perfectly black surface is briefly illuminated by red alien symbols.
<Drylon Genetic Code Recognized. User Authorization Granted.> the device says.
<I think you’ve earned this.> Leiko says, handing over the Tablet Of Destinies to Noriko.
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