Hell, 163,000 light-years from Earth
Even with her Survival Field active, Noriko Null can still feel her bones freezing.
The last time she was here, when Hell was still a planet, heat was its main characteristic. But now that the atmosphere has almost disappeared, that the sky is no longer on fire and most importantly that the entire world has been reduced to several disconnected pieces… all she can feel is death.
She can only guess how Torn and Agony are feeling, as they kneel before the chasm that leads to the still beating molten heart of the planet. Behind them, a literal valley of corpses.
The core ejects a spectacular flare, which illuminates everything red until it rapidly disappears as the Blood energy flows back to the core to be re-absorbed.
<Is it safe to stay here?> Noriko asks, her voice transmitted through her Soul Relay.
<The Blood is angry. Yearning for violence and vengeance.> Torn replies solemnly.
<I still can’t believe the core is still intact, after what Ares did to the planet.> she notes.
<The Blood can endure more than what we can comprehend. Its heart has been beating since primordial time and it will continue to beat after everything else has died.> he says; judging by his tone, Noriko figures he’s citing some kind of Demon scripture.
<From the Blood we are born and to the Blood we shall return.> his wife Agony recites, confirming Noriko’s idea. She feels like she’s attending the funeral of a religion she doesn’t understand.
<This shouldn’t have happened. I let Ulysses play with me and he reached his goal: Ares just changed his target. I should’ve considered…>
<Noriko. Come here.> Torn calls her, standing up and holding out his hand.
<You never call me Noriko.> she realizes, cautiously getting closer to him.
<I’m not talking to you as the leader of the Vanguard, or as my friend. I’m talking to you as my Blood sister now. We share a bond.>
<Where are you going with this?> she asks, taking his hand as they both turn towards the chasm that exposed the core. Agony joins in, taking Noriko’s left hand.
<We’re not jumping down, I hope.> Noriko comments: it’s like standing before an active volcano.
<I swore an oath to serve you until the day I die. Our bond with the Blood is eternal: all Demons share a piece of it within our soul, and upon our death we return to it. We don’t fear death because it is only a part of the cycle.>
<That’s a nice philosophy, but…>
<If Ares had killed Demons in a fair battle, we wouldn’t cry for their deaths. But his cowardly betrayal of the peace treaty can’t go unpunished. As our sister-in-Blood, you must feel the Blood is demanding a sacrifice to rectify this offense.> Agony adds.
<Ares will be punished, no matter the cost. So I swear on the Blood.> Torn says.
<Ares will be punished, no matter the cost. So I swear on the Blood.> Agony repeats.
Something in the core boils, and Noriko no longer feels the coldness in her bones: instead she can feel her heart beating faster.
<I once swore an oath to you and now I swore on the Blood, Noriko. I ask you to do the same.>
<You didn’t have to go this far, Torn! You already know I…>
<Don’t take this lightly. The Blood is no mere god. Don’t try to deceive it.> Agony warns her.
<Alright then. I swear on the Blood that I will punish Ares for what he has done, no matter the cost.> Noriko says. There’s another flare, even brighter than the previous one: it seems to illuminate what remains of the planet even more than its former sky of flames.
Noriko isn’t sure if she can really believe the Demon way of worshipping the Blood, but this is one of the rare occasions where she’s genuinely intimidated: the idea that angering the Blood would be an unthinkable disaster is firmly implanted into her head.
<So, uhm… I don’t want to sound insensitive, but I have a lot to do today.> she says, wrestling her hands away from the Demons.
<We will be here taking care of the dead until you return.> Agony informs her.
<Is there even enough space to bury all of them?>
<We don’t bury our dead. From the Blood we are born and to the Blood we shall return.> Torn replies, as his wife begins to unceremoniously toss dead Demons into the planet’s core.
Null Zone
Vesta doesn’t particularly like this dimension. She’s not particularly afraid of the planet-sized electrical storms that seem to permeate it, but the fact that there’s almost nothing else inside it makes her uncomfortable. She’s used to being in space, but she’s also used to space having something in it.
Now that Noriko has transferred the original Null Tower back to its original universe, the dimension she calls the Null Zone now includes only a much smaller building.
It’s just a few standard space modules haphazardly put together; Noriko just took them out of storage from her abandoned space station project.
The portal generator behind Vesta is switched on: the circular metallic hole is filled with strange energies, and out of it steps Noriko Null.
<Sorry I’m late. Assessing the damage to Hell took longer than expected.> she says via radio waves. She hasn’t even installed life support, being kept alive and breathing by her Survival Field.
<How bad is it?>
<Monstrously bad. I’m not so sure it’s going to be habitable anytime soon. If you want to go…>
<Demons didn’t want gods to set foot on their planet and I’m going to respect their wishes, if you don’t mind. We should focus on killing Ares.> Vesta says, her directness taking Noriko aback: usually she’s the first one to ask for mercy and diplomacy.
<Before we do that, we should rescue all the Demons he kidnapped. Torn assured me that they are alive; I’m not sure how he knows that but can’t find them, but this isn’t the best time to question Demon beliefs.>
<So, uhm, how is this dimension going to help with that, exactly?>
<I’m working on something. And with your fight with Leral you stumbled onto something that I’ve been looking for.> Noriko replies, putting on some rather high-tech welding glasses and opening up an observation panel.
A blinding light floods the room; if it wasn’t for those glasses, her retinas would’ve been devastated by the light of the object on the other side of the transparent panel… a star.
<You really jumpstarted by project, Vesta. I wasn’t planning on getting my hands on a star for another ten or fifteen years.>
<It’s really a fraction of a star… all I did was concentrate part of it. As soon as I let it go, it ballooned into that.> Vesta explains: the sphere of burning plasma was the size of a basketball when she brought it through the portal, but now it’s already twice the size of Earth’s moon.
<It’s just cooling off. It’s not enough mass to initiate nuclear fusion… not yet, at least.>
<“Not yet”? Are you planning to… what build a star?> Vesta asks
<Stars. Plural.> Noriko answers, just when her N-Phone starts beeping insistently; Vesta would definitely like a more extensive explanation, but Noriko interrupts her.
<That’ll have to wait, I have a very important meeting now. Would you mind keeping the proto-star hot until I get back?>
<A meeting!? Ares blew up Hell, and it’s just business as usual for you!?>
<If I learned anything from Ulysses, Vesta, is that I can’t afford to take care of one menace at a time and that I might have reached the limits of what I can do with the Nexus without harming myself. I need this meeting to find Ares, I need this dimension to build something that could kill him, and I need that star to power it.>
Undisclosed location on Earth
Global Defense Organization facility
After returning to her universe, Noriko barely had enough time to change. She really wants to make a good impression, so she has exchanged her trademark T-shirt and green leather jacket for a high quality black business suit. Even with this more traditional look, she’s still wearing her usual boots instead of heels.
She walks past two Secret Service agents: they scan her with a device that is supposed to reveal any hidden weapons. She could easily fool this kind of search, but she really did come here unarmed.
She finally manages to meet a man in his early seventies, who smiles warmly when he sees her.
<President Warden. Congratulations on your victory.> she says, shaking his hand.
<Just President-Elect for the moment, but thank you. I’m looking forward to working with you, Ms. Null, although I wonder why you didn’t contact me during the campaign. It’s no secret that you’re not exactly a fan of President Keen.>
<I’m not a big fan of politics either, sir, but recent events have made me realize that Earth won’t be safe for long. Not until we take some preventive measures to protect it.>
<I agree wholeheartedly. Shall we?> the soon-to-be President Warden, asks, gesturing her to lead the way to the next room.
It’s very spartan, as it should be for a prison. It’s also quite cold: the Lar wearing the orange prison uniform can survive here for some time, even if it’s still uncomfortably hot for him.
<Slayer of Gods. President Warden.> the Lar greets them. It’s the first time Warden has meet the GDO’s most illustrious guest, the Lar defector Kylon.
<Mr. Kylon. I have been informed that you refuse to grant the GDO the intelligence you have offered Ms. Null, since they will not accept to attack the Winter Kingdom in return.>
<That is correct. Studying Earth’s culture has been intriguing, but so far my presence on this planet has been a colossal waste of time.>
<That’s no longer the case. I’ve convinced the GDO to let you work with them to fortify Earth’s defenses, mixing your knowledge with my technology.>
<About time. Why the change of heart?>
<Ares destroyed Hell; I won’t let Earth suffer the same fate. And I also need your help to exploit the Shadow Network to scan the Ares sector to find the missing Demons.>
<You know my price, Null. My only goal is the death of the Ice Queen. If you commit to it…>
<I’m in.> she interrupts him.
<What? That’s it?>
<Help me save the Demons and I swear that after I’ve killed Ares I will help you to get rid of the Ice Queen once and for all.>
<Don’t take this promise lightly, Null. I will hold you to it.>
<Don’t tell me how to make an oath, Kylon. Especially not today.> Noriko replies, her silver eyes shining: the Lar knows she’s burning with a desire for vengeance. Even more than him.
Boreas, 3.000 light-years from Earth
Tyche is biting her nails, waiting nervously as Vector makes the last adjustments to his medical instruments; she can’t feel the temperature of the room being increased from what is comfortable for a Lar to human levels.
<Something on your mind?> Vector asks her.
<I should be on Earth helping President Keen win re-election and watching people play in casinos; you know, small stuff. Even as the goddess of destiny I didn’t expect this.>
<Gods and their small minds.> the Ice Queen says, arriving wearing her Winter Armor. She walks past Tyche and going straight towards Vector.
<Still, bringing the Zenith’s cyberneticist to me was an inspired choice. Ulysses wasted your potential, Vector, but I have plans for you.>
<How could I resist your challenge? Now get off that ridiculous old thing, please.> he tells her.
The Winter Armor opens up, allowing Leiko Tanaka to just walk out of it. She’s just wearing her underwear and the Vial of Destiny, hanging on a necklace. She then reaches into the armor and extract the ancient device that powers it, the Endless Winter.
<If anything happens to me or to this, you will die painfully.> she threatens him, handing the Endless Winter to Vector.
<Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Just sit on the bed and let me work: once you awaken you’ll be very much alive and have the power of a goddess.>
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