Beyond The Impossible

In darkness

Noriko Null can’t tell if this is reality or not. All she can see is the gigantic figure of a death goddess in front of her, looking down at the Slayer of Gods with her glowing red eyes.

But she can feel something else: an immense ocean of Ichor, large enough to contain an entire galaxy. Or rather, to devour it.

<For someone claiming to be the smartest mortal in the universe, interfacing with the Ichor to confront me directly was not a clever move.> Ereshkigal mocks her.

<Neither was possessing Ganos Lal’s duplicate to attack my loved ones. You have a problem with me, Ereshkigal? Then face me directly.>

<Tsk tsk. That’s not how the game works, mortal. And I’ve been playing since your planet first developed multicellular life. There are rules to the upper echelons of divinity, Null: you should’ve thought about that before opposing your superiors.>

<A game, you say? Then what’s the goal? You want the Vial of Destiny, sure, but there’s far more than that involved. You want to take over the Olympian Galaxy, is that it?>

<Look around you, Null. I command enough Ichor to wipe out half of your domain, and when it comes to my own personal power… well, perhaps a demonstration is in order.>

Ereshkigal waves her arms around, weaving a complex web of red lights that form a complex structure. Noriko can see a three-dimensional representation of a spiral galaxy forming before her eyes, with enough detail to show every single nebula and star cluster.

<Have you ever heard of the Kingdom of Alulim, mortal? Before the rise of the Eden Empire, the universe was full of indigenous lifeforms. The Alulim were a proud and prosperous people. They were the dominant species of their native galaxy, a population in the hundreds of trillions spread over fifty thousand planets.>

<Never heard of them.> Noriko admits.

<For good reason.> Ereshkigal replies, pulling one of the energy strings she used to create the construct: the mock-up galaxy unravels quickly, with one star blinking out of existence after the other, spreading the dust from the various nebulas across the empty void.

<Are you telling me you destroyed their galaxy? Why!?> Noriko asks.

<They displeased me.>

Noriko has known for a while that Class-1 gods are galaxy busters, but to witness Ereshkigal talk about it so casually sends chills down her spine. Still, she can’t allow the goddess to sense her apprehension.

<Do you really think this works on me, Ereshkigal? I’ve faced gods who threatened me before, Ereshkigal. I didn’t leave enough of them to be buried.>

<This is not a threat, Slayer. This is a lesson in history and humility.> Ereshkigal continues, weaving another simulation, much more complex than before.

She’s not just creating another galaxy. There’s over a dozen of them, with various shapes and sizes.

<The Alulim were not the only ones. There were the Alalngar, the Bad-tibira, the Larak, the Zimbir, the Shuruppak… like I said, there were a lot of lifeforms before the rise of the Eden. Those who did not pledge their soul to me met the same fate.> Ereshkigal explains; her hands grab entire constellations and she forcibly rips them out of their respective galaxies, throwing the remains at the endless black ocean of Ichor. And Noriko finally recognizes what this means.

<The Ichor. All the people you killed… all these souls…>

<Death distilled into an endless energy source. The agonizing scream of a quintillion lost souls that resonates through the darkness of space. That is the true nature of Ichor.>

Null stares wide-eyed at the recreation of this cosmic loss of life, until her silver eyes shine.

<So that’s really what the Eden were for.> she realizes.

<What?>

<Before I wiped them out, I accessed the memory of the Eden. I know that you genetically engineered them. And I know the Eden systematically assimilated alien species into their collective organism. I used to think you created them as an effort to replicate Drylon DNA and access their technology, since gods can’t use it… but that’s just what you told the other Sumerian gods so that they would help you, isn’t it?>

<You don’t know what you’re talking about. Eden memory is flawed, just like all mortals: you don’t know, and you can’t grasp the full picture.>

<I think I do. The main objective you gave to the Eden, “grow and multiply”? It never made sense to me why a death goddess wanted to create more life. But you wanted to use the Eden to feed the Ichor, right? Your old ways weren’t fast enough. You mentioned there are rules to being one of the Nine Gods, isn’t it? I bet there’s a rule about feeding the subjects of your fellow gods to an interdimensional cosmic abomination.>

<I grow tired of listening to…> Ereshkigal complains, but Noriko interrupts her by lifting a finger:

<And another thing! If this was about hurting me, or killing me, we wouldn’t be having this conversation! Ichor is untraceable and I had no idea the thing existed until your minions showed up. The thing about attacking me because I’m not technically one of the Nine Gods? That also doesn’t make sense! You were consistent when you threatened me on Themiscyra, I’ll give you that, but your would-be assassins screwed up.>

<Just because your Lar lover is momentarily still alive?>

<No, because when I sprung my trap, your assassin didn’t try to kill anyone except Agent Wu. I was protected by the Vial, Lal because she was possessed by the Ichor, and Shaina because she works for the Olympian government. That was the entire point about assassinating the candidates, right? You couldn’t kill them if they worked for my government, because it’s technically also Hebe’s government and she is one of the Nine Gods? Except your guy also didn’t try to kill Quantum… who doesn’t work for me anymore, let alone for the government!>

<I should never have trusted a mortal to do a god’s job.> Ereshkigal complains.

<That’s why I decided to give away the Vial of Destiny and face you directly, Ereshkigal. Because while I do believe that you are indeed powerful enough to defeat the Vanguard and possibly the combined forces of the Olympian Galaxy… you’re not allowed to lift a finger against me!>

<You insignificant speck of wet chemicals… I AM DEATH. I don’t have to ask permission to do anything!!!>

Ereshkigal’s eyes light up with the force of a thousand exploding suns, the power to annihilate galaxies seethes through her fingertips, agitating an ocean of pure death… and all she can do is stare angrily at a mortal who is not afraid anymore.

<Tks tsk, Ereshkigal. There are rules, remember? You should’ve thought about that before opposing your superiors.> Noriko Null replies with the cocky smile of one who has just put death itself in her place.

<Your speeches about me not being covered by treaties? A bunch of crap. The rules of the Nine Gods clearly state that they cannot attack the domain of a fellow ruler. Yeah, I’m not one of the Nine, but I am the Mortal Co-Empress of Olympus. Which means that, like it or not, Olympus is mine just as it is Hebe’s. And you know damn well that if you do anything that could seriously be considered an act of war against Olympus… the rest of the Nine will declare war on you.>

<Poseidon and I have an alliance: he would never attack me. And I don’t fear Hades, especially not when my sister Inanna would fight at my side.>

<I have Zeus on speed dial. Just because he has abdicated doesn’t mean he would retaliate if you attack his daughter’s throne. And Poseidon may not like me, but I seriously doubt you have discussed with him a full-on assault on his family! From where I’m standing, Ereshkigal, the Greek and Sumerian pantheons look pretty evenly matched.>

<You forget the Egyptians. Isis has not forgiven you for killing her sister Nephthys.>

<But Anubis owes me his life. For saving it from the Eden, funnily enough. Who’s left, let’s see, Marduk and Ra? I don’t know much about Marduk, granted, but considering you stopped feeding galaxies to the Ichor, should I think that he’s not too fond of your expansion plans? Am I getting somewhere with this? Or should we discuss what Ra is going to do, you know, the guy who hasn’t said a word for a million years to any god until, what was it? Oh that’s right, it was when he voted in my favor when I was searching the Dragon Tomb!>

<You have made your case, Null. The time is not ripe for a war between pantheons.> Ereshkigal reluctantly has to agree.

<So I was right. This entire scheme of yours was to goad me into starting a war, wasn’t it? Had I retaliated, you would’ve had an easier time rallying the rest of the Nine Gods against me.>

<It would have been a merciful death. You should have accepted this charade of yours, pretending to be on equal footing with the gods, was a temporary illusion. But make no mistake, Empress Null: it is only a matter of time before death comes for you.>

<Let me make one thing crystal clear, Ereshkigal. I sit on the Mortal Throne, I am the one who killed Tiamat, I am the one who dethroned Hera and erased the Eden from existence. I’ve been making tyrants shiver in fear before I was old enough to drink; when the gods needs something impossible, they come to me. You think being the Goddess of Death scares me? I’ve beaten death before, Ereshkigal: you’re not impressing me.>

<Is that a threat, mortal?>

<A promise. If you come after me again, Ereshkigal, I won’t pull my punches. I am Noriko Null, the Slayer of Gods. You do not want to pick a fight with me.>

Ereshkigal is taken aback from the sheer willpower of the mortal in front of her; most of the gods she knows wouldn’t have the guts to talk with her using that tone.

And Death laughs. It’s an unsettling sound that is rarely heard without screams in the background.

<I’m glad you’re having fun.>

<I truly am. You may not believe me, Slayer, but I do admire your work: a kick in the nether regions is exactly what this universe needed to shake things up. And I do admit, you are much better at playing this cosmic game that I originally gave you credit for.>

<Can’t say that I appreciate the compliment.>

<But, like I said… I’ve been playing this for much longer than you have. So I’ll give you a piece of advice, from one player to the other: when you find a way to twist the rules in your favor, never forget that your adversary can do the same.>

The darkness engulfs both the goddess and her guest, with Noriko Null’s mind being disconnected from the ocean of Ichor just when her physical body is also being transported.

 

Imperial Palace, Midgard City

Kylon is sitting on the medical bed of the infirmary; Vesta is still in the room to keep an eye on him, but it’s Doctor Kalama who is examining the wound on his shoulder, where he was recently impaled by an Ichor weapon.

<I’m not sure I can be of much use, Kylon, I don’t know much about Lar physiology. And if you were human you’d be far beyond my ability to help!> the doctor acknowledges.

<I still trust you more than other human doctors, ma’am.>

<Should I try reaching Asclepius?>

<No, thank you, no need to involve demigods. This will pass in a couple of days.>

<Wow. Doctors on your world don’t get much work to do, don’t they?>

The conversation is cut short by a portal of pure darkness; Noriko collapses from it, while Ereshkigal walks towards the humans with ease.

<What are you doing here!?> Vesta shouts, flying towards the goddess in attempt to punch her. Ereshkigal grabs Vesta by the throat and releases a tiny fraction of her power; in a second at most, Vesta is on the floor in excruciating pain with burning darkness flowing through her veins.

<Ereshkigal, NO! We had a deal!> Noriko shouts, drawing her Genius Guns.

Kylon puts himself between the goddess and Doctor Kalama, protecting the human.

<I have no intention of causing harm. In fact, I will grant a favor: he will live forever now.> she says, pointing her finger at Kylon… whose entire body is transmuted into a sculpture of ice.

<As long as things stay cool, of course.>

<Change him back! RIGHT NOW! Or I’ll…> Noriko threatens her, but Ereshkigal chuckles.

<Do what? The same rule that protects you also protects me. Pull that trigger and it’s all-out war throughout the cosmos. Are you willing to risk that to save your lover?> Ereshkigal asks, twisting the knife by getting to point-blank range for Noriko’s guns… until she lowers them.

<You see, Slayer? This is the most important rule of all. In the end, Death always wins.>