Beyond The Impossible

Edo, Heaven

Ever since Leiko Tanaka took control of the planet, blackouts have been unheard of: countless backup generators make them impossible.

But now the entirety of Japan is without electricity, with all of its energy being absorbed into the body of one man: Quantum.

The fire surrounding the fists of Vesta illuminates the laboratory, as well as the rest of the Vanguard as they stand before Rei and Reaper.

The Demon arms himself with swords made of black Ichor, but Rei just stands there with her hands behind her back and a calm expression on her face.

Everyone is waiting to see what she does, especially Noriko Null who is staring into her silver eyes.

<Well? Waiting for something?> Rei finally asks.

<Just to kick your butt out of Heaven!> Kari replies, ready to jump her. However Noriko puts her harm in front of her friend and warns her with a stern tone:

<Wait.>

<What is there to wait? She’s a monster we have to take down!> Vesta insists.

<Also I’m holding in a lot of energy, I’ll have to discharge it soon.> Quantum adds.

<Something’s off. She’s not afraid of us.> Noriko realizes.

<She will be.> Torn says, sharing the team’s enthusiasm instead of their leader’s cautiousness.

Noriko recognizes Rei’s effort to hold in a smile. She knows the feeling her doppelganger must be feeling… being aware that you’ve already made the winning move and the opponent is just about to realize. But this time Noriko is on the other side of that hidden smile.

<You expected me to fuse back with Abyss, didn’t you?> she now realizes.

<Did you really think you could do as you pleased in my laboratory without my knowledge? Although to be fair, I did not anticipate that your Zel would be the one to free you: I expected your Demon to be the one.> Rei admits.

<Enough. Do we kill them or not?> Reaper insists, losing patience over Rei’s calmness.

She sighs.

<They cannot die in Heaven. We have been over this.> she reminds him.

<That’s right, we can’t die here… but you can. So why are you so convinced we won’t kill you?> Noriko wonders.

<Because you can’t. And if you were smart enough, you’d know why.> Rei insults her.

Noriko decides to go against her gut instinct and gives the order:

<Kill her.>

As a result, without hesitation Torn throws his Blood energy blades at her. Only for them to be intercepted by his father’s Ichor swords, that dissolve the Blood upon touch.

<I can’t let you do that, son. She has promised me the Tablet of Destinies.>

<And I promised I would kill you. Only one promise will be fulfilled today.> Torn says.

Moving faster than the human eye can see, father and son attack each other while throwing themselves through a pentagram portal.

<Demons. Always so much drama.> Rei rolls her eyes.

At the same time, two Kari duplicates appear behind her back and prepare blows powered up by the 10K-Rise that should break her spine, while Noriko Null points her Genius Gun at her.

But Kari’s muscles freeze when she approaches Rei, and Noriko can’t even pull the trigger.

<What the…>

<Stand aside.> Vesta orders, throwing a blast of fire. Which, despite her wishes, carefully twists its trajectory to completely miss Rei.

<No way! I depowered all her tech!> Quantum protests, releasing a tiny fraction of the energy he has absorbed as a lightning bolt. Which contrary to the rules of nature makes a 90 degree curve, harmlessly hitting the invulnerable Vesta.

<My tech, yes. But I have this.> Rei says, taking something tucked into the back of her belt to show it to the Vanguard. It’s a small red vial which now reflects her full smile.

<I believe you are familiar with the Vial of Destiny. Whoever holds it is protected from harm coming from divine power or from anything connected to Drylon technology. Which includes anything all of you could possibly throw at me.> she says.

<You teleported it into your hands the second you took me out of your secret lab.> Noriko realizes.

<Of course. I don’t need it anymore to control the Heart Of The Universe, and once I get into your universe this little thing will ensure my survival despite the destruction of Heaven… it is a Drylon creation, after all.>

<Seems like you’ve thought of everything, Rei.>

<Of course I have. I am Null.>

In response, Noriko stares back at her with that smile.

<You forgot one thing.>

<What?>

<I can talk to souls. Perhaps you would’ve learned how, if you hadn’t destroyed your version of Hell or cared to learn from your allies.> Noriko taunts her.

<That is inconsequential.>

<Is it? Why do you think Torn left through a portal instead of fighting his father here?>

<Even if you found a way to communicate with your Demon, he is also unable to hurt me.>

<I know. But he can.> Noriko says, nodding at the pentagram appearing next to Rei.

She expects to see Torn come out of it. Not an old man from Ancient Greece, who hits her on the head with a wrench with all the strength he has.

<Theodoros! Are you alright?> Vesta exclaims, flying towards her long lost love to hug him.

<I’m fine. Your friend… she whispered into my mind. Is she a goddess as well?> he asks.

<I’ve been called worse. Kari, make sure Rei stays down and take away all of her technology. Not her clothes, okay?> Noriko orders.

<Come on, who do you take me for, Aphrodite? I draw my line at crazy!> Kari protests, taking the Vial from Rei’s hand and throwing it at Noriko.

<I’ll figure out a way to reverse the effects of Rei’s machines. Vesta and Max?> Noriko continues.

<Yes?> thew both respond.

<Wreck her s##t.>

<With pleasure.> Quantum agrees, cracking his knuckles before disappearing as a beam of light.

 

The Imperial Quarters, at the top of the Palace

Leiko Tanaka is angry. The lights are off, nobody is responding to her calls, and facing the window that overlooks the entire city she can see hundreds of thousands of lights flicker, followed by as many explosions.

They’re far from randomly placed: they’re the myriad security cameras, drones and automated defenses spread in every corner of the Empire. If she had anyone to keep her informed, she would know that the effect is spreading across the whole continent in a matter of minutes as Quantum’s energy moves across the network.

But she doesn’t need to know that to realize how bad things are, considering the thousands and thousands of Reibots falling from the sky. Even the massive Godbusters that guard the Palace stumble, and the only reason they don’t collapse on top of the other buildings is a flying woman seemingly on fire throwing them towards the ocean.

<I think that’s connected to the blackout.> Bob Null hypothesizes, only to be rudely pushed aside by the Empress.

<I don’t keep you around to think. Security! Why is nobody answering me!?> she shouts, storming away from the window as the door to her bedroom is kicked open with the strength of ten thousand women, announcing the arrival of her nephew Shinobu and of General Zel.

<We came as soon as we could, Your Divine Majesty! The whole palace is without energy!> Shinobu informs her.

<I want this fixed. NOW. And where is my good-for-nothing daughter!?>

<We… don’t know, Your Divine Majesty. Princess Rei switched off her transponder.> he informs her, taking a bow in her presence. General Zel remains at attention.

<I suggest to evacuate the Palace. You are not safe, ma’am.> she suggests.

<Nonsense. I am the Empress Of The Universe, who would dare attack me here?> Leiko wonders.

With perfect timing, as both Torn and Reaper emerge now from opposing portals. They impale each other with swords made of Blood and Ichor, but as both are completely immortal in Heaven they simply take a step back to catch their breath instead.

<Stand back, Your Divine Majesty! I shall protect you!> Shinobu shouts, unsheathing his laser sword. He doesn’t even take a swing before he’s decapitated by an Ichor machete.

Watching the head roll on the floor, Leiko is quick to hide behind Bob and bark orders.

<General! Don’t just stand there like an idiot, protect your Empress!!!>

The woman completely ignores the headless corpse in front of her. Her eyes move from Reaper to Torn, watching their wounds heal before her eyes, and takes her decision.

<Yes. I must protect my liege.>

A duplicate of General Zel appears in front of the Empress, with a cold smile on her face.

<Time for a succession.> she says, pushing Leiko hard enough to break the window and throw her out of the building.

As Leiko shouts obscenities at her, Bob reacts in shock:

<What did you just do!?>

<What I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Speaking of which…> she adds, grabbing Bob and forcefully kissing him for an uncomfortably long time.

<Not bad. Wish we had more time, but that’s life.> she then shrugs, mercilessly tossing him off the building as well.

Torn and Reaper are the only ones left in the room with her, and they are both confused.

<What? The Empress is immortal and her f##kboy isn’t real: it’s not like we lost anything. And both of you are immortal as well, what’s even the point of trying to stab each other?> she says.

<You’re not real either.> Torn reminds her.

<Rei told me. But that’s not going to be the case for long. See you in reality, losers!> the General salutes them with a wink, and all her duplicates present disappear instantly.

<Myridians.> both Demons groan, before their endless fight resumes.

 

Rei’s underground lab

Theodoros watches in awe Noriko Null work on the machine connected to the Heart Of The Universe, both because he’s fascinated by the sight of technology and because he considers ungentlemanlike to look at what Kari is doing.

Noriko also isn’t looking, but she knows her friend enough.

<Leave the underwear on.> she recommends.

<I know, I know. But I’m just saying, she could be hiding anything in there.> Kari replies, after she’s stripped Rei of almost everything.

<That’s the whole point, there are things she hides that I don’t want you to look at. Trust me, Max completely fried anything she could be wearing or even any cybernetic implant.>

<Are you sure? Her Nexus still seemed to be working, and this lab still has power.>

<I specifically told Max to spare this room and its own generators.>

<I still can’t get over my head that you were able to come up with that entire plan, not to mention communicate it to everybody, in the second it took Rei to teleport you.>

<And now you get why I can get frustrated with you guys: verbal communication is just ridiculously slow compared to the speed at which I think.>

<You know, if we weren’t friends, I’d say you just called me dumb.>

<Far from it, Kari. While Rei is probably smarter than me, I have one advantage: I know how to rely on other people.>

<Oh she can do that too. She just chooses better people.>

The answer came from Kari’s voice, but not from her friend: it’s a duplicate of General Zel, who just appeared in the lab without warning.

Even worse, it’s not the only duplicate to appear. A dozen others are with her, taking both Noriko and Kari completely by surprise by hitting them with a very painful stun gun.