Null City, Myridia
The sky is covered by dark clouds, filled with black lightning. It’s rare to see truly dark skies in Myridia: the six suns in this system cause very lengthy days.
The Myridians are quick to figure out that this isn’t just a normal storm: the clouds appeared far too quickly for this to be a natural phenomenon.
Those who live in Noriko Plaza, or who have duplicates there, are the only witnesses of the real cause of this as they see Noriko Null being hit by the lightning bolt she called.
When Kari sees her friend absorb the lightning into her eyes, she thinks:
“Did she just absorb Myridia’s information? I thought she could do that only on Earth!”
<Quiet. There are too many thoughts on this planet. I need to concentrate.> Noriko responds to her thoughts, even if Kari didn’t open her mouth.
<It is going to be quiet once I kill all of you.> the thing that used to be a god replies; Ares is just a messy collection of bones and charred muscles at this point. He rebuilds his armor by changing the molecular structure of the air around him, but he’s not strong enough to grow back his body.
<Kari. Take Vesta to safety; I’m counting on you for the Castling Protocol.>
<You’re kidding, right!? I’m not going to let you fight that thing alone!> Kari protests.
<She’s not alone. Death of a thousand cuts!!!> Torn shouts, unleashing a barrage of Blood daggers towards Ares. Kari stares at Noriko’s golden eyes, then reluctantly activates her 10K Rise and uses the speed it grants to carry the unconscious Vesta out of the field of battle at superhuman speed.
Meanwhile, as Ares is busy defending himself from the onslaught unleashed by Torn, thousands of curious Myridians are approaching the battlefield.
<Leave.> is all Noriko has to say: her golden eyes change this into an absolute imperative, and people within a ten mile radius flee the scene without even realizing why.
Kari slows down beyond this distance, handing off Vesta to the arms of a duplicate and beginning to work on her N-Phone.
<What are you doing?> Vesta asks, trying to float away; instead she falls to the ground, spilling copious amounts of blood out of the flaming hole in her stomach.
<Sending a signal for the Portal Generator. We’re going to the Null Zone.> Kari explains.
<No… have to… stop Ares…> Vesta insists, trying to stand up only to lose her balance.
<Vesta, listen to me. You’re in no condition to fight, okay? Nori and Torn have got this.>
<Then why aren’t you…?>
<Because as the Vanguard’s second-in-command I’m the only one who knows all of Noriko’s emergency plans. Well, at least she said I know all of them. And I have to carry out this one before her golden eyes kill her.>
<She’s using her golden eyes again? But she said…> Vesta says, interrupted by the sound of several lightning strikes. Kari’s N-Phone beeps to signal she has a connection from the Null Zone, but when she turns towards Vesta the goddess has vanished.
<Dammit, Nori, I hope this works!> Kari says before being teleported to another dimension.
Thebes, 65,000 light-years from Earth
The capital world of the Ares sector is a massive fortress: nearly its entire surface is covered with castles and coliseums. Only a fool would attempt to invade such a place, which is why the planet is mostly preoccupied with waging war with itself… ritualistic wars cyclically lay waste to countless lives. But that’s nothing compared to when the goddess of war attacked.
Deep beneath the dungeons of the largest fortress, Ulysses leans against a gate made of Neutral Matter. He’s been hearing screams and explosions for a couple of hours when Athena smashes through the nearest wall. Her golden armor doesn’t have a single drop of blood on it despite having exterminated a dozen armies to reach this point.
<I thought Ares, of all people, would have better defenses.> Ulysses points out.
<My brother is too preoccupied with needless shows of force to apply simple logic. Case in point, this gate is only here to scare mortals.> Athena replies; even she isn’t strong enough to break through Neutral Matter, but she can effortlessly rip the gate from its hinges because Ares didn’t bother to make them indestructible.
This is the deepest level of the dungeon: no mortal or god has been here for ages. Athena conjures up a lantern to illuminate the dark room. There is only one thing inside it: a massive block of solid diamond, serving as a prison for a young goddess.
<Ares must be really afraid of her.> Ulysses says, noticing the already immobilized goddess is also gagged and blinded with sheets of Neutral Matter.
<As he should be. We better leave as soon as she’s free… I don’t want to be in this sector once she takes off her blindfold.> Athena admits, as her fingers easily break through the diamond.
Myridia, 50 light-years from Earth
If this part of the city hadn’t been evacuated, Torn and Ares smashing through the buildings would’ve made hundreds if not thousands of victims.
Even with Ares as weak as he’s ever been, he’s still more than a match for the utterly exhausted Demon; only his rage and his connection to the Blood are allowing Torn to keep fighting.
Unfortunately for him Ares only gets stronger the longer he fights: his armor is now complete, and while the sword he recreated might not comparable to Neutral Matter it’s still enough to deflect anything that Torn is throwing at him.
Ares is able to pin him to the ground, stomping his foot on Torn’s throat with enough force to shatter concrete; it takes all of the Demon’s strength to hold him back.
He’s saved by a bolt of lightning striking Ares. He should be able to absorb the electricity and convert it to raw strength… but instead it just makes his pain receptors flare into agony.
<That’s just the appetizer.> Noriko tells him, calling down another lightning bolt; Ares would try to dodge it, if Torn didn’t take the opportunity to use a Blood sword to cut the god’s heel tendons.
<I’m channeling the pain directly into your mind; since I’m just transferring information, there’s nothing for you to absorb. But believe me, that’s nothing compared to this one: Final…> she says, holding the StarScourge in one hand and pointing the other one at the god until she adds:
<…ABYSS!!!>
The stream of dark energy flows towards Ares; unable to dodge he tries to use Torn as a shield, grabbing the Demon and cowering behind him… except the Final Abyss moves on its own, circling him and hitting the god from behind. And the god screams.
His mind is bombarded by pain and suffering: his brain is completely filled to the brim with the atrocities committed on this planet… and his scream turns into laughter.
The Final Abyss ebbs and decays into nothingness. He has lost his armor and is now just a skeleton with a few bits of charcoal here and there… but Ares is still standing.
<Is that all you’ve got, Slayer? I am War. Suffering only makes me stronger.> he says, taking a step towards Noriko… whose eyes are now silver again.
<You are not… the only one.> she says.
Torn tries to hold up Ares, but it’s not necessary: the god is distracted by a ball of fire hitting what’s left of his back. As he turns, Vesta’s punch dislocates his jaw and makes him stumble.
As his skeletal fingers fix his skull, Ares takes a good look at the trio facing him. The Slayer of Gods is coughing up blood, Vesta can’t even create fire and is bleeding all over the place, and the Demon is so weak and pale that he could be mistaken for a human.
<Got it out of your system? You’ve thrown everything you had at me and I’m still here.>
<Not everything.> Noriko points out, trying to hold out the StarScourge; her body is so exhausted that she has to lean on Torn to stand up.
<Even in my state, you’ll never get close to me.>
<That’s why she has us!> Vesta reminds him: she rushes towards Ares with Torn, with each member of the Vanguard holding one of his arms. The god struggles; he’s still stronger then them, but not by much.
<Let’s get this over with.> Noriko says, finally managing to take a step forward. Only one, though, because all of a sudden her other leg is encased in a block of ice.
<What!?> she exclaims, looking around to find the person responsible. With her brain still weakened she can’t process her situation fast enough, especially when both Vesta and Torn are similarly encased in ice.
That’s the opening that Ares was looking for, breaking from their hold and straight up flying towards Noriko. His bony fingers latch onto her throat just as the StarScourge pierces through his sternum, eating through his body as he’s rapidly absorbed by the sword.
<You die with me!> he has time to say, right before his skull disappears and his fingers are able to break Noriko’s neck.
The girl falls down, letting the sword go. If the StarScourge were to actually touch the surface it could very well eat through the entire planet, so an emergency antigravity generator is activated to let it flow harmlessly.
For a few seconds, nothing happens and the only sound is from the rain that has started to fall. Even the scabbard flying towards the StarScourge to sheathe it is completely silent.
Noriko Null’s body lays motionless, in front of the two blocks of solid ice. Until the sound of the high heel boots approach her.
<Come along. You’re not in danger anymore.> the woman says.
The bright light of a teleportation device announces the arrival of a young goddess with a flaming halo above her head. Tyche approaches Noriko and moves her body so that she can see her eyes.
<This is it. My vision only came this far.> the goddess of destiny says.
Perhaps to prove that not even destiny has all the answers, Noriko’s eyes turn golden for a moment.
<Is that it?> the woman asks impatiently, crossing her arms.
Tyche inspects Noriko cautiously. Her eyes are now brown and lifeless, just like her heart.
<I think so? I’m not reading any life signs from her, but the Nexus is still active.>
<Message received. Initiating quantum lockdown.> the sword suddenly says with a mechanical voice. The woman gives it an amused look and holds its handle… but when she tries to move it, it doesn’t budge a single inch.
<You couldn’t help being a disappointing until the very end, didn’t you?> she tells Noriko.
Suddenly the two women are not alone anymore: Kari Zel has just been taken here by the Portal Generator, along with another Noriko Null.
<What the… Leiko!?> Kari exclaims, recognizing the Ice Queen despite the fact that she looks much younger than usual. She follows the same fate as her teammates: frozen in ice.
The doppelganger of Noriko draws a Genius Gun, but Tyche grabs her hand and twists her arm behind her back. It should be very painful for a mortal, but she doesn’t show any of it.
<Calm down, android. You have a new purpose now.> Leiko tells her, placing a small device on her green leather jacket… and “Noriko Null” stops fighting.
<That’s more like it. Tyche, this is S.I.F., the android that my daughter uses to impersonate her.>
<So Vector’s little invention actually works. I still don’t understand why putting your hands on this thing was so important.> the goddess admits, letting the android go.
<Because we are the only ones to know that Noriko Null just died. I’m going to use this copy of her to hand me the reins of the Galaxy while my scientists figure out a way to remove the Nexus from her brain and grant me…>
Before the Ice Queen can finish her sentence, the body of Noriko Null disappears.
<Where did… Android! Explain!> Leiko shouts at S.I.F.
<I cannot. The Castling Protocol required me to switch places with the mistress, but I was not in charge of taking care of the exchange. That was Kari Zel’s duty.>
<Could one of her duplicates be responsible?>
<There were no duplicates in the Null Zone when we left.>
<No big deal. You can just tell us how to reach the Null Zone.> Tyche says.
<I cannot. I was not programmed with this information, in the event that I was captured and reprogrammed by enemy forces.>
Leiko bites her lip. Even with a goddess telling her the future she couldn’t predict her daughter.
<Tyche. Are you absolutely certain that my daughter is dead?>
<I have no doubts, Ice Queen. The Slayer of Gods is dead.> the goddess answers.
“At least for the moment” she then thinks.
Thebes, 65,000 light-years from Earth
A contingent of soldiers swarms the dungeon; armed to the teeth, they are ready to open fire on anything that moves. The second they see someone step out of the dark room they point their guns at the target… and find themselves unable to pull the trigger.
They are facing a young woman in tattered clothes. It’s been thousands of years since she has seen the light of day; she walks slowly towards the soldiers, trying to recognize them.
<Are you servants of war?> she asks with a monotone voice.
<Yes my lady.> they all answer at once. The more they look at her, the more their will fades away.
<Call me Harmonia. Now kill yourselves.> the goddess says, her violet eyes shining.
<Yes Harmonia.> all the soldiers say, and without hesitation each one of them shoots himself in the head. The goddess sighs as she walks towards the exit.
<It seems my father locked me away for a long time. I better go back to work fixing the Galaxy.>
Asgard Station, Null Zone
Kylon looks nervously as the Nullbots place the body of their mistress into the cryonic chamber. He’s watching the medical monitors, next to a holographic recording of Null herself.
“Sub-section 26 of the Castling Protocol. I don’t know who is hearing this… if things have reached this far it means there is no member of the Vanguard available, so my body has been recovered by the Nullbots. Here’s how bad things are: I’m clinically dead, the Vanguard is either dead or compromised, Earth is either destroyed or unavailable, and S.I.F. has been reprogrammed by a hostile force. Now, if the Nexus has been deactivated, things are f##ked up beyond repair: I can only come up with so many emergency plans. Just try to activate the Nexus and good luck.”
The hologram flickers. The cryonic chamber is now preserving Null’s body. And the medical monitor provides a sharp beeping sound.
“Sub-section 27 of the Castling Protocol. If you’re hearing this, I managed to replicate what happened to Leral; the Nexus hasn’t registered my death. If I succeeded in downloading my mind into the Mindscape then in theory I can still be resurrected. Nobody has ever managed to escape from there in like five billion years, but you know me and impossible things. While I figure out how to come back from the dead, here’s what you need to do…”
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