The Guardian's movements were swift, it was like he threw himself forward with a gust of wind from the air behind him. His fist-raising so it could meet the blocking arms of his youngest. Feeling the cracking nature of his limbs shattering, the Emperor winced sharply and sucked in the air. The world around him moving slowly as the punch dug into his arms, that singular blow had thrown him back several meters. Back against the air as he felt the heaviness of the atmosphere carrying him, the man's body vanished into the Universe of stopped time. Meanwhile, seeing as how Uraku had no way to sense him, a punch was thrown right into his gut.
Grunting out in momentary pain, the Father slapped away his daughter as the beam of plasma traveled throughout his sides to the left so Jason could infuse it into his katana. About to slam down on his head with an easy overhead crushing punch, the Hunter flipped back as his father just turned at a slower rate. Moving slower as each step rumbled the Penthouse they stood on, Jason began to push his blade overhead.
"I know you're the strongest, Papa. But as long as we hit you with this, you can't regenerate- can you?"
How could he have been so careless? Maybe in the fit of his absolute rage, he'd been distracted with taking them all out, without realizing how dangerous they truly were. Not to mention that both his son and daughter were likely communicating at the same time to plan a counterattack. He had to make a- SQUELCH!
Just like that, as fast as light itself, Jason had moved without hesitation, moving past his spot in front of his father. Then curving his trajectory to the right so he could cut off his right and left arm, then jumping off the building destined to go splat on the ground below. Seeing as how the streak of lightning he manifested when he ran hadn't dissipated yet, the bolt burnt his fingers upon touching it. He didn't even make a sound, Uraku extending out his arm so the skin would break and shatter. This is exactly what he wanted, whispering as he began to descend to the platform of streets below,
"Absolute Concentration! Takyr Blood: Requiem Destruction!!"
Emma and Genesis immediately knew the signal from above, the rapid tapping of the foot, they'd been informed while their father was in stopped time. Easily they escorted everyone out of the building, Genesis flying out last with her mother in her arms about to crash onto a roof before she was caught in a net of ice. Her lover, Matt, catching her, they both shared a look of love as Cecilia stepped forward to watch from afar. BOOOOOM!!!
A stronger version of the base of Requiem Destruction, the penthouse was eaten up in that blast and rendered to nothing but smithereens. Unfortunately, as Jason had never used this technique before and based no idea how to manipulate it easily- it created a crater of about 3000 meters. This accounted for the nearby buildings with residentially near the penthouse, the people applauding in the front, and the area around it. Em and Gen sprung to action, the older of the sisters placing her palm to the platform to their soles as Genesis spread out her fingers so a barrier of pure light could form.
The wave of destruction seemed to go on even after the initial attack was released, as the cracks in her shield went on and on to the point where she felt the burn of it enter her veins. The blood leaked out from her nostrils, Cecilia crying out to her daughter in fear of her demise,
"GENNY!!"
Yanking her back before the mother could distract her, Beau and Johnson held her down. Knowing that the worst could occur, they ensured she had someone to lean on should the worst happen. Miller and Emma, to the strongest of their abilities, froze the building to each floor. So that everything and everyone would freeze to such a rate that not even the fiery explosion of destruction would get them.
The crowd below the Penthouse was immediately disintegrated, adding up to about 300 deaths right then and there. Along with about the rest of the bystanders living quietly in their homes to avoid the yelling, adds up to about 500. The crater where the penthouse once stood was deep, some of the skeletons of the charred innocents implanted into the ground as Jason chuckled. Raising his hand so he could stare at the half-burnt side of his body, the Hunter began to regenerate as he chomped down on his arm. Inhaling and sucking in his gore to heal as the flesh and bones rebuilt themselves automatically, he exhaled with a satisfied grin.
Beginning to rise as the vibrancy of the healing properties began from the left side of his burnt skull to down the rest of his body, Jason ran over. In the center of the crater, there he stood, all of his flesh destroyed and burnt away where only the galactic form had remained. His previous dark hair turned to a white stream of Omni energy, twinkling and burning with stars, the Guardian groaned. Shaking his head quickly so the stun from that attack would start to fly away, Uraku widened his irises, spinning his waist around.
The duo of brother and sister emerged from their Blanketed reality along with his world of stopped time respectively. The Emperor, raising his leg so it could meet with the left side of his father's skull, began to warp away as Mad grabbed onto his shoulders. Burning them exponentially with the plasma of his figure, the Watcher fell onto his backs, the Empress wincing as she stepped back to stare at her palms. Discombobulated from the fall, Uraku readied to have a tendril grab his daughter's leg from his shoulder near her foot. Unfortunately, he was too slow and though Madi had been distracted staring at her hands, her big brother was quick to defend her.
The outer layer of skin and the bottom one of crimson flesh burnt away as The Hunter of Justice took hold of his father's ankle. Spinning him around at super speeds before letting go so he'd go launching into the sky above. Seeing as how his body wasn't moving in the air, Jay followed the technique he'd just done with a diagonal slice to the chest. Though the blood of the Children of God was drastically different in both essence and color, it was still that, to begin with. The wound began to thunder and electrocute with thunderous negative energy, Jason easily commencing a smooth backflip off his dad's chest. Tilting and cracking his back so he could face his father in mid-air, he slammed the katana right down to the center of the crater.
Pushing his hands together before his fingers interlocked, yelling loudly so his relative's body would be drawn to the weapon-
"Blood's Pull: Monstrous Abomination!"
The moment his spine had connected with the ground once again, the blade had returned to his son's hand. Sheathed as he flipped and turned in the middle of the atmosphere, a bolt of lightning striking his body and taking him elsewhere for the time being. Uraku was given no time to react, his face was crushed and slammed down upon by two large beefy arms of that of the blood monster. It let out a thunderous shockwave that went Madi back on her bottom as she began to intervene, each new punch that it began to throw to her father's face leaking more of the Entity's unique heavenly blood. Each new spew and splash of blood fueling this creature's strength, its growls infusing with the angry aura it resonated.
BOOM...! BOOM...!
Each had a considerable pause between the next shockwave of blows, a different punch every single time with more strength from the blood its enemy had leaked out. By the time it began to disintegrate to a puddle of blood, Uraku's head and body had been smashed deeper into the ground than ever before. His frame implanted into the concrete, a twitch seen in his fingers caused her to jump into action before his fist met her gut. Without want reaction other than to puke, she fell to her knees before she was kicked into the air. His head reattaching as he stuck out his extremities, the bones, and flesh of his human-like form crawling out from his feet over to his chest.
And without any other option to slow down, Jason felt a snap in his neck as he was momentarily paralyzed in the Void. About to begin her descent and tumble down on the steepness of the crater, she suddenly vanished. Thinking this to be odd, Uraku began to crouch so he could lift his eldest child from his laid-back deceased position. Just then, right in front of his very eyes, Jason had been disappeared too. Scoffing in irritation, as he began to raise from his hunched-over position, he sensed it- his son's presence.
Just as he'd expected, there was the Emperor, arms crossed over his chest as he gave him a look at his backside seeing as how there was nothing else to stare at. Facing his son to catch a glimpse of the stare's properties, all that he could capture was simply what he'd expected. Full-blown-
'DARK DETERMINATION!'
The tension heavy in the air, battle-ready to commence, blows about to be exchanged- just then, they'd fallen over. In the distance, his daughters widened their eyes, the speedier of the two using her neon-like stream to transport right over to them. They'd fallen over in less than an instant, the oddest thing was, Ben had escorted Jason and Madi out from the battlefield using the Universe to his advantage. And they'd been able to see it, without a doubt, however- this was something completely different. Unless their grandfather had used the ability and had gone completely unseen, then something else must have happened- but what?
The World Tree began to whisper as the souls spilled out from its insides, the hue of the light sending tingles down his spine as he jumped awake with a gasp. Ben sat up, then followed by a standing straight motion as he aimed his hand around in confusion. Falling right over from an odd leg tripping him onto his rear once more, he rubbed his butt with a quiet,
"Ughh..."
Staring up at his pathetic frame, his father gave him the same sort of disgusted look back, though this time- he shrugged. Now with a smile, he began to speak as his child began to rise and the older of the two circled the Emperor,
"The World Tree connects all superhumans infused with Omni to this dimension. The Author supervised the construction of this dimension... He believes that humans were too far gone. That they're too filled with greed and hate to be labeled as a species anymore. And seeing as how just destroying them would lead to more of the same sort of cycle over and over again, He sought out you three. He could've easily accomplished the True Happiness plan a long time ago, but my Father is paranoid. And this time, for good reason. Every one of your offspring and relatives holds the key to the Requiem Technique. You could easily wipe out the entire multiverse with your power. I believe He went about it the wrong way, I've seen even now that I agree with Him. But I disagree with the method He chose in attempting to take you all from this Earth..."
The creaking of wood echoed into their ears, Ben turning so he could face his dad spotting Uraku beside the brown entrance. The door began to break and shatter as the knob was simply touched by his hand, the light from the inside shining onto their faces. Hands in his pockets, a sigh exited his lips and he began to step forward. No turning back or awakening now, and from the way he moved into the door on his own accord, it seemed he'd known this would happen even if the future memories had run out at this point. If he couldn't see it with the trauma the Author had put him through and the multiple events that'd occurred since he was 16 in 2012 in the old universe to now... then this would be better.
The diplomatic situation. There was no other way and if he didn't comply, what other choice did he have? Except for complete and utter extermination.
The moment he'd realized the slightest change in his stance, Alex ran forward without hesitation. The burnt material from the ground sliding against his soles as he began to leap, he threw a triple kick at each of his vital organs. One in the hip, another in the chest, and then another kick on the right side of his head. Then hands clasping to each part of his face before the front of his skull made a shockwave destroying the ground beneath not only him but everyone else so the world to their feet would rumble. An arm began to elongate out of Kuno's back as his neck snapped in a 360-degree angle, but it wasn't just one, it was a plentiful abundance of them.
All of their knuckles turned to fists as they aimed to crash right into the blocking arms of the Justice. Unfortunately, as he was only able to take the hits of about ten rapid punches from those arms- the rest aimed at his chest as his limbs fell had thrown him back. Falling flat on his back, Rose grunted and helped him up as the rest of the adults went to help fight. Azazel cackled manically with smaller pupils as he threw a slash at the head of his mortal enemy, watching him stand. Raising his palm so he could catch the blade and break it to pieces, Karlo began to shake as he was punched straight in the stomach. Arms blocking the punch so he wouldn't immediately get cut in half by the strengthened blow. As he entered the air, he managed to use his chains to break his fall as he aimed them to the grass pulling himself closer.
Wincing in agony as he fell into a roll, his body fell as the side pushed Rose for but a moment. A kick infused with lightning had sent his feet skidding against the concrete beneath the brunt green, the material entering the air as the Aether slid further away thanks to that boot to the abdomen. Letting out an impressed laugh, Ella emerged from the flashes of lightning- fists surging with electricity. Just then, a slap to the left side of his head seeming to be so harmless had destroyed all of his skin immediately.
Demiurge tilting Its head to the left so it can burn right through the afterimage of the Reaper of the World with two lasers from Its eyes. Lucky for August, the Aether was slow- yet powerful, but so was he. Rematerializing to the front of his enemy, the fist capable of breaking through the shield of Shattered Limit had now slammed into the ground as Rivera then flipped back. Taking glances at his whereabouts all over, August registered something in the quickness of the battle. None of them could ever predict what was happening next, except- of course, him. And we couldn't have that, could we?
As his feet were about to hit the ground, he flipped ahead, a crossing stream of Omni tendrils about to tear him apart if he hadn't flipped out the way a second time. His feet halting his movement as he hit the ground, the Aether scoffed at his mastery of the Requiem blood. Something or someone so powerful, likely, it didn't have any sort of weakness. Its focus shouldn't be Rivera, that'd be useless and lead to Its demise. But how would It go about doing something so- difficult.. then I had a thought!
Just then, he was blown to the sky by a weaker yet effective version of Requiem Destruction. As a result of making the punch to Its stomach, a shockwave radiated out from the impact and flattened the trees. Alex grunting as he shook his hand in pain, the winged Detective took off the ground the ground. His gauntlet peeling over his hand from the watch over his wrist, he managed to tear off his arm and throw It over his shoulder body slamming It to the ground. The pieces of debris flying into the air, Ella phased right through it all with a widened blade of electricity so she could thrust it into the depths of Its chest. The sparks began to fly following the blood this creature had held secretly inside of It, some splashing onto her face.
Grunting at the chilly nature of the gore, the blonde stepped back for her daughter to take her place encapsulating Its structure in a body of sound. Every new sound or grunt It'd create would only strengthen the invisible shield, even the smallest grunt of pain would make it closer to the invulnerability it'd intended to hold. As she began to kneel in the miniature implant of where Its body was embedded into the ground. Flicking away some of her hair, she whispered just enough so Its soul would obey her commands as the Aether stood stabbed into the ground began to descend thanks to her orders,
"FALL,"
Beginning to descend toward the spiky mountains of Hell, the metaphorical flames began to engulf the creature as Rose took a simple step back. Coughing as she held her chest, rapidly exerting out spit from her throat. El helping her adoptive daughter up from her kneeling position with a grunt croaking out from the blonde Priestess's mouth. Helping her over to Alex and Azazel, her best friend began to lead her over to the bench where her Star lover and the shadow-controlling Hunger rested sleepily. Azazel walking over to embrace his mother for but a second so she could fall into his arms, Garcia informed her dear son,
"I don't think any of that even put a dent on him, Azzy. Strengthen the barrier around them all,"
The second she gave the command, he easily and happily obliged with a smile over his lips. Pecking his mother on the cheek, he gifted her with a swift hug before running over to help Alex with the three over-exerted teens' protective shield. Gazing at her son with a proud and content grin over her peachy lips, The Priestess hearing the specific and unique vocals of her godson entering her ear holes,
"Oi, old lady! Come help me so we can attack him the second he comes back!"
Seeing as how she should try to not tire herself out, she ran normally without using her enhanced speed. Each new step throwing her further forward as the Reaper turned his head at the familiar rumble of the ground. It wasn't new... he'd sensed it before. The tears began to drip from the ends of his eyes as he snapped his neck back to stare right at her. He wasn't fast enough, the only one that would be was halfway across the country. As he leaped forward and extended over his arm so he could reach out, he blurted out... his voice had seemed so fast.
But it was all slow to her, could she have prevented this? Maybe... her eyes darted to her feet, each new pace she threw with her slowed movement reverberating further around her soles. Her life began to flash right in front of her eyes, the most important of the moments rapidly moving as the pictures began to move at a quicker rate. Quicker than light- than anything she'd ever seen before. The last moments she experienced before her fated demise...
Running continuously toward a dream she could never accomplish, all she think of was the time. The time she'd lost, the way she could've spent it with him... their family. Maybe if she'd just had said something, in the beginning, none of this would have happened. And yet- through the possibilities were endless, she wished her father was here to see it.
"Did I make you proud... Dad..?"
SLICE! The clouds began to subside above them all, the rumbling of the thunder had faded away at a gradual rate. The hole in the skies had begun to get wider and wider as she fell at a slower pace, and his movement began to stop. Even with all of this power, with the capabilities and invulnerability of a god, he couldn't do anything at all. He fell to his knees and gripped the burning nature beneath him, squeezing the charred remains of the green in his hands. Her head came tumbling off, the Detective stepping away, having accomplished the goal he'd been told to do- he went to regroup.
With her. The skull began to roll, her eyes open... there was nothing left but the void he'd felt in his soul. At that point, he'd lost everything he'd ever needed in this world. Happiness. Dreams. The mothers he'd loved and cherished, the ones he'd owed his life to all of them had perished right in front of his eyes. For the world. And for him. The worst part about it?
She'd died with a smile plastered right over her face. So noble, so pathetically self-righteous, and content with the death she'd accepted. What else was left for him? Karlo began to step back, about to fall as his hair moved with the wind- the droplets of rain beginning to fall from the blackened clouds above. The liquid began to pelt softly onto his cheeks, and as he fell to his knees... all he could do was stare down at it. No tears left to cry, all he could do was look. Memories of the time he'd lived with her, everything she'd helped him with just as a mother should have. She was there when August was gone, she helped him form a connection with the woman he'd loved so he wouldn't lose her- her laughs still echoed in his mind.
What else was there to do..?
Both of his mothers had been killed by that monster, and why? For the good of humanity?! TO HELL WITH THAT BULLSHIT!! IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT'D HELP HUMANITY... IT'D BE THE ERADICATION OF SUCH AN HORRIFIC CREATURE!!
Rebuilding his blades from the blood dropping out of his nostrils, he wiped his palms with the gore that leaked from his person. Her body enveloped in the Golden light of Heaven, August grunted at that annoying sight... about to jump forward before he fell right onto his face. What more he could do? What use was this power if he couldn't save the people he'd loved when it mattered the most?! There was nothing, nothing more than the rage in his heart as he began to whisper- Demiurge and Azazel perking their heads as they spotted him on the ground.
Raising from his face plant, he wiped the dirt from his face as the rocks began to levitate. Eyelids snapped shut over his pupils, the pretty face of that white-haired girl he'd spent the best week of his life with began to re-emerge from the Void. The promises they'd made together those days in that week, the chill of winter freezing their bodies to such a degree that only being near one another would warm them up-
"I swore to her... didn't I? She gave me the scarf in return, so I could enact it- without falter! I promised her, didn't I? I SWORE!!!"
From right there, a slice to the left knee of the Aether had caused It to fall to its opposite one. Restricting its movement, Azazel did a tiny jump back so August could throw himself forward and create a large shockwave from the punch he threw. The clouds beginning to fade, the galaxy-like flesh of the Demiurge's spatial form began to rip apart. The pain was excruciatingly slow, seeping into every pore on Its anatomy. It needed to take a second and retreat, then he was kicked on the left portion of his face. Black and red energy flying out as Karlo held that sadistic smirk right over his lips, tears staining his cheeks, August threw another punch straight at Its skull just one second after.
The mix of Takyr and Requiem energy had done more damage to It than ever before, the Reaper stepped back for but a moment readying more attacks. Karlo pushing his dual-wielded blades together so the ends would be pushed against one another, the steel began to become wider and larger. Digging the tip of the metal into the left bit of Its throat, the weapon was then swiftly ripped out so he could throw a simple slap to the face with the infused Takyr metallic weapon.
Its head falling back for but a moment, August had kneed him right into the gut so It'd go flying into the fist of the Detective. Raising Its arms to weaken the incoming attacks, the Aether began to experience a horrible and painful phenomenon. More attacks like punches and kicks to the face and gut sending It into another world so It could space out from the usual reality It'd be focused on,
~So amazing...! This must be what Akuji felt when those two children were attacking him- O My Lord, it's so much better than that, though! Is this truly what it means... to die?!~
How fascinating.. but It couldn't give up without a fight. Putting Azazel into a headlock using a copy of Itself, another arm extended out of Its chest ready to punch the distracted August knowing he'd immediately recognize Karlo wasn't attacking anymore. The punch did work, however, it was only efficient in the way that it had blown the barrier of Shattered Limit away and Rivera with it. Sucking in the air around him through clenched teeth, the World's Tarot representative began to tumble backward. Smoothly recovering in midair, he caught his balance and slid back into two flips. Bouncing up then down for two frames, August spotted his brother captive in a chokehold.
Scoffing it off, he pulled at the suddenly manifested scarf around his esophagus. Kissing it for but a place in time so it didn't matter, Augustus abruptly realized something, as he began to ready and aid his rival- he paused. The quickened processing of his brain via the technique Four Eyes had registered it all, the sight and everything. The powerlessness he was feeling...
21 years of his past came flying right at him, eyes widened, stunned. The greatest honor he could do for Azazel right now is having him enact his revenge. The Requiem Reaper- no... August Rivera was above such trivial things. And as he began to hover, propelling himself from the ground as he utilized his soles to levitate amongst the rebuilding nature, he flipped back.
It all felt so beautiful, the darkness of the night, the falling liquid of the rain as it pressed against his skin, the pleasantness of the world. As if he'd been swimming in the wondrous atmosphere of the air, he began to smirk, discolored eyes only barely visible. Thinking to himself as Karlo broke free of the Aether's grasp,
~Celine... I love you, but I'm sorry. The same with you, Godma. I don't feel angry anymore, not for anyone. This word is cruel and horrible- however, I've accepted that for the reality I decided to come back into. For some reason, I also don't feel the need to avenge anything. I feel so happy- and free!
I alone am gifted with this power, and with it; I shall finally find- the Heavens in Hell!~
Karlo had laid a good flying kick to his enemy's chest, then throwing both of his blades into Its center before Its body to fly back. Hands together and fingertips touching, the Detective whispered for but a moment,
"The World's Massacre,"
Strengthening and using his physical form on this plane of existence to create an actual chainsaw imbued and made of Takyr, he revved the engine by pulling the string. Pulling it back in mid-air as his back began to hit the ground, the moving edges into the circular blade of the weapon had lodged their way into Its chest. Chortling at the seemingly pathetic attempt to injure It; the Aether's laughing had suddenly halted once the Takyr itself began to leak out like an oil spill. Shifting to the firm of a lit flame, the air began to take light... and just like that, Alex knew. Taking all three of his friends, he began to run. Further and further away so the blast wouldn't catch up with him, an explosion radiating out from the Aether had expanded to a range of 500 meters.
Destroying the Whitehouse so it'd crumble to nothing but pieces, everything had been destroyed and burnt to a crisp. The nearby onlookers had been charred, skeletons turned to shadows as their ashes implanted to make a bomb shadow on a nearby wall. With nothing but the destruction the Fool Detective had orchestrated seen a 500-meter radius, the Demiurge began to gradually rebuild itself from atomized pieces.
Fortunately for It, all It managed to heal was the upper portion of Its anatomy... just up to the waist. Cackling happily, It began to scream as loud as Its vocals could go, crying to Its God above,
"I DONE IT!! I FINALLY DESTROYED THE INSOLENT KARLO—!!"
"Don't be so sure... Uncle,"
With a simple pat on the head, Demiurge had prepared to create a jaw and mouth to part Its lips. Though August wasn't that kind, nothing had changed... this creature still decapitated his Godmother. His babysitter whenever his mother and father would be out, the people who'd cared more for him than even his father. This was everything he'd been waiting for,
"Goodbye. Abaddon Kuno,"
And just like that, he'd been wiped away with an easy wave of the hands... cells rearranged so they'd be thrown to Hell. The Reaper stepped amongst the burnt remains of the ground, then sitting right down so he could admire the sky. Just as his father had anticipated, the skies had parted- the rain clouds had subsided.
And oddly enough, speaking of the Emperor, he turned his head... a tear flying down from his right eye as he gripped his heart with all of his might. If there was a way to describe the pain he'd just gone through, so quick and sudden- it'd have to be, in the resonating words of his mind,
~It was like a piece of me had died... with her~
"Hey, are you okay, son?"
Wiping the tear for but a moment, the Emperor of Time slapped his father's hand away from his shoulder so they could resume staring at the sight to their front. Their hairs moving with a gust of wind sending the duo of father and son's locks backward, Uraku solemnly nodded with a somber stare. Kneeling so he could gaze at the baby in the crib, a smile perked you over his face. With his father preoccupied, he could stare, right at her... dancing with one of her other babies in her arms. No man in sight. His mother was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and the baby, the second he'd opened his eyes; they were as blue as they were now.
Yes, the very events the Guardian Watcher of the Temple, Uraku and his son, the Requiem Emperor of Time, Ben had been visiting- were none other... then his very own memories!
To Be Continued!
BONUS:
Oddly enough, though the clouds had even demolished and the spirit realm of Heaven was destroyed- she was surrounded by light. Golden strands moving with the air from the sky, her head moving to rest on his arm as she laughed. Happily, his arm snuck around her neck and he laughed with her. The fiery vibrancy of his pupils was recognized by the Priestess. Together, the resting souls of Ella Garcia and Henry Colon watched from the Heavens above as the story unfolded.
Synopsis for Chapter 64 of Heaven's Repent - Ben and Uraku take a look at the memories of the Emperor together so the Guardian can convince his son to allow humanity to live on. Unfortunately, without sacrifice and the will to keep moving, there is no future for the world. And because of that, his father makes a shocking discovery.
Next Chapter - Requiem for the Past