Standing silently over the sigil beneath my feet, stillness slowly swept over me as the breeze fluttered smoothly through my hair. Cooling my heart, which was slowly beginning to thumb form the Spear of Noctem into my chest, I could feel Vancurro's eyes glaring a hole into the back of my head.
"What is it?" I could not help but utter, as he continued to stare, knowing he was beginning to annoy me.
"Love at first sight, maybe?" Mimir scornfully taunted.
Vancurro chuckled, "Far from it. Just surprise you are getting married. The old you would have scoffed at the thought. Then again, your little brother was even worse than you. He had zero interest in sex. We had to drug him to get his cock wet. That little bastard was pissed.
"What did he do after we die? I am sure he told you." I softly asked, pulling on my cufflinks that held my initials plastered in diamonds. I turned towards the skies, slowly growing darker with each passing second.
Vancurro turned silent for a few seconds and sighed, "My lips are sealed regarding that. Injured or not, your brother can blast me back to the fifth dimension, and I would rather not have to make that journey once again."
It was not surprising he remained silent, but I could all but guess the amount of death that followed. I truly wanted to remember my past, but those memories were dead. It would seem Aldrich did deliver my body back to Arsene but shredded my soul so much to torment him. He left Vancurro probably due to having no real idea of who he was.
Releasing an air of bitterness after piecing bits of my past together, I turned to the silent Tang Feng, who stared at the darkening skies. He was grim, with a faint slit of sweat trailing down his neck.
Glancing up to the skies, which had long since begun to stir, the moment Yu Lans palace turned into a sea of light. I could see hundreds of shadows of winged beasts and men descending from the skies from a distance. Silver feathers soon began to fall over the land like rain, filling the skies with a Holy Essence.
While just above the clouds, the Court of Nox had once more begun to bared their fangs, as I saw over a million soldiers, all draped in plated armor that glowed azure—holding a shield and spear in each of their hands. The faint outline of a ring reflected through my eye.
The courts of Nox were blockading the planet, a bold move. Even if the Celestrial Palace is not as large, this action shows nothing but disrespect. Nox is ready for war, and they are prepared to pay any price.
"It would seem like everything is coming together," A bold voice suddenly thundered as seven men all draped in masks that reflected a single number appeared—stifling the air with their presence. My eyes locked upon the one that held Zero over his head.
The mask itself did not reveal anything, but I could feel smiles upon their faces, even tears that were racing down for some reason.
"Vaevictis," Zero announced coldly, his voice still robotic as if the sands of time had not affected him. "It's quite the name. A fitting one." He uttered in a way that had me wondering if he was being contemptuous or genuine. "Welcome back to the Order of Chaos. Your division will make a wonderful new sector."
Opening his hands, the soul within my mind shook as he held out his palm. Witnessing a tattered-looking mask, still bloody and broken materialize, my eyes locked upon the numeral of three that remained untouched.
"BIG BRODA IS BACK!!!!!!!!" Seven, the one I knew to be Truck-kun, cheered, leaping into my arms. When I felt the tears from her eyes rain over me from her mask, which left no opening for tears to flee, she cried out.
Warming my soul, vague images clouded with obscurity flashed through my eyes—images of a tiny infant I once held. It was like a small defenseless bun opening its palms to me, having no intent towards life but rather a halo of pure innocence of the world. And a smile that held such warmth tears ran from my eyes.
"Big Broda," Seven muttered, smiling warmly at me through her mask.
"There are more than before," I muttered, patting her head, unsure what I should say. What was there to say? I both knew her, and bearly knew her. She was the little sister I raised, the little girl I helped Mother raise. After... After...
Blinking my eyes as not to burst into tears, I looked up at the others, recalling a few more numbers than before.
"Things change," Said Four boldly, chuckling with both bitterness and heartbreak.
"No need to drag up the past." Said Zero calmly, "This is a special occasion. Both for you and us. We are here to deliver the music, and that is all. Shame your brother could not make it; the Action of Six was rather unfortunate.
Taking the mask from Zero's palm, I shot VI a leveled stare as she turned her head. Noticing the mischievous aura around her, I could only figure this was Aurelia. The one who took Lilith.
"Put the Mask away. No one knows you were ever a part of The Order of Chaos, and I have taken quite a few precautions to make sure no one finds out." Zero remarked, taking a step back; he shot the others a look I knew they could see.
These masks hid everything from those that did not wear them.
Finding a smile of what was to come, an angelic presence fell over the skies as Yael's voice thundered with a mighty force sending tidal waves and causing whirlpools to explode off the surface of Casia.
"ARSENE!!!! SNOW!!!!" He bellowed forth, howling like a beast of judgment.
"And so it starts," said Zero, flicking his finger forward, pulling Truck-kun off of me with a magical force, and pulling out a silver-black violin that sparkled under the radiance of Yael. He tugged indifferently over the string, letting a ping resound through the air.
Holding my gaze over the skies, black under the shade of ships and clouds. Yael hovered surrounded by his kin, holding a blazing sword burning with a radiant flame. Yet as he stood there baring down at me, the hairs upon my skin rose as a deadly abyssal essence towered into the air.
Yael turned as the glint of a beam of sword intent the size of a mountain tore away the darkness, obliviating the ships and the heavenly laws that stood within its path.
"My wife wanted there to be light. On her special day," I mocked, as everything and everyone who thought they would withstand the blade of Abyss was turned to a mist that rained over the land staining the water red.