Unlike the Miyazono corporation, everything about the Mori cult was a total enigma to us. Just after we were officially recognized as a government agency specializing on handling Psychic threats, we easily recognized the Miyazono corporation as the biggest faction antagonistic to the interests and safety of not only Japan but the entire world. However, they were just the biggest… they are not the most dangerous.
It is often said that the more you know about something, the greater your feelings for it grow. This goes both ways in the positive and negative light. However, the contrary is true about the Mori cult and its many tendrils in the public sphere.
The more we try to find answers to our questions, the more these "answers" drives us back to utter ignorance and a lack of reliable information. From the identity of its believers, the way they operate, their hierarchical structure and even the purpose of their existence, all of it was a total enigma wrapped in a riddle whose answer is in and of itself, an incomprehensible paradox.
All that we know… and all that "it" wants us to know, is that there are seven beings of unparalleled power in its upper echelons referred to as "The Seven Seers" and all seven of them are people who died horrible and depressing deaths that no one can stomach the thought of experiencing it.
When I did a deep dive about the first Seer of Death that we learned about named Kawasaki Endou, I learned about his horrible life, how his father who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of service for the public was subsequently betrayed by the people he trusted and his family went through all kinds of horrendous things… that in the end, with years upon years of bottled up hatred against mankind itself that he viewed to be responsible for all that he and his family went through… he offered his life in exchange for a short-lived power that will leave the world decimated beyond any chance of recovery.
The MB1 and MB2 viruses. He caused all of that out of sheer hatred against mankind… and now, all of mankind paid for it.
The same went when I investigated sightings of a little girl appearing in various "trouble spots" in Old Tokyo and Old Osaka. Rumors of this little girl causing enormous damages in the places in order to kill off criminals caused a massive drop in the number of violent and non-violent crimes in the city… but it also made the people fear for their safety.
Lastly, there was the case of people being found all over the country who underwent some kind of mysterious death. They no longer draw breath, and yet, they never turn stiff, nor do they bleed. There was no evidence of poisoning, strangulation, or a wound. When examined by a coroner, there wasn't anything off in their innards as well. This prompted the medical examiners to say that "they just seem to have had the life sucked out of them".
All in all, the Mori Cult is a real enigma. As a cult, it does not require any tangible doctrine or a rite of passage… all that it is and always will be is a monstrous ideology hellbent on causing as much death and destruction as it wishes.
And right now, it is attempting to put a permanent mark on what little remains of the last hope of mankind to stay existent in this world.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
At the moment when the combined forces of the Sumeragi syndicate and S.S.S was about to clash against the Miyazono corporation's fighters, a third faction entered the battle and changed the entire status of the fight.
Instead of being on the offensive and carrying an overwhelming momentum that has a good chance of toppling their enemies, the combined Sumeragi and S.S.S group was drawn into a place eerily similar yet distinctively different from where they were.
"Is this a Subspace, Kaede-sensei?"
"It looks like it, but it isn't."
"H-How did you know?"
"Over there. Look at the city."
"…What on earth…?"
At Kaede's side in Tateyama bridge, a puzzled Mana who was brought here alongside Kaede looked at where the other was pointing and saw New Tokyo's numerous high-rise buildings being consumed by an unceasing inferno of jet-black flames.
"Those are…"
"Right. It's an Astra energy-related phenomenon."
With them both being pyrokinetic Psychics, both Kaede and Mana knew that there can only be one explanation about why those flames are conflagrating the city and it made them shudder internally about what brought them here.
However, with each other to keep them company, they decided to make some small talk and catch up on each other while approaching the only place in this strange Subspace where they can sense Astra energy to be emanating out.
"By the way, where were you and the S.S.S Psychics before you were brought here?"
"Yurippe sent us here after news of the attack reached Sunogahara-cho. We rode vans and trucks and were split between those who would cross from Yokohama and into New Tokyo through Akari-sensei's entry point and those that would follow Ephraim's entryway at Sagami bridge."
"And you belong to the former or the latter?"
"None. I was supposed to stay back near Sagami Bay to coordinate our reinforcement and relay reports to HQ and orders to the others."
"Now that you say that. I just remembered that you've been given a commanding officer's responsibility now too and not just a symbolic position as a Department Chief."
"It all happened because Ephraim was suspended. I heard that he has declined the position of Department Chief back then for the sake of the S.S.S's appearances to father and the other late government officials of the previous administration. I have always depended on him to make the right calls and to explain what all the complicated things mean…"
"…"
"After he was gone, it felt like I needed to grow to at least what a half of what he is. I knew that I can't reach the level of his capability not only as a Psychic but also as a person."
"Did you get to do it?"
"Well, yeah. After some time, I managed to get myself together and not only lead but also grow out the department when we most needed it… but I quickly realized that I didn't really grow. I was just made to set aside my selfishness and brashness and finally accept the responsibilities that I have always relegated to those around me to carry for my sake…"
"I can't say no to that, really. Do you still remember how I managed to earn your respect when you were first brought here?"
"S-Sensei, you didn't have to say that out loud, y'know?"
"Hahaha! You're wrong, Mana. You did grow. The you from two years ago would've been really been loud and proud about that thing."
As they reached the last few strides before the toll gate leading to New Tokyo, they were stopped on their tracks by a sight that made both of them to freeze up in utter shock and disbelief.
"Y-You are…"
"I-I-Impossible…"
In front of them were two adult men whose faces they immediately recognized and made them weakened. After all, these two men are people dear to them to the point that their loss still ached deeply in their hearts.
"Daddy… You are…"
"T-Touya-sensei. How could this be…?"
The two men faced them with gentle expressions on their face. It was as if they are beckoning them to come close.
"Dad… I've always thought that it was all a bad dream, and I will wake up from it one day. If this is… If this is really it… then-"
Mana, with tears flowing from her eyes and sobs that carried both sorrow and joy, came close to her father who opened his arms to take her into an embrace.
"Sensei… No, Uncle… Uncle Touya. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Back then… and even until now!"
Kaede was also crying as her uncle, Imamura Touya, embraced her and even patted her head gently to comfort her.
It would've been a heartwarming scene… one where the two of them were allowed to settle their feelings about losing both of these men who has protected and helped them grow up.
"Mana… my child…"
"D-Dad?"
"You don't have to do it anymore… You no longer have to fight."
However, this place where they were brought…
"Kaede. Kirin, Kai and Akari would follow shortly anyway. So, why not go ahead of them?"
"U-Uncle…"
"You… no longer need to put your life at risk for nothing."
…was tailored for the two of them who carried the greatest regrets for the death of these two men.
"What are you talking about, Dad?! You and Mommy held on till that day! You two even went as far as-!"
"And I am saying, it is all for nothing."
"D-Dad…"
"Mine and your mother's sacrifice back then was all for nothing. Just look back at what happened at this past year alone. You lost everything and the world and its people came under attack of yet another apocalyptic event."
"B-But…"
As if logically reasoning with her using facts, the Benimaru garnered the shock of his daughter who can't believe that she is hearing all of this from him of all people.
"The Sumeragi syndicate is only headed to failure and fall at this point, Kaede-chan. The Imamura clan too, is now nothing but a destitute family and a shell of its former self. You can't possibly still be thinking that there is a way for this to be resolved."
Hearing those words that she can't believe to have come from him, Kaede snapped from her gentle nostalgia towards her uncle and stepped back slowly from him.
"Mana… Mana!"
"S-Sensei…?"
"Snap out of it! This place is… These people in front of us aren't who they appear to be!"
"W-What?!"
After both of them jumped back and assumed battle stances, the two men who had gentle expressions up to that point suddenly had their smiles turn into vicious grins and their body began to contort into an unnaturally muscled form.
"W-What are they doing?! Dad!"
"That's not your father, Mana! Don't approach him!"
"!"
"This place… No, this Subspace! This isn't a normal subspace as I expected! This Subspace has been Subjugated and reshaped by someone!"
"Bravo! Bravo!"
Suddenly, from behind the men impersonating their loved ones, a woman whose face are familiar to both of them appeared and lightly touched the backs of the two who immediately turned them into granules of dust that was carried by the wind.
"What the-!?"
"What did you do…!"
This woman… was the enemy of everyone fighting against the Miyazono Psychics."
"My, my, my~! Gonna cry now, you two?"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Someone in the depths of the ruined city of Old Tokyo, a young man walked around briskly somehow with no care about the strange appearance of his surroundings as well as any care about where he is supposed to go.
To anyone looking from the outside, it is clear that he is just wandering aimlessly amongst the ruined cityscape. But those who know him and his capability as a Psychic would know that he is not walking around with no destination in mind.
"Somewhere around here… I can sense it…"
It has been a year since he was removed from his position as a Kanbu officer following the fall of the Sapporo estate in Hokkaido that removed both the Sumeragi group and Miyazono corporation's influences in the region.
To add to this, he was found to be derelict in his duty to the group and his blatant disregard of orders given to him by the syndicate's headquarters eventually resulted to his dismissal from his commanding position and demotion to a simple foot soldier in the force.
However, instead of seeing it as a loss, he saw it as good riddance. With no responsibility to his subordinates and no eyes looking at him anymore to make sure that he is doing his job properly, he eventually slipped further and further from the crux of the Sumeragi group's oversight and in the end, no one no longer knew where he is and if he was still alive or not.
To be fair, at that point in time, millions if not tens of millions have died around the world. If he indeed bit the dust somewhere, it was no longer anything of concern to those who used to know him.
"My lady. Please stay behind us as we try to find a way out of this place."
"Yes, yes. I hear you loud and clear."
"Man… this is the worst. For William-sama to be split away from us, just what kind of misfortune is this?!"
In the midst of what can only be called as an army who all shared the same face, voice and probably even soul, a lone young woman with a permanent gentle grin and pleasant personality monotonously answered to the fearful and nervous command of her bodyguards to stay close after they were brought into this strange place.
"There she is… the only time where she is vulnerable."
As he eyed the young woman and didn't even consider the tens, possibly even a hundred clones who are protecting her to pose any danger, he casually walked out of his hiding place and approached the crowd who didn't recognize his arrival until it was too late to put up a proper reaction."
"Urgh-!"
"W-Wha-!?"
"If you don't wanna die by my hand…"
"GRAAAA!!!"
"…stay back and do it yourself!"
Amidst the panicked crowd of clones, the cloak he is wearing that showed wear and tear from being overused and not receiving proper repairs caught the eyes of the young woman who stood there in awe yet had her permanent pleasant smile remain plastered on her face.
"P-Protect the lady!"
"Form up and stand your ground! We will-"
"
"""WAAAARGH!!!"""
In a mere few minutes, the entirety of the Seed Psychics guarding her was dead or about to die. Either being erased from existence by the blazing beams of light that he emitted or being sliced or stabbed by his masterful swordsmanship, the Seed Psychics cannot even put up a fair fight against him.
"Fuuu… Now then… seems like the only one remaining here is me and you, young lady."
"Hehe! I guess you're right, mister."
"…"
"I didn't get to receive all of the memories of my main body and I contain only a mere copy of her sense of self, so much so that I cannot be a perfect copy of her. But for a substitute, wouldn't you say that I did a good job imitating her?"
A surreal sight it indeed is. Amidst piles upon piles of corpses and ashes, the young lady still wore a smile and even spoke words in a tone that carried no fear towards the man who single-handedly did all of this.
"Right… you did a good job imitating that woman. You even managed to make that monster to believe that he didn't lose her, and he can still receive the salvation that he has wished for all this time."
"Really? I did it, then! Ahahaha! My, my… if even you are saying it, I must've really outdone what was expected of me."
"…I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but now that I literally have your life on my hands, I guess you already know what will happen."
"Yes, yes… I shall comply. According to my incomplete memories and my deductions about who you are and what could be your motives for targeting me and yet, leaving me alive, there can only be one reason why this is happening."
With her hollow eyes lacking any sense of true humanity, she gave a cold and eerie smile towards the man who finally confirmed that she is indeed something inhuman.
"Where shall we go then, Sir Lucas Tetian?"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
At an isolated corner of Old Tokyo, an unlikely pair walked down the road without exchanging any words with each other.
The man was carrying a katana on his hip and a revolver holster on the other side while the woman had a bow slung behind her.
"Did you sense it too before we were brought here?"
"Yeah. The Astra energy in the surroundings suddenly spiked and it felt overwhelming that it started to hurt my head."
"I had the same feeling before everything blacked out. I was inside one of the empty buildings in downtown Hiraga district when it happened and somehow, I woke up here in Old Tokyo."
"I basically have the same thing happen to me. We were about to enter New Tokyo when it happened and here am I, with you in the middle of Old Tokyo… or not."
"Right… this is clearly not the place we once fought those crooks just to defend."
As they exited the alleyway that they are passing through as a shortcut, a group of misshapen humanoid monsters appeared and growled at them loudly, signaling the start of a fight.
"Don't hold back now. You're clearly needing an outlet for all that Astra energy."
"You don't need to remind me. It's been giving me a headache since we got brought into this Subspace. Now then…"
"GRUOOOOOHHHH-!!!"
"
"
Unbeknownst to both of them, a figure embedded in the dark shadows of the ruined city kept his eyes on him and from the tar-like substance at the dark alleys and buildings of the city, brought out more Malignances that made their way to the two Psychics fighting at the road.
"Closer and closer… until one of them becomes worthy of it."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Somewhere… unable to be located, a mellow tune flowed out from a piano amidst a dark and empty auditorium.
A somber piece of music written centuries ago… and yet, as if unaffected by time, was played with no imperfections or excesses.
Precise and concise… carrying nothing but music. Lacking in emotion, "dead" as called by anyone adept in the discipline.
And yet, it continued on. It still carried no feelings, but just played on and on, spreading a sensation of emptiness in the similarly empty auditorium absent of any listeners.
"Everyone has to pay what is due of them… back then, I was betrayed by the world. The people I loved and cherished was taken from me… The people I shared a dream with was lost to the greed of they who fancied themselves as untouchable… I was made to face the true nature of a man whom I held back my fury for not caring for the ill and death of the people he was meant to cherish… and ultimately, I faced greatest treachery from the woman whom I loved."
In a sudden sharp note, he slammed his fingers down, abruptly ceasing the flow of music.
"Though I am but the humble 4th Seer, eclipsed by those who deserved a higher place for the depth of injustice that they faced… there is one thing that I am the best at and can never be bested at."
Suddenly, the surrounding auditorium caught on fire and countless groans of pain and suffering filled the air like a scene taken from the deepest pits of hell.
"HYAAAAAAA!!!"
"NO MORE!!! THIS IS TOO MUCH!!!"
"SPARE ME! SPARE ME ALREADY!!!"
"GET ME OUT OF HERE! I BEG YOU! LET ME LEAVE THIS PLACE!!!"
It wasn't a scene depicting hell…
"PLEASE LET ME GO ALREADY! LEAVE THEM! LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE AND SPARE ME AT LEAST!!!"
"NO! LET ME GO! I DESERVE IT MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE!"
"IT IS ME WHO DESERVES TO LEAVE THIS PLACE! I BEG OF YOU! PLEASE END MY SUFFERING!"
It was hell itself. With all of the detailed suffering that it was denoted to have.
"All of you that I picked out and brought to that place…"
Without turning his head, he looked at all the groaning, shrieking and suffering people that he personally damned and with a malicious grin, answered their plea for reprieve.
"I'M NOT SPARING A SINGLE ONE OF YOU!"
"""RYAAAAAA!!!"""
As soon as he shouted, the blazing flames burned ever hotter which made all of those trapped inside of it to shout in pain ever more louder and wallow in their unending suffering.
"Until all of this has ended, until the very moment that this world is no more! And even beyond that! YOU WILL BE IN PAIN, SUFFERING AND UNCEASING HOPELESSNESS!!!"
As he shouted those words, the piano played once again but it is now accompanied by a loud and eerily sounding orchestra that exuded low and sustained tones that brought a horrifying aura in the hellscape surrounding the lone musical instrument and its player.
"I carry with me all of those that I deemed unworthy of living. And in this place of endless suffering, your souls will remain until you arrive at the plane of true hopelessness, terror and suffering."
As he towered over the bottomless pit from where emanated blazing hot flames, the suffocating smell of sulfur and brimstone made him grin a twisted smile.
"The end is near for this world and its inhabitants…"
The endless and extreme agony and hopelessness of the damned made him look down at them from above and extract a sense of ecstatic joy and relief about their suffering.
"…And I will be there to watch it in all its bloody glory!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
At Hiraga district of New Tokyo, not in the Subspace but instead, in the real world, a devastating clash threw the entire place into a frenzy of panicked civilians.
"Get into the subway!"
"Get the women and kids first! Don't leave any of them behind!"
"Sir! The eastern part of the district is yet to be contacted!"
"Take command then! I'm heading there immediately!"
New Tokyo's police force… that is just a disguised wing of the Miyazono corporation's regular security forces, evacuated the civilians into the deep metro ways underneath the city.
Although hearing nothing from either their government or corporate leaders, orders went from local officers about what should be done to ensure the safety of the regular folk caught between the battle of two incredibly powerful individuals.
"You…! YOU WENCH!!!"
"What's wrong, Ryuuichi…?"
"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!!!"
"Feeling bad now for being responsible for deaths after you tried it out yourself?"
In a single moment, the destroyed buildings that surrounded the devasted company headquarters of the Miyazono conglomerate was crushed into boulders and hurled towards a lone woman who effortlessly dodged the coming attacks.
"Don't flatter yourself with feeling all of it now when it is already far too late. If you really needed to experience death and all its accompanying fear and hopelessness for you to empathize with all of the people whose lives you cut short, I don't believe that it's necessary for you to shed those crocodile tears now, Ryuuichi."
After smoothly evading the gigantic pieces of debris, Judy stretched out her hand and suddenly, the sclera of her eyes became as dim as night.
"
"---!!! KIH-!"
"Tch! Too strong, huh?"
"Judy… JUDY!!! YOU PEST! HOW DARE YOU CHALLENGE ME!!!"
In every way that it could be seen, Ryuuichi has turned into nothing more but a rampaging beast. Destroying everything in sight just to catch his opponent in it somehow, he spared no thought about the destruction that he is causing… and yet, hesitated multiple times when someone else was getting involved.
"Evacuate everyone!"
"We can't have anyone get caught up in the battle!"
"Ryuuichi-sama is missing his chances to end this quickly! Just go ahead and get everyone the hell out of here!"
Somehow, Miyazono Ryuuichi who was infamous for causing massacres after massacres just to get his way several decades ago is now hesitating to bring out all of his strength against Judy due to the fact that the latter had on her fingertips the power to end the life of everyone near her.
"Come on, Ryuuichi. It's very easy. Give up now and let me take your soul to where it rightfully belongs and none of these innocent people would experience any pain or suffering."
"You…!"
"Act now and I'll give you a bonus… I'll promise to give the others a heads-up to have you and all of your cronies bunched up together in your own little circle in the netherworld."
While saying this, Judy raised her hands and showed the fine bluish lines that connected her fingers to the countless civilians inside and around the company headquarters… as if literally telling him that "I have their lives on my hands".
And yet, after calming down, Ryuuichi's enraged scowl was slowly mellowed out by a realization about who he is fighting for… and what he remembers about her.
"You jest… Hehehe! I know it, Judy. You were my greatest rival back then. I know that you don't have the heart devoid of compassion and empathy to-"
*Fyuick-!*
Such was his mistake.
"W-Wha…?"
"What the hell?! What did just-"
"H-Hey! This isn't funny! How did-"
Pulling her left hand with a snap, all of those bluish lines were severed and in but a moment, all of them died… or to be exact, they ceased to live.
"You're right, Ryuuichi. Judy Ann Ikehara was a woman who cared greatly after all of the people in her life. From the measly workers of her family's businesses to the very children that she fought tooth and nail against her treacherous husband just to keep on her side out of love and concern for them. But that's where you have made the mistake of thinking that you are facing the exact same person…"
"N-No… No…"
"Your greed caused the poverty, starvation and eventual death of the workers that I promised to care after…"
"You wouldn't dare…"
"My staff whom I treated like family and I promised to share good and bad times with…"
"You can't possibly-"
"And my children… why only hope in this wretched world of yours that you have stained again and again and again with your vices!!!"
*Fyuick-!*
"NOOOO!!!"
"Have a taste of it all, Ryuuichi! The pain! The hopelessness! All of it!!! I want you to experience all of it after all that you did!!!"
As she pulled her other hand, the rest of the people that remained around the area had their lives literally taken from them.
"This is all on you, Ryuuichi… You said it yourself. You are ready to build mountains of corpses and rivers of blood to become a god…"
"…"
"I am here to show you that you can do all of that… and yet, you will never become what you want to be. Because in every path that you take, I will be there… and I will stop you."
"You can try… BUT-!"
"Kih-?!"
In a sudden display of power, the wide distance that separates the two was instantly crossed by Ryuuichi who immediately raised his fists that glowed with an unnatural greenish hue towards his opponent. Luckily for her, she was able to not only dodge but even surmise his sudden spike in power.
"Heh… Finally letting go of that false persona, huh?"
"…What do I care if all of them die? After all, they have already fulfilled their part in my ambitions."
"Not sugarcoating it now, are we? So all of that raging and sobbing for these humans were just a show… looks like I am not the only one that changed after all this time."
Staring at each other furiously, the two remained silent for a while until Ryuuichi spoke something that gained Judy's attention and eventually, her shock.
"You see, Judy… when I died all of those years ago, I had my entire mind and sense of self copied to a supercomputer that had one mission until the day when I can be revived… however, the same went to my preserved body whose brain is kept alive and partially functional in the place where it was kept."
"And you're blabbering about this, why?"
"Because in the end, when I was revived, both of my minds arrived at the same answer that I know cannot be changed. It is destiny… it is sealed by fate."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Hehehe! My, my… You're revealing it now, you damned heretic?"
At the Great Hall of Caelestia, a spirit clad in a white robe had an amused grin plastered on his face after heard the words that came from Ryuuichi's mouth.
"We had a deal, yes… But you're laying down your aces far too easily. You do know that even if I did say that it is "destined", it is not guaranteed to happen…"
As he raised his eyes to look at another fight happening inside a Subspace, his amused grin turned into an excited smile as if he sensed that something good is about to happen.
"After all, he is also involved in here! That man! That one young man that she said will bring down the so-called "divine"!"
Against the man who has dedicated his life to become a deity, how can his "destined right" fare against the one that is titled as "Divine Challenger".