2 months ago on April 3rd, 2030. (Chapter 2)
The day Michael awakened his Akashic power of blue and after he killed the shadow summoned by Gabe.
A continuation of what occurred that day.
...
"The War of the Akashic Records..? What is that?" Michael asked Alan.
"A facade created by Weisenburg. The strongest people of this generation will battle each other for these "Akashic Records," when in reality there isn't any proof they exist.
He's lied to me and his students.
This is a meaningless conflict," Alan responded.
"The man who gave me my powers... wants to start a war, but why? Why do I have to fight? Why do I have to side with him?"
"Because you were chosen by him. I don't have the answers to your questions, but he does. The strongest man in the world gave you a power for a reason and it'd be a waste to not find out why," Alan answered.
"..."
"Are you reconsidering?"
After a short silence Michael answered, "No, I can't fight for someone who toys with human lives like that...
But I cant just ignore this war. I can't sit back idly when I have the power to stop people from hurting each other."
"If your heart tells you to do something then you can't just ignore it, however...
We will both be participating in this war and it isn't unlikely that our paths will intersect. We may meet again and if we do...
I can't guarantee it'll be as allies," Alan said solemnly.
"I accept that risk if it means following my own destiny."
"Then I wish you luck, Michael."
...
Deep within Limbo, a duel would take place..
One that would turn the still tide of this war into a raging torrent...
Alan dashed forward, traveling the countless miles of ruined hallway that made up Eternity's End at a staggering speed.
"Noble Chroma: Blue!" Michael rapidly shouted out.
He raised his arms in a blocking stance as his forearms were coated in a navy armor as hard as diamond.
Iris rushed behind his defence and braced herself.
Cleaving through the air, Alan's blade pierced through Michael's coating and deeply lacerated his flesh, revealing the bone of his arms.
He fell back as blood spurted from his slit artery.
"Eternal Garden: Flower," Iris emerged from Michael's shadow as thorny vines shot from her fingertips.
Alan was flung backward through the infinite hall, numerous deadly tendrils all whipping forward simultaneously.
"Pure Chronostasis: Death," Alan said while flying through the air.
It took only a second for the cacophony of vines and thorns to come to a halt.
Shriveling and greying as they came within a few feet of the man clad in the veil of the reaper.
"That power..." Michael uttered under his breath, his wounds painstakingly being stitched together by the blue.
Alan landed and skidded backwards before continuing his unrelenting assault.
"Don't get close to him," Michael told Iris.
She nodded, "So we'll fight from a distance?"
"Yeah."
They both began ran away simultaneously.
But increasing the distance between them would prove to be a fatal error.
Alan chuckled.
"The bell tower of Saint Tropez rings loudly today."
...
"Blade of Memories: Activate."
The symbol of a bloody pentagram with an eagle, hourglass, and a mask was burned alongside the the hilt of Alan's Ancient Treasure as it glowed a deep white.
Every wielder, every victim, every swordsman, every life this blade has took culminated into a single slash at Eternity's End.
It cleaved through the hall once again, cutting through the infinite walls horizontally and blasting away the petals sent Alan's way.
Michael and Iris ducked as the colossal surge tore apart the space.
Bits of the reflective ceiling began caving in on the two.
"This is insane! We can't fight him long or short range!" Iris shouted out.
Eternity's End began to collapse from just two instances of the Blade of Memories.
"Too close and his Akashic power will drain our lives, too far and that Ancient Treasure will turn us into Gojo," Michael muttered.
Running back towards Alan, the hallway crumbled behind the two.
Iris called out to Michael, "We'll beat him with speed. His Akashic power doesn't kill instantly, it takes a second for it to drain the life of something.
If both of us rush in and defeat him fast enough we can win!"
Barely scraping past the destruction, the two would face Alan in close quarters.
Their backs were against a wall of ruin.
Alan walked forward calmly, the invisible aura of death inching closer.
50 more feet.
"Michael..." Iris whispered, grabbing his arm.
40 more feet.
"He's completely open, we could try it now," he responded quietly.
30 more feet.
"But it might be a trap-"
Alan chuckled, "What are you two whispering about? Michael, you know I don't like when people talk behind my back...
Range: Expand."
...
Death.
An immortal being that has taken the lives of billions and chases after every creature on this planet.
The utmost primal fear of humanity was being wielded by one man.
Alan would step forth, the immortal reaper lurking in his shadow.
...
Iris and Michael both froze in place...
And after a single second they fell to the ground, retching blood.
Iris gasped for air as her lungs collapsed.
Michael grasped at his chest as his heart failed and his organs shut down...
...
By decreasing the potency of Pure Chronostasis: Death, Alan had expanded the domain of his Akashic power from 10 feet to over 50 feet.
While the ability wouldn't kill nearly as fast, it now covered a vaster area which would drain life slowly.
...
"We're in his range now... Buy me... some time... Michael," Iris said through gasping breaths.
Michael heaved a mass of blue to coagulate around him, giant arms sprouting from his back like those of a mech.
Recklessly slamming the huge limbs into the ground, he launched himself forward towards Alan.
"Atlantis Calling."
An ultramarine greatsword formed in Michael's palm, striking down upon the harbringer of death.
Yet Alan unflinchingly parried and counterstruck.
The Blade of Memories slashed through the air, an inch away from Michael's face but...
"Queen of the Night!" Iris shouted out.
...
A dense fortress-like flower that was able to withstand Gabe's black hole in the paradox battle.
...
Iris summoned the gigantic sprout into exsistence, locking Alan in a prison of petals before he could finish his assault.
Unfolding and converging, the flower of judgement formed.
Michael quickly backed away to Iris' side.
Their met eyes and a silent message was conveyed between the two.
...
Deep within the cocoon-like petals was Alan, slumped upon the wall of a bud.
I'm trapped. By increasing the range of my power, its potency was decreased. Draining this dense plant will take a minute.
The prison of flower began slowly greying and coming apart at a dragging rate around him.
Using my Ancient Treasure to break free is out of the question too. One more swing will destroy this dimension entirely...
The seconds ticked by as Alan idly bounced his blade upon the floor.
"I wonder where it all went wrong..." He muttered.
...
"Iris!" Michael yelled out.
She collapsed in a heap.
By summoning something of such gigantic scale Akashic, her Akashic power had sapped all the energy from her body
Michael scooped her up in his arms and she smiled with a fluttering conscious.
"Don't worry about me. Just focus on what needs to be done," She said faintly.
The two weren't fit for another onslaught of attacks.
If Alan wasn't defeated in the next instance then they would swiftly meet their end.
Michael lowered his gaze, "Why risk so much for me? What about your dream to protect people?"
"I'm protecting you. Michael, we are one in the same. Your ideal is mine and mine is yours," Iris answered.
"...What do you mean?"
"You selfishly follow your own destiny while holding true to your righteous beliefs.
I follow my beliefs which will shape my destiny. There isn't a doubt in my mind that being with you right now is what's meant to be."
"Iris, let's end this battle. And after all of this, I want to see how your dream unfolds with our futures intertwined."
She smiled, "I'll give you head if you beat him."
Michael's face turned cold.
...
If everything in the universe was recorded on a visible spectrum of truth and falsehood...
Then the next words that spilled from his mouth may have appeared as the truest ever spoken.
"...I'll win."
...
323 seconds.
It was how long Alan was imprisoned for.
A short time, yet against the harbringer of death himself, Iris had crafted a miracle.
...
The walls around Alan dissipated into the stagnant air, his Pure Chronostasis: Death sucking the life of the giant flower.
And as it collapsed, an unknown pressure exploded from outside.
...
All is one and one is all. From a single point does everything stem from.
The primordial ocean of life arose from this instance.
As far as the eyes can see, the soaring sky that reaches beyond imagination. Everything will begin and end with it.
The true strength of Michael's Akashic power would be revealed now.
"Mirror it all. This world is in the palm of my hands."
At that moment Michael remembered what he thought had been lost to the void.
Eir was her name.
Of the blue girl within Michael's dreams.
Her words became so vividly clear.
In a language that he did not know, yet now held the key to understanding.
The void language.
"Sool matz kein, kein matz sool."
I am you and you are me.
"Sa tei loa mein nier. Sa tei wo nashi."
Blue can take any form. Blue is formless.
The vast, infinite sky.
The neverending depths of the ocean.
The intense heat of a flame.
The stars that line the cosmos.
"Fool ta."
Copy it.
...
Michael began laughing foolishly.
Hysterical and overjoyed, he couldn't contain his overflowing emotion.
Everything that had built up inside of him, defeat after defeat...
Death after death...
Was all released in this moment.
He spread his arms out and let his body become one with the space around him.
"Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one."
Waves came crashing down as the world was consumed by his color and a raging sea filled to the brim with unknown horrors formed.
"Domain Expansion: Perfect World."
Michael's Akashic power at its fullest potential.
A penultimate ability only awakened by 1 in every 1000 Akashic users, only awakened by those with an absolute perfect alignment with their powers.
A "Phantasmal Technique."