Battle of the Multiverse

[Corzak The Mighty]

Nyx's eyes filled with unbridled vitriol as Chang'e prattled on and on about her plots and plans, her manipulations to this... "Marlore". For some reason it felt... oddly familiar to her, though she admittedly couldn't a finger on it. Either way, it was clear Chang'e had a hand in the destruction of this place too. Seemed she was really good at that.

"Guess Chang'e had her fun in this place too." Nyx let out an exasperated sigh, before her eyes drifted over to the skeleton on the floor. She wondered who this person was... what were their thoughts? Did he know Chang'e? Trust her even? Is that how she got into this place and ultimately killed him? And possibly even gotten everyone else here killed as well....

Her eyes drifted over to the massive tank. "So if Chang'e isn't full of shit, that possesses Rangis' power... do you think something like that could help us put that bitch down?"
----------
Owlzarus, spying the wracking bolts of the Wyvern King slice their way toward him, slithering like feel serpents through the air, was forced to defend himself, even as Tenchi Orion assailed the abomination. But before he channeled his runes into a last-ditch defense, he watched as the assault faded before his very eyes, blocked by darkness and blinding light conjured by their very own ally, Evoex. The antiquarian's gaze shifted toward Evoex, before his expression upturned into a smile.

"You are always full of surprises, aren't you Evoex?" Owlzarus mused to the glitching entity. He glanced briefly to his glitching, pixelated wing, before orange runes danced from his hand to the pinion. Time seemed to reverse on the limb as it reverted to its original state, unaffected by Evoex's affliction. He returned his gaze to Evoex, though his posture seemed to falter slightly. The expenditure of power was something he was not used to... to use his powers over time so extensively was beginning to wear on his body. The battle was far from over, but the antiquarian admitted to himself he was unsure how much more of his strength he could risk utilizing.

Owlzarus staggered slightly, as the orange runes around him briefly faltered. Raising a hand to Evoex, Owlzarus conjured a miniature microcosm in between his hands, a swirling vortex of time-space contained within the antiquarian's orange runes, before he drifted the sphere over to Evoex. "I am spent for now... I will need to support rather than fight directly. Take this... it possesses a portion of my power. Use it when the opportunity presents itself."
----------
Immanuel's body was bent, broken, worn into by the weight of Chang'es assault. The earth snarled, animated through the Corrupted Core's infernal magics, assailing Immanuel's divine form with its power. To think, a creature like this could best him... he knew the strength of their foe was unfathomable, yet even he could feel his spirit break before her power. Such a creature ould not - nay, should not - exist. It was the same as It'Lok'Ran'To, a destroyer among destroyers.

But he found himself saved by the Fusion Warrior's grace; before the earth could rise and devour him, skewer him with stone shards like the fangs of a ravenous beast, he found himself freed from its grasp. The God of Light's form shimmered for a moment in acknowledgement of the warrior, before his mind drifted to the form of Chang'e, and the clarion call of Hercules. Immanuel's wings spread wide, as the god prepared to enter the fray, but he was given pause when he was greeated by two flashes of energy: one, a hazy violet flame; another, a black void licked with shadow.

From the violet-flamed flash emerged a great, regal knight, clad in dark armor licked with purple flame. Great plumage erupted from the back of the figure's helm, as a long flowing violet cape danced behind him, licked with flame. The figure stamped a long handled glaive onto the ground. From the ravenous void emerged a figure in an ebony cloak, hundreds of tassels slithering from the figure's slender frame like the tentacles of a great squid. Chains and sigils of silver adorn the figure's frame, with a black veil obscuring their "face".

Immanuel was visibly taken aback by the appearance of these figures. "Tyr... Umbra... you have shown yourselves after so long... but why? Why now?"

The knightly figure bowed his head. "Forgive me, brother... I sought to know peace after our conflict. But I could not let this evil be left unhindered."

"Nor shall I," the robed figure hissed, eyeing Chang'e. "Let us end this. Together."

Immanuel acknowledged his siblings as best his eldritch form could. "Umbra, shall we like old times?"

The robed figure nodded, as she raised her hands up, as a swirl of darkness emerged around her, the tassels of her robe dancing to form a vortex of destructive entropy. Tyr looked to the battle against Tannin, before his form flared with violet flame. "I shall assist in battling the Tyrant of Wrath. You two can handle the abomination!"

In a flash of flame, Tyr was gone, leaving the two siblings alone. Umbra reached out a hand toward the monstrous form of the End of All, as the vortex around her intensified and began to manifest itself around the Corrupted Heart. Around the form of Chang'e, a ravenous void opened up, tendrils of inky blackness erupting like the tentacles of a monstrous sea beast! The darkness began to envelop Chang'e, entropic darkness blinding the corrupted Heart of the Multiverse and clinging to her like a destructive cloak! Chang'e's body was hardy, resisting the shade's entropic grasp upon her, but its effects were immediately noticeable, leaving an opening for one to strike!

Immanuel's form began to shine with golden light once more, concentrating his mind to once more channel the great lance of the heavens to smite a mighty foe. A divine ring of light danced around him, mingling with Umbra's darkness and forming a scintillating ring of gold and black! The combination of light and darkness soon began to coalesce into a spiraling spear of contrarian energies, focusing their powers into one! The lance grew in size and strength, soon becoming a fearsome, spiraling tower of destructive power.

Channeling their power together, the siblings announced their attack with a fearsome cry: "SPEAR OF DESTINY!"

The destructive lance sliced its way across the earth, tearing up massive portions of the arena as the spiraling spear of light and darkness aimed itself towards Chang'e...

Elsewhere, as the battle between Tannin and Jake raged, a mote of purple flame sliced through the air at blinding speeds! Erupting in a gout of brilliant violet fire, the form of tyr emerged, thrusting his glaive into the side of Tannin in a vibrant explosion! With the help of Jake's own assault, the two of them halted Tannin'charge long enough for Jake to prepare for a counterattack. Twirling his glaive, the armored god adopted a defensive stance against Tannin. He offered a nod of acknowledgement to the draconic warrior; he would run interference for him while he delivered a more decisive blow.

Violet flame slithered down the haft of Tyr's polearm as the bladed head became engulfed of purple fire. Twirling his weapon, Tyr lashed out with a series of blinding dashes, slashing and stabbing at Tannin's ill-defended points to keep the End of All distracted...

[Demon Lord Gira]

Mara and the others stood in silence as the video feed played out. Mara especially felt her hands clench tight into balled fists. This city, it too had suffered under Chang'es tyrannical rule. Parental abuse of what looked to be one of her children, sterilization of the masses, genocide... It was as if this bitch had made it her life goal to be as unrepentantly loathsome and vile as possible. And those names... Alex wasn't the most uncommon name in the world, but Crigan, Lavidana, Yzazil, those were definitely not common names.

Had they as well fallen victim to Chang'e? This world's versions of those gods perished by Chang'es hand? And the Alex mentioned... a different version of the one beside her? How much blood did Chang'e have on her hands?

But, luckily, something good had been left behind with this. Something that made coming down to this sunken tomb and learn more of Chang'es heinous machinations all the worth it.

"I do not like this woman," Risel plainly stated. "She is a bad woman. But, who is Rangis?"

"Rangis was Crigan's original name," Mara told Nyx and Risel as she walked up to look at the massive tank in question and what lay within. She tried to peer within, but the dark mist within made that difficult for her. "But when he had to be remade after he slew Salavance, he changed his name to Ragnok, and then Persephone renamed him to Crigan when she captured him. If what is in here is the bulk of his power..."

She looked over to Nyx and the other, a smile forming on her face. "How else do you kill an immortal than to instill the concept of death upon it? Guess the bitch forgot she kept the one thing she didn't want used against her down here. Now, how do we-"

"I am already on it," Lae said. He motioned for Aseya to help him up to a keyboard panel on the side of the massive tank, and the other small fae obliged and picked him up and threw him over to the control panel. He gently ran his diminutive hand across the panel and held it there for a few moments. Then, he pressed a few keys. The tank flashed with lights and wires disconnected from it. The murky cloud of gas and liquid within dissipated as it flowed into opened vents within the tank, and as the glass tank opened up, what lay within was a crimson flesh covered orb. Six golden claws encircled the orb, which was the size of a basketball. Once the tank was opened, Lae hopped over to the orb and put his hand on it, but immediately reeled back.

"It's hot to the touch. There's no doubt about it, this is part of Crigan's divine core," Lae said. "No wonder he's a decrepit husk of his former self. I'm surprised he still has enough power to form a Divine Tome for his soul."

"Divine Tome?" Aseya tilted her head in confusion.

"The soul of a god," Mara explained. "For now, let's get this back to Crigan."

_____________________________________________

For the demon lord Cavrasnak, what was supposed to be a slaughter for it to enjoy instead had become its funeral.

The fiend was outmatched, assailed on all sides by Ninja and Borskall alike. Confusion and pain surged through its mind. When had mortals become so powerful? When had the gods such might and will? Only one other had brought it to its end in the past. Were these beings even greater than the Tyrant of the Abyss? Im... Impossible!

Pinned and electrocuted by the constant bolts of lightning and mortally wounded by the efforts of Tenchi Orion and his allies, Cavrasnak's body and soul gave way, cursing in ancient Abyssal the one who had slain it before and the ones who ended it now... But it would not go out without leaving its conquerors with a parting gift.

The carcass of Cavrasnak began to billow out sickly purple fumes, a toxic gas that billowed from the severed blood vessels and veins across its body. It was a heavy suffocating gas, one that threatened to smother everything it came into contact with and reduce them to melted bones.

__________________________________________________

"Heather, let Molly go now," Demmy narrowed her one good eye at the towering mound of flesh that was now Heather, "and I might let you live."

The Solamith let out a hearty bellow as the soul flame in its hand flared brighter. "You're no longer in a position to bargain, Demmy... No, Demogorgon. All I have to do is give the mental command to Achilles over here, and Molly's life is forfeit. If you all value her safety, drop your weapons and prostrate yourselves before me, your new king! There's no weaseling out of this one, Demogorgon. I finally get the upper hand against you, after all this time!"

The girl in question was held off her feet by one hand of the silvery slime, and the other had twisted into a serrated blade held at her neck. Molly's heart was racing in her throat. She wanted to get out of this, to break free, to escape, something, anything, but what could she possibly do against this thing? She looked over to Demmy and to Nichelle, yet it was clear neither was willing to risk her life. Nichelle withdrew her weapons, and Demmy simply glared at Heather. If only she could use her Lifemother powers to-

"That won't work, I am afraid," The voice of the Lifemother whispered into her mind, her tone low and quiet. "This thing, this creation, it is tethered to our memories and mind. If I were to try to aid, it wouldn't be enough to save you. I am sorry, Molly. Even now, my powers are not enough to save you from this situation."

"Do not blame yourself, Lifemother." Molly mentally replied, even as the blade inched closer to her neck. "I trust in Demmy and Nichelle, and in Heather. I... I just know everything will be alright."

Even though that was her response, she had no way of knowing why she felt that way. Nothing gave it any sort of credence. By all accounts, she was dead on the spot. She was going to die at best, or worse serve as some servant to Tannin... Yet, she had a feeling, a notion that wouldn't be the case, that everything was indeed alright.

Footsteps drew her attention away from herself and back toward what was going on. Demmy was walking toward Heather, hands unballed, yet her glare never leaving. The towering Solamith's left eye twitched as it almost stepped back, as if unnerved by this sudden behavior.

"Oh? Are you coming closer to prostrate? To allow me to beat the everloving shit out of you, Demogorgon? To pay you back for all the humiliation you put me through, for everything I have suffered because of you?"

"You know, it finally dawned on me. If you hadn't kept running your big fat mouth about your laundry list of grievances, the connection wouldn't have hit me. Maybe spending so much time as a human has dulled my mind, but..." Demmy stopped, and took a deep sigh. Her one good eye briefly glanced over to Molly, a look that told the girl "I cannot believe I am actually doing this because of you," before the eye shifted back to face Heather. "You really do hold a grudge over the smallest of things, Demiurge."

"Demiurge?" Nichelle mouthed, the bioweapon's face just as confused as Molly's own, but was cut short as Heather gnashed their teeth together. The flame in their hands billowed and flickered as veins began to swell across the Solamith's face.

"Yes, younger sister! Yes I do! Your friendship with Cercil is what costed us the lives of our parents to her deranged sister! You... You took everything from me! You took my happiness, you took my security, my joy and peace! You took the only people who gave a fucking damn about me, and let the Archangel of War tear them to shreds trying to protect you! You lost one eye that day, but you got everything you ever fucking wanted after that, while I? I was left to the Garngraths!"

The monolithic Solamith grabbed Demmy by the neck and hoisted her up to eye level with its free hand, then brought the flame in the other hand into Demmy's face. The fire consumed Demmy, igniting her ablaze. Nichelle began to move forward, but was stopped by a look from Molly, who subtly shook her head. The bioweapon, trusting Molly's judgement, stayed still while Heather burst into laughter.

"To think, I envied the attention our parents gave you from such a young age. I was their favorite little boy at first, cherished and loved by them, and then you came in. You took their love and care and focus away from me! I thought perhaps it was because you were a girl, that something was wrong with me if they were so quick to shift over to you. I tried to be more like you, to look more like you, to act more like you, to dress more like you, to change my entire self to be more like what they saw in you. And you LAUGHED at me! You mocked me, saying I looked stupid trying to be a girl! They thought something was wrong with me, changing myself to be more like you. I lost their love and their respect that day, and then you took them from me completely by your befriending that damned angel! I was left to rot in the Abyss. And when I found my way to a group that accepted me for what I wanted to be? In comes YOU, FUCKING YOU, to take everything away from me once again after all these years!"

The flames billowed hotter and larger. The humanoid form within the fire vanished entirely, and Heather let go.

"This is what you fucking deserve, Demogorgon! You ended my life, now I end yours!"

-------------------------------

Through the tendrils tore into the Tyrant of Wrath's hide and spilled oily black blood upon the ground, Tannin would not be stopped. Even as the energy turrets Jake had formed blasted into him from four angels, Tannin continued to advance, each beat of his massive wingspan propelling him further and faster despite the odds. Were it not for the energies of the Core of the Multiverse fueling him, Jake's terrifying salvo of power would have not only blasted him back, but also reduced The End of All to little more than a bloody smear against the ground. The arrival of Tyr with his empowered strikes was still not enough to stop Tannin.

No, it only painted a target upon his back.

As it was, the Core was serving as a far more potent source of power than Persephone could have ever been for Tannin. He was a runaway freight train of malice and destruction, and he slammed into Jake with all of his might. Jagged fangs clamped down upon his neck and dug deep into his flesh, and the twin clawed legs of the End of All dug trenches into Jake as well. Tannin's tails slashed down upon Tyr as he came in for a striking blow, and the god was sent crashing down into the earth below in a plume of dust. His hide being bombarded and blasted into, Tannin swung Jake's body to intercept his own attacks, the energy bombardment blasting into Jake's back, before Tannin crashed back down into the torn earth below, his great bulk weighing down upon the opposing dragon beneath him. Necrotic fire began to churn in his maw, to set ablaze his foe here and now...

The call of Godzilla was Jake's salvation. Tannin leaped back, letting go of his foe as his sixteen eyes turned to face the approaching arrival. Another foe... One who would also feel his terrible wrath. They would perish as well. Arching his head high up into the air, Tannin sent bolt after bolt of fell energy from his eyes into the torn distorted sky above him as well as the surge of deathly flames he had been building up. The eye bolts curved back downward by the dozens, vaporizing the landscape as they honed in on the approaching Godzilla and upon Jake. At the same time, the skies rained down fire that threatened to burn away at the both of them and at Tyr on a molecular level.

While this was going on, the limp weakened form of Persephone fell from Riistang's petrified body and landed upon the ground with an unceremonious thud. Her eyes, glazed over in their half opened state, saw nothing, but she heard everything. Everything she had tried to accomplish... Her goal of a perfect world free of gods... All for naught. All of her efforts, merely played into Chang'es hands. She was so close... Yet so, so far away. Was this... what Cercil had tried to warn her of so long ago? Why she had been... so protective of her?

"I... I'm sorry..."

---------------------------

"Sister! You... You will pay for this." One of the twins cried as the other was turned into a metal statue. She turned to glare at Nameless, and her form darkened as she merged with the metallic statue. Both she and the statue melded together, and something else took form. It was a great monstrous serpent that formed before Nameless, a beast with two massive pincer claws and acid that dripped from its gaping maw. A single eye peered down at the much smaller form of Nameless, and its jaws parted in a deafening bellow as it swung both of its pincer claws toward the armored figure, each claw large enough to slice him in half.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR MAKING LIGHT OF US, MORTAL! WE WILL BE YOUR END!"

-----------------------------


If The Wyvern King was surprised and infuriated by Eevoex's interference in her attempt to end Owlzarus's existence, she didn't have any time to show it as Taifage continued her assault. The foe was fast, much faster than anything she was used to, and with the constant strikes and blasts, she found herself subdued beneath the reptile's bulk and pinned. Though the flames themselves did little to harm her, there was something else about them that burned away at The Wyvern King, some other aspect of them that ignited her body in pain. And she was about to receive another blast at point blank range.

Before Taifage could unleash her surge of atomic fire, the third head of The Wyvern King struck, arching upward as the only one of the necks not pinned down to latch onto Taifage's throat. She pushed the maw of the reptile off of her, and the atomic fire came just a hair too late, flying into the sky. She pushed herself up, knocking the reptile back, before the other two heads snapped forward, one onto Taifage's left arm, the other upon Taifage's right arm. With a beat of her wings, she took to the sky, then dropped back down and slammed Taifage into the earth beneath her. Now it was her turn to return the favor, as three beams charged up within The Wyvern King's maws...

Pain lacerated across her back, and two of the heads lost their grip and incinerated the ground instead. One blasted into Taifage's throat, sending the reptile reeling backwards.The source of the pain was Crigan, who had flown in, claws dripping with her blood. He stabbed the claws back down into The Wyvern King's back, and the pain consumed her. She felt her life force, her energy, being siphoned into Crigan, her power weakening.

The middle head's eyes narrowed into venomous slits. No, she was the true God of Death now, not he! He would suffer for this transgression!

Crigan flew back just in time to avoid a mouth that tried to bite at him, and ducked low to evade another bite. Now The Wyvern King's full attention was upon him and not on Taifage...

----------------------------------

What... What had they done? These were bastardized memories... memories of Marlore.

Chang'e felt her anger boiling over as she was stuck in place, unable to do anything but watch and observe as mockeries of her victims from Marlore, from her old personal project from so long ago, all jeered and mocked at her. How did they know? How could they have known?! Was Tiamat digging through her mind to dredge up and distort these memories? She knew each and every one of these people, all whom she had personally made their lives a living hell back then... Yet now they were mocking her, reviling her, laughing at her, at what they saw, at what Tiamat and the Ninjas wished to mock her with.

Her blood boiled over. She would make them pay for humiliating her like this. She was the Core of the Multiverse, the apex of power, the Ultimate One! This would not continue on her wa-

It hit her. In that moment, something in the darkest dredges of her mind came roaring to the surface, separate from the jeers and taunts and jabs. It was something from Marlore she had forgotten about after all these years.

If Tiamat and the Ninjas knew about all of this... Then, they knew of-

Her thoughts were stopped as salvation unintentionally came to free her from her mental prison. It was Hercules, who blasted at her with his gun. In that moment, the mental prison she had been stuck in was undone, the physical strike freeing her. Yet she only had a split second to process her freedom before the Spear of Destiny from the divine siblings came in to finish the job. The godly strike vaporized what remained of Chang'e, yet as her upper body was disintegrated, it seemed a cheshire smile had spread across her face.

If the Sandman had thought he had trapped Chang'es soul, he was in for a rude awakening. The soul within the prison he had conjured turned to face him, and a cackling grin formed across it, before the soul flashed and exploded, shattering his rotating disc of psychic energy and sending him flying back. The physical remnants of Chang'es body that Hercules was tangling with expanded outward, surging with electricity as they turned into metallic wires that flew toward him.

All the while, the form of Chang'e remanifested within the Tree Core, and this time the taunting and smugness she one had was fully gone. Murderous hatred radiated from her being, and she focused her enegies fully upon ending Tiamat and the Ninjas. Persephone's Feldite blade shot forward from a rift and slashed into Orion, the god killing properties of the unholy material burning and melting away at his flesh. Dozens more identical blades began to fire out from constantly opening rifts, creating a rain of god slaying blades all aimed toward Tiamat and Tenchi Orion.

"I'll make sure not a single atom of your existence remains once I am finished with you! NONE WILL REMAIN THAT WILL REMEMBER YOUR NAMES!"

From another rift came forth thousands of eye bolts from the Tannins of countless timelines, all raining down upon the Sandman, Hercules, the divine siblings and upon Tenchi Orion and Tiamat.

[HayesAJones]

"I don't like her much either," Alex confided in Risel. The researcher seemed somewhat ashamed at the admission; by giving into hatred.

Alex shook his head, then cleared his throat. "Um... about that... getting back, I mean. Do we need to go back topside? Because it's, uh... ugly out there. The sky opened up and started raining monsters."

[Beast Blood]

The red of blood once more filled Tannin’s vision - his every eye blinded by deepest crimson. The fell power from his eyes struck the land, but died long before it would reach any of the heroes. Rather, it dispersed utterly, water to an intense flame. A great aurora now stood before the dragon, of ethereal body and eyes like burning starlight - a projection of the Beastmother, far larger than the one he had met before, materializing before him. Its ghostly hands latched his throat; his feet left the earth. Far above it was Tannin lifted, cast towards the churning skies, an offering for every hero and god to lay waste to. Ristaang scowled from above, glaring from her own eyes and that of her ghostly avatar.

The ghastly grasp of the Red Aurora held him firm, even as pieces of his body were unmade by the contact with her flaming body, scattering as sand to the wind. However much his form tried to heal the horrible damage wrought, the spectral power of Ristaang dispersed it immediately, a blood-red devouring plague, torn threads of his very being unraveled into nothing. For Ristaang represented death as much as she did life. By dealing death to those who threatened life, she allowed it to thrive. Her claws would reap, so that more could be sown.

Though he had evaded her might before, Tannin would find this avatar much harder to weasel from. For now he faced a portion of her essence, a manifestation of her formidable power. There was no flesh for him to tear. No bones for him to break. No blood for him to spill. There was only spirit. Ferocious, indomitable spirit. And that alone would prove for him impossible to break, a uniquely stubborn flame he could never subdue and certainly not extinguish. For that spirit was why there was only one of Ristaang where there were untold numbers of Tannin throughout the multiverse - the multiverse only needed one. Hers was an unbreakable will, unbridled strength that yielded to none; not even reality. It mattered not how many different universes she would have to tear through to hunt him down, by her heart-driven rage and impossible might, she would see him torn in each of them, long as he endangered this universe her loved ones lived in.

And besides her were souls of similar resolve, those heroes who fought at her side. Trapped in the great Beast’s paws, nothing would save him from their fury.

Today, the End would meet his.

____________________________

The towering Borskall did not have time to escape the billowing smoke, and as such found themselves reeling back from it, holding their breath so as to not be caught in a furious fit of violent coughing. Still the fumes raked their noses, drawing blood from the more sensitive flesh. Korraz immediately pawed at her face, protecting her eyes from clinging fumes lest she be blinded.

The earth was drenched in blood, deeply imbibed with its spilling. The Borskall were covered in red, clothes and fur soaked deep crimson. The mangled bodies of wyverns lay scattered all around their feet. And before them was this great plume of noxious smoke, a veritable fountain of death, ending note to this symphony of war. A culmination of all the violence that had occurred here.

But the Borskall, tired as they were, remained hopeful. For after every battle came the quiet, however long it would last.

A deafening crash of thunder came from Hod’s wings as he slammed dark pinions together, rending the air and dispersing the shroud of death with a blast of electromagnetic might. The beauty of the night sky became visible again, moon and star shining above.

“Allow me,” Gaiyan said as she rejoined her friends, extending an arm to the broken husk of the demon Cavrasnak. In her other arm she cradled Cthelee, while Mitsif hid nestled within her cloak’s collar. There was with her, as well, the shapeshifting Fray, curled about her shoulders as a living scarf.

From the healer’s outstretched hand floated glowing green spores, little motes of light that scattered over the creature’s corpse. The body and the earth beneath it shifted at their touch. From the mangled remains grew a tiny sapling, a little pine tree that rose to tower above the giants. Born from death, nurtured by the flesh and blood of the fiend, the majestic pine purified the air, ending the demon’s menace for good. Healing spores rained from its boughs, gently drifting to the earth below.

“From death... life,” Gaiyan remarked, folding back her arm to scratch Fray behind the ears.

[Godzilla165]

Echoes of the Infinite
(To my BotM friends, new and old… This one's for you.)

Pain had been a foreign concept to Tenchi Orion, a notion of which they knew no sensation, nor had any experience of. That was until now. The god-killing blade tore into the perfect warrior’s chest with disturbing ease, blasting forth out of their back and slinging divine energy everywhere. Tenchi’s ethereal form blinked in and out like a dying light, before it was replaced by their physical manifestation. Their silver armor was split in the middle from Chang’e’s blade, it now having tasted the essence of a ninja. Their white hair, once radiant and glowing, fell messily over their face in a washed out gray. Tenchi’s eyes fluttered shut, and dropped to a hard knee, clutching the blade that penetrated their chest.

Chang’e’s face lit up with wild and primal glee, the Ninja Prime’s agony washing over her like a warm blanket. Her teeth bore themselves in a proud grin as blood ran down the corners of her mouth, and she chortled, a harsh and gainsaying snicker sounding from her now chapped lips. Tiamat, swift-footed as she was, happened upon Tenchi in the blink of an eye as the torrential storm of blackened daggers fell over them both. The dragon and ninja mother threw out a splayed hand and quickly readied a large gleaming forcefield that wrapped around them, shielding them from the intensifying assault.

Tiamat grimaced, Chang’e’s Core-enhanced dark energies making it harder for her to maintain the hold she had on the shield. “We will get out of this, my loves, of that I will make certain!” Tiamat proclaimed.

Such was met with an even louder and unholy cackle from their foe, the very ground shaking from it. “There is nothing either of you can attempt nor do to get out of this shithole of a situation. A situation, mind you, that you both put yourselves in when you had the audacity to use my memories, MY mind, against me!” Chang’e jeered. Red filled her vision, her blood rose to a boil, and she ramped up her endless assault against the combined ninja and their infernal mother even more. Tiamat was beginning to struggle now, her arm shaking as more of the blackened shears slammed into her shield like meteors.

Chang’e grinned sickly, her thirst for blood and suffrage not yet satiated. “How ironic it was for you to have even tried that trick on me, when the amount of bullshit you ninjas have done, the sheer amount of lives taken and blood shed on your behalf… It’s staggering, really.” She said, grinning even wider. “Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? I’m sure our lovely audience is ready for another chapter to the story, don’t you think?”

Suddenly, in front of Tenchi and Tiamat, and the rest of their allies present, a cloudy and ghostly apparition took shape. Quickly, it intermingled and solidified into the familiar form of Dante clad in his armor. He had his back turned to his audience, and soon enough, two figures began to approach him. The two figures grew nearer, and were revealed to both be ninja warriors; one female, one male. The female was rather petite in appearance, but had a clearly defined muscular and Olympic-like structure, indicating an insanely powerful and lightning fast individual, despite her size. Her armor was a very majestic metallic silver in color, having the appearance of raw, polished carbon fiber and steel. Long, curly golden hair flowed from the back of her helmet, with cold blue eyes piercing the soul.

Carried with her was an enormous, double bladed sword at least three feet in overall length, electricity running to and from both blades. A silver windmill shuriken covered her left arm, while spiked brass knuckles covered her right hand.

The male was significantly taller, his body flowing with the muscle structure of a bodybuilder. His armor was a deep red with silver and gold accents throughout; raw adamantium and space titanium on full display. His eyes are a dark, intense violet, casting a subtle glow that causes weaker beings to become absolutely mesmerized by them. One long, ripped, and black scarf tail flowed from behind his helmet. He wielded a giant, polished silver hammer that he took from the now slain Hades. Thus, it was filled to the brim with dark magic, as well as his own. Dominating his right hand was a single falcon talon, sharp enough to cleave even the strongest of materials into pieces. Three explosive shuriken were clasped onto both sides of his lower hips, and a single black katana was attached to his back.

"Daeva, Ubel, how nice of you to finally join us.” The Young Man said.

“We got your message and arrived as soon as we could." Daeva responded with a smile.

"So big brother, what's the first line of attack?” Ubel asked, eyes brimming with a killer’s thirst. “I am itching to pound these weak, pathetic beings into a bloody sludge, and rip their spines from their throats with my bare hands!”

"Calm yourself, little brother, and have patience” The Young Man chuckled. “You will have your fire and brimstone soon enough, AND enjoy the slaughter of countless worms. Of that, I promise you.”

Chang’e stood idly by, that devilish grin having never left her face. “Those were your allies you were referring to, you know. The very people you’ve sworn to protect, to lay down your lives for? You wanted to, what did you say, Ubel… Rip their spines from their throats?”

She licked her lips, the familiar copper taste of blood tingling her taste buds. “Ohh but that’s not even half of it; let’s see what else we can dredge up!”

With an echoing snap of her fingers, Chang’e conjured another suffocating cloud of mockery.

This time, the scene saw the elegant form of Daeva doing battle with a familiar white-haired demon, as well as another demon who looked eerily similar to the former. The one who stood beside the ghost-haired demon, with an unearthly bellow, created a massive and raging storm that was aimed solely at the fastest being in the multiverse.

The very winds around the demon picked up, Daeva found herself staggering back from the force of the storm that was brewing. The very ground was uprooted, with what buildings remained in the scene, sliced to ribbons. And yet, the demon could see all. She up-righted herself, eyes brimming with rage as she flew upward. "SUFFER FOR YOUR ARROGANCE, AND LEARN YOUR PLACE WORMS!" The Storm God bellowed, as flames began to converge around Daeva, erupting into a raging fire storm that threatened to consume her…

Yet, to the haughty god’s horror, Daeva dissipated the flames with a massive shockwave of energy, her entire body glowing orange, and her eyes surging with power and rage. The female ninja then proceeded to unleash her ultimate technique on the Storm God, every single one of her blows as hot as a large sun, and growing more powerful with every hit. Daeva performed thousands of slashes, devastating punches, kicks, and shattering bones within the storm demon, before finally ramming her armored glove deep into the god’s stomach. With a sickening twist, Daeva snapped the demon's spine in half, and ripped free her black intestines.

Then, like a rabid animal, Daeva honed in on the white-haired Demogorgon like a speeding missile, and rammed into her with enough force to shatter the demon's ribs to bits. The bloodthirsty ninja pinned the demon down with her armored knees, and used her as a makeshift surfboard, pounding away at her face. The demon's head sunk further and further into the ground after each savage blow. Then, Daeva leaped off Demogorgon, and allowed the demon's momentum to keep her body tumbling end over end across the ground.

Chang’e studied the scene before her and her captivated audience intently, pursing her lips with growing satisfaction. “Some allies you miserable shitheads are.” She said, turning to Tenchi. “Not only did your darling little sister absolutely brutalize Demogorgon and her own sister, but the princess then went on to kidnap your idiot human friend, Molly. She might as well be a rabid fucking animal.” Chang’e shook her head, her attempts at silencing her ravenous grin failing miserably. “Ohhh, but as you’ve probably already guessed, even that little escapade is just the beginning of your beautiful campaign to… ‘Safeguard’ the multiverse. Evron became a vengeful and bloodthirsty monster, wanting nothing more than to kill his dearest older brother… Dante just casually awakened an ancient evil after allying himself with Raspaganje, Ubel tried to manipulate and take Molly hostage. And yet, you all think I’M the bad one?!”

As she spoke, scenes of her descriptions appeared around Tenchi and Tiamat, soon beginning to surround them on all sides like a cage of torment. The colossal assault had since ceased, Chang’e no longer feeling it necessary, thus granting her quarry a moment of respite. Tiamat stood tall then, shooting daggers that were as hot as a star towards Chang’e with her eyes. But, before she could retaliate, the false Heart held up a finger, wagging it back and forth.

“Not so fast on the draw… I still haven’t shown my favorite act!” She snickered. “Wouldn’t you like to see how your prodigal son so casually and mercilessly killed trillions upon trillions of lives in an instant? I most certainly would!”

And, with one final snap of her fingers, Chang’e brought forth a scene of Dante floating in the vast and dark void of space. A spark shown in his orange eyes, a devious grin hidden beneath his helmet. Without a single word, Dante extended a hand forth, and unleashed two, blood red beams of raw energy, twice the size of a supernova, towards a distant galaxy at hypersonic speeds. The titanic beam connected with its target, and created a monstrous, all encompassing explosion, big and bright enough to be seen clearly across the entire multiverse. The target galaxy was destroyed immediately and entirely, with the resulting explosion so huge and so hot, that it vaporized whatever else was in the area for thousands upon millions of miles away.

Chang’e remained silent as the scene finished, her face awash with perpetual smugness. There was nothing more to say; she had finally outed the ninjas for the war mongering fiends they were. There would be dissension among their allies, that dissension would soon lead to discourse, and finally betrayal. A mass shunning of the darling “Guardians of the Multiverse”. Oh, how glorious of a day that would be, all she had to do now was sit back and wait.

“What a beautiful story, with an equally beautiful ending.” Chang’e mused, turning from Tenchi and their washed up mother, to the rest of their allies in the area. “You fools put so much faith in these ninjas, imbued them with so much trust, so much love… And yet, it was all for nothing. Can’t you see? Your guardians… Vilifiers. Your champions… Forsakers…” Chang’e paused and motioned with her hand towards the combined ninja, a smile of poison on her face. “Your heroes, everyone. Let’s all give them a big round of applause!”

Tenchi was reticent. Hushed was the Guardian of everything as the storm cloud of imagery washed over them like a tidal wave. These phantasms, they were... Records? Yes, chronicles from a time long forgotten, an era long ceased. They represented a snapshot in which the guardian ninjas weren't so, they were wards. Instead of being the stewards, shepherds of the multiverse and her peoples, the ninjas were dominators, killers... Destroyers. And, they had been led by one being in which Dante fought so hard against in this current cycle, an all-powerful warlord who knew nothing but chaos and raining brimstone. The ninjas had lost their way, gone against the very ideals and beliefs that they so carefully tended. An estranged, vengeful brother, a people who were feared and hated, instead of loved and respected. A broken cycle. And it was one in which Chang'e aimed to use to bury the guardians once and for all.

Tiamat stood idly beside Tenchi Orion, noting the records that surrounded her and her ilk from all sides. Her face was twisted in a disturbed frown; she knew of these chronicles very well. She had seen them before... Experienced them herself countless millennia ago. But she had never expected for them to sprout forth once more, much to her own misgivings for being blind to such a probability. Chang'e was growing desperate, Tiamat could feel it, which in turn would make her do anything, anything, to secure victory.

Something needed to be done, and quickly, before these ghosts of a forgotten past swallowed the almighty ninja whole, and they knew just what that something was. Tenchi would have to face these annals, all of them, become ONE with them... And then put them to rest once and for all. If the Celestial Angel had taught them anything, it was to accept one's past, even one that was completely separate, and make peace with it. Such a task would be a journey, though one that Tenchi was willing and ready to take.

Tiamat turned and looked at the fusion warrior, a mixture of apprehension and a little fear covering her face like a shroud. She could see their thoughts, hear them as though they were her own. This path wouldn't be an easy one, of that she knew all too well, even for Tenchi. It was a journey that would call for their demise, their psyche to be broken. They needed to be as mentally sure and ready as they were physically.

The All-Mother rested one of her hands on Orion's ethereal shoulder, causing them to turn to her. "Are you sure about this? Are you absolutely certain that you wish to take this on? We can find another way, another path..." She asked them, almost hoping for them to reconsider.

Tenchi reached out, took Tiamat's hand and cradled it in theirs, and nodded all of once; their mind was made up. The latter stared at them through glassy eyes, still not fully onboard with the idea, but she offered them a gentle smile all the same.

"Very well. Then let het marevirm be kind, my children." She reassured them. With a curt nod, Tiamat withdrew her hand from theirs and turned to face Chang’e. Her hands fell to her side and the cardinal chief of the Core gave her adversary a look of complete and total disdain. Tiamat wielded the innate ability to not only eradicate one’s soul, but to extinguish every trace of their existence in every reality. No inklings of their life, their history, their legacy… All of it, gone in an instant.

“Chang’e… I have allowed you to run rampant long enough, a mistake I will forever carry. But now, it is nigh time I right that wrong.” Tiamat said in a gentle cadence, her eyes aglow with bluish white. In seconds, her body became surrounded by a hurricane cell of divine energy, rushing around her at supersonic speed. The cyclone of power was absorbed into her, bit by bit it was drawn in like a whirlpool, before Tiamat’s form suddenly ballooned in size. Where there once stood a petite woman of shorter stature, was replaced now with a radiant sapphire blue entity that stood 230 feet high.

Two bright yellow eyes glared down at Chang’e, as four muscular limbs flexed with freedom, twin tails snaked in the air, and four magnificent wings extended beyond the deity’s back. A circle of horns, made entirely out of Core energy, sat atop her head. This was Tiamat, the heavenly dragon, the most powerful drake in the multiverse. Without a word, the dragon mother used her great wings to catapult herself hundreds of feet in the air, her form alone mending the cracks and fissures of reality back together once more. When she was high enough, Tiamat slowed to a stop, opened her glowing orange maw wide, and all but hurtled a mountain-sized column of multiverse-imbued fire down towards Chang’e. The blinding orange holy flames filled Chang’e’s vision, her mind, and her very essence. She may have been blasphemously powered by the Core itself, but even she wouldn’t stand up to the full brunt of Tiamat’s fury.

Tenchi Orion stood and watched as their mother unleashed her assault with a curious eye. Never had they’d seen her draconian form in-person before, only hearing stories and tales of both it and its unfathomable power. It was truly a glorious sight to behold, but one they could not afford to gawk at; they had a mission to fulfill. As such, Tenchi turned from the ensuing battle and took in a deep drawn breath. Their eyes fluttered shut, and so too did their mind. In this reality they were no longer... It was time to get to work.


____________________________


Transcendence - a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience.


The vastness of the cosmos, with its swirling galaxies and infinite starlight, has long captured the imagination of the transcendentalist. In the grand sweep of the universe, the individual self seems but a tiny speck, yet transcendentalism reminds us that within this insignificance lies a profound connection to the divine. The stars above are not mere material objects, but windows into a realm of sublime beauty and eternal truths. Just as the individual mind can transcend the limitations of the physical form, so too can we transcend the boundaries of our existence and merge with the infinite consciousness that permeates the cosmos. It is in this mystical union with the natural world that the transcendentalist finds peace, purpose, and a glimpse of the ineffable mysteries that lie at the heart of creation.

It is in this state of being that the ninjas, the Guardians of the Multiverse, found themselves. No longer one as the mighty Tenchi Orion, the siblings now laid in what could only be described as an ocean of galaxies, a vast and infinite body of celestial bodies. One by one, they awoke, with the first of them being Dante, who groggily rose to his feet. He stared at his clean hands and cleansed body, covered in his white and black ceremonial robes. Off a few feet to his right side, did he turn to see Evron rising soon after, along with Ubel to his left, and finally Daeva near in front of them. With all four of the donned in their robes, the siblings regarded one another with a silent greeting and understanding. Rather than confusion, their faces portrayed contentment; they knew why they were here. All around them, colors of every variety, including ones that couldn’t yet even be described, danced, swirled, and intermixed with the other, creating imagery that looked like an oil painting. Underneath the feet of the ninjas were galaxies, whole whirlpools of stars, planets, blackholes, and life… Right below their feet.

This place… It wasn’t a part of the Core itself, yet it felt nearly as important.

“Guys, where are we?” Daeva finally asked, breaking the suspended silence. “It’s beautiful and everything, but… What are we supposed to do here?”

Evron shrugged coyly while he paced haphazardly, his feet sloshing and kicking up the many stars and dust particles. “Beats the hell out of me on both accounts, sis. All I know is there’s a war going on, and instead of kicking Chang’e’s ass and killing her stupid Dad, we’re here to ‘find acceptance’ or something.” The red eyed tactician scoffed, then stopped and focused on Dante standing off a bit next to him. “Em, you got anything?”

Dante, who had been busy taking in their mysterious surroundings, regarded his brother with a slight frown and shake of the head. “Not a clue, Rube, I’ve never been here before in my life. I don’t even know what ‘here’ is.” He sighed and shoved his hands into his robe pockets. “Those images that Chang’e showed us…” Dante looked at each of his siblings, “They meant something. They weren’t just tricks, and they weren’t lies; they were more than that. Our job now is to find out what they were, and how they can help us.”

“She framed them like they were almost… Memories, or like, ghosts of a forgotten past.” Ubel nodded, crossing his arms. “You know Chang’e better than any of us, Em; you’re absolutely sure that she wasn’t just BS’sing us?”

“I’m positive, as sad as that is to say.” Dante replied, a disappointed shadow over his eyes.

“Well, that just means we’ve gotta put our beautiful heads together and do some problem-solving!” Daeva encouraged. “I know how hard that’ll be for you with that planet-sized head of yours, Rube, but hopefully we can manage.” She flashed Evron a cheeky, youngest sibling grin.

Evron merely grinned deviously back, aiming one of his index fingers at her. “Don’t worry, Peri, I’ve got something for you once we’re done with all this, I promise.” He threw back before quickly focusing back in. “So, if we’re supposed to, ‘make peace’ with the stuff that Chang’e showed us, then that means we’d have to physically engage with them somehow, right?”

Dante nodded, “Yeah, but how is the problem we still need to figure out.”

“Oi, who the hell is makin’ all of that damned racket?! You’re fixin’ to get a mighty paddlin’ to the arse if ye keep on yappin’!” A loud, hearty, and gruff voice suddenly echoed in front of the ninjas.

The four siblings paused, their breaths hushed and filtered, their weaponized bodies ready and waiting to fight if need be. Millions of years of battle, eons upon eons of training, had led them all to be sensitive to the slightest abrupt sound or alien movement. A mysterious voice yelling out may as well have been a gunshot. Off mere 50 meters in front of them, did the ninjas see the wooden bow of a boat pierce through the thick fog. The figurehead of such was that of a curly-haired mermaid, cast in rose tinted marble, or a material that looked similar to it. As more of the nautical vessel crested the inky clouds, the siblings soon could tell that it wasn’t a particularly large ship, probably 35 feet long at most.

It was, for the most part, a rather plain affair, with only the smiling mermaid being the standout decoration. Otherwise, the boat was constructed entirely of thick wood, a rustic brown in color, with dark green space moss and solar urchins covering the hull, a sign of apathetic care. It wasn’t, however, the boat that the ninjas were focused on, but rather its captain. A tall figure, at least Ubel’s height, and swallowed in burgundy robes, with a rather large brown leather satchel dangling from their left shoulder, and a worn wooden paddle held tight in their bony fingers. With their hood up, the guardians weren’t able to grab any notable features, an invisible cloak seemingly shrouding their face. And as the boat came to a slow stop in front of them, their defenses were very much up.

“Dante… What do we do, bro?” Ubel inquired psychically, eyes narrowing.

Dante, who stood in front of his siblings, ushered a subtle snap with his fingers, a sign to remain at ease for now. “Let’s just see what they want first, yeah? Remember, we’re supposed to be here.” He calmly replied.

“Alright, but if I even sense that this creepy asshole is thinking of trying anything, I’m going loud.” Evron retorted, his form visibly tensed.

The cloaked figure soon stepped from their boat and walked silently and slowly towards the siblings, rowing paddle in-hand. This made the ninjas draw further into themselves, until, with a suddenness, the figure stopped, stooped low to rest their paddle on the watery surface… And then reached up to remove their large hood. As it dropped to the back of their head, the ninjas saw that they… He was an old man. His eyes were light brown and hardened, likely from having experienced an eons worth of lifetimes, perhaps even more. His skin was wrinkled and folded, though surprisingly well kept and healthy, with a clean shaven bald head, and a full, silver, healthy beard. At first, his lips were drawn tight in a resentful frown, until, as though a spark of revelation and recognition struck him, the old man beamed with excitement.

He stuck his hands out like he was expecting a hug, and let out a deep and hearty laugh. The ninjas peered at one another, bewildered and curious. “Ahhh, Tiamat’s bairns, the guardians themselves! I’d bow if I could, your majesty and highnesses, but this damned back has had me done for as long as I can remember!” He said with an annoyed sneer.

Dante looked at Evron beside him, who just shrugged in confusion, and then turned to the stranger. “Who are you?” He asked.

“Aye…” The man grinned, showing his several missing teeth, “I be The Riverman, at your service.

“The ‘Riverman’?” Ubel parroted, eyebrows raised. “That name, or title I guess, doesn’t sound familiar.” He turned to his siblings with a concerned look, “Guys, I don’t like this; I’ve never heard of this dude before, have you?” Ubel mentally asked.

“Don’t look at me,” Daeva gave a subtle shrug and an innocent look, “you’d know for sure if I did.”

Evron grimaced, “Same here… There’s something fishy going on here, and it’s not just the smell of our new friend.”

Before Dante was able to speak, the ninjas’ collective attention was brought back to The Riverman as he let out a hearty chuckle. “Aye, I take offense to that! It ain’t easy keepin’ clean out here in these waters carryin’ souls to and fro. I bathe when I can!” He replied defensively.

The siblings all looked shocked, their eyes wide and glowing bright. He had… Heard their thoughts. A conversation that normally would have been impenetrable from every other being, even the likes of Chang’e, had somehow been listened in on by this cosmic ferryman!

“How… How the hell did you do that? How did you just listen in on us?!” Evron dumbfoundedly demanded.

The old man beamed a sly, toothy grin, his eyes sparkling in the primordial ether below them. “Aye… In this place, there be no secrets.” He replied coolly, twirling his paddle against the ground.

Dante stepped a little bit in front of his fellow ninjas, hands at his side. “And what is this ‘place’ exactly?” He asked.

“Ah, well I’m glad ye finally asked, your majesty!” The Riverman responded jovially, outstretching his arms once more, and turned his back to them. “I see ye have already taken a trip to the Core? Well, this, lads and lass, this is something quite similar to that, but different all the same.”

Daeva looked exasperated, her foot idly tapping rapidly. “You’re not really making too much sense, stream dude. Is this gonna be a long explanation? Cause in that case I can happily sit down and listen, I just didn’t want to sit down and then have to get right back up as soon as you finished, when I just sat down, you know?”

The Riverman chuckled before turning to look at them, “Hang tight, princess, I be gettin’ there. You see, young warriors, where ye currently stand is an extension of the Core itself, though not many know it to be true. This, my friends…” He motioned a hand around him, “Is Yggdrasil. Or, more specifically, a root of the giant tree.”

Evron recoiled casually in surprise. “So, you mean to tell me that we’re IN Yggdrasil, right now?” He asked.

The Riverman nodded, “Aye.” He answered.

The ninjas shared a look; they had no clue what they had just stepped into, and willingly at that.

“Hold on, so if the Core is responsible for everything that exists, then what is the tree for exactly? You said it was similar to the Core, but different… What does that mean?” Ubel asked.

The ancient being gave an enthused smile, resting his free hand on his slender hip. “That be a great question, big fellow! And I will answer it and anything else ye may have on the way, come on then.” The Riverman said and waved them towards his boat, swiftly shuffling towards it.

Dante reached a hand out, “Well wait a second, we haven’t even told you why we’re here to begin with!”

The Riverman waved that statement off, not even breaking his stride nor looking back. “I know why ye’re hear, I was clued in before the four of you came. Now, get ye asses in gear, we’re already behind!”

The siblings exchanged another look, before Dante, with a short nod, motioned them on. What choice did they really have? Either they succeeded here, or the multiverse truly would be lost forever. They needed The Riverman, they just hoped he was trustworthy. Once they were all aboard, The Riverman, with but one single stroke of his paddle, carried them into the endless ether. In this expanse, the ninjas’ knowledge was for naught; they were in unfamiliar territory, with an equally unfamiliar guide. Whatever challenge laid ahead of them, they needed to be prepared… Such was no longer a choice.