Tales of the Epitaph 20

[Hayate]

Tales of the Epitaph

Chapter 20: The Silver Paradise

~ Six Ringing Peaks of Al Fadel, North Pole ~

~ Jinnday, Althena-Lunae 40, AC2038 ~

*inside Cubia’s tower, a pair of individuals stand inside in a vast chamber near the top; several miles above them, Cubia is seen*

Cubia: *low groan*

: …Cubia… The ‘hidden one masked by the shadows’… The dimensional being spoken of only in lore… Hmph. How laughable. I know what you really are. You’re no decimator of worlds. You’re nothing more than a giant mass of uncontrolled power.

*reaching into his robes, the shadowed figure pulls out a small orb that glowed bright purple*

: And in just a matter of moments…all of your pure, unbridled power…will be mine…!

*the shadows pull back on the two figures to reveal…*

Sakaki: Hehehe…!

Kaeion: …

*meanwhile, outside the tower, the Daybreak continues to fly through the swarm of Cubia’s tentacled spawn; Kazuto and company fend them off from deck*

Ren: Vak Don!

*Ren rains fiery-hot meteors down upon a nearby group of monsters, incinerating them into ash*

Saber: Hyah!

*several feet above, Saber is seen combating Cubia’s beasts from the yardarm alongside Shiro, standing at her back*

Saber: How are you faring, Sir Shiro!?

Shiro: Hmph! This is child’s play!

*just then, dozens of more monsters emerge to challenge the two*

Shiro: …Perhaps I’ve spoken too soon…

Kazuto/Sakuya: Kyaaaaaaah!

*with a vertical/horizontal double-team, Kazuto and Sakuya destroy one of the larger members of the swarm*

Sakuya: *panting*

Kazuto: You holding up okay, Sakuya!?

Sakuya: I’m…fine! I’ve handled situations…far worse than this!

*at that moment, Vyce’s voice comes on over the Daybreak’s intercom*

Vyce: Everyone! We’re directly above the tower’s entrance!

Kaori: How are we supposed to get down there!? These things won’t let up!

*all of a sudden, a black blur whizzes swiftly through the air above the party, doing away with a sizeable portion of the enemy army; the figure draped in black lands on the Daybreak’s deck and turns to the party with blade in hand*

Ren: Gilgamesh!

Gil: Get going! I’ll handle these abominations!

Shiro: By yourself!?

Gil: Heh! Don’t worry! These freaks can’t even hold a candle to my blade! Now get inside the tower and teach that bastard Cubia not to mess with the Arc-en-Ciel crew!

Kazuto: … *nods*

*leaving the spawn swarm in Gilgamesh’s hands, Kazuto and the party leaps down from the deck to the tower’s entrance; with his feet planted firmly on the deck’s flooring, Gilgamesh raises his blade; hundreds of Cubia spawn float around the Daybreak, poised to attack*

Gilgamesh: … *smirk* …Well!? C’mon then! I’ll send the whole lot of you to the netherworld!

*now inside the tower, the party gets a feel for its surroundings; the only way up the tower was a large spiral staircase*

Kaori: *shudder* …Anyone else feel that? It feels like we’re being watched by a million eyes.

Saber: We’re in the belly of the beast, so to speak.

Kazuto: Well, we can’t stop now! The fate of the whole world rests on our shoulders!

Shiro: …Oh, good… No pressure then…

Sakuya: …Let’s go!

*with firm resolve, the party makes its way up the tower via the spiral staircase, fighting past Cubia’s demon spawn along the way; before long, the party approaches the top of the tower and spot Cubia miles above them*

Cubia: *low groan*

Ren: Cubia… It’s even more hideous up-close…

Saber: …!!! There’s someone else here!

*just then, as his footsteps clack against the marble flooring, out of the shadows emerges…*

Sakaki: …Well met, young prince.

All: !!!

Kazuto: Sakaki!

Sakaki: *looks at Sakuya* …And the discarded princess Sakuya, I presume?

Sakuya: “Discarded”!? How dare you!

Saber: *draws blade on Sakaki* What are you doing here, you cur!?

Shiro: How did you escape from your prison cell!?

Sakaki: Heh. Well…I certainly couldn’t have done it without the help of my new pet. Speaking of which… Kaeion!

*at that moment, Kaeion leaps from the shadows to attack the party with broadsword drawn; Saber leaps forward to challenge him with her own broadsword*

Saber: Argh…!

Kaori: Kaeion!? W-What are you…!?

Kaeion: …

*upon closer glance, Kaeion is seen to have emotionally blank eyes*

Kazuto: *glares at Sakaki* What did you do to him!?

Sakaki: Oh, nothing major. I simply made it so Kaeion won’t turn on me ever again…thanks to this.

*reaching into his robes, Sakaki once again reveals the purple orb controlling Kaeion*

All: !!!

Sakaki: Wondrous, isn’t it? The long-since-abandoned technology of Carmina Gadelica: the Macha Sphere.

Ren: …That thing is…a product of Gadelican science…?

Sakaki: Heretics though they may have been, the level of intelligence amongst the Gadelican people must’ve been truly awe-inspiring. For them to have mastered a technology such as this… It takes my breath away.

Ren: Tch!

Sakaki: You all ruined my chances to become king of Mac Anu. On top of that, you had me dragged from my position as royal advisor to…prison inmate! The utter disgrace of it all! …However…I suppose I should express my gratitude to you as well. Had Cubia not come to this world because of your actions, I would not be standing here today. …Just look at it up there… A giant mass of pure energy just waiting to be harnessed… And with the power of this Macha Sphere, it will be all under my control… Why settle for being king of Mac Anu…when I can become…a god!?

Kazuto: *draws blade* You’ll be doing nothing of the sort! For murdering my mother in cold blood… *dashes forward* …this place shall be your grave, Sakaki!!!

*Sakaki does nothing as Kazuto charges at him…*

Sakaki: …Heh!

*…as Kaeion appears before Kazuto to protect Sakaki; the two’s blades connect loudly*

Kazuto: Grrrr…!

Ren: Saber! Sakuya! Go and assist Kazu! The rest of us shall handle Sakaki!

Sakuya: Right!

Saber: Understood!

*Saber and Sakuya rush to help Kazuto fight off Kaeion while Ren, Shiro, and Kaori charge towards Sakaki*

Shiro: SAKAKI!!!!!

*Shiro leaps at Sakaki with his dual swords…*

Sakaki: …Hmph.

*…but at the last second, his blade comes into contact with a magical barrier that shields Sakaki from harm*

Sakaki: I won’t be taken down as easily as I was in LeGable! This time, I am in control!

Shiro: Damn you…!

*meanwhile, several yards away, Kazuto defends himself against Kaeion’s relentless assault*

Kazuto: Kaeion, stop this! You have to break Sakaki’s hold over you! Fight it!

Kaeion: …

Kazuto: (Dammit! He can’t hear me!)

*just then, a swift upward slash catches Kazuto by surprise, and Kaeion wounds his chest, causing him to fall back*

Kazuto: Gah!

*Kaeion positions himself before Kazuto, poised to deal the final blow…*

Kazuto: *gasp*

Kaeion: …

*…when Sakuya suddenly enters with a kick to the side of Kaeion’s head, sending him flying several feet to the side*

Kazuto: S-Sakuya!

Sakuya: Get up! This battle’s just getting started!

*returning to his feet, Kaeion faces forward and finds himself confronted by Kazuto, Saber, and Sakuya*

Kazuto: …

Sakuya: …

Saber: …

Kaeion: …

*extending his arms out to his sides, Kaeion reaches into his personal pocket of subspace and draws a pair of strange silver rapiers; with these blades in hand, he takes an offensive stance*

Kaeion: …

Saber: …ATTACK!!!

*the two sides charge forward and meet in a fierce three-on-one clash; meanwhile, Shiro, Ren, and Kaori continue trying to break through Sakaki’s barrier*

Ren/Kaori: Luminescence, pierce through! Lei Zas!

*Ren and Kaori attempt to penetrate the barrier with beams of light while Shiro strikes at it continuously with his dual swords*

Shiro: *panting* This isn’t working…!

Sakaki: You can try as much and as hard as you please. My level of magic completely trumps yours.

*as the power of the Macha Sphere in Sakaki’s hand intensifies, Cubia thrashes about in pain*

Cubia: *pained groan*

Sakaki: Resistance is futile, you scourge of worlds! Submit yourself to my will!

Ren: We’re running out of time! If Sakaki brings Cubia under his control, he’ll be unstoppable!

Shiro: Grrrr… COME ON!!!!!

*as Shiro continues to strike at the barrier, cracks begin to form in it*

Kaori: S-Shiro…!

Sakaki: Tch! Persistent little…!

*pointing his free hand to his rear, Sakaki sends out pulsating waves of energy that are amplified through the barrier, sending Shiro flying back several feet*

Shiro: Agh!

Ren/Kaori: Shiro!

Shiro: *returns to feet* You’re…gonna have to do better than that…to keep me down, Sakaki…! Hyaaaaaaah!

*as if unfazed by Sakaki’s attack, Shiro goes right back to striking at the barrier; inspired by Shiro’s determination, Ren and Kaori double their efforts in breaking through to Sakaki*

Saber: Ugh!

*on the other side of the battlefield, Saber falls back onto the ground, overcome by Kaeion’s power; Kazuto and Sakuya, meanwhile, each stand at an opposite end of Kaeion’s body, fending off his silver rapiers with their blades*

Sakuya: T-This guy…! His strength is unreal…!

Kazuto: Well, they don’t call him the “Adept Rogue” for nothing…!

Kaeion: …

*as Kaeion turns his head slightly to face Kazuto, Kazuto notices a silver glimmer in his blank eyes; a voice that seemingly belongs to Kaeion echoes in Kazuto’s mind*

I am…

Kazuto: H-Huh? What was that?

*all of a sudden, a small portal leading into Kaeion’s pocket of subspace opens up; little by little, it gets wider and starts to drag Kazuto, Sakuya, and Kaeion inside*

Sakuya: W-What’s happening now!?

*the portal widens even further and takes the form of a dome-like shell, with the three trapped inside*

Saber: Sir Kazuto!!! Miss Sakuya!!!

*Saber rises to her feet and attempts to enter the subspace pocket herself, but a strange force prevents her from doing so*

Saber: *grits teeth* …Kaeion…!

*within the dome, Kazuto and Sakuya find themselves in a new space; the sky was white, and the land was riddled with puddles of silvery-blue water; in addition, strange blue spheres hovered about the landscape*

Sakuya: …Where’s Kaeion…?

Kazuto: I think a better question is…where are we?

*just then, the voice Kazuto heard earlier echoes in his mind again*

I am…the voice of fallen souls…

Sakuya: What was that?

Kazuto: You heard it too?

Blood is my water…retribution my air…

Sakuya: *draws blade* Where is that coming from…!?

Enduring a war of 1000 struggles…

Kazuto: Kaeion! Is that you!?

Forever cursed by the Grim Reaper…
Haunted by memories of the lost ones…
Seeking redemption and life untainted…

Sakuya: …There!

*pointing towards the north, Sakuya turns Kazuto’s attention to a rippling puddle of water; out of the water emerges Kaeion, but in a new, sleeker form; his hair was streaked with light-blue, and he was coated from neck to toe in black cloth and thin silver armor*

…To this end, I invoke:
Ancient Memory “Elysium”

Kaeion: …

*as a floating blue sphere hovers near Kaeion, he reaches his hand into it and pulls out another ornate silver rapier*

Sakuya: Great… Out of the frying pan and into the “Adept Rogue’s” personal hell…

*Kaeion begins to walk towards the twins, but his walk soon escalates into a blinding fast sprint*

Kazuto: Here he comes!

*as he comes within range, Kaeion shoves Kazuto to the ground and turns his blade on Sakuya; his swift, fluid motions prove difficult for Sakuya to follow, and Kaeion slices her flesh several times*

Sakuya: Aah!

Kazuto: Sakuya!

*jumping to his feet, Kazuto attempts to strike at Kaeion’s back; with his free hand, Kaeion reaches into another floating sphere and draws a second rapier to fend off Kazuto’s attack*

Kazuto: Grrrr…

Kaeion: …

*a fierce two-on-one clash ensues, and Kaeion apparently has no trouble holding the twins at bay*

Sakuya: Tch! I can’t…break through…his defenses!

*just then, Sakuya’s bracelet shimmers, causing a momentary break in Kaeion’s reaction time; noticing this break, Kazuto slashes at one of the areas of Kaeion’s body that wasn’t shielded by armor; Kaeion leaps back several feet as his blood stained the white ground with red*

Kaeion: …

Sakuya: W-What just…?

Kazuto: It’s the bracelet! I’m not sure why, but it’s affecting him somehow!

Sakuya: *sigh* Some good news for once…

Kazuto: Don’t get comfy just yet! He’s not gonna make beating him easy for us!

*looking at Sakuya’s midsection, Kazuto notices that she was bleeding as well*

Kazuto: …Sakuya…

Sakuya: Ignore it. I can keep going.

Kazuto: …Alright.

*as he stood across from the twins, Kaeion foregoes his rapiers and reaches into two more floating spheres, drawing a pair of silver handguns*

Kaeion: …

Sakuya: …Round 2!

*charging forward, Kazuto and Sakuya move in a zigzag pattern towards Kaeion; during this, Kaeion fires off bullets like wildfire; as the twins dash forward, the bullets appear to pass right through them; once they were several feet away from Kaeion, Kazuto and Sakuya dash in a circle around him -- Kaeion dashes around Kaeion’s right side, and Sakuya around his left side; Kaeion slowly spreads his arms to his sides, turning a single handgun on each twin; as soon as the twins meet at Kaeion’s back, they spring at him in a powerful leap; before Kaeion had a chance to turn around and fire his guns, Kazuto and Sakuya had drawn their blades and, with a swift slash, cut the gun barrels in half*

Kazuto: Now!

*at that moment, their bracelet shine brightly again, causing another lapse in Kaeion’s reaction time*

Kaeion: !!!

*acting in perfect tandem, Kazuto and Sakuya assault Kaeion with their weapons, effectively drawing him back into a corner; finally, as he gets in close proximity to Kaeion, Kazuto sheathes his sword and balls his right hand into a tight fist*

Kazuto: WAKE UP, KAEION!!!!!

*the power of Kazuto’s bracelet shines its brightest, and with a fierce punch to Kaeion’s gut, the Epitaph breaks Kaeion of his hypnosis*

Kaeion: AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

*the inner walls of Elysium begin to crack, until…*

Saber: …Ah!

*…cracks begin form in the dome from the outside as well; Saber shields herself as the dome shatters like glass; as Kazuto, Sakuya, and Kaeion are seen, Kaeion shortly collapses onto the ground unconscious*

Kazuto: *panting*

Saber: Sir Kazuto! Miss Sakuya! You’re alright!

Sakuya: Y-Yeah… We’re just… Ohhhh…

*just before Sakuya collapses, Saber catches her*

Saber: Miss Sakuya! Are you okay!? …Ah! You’re bleeding heavily!

Kazuto: Saber, look after Sakuya and Kaeion for me. I’ll go get Ren so she can tend to their wounds.

Saber: *nods* Understood.

*with Kaeion defeated, Kazuto rushes over to join the rest of the party*

Kazuto: Guys! You holding up okay?

Shiro: *panting* Damn you to hell, Sakaki! Quit hiding behind your cowardly barrier and face us like a man!

Sakaki: Hmm? Oh, are you still here? I’d forgotten you were even standing there.

Shiro: Grrrr… GRAAAAHHHH!!!!

Kazuto: Shiro, stop! You’re just wasting energy!

Shiro: *panting*

Kazuto: …Let me try.

*as Kazuto steps forward, Shiro, Ren, and Kaori step back to give him room; once again, Kazuto’s bracelet shines brightly; he coils his body back and…*

Kazuto: HAAAAAH!!!!!

*…slams his closed fist into the barrier, causing the terrain to tremble from the clashing energies; before anyone realized what was happening, cracks rapidly form in the barrier from Kazuto’s hand outward and, like Kaeion’s Elysium dome before it, it shatters like glass*

Kaori: Wow…

Ren: So this is…the power of Aura…

Sakaki: *chuckling* So the young prince has learnt some new tricks, has he? Wish I could take the time to experience it firsthand, but I have other pressing matters. …You’re too late.

Kazuto: *gasp*

Sakaki: *holds Macha Sphere high up* Now, Cubia!!! The time has come!!! Become one with me, and fill me with your everlasting power!!!

*as Cubia’s four eyes glow purplish-red, it opens up its great maw, baring its two rows of teeth, and roars loudly as it shines a beam of light down upon Sakaki*

Kazuto: *draws blade* NO!!!

*Kazuto shoots forward in an attempt to stop the power merge, but as the beam of light hits Sakaki’s body, the explosion of energy pushes him back*

Sakaki: Ahhhh… Magnificent… What an exhilarating feeling… The power…! The wonderful, glorious power…!!!

*in the moments that followed, Sakaki’s body vanishes in a swirl of particles that bind with Cubia above; the party below waits in suspense for something to happen*

Ren: …Is Sakaki…?

Hehehe… Hahahaha…

Kazuto: !!!

*Sakaki’s evil cackle could then be heard echoing across the tower*

Shiro: …That can’t be good…

Kaori: So… Sakaki has really…

Kazuto: This doesn’t change anything! We came here to stop Cubia from destroying our world, and that’s what we’re gonna do! Now that Sakaki’s bound himself to Cubia, all it means is killing two birds with one stone!

All: *nods*

Kazuto: Our fight is almost over, guys… Let’s see this through to the end!

All: RIGHT!

*with that, the party faces forward, ready to take on the colossal demon Cubia*

Cubia (Sakaki): I…AM THE GOD OF THE WORLD!!!!!

TO BE CONTINUED…