In a beautiful field of flowers with an altar and many rows of seating stood a man dressed in a suit. In front of him was a woman much shorter with beautiful red hair and a white dress with a veil of the same.
At each of the seats were people the two had recognised, all of whom were close friends of the two. Tears filled the eyes of three in particular, that being the succubus in a red dress, the orange-haired kitsune in an orange kimono, and a purple lamia with a dress of the same color.
The priest the two had chosen was not a true priest for this occasion, but due to the secrecy of their wedding, the white succubus had asked her mother to do so as her family was familiar with prayers due to the succubi’s deceased father.
Standing beside the two, the woman spoke from her bible of braille before focusing on the lovers themselves.
Airi: [Do you, Yoro Kobi, take Nero Virtuoso as your lawful husband, to have and hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?]
Smiling back at the blond woman close to her own height before turning back to Nero, Yoro responded.
Yoro: [I do.]
Airi: [And do you, Nero Virtuoso, take Yoro Kobi as your lawful wife, to have and hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?]
Nero shared the same look at his wife and responded.
Nero: [I do.]
Closing the book in her hands, Airi spoke calmly to the two with a smile.
Airi: [You may now kiss the bride.]
Moving to each other, the lips of the lovers met in the middle, causing a rally of cheers to form as they did. Once they finished, the two looked over and chuckled, amused by their nearby friends cheering them on. One in particular being–
Kōkatsu: [Kiss her more, coward! Come on! Do it! Do it! Do it! Ow!]
A kitsune who jumped up, asking for Nero to continue his display of love. As she was pulled down to her seat by her children, the succubus that sat beside her hit the top of her head with a chop.
Focusing their attention back on each other, the two showed their pure joy for each other in their words.
Nero: [A moment like this truly feels magical. I expected it entirely, and knew the idea of what it would be like once we arrived here, but it’s something else to be holding your hands right now as my wife.]
Yoro: [Hehe! It’s pretty special for me too! I was practicing what to do and say all week! I was really worried that I’d mess it up somehow, but I’m glad that everything worked out! Everything always works out when I’m with you, Nene!♥]
Inserting herself into the conversation, the blond hero calmly responded to them.
Airi: [I hate to ruin your loving moment, given I felt a similar joy when I was your age, but we have a few more things to do before we finish. After that, you’re free to enjoy each other’s company as much as you please.]
Nero: [Ah! Right! My apologies, Mrs. Fuloreen!]
Yoro: [Yeah! Sorry about that, Mrs. Fuloreen! We got a little too excited…]
Airi: [Don’t worry, it’s fine. I understand where both of you are coming from. Give me a few more minutes to finish up.]
Readjusting themselves and taking a deep breath, a sudden silence filled the air around the two.
Looking over to the side, the rows of seats were now empty before Nero. No one was around, despite being there seconds before.
Puzzled, he looked over to Airi, who was no longer there as well. The bible she held slowly dropped to the floor…
… only to be caught mid air by a soft hand, who opened it up and displayed not braille, but words to Nero. Written across it was…
“What are you doing?”
Looking up at the one who held it, Nero gazed upon the same wife who accepted him seconds before, who he loved with all his heart.
A smile no longer visible on her face.
The world around him faded to black.
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The light around the two slowly started to dissipate. Once their figures could be seen by each other, the same old looks as before were made present, without a single detail missing from themselves. However, it was the very tool they held that changed in appearance.
In the hand of the white goddess, a similar sword to Tempest could be seen, only now, the jagged edges of the sword were doubled and turned diagonally to the left and right, forming four rows of spikes along the blade. Its appearance resembled something similar to a spiked club. Additionally, the blade was much brighter than before.
In the hand of the black god, a similar sword to Martire could be seen, only now, the angelic-like feathers that circled around the hilt were extended upward, protruding out of blade in different directions, creating an almost heavily crystalized look to the weapon. Additionally, the blade took on a black and red sheen.
They stood there, in pure silence. Not a word escaped their lips, not a single step made to create more sound. Simply the nothingness of two who knew what would come next. There was no escaping it. There was no running from this. This was their destiny, their fate. Regardless of the paths their battle could have taken from the start, all roads would lead to this moment.
The demons had welcomed it. In their minds, this would give way to the world they wished to see. Whether it would be filled with peace or a land ruled with fear was entirely up to who would succeed. Their bond did not matter, for what would soon transpire was far more important.
The end of this battle, the war that it originated from and ambitions of these divine gods, all would come to an end here.
Speaking in a low voice, the oni clad in black spoke to his friend in white before beginning their duel.
Nero: [Shiro.]
Shiro: [Yeah?]
Nero: [Know that this finale to our duel will not be one of spite or malice, but of respect. Even if I must bury you with my own hands, I will continue to value you as a friend.]
Shiro: [... Yeah.]
Taking up their stances with their blades again, the final duel was now underway.
Making the first move, Nero dashed through the air, spinning his body around and causing his hair to slap the ground below, before returning to normal as he went to strike Neo Tempest.
Shiro prepared her blade to counter, but felt something off about Nero’s own and dodged the incoming attack instead while also lightly tapping it with Neo Tempest. Two sparks hit Purezza, before Nero’s attack continued to pierce through without hitting the ground, destroying not only the land they had stood on but also the mountains behind it.
Landing on the new surface of earth, Shiro spun in a circle and slammed into the greatsword with her own. Unlike previous clashes between Tempest and Martire, where both blades had canceled each other out, Nero experienced the mysterious properties of Tempest, or rather, Neo Tempest for the first time.
As the jagged blade of green touched his own, several attacks were unleashed against Purezza along the entire edge. Over and over, his sword was met with an endless spree of attacks that he was forced to push back against. Slashing Neo Tempest to gain some distance, Nero was met with four impacts against his sword.
Shiro swung the blade around, ready to unleash another attack, only this time in the form of a projectile. Swinging the blade towards the empty air, a massive slash of matōki was sent Nero’s way, who for the first time while dealing with this variant, dodged out of the way. He then watched as more of the scenery gave way behind the blows.
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Nero: [I see. A version of Tempest that not only keeps attacking, but doubles the rate at which it previously attacked in its base. Certainly an impressive upgrade, Shiro.]
Landing back down on the ground, Nero dashed towards Shiro again. Jumping forward, he struck the green blade with a quick, albeit dull, attack. Across Shiro’s body was a small rip in her clothes that formed, along with a shallow wound that joined in succession. Behind her, the land ripped apart in a thin line, reaching all the way to the distant mountain tops.
Nero: [Purezza heightens the effects of Martire, bringing it to a brand new level. No matter what I shall face, Purezza will effortlessly cut through it, even a mighty blade that strikes me infinitely.]
Purezza was repelled by Shiro’s guard, leading both blades to be held at the side right next to each other. Swinging them back, the two created a devastating ring as they struck. The shared cut the two gave to the land had formed a massive hole to their right, followed by a nearby body of water that streamed itself in, that was originally blocked by some of the mountains.
Swinging their blades across from each other again and again, the land around them had changed with every blow. Mountain tops were turned to nothing but cubes of rock. Water continued to fill the sides of their arena, leading to not only the two large bodies, but several soldiers on the outside being scooped up by the waves as they transcended over to the battlefields behind the two.
Due to the effects of both blades, the slashes between them had also passed through the area, leading countless Virtuoso soldiers to be cleaved and slaughtered. The soldiers among other factions stood behind where Kōkatsu the Almighty and Ryuka Ryoma were, who quickly destroyed the attacks as they drew close, all the while watching the fight between Shiro and Nero.
Back in the arena, Nero created a thick wall of ice, preventing Shiro’s onslaught from continuing. As the ice started to spread out, the pools of water from before were frozen over, moving all the way towards the original bodies that they had streamed out of. Before they could get any further, Nero cut through the ice with his sword in an attempt to attack the goddess behind it. As it shattered, he witnessed Shiro soaring high in the air, moving down towards his position.
Neo Tempest made explosive contact with the mighty greatsword, leading the land below them to become destroyed once again. The ice along the sides was shattered, making way for water to drop in and take up more space than before. Shiro struck down at the sword repeatedly, causing their arena to drop lower with every attack.
A tactic like this could only be used for so long before an opponent would grow used to it, with Nero swinging Shiro’s blade off of him and allowing him to battle as he saw fit again. Swinging the blade by the hilt in the circle and gripping it again, Nero launched himself to the sky where Shiro had now been, and swung Purezza towards her. The goddess moved to the side, but still kept Neo Tempest near, swinging back at the greatsword and sending sparks flying towards the ground. Two mountains on completely opposite sides were cut apart, but one was not an ordinary mountain at all.
From inside the mountain, a large pool of lava dripped down along the path, filling its own space in the arena separate from the pools of water. Much like everything before, several others on the battlefield who allied with Nero were hit in the crossfire of this magma.
Performing a similar tactic to what Shiro had done from the beginning, the demons zipped by each other, attacking as they met in the middle, before continuing to move past. They would then change their attention back to each other, zipping by to perform another attack. Each changing the land below, creating a destroyed version of the beauty that was once there.
The Onigashima District was hardly the same place many had remembered it anymore. The tall mountains of the area were turned into nothing more than smashed rocks or large hills with the tops cleaved off, giving way for more land to be built. The pools of water and lava that were either held between or inside mountains safely were released for all to see, terrorizing the land. Even the houses built around the area were shattered and destroyed, leaving the residents who were now in the Babylon District without a home to stay in.
What was once here, placed on these grand mountains that touched the beautiful sky, was the Onigashima District, a vast land of the strong who lived in peace and harmony, forever joyous by the beautiful landscape they witnessed every morning as the sun rose above the cliffs.
The miserable display that replaced it was the new Onigashima District, made by Shiro Fuloreen and Nero Virtuoso during their duel. A hellish area filled with hazards, the unsightly remnants of a place once called home, and cracks and chasms covering the rocky field, leaving nothing more than a life ending hazard for someone should they fall down.
It was a sight none had enjoyed, but it was one they were forced to accept. While the demons clashed in the air, none could interrupt their duel. To do so would be asking for death themselves, but also, it would prevent the potential end of Nero’s tyranny. To Shiro, an interruption from one of her allies would cause her mind to worry, likely shouting at the individual to get away. To Nero, it would merely be a chance. An opportunity to strike the goddess down.
Flying high up towards the clouds and bursting through them, before skyrocketing back down, Shiro held Neo Tempest behind her and slammed it against Nero’s sword, knocking him towards the low arena the two had formed. A crater in the middle of the arena was formed, which Nero quickly corrected with a swipe from Purezza, lowering the ground floor again.
Shattered pieces of the previous field were sent towards the air, only to be cut by Nero as he sent a slash towards Shiro above him. Just like she had done earlier in their fight, Shiro avoided the attack, allowing the clouds to part in half. It was only as he performed such a move that Shiro had noticed something.
From the distance, something about Nero’s appearance changed briefly. She could not pinpoint what it was, as he was too far in distance to determine anything about it. However, there was a clear difference between before and after, whatever that difference may be.
Swinging Tempest back down as Nero swung Purezza towards her, the two clashed while Shiro was still in the air. Due to the direction of their attacks, Shiro nor Nero were cut, but instead the walls of rock beside them, opening up a thick line of space as both were parted.
Flipping over Nero’s body, Shiro tried to strike low at the man’s legs but was quickly countered by his sword. Holding his blade up with a hand pushed past it, the man intended to pierce her with the tip. While the blade was thrusted forward, Shiro danced along the side, hitting it with Neo Tempest as she spun. The multiplied impacts of Tempest caused Purezza to change direction in Nero’s hand, piercing through a wall of the arena and leaving a hole all the way through. Though it could not properly be seen from a distance, due to how low the hole was made, a direct view of the world outside of the Onigashima District could be seen, given the difference in mass between the towering mountains of the land and those lower than it in Mazokuni.
With his guard now wide open after the reckless tip focused attack, Nero’s back was slashed by Neo Tempest ruthlessly. The blade cut into his flesh multiple times with only one strike, along with an electric matōki based paralysis to take over his body. The pain shook his body in place, but there was no time for the oni to back down. Breaking through his stunned state, Nero regenerated from the wound and dashed towards Shiro. Seeing her trying to jump into the air again caused the man to reflexively grab and pull her foot down, swinging his blade at Shiro.
Ducking down low, Shiro flipped the blade into a backhanded grip and slashed upwards towards Nero’s body. Anticipating this himself, Nero blocked the blade before it could reach him, destroying the wall behind but still not providing any harm towards his body. However, due to the properties of Neo Tempest, the blade continued to strike even while held up against Purezza.
Kicking Shiro with his foot, Nero gained some space between her and readjusted his stance. In synchronized tandem, the two held their blades up and charged forward towards each other, like many times before.
It was only now that the occurrence of their charges was much different. Not for Nero Virtuoso, but rather the goddess of balance, Shiro Fuloreen. In Shiro’s eyes, she could see it. The change she had thought was there before, yet she was unable to discern what it had been. It was right there, in front of her eyes and reflected back in Nero’s
The harsh white pupils in Nero’s eyes, colored by the appearance of his oni horns and narrow in shape had started to widen. His face grew soft, his eyes had more emotion behind them, the anger he held had oddly faded.
Emotion. Nero was beginning to show a pure, genuine emotion on his face. Not that of hatred or malice, but a somber look. A specific look she had not seen ever since the two spoke again, after several years without communication.
Perhaps it was Shiro herself who could have caused this, as she was a dear friend of Nero and someone he had praised throughout their entire fight. It was certainly possible that, in this duel, every moment that Nero was forced to attack Shiro was a painful blister in his mind. This was a possibility and not one Shiro would doubt, but she believed in another possibility she had thought of.
Yoro. Varius.
Both of whom were two Nero had held close to his heart. The two of them were his everything and were now the reason for why he enacted his plan to build a new world. No one else could hold a candle to the warmth they had provided him every second he drew breath. With Yoro killed and Varius missing, perhaps dead as well, Nero was left with nothing but bittersweet memories of what once was within the world where they were no longer here. Just like her previous thought, this was merely a possibility. There was not a shred of truth behind it, nor could there have been. However, it was a possibility. It was possible that either Shiro or the two that Nero loved were the ones to cause this change. Whichever option it was would be anyone’s guess.
Holding the greatsword behind himself, a fierce buildup of matōki that illuminated the hole with a blue light was roaring through the air with a screech. Gliding it along the ground, more and more of the rocky earth below him was being split further and further as it drew close to Shiro.
In response, Shiro calmly lifted her blade above her head, high into the air, before dropping it low, close to the ground. Moving the bright green, quadruple jagged sword to the left, she closed her eyes.
In front of her, the man’s somber face grew more fierce, building his sorrow into a boiling rage.
And with it…
Nero: [Chilled Terror Ripper!]
Swinging the mighty greatsword at Shiro, a blinding light consumed the entire arena.
A terrible tremble shook the ground across the entire Onigashima District.
And with it… the succubus stood behind the oni. Her posture now kneeling to the ground after swinging her blade to the right.
Quietly, she spoke.
Shiro: [... Neo Tempest Cross.]
Once the technique was uttered, a deep wound across Nero’s stomach was let loose. A visceral spray of blood painted the rock wall he intended to hit alongside the target behind him. His arms were held to the side, unable to resist the pain they felt. A great shock, just like before, locked his body in place.
Finally, wraps filled with light swerved around Nero’s body, robbing him of a piece of his being. Once the wraps had finished sealing the target, they flew high into the sky, leaving Nero’s sword not in the state of Purezza any longer, but Martire. However, even that did not last, as Nero dropped the blade to the ground, leaving it as the disc it originally once was.
From above the hole, an angel looked towards the oni. Her hands clasped together like she was beginning a prayer.
Helig: [Golden Wraps. With that, his advanced ability is sealed. All that remains is to recite the incantation to use my own, and Nero Virtuoso will be sealed away.]
Though he struggled to move, Nero bent down on one knee, grasping the disc and shoving it into his jacket. Keeping his trembling back turned to the succubus, who kept his back turned to him in turn, the oni spoke.
Nero: [... Though our duel is finished, you should know well enough that we cannot end our battle here, Shiro… From when we were young, the two of us experienced regimens to become as strong as we are now through our daily lives.]
Looking down at her jagged blade, Shiro watched as the bright green light flickered with the remaining power it had left. The viscous white aura of matōki no longer moved along her figure like a wave. Shiro Fuloreen had now used everything, from her element to her matōki. All that remained was what Nero had spoken of.
Shiro: [It’s alright, Tempest… I know you’re tired… Rest.]
Returning the blade to the state of the katana known as Storm, Shiro sent the blade off into the clouded void of her innate ability. Once it had disappeared along with the smoke that swallowed it, Shiro turned to look at Nero.
Nero: [Regardless of what we may hope to achieve, there is only one way we can finish this, Shiro.]
Meeting her gaze as well, Nero pointed a thumb towards the hole’s exit at the top. Following the direction given, the two ascended high up into the air. Shiro looked back down at Helig, signaling with her head that she should follow if she wants to seal Nero away like they planned. The demonic goddess then returned her view back to the oni.
Shiro: [Where to?]
Nero: [There is somewhere important to me… Somewhere I have thought of for the past two decades of my life… We shall go there to end this.]
With his word given, the three divine gods made their way to the final battleground.
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Nero: [After all these years, it’s still here.]
While Helig stood away from the two atop of a large rock, Shiro and Nero remained on the grassy field of the land below. Grass was not uncommon in the Onigashima District, but when compared to the frequent rocky fields, it was a slightly unusual sight. Before this field of grass as well as the two demons were multiple burnt planks of wood, all toppled against each other and spread out to the area around it.
The oni continued to gaze upon the burnt sight of wood, fascinated that it still existed while also experiencing several nostalgic memories in his mind, both good and bad. Raising a hand towards it, Nero made it clear what this place was.
Nero: [This is it, Shiro. The place in which I was born and raised. The home that I had greeted my mother every day in, and eventually, said my final farewell to as it was reduced to nothing more than this.]
Turning to look at Shiro, Nero raised his right hand up into the air and kept the other low, curling both into a claw. Now complete, Nero’s Black Rose style stance took shape. Matching him, Shiro shifted a leg back and put both hands in front of herself. The right hand was pushed back towards her waist, while the left was kept forward. The palms of both faced her, perfecting her Babylon Way style stance.
A brief moment of silence transpired, leaving only the wind as it pushed their hair.
Nero: [Once and for all…]
Shiro: [Without any more tricks…]
Shiro and Nero: [Let’s finish this.]
Their final battleground, the place in which Nero had lived with his sister before his loving mother had perished.
The Babylon Way and Black Rose would now cross paths.
The true final, without swords or abilities to interrupt them, had arrived. The end of the war had now begun.
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