“Conqueror,” Chie began, her heart trembling. She knew it was reckless to disclose this information for lots of reasons. It was a secret she kept hidden since she left Japan, known to as little people as possible. Even Aiden was oblivious. But this was an inseparable part of her existence, the reward for being an obedient daughter.
If there was a chance to use this blasphemous body of hers, then it’d be here. Giving back to the people who rescued her.
“What is it?” Conqueror replied, his silver eyes torn between confusion and hope. He saw her pained expression but read the hidden message behind her eyes: I know of a way we can turn this around.
It was too late to close Pandora's Box now. She had to finish what she was saying.
“Sage thinks…” She gulped. “I think I have a way to help. In the fight. But we can’t tell Sera ‘bout this. She won’t approve.”
Currently, the Miracle had unfurled into one terrifying flower. If that wasn't bad enough, the demesne was still active because it was innately tied to Wonder's power set. There were only two ways to destroy it now: either by killing Wonder or by attacking its fundamental structure.
Chie knew she could do both.
Conqueror seemed to understand this but detected reluctance in her voice. They both knew there was a catch. Only Chie was aware of how bad the catch was.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Because you need to make that decision now. Even with the fastest SMVs, you wouldn’t get to Foxtrot any sooner. Not when Wonder’s on the move.”
Which meant she either had to leave immediately or stay here. Chie didn't know what she was expecting but she certainly didn't think she would be put on the spot like this; the sudden urgency lodged a ball in her throat and she couldn't force the next words out.
So she was silent.
“Sage, are you certain that you can help everyone?”
“...Yes,” she answered truthfully, quietly too, just enough for him to hear. While she hesitated to speak, she hoped that her sincerity was conveyed through that single word alone.
Naturally he was conflicted; they didn’t know each other all that well, not when you compare Chie’s relationship with Aiden or Nathan and Sera, but there was a good heart inside him. Like Nathan’s. It didn’t matter how long they had gotten to know each other. Conqueror would go to the ends of the earth to protect his people.
By allowing Chie to leave, then, it would mean going against Sera's direct wishes. It would mean putting her most treasured artisan at risk to whatever laid beyond the Encampment and placing her directly in Wonder's sights. In his first few hours of being a commander, he was finally faced with a dirty decision.
“...Go,” he decided after a few moments of deep thought. “It’s going to be a long walk there. A dangerous one. I know you’ll turn off your location-tracker so keep me updated manually. That way, I can send people if you get caught in a jam. Got it?”
Chie clenched a hand over her heart. “Got it.”
Discreetly, she entrusted her artisan team to Conqueror and left the House of Engineers then the Encampment. She began her journey to rendezvous with Sera and the others in their struggle against the Miracle.
Thankfully she didn’t have to perform the trip on foot. While she was an S-Rank Slayer, she loathed all things physical—in fact her Constitution was low compared to her other attributes. She had just the tool to help her travel the dangerous streets, though.
[Skill Activation: Summon Construct - Sage Mobile]
From subspace, the [Sage Mobile] was summoned right in front of her, a fancy rolly chair engineered by the brightest minds in Angels. That was the basic concept at least, but it ended up sharing multiple similarities to a miniature mecha like Sayuri’s [HERO] in its infantry state. The main body was its pilot seat, the backrest curved slightly and outfitted with multiple armrests like a thick sternum and ribs. It hovered a few feet off the ground but it wasn’t capable of actual flight.
Chie hopped inside her personal SMV and pressed the right buttons. A transparent energy shield formed around the [Sage Mobile]. Grabbing two joysticks near the front, she pressed onwards to Creekwood.
It was a miserable drive. She drove over corpses of innocent people that’d been unluckily caught in the battle. Fluttered by rifles, grim faces on each of them as they head to their next mission. Slayers bounced across streets, unable to find a moment of respite. Civilians hid inside buildings, men and women and children peeking from broken windows. Passing by a church, she could hear a mass prayer for safety. This wasn't the Ordo she remembered. Everyone used to be so happy back then but look at them now: they were afraid of the dark and what was lurking in the shadows.
“Ah—?!” Chie yelped, having been ironically caught by the monsters hiding inside said shadows. Dull weapons banged fruitlessly against the barrier. Chie's hands scattered to her other arms, creating a solid energy projection above the [Mobile] in the shape of a mechanical club.
It crashed down onto whatever was attacking her, crushing them into paste.
Next time had been from afar. Crossbow bolts snapped against the shield. From the [Mobile], a cannon unfolded and blasted a window into smithereens. Nothing shot at her after that.
She was battered by all sorts of nonsense, but these monsters underestimated the genius of Angels Guild. Their measly weapons couldn't hope to penetrate her prized SMV's energy barrier; really, the harder part was trying to manage her fear. While little could deal real damage to the barrier, it was still terrifying navigating through Ordo alone. It was terrible for her heart and her heart was pretty bad as it was!
A little while after the halfway mark, she passed a nondescript building. It had no obvious entrance or even windows; because of her weak sense of battle observation, she didn't give it a second thought. That was until the wall exploded in a cloud of dust, knocking Chie back and having her roll into a sedan.
She yelped, fumbling with her controls before a horned bipedal beast about ten feet tall stood before her—that was bad! This guy must be a demonic beast or something, basically Evenfall but without the humanity and several times badder! Chie snatched at her weapon controls but couldn't get there in time. The demon had already seized the [Mobile] in its large, strong hands, lifting her high like a toy ball. She squeaked, trembling as its sharp talons began to slowly pierce through the barrier with a sinister grin on its face.
[Let go of me!] she shouted in Japanese, slamming the projection club into its skull but it was thick.
Chie pushed herself against the seat as the talons dug closer and closer. Her teeth clenched painfully tight. She watched her shield’s energy deplete by the second. [Dammit all!] she cried, [Deactivate shield!]
In an instant, the [Sage Mobile] dropped. Because the demonic beast had been holding onto the shield, no shield meant nothing to grab. The fall was abrupt and hard, causing Chie to bounce and bang her head against the metal arms above.
She yelped in pain and saw the demon coming after her. Not on her watch!
[Skill Activation: Sage Power]
Using her specialized conjuration skill, [Sage Power], she blasted a green ‘POW!’ and it rammed square into the demon, knocking it back a few steps. Far from dead though! Quickly she leapt out of her chair as a red shadow flashed behind her—a foot, which had stomped on her precious SMV and crunched through its internals.
[The [Sage Mobile] has been severely damaged!]
[Gah?! You bully!]
Green ‘ZIPs!’ passed through the air like bullets. The first tore a chunk out of its shoulder, the second opened a baseball-sized hole in its palm. She missed the third because she had to precariously scurry away, scrambling as it lunged at her. Thinking on her feet, she aimed for the legs. Two well placed conjurations forced the demon to kneel.
And a final ‘ZIP!’ went through the skull. It went limp but to be extra careful, she fired a few more times to make sure it was dead dead.
That was too close… Maybe all that torture wasn’t for nothing after all! She thought about it before shaking her head. No, never mind. I’ll never forgive you, Nathan, for forcing me to exercise until I die!
Grumbling, Chie rushed to her [Sage Mobile] and inspected its condition. Functionally it was [Sage Immobile]. It was impossible to make the right repairs in time and she didn’t have a second transport ready to summon.
[Oh no…] she muttered, staring in the direction of her destination. [Maybe this is a bad idea after all.]
She had no choice but to recall her destroyed SMV and finish the rest of her trip by foot. She hated it but these things had to be done. You either started it now or tomorrow, but the due date was the same. Nathan said that to her on numerous occasions usually when she had a bad case of procrastination.
She never listened to him, and if she did, it was begrudgingly.
This was one of the rare times when his words rang true. She hated it. She hated using her weak legs; she hated her weak heart and weak lungs; she hated the smell of blood and the sight of the dead. She hated explosions and the darkness. She hated the shadows hiding inside because each time she saw his face and she wanted to cry. She hated fighting because she was the opposite of a fighter. She wished Nathan was here so he could scold her for doing something so dumb. She wished Aiden was here so she could cry into his chest. She wished Sera could console her, wished Kashan could give her advice.
But Shirabe Chie was alone again, in a war-torn city that had been her home for almost ten years.
She hated it, but some things had to be done regardless of your hate.
[I finally caught up with you…] Chie encouraged herself as familiar, commanding voices were heard shouting nearby.
She entered a random building, not bothering to look at the signs. If she was going to make her grand appearance, then she had to do it with style. Like with anything shōnen, when the fan-favorite side character amazes the audience with an unexpected power.
Yet she didn't feel powerful. She didn't feel strong. Climbing the stairs, each step sapped away at her strength. At some point, willpower replaced stamina and she had to endure tremendous physical pain. Chie resented Foxtrot Team; they kept moving around so much but at least she caught them by the end.
The oddest thing happened next: a blue sky hiding behind the false night. It seemed the Baptists finally regrouped with Echo Team.
This was the first time Chie was happy to see sunlight. The light wouldn’t last forever, though, because the reversal process reached an impasse. Incomplete, as the Miracle was now resisting against the Devoy's influence. It was becoming a battle of whose control was the greater, and seeing as it had taken so much to bring down just a single Comet, humanity did not have the brightest chances of winning.
I still have a chance… This wouldn’t be all for nothing! Chie laughed to herself, then she encountered the final boss of the playthrough: a solid metal door.
A single ‘WHAM!’ took it off its hinges.
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[The smart and adorable Sage has done it again…] the words weakly left her while she shambled to the ledge overlooking the battle below. Sera and the others were fighting Wonder. [She did what you knuckleheads never thought she could do: exercise! Go outside! Actually usin’ her two feet to walk! She showed you dummies what she’s capable of… I…]
Chie reached the ledge and hunched over, knuckles turning white as she gripped the edges. She was nervous because for one: it was really damn high up here! It didn’t look that tall when she was on the ground!
And secondly…!
Secondly…
[Hah…] Chie wiped away the small tears rolling down her cheeks. [Nathan, what do I do? Please tell me, you dummy. I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die…]
She sniffled and watched the fight down there; she found Sera and Kashan and Aiden together, doing what she never had the courage to do. They were braver than her. They experienced worse things and came out stronger for it.
She was just the little girl they saved.
This was the bare minimum she could do to repay them.
Kashan, as if he had a sixth sense, noticed her first. Then Aiden. Then Sera.
Shirabe Chie climbed onto the ledge and took what could be her final breath in this body.
Thanks for rescuing me, Nathan. I know you only did it ‘cuz I was in Bastion Guild too, and so was Aiden. But I'm glad it's you.
[Honor Exhibition: Shinsei Izanami-no-Mikoto (新生 伊邪那美命)]
Nascent Creator God of Japan
The heavens banged their drums in celebration. The clouds twirled together in a mad dance. Mirthful musicians plucked the strings of their instruments and snow monkeys cried listening to the somber melodies. Sakura petals bloomed and flourished, welcoming the advent of the nascent goddess.
Heavenly thunder and lightning strike. A white bolt crashed where Shirabe Chie had stood moments ago, matching the intensity of Levin’s own but it did no damage to the building nor its surroundings. When the smoke subsided, a beautiful woman was left in her place.
The goddess stood on the ledge and peered down at the commotion below. There was a fragile look in her delicate eyes, heartbroken from seeing so much desperation concentrated into a single place. Humans were pitiful creatures, but her judgement was unwarranted for she was the most pitiful of them all. Because she was the perfect doll whose skin was paler than a bleached sun. Taller than most men and fairer than most women, and yet she could not join mankind and their follies. Isolation was her keep, destined to observe these middling creatures from afar: all their sins and virtues, their tragedies and triumphs, disgraceful falls and unexpected redemptions. The doll's supple lips parted and sighed with a mother's tenderness. Every subtle movement curled the fabric of her elegant white kimono, doing little to conceal her voluptuous frame, but she was pure and innocent and untouched.
The only evidence of Shirabe Chie was in her smooth and flowing black hair where it had a second green tone.
On the other side of the city, the Journey of Healing, Shinzo, gasped and swiveled towards the direction of divine energy. Even from afar, she could recognize this signature from anywhere: Izanami-no-Mikoto, surely before her death and descent into the underworld Yomi (黄泉). In Japanese, she whispered to herself, [So you really are his daughter, Sage…]
Catalyst noticed her sudden shift in mood, glowering; they were in the middle of tending to the wounded who had arrived in droves to their station (“There’s nothing better to do,” as she said). “What’s wrong, Shinzo?”
“...Where’s the nearest aerial SMV?” she asked. “I need to leave.”
“Why?” responded the alchemist, eyes narrow with suspicion.
“It’s none of your concern.”
“Tch. In the back.”
As fast as she could, Shinzo packed her belongings and rushed to the back of the building. If there’s anything that could completely revert whatever the Sungrazers had done to Ordo, then it would be Izanami and the Ame-no-Nuboko (天沼矛), the goddess of creation and the spear that swirled the seas. But mankind does not have the right to wield that power. The System allows us to be blessed by the gods, alter and modify our bodies, temporarily house divine spirits within our souls, but there has not been a single recorded case where a human has attained godhood. To go against that principle, it means paying a disastrous price.
The heavenly-jeweled spear materialized in the goddess’s nurturing touch. Its appearance was remarkably modest: a serene naginata with a plain wooden shaft and a silver blade, created through means far beyond what humanity was capable of achieving. Some mythological copy like [Excalibur Valfyre] or [Ascalon Creed] could not compare. Simply, this was a divine weapon wielded only by divinity.
[I will release your grasp on humanity, Miracle,] promised Izanami.
Wonder was incapable of preventing what happened next. It was split between defending its demesne against Devoy and Telescopium (who Izanami was ignorant of), and fighting the high-rankers. To have a feeble incarnation of a genuine goddess appear...
Yes, there was little the Comet could do other than wish for the Starking’s prosperity.
Izanami danced, gracefully carrying the [Ame-no-Nuboko] with the billowing of white sleeves. She was the priestess beckoning for a new dawn, and the earth listened. White petals emerged from her frolicking, following the jeweled spear's movement. By the dance's end, the shaft was spun and the spearhead was pointed to the night. The petals hovered in the air and bathed in the reflective light.
Then, Izanami released [Ame-no-Nuboko] and the petals chased after.
It rose to the clouds and touched the fabric woven by the invaders. Water-like ripples propagated from the contact.
Although Izanami had creation powers as dictated by her myth, Chie possessed a fraction of it; under normal circumstances, dispelling a cosmic-grade demesne was an impossible feat. That was, if she was the only one.
The Void God joined her. Although she wasn’t aware of his existence, Constellation Telescopium joined her as well. She was the last and ultimate piece to the puzzle: a little girl who had been subjected to a divinity-related experiment. Through their combined powers...
The permanent false night was dispelled and Ordo returned to its non-magical state.
After nine days, Ordo could finally see daylight again. There were high afternoon clouds and the burning sun, vibrant behind the golden glow of the Outbreak Barrier. Day had finally come.
This sealed the Miracle’s fate. Whatever protections that the demesne offered were gone alongside the hope for victory. They could not slay Kosmos, they could not slay the Almagest and take revenge on the Zeroth Constellation, they probably could not prevent Conqueror's emergence. Like its late compatriots, however, it knew little of surrender. Pereyra and Tewfik had fought to their bitter end, Ikeya had as well surely, and Wonder would be no different.
It whined as rows of petals—
[Coordinates Registered]
[Marker Acknowledged]
The Miracle was marked as divine.
Whistling from dozens of kilometers away, a dragon roared.
The [Infused Spirit Core] penetrated the Miracle's pitch-black center, piercing through its hard flesh and carried out the other end. A ground-shaking explosion followed and an ear-shattering screech was heard for dozens of miles across the city. When the dust subsided, the Ordoians could see the second-most beautiful sight yet: a large gaping hole where a sea of ichor was pouring out from.
Most of its petals had been obliterated completely. It was incapable of using those lasers again.
These injuries would kill most things on the spot but Comets were a different breed of resilience. If the System hadn't acknowledged its demise, then it was still alive. Maybe for another few minutes, maybe for a few hours, but it had to be killed right here and now.
Seraph cried, her voice breaking between sorrow and vengeance, “Hold nothing back!”
No one had.
[Skill Activation]
[Honor Exhibition]
[Heavenly Host - Lord Indignation]
[Golden Light]
[Celestial Lightning | Fulmination Form]
[Voces Magicae - Pantheon]
[Silver Heat Avatar - Fourth Stage]
[Suntear Archery - Deathbringer’s Yarn]
[Ōyashima (大八洲)]
Eight Great Islands
Ordo indulged in retribution, creating a blinding carnival of magick.
Izanami was the last to touch the Miracle. Wielding [Ame-no-Nuboko] once more, she swooped down fearlessly like an eagle spotting a fish. Chie Shirabe had no training in spearmanship, but the body of Izanami-no-Mikoto knew the movements.
Of [Ōyashima]: representing the islands she had created with Izanagi. As they stirred the seas to create the land known as Japan today, these would be the last rites to bring Wonder to a close.
Eight strokes with the [Ame-no-Nuboko], as though she was an artist creating a masterpiece.
“Awaji,” beckoned the goddess delivering the first strike as naturally as a newborn’s first breath.
“Iyo,” then the second, masterfully as a dancer on stage.
“Oki,” and the third.
“Tsukushi, Iki, Tsushima, Sado,” the rest followed as footsteps.
Lastly, the final stroke: “Yamato.”
Once the eighth strike had been performed, Izanami lissomly landed on her two feet. She faced the defeated Comet with newfound confidence. This was the first time she had directly contributed to a subjugation. Not through gathering precious information or creating the right tools, but by her own brawn—something thought impossible in her old body.
The beautiful goddess watched, then, with a bittersweet smile as the charred shell of the Lesser Miracle was turned to the sun and was withering at its splendor.
Unlike the other Sungrazers, it had nothing to say during its passing.
Peacefully it seemed, Wonder became dust.
[Objective Complete: The Lesser Miracle, Wonder, has been subjugated!]
Izanami, or rather Shirabe Chie, stood at the front of the high-rankers: many who she had grown to know and be acquainted with, and there were some who she considered to be family.
“Chie…” an uncharacteristically quiet voice called out to her, weak and tired, unable to take joy in this victory. “Chie, hey…” Aiden Kang approached her carefully, his body winding down from using [Fourth Stage] for a few seconds. He couldn’t stand up straight. His eyes were all over the place; he was staring at her but not really.
“Hi,” she replied with a small wave—she didn’t know what to do otherwise. “I guess—” she cleared her throat because wow, her voice sounded pretty, “—I guess I’m not a gremlin now, huh? I’m taller than you, how you feel ‘bout that?”
A painful cycle of emotions twisted through his face. Joy, bewilderment, dread. He was happy Chie was here and saved their asses, completely confused about how and why and when, but the last part. The last part came from observing Kashan and Sera, who looked like they were about to burst into tears at any moment.
Sera accidentally bumped into Aiden's shoulder but she pushed forward. Everyone was asking questions but she couldn't hear them; all she could do was focus on Chie and what she had done. Her trembling lips creaked open and a distressed groan left the Guild Master—left Sera. She was shaking her head as if to deny reality.
Kashan ran to her side. The three of them—him, Sera, and Aiden—couldn’t say anything. They were just as socially inept as her.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Chie told them before forcing a laugh. “It really creeps me out that the three of you are quiet like this! Say something, would ya? I totally knew I could bring us over the edge and score us a win! Your little Sage did something useful for once!”
They were still silent.
“...Hey, say something, you dummies. If you don’t praise me, I might really cry.” She understood why they were acting like this but they were being unintentionally cruel to her. Everybody had seen her as this silly young girl—and she was—but for just this one moment, she hoped they would look at her like how they looked at Nathan. And they’d smile. And they’d laugh.
“I’m fine,” she told them. “I’m—”
They finally spoke. Chie was really happy when they did that. They praised her like how she asked. How heavenly were you, o’ Izanami-no-Mikoto. Let me worship you like the god you always were. You had saved everyone’s asses and averted an apocalypse. The entire world will remember you forever and ever.
But these were her thoughts speaking.
In actuality, she couldn’t hear her family at all.
They were muted. They were shouting and screaming and time seemed to slow as they ran towards her.
Her head craned low and she found a small reflective piece of metal at her feet. Blood was dripping onto the surface.
Her hands went weak. The [Ame-no-Nuboko] she wielded fell from her fingers and turned into ash before it had hit the ground.
From every orifice on her face, Chie bled.
Why… she thought, …why couldn’t ya have given me a few more minutes? I wanted to… I wanted to…!
[EXPEDITION STATUS]
INCAPACITATED: Sage
~~~
“Is anyone there?! Conqueror, are you present?! Why have you left our calls?! Conqueror!”
“I’m sorry, Silverhonor ma’am,” replied one of the few artisans present in the Encampment, who had volunteered to stay inside the House of Engineers to coordinate the counteroffensive during its last stage. Although the danger of staying top-side was near-fatal, someone had to do it.
Silverhonor’s breath hitched on the other end.
“Conqueror fled the Encampment a long time ago. While you were focused on subjugating the Miracle…” The artisan gulped. “The Baptists assigned to hold the Caller were defeated.”