Despite the living god now growing and raising a large weapon nearby, our eyes were focused on Wight. I clutched at my wrist as my energy healed the gunshot wound. Fragments of the broken pact vessel had fallen to the ground.
The demon stood there, staring at his own clawed hands held out in front of his beak.
[Oh. That is unexpected.]
“What… what is it?” I pulled a face and went to step toward him.
[Do not move.]
I froze, but glanced over at Pearl, who looked just as apprehensive and confused as I did. She had money riding on him being secretly an angel, but I had a lot of doubts about that.
[I am currently at the edge of a precipice, able to hold back my power because it is used to the status quo. Any disturbance will set me off.]
“Can you tell us who you are, at least?” My heart rate had increased, a lump in my throat - over this of all things, as if we didn’t have bigger problems to worry about.
He turned his head to me slowly, a different look in his eyes than I’d ever seen before. Sadness, but also a coldness that dimmed the usual crimson orbs.
[I am so sorry, Eric. I am the End.]
Pearl sighed. “Less poetic, please. We don’t have the time for vague winks and nods.”
[It is the most suitable name I could put into your tongue. Everything has an end. Every life, every planet, every star in the sky. When all has been lost and forgotten, only I will remain.]
My breath caught in my lungs. The Org had somehow shaved off a slice of something far greater than even the Rat God or Blacksmith. An entity that was the embodiment of the heat death of the universe. It made the Entropy powers make sense. Why he was a mishmash of demonic energy that was able to be influenced by those around him - before in some ways he was everything and nothing at the same time.
“What happens…” my chest tightened. “What happens when the power tips over?”
[The End happens, until I can will myself to disperse from this plane.]
I nodded, understanding our mission now. Wight would weaken Makkari and hopefully allow us to kill him… or he’d just hang around long enough to kill us all and that would be enough of a win.
The risen god himself hadn’t seemed to notice what the little ants had been doing. Now, with his trident imagined, he raised it up in the air, ready to slam down on us. Each prong was easily the size of a two-story house. It also crackled with power. Could never have an easy ride.
[So, I guess this is hello and goodbye. Eric. Pearl. The Rodney.]
It happened before I had a chance to react. Way too fast for even my empowered senses to clock. He was standing beside us in the amber-painted Hells one moment, and then quicker than the switch of a light, everything had become pitch-black.
Pearl’s hand came out and grabbed at my arm, her radiant sword illuminating us both and a patch of broken ground around us. We were fully surrounded by near impenetrable darkness. Ahead of us the large form of Makkari glowed a foul light.
“This is… a lot,” Pearl managed, her hand gripping tighter.
Two orbs of red light burst from the infinite behind us, looming over the battlefield and picking the details in debris with hints of crimson.
In response, radiant light swirled around me.
The last hope of humanity, the last bright star against the infinite void. The darker the backdrop, the brighter I would seem. If you ignored the faux-cowboy getup, then this would make picture perfect sense.
Pearl drew me in for a kiss, my radiant energy sizzling at her lips. Even too much for her. “Go fulfill your destiny, Eric. I’ll be here when you need me most.”
I nodded, giving her one last brief hug before I allowed my wings to take me into the air.
“What is this trickery?” Makkari roared. His attack waylaid, he tried looking around at the pitch black that the usual bright Mids was now covered in.
[YOUR STOLEN ASCENSION HAS BEEN DEEMED VOID, RETURN TO ASHES]
Wight’s voice thundered around like a storm, and that’s when it began. Atoms started to strip from the debris I flew away from. A soft haze forming on the edges of the fallen Org building, and what residential houses had remained.
“You think you can curtail me? I am a god. I am all demons.” He lashed out into the void, but struck nothing. Angered, his other hand rose up, and buildings snapped from their foundations to hover in the air before him.
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“Hey, asshole!” I yelled, a mad smile cracking the sides of my face.
A large gray eye turned to me, fire whipping across his constant scowl. “Is this your doing, whelp? Just who do you think you are?”
“Eric Redd. Last Lantern and protector of the mortal plane. I am the sharpened consequences of your careless actions. Prepared to be cauterized from reality.”
Laying it on a little thick, sure - but when else was I going to get a chance like this? My wings took me higher up, but he was still so much taller.
He flicked his hand toward me, and the gathering of floating stone houses launched in my direction.
Revolver spun in my hand as I twisted and dived past the first flung building. Mortar struck the second, and I emerged from the resulting cloud of powdered rock to run across the length of the third and burst higher into the air.
“Was never a fan of insects,” he boomed. A large finger that ended in a talon pointed out at me.
I dove sharply to avoid the beam of crackling energy.
[Hello, Eric.]
‘Wight? Didn’t think you’d be able to do this - my gun only works for Lantern powers now.’
[Some things will always remain between us, Eric. Do not forget me. Let me know when it is time to activate my power.]
‘This… isn’t it yet?’
[Short answer, no. You will not have much time.]
‘I’m ready.’
How could I ever truly be ready? His usual Domain from before was a thirty or so foot orb of darkness that only looked infinite. To encompass Makkari and surrounding scenery… it might be a mile or more now - and it wasn’t even his actual power.
I turned a sharp left to avoid another beam of demonic power. Despite his speed and power, his attacks had been slow and telegraphed.
“Although, maybe bugs aren’t the worst thing.” He clicked his fingers, a sound that hurt my ears as it reverberated through the air.
Shortly followed by a buzzing noise. I turned my head to see a group of flying Mantids. I swooped low as they darted at me with sharp spears. What an odd thing to bring to the Mids. I turned backward during my drop and fanned out ten shots in quick succession, pegging six from the air with ease and leaving another four trying to catch up.
As I skirted back near the ground, I saw that Pearl was fighting demons. Didn’t look to be having a tough time of it, but she was outnumbered by an incredible amount. Passing by, I let off a handful of mortar shots to explode dozens of her assailants before I ascended back into the air.
[THE DEATH KNELL NOW TOLLS. SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE PANCAKES.]
My whole body cramped, and I nearly dropped from the sky like a rock, only barely able to gain my composure as the wave of Wight’s power washed through the world.
“How are you doing this? Begone. This is my realm?” The fury in Makkari’s voice was easy to understand. Imagine spending so many years and so much blood and energy to become a god, and then an even more powerful one turns up to kick sand all over your ascension party.
His reaction was to act like a toddler and throw his toys from the pram - or, more accurately, more razed buildings at me. As if Wight was my doing.
“You’re the one who thought you could contain his power,” I yelled, circling and blasting through further debris. My left arm snapped back as I caught the edge of a rock, the bone broken. Would heal in time… but… I didn’t have time.
Tiring under the pressure of the decay that was sucking at the edges of everything. I went to shoot through the last building and realized the trick too late. The energy beam pulsed through the structure and clipped me, melting away at my coat and scorching one of my wings. I tumbled in agony.
Another pulse of Wight’s entropy and my golden body shimmered, wounds healing but not providing any recouped strength.
Makkari looked ill - itchy, perhaps. His eyes darted around to find the source of Wight, not understand that this was Wight.
[Ascend, Eric. We have just one shot at this.]
Didn’t need telling twice… although I was feeling too tired to really argue or even speak back. Needed a good nap. I only hoped that Pearl was holding up against the entropy - but perhaps part of our soul bond would allow her to resist it like I could.
While the false god became more agitated in trying to find my prior-pact demon, I soared as high as I could into the air. Put as much strength into it as I was able. Rodney hadn’t chimed in, but I figured the energy levels here were just too much. I’d forgotten what my last words to him were.
And then, as I reached hundreds of feet in the air, higher even than Makkari’s ugly face, I felt Wight give me the warning, and I braced myself.
Not that it did much, but the whisper that spiraled through our space chilled me to my core. It wasn’t demonic, or any language that I really understood - but the meaning of it struck something primal in me. It meant it was the end.
Pain erupted through my body as Wight’s large eyes faded away. Somehow, the darkness became thicker as his power reached a greater pinnacle. Makkari himself was barely visible despite glowing.
The darkest night for the brightest lantern to shine. Even as I felt like passing out, I knew what I had to do. One last thought towards my family, new and old, I sent out a rare prayer to the heavens to be blessed for once.
I turned into a blazing comet. Radiant energy flashing and flickering around me. The power tore at my skin. I burned and screamed from the effort. Every angered promise I made to get revenge pooled in. All the hopes and dreams of my found family. The times I had been beaten and bruised for the joy of some sick demons.
Everything that made me human. I became a ball of emotion - of intent.
And as I cratered down toward the monster below me, I felt nothing but satisfaction.
His eyes grew wider at the sight of me, as my blooded smile grew wider too.
And I was unstoppable. Unequaled. Unrestrained.
Knife in left hand, revolver out in my right, I became a living bullet. Shot from the heavens.
My aim was true, and I struck him directly in the forehead. An explosion of energy blew from the impact, half-destroying me. The dagger had pierced through his skin, and I felt his skull crack at the same time as my arms shattered. I crumbled up like a paper man. Wings flapped and twitched uncontrollably, also fractured and broken.
I fell.
Vision blurred as waves of energy swept around me. My own Lantern powers faltering, unable to heal me. I felt Wight’s power tugging at my very being. But… the smile remained on my face, as even with my failing vision, I could see the lights dim in the eyes of Makkari.
His jaw going slack, I could already see parts of him starting to burn to ash.
Justice for all that he had wronged. So amusing for him to have spent so long, to be undone by a single blow. Hubris made manifest - I was happy to have played that role. However, It wasn't just the lucky shot of a single human, but opening up his head had allowed Wight in. Dark energy flooded through the crack I had made and into the demon's brain, corrupting and erasing it just as if he was a Lowers runt.
Tears streamed from my face as I closed my eyes. Content. At peace. The darkness swirled around me and I invited it to take me in.
I fell.
Until something buffeted me.
No longer falling, I settled into an unending darkness that I slowly faded away into.