The cool night air whispered secrets as Valicar, Easton, and Altheack journeyed northward. Altheack, the mighty druid she was, had transformed into a one-eyed wyvern, effortlessly cutting through the darkness with the steady rhythm of her wings. Valicar, weary from the day's travels, succumbed to the gentle lull of sleep, her head resting against Altheack's warm scales.
As Valicar drifted into dreams, so did Sophia. Meanwhile, Mike's consciousness stirred within their shared mind, where reality and fantasy intertwined seamlessly. In the depths of slumber, Mike found himself standing in a surreal landscape, the echoes of his past life lingering in the air like wisps of smoke.
Suddenly, a voice pierced the silence, sending a chill down Mike's spine. "Michael," it called, a whisper of darkness and temptation, a voice he would rather forget, yet one that haunted his dreams relentlessly.
Mike's heart quickened as he turned towards the voice, his senses alert to the ominous presence surrounding him. "Who's there? I swear if it's you again!" He said with familiar annoyance. "What the hell do you want?" he demanded, his voice tinged with anger and curiosity.
"I am your patron," the voice replied, revealing itself first as their father, appearing from the darkness of his mind, a figure whom Mike held much hatred for after the abuse of his mom.
Memories of pain and resentment flooded Mike's mind, fueling his anger as he raged. "If I wanted to see your sorry ass, I wouldn't have shoved you down those stairs you cunt!" he shouted, his voice dripping with venom.
The figure grimaced at Mike's outburst, swiftly shifting forms into their mother. "You poor lost soul, a child to the path you tread. Yet life is so easy for you to take... what I ask is not much more," the hellspawn alluded again to her deal, attempting to appeal to Mike's vulnerabilities through a different guise.
Mike's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the emotional figure before him. "You think I would destroy the world for you?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly a mixture of rage and despair, despite his efforts to remain composed at the sight of his mother. Each time he encountered these spectral figures, he felt as if he were teetering on the edge of madness, a sensation all too familiar to him when dealing with Sophia.
The figure drew closer, its form now resembling a simpler time before the orphanage, evoking memories of a mother he loved, one that Alexandra could never match. "I offer you power beyond imagining, Michael. Power to reshape the world as you see fit, to become a god, and to return to your own world with your sister," it whispered, its words dripping with seductive allure.
Mike's pulse quickened as he contemplated the offer, the allure of ultimate power tempting him. With such power, he could return to Earth with not only Sophia but Altheack, maybe even Easton if he would come. But deep within his heart, he knew that such power came with a terrible price that he may not be willing to pay. Mike knew that playing the role of a hero was always a distraction in this foreign land on their way to free their souls.
With a sense of trepidation, Mike hesitated before responding. "And all I have to do is fuck over a world, huh, same as Soph did? Like what Zaltheral wants,” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
The figure regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, its form shifting and twisting like a shadow in the night, morphing into two more figures from his past life – his boxing coach, then a nun from the orphanage. "You must be willing to sacrifice everything, Michael. Your past, present, and future in this world, and you can go home in your own body. But you must kill them all, for me," it intoned, its voice echoing with the weight of inevitability.
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As Mike grappled with the enormity of the decision before him, his mind raced with possibilities, his emotions swirling like a maelstrom within him. But even as he struggled with his inner demons, a spark of defiance flickered within his heart, a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that threatened to consume him.
"No," he whispered, his voice filled with a newfound resolve, his anger and confusion giving way to determination. "I will not be led on by your bullshit promises. I'm tired of everyone having a plan for me and Soph – James, Zaltheral, House Norail, and the damn church! All were demanding I change the world to their view. Well, fuck that. I will forge my own destiny, on my terms."
He knew he wanted to return to Earth, to reclaim the life he had left behind. Anna Sha's proposition to trade over a billion souls for power seemed like the quickest path to achieving that goal yet another idea was forming.
"I have another idea," he said, his voice filled with determination. "Instead of sacrificing billions of souls, I can use Blue Dawn in its final form and the moon as a giant screen for the world to witness our fight against the Pillar of the North. I'm sure Sophia can pull it off, and you Anna Sha, you've given me the power to draw strength from the emotions of mortals and I will use it. With the combined power of Blue Dawn, Sophia's magic, and my armor's ability to absorb the Pillar's attacks, we can create a devastating attack that even that monster couldn't survive."
The demon regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "You think to challenge the Pillar of the North with such a plan? He slew an archdemon in single combat, an impressive feat even in the Creation Wars. Your best plan is to bring demonkind into the world first; we can feast on the mortals and gain the final strength needed to beat the gods and that accursed pillar, but that won't matter you will return to earth with a power that will last you millennia, then you can always harvest the souls of earth." The demon promised.
"No, I don't need your help beyond what was already promised." With a sense of purpose burning in his heart, Mike knew he had found the solution he had been searching for. As he awoke from his dream, he was filled with a renewed sense of determination to see his plan through to the end, no matter the cost. "Well, fuck that. I will use our pact, but now that I know you can be killed; we are gonna have to renegotiate," Mike said, regaining his swagger as he awoke with a new plan in mind.
As Mike awoke and gazed upon the floating islands of Minerva, Easton's voice cut through the air. "Well, it looks like most of the army survived," he observed, his eyes scanning the reunited force spread out around the base of the islands. It appeared that Spellweaver had been successful in teleporting them away. Though they weren't at full strength, it was evident from the sky that the army was being bolstered by reinforcements from all sides. It seemed this was a meeting point for miles around, as scattered troops flooded to the islands.
"Looks like we can still make it to the vault," Mike said, though he felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of using this army. He was willing to sacrifice to a point, but using them all felt wrong. So, he resolved to try one last time before striking a deal with the devil. However, if it came to a fight with the demon Anna Sha, he and Sophia would emerge victorious. Then, he would seize the power for himself; he would never be powerless again. That much was certain. No matter the cost, he would make this work. He would rely on his sister, but he would not depend on her.
"I don't know how we'll win, Mike," Sophia admitted as she woke from her nightmares, her voice heavy with uncertainty. "That monster killed me so easily. And I swear I could've beaten anyone in the world then. I don't know if it was the whispers in my head or my own greed... But we have to do better, and try not to rely on those from the other side."
The twins could feel each other's turmoil to an extent, and Sophia knew Mike was influenced by the pact, despite having received many warnings from both people and books about such deals.
"Don't worry, Soph. I know what I'm doing," Mike reassured her, his confidence unwavering in his destiny. "And you can help me. I need you to use your magic for something... I have a plan this time."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Sophia said with interest, her curiosity piqued by Mike's confident demeanor.
"Our biggest show yet," Mike said with a smile, his eyes looking at an almost full moon, he began to explain on their approach to Minerva.