Episode 20: Better Than Who You Were 

"Mitre," a commanding luster bows before their lord. "We are nearing Terra Prime."

"Mmm," the man who sits back with his feet upon the table grunted in satisfaction.

"And preparation is about almost complete. We just need to take station before arrival."

"Mmm," the Mitre grunts again. A man of few words can sound a thousand commands is what he has been taught as the leading head of the Hands of the Almighty. The lives of his people rest at the palm of his hand, his very whim.

"Also, regarding our force, Comet has gone ahead."

"Mmm," he grunts once more to confirm his sta- "HUH?!"

"He and the Bishop of Hearth took one of the shuttles to make an early jump. He should have a head start, considering his vessel is faster."

"THOSE LIL' BAS-!"

The Mitre is the leading head of the Hands Of the Almighty. This generations-long organization consists of the most powerful individual that hones their skills, craft, and essence. Unlike the other entities; like Gen. Corp or IGG, the HOA are known to be the spearhead of offense against the blight.

Their arrival time: 30 mins.

~

Allen was still a bit taken back by what he had just witnessed. All those people that he and many others put so much effort into protecting, even Gaver, was turned into one of those things.

They were malformed into different grotesque shapes and sizes. They must have been killed in various ways. With how things turned out, they must have had no way of defending themselves. The women, the men, even the children were present. It only took a glance to remember their faces under the veil of infection.

Allen couldn't take his mind off their peeled skin, their gargled cries nor their voided eyes. It was their eyes that got through to him because all he saw was pain and agony. It was like they were calling out to him, beckoning him to end their misery.

He knew they had no control over their own facilities and that they called for death but he couldn't bring himself to act upon it. He wouldn't be able to. It was haunting him.

Allen curled into a ball, trying to contain the bile that rose from the pit of stomach. It was no use.

He made a mess on the cold metallic floor. His vision doubled and his head pulsated. How many of those things that he saw? How many of them were innocent bystanders? How many had he murdered?

Adding on to the mess he made, the floor below him crept with an oozy reflection; a nauseating darkness in his eyes.

"Hey, come on," Canny called to Allen as she pulled him back up to his feet. "Let's get into the Med Bay before you make any more 'Monday specials' on the floor."

"I-I'm sorry," Allen said as he got back to his feet.

The doors slid open with a hiss before revealing the room. It had enough space to fit an ER's worth of patience. Considering the size of the ship, this was no surprise. There were gurney's that were tucked neatly into the wall, only to be pulled out for use. The equipment in here was quite outdated but still functioning due to proper maintenance. There wasn't a lot of medication though, as if the crew had used up most of it during their travels.

There were only two people present in the room. Martin was laying on one of the gurneys, unconscious, but looks to be stable for his condition. On the other end was Mr. CEO. Allen did not hesitate for a confrontation as he laid one on him immediately.

"What was that for?!" CEO rebuked.

"ALL THOSE PEOPLE-" Allen couldn't hold in his emotions any longer, "ALL THOSE INNOCENT LIVES WERE WASTED ON A GRONG-EATING SLIME LIKE YOU!"

"What are you talking about?!" The CEO was visibly confused which irked Allen all the more.

He wanted to land another hit but was pulled back by restraining belts. "You need to simmer down young'un." Canny commanded Allen as she sets the strap in. "I don't know what got you into the mood swing but you need to be aided."

"NO!" Allen was pulling on his restraints with such force that it worried the doctor about it holding him long enough. However, he didn't want the man that caused those people to suffer get his way any longer. "It was his fault! He turned them into those things!"

"What?"

"How is it my fault?! How can you pin the blame on someone who was fending for their own life?! If anyone is to blame, it's you and all those fools who failed to protect us in the first place."

"Can't an ol' dog have his rest in peace," Martin's voice broke the tension.

"Martin!" Allen was glad to have him awake but the running guilt in his spine brought him back. The emotions he held were all over the place. He wasn't sure about keeping his rage or to fall into despair. Just looking at Martin's condition made him think about how they had failed in keeping the people safe. It was overbearing to even meet him eye to eye.

Martin noticed Allen's distress and understood the situation at a glance. Being an enforcer really does pay off, sometimes at the worse cases. "I understand your frustration, lad but," Martin started to cough under his words. Canny went over to aid him but he waved her off. "It cannot be helped."

"But, all those people," Allen felt the full weight of responsibility over the lives of hundreds, possibly thousands, fall unto his shoulders.

"All those people were under my supervision. The lives that were lost today are my responsibility to bear."

"But-"

"So are the lives that we saved today."

Allen was taken aback and seeing that he had relaxed a bit, Canny released the restraints.

"Lad, there will always be moments of failure in our lives, some more overbearing than others. However, that doesn't mean that you need to hold onto those failures as they are, instead, look to them as lessons about becoming better than who you were."

"That's a harsh lesson," Allen still can't bear the weight just yet.

"As life will always be. You need to keep striving, even when the odds pitted against you are overwhelming, even when you miss a leg or lose an eye, you need to keep striving to become better."

Allen laid on his bed in silence, pondering Martin's words. He cannot bear the weight like his brother has but he can learn and with the people around him, he feels as though there was too much to learn from and so little time. When his rage settled, he noticed a quiet snoring beside him. There, settled in the corner of the room he hadn't checked, was Layla resting comfortably on her own bed. Though so much life was lost today, he at least had been able to keep the people closest to him safe. He wants to do the same for the ones who aren't too.

"You seem to know a lot about what you say," Canny complimented Martin.

"I've been through a lot over the years and lost so much in just the span of a day. I cannot afford to have others fall astray from the path of righteousness."

"Spoken like a true enforcer."

"Now, I'm guessing in my absence that a lot has happened. Care to fill me in about what's about to happen?"

"There is a lot we need to do before returning to battle," Ronx entered the room.

"What's the first?"

"Get help."

~

Elaine jolted in a start, ready to face whatever enemy that laid before her. There was no one though. It was pitch black and the space enclosed on her tightly, giving her little room to move. The smell of concrete and dust filled her nostrils with the sounds of rumbling coming from what lies beyond this dark barrier.

She could hear what was happening outside, the roaring of the tornado that laid above. She assumed that the winds had pushed the debris on top of her but luckily did not crush her.

She did feel a tinge of pain on her foot though. She still had feeling in it as she wiggled her toes but there was something restraining her from doing anything else. She needed to find a way out but there is only but a glimpse of light through a seam.

So desperately did she want to call out but there was no way anyone could hear her from there. She was helpless under this grave of concrete and metal.

~

John was wrapped tightly under the grip of the Blighted Tree. He could barely move a muscle off the restraints.

"It's useless, Hero." Lewentos came into view as the dust began to settle around them. "The friends you so trusted to aid you in battle are nowhere to be seen."

"Can say for the same for you," John said as he continued to struggle.

"Why must you misunderstand the relationship we have with one another? We were merely using the advantage we have as a group but that doesn't make them any more than allies."

"See, I don't get why you folks don't just get along. It would've gone so much smoother."

"Because fools will always remain fools even when met with a benefactor such as myself."

"So much for being their benefactor, treating them that way."

John can sense the essence of the things around him through the fog of wrath. They were thrown about the area but they lingered still. It gave him a sense of relief that fortune still had them in their favor.

"John," Lewentos beckoned the roots of the tree to lean him closer to John. "Give in to us. We will make such beneficial acquaintances. Together, we could change the cosmos from the inside out."

"Sounds like a sweet deal but, unfortunately, I'm too busy kicking your guys' ass."

"No rest was given to you as you traverse this universe, John. Not a time spent to revel in the marvel of what you all call ''Creation'. What awaits you is naught but pain and more agony than you can handle."

"What makes you thing that?"

"It's not that I think of the possibility but I know of the eventuality. This world, the entirety of the cosmos, will fall into the hands of the Void in some point and there is not a thing you can do to stop it."

"I'm not too sure about that. If you know us humans, we tend to never give in to things that easily."

Lewentos had a grievous face before speaking, "Aye, that is what makes you.... human. However, that is what will evidently hold before you all fall into despair, when there is nothing left."

John couldn't really counter that argument. For all his time as a wandering hero, he has seen it time and time again how fragile life can be. How much suffering a mortal can go through before evidently going into despair. However, he cannot give in to it. He needs to persevere as long as he has something to hold on to.

"When that happens, there will be more to hold on to than even they cannot see just yet."

Lewentos had enough talks. He realized that there was a presence coming in to stop them and he couldn't waste any more time with conversations, though he does enjoy them.

"Well, then, John, Hero of the Pantheon, Protector of the Cosmos, and Guardian of Creation, here we must say our farewell."

Lewentos beckoned the tree to bring him back to the bark so that he could take his place, readying his core. This was to be his final attack to end this battle between them.

"I hate to see ya leave so soon."

"We'll meet again. I promise you that."

Lewentos's light brightly lit the entirety of the area, giving even the clouds a tint of gold. It was a display that even amazed John, seeing that it had a close similarity to the celestials. This was a display of power that the Lords of the Blight could have, a rival to even the gods.

It was then in an instant, the light closed into his chest, tightening as the friction of elements gathered together. The density was so intense that it formed a miniature singularity, pitch black and overpowering.

To plan all this, to get too this very moment, just for a single person, is an honor to those that face the Blighted Armies. John was one of the few who was given the right to be a target of their attack and even he understood that this happened because of him.

He thought about the life he had lived. He thought about the journeys he had gone through, through the hardships, the pain. He had gotten the title out of pure luck and even lived by it for the sake of protecting the populace from any suffering. However, as he journeyed, he had realized that there was more to the agony than that of the Blight. There were things that were etched into the souls of mortals that had them commit heinous crimes to one another and the pain that they brought onto themselves. Things that he, as a single being in this vast cosmos, can do nothing about but watch. He did what he could and he did it alone, which was the worst part.

He had felt that his whole life was a jumbled mess but... There was so much more.

There was so much beauty to life than he had expected. He had seen wonders and had seen people in their purest form. He had seen growth that persevered through despite the hardships. He had built relationships with so many others and got to do the most radical things possible, not even a normal human could experience.

He had his loved ones, those that he had come across, his friends and family. His brother, Allen, was the one regret. He wished that he could see him grow into a wonderful being that overshines even him. He cannot wait for his growth and with the people beside him, John knew that they were enough to take the mantle he had held on to for dear life.

There was still more and he could do so much more.

As the power begins to well within Lewentos's hands, he points it into the direction of John. John wanted to struggle through his restraints but still cannot move a single inch. There was no escape from the attack.

He could only watch as the spherical ball of power, so dense that you could see the fabric of time and space bend, so dark that even light cannot escape its grasp.

"Goodbye, John Etruem." Lewentos said his farewell as he released that raw power.

John closed his eyes, ready for the impact.

The impact was indeed great for he felt the winds gush about, flowing upwards, carried by the weight of the blast.... upward?

John looked to see a metallic object overhead him. He couldn't tell what it was at first but from the looks of it, it was a fin. It was the dorsal fin of the Stitches and it was cutting through the Blighted Tree from its trunk with Lewentos sandwiched in between.

Lewentos with all his strength held the enormous ship at bay with his bare hand, the other pointed towards the sky at an angle, splitting the clouds.

John was in shock. He couldn't believe that there was help in the form of a ship. Why has a ship passed the stratosphere? He did not know but while he was gazing, he felt his bonds suddenly loosen and an arm grabbing him from the side to help him descend slowly to the ground from someone he had least expected.

"HIGH CHIEF?!"

~

"Mmm," The lord of Wrath ponders as he looked at the obstacle blocking his path. "I had expected you to be at least a couple minutes behind."

"I wouldn't count on keeping us at bay for too long," the stranger spoke confidently. He was armed with a spear made of orichalcum; a metal dense enough to even slice celestial bodies.

"This is troublesome, I have a date you see."

"They can wait," the stranger got into battle stance, his wings extended and ready to pounce as he lowered his body for a horizontal strike.

"I guess I can go for a little warm-up. It doesn't seem that the others will be joining us just yet."

"I wouldn't count on that, too."

"As arrogant as always, Comet."

The stranger was known as Comet, lead Luster of Light and right hand to the Mitre. He is one of the most powerful forces to have ever set their feet in HOA and earned the most feats in his time of service. His main method was to initiate.

His spear was already at the tip of Draconis's throat but it stopped in place. The spear trembled under Draconis's grip.

"You should know that a full-frontal assault doesn't really work on me."

"Who said this was my 'full' assault?"

Comet's wings bent abnormally and pointed the tips towards the unguarded Draconis. However, with his other hand, Draconis smacks the wings away. Comet then twisted the spear as to release Draconis's grip from the handle.

The lord of wrath barely dodged the strike, his blood dripping from the graze.

Comet led with another couple flurries of piercing attack to impale the Blight Lord but Draconis was agile enough to dodge all of the hits with ease. With his last pierce, he used the shaft to strike at Draconis, sending him to the building beside them.

Draconis was stuck in the frame of the building, chuckling at his predicament. If John hadn't taken in so much of his power, he wouldn't be struggling against the mutt of HOA.

"Despite being in an enclosed space, you can really go at it, huh?"

Comet wasn't one for continuous chatter as he continued his attack, careening towards the Blight Lord. The spear missed its mark as Draconis stood on the horizontal wall, changing the perspective the battle.

"Hmmm, a little too shallow."

Comet began to get a little irritated. He got on the same axis as the Blight Lord as, accepting his challenge.

"Really convenient to have flight as an advantage huh," Draconis commented the similarities of the strongest people he has ever fought. Among the majority, they challenge his aerial prowess.

Comet charged at the blight lord and used the tip to slice into the air between them, opening a small tether in which he entered. This shocked the blight lord for to be able to enter tethers in space means to enter a painful traversal without proper equipment, equipment only space faring ships have.

Draconis then felt a sting pierce his back. Before the wound deepen, he twisted his body to fling Comet away. Draconis, irked by this newfound power, began his assault.

Comet was still trying to regain composure before a full force charge had him crashing through the side of the buildings, one after the other, leaving a horizontal scar.

"Spear disadvantage 101, close range." Raising his fist for another attack, Draconis imbued his essence. The heat from his fist was so intense that it began to instantly melt the surrounding class. "What do you do now?"

Comet then used his celestial essence to blind the Blight Lord momentarily. Draconis unleashed his attack towards where he assumed the Aasimar was last at, toppling the building.

The entire area was covered in dust but Draconis knew better than to just rely on his sight. An attack was coming from his rear and he expertly dodged it with a somersault. He then used the momentum to launch a kick towards the unbeknownst Comet. However, Comet's instincts drove him to avoid the oncoming hit. He used the hilt of his spear to propel off Draconis's feet before the impact was too much and with a spring, he was sent to the ground.

"That ability, it irks me."

"I have more."

"Then, I can provide you with just as much."

Draconis didn't' have enough power to launch a big assault but he did still have one trick in his sleeve. With the essence he had saved up, he began to transform. His body grew to more than tenfold. He skin scaled and his claws sharpened. Wings sprouted from his back and his face elongated along with his teeth. His eyes were then turned into an inferno as he glared down at the dwarfed comet.

"I was saving this for later, but there isn't much time." The lord of blight's true form, a dragon. "Shall we continue?"

"Fuck," was all comet could say.

~

"Can't have you hog all the fun, can I?" Krempt gave a sly look, as if to say he knew what went on through John's mind.

"How?"

"Hitched a ride," Karl pointed at the Stitches as it continued to strike at the trunk with its thrusters on full. "Thought, we'd give a lil' hand."

The Thiadigm were lined up behind the Chief, ready to take a stance. However, they were not here to fight. "Ul'Manau!"

They raised their hands towards the wounded hero, glowing. The light from their palms flowed into John, rejuvenating his strength, so much so that the powers of wrath were being contained. Karl joined in and placed his palm on John's chest, giving his essence to him. John felt an overwhelming wave of power well up within him.

"Nice one," John called out the joke.

Karl laughed heartily before he continued to speak, "You can handle the rest, we'll take care of the distractions. HOA is on their way soon so expect a full-on blast in 30 mins."

"Not a lot of time," John said as he began to arm his body in that same glow.

"With their help, it's more than enough."

John took flight once again, ready to engage in battle.

"I'm not letting you go that easy," a roar resonated within the distance as a large cleaver soared through the air.

John was almost hit until Karl used his spear to deflect the attack. "Uttiw!"

The Thiadigm leveled their weapons towards the Blight Lord of Gluttony.

"You dare get in the way of me?!" Surrounding Gluttony was a large horde of infected. They continued to sprout from the ground, increasing their numbers exponentially.

"How bout we have a conversation between one lord to another?" More Thiadigm began to drop from the ship, though their numbers were a quarter of Gluttony's forces. "This evens things out."

"How many times must I be humiliated today?!" Porcus released a gutteral roar that beckoned the army of infected towards the Thiadigm.

"WEJJEIII!!!!" Karl Krempt led his in kind.

Though their numbers were limited and their essence was taken, they didn't faulter. They didn't even give an inch as the clashes between the two were evenly matched as Karl had stated. The excitement in the roar of the Thiadigm even deafened the infected that came close, drowning all the noise around them. They, the thiadigm, knew that this battle wasn't going to be easily fought but they were more than enough to keep them at bay.

In the air, John was careening towards the point of impact between the Stitches and the Blight Tree.

"John!" A woman's voice came through the commlink.

"Sera! You're alive!"

"No time for pleasentries! We need you to add a little nudge towards the Stitches!"

"What?"

"Just enough to give us a push," Ronx spoke through. "We can use the Swiss blade to cut through the tree but this bastard won't let up!"

"Okay, what do you need?"

"If you can release your essence towards us, we'd have enough boost to cut through the tree and Lewentos with it!"

"What about that beam?"

"As long as it's not pointed towards the planet, we should be safe!"

"Alright, sounds good!" John picked up his pace.

He was readying his next move, one that would stop all the invasion on Terra Prime, one that would save the planet and free the trapped souls of its populace.

As Lewentos was holding the enormous ship at bay, using every ounce of his strength in one arm, he noticed John's presence getting closer and closer. He knew he had to do something before they ruined his perfectly laid out plan. And so, he began to point the beam of power towards where he had predicted John's arrival to be.

John noticed that the beam's trajectory was changing. That light was enough to split the sky apart. Since it was guided by Pride's hand, he knew that he would not make it in time to avoid it.

"That would definitely hurt." John made up his mind and met the beam head on. He used all his might on this one kick, imbued with the essence of the people who relied on him.

Lewentos knew that the beam was almost to its limit and once that is used up, it would be over. He released every ounce of that attack towards John.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" John was inching his way towards the point of impact; parts of his body began to sear through the aura.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAGH!" Lewentos was feeling his hand giving in and his body was slowly breaking the trunk of the Blighted Tree.

All John needed to do was to meet that point, to give it a slight nudge, enough to push the ship forward.

All Lewentos needed to do was to stop John from doing so.

The two of them made a clash, large enough to send shockwaves throughout the entirety of the city, almost around the planet. Waves of power resonating through.

As the last bit of beam began to thin, Lewentos knew this was it. This was when it was over. So, he focused that beam into a single point, towards John's chest.

It succeeded. John was now falling.

Everyone, even Lewentos, was shocked to see the Hero of Eons fail in his one final task. Only Lewentos felt the glee in his heart.

The Blight Lord of Pride then used both hands to hold the ship at bay, almost changing its axis to minimize the damage of the tree. With this, the end of humanity and the order of Kasipeia was finished.

It was then another voice broke through the comms, "JOHN!" It was his brother's. How did he not escape already? It didn't matter though.

John had other plans.

John released a small orb of light, sending it to the ship's thrusters. It was almost faint but it held the one thing that humanity and all of mortality yearn for, hope.

Lewentos noticed this too late to stop it.

Once the orb touched the main thrusters, it gave it more than enough boost. It pinned the Blight Lord of Pride to the tree, destroying his hands.

In one fell swoop, the ship sliced through the Lewentos and the Blighted Tree. The void began to slowly close in on itself and the top half of the tree was cut clean off.

The full weight of the Tree was falling towards the ground.

Everyone celebrated in successfully, putting an end to the invasion. With this, the cleanup of the remaining forces would be the last thing they had to worry about.

Lewentos on the other hand didn't want this to be over. His body was cut in two, straight center and in that center was his core. The core reacted to losing its host and exploded. It was enough to lift the Blighted tree from its original trajectory towards the Stitches. It met the back end of the ship and Stitches fell with it.

John was sent crashing to the ground, forming a large crater with him. He was losing consciousness. His sight began to darken and his arms grew limp. He couldn't lift himself up but enough to raise his hand towards the falling stitches.

The sound of panic started to drown out and the sight of the Stitches crashing was the last thing he saw before calling out to his brother boarding it, "Allen...."

All faded to black.

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