Consequences of Caprice

"...Instead of dreading the moment when all of this must end, mankind should instead work towards making sure that their undoing will not be caused by their own hands."

- Spirit Knowledge

Spoken after the onset of the third world war

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Across the seas surrounding Japan, none of the world's life and vibrance are at sight. Every plant, animal, human or even just a force of life was nowhere to be seen nor heard.

All that remained were shriveled remains... drained of life and identifiable form.

Following this life-draining wave were Tainted Spirits, fattened by the misery and debauchery of the people that they passed through and now, boasting enough power all for the sake of giving it all up for Babel and its goal of achieving godhood.

At the center of New Tokyo, at the monument of mankind's pride, caprice and unending pursuit of perfection, the two Miyazono Gardeners that remained alive gathered to nourish the World Seed.

"No matter how many times I see it, your powers really are creepy."

"Oh-ho. Don't say that, William. Whether you like it or not, it's only me and you who remains alive among the Gardeners. Haha! If only you weren't such a boorish man and made sure to destroy the Sumeragis before, we would have more of our friends around right now."

"Shut up and get this thing going, will you?!!"

"Yes, yes. Right as you say."

Dressed with white robes, William and Akira walked towards the large piece of wood that they refer to as "The World Seed". On its side is a human face whose surface has took on the color and texture of wood.

"Oh, poor Replicant... You could've accepted your end and not suffered like this, but since you're so willing to be sustenance for the World Seed, I guess we'll be making use of you to the best of our abilities." Akira spoke and raised his hands that began to glow, the light splitting into three figures that took on familiar appearances.

"...If you could've brought them back with your powers, why didn't you do it before when we're getting killed?" William asked after seeing the dead Gardeners Hirayama Taka, Aokigahara Yoshino and Hamasaki Satoshi revived by Akira's power.

"That's where you're wrong, William-san. Technically speaking, while my Conceptual psychic power does bring them back, they're nothing more than husks of their real selves." Akira answered back, before manipulating the three familiar figures of the Gardeners to raise their hands and make use of their respective powers. "The only thing they can do now is to stand here with us, fulfilling the requirements to claim the World Seed again."

"...I see. Luxuria's memories says the same."

Inside William's mind, the ancient memory of Tainted Spirit Luxuria played wherein after the Tower was built and the Arrow was fired to mark mankind's rebellion against the Divine Principles, Luxuria and the four other Great Tainted Spirits convened in the same way in order to claim the World Seed for Freedom and Babel.

"It's time, William-san... This time, it's our victory."

"...Indeed. For mankind, its freedom and godhood."

"For freedom and godhood."

After William raised his hand and directed his power to the World Seed, the event that would mark the beginning of the battle that would decide whether this world would be claimed in all its entirety by mankind or be destroyed to its very foundations, began.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

An hour before the ceremony by the Gardeners to claim the World Seed was done, a lone figure walked towards New Tokyo. Dressed in a white, hooded robe with metal plates on the vital parts of his body and carrying a long, sharp two-edged sword that blazed with white-hot fire emanating a divine aura, his gaze never erred from the direction where all of the malice and darkness in the world is meant to converge.

"KIEEEEEEEEEK—!!!"

"GYIII-YAAAIII—!!!"

As he walked forward, the Malignances and Tainted Spirits that came close instantly burned with the divine fire that surrounded him, incinerating not only their physical forms but even their very existence.

"The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion..."

Alongside his march, Lucas, possessed by the indomitable power and will of Spirit Courage, spoke prayers as he steeled himself for the final battle ahead of him.

"Fear thou not, for I am with thee. I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness..."

As his prayers resonated with the Principles that he represents, the divine fire and aura that surrounded Lucas began to grow and burn away the filth and malignant air that surrounded him.

"...I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

Marching towards the place where all of this will finally end, Lucas stripped away everything that gave him doubts, envy, weakness and misguidance.

The knight who swore oaths not to a monarch but to the principles of chivalry, justice and compassion, who lost his family to the chaos of the world, who tried to do everything that he can to do right with those around him... is now deprived of all the things that gave him uncertainty and led his actions and decisions astray.

Right now, he is no longer Lucas Tetian, the one who pursues his brother for revenge and serves the Sumeragi syndicate despite knowing their own evils...

He's now just Lucas... Nothing more, nothing less.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

While it's true that her battle against Faith will be a loss, her opponent is fated to also fall into defeat.

This was the fate ascribed to Spirit Faith's Vessel, or to be more precise, the former human that the Spirit corrupted to become her direct form in the physical realm.

Within the Hall of Everlasting Praises, the domain of Faith's Divine Principle, an everlasting chorus of hymns and the blazing light from somewhere above the dome's ceiling persisted throughout the battle between its master and the one trapped within it.

Here, Aishi's fate became sealed as she desperately fought against the fulfillment of her existence being wiped out entirely using her own powers and the fragment of Spirit Freedom's Authority that she was given.

"GGGGHHHHH—!!! YOU DAMNED—"

"Give up already, you filthy scion of that traitor! How dare you repay Love's kindness and compassion with murder and the destruction of everything she built for this world!" Faith rampaged against her opponent, putting more power and force to the Orders that she gave to her Domain. "You will pay! YOU WILL LEARN HOW IT FELT TO BE BETRAYED AND THROWN AWAY!"

"ARGH! What the hell— What is happening!?"

Around Aishi, the chorus of hymns and the blinding light above the domain began to grow in volume and intensity. What was simply disorienting earlier quickly became something that blared within her skull and burned her skin and flesh.

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!!!!!"

"SCREAM! SCREAM AND FEEL THE PAIN OF EVERYONE THAT YOU AND YOUR LOT MASSACRED!"

The divine light from the dome of her Domain became a curse upon her flesh and soul, like sunlight searing a vampire to death. Seeing her suffering, Faith decided to end this once and for all.

"Anfra duila! Der leges farento vivilas hondris! Kavesh-tueila teku pandros filis!"

("Behold all witnesses! The judgement of the righteous is nigh! All families broken shall be reunited!")

After uttering those words in that language that only beings of high stature knows, the Domain expended all of its power to the singular task of claiming the life of its victim.

"NO! SAVE ME, FATHE—"

Without even being able to shout for help, Aishi's body, soul, spirit and every aspect of her existence was erased in an instant. In a blink of an eye, in an instant so infinitesimally short, all that composed her life and essence was burned away into nothingness.

Such is the full power of a being worthy of being called a Celestial Spirit... and one who represents one of the most important Principles of reality no less.

However... Faith made a critical mistake.

"With this, it is done... I have won. I have avenged you, Love... I have returned their wrong, Knowledge. It is done... It is finally— GH!!!"

All of a sudden, Faith held her head as if it was in excruciating pain. In the next moment, a voice spoke that sent shivers to her very core and made her whole body stiff as ice.

"Did you really think that I would die just like that, Faith?"

"YOU—!!!"

Looking above, Faith saw the bright light coming from the dome of her Domain slowly turn to crimson then pitch-black... and one-by-one, the choir that sang praises and hymns began to morph into horrifying laughter and blood-curdling screams as if they are being burned by hellfire.

"You have always been foolish, but it seems like thousands of years of stagnation and taking on half of Knowledge's Taintedness has dulled you enough to forget..."

"—!!!"

"...that I have never respected the rules of the Divine. Nor will I ever compromise my goal just to uphold a promise that has become useless to me."

Right in front of Faith was none other than Spirit Freedom... or at least, a fragment of her that once took on Aishi as her Vessel.

Normally, a defeated Vessel will bring to their death their own Spirit. That is how the rules dictate it at least. However, Freedom completely disregarded that as soon as her Vessel's death was assured.

"For the sake of my goal, every piece is a pawn, every rule belongs to the trash. I will win no matter what it takes..."

Freedom forcefully grabbed Faith's head and with eyes that glared so sharply into Faith's eyes that it made it apparent that she is probing her very soul, she found all of her vulnerabilities and made quick work of taking over her powers and Principle.

"No... NOOO!!!"

"Give it up, Faith! I will have what I want! I will take over your Authority and use it to bring my dreams to fruition!"

"I WILL NOT LET YOU!!!"

"THAT'S NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE!!!"

At the next moment, an essence that took the form of a faint mist escaped Faith's eyes and mouth and with a misshapen mouth filled with fangs and writhing snake-like tongues, Freedom absorbed the mist-like form and dropped the now lifeless body of Sumeragi Nichirin.

"Yes... YES!!! This is it... this is what I have been working to finally achieve! After eons of waiting... I FINALLY HAVE IT!!!"

As soon as Freedom felt the overwhelming power that Faith's essence contained, she began to laugh maniacally, knowing that with this final necessary piece, their plans can now be set in motion.

"Wait... this is... Something is missing—"

However, as soon as she began to examine her newfound power, she found out that a piece of it is missing... and that it has, with its own power and will, took on a Vessel that is now alongside her other comrades.

"No... If it's incomplete, that would mean that the ritual might fail. I cannot tolerate any failure at this point... At this point, any failure would mean that—"

Just as Freedom is nearly losing her mind with the possibility that her path to godhood is about to face a failure, her eyes wandered to the crumbling domed room surrounding her. With that, a thought crossed her mind that she did not think about before.

"Just like how Faith did it... if I were to do the same to mankind, maybe... just maybe it will work...!"

And thus, with her newfound power and the corrupted will that she received from Babel, Freedom called out to the domain to follow her command.

"Hearken me, Domain of Faith and Devotion! "

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Deep in the Antarctic ice, one of the last Seers of Death fiddled with the instruments aboard a vessel that has laid here concealed for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of years.

This vessel, taking on the silhouette of a cross between an extremely large cruise liner and an exploration vehicle designed to escape the confines of the earth, was buried here all this time... awaiting the descendants of its master who left it here for this exact purpose.

"Come on... come on! I need you to get those people out before all hell breaks loose! Or else... or else—!!!"

Mirai, the only Seer of Death left who still has her own sense of self, desperately clicked on the computers inside the ship's cockpit, trying to bypass its security measures all in order to try and turn it back on.

["USER UNKNOWN. ACCESS DENIED."]

"This is a damn emergency! I don't want to hear that when you're meant to be sitting here in idle to evacuate the one's who are meant to live through this now that the right time came!"

["USER UNKNOWN. ACCESS DENIED. I REPEAT, ACCESS DENIED"]

"Dammit all! If you won't let me in this way, then I will—"

And yet, the control system, with its cold, robotic voice, denied her access to its start-up protocol. With this, Mirai tried to make use of her power but suddenly felt a presence behind her just as she was about to do it.

"...Seer of Death, make way."

"Y-Y-You are..."

The person who entered the control room was none other Spirit Law, now possessing all the Principles and Authorities that he was able to take back from both allies and corrupted former allies.

"...Program, identify yourself."

["REQUEST DENIED. NEW USER, IDENTIFY YOURSELF."]

"Spirit Law. Spirit of Law and Order. The Spirit of the Primordial Thought. Guardian Spirit of the Central Continent alongside Spirit Love..."

["IDENTIFICATION INCOMPLETE. YOU ARE MISSING ONE LAST TITLE."]

"Haah..."

["SPEAK IT."]

As the robotic voice identified one missing title of his', Law gave out a long sigh and paused for a moment. This was caught by Mirai who sensed that whatever that title was, it brought Law much pain.

"...The Finality."

"—!!!"

["USER IDENTITY MATCHED. INITIATING START-UP SEQUENCE"]

As soon as the program said those words, the ancient machinery inside the vessel sprang up to life. In only a few moments, the freezing-cold surroundings became comfortably warm and all around the cockpit, lights and hologram images lit up.

"Law... what was that? What do you mean that you are—"

"As soon as I was born, that was what was fated of me... I was the first whose Principle was born out of the rules that governed the creation of this reality... and in the end, I will be the last one to disappear alongside it..."

"B-But that would mean—"

"Exactly. That was how things should've become... if not for the arrival of "the being who corrupts"... Now, all who ascribed to its desire to reach divinity has to join in its ruin."

Mirai, finally understanding what her identity as one of the Seers of Death, looked at Law with a gaze that shook with both fear and reverence. Now that she knows the greatest secret of Law, she understood what he is fated to do against this world that they all call home.

"Y-Y-You... W-W-Will you really kill all of—" Mirai stopped before she can utter the words she wanted to speak. The answer was already obvious with the emotions that Law's eyes conveyed.

"It must be done."

"T-There must be another way! Mankind is— Surely mankind will be able to find their way if—!!!"

"DON'T BE NAIVE, SEER!"

Law's shout echoed in the cockpit of the ship, making the metal panels to tremble and the glass to nearly shatter. Mirai thought that it was just Law's voice, but her eyes told her that as he shouted, Law released a wave of Astra energy that shook the room.

"Look around you! Look at the world and every other creature in this world apart from mankind! Look at what they have sacrificed in order to reach their desired divinity! Do you think that they can ever be redeemed?! DO YOU THINK THAT I HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE THAN ERASE THEM ALONGSIDE THIS WORLD?!!"

As he said those words, Mirai realized that the Law that she saw before and the one standing in front of her now are different. If back then, he was devoid of emotions and is only driven by his duty and cold logic, Law is now able to feel the frustration brought by the conflict between what he must do according to his duty and what he wishes to do while feeling utter pity for mankind.

The thing that Love wanted to give him all those eons ago, he finally received... and yet, all that it gave him now was sorrow and hopelessness.

He now wishes to redeem mankind... believe in them and give them a second chance.

Yet he must do what he has to do... judge them and bring them their fitting end.

"...Mankind has chosen its path. I am not here to change or challenge it anymore. All that I can do now is to stop them from spreading their filth and end this before it becomes far worse."

And that fitting end has already been chosen... All that's needed to be done now is to enforce it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

In the one remaining corner of the world where life and order still persists in rebellion to ruin and chaos, the final fight of those who chose to go against the flow of mankind's united desire is about to begin.

"Here they come!!!"

A shout came from the southern part of the estate and was immediately followed by the sound of mortar fire and its subsequent explosions. Only a few seconds after the first shot was fired, the defenders' commander came to check on the situation.

"...Estimated distance?"

"900 meters and getting closer for their ground units. As for the airborne ones, they're coming faster."

"Alright you heard it folks! Fire the Fifties! Get those flying pests down and don't let them get near!"

"""ROGER!!!"""

As light artillery and gunfire shot down the incoming Malignances, their shells and bullets are visibly glowing as they were being shot out. This glow came from enhancements done by one of the active Psychics from their side.

"...Are they really effective as you say, Kaede-dono?"

"Of course they are, I can guarantee it... but only for the low-ranking ones. If it's monstrosities like the ones that came out from among the portals opened by the Seers of the Mori cult, only we can wound and kill it."

"I see... We'll leave it up to you four to take care of it then."

While the south side of the estate is keeping up with the assault of the Malignance swarm, another shout and wave of gunfire came from the east side of the estate.

"ANOTHER ENEMY SWARM COMING FROM THE EAST! FIRE AT WILL!!!"

"There too—!?"

Shock overcame Yuri after learning that another group of monsters are going to strike them from another side. However, she was quickly relieved after seeing massive explosions tearing the wave of monsters that came from the Psychic assigned to that side.

"Keep shooting the ones I miss! I'll handle the brunt of their attack!"

"Y-Yes! Everyone! Pick off the stragglers and the flying ones!"

""

With his psychic abilities reinforced by his status as a Spirit Vessel, and expertise in chemistry and atomic physics, Renjiro synthesized all kinds of unstable materials inside the barrel of his Augmenter weapon and fired them out with outstanding destructiveness.

In but a few shots, the seemingly unstoppable wall of monsters became piles of flesh strewn around the forest facing the east side of the estate. As for those that managed to survive or evade those volleys, they quickly found death through the bullets fired by the other human defenders.

For the next thirty minutes, gunfire and explosions filled the ears of everyone in the vicinity and their hearts were filled with a mix of desperation and anxiety.

"Everything will be alright, kids... Just hold strong and we can get through this."

"Mmm...! We'll be strong, Hannah-nee!"

"We won't cry, Hannah-nee!"

Inside the bedroom where Ephraim and Sayaka still remains unconscious, the non-combatants who are made up of Catherine, Hannah, Mio, Yukari, Rea, Professor Mizuki, his daughter Rin, Azusagawa Maya, and Higuchi Sora, huddled together in order to be protected by the others.

"Daddy... I'm scared...!"

"There, there... don't be so scared, darling. Dad is here to protect you."

Professor Mizuki embraced his daughter and let her sink her face on his chest as he covered her ears that can still hear the chaos happening outside. Seeing this, Sora asked his friend a question.

"None of this should've happened, my friend... None of this at all."

"Professor Sora..."

"I... If only I managed to stop Miyazono Ryuuichi back then... He wouldn't have been this—"

"It's too late for those regrets now, Sora-san."

Sora's self-loathing was cut short by Catherine who looked at him straight.

"It's too late to think that you could've done something about what you are regretting now... It's too late, just accept it as it is."

"...Right. How could I make this mistake...? I... I shouldn't carry such regrets anymore."

As if understanding a certain meaning beneath the words she told him, Sora stood up with the help of Maya and walked towards the only window in the room. There, he saw the men and women who are gritting their teeth while trying to wrestle control over their weapons, as well as the Psychics who are providing the most effective attacks that they have.

"This is where it all ends and even as a feeble, useless old man, I have a purpose to fulfill."

Sora, after gesturing to Maya that he wants to walk without her aid, left the bedroom to head to a room with a locked door.

"...Once, I saved this world from the plague that a certain man I considered as my friend gave to it in his thirst for revenge."

As he opened the lock, such thoughts swirled in his mind.

"And now... in order to save what little remains of this once beautiful world and its once pure-hearted inhabitants, I must fight in the only way that I can still fight with."

With a heavy push, the door opened and showed numerous equipment only see in high-end pharmaceutical laboratories and bio-weapon facilities. From specimen containment pods to biological hyper-processor instruments, everything here justified the standing of the elderly man as one of the best in his field of science.

"Forgive me, Chiasa... I must break one promise that I gave you."

He spoke after taking a vial from one of the containment pods that has a misshapen body inside of it and placing it on a machine that has a tube that pierced the stone ceiling of the room.

"...I will just beg for your forgiveness in the afterlife."

At the roof of the manor where a live concert was being held by the band of Masami, the music kept going to both increase the morale of their side and give the band mates the honor of being the last ones whose human voices and music would ever ring out in this world.

"I don't care of tomorrow is the end of the world~~! I will still be me and still fight for what I believe in~~!"

"Tomorrow is tomorrow and today is my day~~! I will sing my heart out and prove my existence with a voice that will never be silenced~~!"

"Here I will shout and I will be remembered—! The fire in my heart is all the proof that I need to be me!!!"

Their songs that burned with passion and hope may seemingly look useful only as a morale booster, and yet in the eyes of Mana and the other Psychics, it was as effective as any of their attacks.

Malignances are born and thrive in the chaos and hopelessness of mankind, making the songs being sang and the feelings that exuded from it to become an extremely potent poison for the monsters.

"Alright! You still alive and well down there, folks?!!"

"Come give us an answer dammit! Oh yeah!"

"""OH YEAH!!!"""

The fire of passion and hope spread through their forces and this made not only their spirits to be reinforced with morale and camaraderie, but also make their attacks more potent against their enemies.

However, it did not stop there...

*BWOOFFF—!!!*

"What the heck?! What was that thing that just shot out the chimney?!"

"W-Was it Santa?! Did he get stuck and just got out now— Ow!"

"Stop it with that stupid question, Shiori!"

Something solid and cylindrical shot out of the chimney of the house and after reaching a certain height, exploded and spread a bluish-mist into the wind. A few moments later, the flying Malignances began to drop dead from the sky and was later followed by the moderately powerful Malignances on the ground.

Seeing this, a confused Mana blurted out a question that was answered immediately by Renjiro.

"W-what was that thing?! How did it—"

"I see... that old man sure is a prodigy even in his age."

"Furuta-sensei?"

"It was a bio-weapon. But not against humans, instead it's for Malignances."

"A bio-weapon for Malignances? Can such thing really exist when Malignances only manifests a physical body through converting Astra energy?"

"That's why I said that he's a prodigy despite his age... the effort and expertise required to find a very potent poison against Malignances that doesn't depend on any application of Astra energy is worthy of the highest respect."

"I see... I guess the old man really is worth all the respect that he got back then."

However, this seemingly great development in their situation was cut short by the arrival of someone whose mere aura and amount of Astra energy made Mana to nearly instinctively run away and puke in horror.

"—!!!"

"...He's here."

"YAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO—!!!"

In a single second, an explosion struck the north side of the estate, instantly obliterating the wall that faces that direction and killing off a few of the defenders stationed there.

"Hahaha... AHAHAHAHA! YAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

With a maniacal laughter, the enemy that just arrived announced his arrival and looked at the terrified expressions of the people around him.

"What's wrong, you cretins?! Scared of death, aren't ya?! You wanna die, you punks?!"

"Yiii—!"

The S.S.S members that surrounded him instinctively cowered in fear, but they were quickly ordered away by the arrival of the psychic assigned to guard this side of the estate.

"Stand back and repair the wall. I'll be this one's opponent."

"Y-Yes! Everyone get your tools and let's fix the wall!"

"""Aye!"""

While the normal humans went to their ordered task, the one left to face Miyazono Keiji was none other than Imamura Kirin.

"Heh-heh-heh... what's with that face, ya hag? Are ya hatin' me for wearing the face and body of your only one precious child? Huh? Huuuuuh?!"

"..."

"Well too bad for ya! I've been liking his powers and how seeing him visibly disturbs you folks! I don't care how much you beg me, I will never give you back you brat! I will—"

"Do as you wish."

"...Huh?"

"I said it as it is... do as you wish. In the first place, it was a mistake for me to continue to hold onto a life that I can never truly save. Even if it's my precious child that was left to me by my beloved husband, it was fated that he wouldn't last long... and it was both my desperation and disobedience to the rules of reality that brought this situation that we are in now."

Kirin, with a somber expression on her face, looked at Keiji who possessed the real body of her child that was just recently taken out of cytostatis.

There were traces of pain and sorrow on her face, but it was soon replaced by a firm and peaceful expression.

"Blah, blah, BLAAAH!!! Stupid, annoying rabble! Do you really feel nothing while I'm ruining your kid's memory and legacy by using his body like this?!"

"Yes, I feel nothing. While it would've vexed the "me" from a few months ago, "I" who are here now have nothing to feel towards you... after all, the child that I knew of, lived with and loved all this time is not the one standing right in front of me now..."

"—!!!"

After hearing those words, pure annoyance and hatred filled the head of Keiji after he realized that the trick he was banking on was as useless as a water bucket full of holes.

"My son has always been the one with a golden heart and a soul as pure as undriven snow."

"You think you're slick, b*tch?!! I'll kill ya here right now with yer own son's hands!"

Keiji lunged towards Kirin, but as soon as his arm which he turned into a wooden stake was about to reach Kirin, two other psychics who was waiting for this attack appeared beside him and Kirin mumbled the following words:

"..."

"You—"

"!"