Chapter 52: When does it end?

PART 1

Buddha's avatar couldn't see, he couldn't talk... he could do nothing from these heroes but feel himself slowly fade away.

His massive body would fall within the Wheel-Space they all governed inside... slowly ascending downwards with his death.

"Haaa....haaa...haaa..."

Despite the heroes endless energy, and limitless stamina, they all were tired.

Fighting such a thing as Buddha was no easy feat, as they wasted every bit of energy they had in order to defeat him.

As his body fell, Katie looked around to see them all panting.

"When I saved Seth, I noticed something... when we fell in a endless darkness in Wheel-Space, the darkness started to corrode my body and slowly turn me into Nothingness... Seth was bound to die if I didn't save him — but I also noticed at the end of the vast darkness was another world underneath... maybe that's where Nirvana is?"

They all looked at Katie...

"Actually that's the Spirit World. The world of the spirits exists underneath the First Wheel."

Of course Akira knew, he was the one connected to Beloveno itself from the arc.

"The vast darkness you actually fell into was the Grim Reapers nothingness..."

Katie blinked a few times—

"Huh?"

They now looked at Akira.

"During the battle between the grim reaper in the spirit world, he was sealed between Beloveno and The Spirit world by true time itself, held off and unable to break free from its shackles. At least that's all I know from theories and rumors of the celestial world. Using Arc, I can find any piece of information."

Akira glanced down at Buddhas body which started to shrink...? They all didn't really think much about it.

"When someone dies they are sent into Grim Reaper since he represents deaths. The longer you spend in his nothingness, you'll eventually become nothingness and he reaps your Origin, which sends you through the currents of River Styx, which actually exists even deeper and underneath that of The Spirit World. Perhaps it's where purgatory even lies."

Toshiro scratched his head.

"I guess the world has a lot to it that we don't know about... but wait— I thought purgatory existed next to the garden of Eden?"

Toshiro genuinely asked the question in confusion.

"That's only theorized, however Arc cannot find that to be true..."

Haruo gripping Dead-Edge would now let go of his blade and huff... finally defeating their main threat...

PART 2

"Alright, I need to rest... that bastard managed to drain all of us, despite our damn endless stamina..."

Akira was fine, he didn't even seem to be breathing hard, Haruo noticed it and, even annoying him.

"Oh right, Akiras true form exists in the Arc doesn't it? Man what a chest..."

Haruo leaned his head back as he literally sat on the vacuum of Wheel-space itself, naturally defying physics.

"Um guys...? I don't think... its... over..."

Katie who had looked down could see Buddha steadily shrinking until he was the size of an average humanoid figure... it stood floating about... however they noticed something in its hand—

"What does he have inside his hand...?"

They all glanced down, they were in awe... to see Buddhas avatar managing to survive everything they thrown at it, but... he survived on one peculiar reason...

"You all didn't notice, did you?"

The figure had a bright light suddenly emerge from below them, exploding itself outwards in a dazzling glow, that blinded their eyes.

"Gah...! Bright...!"

Katie yelled, placing her arm over her eyes...

"You all never noticed, that she was in my grasp the entire time..."

The light began to fade away slowly... everything around them turned back to normal... but...?

"Ahhhh...?"

Toshiro looked down to see what appeared to be the fusion between Buddha... and...—

"You're kidding me...!? That poor celestial... she was... captured this entire time as a backup plan?"

Katie looked in horror.

"Damn bastard had a plan B this entire time..."

Haruo gripped his fist in anger.

"Providence is gone."

Akira finally confirming what had happened...

"When we were fighting, it seems everyone didn't notice Providence disappearance. She was gone this entire time, and no one really paid attention to why, or how. But this makes sense on why she wasn't with us..."

Akira looked ashamed.

"Precisely. I didn't want to return to my roots from before when using this avatar... but you see, I am the ruler of Celestials, I know more about them, than you will ever. They are the source of my power when I have no other power left! Providence was the perfect tool for it!"

Buddha had smiled, he had Providence fused with his very being, they all knew only because of her aura existing inside of Buddhas, combined to slowly bring back his power again.

"I may be vastly weaker than I was a moment ago, but it's more than enough to kill you all, and return Sun Wukong from his seal. I will have him enact his goal as my Archetype..."

Archetypes is a common element inside the making of Mavericks, having played a role, whether small or big, in all of Beloveno's stories itself.

Archetypes are, most commonly, avatars passively created by Mavericks who became Celestials from their Benoyin, particularly those currently occupying with a Taihō is a celestial.

The workings of Archetypes vary, depending on their creator. In most cases, they are born as regular humans, completely unaware of their nature as mere prolongations of a God. This was the case with the Buddha's Archetype being that of Sun Wukong, the only known Archetype of the God of Monkeys.

Upon awakening to their true nature, they gain all memories of their main-self, ceasing their existence as independent humans and becoming mere extensions of their true selves. However, this is not always the case.

In one instance another Archetype who came from Buddha, though his name is unknown, was born with an independent will to that of his creator, albeit inheriting defining traits of his personality, most notably his cowardice, which lead to his memory loss.

Most Archetypes tend to share the general physical appearence of their creator in some way or form, whether ability or trait, or even design.

Buddha would make sure to receive his Archetype once again, in order to finally end this battle.

PART 3

"Don't you think I've played enough with you fools?"

From down below, Buddha would raise his hand.

"I'll simply cast you away, where Galatea and Makoto exists... may you find peace, and become one with nirvana—"

Their eyes widened. They all would set up defensive mechanisms to prevent the next attack coming, however—

"Vanish from this world, into anew!"

Katie took the first step, her speed was fast... indeed it was... but despite that, she couldn't keep up... she couldn't save them... only because—

"Guys... that won't work!—"

She vanished out of existence along with every other Hero... they all were gone... and sent into Nirvana.

But—

"What's this?"

One remained.

"That Child who defeated Sun Wukong managed to stay? Ohhh I see now, he's connected with Providence. He cannot vanish unless Providence vanished with him, what a shame. I suppose this does make my job easier."

Buddha was one who represented peace and enlightenment... yet... this avatar seemed the opposite of that.

"I shall be taking Sun Wukong from you, Seth Genesis—"

He had stopped talking, realizing the boy return to his feet...

"Provy..."

Buddha looked up in actual awe, this child was still staying on his feet despite the injuries he's taken from here on out...?

"The fact you can still stand... I am impressed..."

Seth wiggled side to side... his body nearly collapsing in on itself...

"What have you done to her...? What did you do to Providence...."

Buddha was right, they were connected...

"I can hear her talking to me in my head... ever since we fused, we became one in a literal sense. And yet... you took her away from me...?"

Buddha crossed his arms.

"As things are now, it's wise to hand over Dàinsleif in order to end things peacefully. There isn't anyone here to help you Seth, all your friends are sent into Nirvana, and they became one with it. All things considered of course, I can spare you, Hero."

".....Seth...!!!"

Providence voice would echo inside of the Genesis' head...

"....Seth... where... are you...? Everything's dark... everything's... cold!"

Seth would reopen his eyes, extending his arm forward.

"Dàinsleif..."

Buddha would smirk.

"So you finally decided the wisest decision?"

Buddha came from down below and made his way upwards towards Seth, reaching his hand out to grab Dàinsleif... but—

"You are smart after all... hm?"

Buddha tried to take Dàinsleif away... but Seth's grip tightened around it more...

"You've taken away everyone, and then you taken away Providence from me. Just what do you bastards want? You deities... you self-centered assholes. Everything I've done from here on out... I was suppose to have a reason for it... but it's like destiny had lied to me, and my purpose here..."

Buddha stepped back... an overwhelming force was being emitted from Seth—

"What's this...?"

Seth's aura became golden & white...

"I was suppose to unite Mankind and Gods... wasn't that my purpose...? Wasn't that why I was sent here...?"

Buddha eyes would widen.

"I-Is he...?"

He gasped, as if he knew what was happening...

"I was suppose to fulfill my destiny ever since I entered the mountain... but one after another... after another... it's all been... shameless hell... for me..."

Seth was sluggishly leaning forward in his upper-body, his head bowing down, the golden and white aura seemed to expand outwards a bit more than before—

"I don't want it anymore... I don't want to go through any more pain, and be weak... unable to do a thing... so that's why... I'll finish this... I don't care if I lose every piece of me."

Seth's eyes would flutter before raising his head to face Buddha.

"I'll end this..."