Chapter 7: In the Name of Perfection
"Courage is what's left in a man when might, wit and ambition has left his hand. When facing a ferocious beast where he is nothing but a hapless and hopeless prey, desperation and lack of care for what is left to lose will be his only power. To put it simply, only the weak knows the power of courage, and those born strong are ignorant of what one who has nothing but that can do against them."
- Spirit Courage
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In the dilapidated ruins of New Tokyo, a structure made of jet-black marble entwined with dark cedar wood stood in the artificial island.
Having the figure of a tree with branches that spreads out across the horizon, leaves made of metal that nearly blocks the sky and a glowing silhouette that emanated with otherworldly dread, it is none other than the corrupted manifestation of what was once the dormant World Seed.
"HAVESH-TWEILA! ISPIRI BABEL! KANKANAYE AILA PIRELA!!!"
(T/N: Accept us! Spirit Babel! Nourish yourself with our lives!!!)
Below the tree, tens of thousands of people whose minds has been taken over by the malevolent whisperings of Tainted Spirits stood and shouted endless praises to the being that now stands at the cusp of becoming this world's undisputed god.
They danced around fires while naked, cutting open their skin and flesh to offer the dripping blood as sacrifices, while they took turns with partaking upon each other's "warmth".
As he watched this sight within the eyes of his vessel, Babel writhed in pure ecstasy as all of the sacrifices of blood, life, "undue passion" and chaos fattened its power and influence.
"YES! YEEEEEEEEESSSS!!!!! YOU'RE DOING SO WELL, MANKIND! MORE! GIVE ME MOOOOOOOREEEE!!!!!!"
With this shout that it sent to all of its believers across the world, the rate and extremeness of the depraved actions continued to grow to the point that no mortal would ever dare to go.
The sights were filled with pure, unspeakable horror as blood flowed like great rivers, men and women alike tore each other apart in pursuit of a more extreme form of "connection", lives were ripped from their mortal forms and minds reached the physical limitations of pain, ecstasy and depravity.
At that very moment, a shout rang out from the very top of the tower from a man nocking an enormous arrow to an equally enormous bow.
"IN THE NAME OF MANKIND'S ASCENT TO GODHOOD!!! FALL!!! CAELESTIA!!!!!"
Gardener William Tetian, mankind's strongest and the only one that can wield the legendary bow that Babel kept for this very purpose, loosed the very same arrow that it fired when it once attempted and failed to wage war against Caelestia and the Celestial Spirits.
The arrow flew straight and mightily. It glowed with a crimson hue and the combined wish for godhood by mankind.
Finally, it struck a previously invisible figure above the sky that began to gradually appear to the naked eye. Slowly, the floating island that once was home to the beings that protected and guided mankind in its early days, appeared in all of its glory.
"HERE IT IS!!!"
"HURRAAAHHH!!!"
"PRAISE BE! PRAISE BE!!!"
From the brainwashed humans, Tainted Spirits and the ardent believers within the Miyazonos, everyone cheered after the first step towards mankind's ascent to godhood was fulfilled.
"WELL DONE, MY CHILDREN! NOW THEN! BUILD ME MY TOWER! BUILD ME THE SKY-RENDING PATHWAY TO GODHOOD!!!"
After Babel shouted this order to everyone in the vicinity, everyone took apart the rubble and earth around them, piling them together into a shoddy construct that could easily fall and be ruined. However, instead of putting on binding cement, those that took great stones to build the structure readily took on that role.
"ENDAL AILA VERIYE DAO NOPTO! ENDAL AILA CRUPI EF NOPTES UL DAO RIV!"
(T/N: Let our blood be your mortar! Let our flesh be living binder of your will!)
Impaling themselves onto the protruding rebar, metal struts and broken wooden beams of the debris that they themselves brought, their corpses began to rapidly solidify into stone as a glowing light similar to the World Seed slowly swept the rapidly growing tower.
In not even 20 minutes since they were ordered to do so, the tower they have built has grown to reach the clouds, and in less than 10 minutes, it would reach the floating island above them.
As this bloody process of building the tower continued, the flow of blood pooled around the tower into a river that spread out into the dead and destroyed capital city. Soon, it reached the sea and tainted its dead waters with a crimson hue that began to spread throughout the world's waters.
All around the world, similar events are happening without any sign of ceasing.
While those who are present at the nexus of the corrupted World Seed offered their blood, flesh and very life to construct the tower that would act as the unfurled red carpet for Babel to walk on in triumph towards its godhood, the rest of mankind that has now fallen into the grip of Babel's many temptations continued their depraved acts all in the name of empowering their up-and-coming deity.
"Himari-nee..."
"Aishi..."
Among those who did not need to be forced or tempted in order to obey Babel's plan were the three Sumeragi children that was made to become the Vessels of Spirit Freedom. Two of these were the sisters, Miyazono Himari and Aishi.
"Young lady Aishi has been looking for you, milady." spoke Gardener Akira beside Aishi after the two of them entered Himari's bedroom. Aishi, who has just been revived into a 12-year-old form of her body, slowly approached Himari. "She just left her Replicator cell. It seems like while she managed to allow Spirit Freedom to claim the Authority of Faith, it came at the cost of her life and recent memories."
"...Is that so?"
"Himari-nee..."
With eyes that appeared hollow and a voice that spoke in whispers, Aishi walked towards Himari and hugged her by the waist like a child clinging to their mother.
"Apologies, milady... the attack of the Seer of Death destroyed the main laboratory where we were keeping the most recent recording of the young lady's memories, so we had not choice but to give her memories when she was just 8-years-old." Akira spoke, explaining the reason why Aishi is acting like a child. "Our experts say that young lady Aishi will be able to recover her more recent memories after a few hours. Apparently, they are stitching memories from our members and Seed Psychics alike to allow her to remember them."
"I understand... For now, leave us. I wish to speak with her in private."
"As you wish, milady... While I'm here, I believe you should know this too..."
"What is it?"
"Young master Keiji was slain as well during his attack against the remnants of the Sumeragi psychics and the S.S.S."
"Given his reckless nature, that always happens... What makes this one special?"
Akira paused for a moment before giving the answer.
"That's because... unlike before, he was unable to separate his soul from his possessed body using his power in order to make his revival faster and more efficient. Just like young lady Aishi, we had to depend on very old records of his memory to reform him, and the last time I was told, they have already failed 13 times to bring him back."
"Wait... then that means—"
"Yes, milady... It appears that this time, he was killed by someone or something that rendered his power useless. Given his psychic power that allowed him to be quickly revived, he wasn't so fond on keeping records of his memories regularly, so we had to make use of his memories as a 10-year-old. I'm afraid that losing him and his vital memories would slow down our plans."
"You're right, it would slow down but it will not be stopped... We cannot be stopped. Not anymore. Not by anyone. Do not forget that distinction, Kitagawa."
"I-I would never dare, milady."
Himari's chilling gaze went through Akira as he bowed down to show his apology.
"In any case, things are going exceptionally well for us and our victory is inevitable... If you have nothing more to say then leave already. Do not bother us unless the order comes from father, am I understood?"
"Yes!"
After Akira left the bedroom, Himari and Aishi sat on the bed as they watched the tower being rapidly built by thousands upon thousands of sacrifices of human life. Although the sight itself was hellish and bloody, Himari simply watched while Aishi placed her head on her sister's lap and took a nap like a child.
"...Soon. Soon enough and we will finally get what we have toiled for decades."
Himari spoke beneath her breath as her eyes twinkled with Astra energy.
"Unfortunately, the bug who has been benefiting all this time while doing nearly nothing will not have a share on our victory... I will assure it."
As she raised her left hand, she looked at the mark left on it that she prepared for exactly that objective.
"I apologize, father and Babel...
It was none other than the Truth Formula of Spirit Freedom. Something that she took behind her back in order to fulfill a goal that neither their father nor Babel knew about.
"I cannot let hanger-ons like you two to benefit from our hard-earned work."
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William Tetian.
That is the name of the man who once felt nothing but inferiority towards his elder brothers who gave even their life just to preserve the peace and safety of their family and people during the third world war, and later on, felt the same inferiority towards his younger brother and sister who found their own way to life by offering their lives towards their faith and the service of helping mankind.
Throughout his entire life, William saw nothing in the world other than the duality of things.
Good and bad. Wealthy and needy. Strong and weak.
Nothing else brought more pain and shame to him than that one thing that has always burdened his heart.
"In this world, the strong lords over the weak. I don't want to just be forced around by others... Therefore, I must be strong. Stronger that anyone else!"
However, life was not so amiable towards his ambitions... In the young age of 10, the third world war broke out and even his peaceful town at the small isles of Italy was not left untouched. Soon, military officers came by and gave the men of appropriate and even slightly below the required age, two choices.
They can either be forced at conscripts to fill the dwindling number of soldiers on the frontlines, or come join the armed forces within their own terms.
For the elder Tetian brothers, the choice was obvious. They all bore in their hearts a sense of indebtedness to their nation and they all knew that they cannot make a difference by being forced at cannon fodder if they are forced to become lowly conscripts... But most of all, it's a sense of love towards their parents and younger siblings.
They left their homes as smiling, young men... and they returned as unmoving corpses laid cleanly on oak coffins.
As his parents and sibling wept their family's loss, the same didn't go for the young William Tetian. Instead of grief, he viewed his brothers' death with awe... but also with a sense of inferiority.
Among his three elder brothers, only one was of age to join the army and the other two got in after faking their ages in their birth certificates. During that time, William could've joined as well since even if he was only 15 years old back then, he was tall and had the look of an 18 year old. However, the night before his two underage brothers were about to volunteer alongside him, he backed out and hid away at the hills until the army trucks left their town with the conscripts and volunteers.
The reason for this act of cowardice was simple. When confronted with the possibility of death and loss, his burning sense of duty was doused by the cold breath of fear.
"If that's what you think should happen then so be it! Let's split up! You and I are happier with our own secret lives anyway, aren't we!?"
The death of their three children put a massive strain on the relationship of their parents. Their father found solace at the bottom of his wineglass and eventually, at the comforting bosom of harlots. The same went for their mother who, after learning of her husband's alcoholism and infidelity, threw pretentiousness to the wind and left with her lover and one of their sisters who was actually the man's child.
Left with nothing to live for, their father quickly turned to narcotic drugs until eventually, Lucas opened the door of his father's bedroom to find him drowned on a bowl of high proof alcohol after suffering an overdose.
They would later hear that their mother suffered the same fate after she realized that her lover was an abusive man. Knowing that the husband she abandoned is dead, and the children she left behind will never forgive her, she took matters to her own hands and drowned herself and her toddler in a deep well.
If their parents splitting up only shook William's sense of self, their nearly consecutive deaths did. Left as the eldest sibling to his two remaining siblings, his knees buckled at the weight of the responsibility and his fear of failing them.
"We can't end up beaten and lost like this, Will... Decide where we should go or I will."
Eventually, even the 14 year old Lucas became tired with his lack of initiative and made a decision for the three of them. Leaving their home town behind, they traveled to a place where they can make a new life and hope for tomorrow.
While Lucas and Priscilla found a new life and hope in service of their faith and pledge to serve the needy, the coward-hearted William continued to stew in his sense of inferiority.
In his heart, he hated the fact that when pressed for a decision about what they should do after all of the tragedies that struck their family, it was his younger brother who had the initiative and will to push through towards an answer... However, he cannot blame anyone but himself. He at least knew that Lucas had the courage and perseverance that he never has... a strength that he never have.
It was only after the Knights sent him to Japan and he became involved in the world of Psychics that he realized and held his own strength in his own hands.
Psychics... Psychic power... Power.
An unnatural and otherworldly power. Something that will never ever be taken away from him and will become his way to acquire more power.
This is where it started... His thirst for more and more power.
Quickly, he sought for the instruction and skills of many masters within the Sumeragi group, battled against Malignances and enemy psychics alike, and researched for more ways to strengthen himself.
"I can hear it in your heart and soul... You thirst for more and more power, don't you?"
"I-I-I—"
"Come to our side... I will give you the strength to become the apex of mankind."
On that fateful day when he and his team was sent to ambush Miyazono Himari's convoy and subsequently lost, he was offered by his supposed enemy exactly what he desired in the bottom of his heart... as well as something that he never felt before.
[Lust]
His sense of inferiority in his youth convinced him that no one would ever desire him. His parents who ruined their relationship and the lives of their children convinced him that he will be no better than them... and yet, when his eyes met Himari's eyes and he saw not only her form, but also the overpowering strength within her, he felt an attraction that he could never resist.
In his mind, he knew that whatever Himari orders him to do, he would unquestionably obey and fulfill to the fullest. In his heart that now beats for her, he was ready to offer everything just for her love and attention.
All of the connection, memories and promises that he gave to his comrades in the Sumeragi group, he is now ready to give up if it meant that he can become more powerful and be at the side of the woman that captured his heart.
"T-this is—"
"The Well of Wayward Spirits... the very place that our father discovered after years of meticulous research, and where he met Spirit Freedom and Babel. It is said that in the Lost Eon, the era when Spirits roamed the world to slay Malignances and Tainted Spirits alike, this is where those Spirits return every year to bathe and disperse the karmic remnants of the monsters that they slew. Here, they are sealed and will eventually fade into nothingness... but..."
"But...?"
"That was until the War of Heaven and Earth commenced and nearly every inch of the world became covered in the influence of Malignances and Tainted Spirits as they were led by Chaos Spirit Babel in the pursuit of making mankind the gods of their own selves. The fulfillment of this goal was only narrowly avoided by the intervention of a Spirit that held enough power and authority to literally order every facet of reality to his will."
The mention of those words: "Power" and "Authority" easily captured William's attention. He already knew about Psychics and how some are more gifted than others. In particular, there was his master's wife and the Sumeragi group's strongest warrior, Imamura Kirin, who was said to have enough strength and battle prowess to fight the entirety of the Miyazono corporation to an eternal stalemate.
"That very Spirit, after stopping the ascension of Babel and slaughtering every single human and Tainted Spirit that performed the ritual, came here to seal all of them and jumped inside as well to fight against them in order to keep them here... However, after father followed Spirit Freedom's whispers which eventually led him to this untouched part of Europe, he broke the seal and freed both Spirit Freedom and Babel, rendering that Spirit's fight in the well meaningless."
"You've been referring to that Spirit as "it" or "that Spirit" all this time, Himari-sama... what exactly is this... being, that you never dare to utter its name?"
When he posed that question, Himari shuddered for a moment before giving a sigh and finally speaking its name.
"Law... Its name is Spirit Law."
From that very moment, there was but one goal in William's mind. Seeing that the woman he longed for, the very same woman whose power and authority dwarfed him, visibly sinking in fear from merely uttering that name, his goal was now to become stronger than Law in order to protect Himari and win her affection.
As he plunged himself into the Well, the first step that anyone who joined the Miyazono Psychics had to do in order to gain a new otherworldly power to aid their growth and strength, the Tainted Spirit that answered his presence and melded with his spirit was Vainglory, a fitting Spirit given that his motivation to betray his comrades and side with the Miyazonos was none other than to pursue more power and superficial superiority for the sake of gaining Himari's affection.
Steadily, William climbed the ladder of power, rising above his peers and a mere year after he was inducted into the Miyazonos, he attained a position at the very top of their organization. He became a Gardener, one of the Miyazono Psychics' greatest combatants and vested with the duty of one day facilitating the return of their master from death and his eventual rise to godhood alongside Babel and Freedom.
For years to come, he will become both the shield for the Miyazono Three, as well as their spear who is thrust towards their enemies and the obstacles that stood against their agendas.
After Miyazono Ryuuichi was revived and alongside the other surviving Gardeners, they traveled to the Well of Wayward Spirits in Europe to fully unseal the pool and free the millions of Tainted Spirits and Malignances that Law kept there, Babel itself stood in front of the Gardeners to offer them their respective Tainted Spirits.
"Speak, mortal... What do you desire the most in this world?"
With a tempting whisper that conveyed both its near endless power and its knowledge of what wishes lingers in the hearts of man, Babel asked that question to William that he answered with no doubt in his heart.
"Power! I desire for power above all that exists! Power to rise above all weakness! Power to never be beaten and trampled over again!"
In his mind and heart, the very same sense of inferiority that once haunted him became his drive to become stronger.
"VERY WELL THEN!!! You shall have your wish, William Tetian!"
...However, it also became his downfall.
Both due to his single-minded desire to be his beloved's one-and-only, as well as his unbreakable desire to attain more and more power, the Tainted Spirit that possessed him, devoured and absorbed Vainglory, and eventually brought his level of power and potential to a whole other level was none other than Spirit Luxuria, or in the language of the Lost Eon...
[Spirit Lust]
And thus, all of this brings him to this very moment when all the consequences of his treachery, rampage and inhumanity came to seek his life in the form of the same man who once reminded him of his fear of weakness... and now reminds him of his fear of losing his strength.
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In the name of perfection, he abandoned his family, comrades, mortal body and eventually, his very humanity...
In the name of his single-minded desire to become the strongest... stronger than anyone else in the world and likely even beyond it once mankind becomes the masters of their own fate and form, he set his sights towards his goal of attaining the undisputable title of the "Strongest", and receiving his reward as promised to him by Himari, which is being with him as his spouse.
"HEAR IT, OH WORLD! Listen to my heart pounding in excitement about what is to come! How joyous!!! HOW GLORIOUS!!!"
As a literal sea of blood flowed beneath his feet and he watched thousands of people maddened by the influence of Babel's corrupting whisper throwing themselves beneath the very same rubble that they bore on their backs to build the grand tower of mankind's caprice, William shouted in joy after knowing that their victory is in sight and he will finally taste the fruits of his labors.
"Huh? What is—"
However, it was cut short when the unending shouts of praises by the people that Babel was ordering to build its tower suddenly dropped the stones they were hauling and remained stiff as stone right at where they were standing.
"Did the ritual fail?! How on earth could that happen?! Wait... No... This sensation is—"
Suddenly, the rocks began to shake and through a resonation of their frequencies, a low hum began to fill the air as if the stones themselves sang in harmony for the approaching figure's arrival.
The air became turbulent and heavy, the clouds swirled and sparked lightning that split the dark sky into thousands of illuminated pieces.
"You... YOU—!!!"
Once, this very same man reminded him of the weakness of his will and body.
"Why are you here...? WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?!!"
And now, the same man has come to remind him that no matter how strong he might become, he is still the very same man hopelessly eaten by his weakness and fear.
"LU---CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!"
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While the three of us flew through the sky by making use of our Spirit's respective powers, with Mana wearing two pairs of metal braces being levitated by Furuta-sensei's psychic power, I heard the voice of Law inside my head.
["I can sense it, Ephraim... He finally arrived there."]
"Got it, I'll inform the others and let them know our plan..."
I was about to turn towards the three when madame Cecilia posed a question inside my mind as well.
"Are you sure that you can accept this ending? For these three who has joined you here to fulfill their fates, you could've easily taken over their parts and forced them to ride the spaceship. You already knew it from both the glimpse of the future that came from the time when you used "Infinity Squared",and from my calculations about the future that was told to every firstborn of our family... "
"..."
These words from Cecilia hurt Ephraim...
"Those that will join the Divine Challenger in their final battle against the Scourge of All Worlds will fall. In their final moments, they shall be caressed by the Challenger's warm hands and their lips shall be moistened by the Challenger's tears."
...But even so, he steeled his resolve and gave her an answer.
"Even without me telling them, they already know that... They know that there is no way back after this for them. Still, they are here and ready to fight."
"Hmm... Is that so?"
"Isn't that admirable, madame Cecilia? That in the end, there are still those among mankind who are prepared to do everything for the sake of those they love."
For a moment inside my head, I heard my ancestor giggling joyously from what I said.
"Indeed... You are right on that indeed. See? I told you that it was wrong to believe that mankind has no hope, my dear old friend."
["I admit that you are right, Cecilia... I should've believed in Love's words as well."]
As we drew closer towards New Tokyo, the repulsive stench of putrid blood and the intense wave of Astra energy borne from near endless acts of debauchery attacked all of our senses.
"What the f***?!! What the hell is happening there for all of that to hit us?!" shouted Furuta-sensei as soon as we came within the horizon of New Tokyo.
"Don't worry, Sensei. It would be dispersed soon."
"Huh? How? Is there—"
"He is there now..."
Within the nearly impassable storm of tainted Astra energy was a spark of light that shone and burned it all away in a mere second.
"T-That is—!"
"Furuta-sensei! Shoot me out towards there!"
Suddenly, Mana shouted her demand that was met by Furuta-sensei's scolding.
"Don't be reckless, Mana! That place is where those two monsters are going to have their battle to death! That's the most dangerous place save for wherever Ephraim is going to!"
"That's exactly why I should go there, sensei! I know it, trust me! That's where I can sense I should go!"
Puzzled by her unbreakable insistence, Furuta-sensei turned to me and I took over her request.
"Alright Mana, hold onto my spear and I'll shoot you out as far as I can send you."
"Gotcha!"
Without missing a beat and so that our teacher cannot pose another complaint, she unbuckled her metal braces and held onto my spear.
"Wait! Mana—"
"I'll see you soon there, Mana. Fight with your all and don't be a bother to Lucas-san."
"I know that already! Beam me up, Scotty!"
As soon as she held on the spear with her ironclad grip, I shot out my spear and directed it towards the place where I know the two Tetian brothers are going to have their final showdown.
"Darn it... Please don't die easily, Mana..."
"She won't, sensei... And the same goes to you two as well from me."
I spoke and looked at both Furuta-sensei and Akari-san and they nodded to me as they spoke their farewells.
"For a better tomorrow..."
"For those that we love..."
Little did we know that those words would be the last that we can give to each other.