Crimson Rebellion

Year: —REDACTED CONCEPT—

Location: The Crossroads, Elysium

Along the winding roads leading to Heaven's door that snakes various unbeaten paths marched hordes of the phantasmal Tacet at behest of their masters of the Abyss Order. In great droves, they marched unabashed by the judgment of the Archangels. The soulless monsters marched and marched ready to assault the Kingdom of Elysium with the fullness of their fury; however, that idea was rendered null by the wicked amusement of one particular being.

"Oh my, such flexible beasts; the way you can twist and contort yourself in such a way is so salacious and enticing," tickled the honeyed, ruthless voice of one particular archangel.

Mystical chains of amethyst light bound scores of targets in compromising positions. They were forced to bend to the will of the enforcer as they were tightly bound and knotted in numerous styles mimicking extreme BDSM. Some were tied in the lotus knot, others were bound by their feet or their limbs highly strung above their heads. The chains grafted deeper into the abyssal creatures' flesh

"Wow, the way it just cuts into you, grinding you so haphazardly, turning each second of pain into unquestionable ecstasy that only a true lover of pain could enjoy…someone like me. I can't stop myself from enjoying it. Oh if you could only cry, if you could only beg, if you could only plead for more from Mistress Jibril!" the erotic angel produced in a moanful shout dripping with lust that ignited her own sadistic pleasures.

Just as she was enjoying the heat of the moment, one of the foul beasts escaped her radar to creep up behind her. The wicked beast of Outer Darkness went in to deliver a fatal blow as its position was halted by an invisible force. Spawning from the shadows beneath came a singular individual wearing a deep charcoal shirt bound by black suspenders that crossed in the back with a dark crimson tie; long, black trousers; shiny black slacks and black gloves. He had long black hair that was bound in a ponytail, a pale, vanilla skin complexion and deep purple eyes.

"If a fool would persist in his folly he would become wise, but I fear you may not even qualify for the part of a fool," the male spoke in a sophisticated yet menacing enunciation. The unknown assailment manipulated the shadows he emerged from to envelop not only the creature that threatened Jibril, but all of the beasts in the immediate vicinity in vines of umbrakinetic energy. Then he tightened his left hand into a fist that dispersed the foul monsters into pools of steaming piles of darkness.

An illusory blur overcame his visage as the hazy sight of the man then divided into multiple shadowed silhouettes of his physique armed with gigantic scythes. The weapons were each of the same imposing length of around six feet long with colossal hooked blades that curved the grace of the crescent moon; a familiar visage that would remind the Archangel of the Morana blade once awakened. As the phantom visages spawned, ready for battle, one of the Tacet elected to go for a cheap shot and seemingly strike down the ghost. However, much to its surprise, the hunter's clone reforged itself boasting a wicked smile.

"He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence. The cut worm forgives the plow. Dip him in the river who loves water. A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees," the ghost of the battlefield remarked, his voice echoing out before the legion of shadow clones strike down hundreds of Tacet. The doom patrol maneuvered through the hordes like streams of liquid engulfed by darkness. Instantly, the monsters were sliced to ribbons before the doppelgangers converged back to the origin point thereby remaking their master.

The witcher of darkness stood victorious over a mountaintop of defiled Tacet at the grand finale of his rampage. Brutal, yet efficient, utilizing the scythe not as a weapon but as a tool for reaping souls of the damned; such a spectacle brought a soulless smile to his face. Basking in his glory, Jibril sauntered over with a smirk of her own.

"Daniel, my love, it is good to see you out and about again; you still haven't lost your touch~" the Archangel remarked with a soft moan of bliss as if aroused by the man's performance. The newly revealed identity of the man was Daniel Blake; a Hunter that worked in the background and occasionally side-by-side with Mercer, but most importantly–he was the wild angel's husband.

Wiping the blood from his scythe, the witcher dissolved then re-emerged beside her, rising up from her shadow, "The hours of folly are measured by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure. Some nights are made for torture, or reflection, or the savoring of loneliness. This night is one we spend on the battlefield."

Reaching out in a tender motion, he abruptly gripped the back of her hair and turned her towards him as she reached up and dug her nails into the back of his neck. In an instant, the two lovers locked lips as their tongues battled for supremacy over one another. Daniel took hold of Jibril's arms by her wrists and pulled them above her head for a moment as his tongue spiraled deeper into her mouth thus overpowering hers. As for Jibril, she elected to take the lead by stepping onto his foot and wrapping one leg around his waist as she began to grind her luscious body against him. The two cared not about candor or witnesses when their instincts took over; however, before they could have a chance to indulge themselves, the enemy was regaining its strength and in greater numbers which drew the lovers' attention.

"To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower. Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. Poisonous creatures that walk the road to heaven–show me what you're capable of…"

Thus the sinful, yet divine couple were faced with another challenge awaiting them on the battlefield.

***

Location: Sanctuary, Throne of Heaven

Within the confines of the Mercer Family Manor was the great amphitheater where a Round Table sat. In this open space filled with nothing more than tapestries showcasing the pride of the esteemed family's lineage and murals depicting epic battles recorded in their long history was a simple, yet intricate circular table with 12 seats stationed around it. Four of them were currently occupied, two by Alex Mercer and his wife, Lucy; the remaining two belonged to two other faces.

The first was a young man with a regal presence appearing in his late 20s. He had long, flowing blonde hair, striking blue eyes, soft vanilla skin and a disciplined expression on his face. He wore an all-white suit with a blue, tucked ascot that saddled a shiny, lustrous sapphire in the middle. His left shoulder was occupied by a golden pauldron of complex shape with white feathers draping from it that hitched a white cape that draped over his shoulders secured by a white strap with golden buckles. He sat there peacefully whilst intertwining his hands covered by white gloves.

The second was a young woman that appeared with a similar age complexion. She had short, cropped blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and a soft vanilla skin complexion that mimicked the male's. She wore a black mask over the right side of her face with a golden trail of tears etched upon it. Her body was clad in a risque gown that narrowly covered her body leaving her legs, thighs, hips, and sides of her torso near the armpits exposed. What little was covered were her arms in black sleeves that connected to a dark blue dress patterned by gold trim along the edges whilst the inside of the fabric was dyed indigo. Her chest area was exposed through the translucent material of black fabric.

"Thank you for joining us today to review such matters; I know that I entrusted both of you with respective roles in Elysium, but time is of the essence," Mercer began.

"Yeah despite the plot thickening, it's nice to see my kids come back home for a spell. Look at ya both, my little Loosh and Ellie are all grown up now," Lucy teased with a grin.

"Mother, certainly this is not the time for your little witticisms. And please, I have outgrown that nickname and would prefer to be addressed as Lucian," the male coughed.

"Excuse me? Look here you little shit, I can call my son whatever the hell I want, when I want. That's the privilege of being a mother, got it?"

"Good grief, Little Luke, why must you vex our mother so?" the female sighed while shaking her head.

"Fortunately, I prefer my nickname over being called Elizabeth."

"That's my beautiful girl for ya! I knew I raised a woman of culture."

"Ahem…let's try to stay on topic everyone," Mercer coughed to draw matters back to the subject at hand.

"As you all know, creation is under siege by entities spawned from the Outer Darkness of the True Void. They have been infecting world after world consuming life as we know it in its wake in accordance to the Will of their patron God named Perdition. The Last Word has been the vanguard during this entire conflict since the Abyss Order began its rampage. Two members of its upper echelon have been slain: Cain and Vainglory.

In the midst of trying to derail their plans, Akaro and the crew managed to save a number of various worlds, but lost just as many if not more. Currently, the Abyss Order have set their sights on Purgatory thereby forcing The Last Word to fight a war to hopefully keep one of the main realms of creation secure. However, that very same group is at Elysium's doorsteps."

"Since the enemy dares to push itself this far, then I shall mobilize the Holy Knights to prepare for the incursion and defend the Crossroads," Elizabeth offered immediately.

"I approve of this. Besides, I didn't get dressed for the occasion for nothing," Lucy remarked in reference to her full metallic blue armor that was streamlined in the style of her casual attire but much more ready for battle. The golden light of Excalibur harmonized with the divine rigging in tandem with her Primordial nature.

"I too wish to offer my unconditional support on the battlefield," Lucian remarked, which met with Mercer raising a hand in protest.

"Son, as much as I value your strength and can attest to your growth as a warrior, your strategic mind would be paramount to us if you remained here and overlooked the battlefield determining the enemy's movements and how best to counter them."

"Very well, Father, as you wish. Do we have a strategy in mind should the enemy break through the walls surrounding the kingdom?"

"As long as I remain seated on the throne, the walls will hold. I shall channel my energy throughout all of Elysium to safeguard and amplify our defenses. Besides, Jibril and Daniel are protecting the Crossroads as we speak; with their prowess in combat, we can weather the storm."

"Yeah dearie…assuming they can stay on target and focus," Lucy commented, hinting at the unique relationship they share.

"They are more than ready for the task at hand," Mercer reassured with a small sigh.

Elizabeth dismissed herself as she immediately searched to exit their grand home. The moment she stepped foot through the threshold of the family mansion, a powerful platoon of paladins clad in gold and silver armor stood at attention with swords and spears in hand awaiting their commander's orders. As her family witnessed the strength of her resolve projected on the display within the antechamber, Lucian nodded proudly at his older sister's grit.

"Father, Mother, if you have no need of me, I will monitor the station in my quarters. May Akasha's Will guide us all through the battles to come," Lucian eloquently expressed before bowing in respect prior to departure.

"We will overcome this, Son…we always have, we always will. Besides, our allies in Cocytus, including your brother, are doing their best to ensure a collaborative victory," Mercer reaffirmed as he went to sit firmly on the great throne of the King of the Primordials to begin his task with Lucy at his side.

"Agreed…" Lucian firmly stated with an untraceable hint of disdain before disappearing from sight.

The young crown prince traversed the halls towards his quarters located on the far side of the manor. After taking about 40 paces or so, he arrived at the door to his room. When he opened the door, all that could be seen was a blank canvas of white that was decorated with minimalist furnishings such as a bed to sleep in, a desk to sit and read or work on documents, a small bookshelf and a coffee table with some small trinkets decorating the surface. As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, a soft glow of golden light wafted from his body and transformed the landscape of the room.

In an instant, the modest space transformed into the infinite canvas of space with countless stars scattered about absorbed in a myriad of blue, purple and aqua colors. As Lucian traversed the expanse, each step he took seemingly caused ripples to form under his feet as though he was walking on water. Doing so, the colors underneath his feet left behind a kaleidoscopic array of pink, yellow, white and violet flower petals per step like he was wandering the landscape of peaceful dreams. Coming to a halt, the man closed his eyes and took a deep breath before focusing his thought processes towards one specific location. Just then, a dark portal opened in the room as the projection of two figures came into view: the first was Acedia, the peaceful-looking child-like woman who was wreaking havoc on the narrative with the Tacet. The other was a man cast in a perfect white suit with a matching white and violet robe, his face obscured by a black skull-like mask.

"Lady Acedia, Lord Perdition, your humble servant awaits your orders," Lucian kneeled out of respect for the primal evil.

"Prince Lucian, how good it is to see you are in good health. We are now entering the endgame for our plans to be rid of this useless resistance. A great number of worlds have fallen from the fairies, the sins, the warrior races, valkyries, other mythologies and so on. Our forces are already extending their influence in Cocytus; all that leaves us is taking the Throne of Elysium from Mercer. Once these goals are accomplished, then it shall be checkmate on the current reign of heaven," Perdition expressed eloquently.

"With the resistance crushed, there will be few to stop the upcoming arrival of Azoth. Even the Great Aspects will be hopelessly outnumbered by that point leaving Akasha to have to face the reality of another cycle coming to its inevitable conclusion. With the cycles coming to an end, then I can reinvent the systems of their existence to prevent such chaos from being revived once more," Lucian responded.

"Indeed, but in order for that to happen, we must advance to the next stage of the plan."

"I greatly anticipate the day to come. To think I had to go through such lengths for this. Utilizing my power over dreams and the authority of the void, I will be able to create a spiritual world that can safeguard humanity by storing all ideations and individuals away from Azoth's reach; a true ark to shelter humanity against Rakshasa's advent. This goal would have been attainable had I inherited the throne to become the King of Elysium, but my father's wretched bastard had to come to prominence being recognized as his firstborn son. Fortunately, I was able to turn to you all."

"Ah, such ambition, a vision boldly declared without any remorse no less; I applaud you for that, Lucian. Once the Abyss Order and the Tacet take over Elysium, you will be the one placed on the Throne as per your birthright," Acedia smiled, having recognized the fortitude of his resolve.

"As an added bonus, we shall make sure that your father and the rest of the Mercers see your success by ensuring their survival whilst your plan comes to fruition," Perdition followed up gracefully.

"You both have my thanks for entrusting me so. Send in your best to deal with our warriors at the gates; Jibril and Daniel Blake are formidable foes that can battle tirelessly for days on end. Then, prepare for the gates to open," Lucian remarked.

A passing nod between both parties ensued before the connection was severed. From there, the plan was underway. A subtle aura of prismatic gold wafted from his body; emerging from it came an illusionary duplicate of himself that was perfect in appearance and mannerisms.

"You will stay here and assume my role as the strategist in this war," he ordered his copy before snapping his fingers thus commanding his aura to blanket his entire vessel.

"With this power gifted to me by Perdition, not even my perceptive family will be able to see through this facade. Changing the cognition of those around me, I can just blend right in the ranks of my esteemed sister's order of knights and enact the next phase," Lucian declared to himself feeling empowered by this treacherous ability. He quickly snuck out of the fortress having appeared like a member of the heavenly knights to proceed with his motivation.

***

Elizabeth marched with her formation of Heavenly Knights towards the Gates of Elysium. As soon as she reached the border, she activated a special authority which allotted the divine defenders to exit without allowing a single one of the intruders to press forward. Just as thousands upon thousands of Tacet were trying to overrun Jibril's and Daniel's positions, the radiant battlecry of the battalion of paladins emanated through the air as they proceeded to unleash the divine fury of Elysium upon them.

The holy light of God enveloped the weapons of the noble paladins as they charged courageously into battle. With minimal effort, every Tacet that came across their wide variety of weapons were burned to nothingness. The great commander of this platoon held her arm high above the air calling forth her own divine treasure.

"Excalibur Ascalon!" she shouted. In response, a greatsword with a gold blue cross-guard with green roses patterned around the blue ribboned hilt appeared. An imposing steel blade nearly 5 feet or so in length shone with platinum brilliance with the tiniest glint of crimson light along the center. This blade was a holy sword forged from the remains of ancient dragons and embedded by the Primordial Blacksmith to be potent enough to vanquish any being that bore darkness in its hearts.

"Goodness, just when it was getting interesting, my sweet little niece came out to play," Jibril smirked. Though she would not freely admit it, she was thanking Ellie in the back of her mind for the well-appreciated assist.

"Fret not, my beloved for the night is young and full of terrors; let the night fall and the light shine down on that which we treasure most," Daniel reassured in his own poetic way.

The combined forces of Ellie, Jibril, Daniel and the Heavenly Knights rebirthed a second wind that was unlike any before. The joint foray of these great powers were successfully repelling the incursion as Tacet fell by the multitudes; however, little did they know that there was one knight who was carefully retreating to act on different intentions.

"Apologies Sister, Aunt, Uncle but the time has come for the light to fall…" Lucian, in the guise of a paladin, remarked as he went over towards the hidden mechanisms of the great gates. The colossal machinations of gears churning under the weight of release wafted out as the pearly gates of heaven were opening up thereby leaving the Kingdom of Elysium fully susceptible to invasion.

As if in perfect harmony with this phenomenon, reinforcements for armies of Perdition arrives in the form of two Primordial Gods: Erebus, the former prince of Elysium of the Old Gods and Primordial God of Darkness, and Nyx, the seductress and Primordial Goddess of Night. The Dark Knight and the Mystical Succubus arrive in style on the backs of two armored flying beasts taking the shape of massive avian predators with white exoskeletal armor and gleaming red eyes. They dropped from their flying creatures and crashed light meteors upon the Crossroads. Instantaneously, the road to heaven was shattered.

"Let the kingdom of the usurper fall," Nyx remarked whilst holding up a solitary hand towards the warriors of light surprised by their arrival. Black Flames born from the True Void erupt from her palm and surged towards Elizabeth, Jibril and Daniel, blasting the three warriors in one fell swoop.

"Tch!" Elizabeth gritted her teeth, having brought her holy sword to bear in order to protect herself as well as her aunt and uncle from the coming onslaught. It held the flames off for a split second, but the weight of the attack shattered the framework of Excalibur Ascalon thereby devouring the group.

"Good, now I can dispense with this," Lucian remarked, discarding his disguise and assuming his divine appearance once more.

"I have been waiting for this moment for the longest time; I never thought the blood of Mercer would be the one to help us in achieving this dream," Erebus remarked, having cast a glance towards the blonde haired prince through the veil of his black helmet.

"Sometimes life's greatest bounty of blessings comes from the most unexpected of places. I trust that my relation to that man will not affect our mutual partnership, correct?" Lucian countered with a hint of wariness towards him.

"We are comrades in this endeavor. Perdition assured me of your loyalty and trust; any that dares to call that wretched Mercer an enemy is happily invited to drink at my side."

"Good to know," Lucian calmly nodded; his white aura shone with subtle golden accents as he felt the oncoming rush of paladins towards his location as well as the secondary unit stationed behind the now open gates. Just as they came within his vision and influence, he enraptured them inside the domain of dreams.

"Interesting…they just stopped moving," Nyx observed whilst jabbing her finger against the metal armored body of one of the paladins.

"Though we seek the destruction of the current status quo, we are on a time table; I prefer to make things simple and clean," Lucian responded. Yet just as he parted with those words, even more noble defenders of the divine realm appeared with resonating battle cries indicative of their determination.

"Then again…it seems some tasks appear to be a pipe dream," Lucian relented as he repeated the task of putting his foes in the dream state again.

Out of nowhere, tendrils of darkness lashed out and hacked the dreamers to ribbons while others burned within the caustic mist of black flames. These efforts were enforced by Erebus and Nyx respectively.

"Don't worry about bloodshed, we're more than willing to kill any and all supporters of the false king," Nyx boasted in a sultry tone.

"They are all traitors to the original bloodline; I'm not averse to putting down rabid, insolent dogs," professed the self-proclaimed true heir of the Primordial throne.

In the meantime, a portal of shadows appeared within Sanctuary where Mercer and Lucy remained. Emerging from the phantom abyss were the vessels of Daniel, Jibril and Elizabeth. Their survival was a miraculous one that was born out of a last ditch effort courtesy of the enigmatic gentleman to secure the lives of the trio. However, getting in contact with the flames of the True Void did more than enough to drain the group causing them to collapse as soon as they came from the vortex.

"Son of a…what the hell happened?" Lucy gasped in shock as she knelt down beside her daughter thus patting her on the back whilst looking over to Daniel and Jibril.

"Betrayal permeates the atmosphere in this hour of reckoning," proposed the elegant hunter with a disheveled sigh.

"The advantage was all ours, we had them dead to rights…then everything just changed. Mother, forgive me," Ellie spoke remorsefully.

"Hey kiddo, don't sweat the details, you did what you could. These guys are gonna get their asses handed to them, one way or another," Lucy smiled reassuringly.

"Even so…we had the advantage. As my beloved hinted, we have a traitor among us…" Jibril advised.

Reacting in the moment, Mercer merely stood up from the throne. Without utterance of another word, he focused his mind towards the presence of the dark energy signatures advancing further and further into Elysium before disappearing from sight. In a flash, he appeared before the dark forces of Erebus, Nyx, Lucian and the Tacet they commanded. The stern silence evoked from the famous God Hunter along with the silent yet heavy pressure of his appearance signified that an epic showdown was to come.

"The man of the hour himself. Perhaps an explanation is in order to get him to see my side of things," Lucian thought to himself; yet as he met his father's eyes, he did not see a man seething with rage or anger towards his son's position. No, there was something much more disheartening about the expression on that man's face. For the first time, Lucian saw disappointment in his father's face; something directed solely at him absent of rage or hatred. Then, that same gaze churned into unbreakable focus as Mercer's eyes settled on Nyx and Erebus.

Erebus stood focused on what he desired to do most in this world: Take back his throne and destroy the Mercer Kingdom. His dark knight armor cracked under the weight of his tainted aura courtesy of the darkness of the True Void. As flakes of plating seemingly dissolved, the pale, bluish skin tone of a male with pure white hair, pointed ears and red and black eyes were revealed. The force of corrupted created bulging veins that spread all over his visible skin as his hatred amplified.

"How does it feel, King of the Heavens? To have your own kin betray you and your kingdom fall…such misfortune. You may have stopped my plans before, but no longer can you prevent the inevitable," chuckled the maddened Primordial thus mocking his longtime enemy.

In the blink of an eye, the Primordial Goddess of Night–Nyx–instantaneously appeared behind Mercer; her palm relinquishing a beam of black flames at Mercer's position. With a small sigh, the God Hunter disappeared from sight then reappeared behind Nyx. The beam she released hit Erebus instead, thereby enraging the God of Darkness as a result. Ignoring that outcome, the goddess turned on heel to see her opponent taking poise to strike back.

"You son of a…guh?!" Nyx was about to say before she felt something abrupt hit her lower abdomen. Buried in the pit of her stomach was Mercer's fist for a second.

The God Hunter retracted his fist before striking again in the same spot with blinding speed. Then he proceeded to alternate between his left and right hands, unleashing a barrage of chain punches in that area faster than the goddess could comprehend. After countless strikes, Nyx folded forward gasping in agony. The sheer weight of his blows shattered her insides causing damage beyond her wildest dreams. Letting up for a small instant, Mercer shuffled his feet with his fists balled at the ready as if anticipating her to instantaneously recover. Floating like a butterfly, the man switched his combative stance to that of a boxer and struck her face with a left hook preceded by a right hook head on thereby knocking the light out of the goddess' eyes thus robbing her of consciousness.

"Not yet," he said. His fist emanated a brief glow of aquamarine light as a golden knuckleduster covered his right hand. Altering his stance once more, the man shifted his weight with his left leg extended forward and his right leg serving as his anchor. Angling his shoulders just right, the man held that right fist and gathered his strength to that singular point. Without as much as blinking an eye, he unleashed a lightning fast jab that sent Nyx barreling through hordes of Tacet as a hole burst open in her chest.

"BASTARD!" Erebus cried out as he surged forward with the Ginggungap in hand. He thrust the dark blade forward at Mercer's position in a series of repetitive strikes like he was a bee trying desperately to sting his opponent. 

The black flames of the True Void threatened to erase Mercer, however, the God Hunter merely materialized a second golden knuckleduster on his left fist and parried it perfectly. Interrupting the former prince's momentum, the legendary king delivered a devastating punch to the Nightmare's jaw thereby shattering it upon impact thus dropping him to the ground to writhe in agony. 

The Dark Gods took a moment to recover and regenerate from their injuries. Nyx flew over towards Erebus' position as their wounds gradually closed. They took notice of the mysterious yet divine light of the golden gauntlets layered over the hero's fists. Countering the curse of the True Void and interrupting their own immortality? Something was definitely different.

With both knuckle dusters equipped, Mercer assumed a battle ready stance knowing there was more punishment to dish out for them.

"If you assumed that I hadn't prepared for another bout with you two, then you're just as foolish as I expected. These here are the work of my Projection and the conjunction of effort from an unexpected friend," remarked the God Hunter. At the conclusion of his statement, a dark portal appeared as a skinny man in a black jumpsuit with black hair reaching his shoulders, pale skin and emerald eyes appeared. The eyes of Erebus, Nyx and even Lucian in the background, widened at the same time.

"My duty is to keep the denizens of the True Void in the darkness where they belong, as a dutiful janitor should. The Last Word protected the Earth and if Perdition wishes to wage war against the heavens, then I will stand and fight against even those who call themselves Gods by birthright," the mysterious Janitor spoke in a monotone voice. In response to his declaration, a dark wave of emerald energy consumed his position as black clouds covered him.

In that instant, his form seemingly gained in muscle tone. His legs and waist were covered in pitch black mist almost akin to fur. Giant, bat-like wings protruded from his back with an elongated spinal tail extending from his lower back. His arms covered in darkness with claws ready to rend flesh. His torso was exposed, revealing an ashen white skin tone with a hole in the chest that seemingly bled dark miasma. His sullen face was decorated by black tears streaming down his face as the white of his eyes seemingly matched and the emerald luster of his irises turned dark yellow with an ominous glow. Two horns protruded from his skull as the mop he carried turned into a giant, grotesque scythe made for reaping emanating an even greater potency of energy from the True Void.

The Dark Gods stood together sharing a burst of laughter before rejoining Lucian's side. After a few seconds of maniacal laughter, Erebus elected to speak.

"I've heard of you from Perdition. The tale of the four brothers is quite something. Satanael, the fool who left his mission to bring Akasha back to Rakshasa, and the nameless three who were born from the emotions Rakshasa felt…nay, created when Akasha left her. Two of the brothers took up the names of Perdition and Tartarus; one sought to turn all beings away from the path of Akasha and the other became the Ruler of Purgatory using his might to make right until he was slain by Reina Arashi. Then there was the last brother, the one who remained nameless even after the death of Satanael. The one people know only as a Janitor that guards the void, a man that protects humanity during every waking moment," the Prince of Darkness spoke before turning to the Son of Mercer, Lucian, who merely nodded in kind.

Lucian raised one arm above his head as a golden light emanated from his fingertips. In a flash, the entire space shifted thus dragging his father and Pariah into a new domain. Above them, the sky turned black as night that was illuminated by countless stars which was the true mirror of the endless celestial bodies and structures throughout creation. Every source of light was some sort of entity that was instantiated across countless parallel realms and independent worlds that made up the great landscape that was Lucian's omniverse.

"Gates of the Omnipotent Dreamscape," Lucian beckoned as he loomed over this space as the God-Emperor of Utopia. It was here that his authority was absolute as he could freely influence and manipulate the movement of planets, stars, solar systems, galaxies and even entire universes. To that end, it was as if creation became his Gate of Babylon. At his will, Lucian had the means to fire these structures to the fullness of their true size or shrink them down to unleash the multitudes.

"Father, no longer shall we entrust our fate to empty promises of salvation. I am seizing direct control, forging a path woven from the powers of Heaven and the Void. I will save us from the unending cycle that engulfs us. I will stop Azoth," the self-proclaimed true heir of the Mercer legacy declared with boldness befitting of the descendant of the King of Primordials.

"Hmph…" Mercer grunted in response, indistinguishable from whether it was acknowledgement of his son's resolve or disappointment in the path that the young man elected to choose. Regardless, to Lucian, it felt like a slap in the face as though the man was not dignifying him with a proper response.

The Dreamscape contained treasures, secrets, and emotions of the World's dreams, including the "inspiration of humanity" which was the basis for all things designed by humans and gods throughout human history. As such, in this domain, Lucian had unparalleled authority to spawn the endless canvas of human and divine ingenuity at his will.

"You know of my abilities, Father, thus witness the weight of my resolve. I shall crush you and your reign with the weight of dreams itself!" Lucian declared.

In response, the innumerable stars that lingered above their heads glowed with ferocious intent as they appeared to ignite into supernova status. Collapsing at the behest of their master, the stars rained down upon the intended targets; Mercer and the Janitor. Simultaneously, each one of the celestial objects carried the weight of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations within them infecting the minds of their targets in an attempt to get them to accept their fates.

From simple dreams of achieving higher education, starting a business in one's trade of choice, acquiring wealth and assets beyond one's wildest fantasies, to a simple life in the countryside, marriage with one's true love, a vision of a country free of war, medicines to cure all diseases and so on. So many hopes, aspirations, resolve and so forth assaulted the two individuals at once attempting to paralyze their desire to escape their fate.

Seeing these conceptual dreams explode upon impact, Lucian smiled feeling that he had managed to suppress his Father and his unlikely companion. That assumption would soon be proven false.

Mercer, with his golden knuckle dusters, clashed against the falling heavens causing the conceptual bodies and his weapons to break apart. Using his trademark Instant Movement ability, the God Hunter appeared right in front of his son only to slam the barrel of the freshly projected Godbreaker pistol against Lucian's forehead. The prince was held dead to rights by his father proving that he had a long way to go to surpass him.

Alexander's finger was on the trigger, his eyes set upon his son's. As their gazes met, the resolve of a man who bore the weight of heavens upon his shoulders to lead life into everlasting peace in tandem with the crown that weighed his head with such responsibilities came face to face with the mortality of being a father. As much as he had every right to sentence Lucian to death for his crimes against all of Elysium, Mercer's focus fractured for just the smallest instant as he saw the visage of a boy in his eyes. A child with not a care in the world and the biggest smile ever stretched upon his innocent face that overshadowed the current visage of a lost, disillusioned prince in need of discipline. Regardless of what the current circumstance was, this was his flesh and blood.

Sensing his father's hesitation, Lucian took his cane and held it against his father's abdomen. In response to the equivalent of a quick breath, a drill of light emerged and burst straight through Mercer's center mass and protruding out of his back. Mercer's eyes widened for a second before he proceeded to cough up blood. As the God Hunter gritted his teeth, his partner sprung into action.

Pariah flew towards Lucian and attempted to boomerang-toss his dark scythe at the God of Dreams. The swirling darkness surrounding the intimidating armament created a vortex of energy that seemingly burned away the fabrics of the ethereal domain itself. Sensing that his realm was under threat of collapse, Lucian did not hesitate to move into action to defend himself against the oncoming threat. As a result, the prince snapped his fingers calling in his backup.

Reinforcements arrived in the forms of Erebus and Nyx who were able to break through the whirlwind of dark miasma and get the jump on the Janitor. The False Prince with his nightmare blade, Ginnungagap, and Nyx using crescent moon blades rushed in from either side of the guardian of the Void. Lucian raised his hand and cast a blinding light that robbed Pariah's sight through the power of dreams which allowed Erebus to pierce through his heart while Nyx clipped his wings. As the Janitor's vessel fell by the wayside, Mercer witnessed this phenomenon occur before affixing his gaze towards his son.

His mind flashed back to a time when he wasn't the God of Dreams, but an innocent boy nicknamed 'Luke'. They were walking the golden streets of Elysium as his father carried him over his shoulders. The boy, fascinated by the luster of their homeland, gasped in awe as he patted his father on the head.

"Someday Father, I will become a strong king just like you!"

That earnestness and innocence culminated together in the back of Mercer's mind before he snapped himself back to reality and gritted his teeth tighter. He held onto the drill that impaled his gut before mustering his will.

"Open…Infinite Gears of Ea!"

The cosmic scenery of Lucian's domain began to fracture like frozen ice over a large wake. In that next moment, his realm collapsed and was consumed by the materialization of a dark canvas of space that was infused by the machinations of gears churning against one another as if brought into a colossal assembly line. The mechanical skies were filled to the brim with billions of flaming gears turning amidst an unending storm billowing with dark, lightning-charged clouds. The cogs of creation churned even under the overwhelming roar of thunder as fervent hammers rang out at work.

Mercer's eyes locked with those of his son's once more. Lucian knew that he was at a disadvantage. After all, out of the many techniques he's learned and the unique trait of projection that runs strongly through the Mercer bloodline, the prince was unable to inherit any form of the Infinite Gears from his father. It was something that vexed him greatly to the point where he did everything in his power to achieve something that could rival or surpass them; however, that day had yet to be realized. As a result, Lucian was desperately trying to retreat; however, just as he thought he could get away, he found a strong, burning pain assault on his legs. Upon discovery, he saw that a pair of blades struck him through his knees.

"Born of steel and lightning…" Mercer began to chant, "cultivated through unending strife. Let this body be the vessel through which the epitome of Projection is forged. Course…King's Advent!"

Mercer's long train of hair was dyed in platinum whose shade bled into his aura that began to burn around his body. The drill that impaled him broke apart revealing pure golden energy within his abdomen before the wound regenerated. His focused eyes became dyed in a deep blue color that burned with the oceanic depths of determination.

"What manner of sorcery is this? I've never seen Father like this before. Where is this power coming from? No…wait…this must be the result of that bastard, Akaro, returning the other half of Yuiripe's Primordial essence to him. Then that must mean that… the cultivation of experience between my father and that abomination has resonated together in such a way that it has brought the apex of our bloodline to new heights; and the fruit of such a labor is manifesting here and now…" Lucian surmised.

Erebus and Nyx were able to once again slip through the boundaries of reality sensing a dire urge to assist their benefactor. The Dark Gods fused their void flames in perfect harmony together as they created a giant funnel of energy to assimilate the full weight of their authority for one mighty strike. Sensing their uninvited intrusion, Mercer casually turned on his heel whilst backhanding Lucian away only to focus his attention on the Dark Gods.

With one hand, Mercer's aura expanded into a gigantic spectral version of himself. In a brilliant display of burning radiance, the entire domain was commanded to coalesce all weapons within it into one colossal revolver.

"Godbreaker Version 2: Voidbane," the God Hunter uttered before the might of all treasures in the divine and mortal arsenal generated a blast of dominance so powerful that it wholly eclipsed the power once displayed by Arayashiki. The weight of the finale was so glorious that Erebus and Nyx were destroyed upon impact; their erasure so whole and succinct that only their Primordial Essences were left behind.

The dust settled after the epic clash between Primordial Gods. As the brilliance from the result of Voidbane subsided, Mercer currently knelt down beside the wounded Janitor holding a single hand over the void guardian's wounds. A divine mist of golden light emanated from his palm and showered over Pariah's injuries, gradually restoring his body to its original state thanks to the Projection arts of the current Primordial King.

"Though you are a being of the True Void, it seems like your body is not rejecting my power to heal your wounds shut," Mercer surmised.

"So it would seem; perhaps it is a result of intention. You have my gratitude," Pariah responded in kind.

"We obtained one victory, but the war is far from over."

"Tch…" Lucian gritted his teeth as he witnessed his reinforcements disposed of by his father. His plan was falling apart so at this point, there was only the option to make a tactical retreat and await for an alternate path towards the plan ahead. Just as the young prince was working up the nerve to escape while his father was distracted, silhouettes loomed over him in a flash belonging to Daniel Blake, Jibril, Elizabeth and Lucy. 

"Hmph…" Lucian thought as he went towards another route, only to be blocked by his father and Pariah; the visage of them being close while one treated the other shattered as Lucian was caught up in the illusion.

"Dammit…" the prince muttered. As his family looked over him from multiple angles, gazes of judgment, disgust, anger, annoyance, and disappointment permeated the air around them. Just moments ago, he recalled how his father held a gun to his head ready to end him as penance for his punishment. However, as his eyes met that of the noble King, he could sense the fatigue and hurt from everything born of this situation.

"Daniel, seal him away in the domain of shadows. We shall deal with him after this war is over," Mercer requested.

As Blake was about to oblige his longtime friend, Mercer turned on heel to walk away from the scene. It was at this moment that he came face to face with the worst possible reality to manifest within Elysium.

That reality spawned from the guises of two individuals: Acedia and Perdition.

"No…it can't be…" Mercer gasped in dismay.

"It can be…and so it shall," Acedia remarked in a sly fashion by pressing her finger to her lip like she was a cute and innocent child. The God Hunter went to draw his gun whilst channeling all of his remaining strength into one final bullet to blow away the threat, however…

"Guh…?!"

"All shall be lost to you," Perdition murmured insidiously.

The Son of Rakshasa pierced Mercer's chest in one swift motion thereby ripping the Primordial Hunter's heart out and holding it in hand out of his back. It was in this stunning moment that Mercer's eyes widened with realization. Lucian opening the gates of Elysium with so many empty promises was a play to make the king vacate his throne thus leaving the heavens open and vulnerable.

"Apologies. It is very difficult for me to step on an ant without crushing it," the master of the Abyss Order eloquently expressed with a subtle whisper in the king's ear. Black flames consumed the flesh of the Hero King withering his body away leaving a golden flame of the man's Primordial Essence behind.

"Alex..an…der?" Lucy's tone of voice, broken and shaken, audibly called out the man's name as sadness filled her replacing any sense of hope she carried within. Elizabeth, Jibril, and Daniel instantaneously leapt into action driven by despair and rage towards the murderer.

"Ad Profundis," Perdition spoke. Activating his Rakshasic Law, the would-be combatants were dropped to their knees as screams of agony and horror wafted out in a cacophony of grand dismay. At the beckoning of his words, the heroes were consumed by unspeakable nightmares that dwarfed any sort of mental torture that Cthulhu or any Eldritch horror could conjure on a moment's notice. The source of that mental destruction blurred the lines of fiction and reality which led them to spasm in the dirt below.

Pariah was the last one standing amidst all of this chaos that just took place. He saw how Perdition held Mercer's essence like it was a child's plaything. Sensing his gaze, Acedia turned towards the Janitor as a sadistic grin dotted her face. This prompted her master to mimic the same action before he relinquished a maniacal laughter.

"Foolish, foolish, oh so profoundly foolish. You should not have put your trust in such feeble creatures, brother. Your powerless friends are just weights that will break your legs."