____________________
(Back in the Terre Gaste Desert of Avalon)
Artoria's immense divine energy continued to pour out chaotically from her very being, scaring both Xiao and the now cornered abyssal host.
The entire desert was now on the verge of being reshaped once again by the sheer might and power being unleashed by its creator!
Dunes were being turned into mountains of glass and large deep canyons were carved into existence in mere seconds.
The entire world was shaking!
Avalon itself was groaning under the strain of its creator's wrath!
The storm born from her fury began to expand its reach, threatening to envelope the entirety of the realm!
And Artoria was tethering on the brink of her sanity….
The image of Beidou's battered body kept flashing in her mind, again and again!
Her very soul was being torn apart by the profound feeling of grief and guilt!
'WHY?! WHY HER?! SHE WAS JUST A CHILD! A GOOD CHILD!' She screamed in her mind as her emotions began to overtake her rationality.
'IF ONLY I HAD ARRIVED EARLIER! IF ONLY I WAS QUICKER! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER!'
This guilt and self-blame were the very things that fueled her destructive outburst, and if left unchecked, she might even end up destroying her very own realm!
But before things could spiral out of control, the inner core of her being, the Sea of Souls, began to thrum inside her.
Recognizing the profound turmoil that their Prime Self was currently experiencing, one soul, one aspect, manifested herself in order to help calm down the now stressed-out goddess.
Her manifestation into the world was accompanied by symphony of thunder and lightning as the entire area began to shake upon her arrival.
Out of all aspects, she's themost pragmatic and efficient.
Cold and ruthless, she's the Storm that would hound her enemies and grind them into dust!
She is Destruction incarnate!
Yet, like the rest of the aspects, she's loyal to a fault towards the one she sees as her liege, her sovereign….
The one who was born as aculmination to all of their stories across space and time.
She's Artoria Lancer Alter, the King of Storms.
Every single individual who was present in that desert, from Xiao to the rest of the abyssal horde was shocked by the sudden appearance of another person who bears the same exact features as Artoria yet possessed a far more ruthless and cold aura around her.
For Xiao, this newly arrived person extrudes an air of immense power that made him involuntarily tremble.
It was like seeing the eye of the storm given form!
For Haden, however, looking at this newcomer was like seeing the very embodiment of destruction itself!
The sheer raw strength emanating from that being was so profound that even he, a top of the line Iniquitous Baptist, found himself shaken to his very core!
Hell, even his so called creation 'Guàiwù', let out a low hissing sound that vaguely resembled that of fear!
Both knew, this was no ordinary being, but rather another deity, another goddess whose cold golden eyes could freeze the hearts of all who gazed upon her!
Ignoring the rabble gwaking at her, Alter turned her attention towards her Prime Self, seeing her at the verge of being completely lost in a state of pure destructive rage.
Alter then calmly marched towards the side of her liege and told her to calm down, going as far to stop her from taking a step further by holding Artoria's left shoulder down.
"Calm yourself, my liege."
Her words however, only enraged the grieving Artoria.
"YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN ALTER?! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED?! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO DID THIS TO HER?!"
Artoria was about to lash out against her own aspect, when Alter shouted back at her! Her own power, though lesser in scale, unfurling against the rage of her prime counterpart.
"YOU FOOL! Look around you Artoria! Look at what your unbridled rage is causing!"
"Your outburst is not only putting the entire realm of Avalon in danger, but also the souls leaving on it!"
"The very people that you swore to protect!"
To drive her point, Alter then grabbed the sleeves of Artoria's shirt and forced her to look straight into her eyes.
Furious Verdant Greens meet the Cold Hard Gold.
"What about the children Artoria?! What about your dear four children?!"
"Have you forgotten that you placed them all inside of this realm before you exploded into this sensless bout of anger?!"
"Do you think they would be safe if you continue this madness?!"
"The Tower, the very lynchpin of this world is shaking Artoria!"
"They could get hurt! Or worse!"
Alter's cold, harsh and blatant outburst had somewhat dampened down the rage of the still grieving Artoria.
Grounding the enraged goddess back to reality.
Tears began to flow out of Artoria's emerald eyes once more as the blinding haze of anger began to dissipate from her mind…
And she began to realize the foolishness of her recent actions.
Of how she had almost lost it….
If things had continued….if something had happened, she would be no better than the monsters in front of her!
"Wha...what have I done?" Artoria whispered in guilt.
Alter sighed then gently patted her shoulder.
"A ruler, much more a goddess, must not easily succumbed to emotions, especially if those emotions would endanger the lives of her people….her realm....and even more so...her family." Alter stated, her voice now softer yet more convicted than before.
"A ruler must be the paragon of stability. The very bastion of reason and order!"
"She must set an example for all her subjects to inspire and follow, yet at the same time, she must also be true to herself…"
"You…for the last five years, you had taught us that. Through your eyes, I, no, WE have seen it."
"You didn't asked nor wished to be transported in Teyvat, yet here you are…"
"You didn't strive to claim dominion or rulership over Mondstadt, hoping to live a life of adventure as you initially wished, yet here you are…"
"You…failed…in your first attempt as a mother…. losing yourdaughter in the process, yet here you are…"
Alter then gave Artoria a rare genuine smile.
"You arrived in a world that no one thought was possible."
"You have embraced the role of a leader once more, and in turn rebuilt a nation."
"You have forged a new family bonded by love stronger than any noble phantasm."
"You…have saved yourself…and in doing so, you have also saved us."
Alter then gestured towards the still unconscious Beidou.
"Now, chin up! Focus on what truly matters my liege. Focus on her."
"You brought us here in this land, a place where your power is at its apex, in order to give this poor child a chance."
"Yet here you are, wasting your near limitless power on these useless wretches!" Alter shouted as she pointed out towards the abyssal legion before them.
"Use this moment that was given to you Artoria!"
"Focus your efforts on further healing the child!"
Alter then began cracking her neck and knuckles, causing a series of lightning sparks to crackle around her fists.
"And as for this rabble...their very presence taint the purity of this realm!"
"They even threaten to do harm towards the very people and nation under our care?!"
Alter began marching towards the vast horde of abyssal creatures in front of her.
Streaks of lightning scorching and even glassing the very ground she's walking.
"They do not deserve a merciful end my liege. LET ME, THE KING OF STORMS, BRING RUIN UPON THEM!"
Alter wholeheartedly declared as a furious storm began brewing over the horizon!
A bloodthirsty smile adoring her pale immaculate face.
Artoria, seeing the resolve in her alternate self's eyes, nodded in agreement.
"Do it Alter. Show them the consequences of their actions."
Artoria commanded, her voice now calm yet seething with an undercurrent of cold fury. She looked straight into Alter's eyes and uttered one final command.
"HURT THEM."
"HURT EACH.AND.EVERY.SINGLE.ONE.OF.THEM!"
"As you command my liege." Alter replied with a cruel and sadistic smile.
Alter then unleased her own terrifying mana burst which was akin to that of a hurricane.
A raging vortex of thunder and lightning that immediately began to tear through the ranks of the Abyssal horde!
She then launched herself into the center of the enemy army which such force that it created a massive crater that instantly obliterated and buried hundreds of abyssal creatures alive!
"Knock, knock. SPECIAL DELIVERY!" She screamed with glee as she began swinging her massive crimson lance with ruthless efficiency!
Tearing into the masses of flesh and bone!
Every swing of her lance caused multiple bodies to be torn into mangled pieces!
Every punch she made was akin to a mini explosion of pure lightning that vaporized groups of these foul creatures.
Against the wrath of the Storm Incarnate, any attempt to counterattack was met with a gruesome and brutal end!
Bodies flew by the dozens, mangled and broken beyond recognition.
A brave and foolish few tried to attack her from all side, yet their swords and spears break upon contact, as if Alter's body was made of the hardest divine steel!
"Awww, are you all trying to tickle me to death with your little sticks? HOW ADORABLE!" She mockingly said as she then grabbed the nearest Hilichurl by the head.
She then used the poor flailing creature as an improvised bat, charged with electricity, against a larger Abyssal Lector nearby, crushing both monsters into a pile of gore!
From the west, dozens upon dozen of hulking Mitachurls and even fiercer Lawachurls charged forth trying to trample her under their massive feet, yet to their astonishment, the crimson-haired goddess just stood her ground.
With a casual swip of her arm, she unleashed a massive surge of lightning that caused the charging brutes to explode from within, like overcooked potatoes!
The Abyss Mages had it worst.
Seeing several of them covered in elemental shields, Alter sadistically toyed with them in a manner that would make the craziest of psychopaths blush in awe.
She sent countless beams of HOT and CONCENTRATED electricity towards them, easily by passing through their pathetic shields.
The subsequent elemental reaction that occured caused them to suffer a slow agonizing death as they slowly boiled from the inside!
The very shields meant to protect them become their own personal ovens!
Alter then elegantly somersaulted as countless abyssal infused projectiles were hurled unto her by groups of grenadiers and Hilichurl rogues.
When she landed, she just casually extended her arms as she allowed the rain of arrows and projectiles to hit her.
Yet to the shock and horror of her enemies around her, their projectiles just simply disintegrated inches away from her flawless skin and dark draconian armor!
"Really? A shower in the middle of a battle? How considerate of you all, though I prefer the rain over these putrid arrows." Alter mocked them again.
"Allow me to give you all a sincere reply."
With a snap of her fingers, a colossal whirlwind of pure destructive storm came into existence from above the battlefield, and began shooting countless streaks of lightning, tearing into the ranks of the grenadiers and rogues.
The resulting explosions were so destructive that they left giant smoldering craters in their wake!
Seconds turned into minutes as the so called battle rages on.
Bodies began piling up around Alter and soon she stood up upon a mound of corpses, raising her lance in a manner that screamed death!
The sheer brutality of the carnage that she had brought forth in just a matter of minutes was enough to cause cause the morale of the abyssal army to break.
Fear began to spread among their ranks like wildfire!
"MORE! FIGHT ME MORE DAMNIT! OR IS THIS THE BEST THAT YOU LOT CAN THROW AT ME?!" She screamed, lost in her own bloodlust as she challenged what remains of the once grand legion.
*******
As the one-sided slaughterfest raged on, Artoria once again began casting healing spells upon Beidou.
This time, she went all out, channelling massive amount of her divine power into the child, mending her physical wounds even further and purging out the remaining abyssal corruption within her.
She had calmed down.
The initial outburst of rage and self-blame had subsided, thanks to her other self's timely intervention.
Her focus now was once again solely on the child before her, that was until she noticed a familiar presence limping towards her.
She turned around and noticed the numerous cuts and burns that covered Xiao's body, particularly on his back.
Artoria noted that the lone Yaksha was clearly in a state of immense pain.
But despite all that, he still tried to muster up the strength to walk up to her. An act which impressed her.
She then beckoned him to come closer and sit beside her.
Seeing that the gentle yet powerful goddess he knew had already came back to her senses, Xiao slowly approached her and sat next to her.
Artoria then noticed the look of gratitude and relief on his face.
"You fought well and bravely Alatus. Your sacrifice will be rewarded." She softly said.
Artoria then placed her left palm upon Xiao's shoulder and began channelling healing spells to the battered adepti, causing a massive surge of warm and soothing energy to flow through him.
All of Xiao's wounds, both physical and mental, began to heal at a rapid pace!
Within seconds, all the burns, all the cuts, and even the sense of fatigue that he had suffered had simply vanished, as if nothing had ever happened!
Xiao looked at his now perfectly healed body in astonishment!
He turned towards the benevolent goddess beside him with a shocked yet profoundly grateful expression.
"I thank you once again for your help my Lady. Truly, I'm forever in your debt.
Artoria just smiled at him and said.
"No need for that Xiao, it is actually I who should ask for your forgiveness, for I allowed you to witness an unsightly side of my nature."
"I allowed myself to be clouded by my own rage and by doing so I had forgotten my very own role as a goddess."
"I have nearly put you in danger. So for that, I apologize."
Artoria slightly bowed her head which caused the newly healed Yaksha to frantically wave his arms in front of her, as if trying to prevent her from continuing the act!
"MY LADY, THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO APOLOGIZE! ESPECIALLY TO SOMEONE LIKE ME!"
"It's alright. I can sort of understand. I too had my own moments of weakness in the past." He said with in grateful yet still frantic manner.
Xiao then took a deep breath, calming himself from his flustered state.
"I'm just glad that you had managed to pull yourself out of that state your grace. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if you continued on."
Artoria gave Xiao a thankful smile before she looked back at the still unconscious Beidou.
"My lady, if I may be so bold to ask. Who is she?"
The Lone Yaksha gestured to the wrathful aspect who was still on the process of decimating the enemy forces in the background.
"That woman. She looked exactly like you my lady yet...she feels different."
"She... she's COLDER. MoreDANGEROUS." He whispered the last few words.
"I've rarely seen such being, even during the time of the Archon war. To possess such immense levels of cold unbridled bloodlust and power, it's truly a rare and unnerving sight."
Artoria's gaze shifted towards her Alter self for a moment, before returning to face Xiao.
"You can think of her as a part of me Xiao."
"Oh, like the Three Deadly Selves?" Xiao promptly replied.
However after seeing Artoria's confused and clueless expression towards the concept he just mentioned, Xiao decided to explained the matter to the goddess before him.
"My Lady, the Three Deadly Selves or rather the Ancient Adeptal Art of Excising Ones own Three Deadly Selves, is an ancient art form of excising ones imputed desires and cultivating ones true self."
"I believe that other nations had similar practice, for example, in Sumeru, it is called Shattering Atmagraha."
Artoria just stared at the Yaksha's explanation for a moment and then just shook her head
"No, it's not like that at all Xiao." She chuckled.
"She is not an imputed desire or some kind of negative aspect that I'm trying to get rid of."
"Rather...."
Artoria paused as if trying to weigh in wether or not she'll allow the person before her to know some of her deepest secrets.
'This Yaksha had earned my respect. He fought bravely, and almost died protecting a child he barely even knew. He deserves to know at least some of the truth.' She thought to herself.
"...She is a part of my soul, an aspect of my very own Being, a fragment of myself manifested during times of great turmoil."
This declaration somewhat greatly surprised and shocked the Yaksha, for this was the very first time that he had encountered such a concept!
'How...How is it possible?!' He thought in astonishment.
Artoria then leaned in.
"Let me tell you something my friend, and I hope that you wouldn't share this secret with anyone else, for this information is for your ears only."
She then gestured towards her other self who had just finished impaling an Abyssal Lector with her bare hands and was now on the process of bashing the poor unfortunate souls into a group of charging Hilichurls, using the Lector's own corpse as a battering ram!
"I...have lived so many lives in the past. Each with different paths and experiences. Some were filled with glory, while some were filled with regrets."
"Yet, each one of them is a part of me."
"Their stories…"
"Their memories…"
"Their victories…"
"And even their failures…"
"Each and everyone of them had contributed to the formation of the person and goddess who now stands before you."
"She is but one of those many aspects. One of those lives that I had lived."
She pointed towards her other self again.
"She was the life I had lived, not just as a ruler...but as a Tyrant. Caring nothing else but the prosperity of the realm through the lense of cold hard pragmatism."
"She is the Storm incarnate. The embodiment of my destructive yet righteous fury."
Her statement was but a brief overview of the life her Alter self had lived, yet the sheer weight behind it was enough to make even the battle-hardened Yaksha suffer a sort of short-circuit in his mind!
'Wai…wait! MANY LIVES?!..TYRANT….What…HOW?!'
He couldn't accept the notion that this most benevolent of deities before him had once been a ruthless tyrant!
Before he could further digest the information that he had just received, Artoria's focus once again shifted back towards Beidou.
Her treatment had already ended and it was successful....but not completely.
The wounds and organs had been mended.
Abyssal energy had been purged from the girl's system.
Yet her young and fragile soul had already been damaged beyond repair, leaving a gaping hole in it!
Artoria growled in frustration.
'DAMN THAT ABYSSAL SCUM!'
Contamination from the abyss was an issue she can easily address. But when the problem involved the very soul of a being, things get tricky…
If corroded enough, the soul literally disintegrates into nothingness.
She can repair it, by using her very Light, yet the parts that had been lost would never be restored.
The best that she can do is purify the soul and fill in the gap with something new….
She was about to address this matter when she sensed that the battle spearhead by her Alter self was drawing to a close.
'She works exceedingly fast, only her and two other presence remain.' Artoria thought.
The presence of two beings that she WANTED TO CHOKE WITH HER OWN TWO BARE HANDS!
She then looked towards Xiao and said.
"Alatus, I have something that IMUST ATTEND TO. Please, keep a watch over the girl for me."
She then stood up and began walking towards the now desolated battlefield.
"My Lady, is this wise? Your other self has everything under control. I don't see any reason for you to..." Xiao stated in confusion, but he was immediately cut off by the resurging fury of the Queen of Avalon.
"MY PRIDE AND HONOR AS THE ONE WHO HAD SWORN TO PROTECT THIS CHILD WAS TARNISHED THE MOMENT THOSE VILE CREATURES HARMED HER!"
Artoria stopped, calming herself once again as to try not to let her anger get the better of her once more.
She then turned and faced the now flabbergasted Yaksha.
"It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if the prey I had set my eyes upon were taken by another... even if that person is a part of me." She said with a cold determined expression as she begin to once more marched towards the inevitable execution.
Xiao simply just watched as his divine benefactor walked towards the raging battlefield with an air of an executioner.
*******
"PATHETIC! ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!"
Screamed Alter in disappointment as she bisected the last of the surviving Rift Hound with her lance.
The battlefield was now littered with the mangled and dismembered corpses of thousands upon thousands of abyssal creatures.
A sea of corpses, all killed in the most brutal and gruesome of manners by the King of Storms!
At the very center of this carnage stood the only two survivors of the once proud legion that had the misfortune of angering the Goddess of Storms.
Haden and Guàiwù.
"YOU CALL YOURSELF THE WRYDSWORD OF HEAVEN'S END? PLEASE! YOU'RE JUST A WALKING PIECE OF SHIT THAT REEKS OF DISAPPOINTMENT!"
Alter taunted the heavily injured abyssal Lord who was now kneeling on the ground… battered, bruised, and missing an arm!
Haden had never felt so helpless in his entire life.
His army, his once glorious army!
One of the most powerful legions within the Order, was completely wiped out by a single being in a matter of minutes!
At the so crucial hour, he himself joined the fray, hoping that's his presence would help turn the tide of battle.
He tried attacking her using a combination of dark magic and his famed Black Serpent Bladework, the sword art that he had perfected during his time as the top sword instructor in Khaenri'ah.
Yet it didn't work!
Each slash he made was skillfully parried by her lance as if it was just a child's toy!
Each spell he hurled towards her just fizzled out before even reaching her!
He tried creating afterimages of himself in order to disorient her, but she just casually saw through them without even breaking a sweat!
She was just toying with him!
The fact that this monstrous goddess wasn't even taking him seriously had infuriated him!
That was until she suddenly lunged at him and dismembered his left arm in a manner so fast that he couldn't even register the pain until he saw his own arm falling onto the ground a few moments later!
The sudden loss of his arm had caused him to fall down in sheer agony!
But his tormentor wasn't done yet!
To add insult to injury, she applied a sort of spell which coated his severed limb with lightning….
She then proceeded to use his OWN SEVERED ARM AGAINST HIM, WIELDING IT LIKE A SORT OF SWORD/CLUB!
He was utterly surprised on how much effective his now torn limb was in clashing with his two abyssal-infused claymores!
His precious claymores were even shattered at the end. Broken into pieces when he tried to block her attack!
And she had done all of those while laughing maniacally at him!
His pet didn't even escaped her wrath.
Guàiwù, the god that he had hope would herald a new age of glory for the abyss and for humanity, was mercilessly beaten by her as well.
She saw her cutting the beast's serpentine tail and then proceeded to shove the dismembered cauda straight into the collosal god's rear!
She then proceeded to pummel the monsterous grotesque god with her armored fists. Using his collosal body as a sort of punching bag!
And now, here they are…
Both of them, on their knees, injured and nearly defeated…
Alter stood before the two, her crimson lance casually resting on her shoulder, her arms crossed, and an expression of utter disappointment and boredom plastered upon her beautiful face.
"To think that you had the gall to call yourself a 'Lord' of some sort? You're not even worthy of being called a mere pawn!" She spat.
"I have seen Dead apostles stronger than you lot and you even called that wretched freak project of yours a god?! Pfft! A mere mockery of the word!"
Haden had enough.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME WOMAN!" Haden screamed in defiance, despite the excruciating pain he was currently experiencing.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
Alter just simply snickered at the poor man's question.
"Me? Who am I? Can't you guess? Can't your pathetic senses tell you who I am?"
She then pointed her lance towards Haden and said.
"I AM THE STORM! THE TYRANT! I AM DESTRUCTION INCARNATE!"
"I am..."
But before she could finish her sentence, Guàiwù, in a desperate attempt to save its master and creator, opened up his maw and lauched a massive torrent of concentrated abyssal fire towards the monologuing goddess.
The attack was so powerful and so fast that it was able to caught Alter by surprise, though only for a second.
The peeved off aspect just raised her right palm and blocked the incoming attack with little to no effort.
"So the oversize Black Wagyu decided to fight back eh?"
The beast then lunged towards her with its powerful claws and horns, all the while firing more concentrated beams of abyssal fire in a futile attempt to harm its aggressor.
However, Alter remained unfazed, even as the beams of fire made their mark, hitting her.
Though, like the other offensive spells before, the beams just harmlessly sizzled out before they could even make contact with her skin.
Just as the beast was about to gore her, Alter gracefully sidestepped to her right and, with an immense display of raw strength, she gripped one the beast's multiple horns with her hands, holding the chimeric beast in place.
The mighty abyssal god tried to break free, but to its horror, it couldn't even move an inch from her iron grip!
"Hey, don't you know that it's rude to interrupt someone while they're having a conversation?" Alter scolded as she then began to channel a massive surge of lightning into her hands.
The lightning then traveled straight into the horn and into the rest of the beast's body!
Guàiwù let out a cry of pure agony as the titanic monster began to convulse. Its entire being was being electrocuted from the inside!
After a few seconds of agonizing torture, Alter then delivered one final, powerful punch straight into the beast's head.
The force of the punch was so immense that it sent the towering beast flying several yards away like a ragdoll, straight into Haden, causing the both of them to crash into a nearby hill.
The impact was so strong that it caused half of the hill to collapse, burying the two monsters underneath a pile of sand and rubble.
"Huh? I guess I overdid it a bit." Alter stated with a shrug.
Just was she was to walk out and about to call it a day, when a sudden surge of dark energy erupted from underneath the pile of rocks, blowing it away!
As the dust settled, Haden emerged from the wreckage, still battered and injured….
BUT UTTERLY PISSED!
He is the Wrydsword of Heaven's End…
He is the commander of one of his Order's several Legions....
He, is a trusted confidant of his Majesty…
AND HE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY SOME OVERGLOWED WOMAN WITH A FANCY LANCE!
"CURSED YOU! CURSED YOU TO THE DARKEST ABYSS!" He screamed, now fully consumed by rage.
He then made one finally desperate gambit to try and turn the tide of the battle and make this woman before him pay!
With the usage of his dark arcane arts, he threw away the boulders that covered his now motionless pet, Guàiwù.
And in one savage act, he pierced his entire remaining limb straight into the skull of his creation!
"WITNESS THE POWER OF A MAN WHO HAD ACCEPTED THE TRUTH!
"WITNESS THE POWER THAT WILL CONSUME THE WORLD!"
Immediately after shouting, Haden's entire body began grotesquely merging with the injured body of the beast, Guàiwù fusing himself with it!
If he can't offer the heart of that damnable Yaksha then HE'LL OFFER HIS ENTIRE BEING INSTEAD!
The entire process was not a pretty sight.
Haden's flesh and blood began to merge with the beast's fur and scales, like a toxic sludge creeping in every crevices.
He entire being began to morph and twist, as it try to connect with the god's central nervous system!
Guàiwù, woke up in sheer agony from the impromptu transformation.
Every part of the beast was jerking as a loud and eerie howl began to come out of the beast's mouth.
The goal was to ascend into a higher plain of existence by offer a catalyst that would hold and empower the numerous god fragments within, bonded by the energy that stems from the Abyss…..
There were just two problems though…
Firstly, Haden, though thoroughly blessed and corrupted by the Abyss, does not possess the same bodily constitution as that of a Yaksha or an Adepti.
Thus his very form cannot fully be made as the catalyst for a full on ascension.
Lastly, in order for the entire ascension to proceed, the ritual must be empowered by a steady and continuous stream of abyssal energy coming from the Void Realm….
The problem is, Avalon is COMPLETELY SEPARATED from the influence of the Abyss.
No direct connections nor passages exist between the two realms, depriving the ritual with its essential fuel…
…..
The end result, a twisted and failed form of the planned divine metamorphosis, akin to starting a bonfire with liters of gasoline instead of dry wooden logs!
Guàiwù's body began to dissolve as the beast screamed in various tones, each an echo to the voices of the dead gods that constitutes the creature!
The shrieks of Yunu…
The loud hissing of Chi…
The gurgling of Baqui…
The whooping sound of Shui You….
The dying roar of Houjiao….
And so many more, all producing a horrible cacophony of cries that signals the final death rattle of their very being.
And what emerged from this vile union was something even more mangled and gnarled in appearance than ever before!
A colossal bloated entity akin to a swollen and decaying cadaver!
There was no recognizable face only a slim ovoid shape protrusion at the very top that looks like a cross between a head and an anthena.
Its whole body was nothing but a pile of decaying sludge with numerous tentacles of varying sizes swaying in and out.
Horns and even claws can be seen all over its form yet were placed so chaotically around the body of the freakish creature.
Soon Haden's now distorted voice began to be heard as an enormous maw began to split from the very abdomen of the creature!
Various putrid gases escape from the newly opened orifice, gases that can instantly kill any mortal who is unfortunate enough to smell it!
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YES! I CAN FEEL THE POWER! THE POWER OF A TRUE GOD!"
The twisted fusion let out a terrifying roar that could be heard for miles!
The creature then looked at the blonde storm goddess, who was now watching it with an disgust and a slightly interested expression, as if she found this whole situation to be quite entertaining and revolting at the same time.
"NOW, WOMAN! YOU WILL WITNESS THE FULL MIGHT OF MY ASCENDED FORM! AND WITH IT, I WILL SEND YOUR SOUL TO THE DARKEST DEPTHS OF THE VOID!"
"Uggghhhh…seriously is this what you bottom dwellers call PEAK PERFORMANCE?! YOU NOW LOOK LIKE A MOUNTAIN OF TURD AND YOU SMELL LIKE ONE TOO!" Alter mocked the now so called ascended god by covering her nose.
"YOU DARE MOCK ME YOU PATHETIC…" The Beast/Haden roared until it was cut short by Alter's reply.
"OH SHUT UP! "You're now LITERALLY A GIANT PIECE OF SHIT THAT STAINS THE PURITY OF THIS LAND!"
Alter then readied herself.
"If you want to die so BADLY then let me do you a favor!"
She aimed her lance, the darker version of Rhongomyniad, preparing for a clash against a being that could perhaps make her break a sweat!
The phantasmal construct began to thrum in power as red colored lightning began to swirl around it.
She was about to unleash her Noble Phantasm….
The one that would turn this entire desert into a literal ocean of molten glass!
But before she could even recite the initiating call, she sensed a sudden familiar burst of divine energy spewing from behind her.
She turned her neck and the sight she saw made her smirk.
"Well, well, well, it seems you arrive just in time. Do you want to eat the main course all for yourself my liege?"
"What made you decide to join the party this late? I was about to finish this worm."
Alter spoke as she saw her Prime self marching forward with a cold predatory gaze.
"I thank you for your assistance Alter, however those two…or rather that thing was MY PREY to begin with."
"You had your fun, now let me to have mine. So STAND ASIDE." Artoria commanded.
Seeing the willful and serious expression of her liege, Alter cancelled her noble phantasm, and respectfully stepped aside, bowing down as her liege strode past her.
As Artoria marches forward towards her grotesque opponent, a swirl of pure holy light began to coalesce in her right hand, forming a blade so glorious, so majestic, that its sheer radiance was comparable to that of the sun!
The blade itself seemed to be crafted from the very essence of starlight, its hilt glowed with an ethereal golden hue, and the crossguard was adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to pulse with life!
This was the blade crafted from the womb of the Gaia...
The one weapon that ended the reign of terror brought forth by the White Titan from the Stars…
The Greatest and Strongest of all Holy Swords…
The Sword of the Promised Victory.
Excalibur.
The very world itself seemed to hold its breath, as its creator marched forward with the Holy Blade with an intent of an executioner.
To everyone who were present, the very sight of Excalibur was something to behold.
To Xiao, who had witnessed the appearance of the weapon from a safe distance, the magnificent ethereal construct was more than just a weapon…
Calling it beautiful was a bit of an understatement!
Never before had he witness such holiness, such majesty, such purity from a weapon.....
It was as if the weapon itself was the living embodiment of all things good and holy in the world!
For Haden however, or rather, the creature he had become, the very sight of the blessed blade had caused an unimaginable amount of terror to struck his blackened heart!
HE COULD FEEL IT!
He could feel the sheer holiness that radiated from that blade!
It was a power that was directly opposed to everything that he and the Abyss stood for!
It was a power that represented the very concept of Order and Justice!
His corrupted soul was screaming at him, telling him to run away!
The sword that symbolizes the Human Order of the Nascent World had deemed his presence as an unripen 'Threat to Humanity'!
His crimes, hidden within the depths of his blackened heart and soul, were now being laid bare before the very world itself!
His fate had been judged!
'No...no..NOOOO!'
'I WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO END LIKE THIS!'
'NOT BEFORE I BRING FORTH THE AGE OF REASON! THE AGE OF HUMANITY! THE AGE WHERE WE ARE NO LONGER PUPPETS!'
'I...am a loyal servant of my Majesty...I will not allow this insignificantly pathetic light to extinguish my cause!"
Haden then threw countless of tendrils, each emerging from his bloated decaying form, towards Artoria in a desperate attempt to stall her!
But those tendrils just withered away into dust before they could even get near her.
The sheer divine presence of the Strongest Holy Sword alone was enough to purify and eradicate them!
"NO! STAY AWAY!"
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!" He desperately screamed as Artoria raised her sword.
The nascent world was watching…
The nascent world was judging…
And the nascent world had found him wanting!
Artoria's green eyes glowed, now burning with divine fire of righteous fury, as she glared down upon the twisted abomination before her.
This is for the countless innocent souls who had suffered from their twisted cause...
This is for the gods who's eternal rests were disturbed…
....This is for her!
She then uttered the sacred words that commands the very light of the sword.
"Oh Sacred sword."
"The lynchpin that represents Human Order."
"Sheathed in the breath of this newborn world."
"A shining torrent of life."
"Victory is in our hands!"
"Behold, you vile scum that taints this land!"
"This is the Queen's judgement!"
"EX…"
"CALIBUR!"
Artoria slashed her sword downward, creating what it seems to be a titanic wave of light that surged forth towards Haden.
'I'm so sorry your majesty…I have failed you…'
Were Haden's last thought before the surging wave of light completely erased his very being and soul from existence.
The blast from Excalibur illuminated the entire desert as it surged forth towards the sky, creating a colossal pillar of light that pierced the heavens of the nascent world.
All throughout the world of Avalon…
From the frigid north…
To the dense southern jungles…
And even the eastern misty seas, the storms that had earlier appeared all across the world dissipated, and a sweeping sense of comfort and peace began to settle in the hearts of every soul that resides this nascent world.
The world had calmed down…
The God-Queen's Wrath had been satiated…
And Peace was once again restored in the lands of the ever distant dream.
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After the light of Excalibur had set and peace was once again restored, Artoria dismissed her divine weapon, returning it back into her soul.
She, along with Alter then walked back towards Xiao where the lone Yaksha guards the still unconscious Beidou.
"That was impressive, my liege. Though I sensed you held back a little." Alter said as she looked at the now glassy crater left behind by her Prime's Noble Phantasm.
"I didn't want to overdo it. This entire realm is still growing…still fragile Alter."
"A full powered blast from Excalibur could potentially damage this entire world." Artoria explained.
As they arrived, Artoria then turned her attention towards Beidou, and she let out a sigh of disappointment.
Alter turned to her as if asking what was wrong.
"Her...her soul is missing a piece Alter." Artoria said with a frustrated tone.
"Physically, she's fine but spiritually...."
"That cursed monster had managed to gnaw away a large chunk of her soul before I was able to intervene."
Alter then crouched down and caressed the sleeping child's face.
She then closed her eyes for a moment as if seeing something that others couldn't.
"I see...yes, I can sense it. This child...she feels like an incomplete puzzle with one missing piece." Alter stated, her usual cold tone was now filled with a hint of…maternal sorrow?
Artoria agreed, partially surprised by her counterpart's tone. But before she could continue, Alter stood up and looked her directly straight into the eyes.
"My liege...my Prime Self," Alter started, her voice now soft but still maintained its firmness.
"Through your eyes, I and the rest of the your aspects had seen the life that this child had lived through."
"All the sufferings, all the pain, all the betrayals...and the loneliness she endured for years."
She then paused for a moment, as if recalling some distant memory.
"Yet, despite all of that, even as she tethered upon the verge of death, she still clinged to hope….defying whatever fate the world had decreed upon her."
As Alter stared upon the eyes of her liege, Artoria saw a strange glint in her aspect's eyes. A glint of….yearning.
She was now greatly surprised to see a hint of what she could describe as maternal love present in the eyes of the cold and ruthless tyrant.
"Alter? Why... why are you saying all of this to me?" Artoria asked, confused and hoping.
"My liege...ever since we've fused...ever since we've become one...I and the others who dwell within you, within the sea of souls have been...changing." Alter confessed, her eyes now filled with a mixture of emotions.
"In all our lifetimes...never once we're we destined to be a figure of maternal love and compassion." She continued.
"It's always been about the kingship, the throne, and the heavy responsibilities that come along with it."
"But then...you happened....
Emily happened."
"Through sheer cosmic luck, the most unlikely scenario happened, and another route was presented to us in the form of our arrival in Teyvat."
"Emily's soul grounded us to the Humanity that we had lost, even in our ascension to true divinity."
"And through your eyes, we saw a dream that we never once thought was possible."
"We saw the glimpse of the cherished life and happiness that was taken from us since we started walking the path of kingship."
She then took a deep breath as if preparing to say the most important words in her entire existence.
"Motherhood."
Artoria was silent when Alter muttered the word.
She was even more surprised when her Tyrannical self began to shed tears!
It was so uncanny for her to see this side of Alter, a being who was the embodiment of her own wrath and ruthlessness...now crying like a vulnerable child!
"Alter..." Artoria said, her voice now filled with concern.
Alter then raised a hand to stop her liege from going further, as she herself tried to pitifully stop the steady stream of tears flowing from her cold golden eyes.
"Even though I am just one of your aspects, I am still a part of you my liege." Alter stated as she wiped her tears away.
"As such...even with my cold and ruthless nature...I and the rest...have come to consider ourselves as mothers to your children."
"That is why X...namely the one who bears the assassin class...was so willing to give up most of her existence for that godling that you took...for no mother is willing to see a child die in front of her eyes!"
Alter then turned an look at the unconscious child the laid before her.
"She...she reminded me greatly of myself. Never backing down even against overwhelming odds. A stubborn child who was willing to risk everything for what she believed in."
"She deserves to live, my liege. She deserves to have a family."
Alter then placed her right hand over her chest and after diving deeper into her innermost being, the Storm King extracted a golden orb, wriggling with lightning…
It was a piece of her very own spirit.
A gift for her liege…
A gift for a lost child, so that she may live.
"Her soul is missing a piece right? Here, I offer a piece of mine."
Alter presented the orb to Artoria, carefully holding it in her palm like it was the most precious thing in the world.
"She will be your child, as much as she will be mine, and as well as the others...for I am always a part of you my liege."
"No more wandering. No more being alone. It is time for the Lost Star to come home."
Artoria was now at a lost for words.
This was an act that went far beyond what she had expected.
It was an act of pure selflessness, something that she had never associated with any of her darker aspects.
And yet, here was Alter, offering a piece of her very soul to save a child…
'Is...is this really my doing? Have I really influenced them that much?' Artoria thought to herself as her mind was now filled with a mix of awe and confusion.
She then looked at the golden orb in Alter's palm, and then at the sleeping child on the ground.
She knew what she had to do.
"Thank you for this gift…Alter. Thank you so much!" Artoria said, her voice now filled with gratitude as tears began to flow down from her bright emerald green eyes as well.
She then took the golden orb from Alter's palm, and as if on cue, a brilliant golden light began to emanate from her body.
Like her anger and grief, Artoria's all encompassing love and joy began to affect the very realm itself.
All across Avalon, every flower began to bloom…
Every tree began sprouting fresh new leaves…
Even the inhabitants of the scattered Bangboo villages of the temperate forested region of Eridu in the far west of the continent, suddenly began dancing in jubilation as they sensed their Ehn-ne-mamah's joy!
Every soul cradled within the sacred confines of the nascent world, felt a profound sense of happiness and contentment…
The entire realm was celebrating!
As if waiting to witness the momentous event that was about to happen, all three moons of Avalon…
The Eternal Moon…
The Frost Moon…
and the Iridescent Moon, appeared in the night sky simultaneously!
The three great celestial satellites, created by Artoria almost a year ago from the very roots of this world's nascent world tree, and imbued with the souls of three ancient moon goddesses reborn, for the second time since their creation, merged back into one, forming a single luminescent moon with a brilliant golden halo a kin to that of a Monarch's diadem!
The Crown Moon of Avalon.
From the firmament, four constellations began to brighten and shine, as if waiting for the arrival of their newest kin.
These were the stars that form the celestial crowns of the four divine heirs of the Pendragon line!
The Constellation of the Dandelion, the first and wisest of the four: Leo Minor
The Constellation of the Shining Idol, most innocent of the four: Crater
The Constellation of the Adventurer, the luckiest of the four: Divine Rota Fortunae
And lastly, the Constellation of the WindborneChild, the youngest and the freest of the four: Carmen Dei
They all shone brightly like gems set upon the nightime skies of Avalon, waiting for the fifth constellation to be born and join them in the celestial heavens!
Artoria and Alter then solemnly went over to the side of the sleeping child, who was about to be part of something far greater than she could ever imagine.
Xiao, who had been observing the entire exchange with a mixture of awe and confusion, instinctively took a few steps back.
His very spirit, the soul of an ancient mighty Adeptus, was urging him to witness this celestial event.
It was as if the very heavens themselves were decreeing that he must bear witness to the birth of the newest member of a burgeoning young Pantheon!
All across Avalon, every soul, every being felt a sudden urge…
The sudden urge to look up at the Crowned Moon that hang above the night sky and chant a sacred prayer.
It was an urge that came from the very world itself transmitted into their souls!
From the growing populace of Camelot…
To every homunculi maids, and even the numerous enforcement knights that guard the realm…
To the lone Adventurer/Explorer who was camped in the forests of Brocéliande…
To the hundreds of Bangboos dancing in joy in their forested homes…
To every creatures, big and small throughout the rest of the mystical realm…
All of them looked up at the sky and began to chant as one!
As if knowing the very words that flowed out of their hearts!
~Under Moon Eternal, in radiant light,
The Goddess grants gifts warm with life.~
~Under Moon Iridescent, in night divine,
The Goddess grants home for our souls sublime.~
~Under Moon of Frost, in night so great,
The Goddess grants salvation to free us from our Fate.~
~The fields are plowed, the seeds are sown.
And from this world, new life is grown.~
~Souls are gathered, new life is poured,
these gifts were offered by our Lord.~
~Pure as Heaven, so Fair and Bright,
She shines her Light in this dark night.~
~And with her does this,
One soul takes flight!~
...
~Innocent soul, lost and unbound,
Let my Love guide you home,
By my embrace, you are found.~
As the last sacred verse was uttered, Beidou, the child born from the love of two lost souls...
The child who had for years been treated as a curse....
The child who had lost everything due to the machinations of fate...
The child who has shunned the world yet continued searching for a home, began her ascension!
The rotten garments over her that symbolized her past life were burned away by sheer divine fire, replaced by the most pristin white dress.
A golden band of light akin to a tiara then briefly materialized around her head, signifying her new status as a divine heiress.
Above the night sky of Avalon, a new constellation was born, one that would soon command the storms and the sea!
It was a the Constellation of the Victorious Conquer, the fifth yet the second eldest. The scion of the Storm: Victor Mare
But none of those ever mattered to the Sovereign Ruler of the world at that very moment…
For as the newly born godling floated gently down from her ascension, her newest mother by right divine, caught her in her arms and pulled her into an embrace.
Tears of pure elated joy and love flowed down from the god-queen's emerald eyes as she looked upon the sleeping face of her newest daughter...her newest child.
The newly ascended godling, sensing the peaceful warmth of the love she had so long sought to find, instinctively cuddled closer to her divine parent's embrace, as a small smile appeared on her sleeping face.
"Welcome home...my dearest star." Artoria whispered lovingly, her voice trembling with overwhelming maternal love.
"Welcome home."
(End of Chapter)
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Alone and confuse, the Little Star accidentally stumbled upon a den of hungry wolves.
Cornered, the wolves, who were hungry, tried to eat the Little Star who began whimpering.
Suddenly, the Wind caught the sound of the crying Little Star and immediately came to her rescue.
The Wind blew a huge tornado which carried the hungry wolves to somewhere far, saving the Little Star.
Happy and reunited, the Little Star and the Wind then continued their journey towards the top of the highest mountain.
- The Tales of the Little Lone Star
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(The Aspects, Shades and the Sea of Souls)
- The Sea of Souls is one of Artoria's unique abilities. It is a metaphysical realm inside the very core of Artoria that makes up the very foundation of her entire being and existence.
- It is a similar, yet miniature version of the Throne of Heroes, but instead of existing outside time and space, it exist deep within Artoria's very being.
- An exact copy of all possible variantions of Artoria recorded from the original Throne of Heroes from her prior reality, is stored in this realm, acting as both a library of sort and the fountain from which Artoria drews forth all her abilities. They are her Aspects and Shades, the very pillar that make up her very existence.
- Through Soul Sharing, Artoria can grant a portion of one of her aspects to mortals and even to other supernatural beings such as gods, elevating them to a higher status of existence.
- In extreme situations wherein an aspect is surrendered, that aspect will not be not fully removed from the Sea of Souls, rather a thin connection would still exist between it and the realm itself, allowing Artoria to draw forth abilities (though greatly weakened) from the bygone aspect. This connection can also allow Artoria to even completely recall the surrendered aspect back to her if the situation demands it.
- The Shades: Aspects are of unique existence. They are classified as souls who make up a greater whole. Whenever Artoria herself is facing a situation the causes a great deal of personal stress (either emotionally or physically), any of the aspect present within her can choose to manifest herself in the real world, in front of Artoria in order to aid her. Once this event happens, the aspect who had manifested is now called a Shade, and can freely operate independently as a separate entity, though she's still ultimately subservient to Artoria's will.
- The amount of time a Shade can spend in the real world would depend on the Shade herself and on Artoria's own directive. She might hang around for just a few minutes, hours, days or even years.
- The power of a shade depends on her Saint Graph origin and the amount of power Artoria herself had bestowed upon them. Given, Artoria's own status as a Primordial goddess, each of the manifested shade (regardless of their prior classification and abilities) will automatically receive a boost upon their manifestation, rendering them at a power scale equal to that of a Divine Spirit.
- If need be, Artoria can grant a Shade an even greater power, a Divine Authority. When this happens, the Shade is elevated to an even higher status, becoming a subordinate Primordial God, the very adjutant who is tasked on enforcing Artoria's will.
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(Excalibur - Fate)
- Excalibur, also known as the Sword of the Promise Victory, is the strongest and most majestic holy sword that symbolizes King Arthur.
- Excalibur is regarded as the physical actualization of her ideals and the symbol of her heroism.
- The Divine Construct was created in 12,000 BC by six great Fairies in Avalon as a weapon to be used by the planet against external threats. Excalibur was first wielded by a forgotten human in defeating the White Titan, who had already killed most of the gods when it invaded the Earth.
- Excalibur is considered to be among the greatest of Noble Phantasms, with its speed, attack power, and reach upon being activated surpassing and remaining unrivaled by all others. In terms of competing against others in pure power, only Ea and Rhongomyniad are known to be able to match it.
- Artoria possessed several variations of Excalibur which she can call upon, each one originally held by her aspects. The strongest and greatest among them is Excalibur Excelsus: And thus, the Sword of Promised Victory, wielded by the strongest of her aspects, Lord Logres. This Excalibur was forged within the Inner Sea of the Planet, intended to be use not only against enemies deemed as Threats to Humanity, but primarily against those who are considered Threats to the Planet.
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