COMA: Fragmented Reality

"Love not this world for it does not love you. This world is not your home. We Chronians do not belong here. We belong wherever we are together, and if it means having to find it at the end of our great fated battles, then so be it."

- Cecilia Chronia

Chronian matriarch of House Cecilia and the First Divine Challenger.

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

There was once an idea regarding ethics that true "good" and "evil" do not exist... that if we look at things in the view point of everyone involved, what is good or evil for one person may not be the same for another.

Of course, while this moral relativism mumbo-jumbo quickly found itself and those that espoused it at the care of a mental asylum, it nevertheless invited relativists in both the fields of philosophy and ethics, and soon, a great sociological experiment was held by those who are in power and were interested of whether this theory can be realized.

One nation, one people and one culture, believing in the same good and bad things that their ancestors held throughout their very long history, was exposed to the creed and culture of another nation and people. At first, it was a merry occasion... after all, both peoples and their beliefs, although it contrasted with each other, was understanding and tolerating enough to recognize that they can dismiss what they do not like with the other all for the sake of co-existence and possible cooperation later on.

However, problems soon arose when more people and cultures were mixed into the setting, forming a dense web of differences that were both apparent and concerningly getting into dangerous territory.

If back then, the sanctity of some things and the brand of justice of one people are non-negotiable, it soon became apparent that such things has to change in order to accommodate the differences that the other people brought into the setting.

...And so, conflict began. One people against the other, their values against the other's values and their existence against the other's existence.

This is how the world works... and no matter what kind of control over the people both tyrants and their sycophants tried, it has always failed because in the end, there is a true limit to what kind of humiliation and forced obedience they can subject those they think are below them and time and time again, this was proven to be true.

These are the things that encompassed the existence of Spirit Justice. Since time immemorial, whenever mankind felt fear for the unfair situations that nature subjected them and later on when civilizations rose up alongside the despots that it bred, Justice was there and lent her power to whoever had the burning desire to correct what is unlawful and unfair in their eyes.

In this journey of hers, she has always been accompanied by fellow Spirits of the same Principles. The humans she found worthy of idealizing her Principle has almost always been the same human that embodied Spirit Courage's power and Principle. The same went for those chosen by Spirit Faith when beliefs from one's culture evolved into beliefs taken as commandment and gospel wherein justice is held as a power to right the wrongs and separate virtue from vice.

However, the greatest connection that her Principles had with another Spirit are those held by the first and foremost individual among their kind, a being that she held as both her friend, mentor and rival for so many eons...

"...I must admit... I expected you to take longer in reclaiming the Principles that are about to be lost. Say, were the conversations you had with them as pleasant as you expected?"

"Not as much as I would like, if I must say... I guess you can say that for someone like me who was gone for several millennia since "that day", it wasn't as easy as I expected."

Inside the realm of Caelestia where the domains of the Celestial Spirits are located, Spirit Justice and Law had an exchange after the latter's arrival. As if sensing the many Principles that he retook from their corrupted and dying kin, Justice asked if he gave them a peaceful and painless end.

"...It would only be for a short while until we will be all gone. Right now, Faith is about to lose against one of the Usurper's children and no matter how strong he is in body, soul and spirit, the Vessel of Courage cannot contain his Spirit for so long."

"..."

"I already knew that this would be the end for all of us... and yet, I didn't think it would be this hopelessly... hopelessly..."

"Unfair?"

Law's interjection caught Justice's attention. She was looking for another word in order to not trigger her Principle, but he simply spouted it as if knowing that it's meaningless to deny that this is truly their present situation.

"...Right. Unfair... no, not just that. It is "unjust"."

"Does it violate your Principles?"

"Of course, it does."

"Then act against it. Stand up and do what must be done to correct it."

Law spoke while trying to approach Justice who is sitting on her throne, but just as he is about to come close to the steps leading to her, Justice asked him something that he didn't expect to hear.

"I cannot."

"...Why?"

"Unlike all those other times, this time, I cannot act against this."

"And just as I asked... why?"

Law already knew the answer for this yet he wanted to hear it from Justice... he wanted her to admit the limitation that has saddled her again and again throughout history... or at least, since the day when they all lost someone and marked their eternal war against instability and error.

"...Because this is what mankind wants. This time, united by both mind and heart, they wanted to do this. They want to usurp control over all aspect of their reality, no matter the consequences... no matter the cost."

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

In Sunogahara-cho, none of the struggling yet hopeful residents remained as they were before all of the chaos that befell them happened.

At the streets, people gathered in droves and walked slowly towards wherever they are being led by the thoughts that swirled in their minds... from their mouths came voices mumbling a corrupted prayer that continued to praise a being that they never knew before but whose will now fills their hearts.

"Praise be to your horrors... praise be to your terrors..."

"Praise be to your mysteries... praise be to your iniquities..."

"We shall affirm your wrongs as our rights... we shall live fulfilled by your wicked sights."

"We are your children, o Chaos. We are your parts and you are us made whole."

Corrupted by Babel's growing influence and Caelestia's waning power to protect them, mankind began to see their fate to belong to the cohorts of Chaos to be the right way and for everything they held as right or wrong before to be nothing but misguided beliefs.

Still, for some who truly valued something or someone else more than all else, that corruption is easy to resist.

"It's quite strange, isn't it... Hinata-kun?"

"What's strange, Yui?"

"That... all of those things really led to this kind of ending. We... we were only fighting against the strange happenings going on around Japan back then and yet here we are... in the realm of monsters and a self-proclaimed god."

In the abode of Hinata and his wife Yui, they watched as their fellow residents of Sunogahara-cho marched outside while mumbling those prayers and bemoaning their former values as "misled" and "narrow-minded".

"It's not limited to just that, you know... If he was telling the truth back then, there are also these beings called Spirits that inhabit some Psychics. I thought he just went wacko back then... Although I must admit now, maybe Rai-kun was right after all."

"Took the words out of my mouth, Masami... you're right about that, Ephraim really was right after all."

It wasn't just the couple owning the house who managed to resist the corruption though, along with them were the original members of the S.S.S and some friends who shared their goals and experiences that united all of them.

"Still... this really is the end for all of us. With our organization dissolved and powerless, our remaining Psychics siding with the Miyazonos and Ephraim and Mana gone missing in action, we cannot last anymore than a few weeks hiding from both the brainwashed masses and the Miyazonos."

"Right. No one wants to admit it but I guess you're right after all. This is our death throes... let's accept it with honor and grace. There's nothing we can do now."

While the fifty or so people all decided to spend their last days together, reminiscing about the old times and enjoying what little remains in their defeated state, one of them still has hope in her heart despite all the mistakes and misjudgements that she did before.

"No... there is still something that we can do."

"Yuri-san?"

"...No matter how little it might be, there is still something that we can do to help them... to help him win this for all our sakes."

The director and leader of the dissolved S.S.S took out her phone and dialed a number of someone that she believes is still willing to help her and her companions to redeem their selves.

["...You have some gall to call after what you did to us and the kids. You should be ashamed of—"]

"I will apologize and atone for that mistake for another time... for now, I want to prove that this time, I am willing to listen and believe."

["...Fine. But make one mistake again and I will make sure that you will not be there to see how it ends."]

For Yuri and her comrades, there is still a second chance... and this time, she will not let herself be swayed again by suspicion and panic.

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

At the middle of New Tokyo, devastated by the battles, the carnage of Malignances and the effects of Babel's growing corruption across the world, stood a new monument for the attempt of Miyazono Ryuuichi to become a god.

Atop a mountain of corpses of innocent people, a large trunk began to take root into the dead bodies beneath it, sourcing both biomass and spiritual power within them. However, the one true nourishment of this growing tree was none other than someone who was caught by one of Miyazono Ryuuichi's children.

"What a pitiful sight... to think that even after being given that task, you would fail and now become the eternal nourishment of the World Tree fragment..."

"Sc---- y--..."

"Hm? What was that, punk?"

"...Screw you, you vat-grown swine."

"—!!!"

"Born... in a glass tube... raised like a hapless worm... you... you really think you're better... than everyone else, huh?"

With a defiant and mocking smile, the replicant Kai insulted Keiji who is inhabiting the original Kai's body. His words and expression quickly got into the nerves of Keiji who used his new body's Psychic power over plants to slowly increase the crushing pressure of the plants surrounding Kai's body within the World Tree fragment.

"Why, you— YOU PEST!!!"

"GIH—! GUAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

"That's right! SCREAM! Scream and learn true hopelessness, you knave!!!"

As Keiji continued to torture Kai, and Aishi's battle with Spirit Faith is seemingly drawing to a conclusion, the first-born of them three finally came home to report her own achievement to her creator and father.

"Father... I have returned with good tidings."

"Ah! Himari, my child! It's so good to see you again after so long... my daughter, I can only beg for your forgiveness for subjecting you to all of that—"

"Please, father. There is nothing for you to apologize for. All of that misery and isolation is something that I have accepted ever since you came back to fulfill our great goal. What's important now is that we're nearly at the end of our preparations for your ascension."

"Right, right... Have you brought it, my child?"

"More than that, I have also refined it with the power of the Artificial Spirit. Although it took time to tempt the Sumeragi scientist with the promise of reuniting with her beloved, I managed to locate the False Vessel and use what remains of the Artificial Spirit's power to repair and refine it."

From Himari's pocket, she showed a broken arrow wrapped in a pair of scarlet and purple cloth. The broken arrow, only having its arrowhead and a short piece of the shaft on it, may seem like nothing more than a regular, broken arrow... however, in the sight of a Psychic, it emanated a horrifying aura.

["Yes... that's right! This is it... This is exactly it!"]

On Ryuuichi's left cheek, a small mouth appeared and began to speak with a tone that is a mix of salivating and barely unbridled excitement. It was apparent to both Ryuuichi and Himari that Babel felt utter joy with being reunited with what can be considered as its Weapon.

["That arrow has been and will always be the symbol of mankind's denial of the Divine's unfair rules and treatment. It is a sign of rebellion! A sign of mankind's desire to grab hold of their destiny!"]

"Is that right? Then let's go ahead and shoot it—"

Ryuuichi was about to reach towards it when Babel stepped backwards to stop him.

["Patience, my Vessel!"]

"W-What?"

["There is a right moment when we shall nock this arrow and shoot it as the sign of our rebellion's beginning... Right now is not that moment."]

After this, both Ryuuichi and Babel's small, manifested mouth went silent for a moment until Ryuuichi's face had an expression of surprise.

"I-I see... so this is how it should be. This is how it has to happen!"

"Father...?"

"It's clear to me now... Yes, this is how it should be done. This should be our path towards the goal that we seek. I guarantee you Babel, we will reach it!"

As his face showed a burning sense of determination, Ryuuichi seem to have gained a second wind in his drive towards his Ascension.

"Himari, inform the remaining Gardeners..."

"...What should I tell them, father?"

With one order, he set the stage for the beginning of this long story's ending.

"Tell them that it's time to fulfill their namesakes."

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

In the heart of the Sumeragi syndicate's estate, the supposed end of the battle between Himari and Oyabun Sumeragi Nichirin is drawing to a close.

"Is that all that you can do after all of that bluster, Oh great Celestial Spirit?"

The lone standing figure between the two of them, Aishi looked down on Nichirin who is doused in her own pool of blood and barely capable of moving her bent and beaten limbs.

"Don't... celebrate yet, foolish child." she replied back before all of her injuries disappeared and her lost blood and strength seemingly flowed back to her body.

"Tch! This again?! Are you not tired with doing this trick again and again, you imbecile!?"

"I should be asking that to you... I already told you that you can't defeat me, are you giving up now?"

"Tch! Never! HYAAAAAH!!!"

In a speed that can barely be recognized by mortal senses, Aishi assailed Nichirin with countless attacks that her opponent either blocked or evaded. While she did get hit with some minor injuries, it took Aishi a long while before she managed to once again incapacitate Nichirin and beat her to near death... but it only took Nichirin a few minutes while Aishi is catching her breath to return back to full health and restart their fight back into square one.

"You... you pest! How are you doing this? How did you manage to do all of this?!"

"...Why should I tell you, you fool?"

"You came here to take my life, didn't you? Then as Faith, Spirit of Faith let me give you exactly what you're looking for and much more... but let this be known!"

Nichirin... No, the Spirit inhabiting her spoke and emanated its boundless Astra energy, enough for even Aishi to be frozen in place in both shock and awe.

"I will not die... Nay! I will never die! I am Faith, Spirit of Faith, Devotion, Piousness and of the Righteous! Though some others precede me in both power and authority, mine is the Principle closest to the Divine Principles! I am the amalgamation of mankind's burning desire to find higher purpose!"

"You... Just how—!"

"You fancy yourselves as prospective gods over mankind and this world? Then let me prove you wrong! Not only will you fail in it, you will damn all of mankind into your folly!"

"How dare you! Father's Ascension will be successful! With mankind's rise into being the masters of their being and fate, we will become greater than ever! WE WILL BECOME PERFECT AND WHOLE!"

Aishi once again began to attack Faith, but just like before, no matter how many times she brought her down, she always came back up as if nothing happened. At some point, Aishi realized something strange.

This is... not normal. Not even the system of her power, this very sensation that lingers around this place... and even this place itself!

The innermost Sanctuary of the Sumeragi group has been the exclusive area of its leader and save for the Amano Hogosha guardians, none other mortal can step inside of it to directly address her, and even then, they only stayed within it for mere tens of minutes or an hour.

An everlasting night... endless Astra energy that lingers around despite the battle that we are fighting... how... how could such a thing...? Wait—!

"You—"

"Heh! Seems like you finally understand it now, foolish child."

The secret of the Sanctuary and the reason why despite him leading the charge by infiltrating ahead of her and her force, Keiji is nowhere in sight, all of it finally hit Aishi's attention.

"What... what is this place?"

"So you finally understand now why you seem to never be able to win, huh?"

Slowly, the Japanese-style garden around her began to lose color and slowly crumbled until the true form of it appeared in a burst of light.

"As someone specially made to be inhabited by an extremely powerful Tainted Spirit like Freedom, you should know of this place that basically sealed one's fate into the hands of its owner."

"No... It can't be— How did you manage to—"

"Let me educate you once again, child! The very moment you came here while carrying "that" in your heart, you have sealed your fate to fall into my bidding!"

Faith's words struck Aishi with a sense of panic and immediate regret. It became easily clear to her that all of this was caused by her mistake of not knowing who she is up against and why even when they supposedly have the upper hand, both her father and Babel strictly told them to be vigilant against their last enemies.

"Welcome to my abode! Welcome to the beating heart of my authority that even your creator and that wretch cannot escape from!"

"I won't let you—!"

With nearly maniacal laughter, Faith triggered her move that had enough power to completely erase Aishi's very existence.

""

Aishi, with those words, had the fight she has proclaimed to be her triumph, slip past her hands and into utter defeat.

""

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

At Higuchi Sora's estate, a convoy of five vehicles arrived bearing 50 people whose leader called one of its new inhabitants for a chance to redeem not only herself but her fellows.

"Yuri...san."

"...Hello, Mana. It's been a while since we last met."

"Right..."

The awkward reunion of Mana and Yuri made it apparent to both of them that even if they started out as boss and subordinate, because of "something" that they are both responsible of doing, they are now in an equal terms as fellow "wrongdoers".

Before the two of them can talk about it though, they were interceded by someone who looked at Yuri with contempt for what she assumed to be an appeal to their shared mistake.

"Fujikawa-san already apologized to us so stop trying to drag her back down to your level, you wench..."

"..."

"Right now, in front of me, mother and the children... All of you, apologize."

Hannah, bringing with her the three children and her mother, demanded an apology from Yuri despite the latter still being in the presence of her friends who almost all also shared the same burden.

"Anak, don't do this to them. Despite what happened, they still have their dignity to—"

"I will not, mama! I don't care if you think all is forgiven, for me, they deserve to lower their heads in apology for what they did to us! No, even worse is what they subjected the kids to!"

"Hannah! This is too much, you shouldn't—"

"We're sorry, Mrs. Catherine... Ms. Hannah... Mio, Yukari and Rea-chan. From the very bottom of our hearts... We are very sorry."

Yuri, alongside everyone else, bowed in apology to the family. It surprised the Catherine and even both Mio and Yukari, but for Hannah, while it's sufficient enough for the others, she still thought of what they were subjected because of them as something she will not easily forgive and forget.

"Once he wakes up, you have to do the same to my brother... for now, rest up and go face the old man inside, all of us has a job to do after this."

"Wait, "once he wakes up"? Is Ephraim tired or—"

"I'll explain that later, Director Nakamura... For now, just like how she said it, follow me inside, the old man would be interested to see you."

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

Inside the shared mindscape of Ephraim and Sayaka, Cecilia shared both knowledge and skills that she has to her very distant descendant.

"Because of the traits of our bloodline, which is further enhanced by your status as a first-born child, you've showed unnaturally superior capabilities and talents nearly unmatched by anyone else that you've met before... This is one of the considerations that your predecessors kept in mind while forming the life that you've lived here in the present."

"Still a drag though... You have to admit, no child should be subjected to that kind of life."

"You can say that again, I guess."

Knowledge collected from her lifetime that lasted thousands of years poured into the mind of Ephraim who readily took it in easily. While doing this, he is also sparing with Cecilia, sharpening his fighting style and his instincts.

"...Once we get out of here, things will quickly unravel into the ending that your predecessors designed. You and Law would reunite into this body and the three of us together would fight against the Miyazonos, albeit in different planes of existence."

"You said that I'll handle the battle in the material world?"

"Right. While Law would handle the battle in the Spiritual realm, likely in the form of a non-tangible Subspace. Don't worry, just like how you and he arranged it, he'll have every piece of the Divine Principles that he gave up to the other Celestial Spirits before, so he'd be extremely powerful too."

"What about you, Lady Cecilia? Which realm will you fight them?"

"...For me, I'd fight in the Realm of Souls. My opponent, as I am the first Divine Challenger, would likely also be the first Usurper."

After hearing that moniker, Ephraim realized who it was that Cecilia is referring to.

"Usurper... is it Spirit Freedom?"

"...Yes. Ever since I gave that promise to Law, my fate has become to fight Freedom at the last battle that this world and its humanity would ever fight. Though the real Cecilia Chronia has died more than 500 years ago and left this responsibility to her descendants, just as Freedom has left her bidding to the countless of her cohorts that she inspired throughout the ages, perhaps it is truly fated that this is how it would all end up to be."

There was a somber tone as Cecilia said those words. Ephraim recognized it to be a sign of melancholy... although he didn't understand why his ancestor would have such an expression. With that, he asked her what it was about and she didn't deny him an answer.

"As you know, during that time when the Spirits still roamed this world, we Chronians arrived under my leadership in order to find a suitable home for our people. While at first, we aimed to live under the guise of normal inhabitants of this world, when I met Love, we became free of a need for such deception and was able to form a proper place to call home for all of us and help her people to develop not only their lives but also their lands."

Cecilia looked afar into the distance, seemingly reminiscing about that time so far long ago.

"That connection with them allowed me to meet them before everything happened. I saw them raise and erase entire civilizations, intervene and simply watch the destruction of people, and many more things that no mortal had either the life span or the mental fortitude to witness..."

"Does that mean that you...?"

"Right... all of that time, I watched them leave their nearly apathetic states that made them cling to their Principles, to ones that are nearly identical to a human... with all of its emotions, aspirations, heartbreaks and joys. They were my friends and I am the person that they came to for advice and to appreciate their new, more human-like lives. In one of those instances, I came across Freedom before she left the side of Love and learned that soon, she would misconstrue her Principle as superior above all else and worthy of being pursued to its most extreme extent."

With that answer, Ephraim realized why she seem melancholic about being the one who has to fight against Spirit Freedom.

"She was but a child in both years and mind... No one could blame her for mistaking her Principles to be the most important one to exist and one that has to be realized to its greatest degree. While I did recognize that and knew that she would soon be a huge problem not only for us but for all of mankind, I knew that it also has to happen this way."

"Because it is fated?"

"No. Because to stop her back then would mean denying mankind of its right to be free, and thus, its right to chose what it desires to lead itself into, may it be for the better or for the worse... I know you might be inclined to say that this is ridiculous, given that you've seen all manner of cruelty and degeneracy that can come from such a thing... but when guided by the right intentions, people are also free to do wonderful things that only they can do."

Just as the two of them ended their sparring, a voice came near which had a question.

"Who... is that, Rai-san?"

"Oh, you're awake, Sayaka. This is Lady Cecilia Chronia, my distant ancestor and the one who led us towards here." Ephraim answered straightly, not minding how outlandish it sounded.

"A-Ancestor? D-D-Did we really got that deep into our memories?"

"You... can say that we did. Don't worry though, this is the last place we can go. From here, we can finally get out."

"Is that so? Thank goodness then..."

Sayaka approached the two and was about to go to the side of Ephraim when Cecilia stepped forward to stop her in her tracks.

"W-what...?"

"I'm sorry, young lady. Before I can let you come to Ephraim's side, I want you to admit first what you saw inside that dream that you had."

"What? Lady Cecilia, what are you talking about?" Ephraim asked, puzzled about what his ancestor just told to the two of them. However, once he looked at Sayaka, he knew that she indeed has something to tell them.

"I... I had a dream where I saw countless versions of myself fighting beside Ephraim and in every one of them, I... I died."

"Wait, are you saying that you also saw the versions of yourself from the past worlds?"

"I... I guess so. I thought it was just a dream, but it was so realistic and every time that I lost my life there felt like it already happened to me. Did you also have the same experience, Rai-san?"

With this, Cecilia broke her silence and addressed both of their concerns.

"My child, you should understand by now what this means... With the existence of your present self that can fulfill all three of the Constants, it invalidated the lives of your past iterations after they paid the price of manipulating fate... and with it, you also have to pay the price of being the one who received their help by having your fate manipulated."

"You mean—"

Cecilia's revelation ended any chance of Ephraim and Sayaka being reunited as how their destiny dictates.

"Right... You and Sayaka will be split apart before you fulfill your fate of defeating Babel and ending the promise. Until you have fulfilled this, Sayaka will be trapped here, never to join your side."