Arc III: “Return of Darkness”
Chapter II: “Lady Soap”
Episode V: “The Second Coming of Armageddon”
Leo’s Gravity Disk cut into Cataline at arm’s length—space buckled, then a white detonation peeled the sky back like foil.
“Is it… over?” Reiko asked, voice tight, eyes tracking the drifting cinders.
“I’m not… sure,” Leo responded.
“As if such a pitiful spark could scorch us.” The reply rolled out low and cavernous, like stone speaking. The smoke of the blast rolled off two silhouettes as a collection of dark energy dissipated.
“W-who is that!?” Reiko’s throat went dry; his aura prickled like it had been put on trial.
“Is that… who I think it is?” Leo asked.
Cataline’s silhouette trembled in the background. For a fraction of a second, relief softened her eyes—then the air turned cold, and the relief died with it.
The smoke finally cleared, revealing a dark figure floating in front of Cataline.
“Yes… I have returned.” Apocalypse flexed his new knuckles, dark aether hissing from the seams of reality. “Now—where is my throne?”
[Hidden Heights]
A falling star descended on the night sky.
“Hey, Fevee… are you sure we shouldn’t be heading to help the others fight?” Kazuma asked.
“Yes. We should leave the battle to Leo and your brother. Once your father arrives, we will head over with him.”
“I just feel like they could use our help. Don’t you feel that… that ominous pressure? Do you think… she actually managed to bring him back?”
“Don’t think like that,” Akaza cut in, “Kyoto and Leo won’t let that happen. And even if they did, they’ll last until Dad gets here. Besides, we would just be in their way if we tried to fight with them.”
“Even if we used Convergence?”
“Yeah… even if we used Convergence… we wouldn’t stand a chance.” Akaza’s jaw set. Not yet. Akaza stepped out of the shrine, sitting before the steps to meditate.
[The Battlefield]
Dammit! Even if this guy is a legendary Dystopian, there’s no way his power could be this great! He’s even more formidable than Cataline! It must be the work of the Dark Heart… Leo thought to himself.
“Right…” Apocalypse said as he scoped out the area. It seems my body has been fully restored to its state before the explosion. “The three of you are no more than candles in a storm. I’ll snuff out your pitiful sparks as an appetizer. This should make for a good warmup before I mutilate that Utopian bastard.”
“As if! My father already wrote the ending to your story once… and he’ll best you again!” Reiko said, finger perked straight at Apocalypse.
“Your father, eh? I see… so one of the boys in that union is Akira’s whelp…” I sense some of my son’s energy as well… strange. I sense more Dystopian energy than Pure Utopian… “Tell me, the one who is born from Akira, whose blood steadies your pulse?”
“W-what? My mother? What’s it to you, bastard!?”
“Hmm…” Most likely… that’s my daughter’s essence I sense within him. Apocalypse’s aura reddened as steam smoked off his frame in wisps. The veins running along his temple bulged, ready to burst. “So that brat decided to take my daughter from me… now I’m forced to spill the blood of my own kin because of that damned Utopian…”
“What is this old guy yapping about…” Reiko whispered as he looked towards Leo.
“Do not toy with them,” Cataline snapped. “Their Crafts can bend the rules of battle, not just bones.”
“Hmph. Silence! I do not need your counsel to defeat these brats. They are mere mongrels before me—now that I have achieved my true power!” His aether slowly seeped out like a sharp, cold shrill.
This… might be too much for the two of us to handle, Leo thought. “Reiko! Get out of here, now! Your Convergence won’t last much longer—”
Apocalypse vanished from view, instantly reappearing behind Reiko. Before they could react, the air imploded, and the Convergence came undone. Reito dropped hard on the ground—breath hitched, and Kyoto spilled forward, gagging on his own blood.
“W-what did you do!” Reito yelled.
“Shit…” Leo said.
Apocalypse blitzed Leo next, piercing his hand straight through his abdomen.
“A Caliekian—a rare species, indeed.” His forearm slid free of Leo’s abdomen as he collapsed onto his back. “It’s a shame that you’re associated with the stench of Utopians.”
All three of their forms destabilized, their aether flow depreciating critically.
“Why didn’t you…” Reito heaved, “finish me off yet?”
“Why, you ask? What a foolish question. Why break a blade I can temper? Blood calls on blood, especially that of my direct lineage. Kneel to me, and I’ll raise you into one of my finest soldiers. You may not be a pure Dystopian, but that doesn’t disqualify you from having the potential to become one of my generals… I can show you a whole new world of power.”
Reito’s eyes widened, his nose scrunched. “Hard pass, idiot.” He flipped his finger at him. “Try adoption papers from hell, you bastard.”
Apocalypse sighed, “A shame. No matter, I can simply force you into servitude using the Dark Heart. But first, I must prepare for the arrival of that blasted Utopian.” He charged a blast of raw aether whilst standing over Kyoto.
Before he could detonate it, a silver-white arc clipped his wrist—his blast ricocheting into the clouds.
“Curses… you’ve already arrived, Akira.”
Akira landed between the boys and the tyrant, a golden shimmer blooming around his figure.
“Yeah… It’s round two. I’m here to end you again, Apocalypse.”
[The Beacon – Hidden Heights]
Suddenly, a beam of white light shone down from the sky onto the beacon.
“Whoa, come check it out, Akaza! They’re here, they’re here!” Kazuma yelled ecstatically while jumping up and down.
Finally… you’re here, Akira. Fevee thought while a faint smile crept onto her face.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The light started to fade just as Akaza made his way into the shrine room.
What—!? The same thought went through all of their heads.
Only two people stood before them.
“Y-yo,” Kyte said, waving stiffly.
Asuka, who was beside him, ran straight towards her kids and swooped them into a smothering hug. “I missed you guys sooo much! Where’s Kyoto? He’s not with you?”
“No, he’s not,” Akaza gasped.
“He’s fighting against the bad guys with Master Leo,” Kazuma added.
They both turned red before the color was sapped from their faces—patting their mother relentlessly so she would relinquish them from her grasp.
“That sucks…” she started. I wanted to see him as soon as possible, too. “Well, shame on him, he should be here looking after his little brothers!” She crossed her arms as she pouted.
“Welcome back, Asuka, Kyte,” Fevee said as she walked up to them.
“Oh, hey! Fevee, how are you doing? It's been so long!”
Kyte nodded.
“I’m good… well, besides everything that’s been going on, heh-heh,” she chuckled, sweat running down the side of her face.
“Yeah, now that you mention it,” Asuka turned to look South, “I’m feeling some really ominous energy. It must be a really strong source if even I can feel it from this far away.”
“Yeah, that’s why we called you guys, Mom!” Kazuma chirped.
“Speaking of which, where is… Akira? And how did you travel here without a ship?”
“Heh-heh,” Asuka chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head, “actually, Akira took us here using one of his new techniques. But as we were approaching Earth’s atmosphere, he split off from us and headed elsewhere. My guess is that he went towards that aether signature. Do you guys know what’s causing it?”
“Yeah… Apocalypse,” Akaza said grimly.
“W-what!?” My… dad!? “But how? He’s supposed to be dead…”
“Apparently, our enemies possess some sort of rare artifact that has the power to resurrect the dead,” Fevee answered.
“If that’s the case,” Kyte started, “then how do we know he’s the only one that’s been revived?” There could be others…like him.
[Apocalypse’s Island]
Akira scanned his surroundings, glancing first at Kyoto and Leo, then at Reito, and finally Apocalypse and Cataline.
“Seems like you’ve been treating my family well, Apocalypse,” Akira said, rolling his shoulders, his knuckles cracking like distant thunder.
“Your family… interesting choice of words, mongrel. If anything, you are the one who has been a plague to my family,” Apocalypse said, pointing at Akira. “You have killed my soldiers, my generals, my friends… my children… my people! It is always the same with you, damn Utopians! You all worship an individual who steals power from the entire race and treat them as if they are some sort of deity! No more.” Apocalypse drew his hand back and squeezed it into a fist as he closed his eyes. Then he opened them again as he unleashed the power of his Natural State. “I will end the Utopians here, then take this world as the New Planet Dystopia!”
Cataline slowly backed away. It’s better to just let the two of them duke it out! She stretched her hand, feeling the dregs of Flow that remained in her meridians like a desolate well.
“Hmph, I don’t know what you’re trying to get at,” Akira said, cloaking his body in his True Utopic Force. His entire frame glowed like a golden angel, and his eyes glowed with black and yellow stars for irises.
That’s what he called his “God of Utopia” state… the energy fission between his Utopic aether, and the aether of the Utopic spirit! “It seems you’ve improved your power, mongrel.” Apocalypse smiled as he thought to himself. I can feel a pressure coming from him… It’s different from his previous power.
I need to finish this quickly… Akira thought. I don’t want to burn through all of my Utopic aether too fast, but there’s also something strange about his energy. Hey, Spirit, what do you think? Can you tell what’s up with his energy?
“Hmm… I’m not sure either.” Like an astral specter, the Spirit of Utopia watched from within Akira’s soul. “While he is certainly worlds beyond his previously displayed power, part of that force seems to be coming from an external source.”
An external source… that’s even worse. If he’s this strong without transforming, and he’s receiving external energy, then this will be a tough fight. Not to mention, the power I felt while I was on my way here… Leo used his Perfect Gravity Disk at full power, but Apocalypse was able to block it without taking so much as a scratch. Alright, Spirit, I’m gonna need your A-game. Akira squatted into his fighting stance.
Apocalypse stood before him, his arms crossed. He slowly lifted an arm, then waved his finger—signaling for Akira’s approach.
Instantly, Akira Aether-Skipped.
Soon after, Apocalypse took a step back, jumping into the air, before also Aether-Skipping.
The two of them stitched a seam of impacts across sky and sea—dozens of collisions inside a single heartbeat. The impacts from their collisions caused shockwaves and quakes, eroding the landscape. Akira flew upwards while backing away from Apocalypse. He quickly directed an extensive amount of Flow into his hands.
Let’s not waste any time, Spirit! Start gathering some aether for me! “Celestial Rend: Aureate Starfall: Stardust… Destroyer!” He launched a large, sparkling beam at Apocalypse, with almost no cast time.
“An impressive attack, but you’ll have to do better!” Apocalypse said as he created a veil of dark energy to block the attack.
Before Apocalypse could realize, Akira used Dragon Shift to teleport a few meters behind him, his palms already singing with another golden light.
“Verse of Aureate Stellar Fracture: Stardust… BREAKER!” He instantly cast an even larger beam from Apocalypse’s blind spot. The two lights fought for superiority, both dimming the surroundings as they tried to outshine one another.
“Darling! Watch out behind you!” Cataline hollered once she caught a glimpse of Akira.
What!? Apocalypse thought as he turned around.
The beam hit him dead-on, blowing him back with a massive explosion. The smoke rolled out before a minute could pass.
“You almost got me there…” Apocalypse said. Not only did he instantly launch both of those arts, but to use ones with such a high magnitude of power in quick succession!? “I suppose there’s no reason to be surprised. After all, you have the Spirit helping you, don’t you?”
Akira slowly descended to the ground, keeping his eyes on Apocalypse above him. Good… seems he didn’t notice that I made an Astral Clone to move everyone out of here.
Kyoto, barely conscious, felt fingers brace his shoulder—Akira’s clone. Got you. Suddenly, the world seemed to hop into a new horizon—but before Kyoto could gather where he was, he returned to the darkness of slumber.
Now, there’s no reason to hold back! Akira thought as his eyes sharpened.
“Alright then, it’s my turn. Throne of The Cataclysmic Knight: Nether Seed—
Dark Verse: Insidious Dark Orb!” He released a small orb of aether, which slowly grew into a massive sphere of energy.
This might be trouble… Akira thought as he gazed upon the large art descending upon him, sweat rolling down his face. “Soul Resonance: Utopic Spirit Resonance!” He yelled as he transformed—his eyes and hair glowing like golden flames. Then, he held his hands forward, unleashing generous amounts of formless aether to counter the sphere. “Draconic Kata Verse: Amorphous Chant: Dragon force!”
The clash between the two disastrous arts shook the island, dust and rubble floating upwards as a white-flash expanded from the point of impact.
Wasting no time, Apocalypse Aether-Skipped into Akira’s blind spot—his left flank. He generated an aether blast and lunged towards Akira.
Feeling that something was amiss, Akira glanced over his shoulder and saw Apocalypse approaching. He leaned his upper body back, barely avoiding the blast, then kicked his feet up in an attempt to counter-attack.
Apocalypse dodged, moving his head to the side, then continued attacking with an endless assault of aether-reinforced strikes.
Akira struggled to keep up with his speed, so instead of dodging, he opted for blocking the charge by fortifying his defenses with aether.
I have to create some distance! Akira thought as he tried to dash back.
“Heh, you won’t escape me that easily!” Apocalypse said, keeping pace with Akira as he continued his onslaught. His attacks finally breached Akira’s guard, dealing extensive damage.
It seems like the amount of external energy around him increased after the sphere he launched at me. Even if I increase my yield output it still won’t be enough! But at this rate, I won’t even be able to keep up with him, so I have no choice! Wyrm’s Gate, “Dragon Shift!” Akira teleported to quickly create distance between them.
So, he can teleport… Apocalypse thought as he rushed towards him again.
“Hrragh!” Akira yelled as his aura changed. It still kept its golden outline and highlights, but now the center of his aura was a thick coat of white energy that hugged his body. Divine Utopic Spirit Resonance!
The pressure around him increased again!
“And I’m not finished there! Golden Energy Mode, Layer One Thousand!” Akira was engulfed in another large aura that overlapped his previous ones. Inside his meridians, layers and layers of arrays materialized and stacked together, streamlining the flow of aether.
Despite his overflowing energy, Akira’s power was still inferior to Apocalypse’s. They continued their encounter, equally exchanging Earth-shattering blows without breaking a sweat.
“Heavenly Funeral: Nightfall Deluge: Dark Rain!” Apocalypse ascended towards the sky, lifting his hands past his shoulders.
Small orbs of dark energy started forming, filling the night sky. Then, they all suddenly fell, like black raindrops of a stormy night.
“That’s not good…” Akira said as he looked up at the sky, sweat rolling down his face. I’m not sure I can beat this guy by myself… maybe if I get Kyte, we could use Utopic Convergence…
As the rain of aether droplets plummeted toward Akira, he ghosted between each one—a combination of blade-thin sidesteps and breath-timed Aether-Skips. His movements were those of an elegant dance—no effort wasted.
“So, arts of this level fail to hinder you… Well, that’s alright. You’ll burn through your stamina soon enough.” Apocalypse closely observed Akira’s movements, his eyes tracking every shift in weight or sway of aether.
Akira continued dodging the never-ending assault before landing on the ground and firmly planting his feet in the center of the storm.
“Wyrm Liturgy: Dragon Festival!” Akira shouted, throwing his fists above his head with his palms facing inward. He leaned his body to the side as he released aether from every pore of his body.
A large, yellow array formed on the ground around Akira, and numerous dragons of golden light flew up from it. They devoured the dark rain droplets that were pouring down on Akira, effectively countering Apocalypse’s technique. Eventually, as Akira released more energy, the dragons overtook the rain and made their way up to Apocalypse.
“So be it,” Apocalypse whispered as he ascended higher into the air and weaved around the lunging dragons. He put his hand up, still facing the ground where Akira was standing in the array. The Dark Heart chrysalis pulsed from below him—each throb a bass note that made stone hum. “Null Psalm: Dark Departure,” he said as he released an orb of energy so dark, like a black seed of inverted gravity. Light slid off it like oil, consuming all existing radiance into the depths of its shadowy innards. The orb slowly descended, warping space and curving the dragons into it until they vanished from sight.
Another absorption technique, huh. Wait, is he using negative aether? Akira thought as his eyes widened. The array shattered like glass, and its fragments were drawn into the dark orb along with broken rubble. I can’t let that attack land on the ground… it seems like it will suck up everything around it! “Let’s see if this will stop it… Celestial Rend: Golden Draconic Verse of Aureate Stellar Fracture: Utopic, Stardust Dragon Breaker!” Akira braced his lower body against the ground as he centered a ferocious beam of aether at the orb. Once it connected, it was quickly fed into the dark orb’s gluttony. Not yet! “HA!!” Akira poured more aether into his beam—the pressure pushing the orb up toward Apocalypse.
“So that’s your goal? I’m impressed that you’re able to output so much aether at once; enough to push back my Dark Departure,” Apocalypse grinned, “but unfortunately that won’t be enough.” He placed his hand up—then his aura became visible and surged. He pushed against Akira’s beam.
Is he getting stronger? It’s like he’s stealing my energy! How am I supposed to stop his attack if I can’t touch it or use aether-based arts? Akira pondered as he attempted to hold his ground.
“Hrm!” Apocalypse grunted as he pushed against the beam. He greatly overwhelmed Akira, almost completely pushing back his attack.
Dammit, is there nothing I can do!?
“Dark Clause: Diverge.” Apocalypse said as he squeezed his fist.
The seed flashed, exploding into a pure white-out—then nothing.
Akira, being at the center of the blast, was unable to maintain consciousness…
His world narrowed to silence.
His vision went dark.
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “Fall of Utopia”
[Yield Levels]:
Cataline: 11z
- Weakened (Post-Fight): 6z
Reiko: 115 – 9z
- ST + LECT3 + TDFL3 + DP + GS: (GV): (-) + LR: ~2.875 – 16z
- ST + LECT3 + TDFL3 + DP: 28.75 – 13z
Kyoto: 350 – 4z
- Unconscious: 5
Reito: 300 – 4z
- Weakened: 2z
Leo: 10 – 5z
- T8 + GS: GV: (-): 11z
- Unconscious: 5
Fevee: 5,000
Akaza: 30 – 4z
Kazuma: 20 – 4z
Apocalypse: 4z
- Resurrected Form (Fully Restored): 10z (Old Base)
- Dark Heart Amp: 12z (New Base)
- Dark Heart Demon Form: 21z
- Dark Heart Boost: 17z
- Insidious Dark Orb: x(1-5z) (Counter)
- Insidious Dark Veil: 5z (Shield)
- Dark Rain: 1z (Continuous)
- Dark Departure: x5z (Counter)
- Diverge: x5z (Piercing)
Akira: 5z
- Divine Pressure: 6z
- DP + True God of Utopia: 11z
- DP + TGoU + Soul Resonance: (Utopic Spirit Resonance): 13z
- DP + TGoU + SR: (Divine USR): 14z
- DP + TGoU + SR: (DUSR) + Golden Energy Mode (Layer Z): 15z
- Astral Clone: x(2 / #)
- Stardust Destroyer: x2z
- Stardust Breaker: x3z
- Dragon Force: x5z
- Dragon Festival: x1z (Sealing / Nullification)
- Utopic Stardust Dragon Breaker: x5z
Asuka: 50 – 4z
Kyte: 6z