Chapter 8
Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 8
OP Insert Song:
Sins of The Father · Donna Burke · Ludvig Forssell · Akihiro Honda
Start:
Flashback
It was night, sometime back in the year 2013. It was about two months after the most recent disastrous invasion that had struck mankind and the world.
The 8th Nova Clash.
Unlike previous Nova Clashes from before, this one was the worst of its kind. A majority of the major capital cities had been hit. Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, and other cities. Everyone rallied and responded. Most of all, the Pandoras and their Limiters. The world survived, and yet was scarred. The scars in particular ran deeper for Eugene Thruston as he was silently standing over what appeared to be a monument that had various names carved in.
In Washington, D.C., there was a series of monuments that had been erected not long after the Nova Clash. They contained the names of the Pandora and the Limiters who had died in the line of duty.
Eugene was wearing a military uniform, a black mess dress, consisting of a black mess jacket that had two 1/2 inch gold-colored braids spaced 1/2 inch apart, high-waisted trousers, a white semiformal dress shirt with a turndown collar, a black bow tie, and a black cummerbund. The black trousers are cut along the lines of civilian dress trousers, with a high waist and without pleats, cuffs, or hip pockets. The trouser leg ornamentation consists of an ornamental braid worn on the outside seam of the trouser leg, from the bottom of the waistband to the bottom of the trouser leg. On his head was a black military hat, with a gold-colored braid.
His hand was touching the marble stone that held the names of the dead. Some of them were those that belonged to the elite unit called the Numbers, consisting of Pandoras and Limiters that he had personally trained. His dark blue eyes, silent yet grieving, as the winds blow over his direction. He was alone. Nobody was around. Only he was here, as he preferred.
Though, Yu-Mi and Elize would be not far behind, he thought, because he was not the only one who was paying respects. Kazuha was still recovering back at Dr. Aoi's secret laboratory, so she could not come. Octagon has been keeping Eugene updated on the recent events that have been happening all over the world. Even now, it was still shaken up by the recent clash. The world is still rebuilding from the terrible destruction that the Nova had wrought.
"...My condolences, Lead Boss."
His eyes widened. His heart felt like stopping. Battle instincts kicked in, though his body movements were subtle. He could sense something foul, and it was a few meters behind him. He lowered his hand, turned around, and saw a tall man, Caucasian, middle-aged, with grey hair, wearing a dark trenchcoat, black tie, and formal black hat. Though it was his pale yellow eyes that glowed in the dark.
Eugene's face didn't show any visible expression, only a grim outlook, a silent caution, his blue eyes looking straight into the Devil himself, because that's what the man was, one of them, a devil with pale yellow eyes, a Yellow-Eyed Demon. Eugene and him... they go way back, during the times of the Cold War, most of the time as archenemies, and in dire circumstances, uneasy allies, with the term ally being heavily debatable.
"...What are you doing here?" Eugene asks while maintaining caution. A part of him had the urge to reach for his "revolver" and shoot the devil, but that would be unwise, especially at this distance.
The demon before him was far too fast. With one glare, he could send Eugene bleeding from his internal organs to demonstrate a point, that despite his numerous skills as a veteran of war, he is no match against a literal force of nature that the demon was truthfully. This was not an enemy that he could fight with physical close-quarters combat or man-made weapons, even ones that were capable of the supernatural. This was an enemy where he needed to use his head. But even his mind can be untrustworthy for him, for this devil knows what he'd think if he slips up.
"As I said before," the Yellow-Eyed Demon placed his right hand at the top of his hat. "Offering my condolences."
"How thoughtful of you," Eugene muttered, with subtle doubts expressed in his tone. "But if a Hell Lord like you is coming to me personally, it must be very important besides the common trivialities."
"More than you know," the Yellow-Eyed Demon spoke with a subtle, sophisticated tone. He was walking a little to the right and observed the names of the dead. His hands were behind his back. "The most recent Nova Clash has raised quite a bit of a stir across the Arch-Dimensions of Hell. The Nova came so very close to conquering this dimension, were it not for the Pandoras holding their ground."
"What's your point?" Eugene asks.
"My point being..." the Yellow-Eyed Demon looks at him with a subtle expression, his eyes glowing. "That this is nothing compared to the other times, the other clashes of the past. Every time a Nova were to appear in the normal reality, it is usually confined to just one specific location. Now, they are starting to get a little ambitious. You would know what I mean, Boss. The enemy's recent clash is not merely a whimsical cruelty of coincidence, but a blatant test run of things to come. As Sun Tzu once said: "To advance unstoppably, strike at openings.". The Nova exploited it. They've learned from previous clashes and proceeded to send an advantage force to strike at every major city and capital across the globe. The heroes of this Earth and of this very universe fought valiantly and stopped them of course, but now the Nova had learned of it as well, and took that into account for the next time they were to invade."
The Yellow-Eyed Demon walked slowly towards Eugene before stopping just a few meters. The latter looks at him with subtle, narrowed eyes.
"And thus, I would not be so complacent amidst your grief and regret if I were you, since there is the danger of the Nova applying rather unorthodox tactics compared to their usual modus operandi." the Yellow-Eyed Demon walked a little to the left, with his back turned. "And I did take note of an odd premonition, of a future overrun by these parasites. If they succeed in taking this world, it won't just stop there, and that leads to my main concern."
The Yellow-Eyed Demon glances at Eugene. "You and I, we've been enemies for more than half of a century. You've killed several of my demons, I've killed several of your men. We both have reached an impasse, and now, at this very crossroads, we would both agree on one thing. The Nova are a great threat, to both humanity and to the many denizens of Hell."
The Yellow-Eyed Demon turns to Eugene, with his front side now visible, as his yellow eyes glowed. "They threaten the Natural Order, and even I, once an Angel of the Lord, now a Hell Lord and God of War, have to follow such conduct. Therefore I proposed a little truce."
"...A truce with conditions," Eugene raised an eyebrow.
"Precisely," the Yellow-Eyed Demon confirmed. "We would still be enemies, most certainly. Your kind and our kind would still fight. That is the natural way of things. Soldiers to soldiers. Ideals clashing with ambition. Light troubling the dark. Yet, among all of that, there comes a point to not try to sabotage the other when it comes to counteracting the influence of the Nova in particular. Their presence is as much of a threat to the Hells as it is to humanity after all. It would not do for such blunders to threaten our chances."
"Very interesting choice of words," Eugene muttered with a careful tone. "Because counteracting the Nova could serve to imply a lot of things, none of which are pleasant to think about."
"In war, some sacrifices have to be made, you would know that better than anyone," the Yellow-Eyed Demon stated.
I don't need such reminders, Eugene darkly thought. He muttered. "Still planning on opening the Devil's Gate for that end?"
"That is but one of my plans," the Yellow-Eyed Demon confirmed. "The advantage of course would provide a disadvantage for the Nova."
"Yeah, and humanity and everyone else who lives on this godforsaken earth being slaves to the whims of hell in the process, so I'd say a big no to that," Eugene spoke grimly.
"As is expected of you, Lead Boss," the Yellow-Eyed Demon nodded. "I would not put it anything less than perhaps my greatest adversary in this world to date to try to stop me. Though..."
The Yellow-Eyed Demon's expression turns to a little disappointment. "...Nevertheless, just because you and I have this truce does not mean other Hell Lords would share such leniency. As you possess the "gun that can kill anything" and the key to opening the Devil's Gate in Wyoming, they would still try to come after you, the greedy lot that they are."
"They've been already doing that since the Cold War," Eugene's tone hinted at not caring. "Not the latest news I've heard or cared for."
"Just a thought to pick up," the Yellow-Eyed Demon muttered. "You never know who could be watching."
Then, all of a sudden...
There were two women, both Pandora, with materialized Volt Weapons, aimed at the Yellow-Eyed Demon's neck and chest. Yu-Mi Kim and Elize Schmitz. Both of them were sporting angry looks.
"Ah," the Yellow-Eyed Demon smiled a little casually, as if the deadly Volt Weapons that could harm supernatural beings, did not seem to bother him. "But of course, you would not be a Boss if you did not have your loyal subordinates following you around."
"You have a lot of nerve showing up here right now!" Yu-Mi Kim gritted her teeth in anger, kneeling on the ground, aiming her bladed-lance at the man's neck. "Just what do you want with our sensei this time?!"
"Nothing that you two needed to be concerned about," the Yellow-Eyed Demon placed his hand on his hat. "We were just having a civilized conversation between two acknowledged old foes on the battlefield. Alas, I must go..."
The demon disappeared quickly, leaving both Pandora troubled as they looked quickly at their general surroundings. A black crow feather would fall from above. Eugene noticed it as he slowly grabbed it with his hand.
"...but, I would still keep in touch, Lead Boss."
The demon's voice echoed.
Eugene's eyes narrowed, muttering. "And we'll be right here, waiting."
He threw the feather a little upwards, only for Elize to slash it with her dagger, sporting a grim expression. The feather, as it was sliced, would dematerialize into nothing but particles. The women would dematerialize their Volt Weapons and would head straight for Eugene.
"Sensei, are you alright?" Elize asks, crouching down to Eugene's level of height. Yu-Mi was also standing beside Eugene, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm alright, Elize, Yu-Mi," Eugene nodded. "Like that Demon said, we were just having a civilized conversation... Although..."
Eugene turns his attention to the marble monument. Elize and Yu-Mi would look in the same direction. They would see their, and Eugene's, reflection amidst the names of the dead. "Based on that very conversation, I've just recently learned that the Hells have apparently gone to hell ever since the recent Nova Clash, and the rulers of Hell are becoming restless, as they should be."
"What does that mean, sensei?" Yu-Mi asks, sporting concern.
"Right now, the times have changed, for this is the turning point of our era. The world had been shaken out of its general complacency when the Nova decided to attack at the heart of every country. Because of that, the Pandora are needed more than ever. National security and the public safety demand for it. The Pandora are now more than expected to pioneer and become the face of mankind's future. The old ideals of the Cold War powers of the 20th Century are slowly becoming more realized. The Pandora are the next phase and stage of evolution of what it means to be a soldier. They would slowly replace actual soldiers on the battlefield, and one wonders if, under the banner of unity and a fight for a common cause, there would not be hidden divisions that may live to achieve outcomes to their favor, one that could either benefit or shake their respective countries."
"A complete renewal, for more funding for certain projects. Logistics becoming more of an accommodating common affair for stability and morale. More volunteers for potential Pandora candidates for the sake of the cause, those who have lost families, lost their homes, lost their livelihood, lost their dreams, many of these women who are foreseen to step in and become the next in line as Pandora. More weapons, technologies, and equipment, designed to aid the Pandora in the fight against the Nova, one that had become the staple of mankind's greatest fear ever since they first appeared a year after the deadliest conflict this world has ever known. A new kind of deterrence, one that had been long building up since the Cold War, and it's now about to come to fruition. Nuclear weapons are but the weapons of yesterday. The Pandora's Box are but the age of tomorrow."
"And that isn't all... on the other side of the spectrum, there's the Hells that would no longer stay silent. I've got something that they all want. A weapon that could kill anything, and that includes Hells' countless rulers, and of course, the key to unlocking the devil's gate that holds all of the other devil's gates around the world together. With the Nova's recent attack, they're gonna start becoming more active than ever, in fear of losing their grip and power over the territories that they have established upon our world, for if the Nova were to conquer our world, the Hells would be one of the next in line to grab as their own. No, every other realm and dimension connected to our world would fall to the Nova. Then more will follow in its wake."
"Either the entire world goes to the Hells or the entire world goes to the Nova. That is the current times that we are dealing with. Everyone, from this earth, up to the highest skies and the darkest abysses, is watching. And now the question remains... would humanity, even if they survive this common crisis, still retain what is left of what it means to be human? Would we still be ourselves, or have we gone so far astray?"
Silence reigned. Both Yu-Mi and Elize sported concerned and pondering expressions. Then those expressions turned to resolve as they spoke while looking at Eugene.
"No matter what happens, we're with you, sensei," Yu-Mi spoke.
"All you have to do is say the word, and we'll follow," Elize spoke.
Eugene closed his eyes a little, breathing a sigh, not uttering a word for a moment, upon reflecting. He's already lost many Numbers due to this Nova Clash. Would he want to experience that again? But then, how many men and women under his command have died in battle? Too many. And Eugene remembered all of their names, engraving them upon his mind, heart, and soul. And that pushes him forward. To live on, even with these sins.
End: