Lumia looked at the Crimson Moon suspended in the sky. This must be… some sort of “warning” from the moon. Lumia thought back to Nyarlathotep’s last words. Lumia didn’t want to believe what she said was true, but at the same time didn’t want to think her last words could be lies.
“Lapis should be defeated, surely… nothing could go wrong now?” Lumia pondered to herself.
Yes, Millium had defeated Lapis. The last of the villains should have disappeared from this world. Lumia reassured herself of this fact, but could not remove the unease that clouded her mind.
-----
Around the same time, Scheherazade had just finished reporting back to Sun Wukong when she suddenly sensed her stories of the future being impeded by something. The only possible explanation for this was that the future would soon cease to exist. Scheherazade set out in a rush for the Eternal Tower and found Flute, the Dragon Priestess.
“So you are the one who will impede the future… Please, let me seal you within my stories for the sake of the world.”
“Yes, that is for the best.”
The girl called Flute is nothing more than a vessel for power. A vessel meant to be used by someone that desired that power. However, that power is far too great… If used incorrectly it would easily bring ruin to the world.
For that sake, Scheherazade would seal Flute into her story. The last page of her Thousand and One Nights story was left blank for this reason.
“Wait.” A voice not belonging to the two present rang out.
The voice belonged to Kaguya. A thousand years prior, the one who released Kaguya from the memories of the Earth was Scheherazade. However, a being released from her stories was no longer under Scheherazade’s control. Kaguya had lived her own life for a thousand years, fought together with her own comrades, and finally, out of her own volition, made her way here.
Yes, Kaguya’s arrival here was her own will… and her action to come, her own choice.
Unsurprised by Kaguya’s arrival, Scheherazade called to her. “The one to impede the future is you, isn’t it, Kaguya?” The cruel truth had come to light.
“Impede the future? I just wish to borrow that girl’s power for a bit.”
Flute started to shiver as the tension began to rise in the room.
“Kaguya!” Another voice rang out, this time from Lumia.
“Lumia? You shouldn’t be here…”
Kaguya had told the others she was visiting Fiethsing’s grave. There should have been no reason for Lumia to follow her.
“Nyarlathotep warned me. ‘Be wary of Kaguya, that one is lying about something’ she said... at first I didn’t want to doubt you. But you know, I heard from Melfee that Nyarlathotep’s seal was from when when you sealed the Cthulhu. And yet, when you returned to your old form the seal didn’t come back…” Lumia began to explain her theory as she pointed her sword at Kaguya.
“...I’ve realised, you didn’t revert to your old form, you merely grew into an adult form while keeping your childish mind. By doing so, you gained the power we needed to defeat Lapis, at the cost of your sealing ability, am I right?” Lumia continued. “But even all this...is ok… We managed to defeat Lapis because of it. But tell me, Kaguya! Why did you hide this from us?”
“Oh… So I’ve been found out.” Kaguya gave a soft, genuine smile. But that only caused the tension to rise even further.
“You see, I’ve decided to do whatever it takes to save Fieth… I can’t live in a world without her. The one who should have died that day should have been me! Yet, I’m the one who survived… That’s why I have to save her. No matter what the cost.” Kaguya declared this all in one breath. It wasn’t clear who she wasn’t speaking to, perhaps she was merely trying to convince herself what she would do was right.
“That’s why… I’m prepared to make any sacrifice necessary.”
Kaguya’s right arm began to discolor, turning a familiar horrific black. Within that arm, the will of despair that had once dwelled in Lapis’ Excalibur was contained. During the battle with Lapis, what Kaguya has used to stop Excalibur was not the power to rewind time like everyone had thought, but instead the power to absorb “time”. Using herself as a vessel, Kaguya absorbed the “time” from when Lapis’ Excalibur absorbed the dark will, fully aware that it would consequently amplify the darkness in her heart… No, perhaps she had wished it would.
“Ever since Fieth died I’ve been looking for a way to save her. I finally found a method by looking through the depths of Mikage’s memories. This ‘time magic’...it’s Fieth’s last hope.”
“This power isn’t something you can control, Kaguya! If your unstable self tries to use this power the world will be destroyed!” Scheherazade interjected, as if denying Kaguya’s determination.
“As I said, I’m ready to sacrifice everything.”
As if waiting for those words, the darkness from her arm began to spread throughout her body. Her heart had given in to the depths of despair.
“Mephistopheles! Once more, heed my request!” Lumia cried out as she swiftly summoned Mephistopheles with her sorcery.
“What’s up? Oh wow. If possible I’d rather not fight that “monster” over there.” Mephistopheles made a gesture towards Kaguya.
“Contact Alice, tell her to flee this world with the other Wanderers, forcibly if you have too. I’m counting on you, alright?”
“Got it.” Mephistopheles took a glance at what Kaguya had become. “...Stay safe Lumia.” Mephistopheles then vanished, off to find Alice.
Scheherazade spoke to Lumia with a wry smile, “Seems we’ve been dragged into something rather troublesome.” The two women were not direct acquaintances by any means, but it was clear that had the same objective.
“That’s alright. It’s our world’s problem now. We have to get Kaguya to open her eyes.” Lumia replied back.
“She’s coming.”
Kaguya began to sway about. Such a pure wish for salvation had changed into a woeful darkness.
“This is as far as you get!” Scheherazade yelled as she opened a page of her stories. While slight, her hands visibly trembled.
“I understand you wish to save Fiethsing. But isn’t it time to stop, Kaguya? My dear brother, Grimm, also died protecting this world. I understand how you feel. But we survivors have to carve out a path to the future ourselves. It’s what my brother would want. It’s what Fiethsing would want.” Lumia pleaded to Kaguya.
“If Grimm’s dead, we just need to make is so he never died.” Kaguya replied.
Make it so he never died?
“Such a thing is imposs-”
Was it truly impossible?
Lumia turned around to look at the frightened visage of Flute. It was possible… with this girl’s power. Lumia sensed a power in Flute, similar to the power of rebirth Lumia herself held. Yet Flute’s power was in a different league than her own, the power to rewind time. But Lumia could tell… such a power could not possibly be controlled by anyone.
“I… I have no choice but to stop you...right?” Lumia had made her choice.
“Your brother can still be saved… won’t you join me Lumia?” Kaguya enticed, as she slowly approached Lumia.
Darkness and light began to entwine.
-----
Reiya watched the entirety of the battle from the Dimensional Brigade’s base on a small nearby planet. Kaguya had successfully fused with Flute, the world now beginning to reconstruct itself into the world of the past. A barrier enveloped Re-Earth, preventing interference from outside. Reiya donned her battle clothing and sword and set out. Her destination was the planet the Re-Earth escapees fled to, the planet of sparkling blue.