Okumura Syndicate Ending 3

Chapter 186: Remaining Encouraged

TW: Graphic descriptions of violence

Aster was on fire with frustration. He watched as the black clouds left his sight, his friends, their fates. Their blood would be spilled in vengeance he thought, not knowing where they'd end up, and he knew, without question, they would do what was necessary. He closed his eyes, trying to keep himself grounded, but found it impossible due to the chaos that enveloped him. "What are we supposed to do!? Where's our way out!?", Aster yelled in desperation. "Aster, it's time to focus!", hissed Fleur harshly. "Right...", replied the boy, trying his best to get his head in the game, but the worry for his allies was too powerful to bear.

However, what the rest of the syndicate was experiencing seemed like a living hell compared to the battlefield, for Vox's imagination carried a danger far scarier and more deadly than anyone could ever think of. With each passing second, hopes were fading and the situation was deteriorating. Each member of the crime family awakened into worlds of fear and confusion, unsure of what was coming, but maybe their minor qualms would disappear in the face of whatever was going to happen.

The first to open their eyes was Viper, waking up with panic written on her pale face. "Hello? Where are you imbeciles?!", she called out, only to realise she was alone. The woman took in her surroundings, each sight an enigma to her human mind. There was no indication of where to move, but somehow, as she walked along the beautiful yet hideous plain of existence, she always found the right path, as if she was being pulled towards a goal she had no choice but to achieve.

Suddenly, the world went dark, as a blinding flash erupted from ahead of her, causing Viper to close her eyes shut and cover her ears in pain. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed a faint light shimmering in the distance. Her legs carried her toward it, ignoring her wounds and exhaustion from all of the battles she had to face in these eventful days.

It wasn't until she was within inches of the light did Viper hear what she was so desperately looking for: "Viper, it's not your time...", said a chilling female voice. The light grew dimmer and then disappeared completely, leaving behind a giant door, which revealed a strange scene that she's been anticipating for years.

Meanwhile, Craaq was also leaving the depths of slumber in yet another strange place. His armour croaked with eerie sounds as he got up from his resting place. Unlike Viper's unfathomable prison, at first glance, Craaq's looked like a regular field. As he looked around for any sign of danger, the sound of rustling grass caused him to glance up. His attention immediately diverted to the source of the sound: someone familiar standing right before him, their face hidden under a hood and covered in dirt. Despite her dirty appearance, however, the knight was mysteriously captivated with the figure.

It was becoming clearer and clearer that the syndicate wasn't going to be damaged in the way everyone thought. The hell of pain and utter carnage was replaced with dread, major trauma haunting their minds. However, neither Aster, Fleur, Rou, nor Demitris would ever be able to know of this as Vox made his first move, pummeling through the quartet with the force of something powerful, not godly, it was too corrupted for that. It was almost as if Vox was forcing that power out of himself, like a child taking back something that was confiscated.

Even though his powers weren't exactly holy, the power he unleashed was beyond anything any of them expected from him. With this sheer amount of power and wrath, his body became distorted with every blast of magic. The group could only see the horror from the outside, which only worsened as their fresh wounds stung with the intensity of hundreds of bees. Even still, with each other on their side, they stood up, fully capturing Vox's fury as he became more threatening with every bend and break his weaker fae body withstood.

The collective anxiety of the four reckless rebels rose exponentially as every part of Vox began burning. His skin cracked and crumbled away while his clothes were turned to ash. Fleur put her hands together and began to pray, "Whatever Gods are up there, please give us some faith, some glimmer of hope that we won't be utterly obliterated in this fight. Anything, anything in this wide world you cursed by bringing Vox to us. Give us love, devotion and all manners of hope to finally end this hell of a syndicate, this hell of a fate, this hell of a planet!", she declared.

The elf charged at the consigliere, pointing her sword directly at the mass Vox had become. "Fleur! Don't you dare get any closer!", screamed Aster at the rushing girl. He ran after her, carrying the minutiae of wisdom he had with him, but both were pulled back once again by Vox's shockwave. "Aster, it's too soon...", murmured Demitris, cradled in Rou's arms, his yellow eyes downturned from hopelessness. Vox's face became visible, glaring at the almost helpless group as they huddled together, taking in the last hope of their success. "Demitris, a burden bared by you is a burden bared by me, even if it seems impossible...", muttered Rou.

With all spirits whittling away, Vox grew still once more, his shape now bigger and more dishevelled than it used to be. His chest was adorned with jewels only royalty could afford, but completely untouchable on the battlefield. The only thing covering his loin was a white cloth, which sparkled slightly as rain from the storm fell against it. Elegantly, the fae bolted into the air and out of his back came the white feathers of dove, each one materialising into one of the things Vox was the least deserving of, an angel's wings.