Tokyo was a city of ghosts.
The mana-blackout triggered by the raid on the White Lotus Treasury had turned the neon metropolis into a concrete graveyard. For the first time since the Great Illumination, the divine light was gone. Only one thing still glowed in the night sky: the Floating Pagoda. It flickered like a guttering candle, its shields struggling to maintain their 40% integrity.
On the roof of the Shinjuku ruins, Kaizer Gold stood surrounded by his Abyssal Guard. Behind him, the Judas Shadow pulsed with a rhythmic, vengeful smoke that smelled of burnt history.
"The JAA is blind," Takeshi Sato rasped. He pointed a translucent finger toward the Pagoda. "Without the ground batteries, their sensors are limited to the immediate perimeter. They're relying on the Apostles to act as manual spotters."
"Then we don't give them anything to spot," Kaizer said. He turned to Rin. Her white-violet eyes were the only source of light left in the darkness. "The shield is weak, but it's still Holy matter. It will reject my shadows instantly."
"I know," Rin replied. She sheathed her sword with a sharp click. "I'll open the door. You just make sure we don't fall."
The Wildcard
As they prepared for the ascent, a heavy vibration shook the roof. Out of the darkness stepped Kage, the Master of Oni's Breath. He wasn't alone. Behind him stood a dozen S-Rank mercenaries, their weapons glowing with the illegal Underworld energy of the blades Kaizer had traded them.
"You're actually going up there," Kage grunted, looking at the two thousand foot drop. "You're either a god or a suicidal idiot, Gold."
"I'm a businessman, Kage," Kaizer said. His eyes were cold. "Are you here to collect the bounty, or are you here to watch the market change?"
Kage let out a low chuckle and signaled his men to stand down. "The White Lotus can't pay their bills, and the JAA is about to lose its office. I'm a mercenary, not a fanboy. My boys are going to distract the ground reinforcements at the base of the Pagoda. Consider it a professional courtesy."
"The price?"
"I want the exclusive contract to clear the Pagoda's ruins once it hits the dirt," Kage grinned.
"Deal."
The Obsidian Ascent
Kaizer didn't use a helicopter, and he didn't use a spell. He used Sovereignty.
"Shadow Exchange: The Tethered Void."
Kaizer's shadow stretched out, thin as a wire, and lashed onto the underside of the Floating Pagoda. In an instant, the entire group was pulled upward at terminal velocity. They weren't flying; they were being retracted into the abyss.
As they reached the golden dome of the shield, the air began to burn. The Holy energy sizzled against Kaizer's skin, recognizing the Calamity in his blood.
"Rin! Now!"
Rin lunged forward, her hands glowing with Eclipse Embers. She didn't strike the shield. She grabbed it. The white-violet flames spread across the gold, not breaking the barrier, but denying its very existence. For a space of three meters, the shield simply ceased to be.
They tumbled onto the marble docks of the Pagoda, landing in a garden of white lotuses that felt like they were carved from bone.
The Sanctified Guard
The silence of the Pagoda was unnatural. There were no alarms and no shouting. Instead, the air was filled with a low, choral hum.
Emerging from the mist were the Sanctified Knights, the elite JAA guard. These weren't hunters anymore. They were humans who had been "Ascended." Their eyes were gone, replaced by glowing golden sigils, and their armor was fused directly to their flesh.
"Puppets," Mina hissed. Her silver throat-guard began to vibrate.
"They aren't alive," Takeshi whispered. "Erikson used the Soul-Jars to hollow them out. They are just extensions of his will."
"Guard. Annihilate them," Kaizer commanded.
The battle was a blur of absolute violence. Vane caught a knight's spear with his bare hand and crushed the man's helmet into paste. Raiden fired bolts of black lightning through the mist, each shot finding the core of a knight with surgical precision.
But as the last knight fell, the choral hum grew louder. The center of the garden split open, revealing a spiraling staircase of pure light leading to the High Altar. Standing at the top was a figure draped in white and gold robes, his face hidden behind a mask of a weeping angel.
The 1st Disciple: Erikson.
"You've finally arrived, Kaizer Gold," Erikson's voice was melodic, beautiful, and utterly devoid of humanity. "You've destroyed the economy, corrupted our Ace, and stolen our battery. Tell me... did you think the Jackal was the one in charge here?"
From the shadows behind Erikson, Anubis emerged. The 2nd Disciple looked different. His jackal-head was twitching, and his golden armor was still cracked from their previous encounter. He looked afraid.
"Master," Anubis hissed, bowing low to Erikson. "The Sovereign is here."
Kaizer stepped forward, the God-Slayer's Edge appearing in his hand. The obsidian blade didn't reflect the light of the Pagoda; it seemed to drink it.
"I didn't come for the Jackal," Kaizer said. His eyes locked onto Erikson. "I came for the man who sold the world to the Pillars."
The System Error
Suddenly, a red window flashed in front of everyone, including Erikson.
[WARNING: SYSTEM INTEGRITY AT 15%] [CORE NODE 'TAKESHI SATO' DETECTED WITHIN THE PAGODA] [INITIATING FINAL HARVEST PROTOCOL...]
The Pagoda began to shake. The golden light turned a violent, bloody red.
"You fool," Erikson whispered. His mask cracked to reveal a single, glowing eye. "By bringing the Judas Shadow back to his prison, you've just given the Pillars permission to delete this city."