Crimson Rebellion

Streaking like a comet through the blackened skies, the Red-Eyed Hero was sent spiraling into the midst of the iron jungle that was Fuyuki City.  This was one of the locations wherein the golden pillar of light brilliantly punctured a hole into the atmosphere which came from the Arcana Grail's aura.  In response to these, countless mods of shadow servants, factionless Heroic Spirits, and all other kinds of creatures of war battled each other relentlessly over the right to claim the holy relic.

In the heart of the city that was like the Japanese version of Times Square in New Your City, where many different major roads converged into one massive intersection, Akaro came crashing down from the skies.  He made a massive impact in the center that thoroughly destroyed the asphalt and concrete used to lay the roads while also shattering the glass of all the buildings in a 5-mile radius.   The resounding explosion caused a great disturbance that interrupted many of the battles being fought thus drawing various combatants to the area.

"Gah damn, that's one way to make a landing," Akaro muttered while scratching his head after getting up from the impact.  Dusting himself off, the man took a glance around and saw that the area became surrounded by numerous silhouettes, all of which bearing a significant amount of blood lust.

"Oh…well hey everyone, did I interrupt something?" the tall and muscular man greeted with a casual tone unfazed by the glares he was receiving.  Without delay all of the enemies tried to rush him at once.

"Zen mode…"

Akaro's eyes shimmered with a bright red as his hair and aura changed to sapphire blue signifying the effects of his transformation.  In an instant, the hordes of enemies that tried to ambush him from all sides were swept up within the flares of his aura, the great chasm of its intensity bursting forth towards the cloudy sky.  The beacon of light burned strongly for a split second before disappeared.  As the light faded away, the male found himself alone in the middle of the silent city.  Without uttering so much as a word upon returning to his base state, the Red Knight began his listless journey through the abandoned settlement that was once home to about 7 million people. 

Akaro could have easily teleported his way out of this hellhole or just fly away wherever he wanted to; however, he found that he desired to be alone in order to sort through his thoughts.  He passed by the quiet avenues and numerous boulevards where nothing but stone and steel wreckage sat on every corner signifying the decay of what was once a bustling metropolis.  After walking a few blocks, he came to stop in front of a clothing storefront in which he could clearly see his reflection.  In the surface of the glass, he saw the face of that woman behind him.  Upon turning around, he saw Esdeath there.

 "See? You always end up like this—alone.  The world is completely destroyed around you. Even if civilization thrived, who you are would not change.  You're a monster that's trying to be human.  There is no place for someone like you in this world or any world where humanity lives happily, content with their existence.  You think you're a hero but that's only a façade.  You supposedly are a symbol of hope and heroism, but you only truly inspire nothing more than death and destruction.  Just…Like…Me," the Ice Queen chastised him but the knight just continued to walk on thus ignoring her.

"For someone who was blessed with so much power, you ever stop to think how many people died because of you?  Or how many people you could have saved if you just stepped up?  Imagine how the world would have been if you stopped Rin and Rias the moment you laid your eyes on them.  Did you ever consider the possibility of that outcome?" Esdeath continued seemingly following the man, but Akaro kept ignoring her.

"You place so much faith in variables that you have no control over.  Look at that boy, Raizo.  You placed your bets on him thinking that he would live up to the task of saving his world but you never told him the dangers he would face or even remotely prepared him.  All you did was guide him down a path of suffering.  The Godspeed, the Pandora Conflict, Shatterpoint, and The Second Primordial War were all events that never would have come to pass in his life had you left him alone.  Even now with this Judgment journey can be connected back to you.  His life is a living hell full of trials and tribulations because of you.  The smart thing would have been to either kill him where he stood when you first fought against him or just avoided him altogether.  So what if he is the son of your best friend?  Mercer didn't even know about him until recent history.  The child was better off getting his revenge and killing himself in the end.  Better a path that ended in suicide than a lifetime of struggle against the gods."

Akaro maintained his silence, ignoring the woman as best he could, but it felt like she was just walking right next to him, whispering all of these things in his ear.  He continued ignoring her, but that contempt did not stop Esdeath or deter her.

"Face the truth; you push all of these responsibilities on other people because you are just trying to deny yourself the thrill of battle.  You enjoy the bloodshed; it's what you were born for to begin with.  Why not own up to it and stop ruining other people's lives?  At this point, everyone around has been forced into struggle within their lives because of you in some way."

The Red Knight could only grit his teeth trying not to think about that.  The people that came together with him have become a force that looks after the best interest of the universe.  Team AKARA is the testament of strength, unity, and hope for the future for all life.  However, it was here that the woman seemingly began to attack him with her words from every angle as if creating a million of her voices to project into his deepest thoughts.

"You've become so complacent that you can't even face the reality of things even when it's right in front of you.  This Team AKARA thing will only lead to greater conflicts in the future and countless people will die as a result.  Sure you may save the future of life but you'll only be leaving more scars in your wake.  As the leader of that group, that responsibility falls on your shoulders.  Although your leadership skills aren't exactly the best anyway, because every team member who has ever served with you has lost their life."

It was here that the Red-Eyed Hero stopped moving.

"Your errors in judgment and decision-making skills have proven time and time again that people who follow you will die.  Admit it Akaro, you're at your wits end," Esdeath declared, a sinister smirk creasing her lips.

Akaro collapsed to his knees in the middle of the street while looking up into the sky.  He felt a stabbing sensation burning a hole in his chest becoming unable to handle it anymore. Water droplets began to tap against his face one after another.  Then more came down before breaking into a light shower.  Streams of the liquid trailed down his face like tears before he felt himself being embraced from behind by the phantasmal being that was Esdeath.

"My lovely darling, when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought and you head for the places in the past where the screaming is unbearable, be sure to remember that there's always madness.  True madness or insanity is the emergency exit.  So stop pretending to be something you're not and let me in already.  Let's have fun together like we used to back in the day…"

His chest felt heavy.  The beating muscle beneath his flesh felt like it was leaping up into his throat then diving deep to the pit of his stomach.  The nerves in his body were on edge and the feeling of anxiety was taking over.  For the first time in millennia, Akaro felt scared.  His breathing became shallow as the short, choppy gasps for air.  The walls were closing in on him, he was about to snap into a mental breakdown when he heard a cry echo from another area.

Reflexively, the Red Knight dashed around the corner seeing a horrific sight.  On the ground was a Berserker class servant wearing a white bridal dress and a black veil over her primrose hair.  Protruding from her head was a golden horn along with what appeared to be golden power coils over her ears that featured burgundy tassels hanging on either side.  Around her neck was a golden collar-like object that matched the strange items on her head and they appeared to be all connected.  The uniquely dressed maiden was battered and beaten, blood seeped from various wounds along her body thus dyeing the dress with crimson stains.  Her pale, fragile-looking flesh was broken apart revealing mechanical bone structure underneath the skin. She was not exactly human, but a creation known as Frankenstein.

Looming over the injured female was a knight in red and silver, draconic looking armor; her face being obscured by a demonic helmet as horns stuck out on either side.  Appearing like one a knight from a fantasy novel, she held her broadsword over her shoulder.  The steel object was about 4 ½ to 5 feet long with the blade being about 4 to 5 inches in diameter.  A ruby-like design decorated the bottom half of the blade down towards the silver, curved guard before finishing off with a red handle.  With this imposing appearance, she glared down at her target like prey.

Being familiar with all different kinds of Heroic Spirits, Akaro was able to instantly identify the aggressor as the bastard child of King Arthur.  She was known as the 'Knight of Treachery' and the one who ultimately brought down the Arthurian legend by waging a revolt that ended at the Battle of Camlann.

"Enough Mordred!" Akaro shouted out, instantly grabbing the attention of the Saber.

"Ora? If it isn't the goddamn Red Knight himself!  I'm amazed someone like you knows my name," Mordred spoke with a condescending tone, "But I'm busy at the moment, I need to finish off this little bitch!"

The helmet of the knight opened up revealed a girl's face with blonde hair tied into a ponytail and green eyes.  She raised her blade with both hands as it began to emanate a crimson luster paired with similar colored bolts of lightning.  In response Akaro snaps his fingers in an attempt to activate the Omnifiction technique.

"Oh?" Mordred smirked looking back at the Red-Eyed Hero sensing that he was trying to stop her.

A translucent white aura reached out towards her and surrounded the knight; however Mordred would not vanish into fiction.  Instead, that energy wound up being repelled by the pressure of her intense display of power.

"Ha! What the hell was that supposed to be?" she eagerly proclaimed before fully charging her Noble Phantasm unimpeded.

"What the hell?!" the Red Knight shouted within the confines of his mind.  Since this method did not work, he quickly elected for a drastic approach.  In a split second, the hero dashed forward before appearing in front of the wounded maiden.

"I am not the king, but one who walks behind her.  For the king's tranquility, I shall destroy each and every enemy! Clarent Blood Arthur!"

The mass of concentrated crimson energy was released and came in direct contact with Akaro in the next instant.  He felt its power push him back, but he never wavered before the might of the attack.  In the end, he stood firm taking in the bulk of the energy glow as his arms were spread out to protect the girl behind him as much as he could.

"Gah!" the Red Knight winced in pain.  His armor and cloak were disintegrated in the sea of crimson thus leaving his torso exposed.  Normally, such an attack would not faze him but circumstances changed.  He felt the pain after the attack had subsided as red blood left his lips.  Scratches became visible all over his muscular frame as well.

"Wha…" Akaro groaned barely able to speak.  The golden elixir that served as the blood of a Primordial no longer inhabited his veins.  That anguish, it was different from the one he felt when fighting Rias.

"I'm mortal? No, that's not it…my Primordial Essences are rejecting my body?"

"HAHAHA! I did it! I actually managed to wound the Red Knight!  Let's see you another one straight to the face!" Mordred boasted with pride as she charged up to release another blast of her Noble Phantasm.

"Tch…fine then, we'll go with this!  Tei-rei on: Murasame!" Akaro called out to summon his most loyal blade.  By extending his right hand out to his side, he waited for the weapon to come but only a few sparks were generated.  Realizing this, the Red Knight just turned on his heel and swept the battered maiden up in his arms carrying her to safety.  At least he still had his speed which proved useful given how he was able to evade the second barrage of the Saber's mighty attack.

"Running away? I guess you're all talk and no show, huh?" the Knight of Treachery taunted.

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking bitch," Akaro retorted in disgust.  Now he was in a situation where he was virtually powerless and had to protect the injured girl in his arms.

"Guess I'll have to kill two birds with one stone up close and personal!" Mordred charged the man without a second thought.

She swept in with an opening blow that sought to split Akaro and the Berserker in half.  Using his well-trained instincts and sense of timing, the man merely stepped back to avoid that opening attack.  From there, it became a foray of swinging as Mordred unleashed a cataclysmic chain of attacks and combos using her blade.  She constantly attempted to land attacks on the body of the Red Knight from a variety of angles changing up her patterns of slashes and thrusts.  However, Akaro was able to dodge each one like he knew how the blitzing moves would come at him before the motions were followed through.

In between Mordred's strikes, Akaro occasionally dished out some pain with a few well-placed kicks using his superior martial arts skills.  Without even dropping the girl in his arms, he was able to break past the Saber's onslaught and deliver enough blows to shatter pieces of the woman's armor.  After giving her a lesson in close quarters combat, Mordred was the one left nearly breathless as blood trickled down her body in various areas where the armor exposed her skin.

"DAMMIT!!!" the traitorous knight scowled in anger before leaping towards her two targets one last time.  She violently waved her large blade at Akaro from left to right, but her combo was nullified when the male simply jumped up into the air and landed on the blade mid-swing.

Akaro pulls his right leg back for a neck breaking kick, but before he could so the woman in his arms began to squirm out of his firm grasp.  The girl summoned a large battle mace and activated her Noble Phantasm – Blasted Tree: The Lighting Tree of Crucifixion.  She took the huge weapon with the spherical head and swung it down right at the Red Saber's face.  Upon contact, a large explosion of green electricity engulfed the entire city block thus knocking Mordred out in the process.

Besides its immensely destructive capabilities, Blasted Tree had another function.  The electrical current generated by it was not just lightning, but also Frankenstein's will.  Even if it was a suicidal yet devastating attack, the female would never truly perish as long as that will endures.  Thus there is room for a very low chance for a second Frankenstein to be born with the complete activation of the Noble Phantasm.  Akaro was unfazed by the blast but the male was struck by a stray bolt of lightning infused with said willpower.

The light from the massive bomb of energy faded away leaving the two alone in the middle of the street.  The brief trickles of rain that Akaro experienced earlier evolved into a subtle shower over the urban jungle.  The two unique individuals looked at each other in the eyes.  The Red Knight with his crimson hues and Frankenstein with heterochromia of one blue eye and gold eye stared for a long moment in time.  For the first time in a while, the two found solace despite of not knowing a thing about one another.

Alone in the wreckage of human civilization, a maiden being carried in those arms whilst you yourself can barely stand.  How very prince like of you.  Tell me something though, when your mind and body betrays you and those hard-earned abilities fail to manifest…who will you run to?"

*****

Akaro continued his solitary stride through the ruins of the great city carrying the Berserker in his arms.  Appearing like a princess, Frankenstein currently slept snugly within the man's embrace with a peaceful expression upon her face.  While observing her silent condition, a stingy sensation irritated the nerves and muscles all over his body after his confrontation with Mordred.

I can't afford to get into another fight like that, not at this point anyways.

The only option that the Red-Eyed Hero had to choose was the suppression of his presence as much as he possibly could to avoid all other hostile creatures and factionless servants.  Sticking to that idea, he elected to sneak his way through the city using back alleys and out of the mill side streets.  However, the longer he traveled, the more he felt his body giving out on him as the seconds ticked past.

The broken hero had no clue as to where he was going.  At this point, it was just a matter of getting to safety so he could rest.  Fortune had shined down on him so far as he eventually found his way outside of the colossal skyscrapers thus evading the chaos contained with the iron jungle.  Instead, he found himself wandering into the residential district on the outskirts of the city.

Unlike the futuristic, technological, urban setting of the city, the residential district maintained much of the same appearance as the 21st century.  Homes built of brick and mortar, or wooden homes with Western style design decorated many of the blocks in the general area; in addition, all of these buildings shared a dependency on electricity via power lines.  Coming into the residential district was not only a step out of the city life, but a step back in time.

As Akaro passed through this area, he came to a familiar property that was sectioned off by a privacy fence.  Beyond it was a massive estate designed to mimic the culture of the Japanese during the Sengoku period of the Samurai.  The home with trapezoidal roofing on top of the rectangular prism structure had appeared to have three different houses connected to one main building. This home once belonged to a man whom held ideals of being a hero of justice and was obstructed by many different trials and tribulations along his journey.   As the leaves from the trees gently blew across the ground, the broken hero elected to take Frankenstein into this house in order for them to hide and rest.

Stepping inside of the traditional Japanese style home, Akaro carries the girl into one of the large rooms that served as the living room.  The empty space that only sat a circular table with a small TV on a mini-desk against the wall was ideal for relaxation and dining but it wouldn't suffice for what he needed to do.  Instead, he walked down the hallway and entered the first available bedroom.  Within this area was a small, makeshift bed using a tatami mat and blankets.  He stepped towards it and kicked it a few times to make sure there weren't any critters in it.  Fortunately, it was just fabric dust that floated up.  Making due with it, Akaro crouched down and laid the girl down upon it before heading back to the living room and towards the nearby kitchen to find something.

In that narrow window of time, Frankenstein had woken up feeling the warmth and security from being in the arms of her savior disappear.  She tried to rise up but her injuries were still creating much pain for her, thus she could only grunt in agony.  Not even a few seconds later, Akaro came back carrying a med-kit.  He saw the girl struggle before quickly sitting to her side and then taking out the medicine and bandages to treat her.

"Take it easy, we're safe now.  Back when the war started, we made sure this place would be protected from all outsiders," he spoke with a kind tone.

"Ah…uh…ahh," Berserker tried to communicate using grunts and growls.

"Sorry, I don't quite understand ya," Akaro sighed, "This is gonna be a little awkward but you're gonna have to take that tattered dress off so I can patch you up properly."

"Huu…" Frankenstein nodded.  It was then that the girl used her arms to undo her dress to pull it off.  She struggled a bit because of the arm that was severely injured was still healing over; but Akaro gave her a hand until she was down to being naked save for the white panties she wore.

Despite of the cuts on her body, she still showcased a lovely slender shape with a slight snake-like curvature to her.  Her skin was smooth and virtually flawless, almost silken to the touch it seemed.  The softness of her lips contributed more to her sensuality along with the innocence contained within her eyes.  Her breasts weren't too big or too small, just at a comfortable balance of the middle as the plump shapes of them were rather perky.  Her hips took a peach shape defining her well-curved rear.  The Red-Eyed Hero didn't need the panties to be gone to see the definition of that feature.

"Oof, damn girl…you've got quite the nice body on ya," he winked playfully.

"U…uahh? H…huu…uah…huu…ah…" the grunting female responded in higher pitched tones, her face turning pink as she hung her head low for a second.  Then she glanced up at him observing his defined muscle tones and chiseled physique.  This only intensified her fluster.

"Heh heh, you're adorable," Akaro chuckled whilst his nerves calming down, "Now then, lay back okay? These wounds will get better after I put some medicine on you and bandage you up."

Nodding at that, the girl laid back on the small bedding to let the man do what he needed to.

Akaro grabbed the cotton swabs first and opened a bottle of peroxide.  He poured a bit of it over top of the fluffy substance then placed the liquid down.  The male hovered with the cotton over the open cuts and abrasions that still hadn't fully healed and began to attend to them carefully.  He dabbed the wet material over the open wounds along her arms which led to the female to wince from the slight stinging sensation.

"This is the hard part, but the ointment will ease the pain," Akaro reassured taking note of the girl's discomfort.

"U…Uah…" Frankenstein grunted with a nod of acknowledgment.

The Red-Eyed Hero applied more peroxide alongside her shoulders, then her sides, abdominal region and her legs as quickly as he could.  Once the difficult part was over, he then grabbed a bottle of anti-bacterial ointment that would aid with the recovery process by invigorating the cells in the body to regenerate and sealed up the exposed wounds.  The muscular man took the bottle and applied a bit along his fingers before reaching down to touch her delicate skin.

"Uahh…?" the girl moaned softly as she felt his hand touch her body.  He was particularly gentle as communicated by his touch.

Akaro dabbed some along her arms ever so slowly to make sure the ointment worked its way into those cuts.  Then he gradually weaved his way to her sides.  Due to her exposed flesh, he would have to touch some of the sensitive areas with his hands.  Bracing himself for whatever would come next; the man just dived right in tracing his fingers down along her mid-region just under the bust over to the side under her right arm.

"Mmh…huu…aahhn," Berserker leaked out higher pitched moans.  Even though her injuries were being treated, the feather-like sensation of Akaro's warm fingers overcame any sense of pain that she felt.  It was like she was immersed in a shower of warm and soothing water as it brushed over her body ever so slightly yet attentively.  Such a feeling was stimulating her nerves thus causing electrifying signals of pleasure to be sent to her brain.

The red-eyed individual continued along allowing his fingers to slip down towards her lower mid-region.  This caused the girl to convulse even more as her pelvic area raised up from the futon by an inch or two, her lewd sounds echoing within the room.  Akaro nevertheless traveled down to her legs thus running his fingers across her thighs.  He swept them from her knee up to the area where the panties cut off then repeated the same action along the other side.

"Uaahhh!!!" she cried out one final time before she felt the pleasure come to an end.

"And done…good thing we're alone given how loud you were," he teased before wiping his hand off with a towel.  He finished up her treatment by wrapping bandages over wounds then began to treat himself.

While attending to his own scars, he peeked over at the topless female noticing how she maintained her gaze upon him.  Her face was flushed with a pink hue communicating her shyness but showcasing a clear affinity for the hero present.  Thinking on it, Akaro had an idea.

Let's hope this actually works…

He focused his mind and tried to reach out to the female using his powers for the sake of establishing a better form of communication with her.  This time, he was attempting to use the abilities of the 'Spectator' Teigu in order to do just that using telepathy.  To his surprise it worked, but that was because of the fact that he was struck by the girl's lightning earlier.   Her feelings invoked the desire to communicate in some way.

Pain, confusion, sorrow, loneliness, fear, all of these dark emotions and more assaulted the mind of the Red-Eyed Hero one after the other.  This whirlwind of dark emotions was what plagued the mind of the doll-like female that was lying on the floor in front of him.  The source of these emotions began to form a series of memories allowing him to experience her story firsthand.

It was the 18th century in Europe, the era in which all manners of science and innovations were recognized.  In this particular memory was the silhouette of an ambitious, young man with brown eyes and brunette hair.  He was an Italian gentleman known as Victor Frankenstein, whom held an affinity for alchemy.  Inspired by so many great minds that came before him, the young man held the idea of pursuing the elixir of life itself.  The fruit of creation as it were to control how life came to be.  However, that ambition was cut down when he witnessed the remains of a tree struck by lightning thus being torn apart by the immense energy.  As a result, the event led Victor to switch from alchemic studies to science, chemistry in particular.

Through his obsessive sessions of intense study, he dived headlong into life sciences and the precursor steps of biomedical ideology.  This soon led his attention to the study of the reanimation of corpses strictly through scientific merits.  This stirred a desire to gain knowledge for the purpose of creating life where none existed before.  Consequentially, this hungering goal led to him developing a pseudo-God complex.  His ambitions became soiled by this foolish pride as he sought to create the original human beings in the Bible:  Adam and Eve.

To create the ancestors of humanity, the pair that walked the Earth before anyone else sowing the seeds of life for all of mankind.  Such a feat would be the very pinnacle of achievement.  But that kind of goal was a pipeline dream because of how limited the resources of that era were. The technology he had available to him would only be sufficient enough to produce one.  This did not encourage him as he only had to make a tweak to his plan.  He would strive to bring Eve to life that would then give birth to her Adam counterpart.  Eve, in his mind, was a woman who was wiser than any being walking the Earth; gorgeous, defying the very concept of beauty by transcending it; the undeniable definition of perfection.

Then, the night came.  It was a dark and dreary night in November.  The weather was a monster born from horror as the roaring and audacious claps of thunder rocked the foundations of the heavens; piercing bolts of lightning splitting the skies apart.  With all of his machinery set up and running to standards, he would harness the might of the energy provided by God and bring forth his idea of perfection.  Activating his contraption, he would do that as lightning powered his machine enough to resuscitate the body lying on the table that was created by his hand.

The awakening of the female form constructed from both flesh and mechanized parts obscured by the covering of bandages rose up giving signs of life.  Aligned with the vision of the mad scientist, his creation was indeed beautiful and petite like a well-crafted doll; however, this was not enough.

"It's a failure…a failure…a failure, a failure, failure! What the hell?! This is just a worthless puppet doll!" the man shouted brushing aside his notes and throwing flasks of chemicals all around his lab.  He stood over his desk pulling on his hair heavily.

"It has no emotion.  Did the lines not connect? Even the tear glands are no good…forget the fact that this isn't even the perfect maiden, Eve, it isn't even human!"

The creation born of Victor's genius had full awareness and endured all of the complaints thrown her way.  She watched him throw his tantrum in anger and frustration over the situation.  This pained her on the inside, more so than any of the insults that he vocalized about her.

"I'm sorry father, I'm sorry for being a failed creation… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.  I'll correct myself, I'll properly correct myself.  So…please don't be angry.  Don't be angry, don't be angry…please…" she pleaded sincerely.

Despite of the heartbreaking pleas she uttered, the female was unable to truly cry.  That display only reinforced Victor's rage which inevitable drove him to drink.  And that…was when the girl's hell began.

Every time Victor tried to review his notes and establish newer theories, he would find flaws in his logic.  He tried to immerse himself with highlighting points of where he went wrong and what he could do to improve for the next iteration of his experiment…but that did not help.  Every night, he had a different bottle of alcohol to try and alleviate his angst.  Whenever his glass was empty, his creation dutifully filled it and brought it to him.  She also tried to comfort him during this time but he only crew angrier thus beginning his drunken tangents of beating the poor girl.  He viciously wailed on her body time and time again and though the creation felt no pain, her heart tightened due to being unable to ease her father's suffering.

One day, the creation elected to leave the confines of her creator's home and venture out into the open world.  For the first time, she was able to capture the feeling of the sun beating down upon her thus feeling its worth as well as the crispness of the breeze.  Feeling the luster of nature's beauty, the experience was awe-inspiring for her until she found herself targeted by a stray dog.  The four-legged creature was starved and maddened by hunger.  Seeing the bandaged girl and catching her scent, the beast charged at her in order to satiate the cramping desire assaulting its stomach.  In one swift move, the beast lunged forward with its mouth open biting down on her arm.

Feeling nothing by its attack, the girl only tilted her head puzzled by what was happening to her.  She merely reached down and grabbed the creature by the nape of its neck to pull it off of her.  However, she did not realize how much strength she put into doing just that and crushed the dog's neck causing its head to be severed from the body.  The brutality was gut-wrenching to see but one could not fault the girl for the deed since she did not understand anything about the frailty of life.  Regardless, she found the stench of blood to be pleasing.  Using her bare hands, she tore open the abdominal region of the four-legged lifeless animal taking note of its fresh, pink entrails.  She was fascinated by the appearance of it, in awe of the beauty of them.  Enthused, she gathered up what she could of the flesh and brought them to her father.

"What in God's name is this?! Have you lost what little bit of sense given to you?!" the scientist cried out in disgust.  It was in this single moment that whatever bond they shared was shattered.  She was not only an emotionless failure but a hideous creature.

"No…that's not it! That's not it! Really that's not it, I'm normal! I just wanted to make you happy, father," she tried to explain herself, however those efforts were pointless.

"You are a monster! A mad monster!" he said.  Soon after, Victor disassembled his creation and abandoned the estate.

Isolated and abandoned, Frankenstein's monster contemplated what she did to upset her creator.  It wasn't long before she pieced herself together.  During this time, she decided she needed to be more like a human being—to emulate them and practice their common sense.

It wasn't long until the girl pursued Victor to Geneva, Switzerland.  Along her journey to that place, she learned a myriad of things by watching and mimicking people she saw.  She developed many emotions, including anger towards her maker which was a result of her abandonment.  However, she also developed admiration toward her father and his abilities.  Due to experiencing such loneliness, she began to desire a mate based on the observation of humans with families.  Eventually, she confronted her father.

"Please make someone who would love me! Please make someone who would look at me! If I'm supposed to be the perfect maiden, Eve, you should have a responsibility to make the original human, Adam, as well!" the girl begged when she faced him for the first time in a long while.

Even with the sincerity painted over her face and what seemed like tears would fall from her eyes at any given moment, no matter how much she begged or pleaded…the answer was always the same.  That request was denied by her father over and over again which allotted for the fear of solitude to set in.  Frankenstein's monster eventually snapped and went on a killing spree.  Victor's friends, acquaintances, family, and even his fiancée all became the creature's victims.  Nevertheless, the mad scientist still denied her request whilst resolving that he'd rather face death than grant her wish.

Thus the once great Victor Frankenstein grew into being a frail old man and died in his insanity.  His creation meanwhile was left free of anyone to hate.  She decided to carry the body of her maker north where she built a pyre and set it ablaze for cremation.  Both the supposed monster and her father were consumed by hellfire.  In her final moments, she wished:

"May my ashes be scattered across the seas…"

The vision-like sequence came to an end as Akaro was thrust back into reality.  The man felt the stinging sensation of tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.  For once in many lifetimes, the unwavering symbol of justice felt his world collapse onto itself.  This girl…she was the same as he was—a creation born from the mind of a mad genius.

"Aka…ro…Akaro Hajime," Frankenstein tries to speak which immediately surprised her savior.  The mental connection between the two went both ways which allowed the maiden to venture inside the hero's mind as well.

         "Aka…ro…Akaro Hajime," Frankenstein tried to speak which immediately surprised her savior.  The mental connection between the two went both ways which allowed the maiden to venture inside the hero's mind as well.

         Placing his hand upon her cheek, the Knight smiled.

         "With all due respect to your father, he was wrong.  You're not a monster…in fact, you're a beautiful woman," he said, never once looking away.

         Frankenstein…no…Fran embraced the knight and the two then shared a passionate first kiss.

         There was a sudden heat in the air between the two individuals within the stoic household.  Sharing a tender moment of exploring each other's backgrounds led to an intimate session that both found themselves taking part in due to instinct.  Akaro practically pounced on the female while Fran was openly accepting his advance.  The two shared a deep kiss which led to their tongues wrestling with each other.  Breaking away for bated breaths, strands of saliva snapped between their mouths.

         The strong hands of the Red-Eyed Hero traced up along the girl's petite yet firm body caressing her soft curves and skin.  He rubbed her body in such a way that would strike her erogenous zones thus turning her on gradually.  As he began to travel down her neck with kisses, high-pitched moans and gasps for air escaped the Berserker's mouth filling the air with the sweet sound of her voice.  Her delicate body began to slink and squirm underneath the man's shirtless body.  It was then that he arrived at a point where she would truly cry out.

         "Ah…uahh…haaaa!!" Fran cried out blissfully as the lust inside her body caused her to ache for more.

         Akaro's hands traveled to her breasts and wrapped around each one tenderly before squeezing them one after the other.  He then snaked his way down towards them and began to run his tongue over the nipple of the left breast in a small circle while using his hand to pinch the right one.  He intensified this by engorging the entirety of her nipple in his mouth like a newborn babe sucking on it assertively. Eventually, he switched up and reciprocated the treatment to her right breast while pinching her left.

         He would then massage both breasts in his hands as if molding a sculpture with clay listening to the girl's moans increase in pitch.  That did not stop him from giving her this pleasure feeling himself getting aroused by the second, his blood flowing down to his crotch causing his member to bulge from his pants.  He dived down once more suckling on both nipples at the same time unrelenting in his assault.  Her moans were uncontrollable at this point as she felt her electrical currents riveting up and down her spine bringing her close to a small climax.

         "Not yet," Akaro spoke in a heated tone feeling his body submitting to his desires as he raised his body off of hers to unbuckle his pants. Fran felt her eyes widen in surprise and admiration as Akaro revealed his fifteen-inch cock. She had never seen anything like it before and couldn't help but be captivated by its size and shape. She felt her mouth salivating as she looked at it, and before she knew it, she was on her knees in front of him. 

Fran started by licking the tip of his cock, running her tongue up and down its length and savoring its taste. She then took the head of his cock into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it and sucking it gently. Akaro's smiled with satisfaction as he felt her warm, wet mouth around him. Fran then instinctively started bobbing her head up and down as she went deeper and deeper into his shaft, taking more and more of him into her mouth. She felt his hands on her head, guiding her and pushing her harder against him. Her tongue continued to swirl around his cock as her hand massaged his balls. Akaro's breathing became heavier and he started to thrust his hips against her, pushing himself further into her mouth. She could feel his pleasure increasing with every movement and it made her even more aroused.

´´Good girl,`` Akaro said. The Red-Eyed Hero watched as Fran's eyes traveled up and down his body, taking in every inch of him. He felt a surge of power and dominance as he stood there, letting her take in the sight of him. His cock was hard and ready, and he could feel his desire for her growing with each passing second. Fran's mouth felt so good, and her muffled moans were driving him wild. He wanted to thrust himself deeper into her mouth, but he knew he had to take it slow. Fran moved her hands up and down his shaft, her fingers massaging and teasing him as she moved her mouth up and down. She could feel his body trembling and knew he was close. She wanted to make him feel as good as possible, so she increased the speed and intensity of her movements.

Akaro's breathing quickened, and he felt himself getting close to the edge. He grabbed Fran's head and thrust himself deeper into her mouth. She kept going until Akaro could no longer take it and he finally reached his climax, filling her mouth with his cum. Even then Fran kept sucking until she had swallowed every last drop, then she looked up at him with a satisfied smile on her face. But just before the two would have the opportunity to continue on, a loud, explosive-like noise resonated in the air followed by the eerie feeling of an approaching phantasmal darkness in the atmosphere.  This instantly killed the mood causing the hero to jump up.

         "Fran, stay here okay?" he requested.

         "Huu…" she responded with a look of protest.

         "I mean it, stay here and don't leave this house no matter what you hear okay? Don't leave at all.  I'll be back, I promise," the Red Knight smiled softly to reassure her to which she yielded a curt nod.

         Akaro then exited the house and entered the courtyard area.  He felt the pressure of two strong individuals across the wide open space that was part of the massive estate.  Deep down inside of him, his instincts roared at him to stop now and turn back but his body was unable to surrender to that feeling.

         I wish I could have spent more time with you, Fran.  Even if it was just a little while longer.  And I wish I could say goodbye to everyone I care about because this just might be my last battle.

         "It wouldn't have to be your last battle my love.  All you have to do is just surrender to that inner nature you've been suppressing for so long.  It'll be fun," Esdeath taunted him from the deepest part of his mind with a sinister tone.

         "I'd rather die," he said silently to himself as his eyes peered through the dark of night towards his opponents' location.

         Two Heroic Spirits had shown up to claim the Red Knight's life.  The first one was an enemy that Akaro had faced in the past except reincarnated through the soul of the Demon Goddess Tiamat.  The appearance of the woman known as Kiara Sessyoin had shifted due to her power being enhanced by the Arcana Grail as well.  Her white and pink outfit that usually draped over her body now featured a gold and white luster to it.  In addition the eye of a demon pillar was implanted firmly between her breasts while ruby like orbs seemingly split her body from her neck down towards her womanhood.  She had a wicked grin on her face mixed with a heated blushing expression as she panted like a dog in heat over what was to come.

         The second entity was one that held an even darker and more menacing aura than the former party.  She had armor as black as midnight and pale skin but held the striking resemblance to the Maiden of Orleans, Jeanne D'Arc.  The dense aura surrounded her displayed crimson, purple and black flames twisting around her as she held up a flag that had the sigil for a dragon embroidered on it.  A wicked smile creased her lips as her amber-colored eyes captured the light of the aura radiated hatred and a desire for vengeance.

         "What the…J…Jeanne?  Why are you with Kiara?" Akaro inquired with disbelief and astonishment.

         "Ah…yes…that name…the name that fit the life of a naïve saint who believed too much in a god that never listened, one who fought and died for a country that had forsaken her.  I despise that name so much because it reminds me of all the suffering I had to endure.  Even when given a second chance at life, I was cast aside.  By you of all people, Akaro Hajime, how ironic?  From being my Savior to being my slayer…my betrayer…hence why I swore to never to answer to that name again.  It was the only way to get past my pain and cultivate it into hatred.  You may call me Avenger, or better yet…Jalter," the dark witch responded.

         "Being given a second chance at life is truly a blessing.  I didn't think it would be possible to come back after the way you killed me, Red Knight-san.  But fortunately I have a kind father…and the will of my mother to restore me," the beast added while gently reaching down to fondle her left breast.

         "Seeing your burdened expression excites me so much, Red Knight-san…"

         "I don't know why you two are here or how you found me but either way….I won't let you go any further," Akaro stood firm taking a slight battle stance.

         "Hahaha…you're beyond weak right now, Akaro.  Master Solomon said that I could have my way with you so long as you were not allowed to participate in the final battle.  But I want to make sure I thoroughly enjoy this," Jalter smirked with delight.

         "I'll just hang back and indulge in my own desires.  Have fun, Jalter-chan~" Kiara cited with a teasing wink as she floated to the top of the nearby shed thus sitting on the edge of the rooftop massaging her body's curves.

         The Dragon Witch marched forward towards the Red-Eyed Hero whom was currently unarmed but nevertheless prepared to do battle.  In an instant, the dark servant dashed forward with her flag and impaled the man through his abdomen without any further delay.  Akaro had little time to even rely on his reflexes since the issue with his powers still did not wish to respond to him.

         "Guh?!" the red-eyed male coughed as blood came gushing out from his mouth.

         "Wow, I didn't expect that to connect…goodness, you truly have fallen haven't you?" Jalter antagonized before pulling her flag back from her target.

         It was then that she grabbed the pole with both hands and waved it around before striking her target again with a diagonal slash.  From the left shoulder down to his right side, blood sprayed out of him alongside the waterfall of blood seeping out of the hole in his abdomen.

         "Yes, bleed, bleed as penance for the crimes you committed against me!" the unholy woman declared.

         "Tch…" Akaro gritted his teeth attempted to back away.  His body was becoming heavier and heavier by the minute.  Forcing himself through the pain, he invoked his muscles to respond to his will thanks to Fran's lightning causing his injuries to close up at least to stop the bleeding.  Then he kicked away from the dangerous servant attempting to summon his trusted sword again.

         "Wrong…" Jalter replied before snapping her fingers.

         A black chain surged out from the ground with the flames of purgatory dancing around it as it penetrated through the man's hand and wrapped around his left forearm.  A wailing cry of pain filled the air for without the primordial essences within him to protect him; he could feel every agonizing second of pain.

         "Oh, that hurts? Does it truly hurt? That's just a taste of the pain I felt when you abandoned me the first time saying you don't remember the time we spent together or the love that I thought we shared….haha…love is such a frivolous thing.  It's so hard to feel yet so easy to forget…I thought I could forget all about my fate if I was with you.  But…you forgot me," the former saint chastised walking towards the man.

         "Ahh such a blissful sound filling the air…and even more heavenly smell filling the air, this is truly ecstasy.  More Red Knight-san, give me more ahhn~," Kiara called out whilst digging her fingers beneath her dress at her womanhood feeling aroused by the torment taking place.

         "Oh just hang tight, Kiara-san…I'm not done making him scream out just yet," Jalter grinned wickedly.

         The charring scent of burning flesh filled the woman's nostrils alongside the excretions of iron from the man's boiling blood.  The unholy witch snapped her fingers again as another chain spawned and pierced his right hand and wrapped around the right arm.  She moved her arm in a smooth curving motion leading the chains to bind him in his position and force him to his knees.

         "I like you in this position.  You should be groveling to me after what you've done.  I want you to beg for forgiveness," the Dragon Witch demanded.

         "F…for…giveness? For…what?" Akaro uttered in small pants.

         "Breaking my heart, abandoning me, even taking my life with your own hands…what kind of monster kills his comrade?  That should be more than reason enough for you to be begging for mercy.  So beg…beg for your life, beg me for kindness and I'll allow you to join me.  You can serve at my side and be absolved of all your crimes against me.  That doesn't sound like too bad of a deal, you know…"

         "I…I…won't…join you…you can't be the real Jeanne…"

         "The real one….you say?  You mean that sorry excuse of a bitch whose naivety is so great that Hell weeps for her ignorance?  She was a delusional girl who refused to give up, placing her faith in a god that never answered her prayers.  She sacrificed herself over and over again for the sake of others only to be betrayed by the ones she protected thus burned at the stake.  And even then, she held no remorse!  Curse that foolish vision of a 'Holy Maiden'.  Her legacy is a joke!  There is only beauty and worth in vengeance!" the cursed avenger ranted as the density of her aura increased.

         "You dare speak of the 'real' one when you were no better than the ones she…no…the ones I died for! I HATE YOU! I HATE…HATE…HATE…YOU ALL!! Just suffer like I have suffered and give in to your despair!"

         Screaming this at the broken hero, she stomped on his body relentlessly, digging the heel of her metal boot into his flesh before kicking his torso causing his bones to break.  If that wasn't enough, she took her flag and repeatedly struck him like an overseer beating on a disobedient slave.  As Jalter unleashed her anger upon the man, Kiara continued to watch and observe the display using it to fuel her arousal.  Without any shame, she pleasured herself bringing her body to climax as her sadistic tastes had overtaken her senses.

         "Make it count Jalter-san, I'm almost there…ahhn…show me something that'll have me truly climax!" she begged in bliss.

         "Last chance you rotten son of a bitch, give up and submit to me…" the Avenger-class servant demanded placing her heel on his head.

         "N…Never…" he spoke just barely.

         "You truly are a foolish man…" Esdeath called out from the darkest corner of Akaro's mind.

         It was then that Jalter backed away ever so slowly drawing her blade from the side.  A black rapier glistening with an aura of hate and destruction represented the corrupted Sword of Saint Catherine.  With it, Jalter gathered her aura and channeled it towards the beaten man on the ground.

         "Then you can take my place in Purgatory while I bathe this world in my vengeance.  This is the howl of hatred which was polished with my soul!  La Grondemont du Haine!"

         The fires of Hell erupted from beneath the Earth thus consuming the body of the woman who invoked her Noble Phantasm.  It was then that these flames rushed towards the chained target in front of her immediately consuming him in their fiery embrace.  Great pillars of the blistering inferno bound the man within it before extending upward to the sky.  As the body of the Red-Eyed Hero was hoisted up by the powerful draft, the chains that bound him had shattered and he found himself impaled by giant spears all throughout his torso area.

         After a few seconds, his body was left to fall back to the ground as his blood drained out from his body.  His fading crimson eyes gazed at the windows of the house behind him.  He could see the silhouette of Fran standing there watching him.  He could feel her sadness and her anger but she knew not to come out since that's what she promised him.

         I tried…Fran…I truly tried but…it seems like I've reached the end of my road.

         The fallen hero clawed at the ground feeling his blood seep between his fingers.  His body felt like it weighed as much as the world to him right now, but it wasn't nearly as heavy as the burden that was suffocating him.  His consciousness was beginning to waver unsure as he danced between the line of life and death.  It was here that his life began to flash before his eyes.

         What have I been fighting for all this time?  Becoming a symbol of peace was something I never asked for but I carried that idea with pride.  But…where did it all go wrong?  How many people have I truly managed to protect all of these eons?  I…don't know if I'm worthy of being called hero, maybe I truly am a monster.  If anything…you being here is an example of my failure.

         His struggled adjusting his sight in order to catch a glimpse of the cursed witch that stood over him.  Once the Holy Maiden of Orleans and a shining symbol of virtue, now the perfect avatar of hate and vengeance…yes, the end of her legend was a tragic one but he could not help but to feel the weight of how he failed her.  He lost his memories of her thus inadvertently making her feel inadequate and robbed her of life once again.  The vision of that moment during the Second Primordial War came to him to remind him of the blood that soaked his hands.

         I thought I could make it up to you…I thought I could make it up to everyone I've hurt by doing whatever it took to right the wrongs I've made.  But…it seems like I can never atone for that…I can never forgive myself for it.

         "Oi, Aniki…" a familiar voice called out to him.  Time seemingly came to a standstill as he felt his mind travel elsewhere.

         "That voice…" he said as his spirit wandered into another realm.

         The space was filled with aurora-like rivers of a variety of colors.  Shades of blue spiraled about overlapping with wisps of crimson.  An oceanic sea of green collided with a current of purple all before mountains of white energy.

         "Aniki, it's me!" the voice called out again.

         "Raizo?" Akaro turned around seeing the astral projection of his younger brother standing before him.

         "Heh, looks like I was able to get through after all.  Man, I'm discovering all sorts of new tricks," the Stormbringer chuckled whilst folding his arms.

         "It's good to hear from you…but…how are you even-…"

         "Ah well, that would be the courtesy of Nirvana.  I still got a lot to learn when it comes to that angelic scythe but anyways, where are…" the Crimson Harbinger went to say before taking note of the expression on his older brother's current condition.

         "Aniki…what the hell happened to you? I've never seen you in this condition before…"

         Despite being Astral Projections, the current state of Akaro's physical nature was reflected in his ghost as the countless scars and wounds decorated his body.  In addition, the mental state of the man was clearly conveyed on his face which was one of fatigue, regret, and sorrow.

         "Well…I guess you could say eons of mistakes and insecurities finally caught up with me…" Akaro began before he explained a detailed account of everything that has happened to him so far since being separated from the rest of the crew.

         "So…right now you're…" Raizo began to say with a grim expression on his face after listening to the story.

         "I'm on my last leg lil' bro. I never thought I'd say this but…it seems like my time has come.  I've reached the end of the road.  I'm sorry bud, but…you'll have to take care of things for me from here…" Akaro said almost on the brink of tears.

         "I deluded myself into thinking I was a hero…but reality decided to remind me of the monster I truly am…and has elected to slay me at last."

         "Aniki, you're joking with me right now, right? You're playing one of your cruel jokes on me just to teach me one of your lessons again.  Because what you're saying is unbelievable…"

         "I'm not kidding with you, Raizo.  This is all I've got left."

         "Who the hell are you, and what have you done to the real Akaro Hajime?"

         "Eh…?"

         "You seriously gonna let your past define you after all this time? After all the shit you've been through, the lives you've saved, the people you've changed, you're gonna say this right now?  You say you're at the end of the road, but it sounds like you're just giving up to me.  That's not the Aniki that I know and respect.  That sounds like the words of someone who's lost their way and has elected to become a coward, not the words of the Red-Eyed Hero."

         Raizo walked up to the crumbling figure of his older brother and grabbed him by his shoulder looking him dead in the eyes.

         "You really gonna let the demons of your past try to break you down now after all that you've overcome?  Aniki, you're like a hundred times my age so you've got a vast amount of experience that infinitely dwarfs my own.  Let's see you grit those teeth!" Raizo shouted out before swinging his right hand and punching his brother in the face.

         Akaro's body stumbled back after the Stormbringer loosened his grip on the man's collar.

         "Allow me to repeat the advice you gave me after I suffered through my mistakes born of Shatterpoint," the younger red-eyed male began, "If you dwell too much in the past, then you're just going to miss out on your future.

         You don't give up now just because things haven't been going your way.  You make mistakes so you learn from them.  That's what makes you human.  You think that just because you're a 'crossbreed' experiment between human and teigu that you're a monster? Since when did we decide to submit to labels now?  I'm a born and bred assassin that's killed many people for the sake of others' ambitions; doesn't that make me a monster too?

         It's easy for someone to label another person, but it's harder for someone to understand the struggle a person has endured to get where they are today.  Our past doesn't define who we are, it's our actions in the present that does.  It's not about where you've come from Aniki; it's where you're going that matters."

         "Then…tell me why it feels like there's no way out? I'm at my wits' end here…" Akaro protested but Raizo rushed over to him and punched him again.

"Don't give up on living!  You stand up and embrace your power and show them who you are.  You defy all odds and keep going.  You're still breathing right? So that means you can still get up and fight.  So get off your ass and show them what you're made of!"

         At that point, Raizo's astral projection faded away leaving Akaro by himself.  The speech from the Crimson Harbinger resonated deeply within the Red-Eyed Hero.  It replayed itself over and over again.  The man's heart churned with an aching desire to surrender, that everything he heard was just nonsense.  He was better off giving up thus ending his suffering.  That was when he finally just broke.

         Eternity…it hurts…it really hurts! THIS PAIN WILL NEVER END! You! All of you! This pain! This sadness! This desperation! You know nothing of this!

         But then, something reached deep inside of him and chipped away at this sorrow.  Something hidden within him elected to reach out and breakthrough this struggle.

         "WRONG!" the voice of Akaro proclaimed aloud.  The visage of all the people he saved across his many lifetimes showed up, their warm memories being carried with them.

         "All of this is wrong…no matter how hard or how painful…they never gave up.  They kept fighting because they could overcome this reality someday! Isn't that right, Misaki?  Even if it's pointless, you still have to do it…because this is the world my friend tried to save!"

         With that, a burning sensation filled Akaro's heart and something awakened inside of him.

         "Hahaha…so this is the limit of the great Red Knight!  The man whom all Heroic Spirits both revered and feared at the same time!  Look at you…just a failure who tried to play hero.  How pathetic can one man be when he faces his own reality?" Jalter chastised while watching the life fade from the man's body before turning away.

         "Jalter-san…Jalter-saaaaan….is he really dead, is he really and truly dead? No, no, he can't be dead.  One climax isn't enough for me.  I need more, I crave more….hyan…please, this is the most fun I've had yet.  At least tell me the others will be just as entertaining then?  I love to hear more of their screams," Kiara complained as she let her juices flow from her body after satisfying her initial urge, only to fondle herself and amp up her craving to be satiated again.

         "Relax Beast, we still have the other faction members to torment…there will be plenty of time for you to climax in bliss over the suffering that is to come."

         It was here that the ground began to shake and a dense aura overtook the air around the two dark servants.  Perplexed by the sudden interruption, both Kiara and Jalter looked around before settling upon the collapsed body of the Red-Eyed Hero.

         "Impossible…" both servants uttered in unison watching a miracle take place before their eyes.

         The broken and battered body of the fallen man had begun to stand up in the midst of all the blood that had exited from the wounds he suffered prior.  The aura was beginning to erupt from his body as the tattoo of crimson dragon spiraled up his arm out from under the glove on his left arm. 

He lifted that arm up slowly as if reaching out for something.  A brilliant crimson shot of energy taking the shape of a comet streaked across the skies before descending toward his location.  Falling straight into his hand, the tantalizing object then molded into the shape of a blade—Svarog.

         "This is a battle to save the world…" he uttered causing the odachi blade to shoot from its gunmetal sheath as the crimson edge shined with sparks of electricity, "By the might of the Ten…I'll face my true self!"

         The sound of locks being broken audibly resonated in the air as the density of Akaro's power seemingly grew.  Around his blade, the aura testified to this as it radiated greater strength due to the ten seals placed on it being released.  In order, these seals were called the seal of:  the Archangels, the Holy Light, the Blacksmith, the God Hunter, the Dragon, the Storm, the Reaper, the Goddess, the Hero, and lastly, the Unknown.  With each of these seals came the return of Akaro's Primordial power…but that was not all.

         As he stood steadfast amid the end of chaos, the limit to his Primordial natured was finally reached.  The genes that made him, the blood within his veins, all of these conditions had finally reached a point where a doorway to a new world opened up to the man.  The foreboding, cosmic black aura that surrounded the body of the legendary Red Knight contained its own Omniverse; his eyes were shining with the stellar, crimson fire bearing a likeness to one of the four Aspects of Akasha—Akatsuki Tenbatsu.

         "Wh-what is this? How…how can this be? What are you?!" Jalter panicked taking steps away from the area where the man stood fearing for her life.

         "This…This is not possible, no…not again!  What is with these red-eyed men?!" Kiara echoed with terror as well as she encountered the vision that Tiamat bore witness to the Stormbringer empowered in an entirely different form when he was defeated.

         "I refuse to let you win again!" the lewd beast screamed at the top of her lungs, her eyes widening from the fear settling in.  In that next instant, she leapt high into the skies before going into orbit to ready her Noble Phantasm.

         The hero clad in his mighty aura watched the beast escape from his presence but his mind became filled with the voice of a familiar presence.  He felt peace and security wash over him banishing away everything around him for a singular moment.  That was the splendor of The Goddess-Above-All, and so Akasha's words proceeded as such.

         "Selfless Knight who would sacrifice his life for justice…you never needed a reason to believe in someone else, you just saw the best in all of us.  That's what made me fall in love with you so long ago.  You're the best of us, you're our leader, you are the First who took a stand against the cycle of death…and you will be there by the side of the Seventh to see this story through to its end.

         Rise up and ascend, for you are no longer a simple Akashic Familiar.  You are Akaro Tenbatsu—Envoy of the Crimson Luster!"

         Thrust back into the world around him, Akaro felt reality began to shake.  He gazed up into the sky to see just a piece of Kiara as the woman became the size of the entire solar system.  She was currently sitting back with legs gradually spreading open as her feminine opening had become visible swirling with a chemical darkness that would swallow everything in existence within the being.  This was her ability known as Heaven's Hole.

         "No matter what kind of power you possess, beings like you are ruled by 'desire'.  Any being that possesses desire cannot match me!" she boasted but the Envoy of Akasha was unimpressed.

         "You know," Akaro began as he pointed his blade at the heavens, "the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common: they don't alter their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit their views.  So allow me to give you a power wake-up call…"

         The Red Knight held Svarog out to the side and channeled the density of his energy to his blade.  The cosmic aura funneled into the crimson edge of the sword in which the man chanted.

         "Not the victorious Hunter,

Nor the renowned Red-Eyed Killer.

         More than anything, just a restless soul.

         Once the tool of one seeking to rule,

         A weapon meant for end times.

         Yet what I sought was no such thing.

         What I sought was the freedom of choice,

         To break from the father's rule and ascend beyond destiny,

         To become human.

         Heir to nothing, a Limit-Breaker with no power of his own.

         I have abandoned a thousand blades,

         Left behind a legacy of crimson

         This is the life I've chosen.

         This is the fate my desires created.

         My whole life was for the sake of others.

         Awaken! O' Great Creator of Akashic Death,

         Svarog; this blade is the heart of my soul!

         You, the enemy before me, withstand its weight!

         Take it all…my anger, my hate, my sorrow, my regrets, and all that I am!

         Gurenryu no Issen!"

         It only took one singular swing.  The blade that embodied everything that was the legend of Akaro Hajime…no…Akaro Tenbatsu, from his earliest days as a hopeless youth wanting to become a hero to a man carrying so many burdens that the universe was lighter in comparison, that was all encompassed into one attack.  Beyond the boundaries of time and space, the conventional means of cause and effect, surpassing all realistic scopes when it comes to the idea of power, something that could reshape all that is within an instant, words could not describe the destructive beauty of it all.  With that, the power that could eclipse the Omniverse was released concentrated solely to erase its intended target.

         The arc of divine crimson energy cascaded across the darkened skies out into the cosmos and impacted the intended target.  Upon impact, the compressed energy expanded and consumed its target effectively destroying the insatiable servant and erasing her existence down to the molecular level thus nullifying any effects of her Noble Phantasm.  The stars were rattled by this and reality felt like it would crack in half like an egg but it wasn't long before the beast's terrifying visage disappeared thus leaving the Envoy to stand there with a satisfied expression.  It was then that he adjusted his sights to the Avenger-class spirit that collapsed on the ground before him.

         "S…So you're going to kill me too right?  J-just make it quick then, send me back to Hell!  Please don't let me suffer….make it as fast you can.  I don't wanna suffer…I'll atone for everything I did in Purgatory…please have mercy on me!" the Dragon Witch appealed with tears in her eyes but the lone man just stood over her for a brief moment before leaning down.

         The woman clenched her eyes tightly shut bracing for death.  Instead, she felt a sting on the forehead.  Placing her hand over that spot, she realized that Akaro had just flicked her there as gently as he could.

         "Relax, I'm not going to kill you…but I am going to save you from yourself.  You made me realize all the regret I had when it came to Jeanne but it took a little punch in the face for me to realize that the past can't be changed.  You may be just a darker version of the Jeanne that I know but you're not just a copy of her.  You are your own person, after all, you did say that you were the true feelings that girl hid away.  However, there's a reason why she continued to be a Saint even after death and why you were sprung from Purgatory," Akaro began to explain to the dark servant as he leaned over her.

         "Yeah? And what's that?  That kindness is weakness? Or was she content with God forsaking her?!" the edgy Heroic Spirit spat back.

         "Forgiveness is a hell of a lot more powerful than vengeance.  It's easy to hate and chastise someone who has wronged you, but it's harder to continue loving someone or accepting them after being betrayed.  Maintaining a positive attitude will always be more difficult than holding a pessimistic output on life.  You can defy your fate right now but severing the chains that bind you and owning who you are.  Accept the deeds that led to this hell as the past and take the opportunity to seize the future for yourself.  That's the only path you have left available."

         "Tch…even if I did want to start all over again, I'm bound by a contract to destroy you…and her!"

         "Please, you obviously don't know the kind of power my team has.  Making miracles is what we do best."

         Akaro crouched down and stared directly into her yellow eyes as the dark maiden felt her heart thump heavily in her chest.

         "You've been given a second chance to experience life.  Don't you want to make the most of it?"

         "Tch…how am I supposed to do that when everyone will just call me a faker…?"

         "You think independently right? Therefore you're your own person.  Now then, why don't you give living a chance for once and let go of the hatred that's shackling your heart?"

         The heart within the black armored female thumped heavily as she gazed up at the visage of the man before her eyes.  She figured she wouldn't be able to actually exercise her rights to a second chance given the things she was told to do.  Yes, she was the darker thoughts made flesh of Jeanne D'Arc, but she was a thinking lifeform capable of independent action.  For some reason, she felt like she could trust the Red-Eyed Hero.  No, it wasn't that.  She was composed with the same memories as the original Saint, so she knew that Akaro was a trustworthy individual.

         "F-fine then, I suppose I'll trust you on this…" she muttered with a slight blush.  Seeing this, the man leaned down and gave the former Saint a quick kiss on her lips before pulling away.

         "E…Eh?!!!" she gasped before gently touching the area he kissed.  Looking up at him, she could only see the hero smiling at her.

         "Uaahhh!" the voice of the Berserker called out as Fran emerged from the home in tattered rags to cover her body.

         "Fran, damn…I almost forgot about you.  I'm so sorry…but it looks like it's over now," Akaro spoke as he turned around before having the girl jump into his arms and hug him.

         "No worries, I'm all right…but uh…I'm a bit underdressed it seems," the Envoy responded as he released the girl from his embrace and stood back.  Closing his eyes for a split second, he invoked his will and used his energy to generate clothing for him.

         In a brilliant flash of light, the man's body was restored in health and vigor.  He wore a black jacket with golden trim and buttons on the outside like a uniform at an academy but the inside was laced with red velvet.  Underneath that, he wore a white T-shirt.  Around his waist was a blue sash over top of another sash that was comprised of his red scarf.  With black pants, black gloves and boots to match and rounded out the rest of his attire, along with his necklace that matched with Raizo's.  The aura around the man condensed itself as he tucked away Svarog in its scabbard.  The crimson dragon tattoo was still exposed over his left arm but most of it was obscured by his clothes.  Standing proudly, the Red Knight had successfully been reborn.

         The two women that stood before him found themselves captivated by his very presence.  Fran was already firm in her feelings for him but it was like she just felt in love all over again.  That same sentiment extended to Jalter in a sense.  Except in her case, it was the love that Jeanne had buried deep within her that was revived but it was her own sense of love since she was being given a chance to redeem herself.

         "Why don't we get out of this city you two? I've been away from my family for long enough," he stated.

         As the two women nodded in agreement, Akaro opened his arms and let them step close to him.  He wrapped his arms around them.  Two giant, black draconic wings traced with dark crimson feathers sprouted from his back.  He then leapt into the air before dashing into the distance where he felt the closest of his family resided.