Chapter 22: A Dark Future

The light vanishes, slowly revealing to all of them the aftermath.

Scorched earth, crackling energy. It truly did look like a nuke went off right in front of them. Luckily, the Earth Goddess had appeared at the last second.

Completely defending them from any possible damage. As they look past the tall battle seasoned android, they can see little but wreckage and ruins. And, with great unease, they can only see one figure remaining in the center. Just one.

That damned bastard. That abominable Proctor. As expected, this explosion did little but singe her armor. Amused, the fake Demon Lord floats towards them, putting all on guard. The chaos warrior merely waves her hand, not in the mood to fight them.

“Don’t worry I am not here to fight. For now; that’s for later dear star candidates! Only to announce one last thing. Soon, we will launch an attack on the jewel of the heavens. Prepare yourselves, I am looking forward to it! Don’t disappoint me, Divine Hammer!” A huge smirk again appears on that unruly face but there is little that can be done about it.

It was not if any of them here could actually defeat her at the moment.

“What about my sister, you villain! Where is she, what did you do to her?”

“Oh, oh, don’t worry. I did not kill her. Let me think. Let’s say she fell into some place that is hard to get out of, hmm?” Hard to get out of? What on earth happened at the end of that battle, the builder wondered. But, frankly.

All the blonde god could do was trust this person. Despite all the humiliation, despite the prodding and testing, this fake demon lord was not a dishonest person. That was obvious.

“I can only believe you for now. I won’t forget your words, demon.”

“Ooh, threatening. But try that a little later, when you are actually a threat. For now. I will meet you later, star warriors!” Another cackle then the Chaos Lord blasts off into the air and flies away, leaving them with many mixed feelings.

But mostly the resolve to become stronger. This being had to be stopped, no matter what. No matter how long it took them. The Builder sighs exhausted.

Today was just too long. Too much had happened so quickly in the span of a couple hours.

Exploring these ruins turned into a nightmare battle where they barely escaped with their lives. What else was lurking beneath the stars that was unknown? Much, much more, it seemed. Diana dusts herself off and snuggles her lord, happy this ordeal is over. A chest slams into that distracted face.

“Ouch. Are you that impatient, Diana? Like that fake demon lord or whatever just left and now you're just getting all snuggly? All in front of our new friends! Shameless.” Diana ignores these words and continues snuggling as hard as possible. The Earth Goddess merely chuckles looking fondly.

Fondly at people she barely remembers.

Five years ago, while she was visiting this planet, called Soxrea, someone attacked her from behind. That someone was the Chaos Knight, who then damaged their memory circuit. Slowly but surely, the goddess of the earth realm was slowly restoring their memory, but it was difficult. Seeing these two jogged some joyous thoughts.

Thoughts of the past when the older god had seen them doing the same in their home on Stella. It was comforting, reuniting with friends from the past.

“Now. How did you find us? We got sent here to look for you but you found us first. Which is unexpected but good, to be honest.” After finally managing to escape the claws of her lovely servant, she manages to get out a couple words.

“I just merely followed the will.”

“The will? Will of what?”

“It is, well, a bit hard to explain. Perhaps the elder of the village can explain it better than I can. The village of Elusice, where the natives have been living on this planet long before immigrants came into this solar system, on the other nearby planet, Exora. I will show you the location tomorrow; I think it is wiser to rest and recover from this ordeal.” The Builder nods in agreement, too much had happened too quickly today. It was wiser to rest and recuperate before meeting new people.

The spirits of the older star warriors stood before them, merely observing these younger gods.

The Goddess of the Mid-Earth turns towards them, respectfully bowing.

“Thank you for your help. I do not think they would have escaped with you.” The Lance Knight merely chuckles, that blue energy of hers shimmering.

“I only do the same that you would have, wouldn’t you, o goddess of the land? I can feel the power of nature flowing through your body. Is that what they call you? Or do you have a different name you go by?” Mere curiosity flows through the woman, eager to learn more about the newer generation that came after them.

“They call me the Goddess of Earth, but more recently, I have been called the Divine Guardian by the people that live in that village, on this planet. They said it suits me more than my old title. I wonder.”

“I think it does, simply based on you quickly coming to the aid of strangers with no hesitation. A great divine guardian, indeed.” The Lance Knight chuckles, happy to see a strong willful being already. Though, perhaps. Was this something she always did? Too much of a good thing can become bad but for now, not that bad, the elder spirit thought. The blue former star warrior turns back towards Diana.

“Now. I think we can get back to that topic I briefly mentioned earlier. The ‘chosen'.“ The Divine Guardian nods, seemingly also somewhat aware of the legend.

“The legend, from what I remember, details five warriors, created by gods mightier than us. Ancient gods created us to fight against the eternal beast known as the Ouroboros. The snake god, the devourer, the corrupter, that thing has many names known through history. But it has always been present and grows stronger, no matter what. And thus that is why the ‘gods’ continued forming more and more powerful candidates, ripe with potential.”

“Potential to fight the threat, huh? The war goddess and that proctor unit mentioned that, Ms. Lance? Unless you have some other name?” The knight shrugs.

“Call me whatever you want. Divine Lancer works too; I once had a name like that. But no matter, my time is over. Instead, I want to help you. And the others. We briefly had conversations with that true demon lord too, in our dreams. But yes, the five chosen just briefly mentions the appearances of the five and that they will unite us all. A legend that is inconclusive. It is almost like most of the details were left out on purpose.” The Lancer shrugs, sighing. It was a legend so a legend often was passed down, morphed and changed by people that spoke it. But the legend had strength. It fueled the warriors that had come before, to fight for the future. For the one day where the true star warriors would come and unite every living being together. She continues on, finishing this topic.

“The blonde-haired warrior that builds worlds, the protector, a green-haired woman of the land, the Blade of the heavens, a red-haired youth who seeks to defend all, the blue flash, a mighty woman with unmatched speed. And lastly, the Divine Breaker, a woman who hides in the shadows, hiding her true self. Do these descriptions sound familiar to you, o builder of worlds?”

“Sounds almost exactly like me, my sister, those two sisters we met and this Divine ‘Guardian’? Our friend who stands next to us. But how have I not heard this? I have been scouring the realm for information for millennia. And only now I know? Me, who has built a database with every planet registered known to man or beast kind? How?” The axe knight interjects.

“Perhaps it was less your own mistake and more that someone was intentionally misdirecting you, misleading you. You were just misled by that crafty War Goddess, after all. Maybe another one of their kind has been pushing you away, just right when you were getting close to an answer?”

“Their kind? Do they have names? Well, that makes sense. That War Goddess. Felt on a different level than the Demon of Legend. Like that woman has seen way more combat. Like, I don’t know, more than one universe’s worth of life experience? The only way I can describe that ancient power emanating from that knight. It was intimidating, surely.” Divi ponders curiously, thinking about the interaction they had earlier in the day with the War Goddess. The Axe knight carries on, finishing his thoughts as he places his mighty axe into the ground.

“Don’t worry too much about her, she's a mystery to all of us. But yes, they are machine angels. Angels that follow the will of the great demon lord. Something about this is so strange. Angels following a demon? In my opinion, this ‘demon lord’ is hiding something. But what? That is the real question.”

“Agreed.” The Spear Knight says, nodding that glowing blue head in agreement.

“So. We have collectively agreed to help you find out the truth, o goddess of worlds. And you, brave Diana. The prison no longer holds the great red disaster, so now we have a greater purpose; Helping you grow stronger and finding the truth, which has eluded us as well.”

“What do you mean collectively? I didn’t hear you talk.”

“Do you think we only speak with words? What did that demon do to you, when you were fighting her? You also need to train your mind. Telepathy between comrades is faster and more efficient, after all. We are merely speaking out loud for your convenience. Do not worry. The fake demon lord has given us precious time. Time we need to use well.” The younger gods can only nod in agreement, it was clear that they were lacking in all aspects. But that look in their eyes.

That determination.

That internal will.

The four ancient knights knew they would grow quickly, learn and adapt. After all, they had improvised right before they fully awoke, wielding them crudely but with sheer determination. They had the potential. They could do it, they thought together.

These star warriors possessed something they did not. So, it was wise to cultivate that “something” until it radiated brilliantly. It was all they could do, anyway. This was their new purpose.

After all, the failure of their brothers and sisters still lingered in their mind, as well as the Void Machine. Hopefully, these two would not have to face that thing yet. A scary, scary tale relayed to them by the legendary knight that sealed it away. That man is still out there, somewhere, sleeping still. Waiting dormant. Until that horror reawakens to once again do battle with it. In time, he will find them. Of course he will. The legendary warrior was just as noble as these young ones are, they mused internally. But that was for later. It was not yet time to reveal those events yet.

Now, it was time to heal. To recover and reflect. They had just experienced the power of the false demon lord, after all.

“Enough of this talk for now. You two need rest. You should take the guardian’s advice and find a place to rest, o Builder.” Shrugging, the girl wasn’t going to argue with people that wanted to help her, after all.

Why bite the hand that feeds you?

The younger Builder of worlds gets up and waves the left hand. A pocket dimension opens up behind the lady, with what looks like a small cabin. It slowly unveils as the cabin merges with reality, as if the cabin was stored inside of the creation goddess from the beginning.

“How on earth do you have so many random, convenient objects just hiding in you, my lord? Not the first time I’ve seen you literally pull stuff out of thin air.”

“Well. The principle of that prison is merely a more complex version of my ‘storage’, really. That’s part of the reason I was so interested in exploring it. Clearly, you older knights had more advanced technology than we currently have. That fortress prison was layered both on this plane and another dimension. Think of that as a different dimensional space on top of the normal one, it was layered in an organic way, a way that I cannot replicate, at least, not yet. It was why we had to walk in and run out; the damn place stopped people from using spatial magic or communication magic from outside. I had a hunch when my Teccommunicator started malfunctioning inside. Remember, that thing works between all realms. I designed it to function in different ‘dimensions’ since each star realm is essentially a similar but different dimension next to each other. So yes, the convenient objects I have are merely things I have prepared in advance by compressing their structure, data, and materials into dimensional storage or ‘pockets’, if you want an easier way to think about it. As long as I am awake and breathing, I can open or close them at will. It would be hard for someone to access them unless they dug deep into my mind. The locations are somewhere in between the realms, in that dimensional space between dimensions, really.” The brilliant mind easily answers this question, as if doing something like this was simple.

As if anyone else could pull off this feat, really. Diana laughs and shrugs.

More proof of her lord’s great brilliance. That boundless potential of a creation god. What else could she create in the future, given time, resources and feedback? Practical anything, the servant thought happily. It was relaxing to see the lord back in a slightly better mood after this despair ridden confrontation.

Though they all knew, this was merely a foreshadowing of events to come.

No matter, Diana thought, now it was time to rest.

They all gather up and quickly move into the cabin. It is made out of wood, procured from the homeworld of the Builder, and the bottom of the small structure is reinforced with starsteel. The Divine Guardian quickly opens up the front, pristine wooden door. The god of the land is met with a pleasant sight. Comfy silk pillows, multiple bed bunks, a refrigerator with food, some kind of television. Even game consoles? How fascinating, those were relics in this day and age. This was also starting to bring back another memory to this elder.

Ah, now she remembered. When the Divine Hammer was younger, she loved playing, what did the builder call them, “rpgs”? Children loved their fantasy adventures, and it was not different for young gods, apparently. Perhaps that gave the young lady inspiration for new ideas.

Diana and the Builder dash forward, quickly jumping on a free bed. The two are reasonably tired but just want to fully relax. No one could blame them, really.

The four knights waltz in, modestly impressed with the structure.

Even with this simple cabin, they could see the care and passion that creator god put into this place. The wood graciously given by her friends, the games that were played by not only those two but by the children that had been in this cabin before. They could feel the history of the spirits that came and went inside this seemingly unassuming temporary home.

It only made them respect the creator of worlds more so, really. The Axe knight stands guard at the entrance, while the rest merely observe the other three with interest, eager to speak and learn more about the world that has changed so much since they were alive.

The casual conversation continues until they are all spent, physically and mentally. After an uneventful supper of some leftover fruit, apples and oranges and grapes, they all properly doze off.

Awaiting the next eventful day.

A peaceful sleep falls on Divi, dreaming of those people she wants to protect so much. Diana. The Goddess of the Mid-Earth. That lost sister, who she can somehow feel is still alive but not present with them. All the people that live in the realms, they have to survive. Who knows what this “Demon Lord” will unleash? As those thoughts drift through that sleeping mind, something appears.

A familiar presence.

That woman with chains again. Again? Now it was not a mere coincidence. This dang woman with those close eyes wanted to interrupt the peace of sleep again!

“You have returned. Good lord, don’t you have anything better to do?” The woman kind of shrugs. It seemed like no was the answer.

“I would not be here if it was not for a purpose. After all, this is the only way I can speak to. Well, for a long time, anyway. No matter. Tell me, star warrior who builds worlds, do you think you are being strung along? Part of some person’s plan?” The strange floating person speaks more intelligibly than last time. Perhaps it has become slightly easier to understand their words, for some reason.

“Strung? More like we are getting pulled along, by someone’s strong will. You almost sound like you are part of it, since you know so much, damn woman. You haven’t even told me your name yet!”

“Are names truly important? What is more important is what we do, how we act, how we work with others. My name is of fleeting importance. What is more important is to understand yourself. Why are you worried about me when you barely understand you? Are you merely just a vessel to build objects? No, I don’t think so. I can see it,” The woman with strange chains speaks loudly, getting closer to the Builder in this dream space. At a closer glance, it is a bit clear.

Some kind of ancient, unknown magic is flowing through not only those chains but the entire essence of this being. Like a master of magic.

“You. You are. I cannot say. It is like the word is escaping me. All I can say is you feel like an ancient being, a person who is connected to some fundamental force of the universe. Why are you here, really? It’s not merely because you are bored. I am not stupid, as you can surmise.”

“Oh, I do not think you are dim, no, quite the opposite. But you are still quite, well, lacking. I am only here to guide you in your time of need. Show me more, show me your true strength. I and the others have faith in you, no matter what happens.” Before an answer can be said the master of magic begins fading out of the dream, leaving her alone. Alone in those deep, reflective thoughts.

This time, less bizarre and more helpful, perhaps? It was still hard to truly understand those words, but the gist got across to her.

These “beings” were not the Demon Lord or the War goddess. Whoever they were, these people had a stake in this ongoing conflict. Another mystery to unravel. Oh well, it would do no good to ponder further, the thoughts of the android returned to her loved ones as she dreamt of the future. The others in the room were sound asleep, as well.

Dawn approaches them, with Diana the first to awake. Naturally, this only meant one thing. Harassing her lord mercilessly. It was time for a welcome start to the day. Diana quickly digs those slender fingers into her love’s stomach, making the woman chuckle and laugh uncontrollably.

“You motherfu-! Stop it! Can’t you wake me up the normal way? Good grief, up to your normal antics again, I see.” The glint in Diana’s eye grows larger, smirking with the beautiful smile she always loves to give. Daring the lord to complain more.

“As if. You expected me to not show my devotion? My appreciation? My love! Now it's my turn! I had to put up with your hoo, haa silly nonsense all up in that prison. Oh no no no! My lord, it is time for a proper teasing.” And so it began. Waking everyone else in the process.

Diana mercilessly tickled the goddess, getting out the frustration she had from earlier and those feelings of despair that the great demonic menace instilled into her mind. Divine Guardian merely shrugs. It was clear these two had strong feelings for each other.

Why interrupt their gleeful bonding? The older goddess looks towards the front of the cabin, she sees Divine Lancer merely standing on the front doorsteps, watching dutifully for any sign of danger.

There are none, thankfully.

Most of the wild life has avoided the wreckage of the nearby scorched earth. It will take decades for this planet to heal from that explosion. The former star candidate sighs, preparing themself for the future.

It will be yet another war. This time, a longer one. Not only did they have to deal with those chaos warriors but also, the threat of the true enemy.

Those damned cultists. It seems they only grew stronger in their absence; every realm has those nefarious cult hands selling corrupted snake weapons to unwilling people. Clearly trying to add more to their ranks. But why? Why haven’t they had a large scale attack while they were gone? This thought only gave her a nasty premonition.

They were waiting. Waiting patiently.

Disrupting this thought, Divine Guardian walks outside next to lance spirit, standing in place with that powerful blue aura with her massive blue turquoise spear laid next to the window near the door.

“You kept watch the entire night? That wasn't necessary, really.”

“Yes. Me and the Axe Knight took turns watching over the place. It’s just a habit I've had for a long time. One we had when we were still flesh and body, like you three are. Our bodies have long been sacrificed, merely to hold back that menace which has escaped. At least we slowed that bastard down a smidgen. But I fear what the Proctor will do, especially once they return to their allies. The Chaos warriors.” That last word, Chaos, intrigues the earth god.

“Chaos warriors? Warriors following the path of chaos, unlike us, who are more inclined to a path of order?”

“Two sides of the same coin. Diana briefly mentioned one person that sounded similar to the fake demon lord.. I suspect it may be one person that you all knew. How else would they have known where Divine Flash and Nameless were? How would they have visited this prison before? That one is in leagues with the fake demon lord. Though this is merely conjecture, I do not have proper proof. Was she not the one who also damaged you from behind? A betrayal seems the most logical conclusion, really.” The younger android takes these words to heart. Who did they know, or know of, that could fulfill all these conditions? A being hiding amongst themselves, masking their true intent.

Based on the information gathered from the creator god, it only seemed likely it could be on the six stars of the heavens. One of the six machine goddesses. Or more accurately now, one of the six machine god candidates. Divine Lancer pondered.

In time, the protector thought, they would find out the truth. For now, more pressing matters to attend to. It was time to bring them to the village, so they can learn more from the Elder, Estola. The others quickly walk outside, inquiring what the chatter was about.

“What ya’ll talking about, let me know let me know!” Diana squeals incessantly. The lord holds the dainty girl back, before the woman squashes someone else with that huge bosom.

“Nosy today, aren’t you?” Divine Guardian continues, reflecting on the information spoken to her by Diana and from the older former star candidates.

“It is fine, Lord of creation. We were merely discussing the true identity of this ‘Chaos Knight’, that the other older star warriors have wisely called that mysterious assailant that attacked the village of those younger sisters and may also be a comrade of the demon lord. It may be one of our kin; one of the star gods.” The Builder nods in agreement.

“Agreed. I can only think of one person who would know that village, that was destroyed, so well. But at the moment, the Goddess of the Underrealm has been missing for weeks, almost a month now? No word from him. Speaking of, I should probably talk to Tony a bit. Also, the bastard demonness mentioned another ally? I have no idea who that could be.”

“Tony?” An inquisitive look appears on that pale white skinned face.

“Yes, Anthony Simmons. My assistant. You have an assistant too, do you not remember? Her name is Ellis. Gosh, that memory damage is severe. I will have to give you a good check whenever we get back onto my ship; I don’t have my tools here to do that properly.” Words cannot describe the way the Divine Creator feels about finding this Earth Goddess. On one hand, a sense of joy, another despair. The friend she had known since birth now had an extremely fragmented memory.

How frustrating.

Being unable to remember the closest ones to you.

Something else that the Builder needed to do. Help her close friend regain her memory and find the missing Ellis wherever that woman may be. All of them had no clue to the whereabouts of the servant.

The lost elder motions for the lot to follow her. It was time to go to the village.

The goddess of the land places a hand on the ground. A large green circle emerges, full of magical energy. A teleportation circle it seemed. The village was some distance away, more than three kilometers, so teleporting would be faster.

“Gather your things. I will prepare a teleportation circle to reach the village. It will take me about an hour to fully form.” A little more time to frolic. Diana twirls around, quickly gathering their little belongings. After she does this, they all stand behind the eldest of six god rulers..

An hour passed rather quickly. The creator of worlds snaps her fingers. Dimensional space opens up again this time absorbing the cabin, storing the building back where it belonged. Brown hair flings around, carrying some backpack of goods and treats. Ready for their excursion into the village. An exasperated sigh can be heard from behind.

“Was there a reason you needed to store so much food for us? I am sure the villagers have plenty of food.” That look on that face stops these words. The Divine Hammer just gave up, deflated. There was no fighting this. It was time to accept destiny. The destiny of being fed food by her favorite servant later in the day. Diana, the Lord of Creation, the Divine Guardian and the four spirit knights stand on the large circle. It has been prepared. Quickly as the energy rises high into the air, all of them vanish from sight.