The Endgame (Part 2)

The next day, Makoto went to see the Apex Master. He had decided he should at least say something about his vision or dream about Naraku. After all, it had seemed as if all this time, Naraku was hiding a huge secret, and when he had asked 'who do you think is the real Abyss King', Makoto almost 100% knew that he had to be ー at the very ー least in cahoots with the real Abyss King.

*knock knock*
Makoto knocked on the door to the Apex Master's study.

No answer.

*knock knock*

Again, no answer.

'... Maybe he isn't there?' Makoto thought, keeping himself as calm as possible. There was no way the Apex Master suddenly had been kidnapped, or had a sudden reason to hold a grudge against Makoto, right? He was probably just outside or something.

Right?

Suddenly, the door creaked open.
"Mm?" Makoto looked into the room, which was empty. Eerily empty.
He entered slowly and carefully so as to not make too much noise. "U-Uh, hello?" he called through the small room. "I-Is anyone there?"

And yet again, there was no answer, just the sound of silence.
If silence even has a sound, that is.

Just as Makoto was going to leave, he noticed that something was shining in the room. He moved towards it, and then the room changed to the one he had seen when he saw those visions of himself, Ryu, Chihiro, and Albus previously.
"Wha- Why and I here again??" Makoto shouted into the air. He looked around and, beginning to panic, ran into one of the separate rooms, trying to find a way out.

Instead, though, he saw another vision of what seemed to be some time in the past. This time, it was Iduna and her parents, the King and Queen.
"Iduna," the King said, "your mother and I are going on some official business, and we might be gone for a while. In that time, you have to do your best with the servants to watch over Apexius for us, alright?"
The Queen stepped forward and put a hand on Iduna's shoulder. "But don't worry, your grandfather will also be there to help you," she said with a warm smile.
Iduna smiled back. "OK, I'll do my best. And I'm not worried, I've been learning from you both!"
Makoto saw the vision disappear to be replaced by Iduna sitting at her desk, reading what looked like political papers of some kind.
"This is so confusing and tiring," Iduna sighed. "I wish Mother and Father were back already..."
Makoto felt sympathy for the Princess; she worked so hard, yet got very little in return; just people listening, not even a day off.

Then, he heard the sound of shouting. He followed it, and saw what looked like Haruka, the fortune-teller.
"Haruka, for the last time, I told you to cut your hair!" a tall man said to Haruka in the vision.
"But Father, Iー" Haruka was cut off by his father saying "no, justー *sigh*, just go cut your hair. One day, the village won't be there to protect you from danger, and you'll know zero self-defense."

The vision disappeared, leaving emptiness in it's place. And then, once again, Makoto heard someone talking. But this time, it sounded like Ruusu, the Deom girl from that destroyed village.
"Come on," she said. "Maybe we don't have to fight! Maybe we can all find a middle ground, right?"
"Yeah, she's right!!" some other voices agreed with a hopeful energy.
Makoto turned the corner to see Ruusu and some other Abyss Creatures all standing facing a young man, probably around his own age.
"And you can join us!!" Ruusu said, her eyes shining. "We can be in this together!! So, whaddya say?"

The young man turned around, and walked up to her. He looked up at the Deom, and looked like he was going to give her his hand for a handshake. But instead, he snapped his fingers...

... a dark rope wrapped itself around Ruusu's left horn...

... and the vision disappeared with the sound of Ruusu's scream after her horn had been ripped off.

And Makoto found himself back in the Apex Master's study just afterwards.

                                                                            ***

'What the heck was that?!?!' Makoto thought. But he didn't have much time to think about the vision, because Shiro, Ryu, and Chihiro burst into the study.
"Apexー wait, Makoto??" Chihiro shouted. "W-Where's the Apex Master??"
Makoto turned quickly. "Chihiro? I-I don't know, what happened??"
Ryu ran to Makoto and grabbed his arm. "I don't know what exactly happened, but a dark Tower just suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and Abyss Warriors are pouring out of there like water from a waterfall!"
"Wait, what?!" Makoto shouted in confusion.