Chapter 121: On the Banks of the River of Time

Scanners showing something coming our way! Looking to be some kind of unknown life form native to the River of Time!

Okay guys, get ready to fight!

Everyone okay?

Barely broke a sweat. Are we still no closer to Chronos' ship?

They're really turning up the heat here, too much even for me!

Enough whinin' and more flyin'!

It looks like we have company!

That was easy enough. We gotta pick things up here, Synth Hydra! We have to stop Chronos from getting to the Ocean of Time!

The Empire's flagship has left the battlefield and is heading towards the Ocean of Time.

That area is surrounded by some kind of unknown power and I don't think I'll be able to get close.

Then we'll just have to go the rest of the way on foot! Madoka... Eden... We're coming!

Go on! We'll handle things up here!

Thanks... Come on guys, to the Ocean of Time!

Zurvan... The Goddess of Time... The Ocean of Time? How interesting!

Why do you say that Nilya?

No reason!

Come on, we can't keep Madoka and Eden waiting any longer!

Dear mother, the Goddess of Time...

I know what I must do now. But I must proceed with care...

And that's that! We're coming for you, Chronos!

Enemy wave two is approaching!

Aye! We are ready!

Let's go, guys!

You lose, Nilya. Now stop this madness, and release Madoka and Eden!

No...this can't be the end! I am a god! I cannot be defeated! Aldo! It is time for your judgment!

GRaaah!

Aldo!

Aldo?!

You think so highly of yourselves, and yet... To a superior being you are nothing.

...You!

We must save Aldo!

Wait!

What is...

I'll show you what happens when you look down on us! When you look down on humanity!

We may fall, but we ALWAYS get back up. Over and over AND OVER! WE NEVER GIVE UP!

RRRRRRAAAAAH!

...Ngh!

Aldo?!

You inherited the power of the ogres?!

Listen, Ogre Rancorem. I may not be able to release you from your curse, but... We can live side by side.

Ogre Rancorem! I'm asking you now, believe in us! Believe in the tomorrow we are trying to create!

......

All right Mimic. You get to be the first to feel the power of my new sword.

Wake up, Nilya!

Where are they?!

Mom! Eden!

You're okay! What wonderful news!

Phew... I can't believe that just happened...

Thank you all for saving us...

I'm so glad you both are okay!

I wasn't sure we were going to get out of that alive, if I'm being honest...

Nilya? Hey, you okay? Wake up! ...Nilya?

What's wrong?

She's...not breathing...

What?!

Nilya?! Can you hear me?! NILYA!

This is bad... It looks like she used all of her edaxian energy transforming into Mimic...

Does this mean...there's no way to bring her back?

We might be able to bring her back if we can find some cells from when she was that big monster...

If we do not act quickly, then...

It is what she gets for trying to play god despite being a lesser being.

Chronos?! You're alive?!

Hmph. Death will never take me.

Not only that, but my empire survives as well!

The imperial capital!

But...how?

Simple, I am not the same Chronos as before.

What?!

I told you, did I not? We are the ones who will open the door to paradise. And that time has finally come.

Why do you keep saying "we"?

We shall devour all. The planet, even time itself... And then we will venture on to find our next meal...the sea of stars.

You're not going to...

Yes, the mineral life from beyond the sea of stars, the crimson rock...

Behold Chronos Sabbath, the red meteor reborn!

What the...

What have you done?!

Come to me Goddess of Time, and your child as well...

We shall now become one. Father, son, and spirit as one holy family... We shall all live in our new home, the dimensional fortress of Chronos!

Father, wait!

Aldo! Feinne!

Madoka! Eden! Chronos! WAIT!

Damn't! What do we do?!

We have to go after Chronos, but we can't leave Nilya just lying here...

We do not know her true nature, I say let her be.

She's our friend and I say we can't just leave her like this!

She is a living thing, with her own thoughts just like us. And while we may have not always seen eye to eye... She had humanity.

Ashtear, is there no bringing her back?

She used all her energy, it's...

Is there really nothing we can do?!

......

Hey! Something's happening!

Where am I? Did I die?

If so, then I suppose it's only a matter of time before my conscious disappears and my body disintegrates...

I suppose that is just how these things work, though. It is what it is. I wasn't in this state for very long, but let's try and focus on the time we spent than the time we won't get to, hm?

Easier said than done, though...

It was foolish of me to think I could become a god...

If you could find it in your heart to forgive me, I would so much like to... Travel with you all once more... You were the first friends I ever had...

There is so much more I'd like to see, hear, touch... And I would like no better than to do all that with you...

Thank you, Aldo, Feinne, everyone... It would seem this is a lesson you can only learn after it's already too late...

To the most important people in my life, my friends who I love more than anything... I bid you farewell...

Xeno Hades?! The heck you doin' here?

...Nilya?!

Why, she's been resurrected!

It's you, right? Really, really, you?

I, Nilya, have indeed returned.

That's a relief...

But how? You had no energy left.

Xeno Hades brought me back.

Wait, THAT Xeno Hades?

But it makes sense. Xeno Hades and you came from the same lifeform, and it would have had enough energy to spare... So it used that to generate another you.

Aldo, Feinne, everyone... I am truly sorry... I regret becoming a god and attacking you...

Heh, well it's good that even though you're naive, you're not THAT naive.

Hmph. As long as you've learned from this mistake...

It's fine, Nilya. Just promise us you'll never do something like that ever again. Thinking of becoming a god and all that, just keep those thoughts out of your mind.

We're happy you're back, Nilya...

Yes, and I am happy to be back. To see your faces again, there are no proper words to describe my joy.

Welcome back, Nilya.

Welcome home!

Welcome home... Yes. Friends, I am finally home.

This "dimensional fortress" Chronos mentioned... Did he merge the imperial capital with a red meteor?

That's where my father... Or the man I used to call my father is waiting.

He said he was going to devour our world and time itself...

You okay fighting him, Kam?

I honestly don't know... I just don't understand why it had to come to this...

I'm scared of the fact I don't know if I'll be able to fight when the time comes...

What about you?

Me? Yeah, I'm scared. What we're up against is unlike anything we've fought before...

I think we're all afraid, you know? But there's no turning back now, right?

Indeed. I believe that is something in which we all agree. It is now or never.

We have to save Madoka and Eden.

I hope they're okay...

Don't worry, they'll be fine. I'll make sure to that.

But...how do we win? Is fighting him even the right way to go about this?

It's not like we can sit around and wait for another solution, we have to go with our gut on this.

We'll know in time if that was the right choice.

Yeah...I guess you're right...

We've been on this journey for a long time now... I hope this is where you find what you were looking for with Eden...

It's been a rocky road, but I'm glad we were able to walk it together, Feinne...

Me too, Altena.

Indeed, being with you all on this journey fills my databanks with joy and love!

Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here on out, full speed ahead!

You all showed me zere was a future beyond ze one I thought was possible...

A new future for humans and synth humans alike... Merci Aldo, everyone...

All right! Finally time to stick it to the man, eh? Just you wait, Chronos. You owe big and I'm comin' down to collect!

Never did I ever think I would be on the other side in a fight against the Empire...

But now that I'm here, I regret nothing. Yuki, I'm doing this for you.

I lived my whole life in service of the Sword Guard... And I feel it is my duty to see this to the very end...

And for the future both our worlds!

Our enemy is a mineral life form from space... How very interesting! A fitting match for our strength, even.

I have returned from the abyss, and I will fight all the way to the stars and back if I have to!

A battle that decides the fate of time and space! There is truly no turning back now.

In this world neither the past nor the future is set in stone... There are changes and events, but your perspective is what colors them.

So, the timeline forced on us by others can go right in the trash.

OUR time is OURS to make.

Yeah. Now let's go find our future together! Madoka, Eden, we're on our way!

Then, we're just gonna have to defeat you and save them ourselves! Prepare yourself, Nilya! You're about to learn humanity's true strength!

So this is Zurvan... Where it all started...

Welcome to the Ocean of Time.

You are the leader of the Chronos Empire, from the hollow time layer, yes? Another Chronos...

And you are the Madoka from their world. It is an honor to meet you.

You have come so far... I can only assume it was for more than exchanged pleasantries.

You are correct. Now, Goddess of Time, kneel and surrender the Ocean of Time to me.

And if I refuse?

Then you and your son will spend eternity locked away in the prison of time.

Do what you wish, but Zurvan will never be yours, Chronos.

Enough of this. I am not here to play games. Resistance will only result in death.

CHRONOS!

Hm. You're resilient, I'll give you that.

Mom! Eden!

It has been a while, hasn't it? Feinne, Aldo... It must have been quite the journey finding your way here...

I still can't believe it's actually you... I didn't think I'd ever get to see you or Eden ever again!

This isn't a dream, right?

It's all real, my dear Feinne... I'm so proud of the both of you for making it this far... Surely the road wasn't too hard?

It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that... But it was all worth it to see you again.

The road was longer than I had ever imagined, but we finally made it...

Just sorry it took so long to get here...

You remember me, Eden?

Thank you, Aldo...

What a sweet little family reunion... I've had quite enough.

We're going to put a stop to you, Chronos. The Ocean of Time, Eden, and Madoka. All of them are under our protection!

Then you will die protecting them.

There is no turning back now, Goddess.

Just one second...

Nilya?

So, this is one of those gods you all talked about before, huh? The beings that are more powerful than humans?

Nice to meet you, god! I've been waiting for this!

I think I've learned all I need to know about humanity. Now I think I'll start studying gods!

What...do you mean?

I took this form to better understand humans, and as long as I was in this form I was one of you, yes? Never forget to read the fine print...

"As long as I was in this form"!

Nilya...what are you...

Ogre Rancorem?!

I shall grant you my power, Nilya.

Nilya?!

This is bad!

Who are you? Stop this at once.

I want to know what it is like... To be a god... Now, two shall become one...

Stop this, Nilya!

Please! Stop!

Damn't Ogre Rancorem! What are you...

That edaxian! How could she...

Father?!

She destroyed the imperial flagship in one blow!

...And you're next. Ready, Aldo? You, descendants of the Thunder King, who destroyed my people, you so-called "those who stand against the darkness!"

Ogre Rancorem! Nilya! You have to stop this!

I am Mimic. Time and space are now under my control. You humans are powerless against me.

Urgh...

Both of you! You can't do this!

Eeeeek!

Tch. What can we...

What do we do now, Aldo?! I do not think we'll be able to take many more hits like that!

If she's able to fully merge with the Goddess of Time... She'll be able to bend spacetime completely to her will. ...And we will never see Madoka OR Eden ever again! We've got to stop her now, before it's too late!

Okay...but how?!

The Sword of Gold's energy readings are increasing at an infinite rate! If it were to unleash that energy, then all of spacetime would be in big, big, and I mean BIG trouble!

What?!

If we don't do something fast... But what CAN we do?!

No matter what you do, it will not be enough to stop us. Give up.

It is time you felt the pain of the eternal curse sworn that fateful day!

We can't give up now! We've got to find a way to win!

Too much is at stake!

Hm? What...is happening? My power...is draining?

I do not understand?!

No...it can't be... Feinne?!

No... You tricked me?!

So you finally figured it out? Took you long enough!

What do you mean?! What is going on?!

I didn't care if it meant it cut years off my life...

Why would you do such a thing Feinne?!

Stupid girl!

Just like you gave me your power, I gave you...me. I am not who I was before, but now neither are you.

Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself. Huh, Ogre Rancorem?

Hmph!

I'm sorry, Aldo... It was something I had to do...

You don't have to apologize, Feinne. In fact, I should be thanking you...

Nilya! You have to stop this! You are our friend! Please! Come back!

You may have taken my ogre power, but I'm afraid I no longer need it. Now you will see how powerless you stupid humans truly are!

You are standing before a GOD! Now KNEEL!

All right "Mimic"... If it is a fight you want, that's what you're gonna get.

I'll defeat you and return Madoka and Eden to their former selves!

Humans are powerless? It's time I show you just how powerful we really are!

Humans are powerless? It's time I show you just how powerful we really are!