000 - What Makes The Sky Blue

The moment both Lyria and Orchid disappeared, Lucilius immediately felt a disturbance within his wings where he had trapped his other personality. He could sense that they were trying to break it free. But before he could react, Sandalphon was on him again, attacking relentlessly.

She gave him no chance to respond, and alongside her, Singularity Gran and his companions, as well as the two Primarchs, pressed their assault with relentless fury. They forced him to stay on guard, preventing him from focusing on the ones attempting to infiltrate his wing and free Rei.

Even with his heightened power, managing them all was challenging, especially with Sandalphon wielding the power of her twelve wings—a constant irritation. And there was Djeeta to consider; though she was still unconscious, if she awoke, the combined force of her Boundary power and Sandalphon's supreme Primarch abilities would make the fight all the harder.

It was time to end this.

BOOOOOM! Lucilius unleashed a powerful shockwave, his aura exploding outward, pushing everyone back with its force.

Then, the aura around his wings grew stronger, generating a fierce windstorm that tore through the battlefield.

"Ughh!!" Sandalphon struggled to hold her ground, bracing herself against the raging winds.

"What's he planning now!?" Io shouted over the roar of the storm.

"Stay focused! Don't let your guard down!" Katalina warned the group.

"Omen of Ten Labours." At his words, ten shimmering forms of purple-silver aura appeared around him, crackling with silver lightning. The auras twisted and solidified, shaping themselves into ten massive Opus weapons.

"Oi! That's a lot of weapons!! Aren't those the same ones Djeeta fought so hard to destroy before!?" Vyrn yelled, panic evident in his voice.

"Go," Lucilius commanded, sending his Opus weapons hurtling toward them.

"Brace yourselves!" Gran called out as they all raised their defenses, preparing to block the onslaught. The weapons struck with relentless precision, each one circling back and attacking again, despite their best efforts to deflect and defend.

Forced to focus on the oncoming barrage, Gran and his allies were locked in a struggle with the Opus weapons, barely holding their ground.

Now, Lucilius knew he had the advantage to bring this to an end.

"Sephiroth…" he murmured, ascending higher into the sky, his purple aura intensifying as it engulfed him. His wings shone with blinding brilliance, and the pressure radiating from him grew overwhelmingly powerful, shaking the air and ground around him.

"[Counting down: Thirteen Seconds]," a voice echoed from Lucilius's twelve wings as the energy surrounding him surged even stronger.

"Sandalphon! He's up to something up there!" Halluel called to Sandalphon, deflecting an Opus weapon that came her way.

Hearing this, Sandalphon looked up, immediately sensing the overwhelming force Lucilius was gathering. Whatever he was planning, it was meant to end this fight decisively.

But another Opus weapon shot toward her, forcing her to focus on defending. "He's preparing to use everything he has to finish this!" she shouted to the others.

"Damn it! What are we supposed to do? These weapons just keep coming!" Eugen grunted, struggling to fend off yet another attack.

"[Twelve]," the countdown continued, Lucilius's power growing with each passing second.

"Do something about him, Sandalphon! We'll handle the weapons!" Malluel shouted to her.

"Halluel!" Malluel extended her hand to her sister, who quickly flew to her side, grasping it firmly.

"[Ten]."

The twins combined their powers, their wings starting to glow—Halluel's with a radiant golden light, Malluel's with a deep, shadowed black.

"Stella Repentina!" they chanted in unison, raising their joined hands forward. From their clasped hands, a golden and black magic circle emerged, glowing brighter by the second before ten golden beams shot forth, striking at the Opus weapons.

While the beams managed to deflect the weapons, they couldn't fully destroy them, but it was enough of a distraction. Sandalphon seized the opening, soaring upward, eyes locked on Lucilius.

"[Nine]."

Channeling her power, Sandalphon unleashed her strongest attack. "Paradise Soph Aur!" Golden swords infused with the radiant energy of Paradise Lost materialized around her, their edges sharpened with power. She launched them all toward Lucilius in a powerful, focused strike.

"Pointless," Lucilius said calmly—and then, in an instant, he vanished.

"!?" Sandalphon's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't seen him move; it was as if he had simply disappeared.

Then she felt an overwhelming danger from behind her. She spun, but Lucilius was already there, his right hand raised, cloaked in a dark aura, pointed directly at her.

Before she could react, he clenched his hand, and in that instant, a shadowy sphere engulfed her, completely immobilizing her.

"Wh-what is this!?" Sandalphon struggled, but the dark bubble surrounding her rendered her powers useless, trapping her in place.

"[Eight]," the countdown continued as the energy in Lucilius's purple wings intensified, growing darker and more ominous with each number.

"Sandalphon!" they cried out in alarm, watching helplessly as Sandalphon remained trapped within the dark bubble. Despite their concern, they were still occupied, locked in battle with the relentless onslaught of Opus weapons.

Meanwhile, below, Vyrn hovered beside the unconscious Djeeta, tugging her hair frantically. "Oiii, wake up! This isn't the time for a nap!" he shouted, flying in circles around her, trying every way he could to wake her up.

As the countdown continued, "[Seven]," a massive purple magic circle filled with Astral symbols materialized beneath Lucilius. It spun faster and faster, a whirlwind of dark energy.

"[Six]."

The magic circle rose, passing over Lucilius's body, and as it did, his entire form began to glow with an ominous purple light. The aura surrounding him intensified, and a blue flame sparked in his eyes, flaring outward.

"[Five]."

The raw energy surging through him was overwhelming, causing his body to spasm under the strain. He was pushing himself to the very edge, power spilling over uncontrollably.

"Wake up, Djeeta! You have to wake up!" Vyrn shouted, his tiny fists pounding her cheeks in desperation.

Suddenly, Djeeta's eyes snapped open, startling Vyrn. "Ekk!" he gasped, flying back in surprise.

Djeeta sprang to her feet, her expression filled with satisfied. "Finally!" she said, a small, triumphant smile crossing her face.

The moment Djeeta looked up, she could feel the overwhelming force Lucilius was building up above, his power practically tearing through the air. Despite knowing the odds, a small smile played on her lips.

"Djeeta, you're finally awake! You need to use your blue power and stop that guy!" Vyrn said urgently, hovering beside her and pointing up at Lucilius.

But Djeeta only chuckled. "Hehe, it's fine, Vyrn. Just let him be."

"What…?" Vyrn blinked, confused.

The countdown continued until finally, it hit zero. With a surge, Lucilius unleashed all of his accumulated power, commanding his wings to release it in a single devastating strike.

"The… END!" he declared, his voice echoing through the sky as the energy reached its peak.

But in an instant, the purple aura enveloping his wings transformed into a brilliant blue.

"What!?" Lucilius felt his energy start to drain, his grip over his own power slipping. The aura that had cloaked his body vanished, and his twelve wings began to disappear, fading from twelve to ten, then eight, as he rapidly lost control.

The Opus weapons he'd summoned vanished as well, leaving the others confused and freed from their relentless attacks. With a sudden crash, Lucilius fell from the sky, hitting the ground hard.

"What happened?" Rackam asked, bewildered, as he lowered his weapon.

The dark bubble around Sandalphon vanished, and she staggered as she regained her mobility. Lucilius, meanwhile, was struggling to move, feeling his body turn against him.

"What… what's happening to me…? My body… my power… it's gone rogue!" he murmured, his voice laced with disbelief. The blue aura now glowing on his wings seemed to be restraining him, sapping his control.

"It's a good look for you, Lucilius," a calm voice said.

Lucilius looked up to see a radiant blue light appeared, revealing a majestic figure—Future Lyria. Her long, glowing blue hair was adorned with star-like ornaments, and a serene smile graced her face. Hovering beside her was a small dragon with dark and silver scales.

"You… girl in blue!" Lucilius growled, glaring at her.

"Is that…?" Gran squinted, trying to recognize the newcomer.

"She looks so familiar," Katalina murmured, landing beside Djeeta and the others.

"Good work, everyone," Djeeta praised, a satisfied look on her face.

"You finally woke up! Fighting him was a nightmare—he just kept regenerating," Io said, exhaustion clear in her voice as she stood.

Djeeta chuckled lightly. "Just think of it as experience for future battles."

They all turned to look at Lucilius, who was now faced with Future Lyria and the dragon.

"Yes, that's Future Lyria—from my timeline. The plan worked," Djeeta confirmed.

"The plan? You mean beside all that fighting for stallling time there is another plan?" Eugen asked.

"Yes. Future Lyria needed time to reach this timeline with her abilities," Djeeta explained.

Due to the multiverse nature of Granblue Fantasy, with its countless timelines, Future Lyria had to locate this exact one where Rei and the others were. By marking Lucilius as a beacon with Djeeta's Boundary power, Future Lyria could track him through the timelines. It had been a long, meticulous process, observing countless worlds, but finally, she'd arrived just before Lucilius could activate The End.

Lucilius glared at her. "Which timeline are you from? I don't recall seeing you during my time."

"Which timeline?" Future Lyria tapped her lips faking thought.

"Grr…" The dragon tugged at her, urging her to stop prolonging.

"It's my own timeline—or rather, a future that no longer exists," she answered, a bittersweet smile spreading across her face.

"A future…" Lucilius murmured, beginning to understand. "I see. You're from a timeline where my plan succeeded."

Lyria nodded, her expression hardening as she remembered. "Exactly. And after all the suffering you caused, I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen again."

She raised her hand, and the blue glow on Lucilius's wings intensified, overwhelming him and further eroding his control.

Memories surged through Future Lyria's mind—memories of how Rei had disappeared during their journey, only for him to resurface as something entirely different. She and the others had searched tirelessly, eventually locating him with the aid of the Eternals and the Six Dragons. But instead of their friend, they found an enemy.

Over time, they realized something horrible: this wasn't Rei at all. Niyon, one of the Eternals, sensed the change in his soul, noting how it had turned vile and twisted. Years of struggle followed, with otherworldly threats ravaging their realm and Rei at the center of the chaos, corrupted and unrecognizable. Many friends and allies had fallen in those battles, sacrificing themselves to protect their world.

Finally, after two decades, they had managed to bring him down with Djeeta's omnipotent power. But when Djeeta attempted to restore him, she discovered that Rei had been erased completely by Lucilius long ago. Even with her omnipotent abilities, she couldn't reach him without tearing apart the very fabric of their world.

Unable to risk further destruction, and with nothing left of Rei to save, Djeeta had been forced to end his life herself.

After that, Djeeta looked back at Lyria with a bittersweet smile, her eyes welling with tears. "I'm really sorry… for taking so long to realize the true nature of this power. But here, Lyria, I can't do this anymore."

In her final act she transferred all her remaining power into Lyria. The overwhelming surge of energy—her abilities as Astral God vessel combined with the Omnipotent Bahamut's power—flowed into Lyria, transforming her completely. Her appearance changed, a celestial glow surrounding her as she absorbed the combined forces.

With this new strength, Future Lyria realized something extraordinary: she could rewind time herself.

Without hesitation, she channeled this power, reversing time to the very beginning, to the moment before Rei ever appeared in this world. She'd been granted a chance to rewrite everything, to prepare for Lucilius's defeat and ensure Rei would not disappear.

Determined, Lyria began her preparations, her heart set on preventing the suffering that had once defined her timeline. This time, things would be different. She'd be ready, armed with the knowledge and power to protect the one she loved from Lucilius's plans.

But that was easier said than done. Each time, no matter how carefully she altered events, Rei kept losing control, unable to withstand the immense power he absorbed. Sometimes, his body would even explode under the strain, erasing all her efforts in an instant. Again and again, she rewound time, adjusting her approach, yet she continued to fail as she watched him succumb to the same fate repeatedly.

Eventually, she's realized that Rei's struggle wasn't just about raw power—he needed to understand and accept his past. He had to come to terms with his lineage as an Astral. It was only through embracing who he truly was that he would be able to master the abilities within him.

With this in mind, she rewound time once more, though by now she had lost count of how many attempts she had made.

This time, she took a different approach. Rather than directly involving herself, she observed Rei and intervened subtly, guiding him toward encounters that might help him grow. She arranged for him to meet certain members of the Revenant, including Tweyen and Narmaya, earlier than he would have on his own path.

Each small step went according to plan, carefully laying the groundwork for his understanding and growth. Now, only one final piece remained to complete her efforts. There was just one more task she had to see through.