The Final Ashfield

[JACENDER — BLACK]

So... warm, Jace thought. He couldn't really see, but he felt like his body had been floating in stasis, basking in warm light. Maybe it was more akin to a heated bath. In any case, he felt himself get pulled towards the heat, sinking slowly into its reaches. Deeper and deeper he went, nestling into the warmth. I want to stay…

His limbs surged with fire. He groaned at the feeling of his blood getting hotter underneath his naked skin. It was like a boiler — scalding and steamy. 

The flames ripped through his dreamscape and filled it with red. Then, once he could see, the heat transformed his dreamscape into white and blue, illuminating everything before him. A large fall of flames floated above, getting bigger and bigger the longer he stared at it. Jacender recognized it; It was the same object that floated in the statue's hand back in the Axis. A sun.

"YOU," a voice boomed suddenly. Jace felt himself being pulled up towards the star. He rose swiftly, his body forcibly being coated with golden energy.

 "CHILD OF DESTINY, MAKE YOUR CHOICE!"

The force of the words sent him sprawling back, stopping his flight in its tracks. Jacender flinched. "W-What's happening?!" he cried, doing his best to claw upwards. But the heat and gravity were too taxing on his body. He could barely look up, let alone shout as he was sent down

The sun came down then, its smoldering heat dispelling the shadows around Jace until the skin on his feet began to sear and tear, traveling through his body and disintegrating his flesh. He was quickly becoming bone. 

Again, the voice called to him. "MAKE YOUR CHOICE!"

He'd realized now that it was the same voice that called to him when he had grabbed hold of the floating book.

"What do you mean?!" he whimpered, his pained roar reverberating against the flames. The ball of fire enveloped him, shouting, "MAKE YOUR CHOICE!", once more before the energy combusted, returning it all back to dark.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

[THE OUTSIDE WORLD, RANDOM MOUNTAIN RAVINE]

Jace's body jumped forward in an instant, a scream spilling from his lips. "Wh-What was that?"

He grabbed his forehead. A headache sat in-between his creased eyebrows as he mumbled, "Ugh…" and groaned. The last thing I remember was… He took a look around, sensing immediately that something was wrong. He was not in the Forbidden Area, nor was he even in the Axis. 

His eyes fell upon the shadowy outline of the black-haired boy sitting across from him. He sat in front of a makeshift campfire and stared into its crackling flames. By his side was a small stack of familiar branches. Ashtree wood.

"Aleximus..." Jace started, scared to continue.

His brother's eyes stirred. They were somber — different from how Jace had last seen them. "You're finally awake, huh?" Aleximus responded, snapping a branch in half and throwing it into the blaze. "About time. It's been almost two weeks."

Jace gulped, his eyes beginning to water. He was afraid about what might have happened while he was out. Why were they here, on a hilltop overlooking a large forest? How could two weeks have passed since the events in the Axis?

"Hey..." his voice shook, "Where's Anna? A-And Uncle Matsuda?"

Aleximus snapped another branch and tossed it into the fire. "We're going to need some more fuel if we want to cook dinner tomorrow. The Ashtree wood comes in handy 'cause it doesn't burn, but... "

A spiral of what looked to be madness circled within his brother's pupils like a dark curtain. What was wrong with him? How could he have changed so much?

"H-Hey, don't ignore me!" Jace screamed. He leaned forward. "What happened? What happened after I flew into the waterfall?!"

"I found tracks through a small ravine at the bottom of the hill. It's a mile or two away from here, but we can go in the morning," Aleximus continued. "It probably belonged to a deer or another animal. There might be fresh water too."

Jace scrambled to his feet, on the verge of losing his cool. "Don't ignore me ,you bastard!"

Aleximus's eye twitched at those words. He dug into his pocket and quickly looked at what he'd fished out. It was smaller than the other pieces of kindling; white with spots of black. Without a second thought, Aleximus chucked the object into the fire and turned back to Jace. "Once we have that, we can pack supplies and keep moving."

CRACK!

Jacender's fist flew across Aleximus's face, sending his brother tumbling over into a rocky wall. A moment after, Jace mounted him and raised another first with a furious scowl. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Aleximus felt blood leak from his lips as he looked at what he'd thrown inside. Anna's blackened swallowtail headpiece slowly melted in the stockpile of burning wood. Jacender had recognized it the moment Aleximus had taken it out. And the fact that it was thrown into a flame to be burned almost completely overwhelmed him with frustration.

Aleximus's eyes turned back towards Jace. He studied his face silently and stifled a laugh. "You think that's funny?" Jace snarled. He brought down his fist again, hoping to crack him in his chin, but Aleximus caught it this time.

"No," his brother said in a low voice, pushing his arm back. Jacender sucked his teeth and used more force to keep him down.

"After everything that happened... Do you really think something can be done now, Jace? It's too late. They're both gone."

Jacender flinched, shock flooding him, and unconsciously loosened his clenched paw. "N-No... You're lying! You've gotta be!"

Aleximus shook his head and grumbled something under his breath. And then, overcome by anger at the sight of the burning headpiece—

CRACK!!

"WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT!" he roared, driving his foot into Jace's stomach. The impact sent him keeling over. Aleximus jumped to his feet, stood above him, and hurled numerous blows his way. "THEY'RE GONE!" he shouted, as if convincing himself. "THEY'LL — NEVER — COME — BACK!"

He broke Jacender's guard and mounted him. "IT'S JUST US NOW!!"

"A-Aleximus…" Jace grunted helplessly. He took the brunt of another punch to his mouth. 

His brother angrily raised his fist, threatening to bring it down again, and trembled. "...YOU DIDN'T SAVE HER!" he choked, tears gushing from his eyes. "UNCLE MATSUDA DIDN'T SAVE HER! AND I..."

Aleximus's arms fell to his side. He unmounted Jace, pulled his knees close, and curled into a circle. "...I couldn't save her..."

He dug his fingers into the gravel underneath him, repeating it again and again. Jace could see him sobbing through his swollen eye and winced.

 "I couldn't." Aleximus wept.

Jace struggled to stand.

It was the most pathetic state he'd ever seen his brother in. His twin, who displayed so much confidence and maturity... was crumpled and shaken into a shell of his former self. Jacender could tell then. He wasn't there to see it, but Jace knew. If he couldn't understand his brother's feelings, then there probably wasn't a single person who could understand Aleximus anywhere.

But, Jace thought, rising to his feet. He's still my brother…

 -------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

[THE CHURCH OF GABRIEL, PUNISHMENT FORCE HEADQUARTERS]

Dozens of white-robed worshipers clasped their hands together, murmuring indistinct prayers directed at a sanctuary erected atop a stage platform. 

 A large, see-through spherical glass cage held a purple-haired man captive. Blood ran through his hair and his torn dark-purple kimono. He'd been stripped of his gauntlet, and his half-mask, and was plagued by a loss of energy — the result of a recent battle. 

The man was chained savagely to the floor, with each link punctured through his shoulders, thighs, ankles, and wrists to restrict his movement. The prism was designed so that even the slightest twitch would cause him excruciating pain. Even the bright, gold lights set up above and below him served to prevent him from falling unconscious.

Though he didn't want to admit it… Matsuda knew he was trapped.

"Easy now," a light voice warned him from the shadows. They hid in his blind spot behind the giant cross — the centerpiece of the sanctuary's altar.

"Those are Holy Nails, Mr. Reaper. Scriptures say the blood of an angel enhances their effects. The more you struggle, the more pain you'll feel ❤️~"

Matsuda hacked up blood. "You people are still up to no good, I see…"

"You people?" the man laughed. He gasped with fake irritation and added, "Why, I'm just a God-honest bishop. Promise."

Matsuda sighed, seeing through the facade. "Right."

CL~UD

The large double doors behind the congregation opened, and once they did, all the worshippers knelt.

The tension in the room became heavy. The sound of several footsteps echoed throughout the sanctuary room and approached the stage: Five people brandishing the mark of two-crossed keys over a white dove.

The frontrunner — a beautiful silver-haired girl — tossed back her robe's white hood and sneered at the display. The three men behind her did the same and lined up next to her at the crossing, but the fourth remained silent and fell back to the nave to kneel with the other worshipers.

They all studied Matsuda, but the girl in particular seemed bothered. She hid it well behind her aloof and uncaring aura, but there was frustration behind her eyes.

Her look was that of a royal — raw and condescending. Matsuda's eyes were drawn specifically to the mane of a dead white lion that rested over her shoulder, wrapped around her neck like a scarf. She extended her gloved hand out of her robe to reveal black leather pants and a white breastplate over her chest.

"Interesting," she finally said. She rested her hand on her waist and turned to the nearest one: a muscular and bald-headed dark-skinned man with ink tattooed to his temple. "Do you have an explanation for this, Bishop Dehka?"

"My apologies Madam Minerva, but I'm afraid not," he responded. His voice was deep, yet smooth and well-mannered. He opened his palm and materialized a black scroll with golden inking. "Reports say that Bishop Caesar battled and apprehended the suspect as he attempted to flee. As for why he was brought here to Punishment Force headquarters …"

The scroll vanished with a snap of his fingers. "...I do not know."

Minerva scowled at the sight of her sanctuary dirtied with unknown blood. Next to Bishop Dehka, a grey-haired teen with lavender streaks chortled. "Isn't it already damn obvious? Whoever this guy is, the fact that it took this long for him to get here means Nero couldn't operate through the regular channels, right?"

He carried an air of arrogance that made him seem less mature than the other Bishops. Hanging from his neck was a golden cross that shone against his black undershirt.

"Watch your tongue, Bishop Oboni," the final Bishop chimed in. He was the oldest of the group, with a thin, trimmed black beard and short, grease-colored hair. Underneath his robe was a long-sleeve black linen shirt with a drawstring pattern running from his chest down to his waist. He was also the only one with a weapon. At least a visible one. A gray longsword hung at his side, waiting for the moment it could be put to use. 

He kept his eyes peeled on Matsuda but continued to berate the younger Bishop. "Do not let your newfound status as a Bishop delude you into losing respect for this holy Sanctuary."

Oscar scoffed, a crinkle forming in his sneering face. "I don't take orders from second-rate trash, Leonard. And you'll refer to me as Oscar Hakon Havik-Oboni you lowerclass mongrel!" 

He motioned at the man behind Matsuda who rested against the cross's shadow and tsked. "We've been in waiting for the past three years. No one has called on us, nor have our stations been made official yet."

He faced Leonard with anger. "For some odd reason, you and Nero over there seem to be the only ones allowed to make moves on behalf of the Church! I mean look around — the Father hasn't even bothered to summon the Arch-Bishops here! Don't you get it, your fool? Whatever's happening here is a chance to prove ourselves to the church! Minerva can be angry all she wants, but we were called here because we're needed! No one else!"

A cherry-red aura seeped from Leonard's rigid body and caused the roof of the sanctuary to shake. The floor beneath him and Leonard shuddered before the planks began to split and snap around them. "You forget yourself, Oscar." Bishop Leonard said, eyeing him sharply. "There are no class systems here. There are no lords, warriors, or peasants. There is only the Church and its doctrine. So long as you exist within it, you will address me and the others as Bishops, for that is the wish of the Father. You will not disrespect hallowed ground. You will fall in line." 

Oscar's forehead turned red with veins. A translucent grey and black hue rushed from his shoulders and spilled out around him until it clashed against Leonard's. "How dare you…" Oscar growled.

They're strong… Matsuda thought. He looked from Oscar to Bishop Dehka to Bishop Minerva. Are they all new Bishops? 

His train of thought was interrupted once Leonard raised his hand. He retracted his Sanctum Energy with a sigh and glanced at Matsuda. "Forget it. We weren't called here to fight. You're right about us being needed. He is the most important issue at hand. Isn't that right... Bishop Havik-Oboni?"

Oscar sucked his teeth and withdrew his Sanctum Energy. Lousy old man… 

He knew Leonard was testing his maturity. Had he continued to fight, his name would have been dishonored. 

Matsuda whistled to Leonard. "As understanding as always, eh?"

Each Bishop looked to Leonard, their eyes full of questions. He somehow knew Matsuda. 

Leonard lowered his crossed arms and stepped forward. You sly fox… Trying to gain information by taking advantage of their ignorance, huh? Fine… I'll bite.

"You wanted to know who he was, Bishop Minerva?" Leonard asked. He pointed at Matsuda's kimono. "Look closely. A purple kimono with red spider lilies. That should ring a bell. He's a war criminal the Father and the Church have been hunting for over a decade now. Although he's grown quite an interesting beard since we last fought." 

Matsuda fought back a laugh and winced at the chains in his arm.

"But I still see the shadow of death lurking behind those eyes of yours, Matsuda Onix." the Bishop continued. "Perhaps nothing really changes — even with the passage of time, eh?"

The others were slowly beginning t. Understand. The man they had chained in front of them was no ordinary prisoner. A bead of sweat rolled down Minerva's neck as her expression changed from irritation to sadistic curiosity. "You mean that this man is the Reaper of Illawood? The most feared assassin in the Onix Embassy?"

Matsuda grinned and acknowledged the encounter. Shifting the conversation to my reputation… You haven't changed at all.

"Leonard Lemp," he huffed, "What's it been? Eleven years already? Still can't seem to grow a real beard can you?"

Leonard smirked, amused by the exchange, and ran his fingers along his chin. "Twelve. Though I can't say I've had much luck maintaining it, old friend."

"Well, I guess for you, this is as friendly as it gets, isn't it?" Matsuda quipped, glancing at the nails. "Wait," Oscar interrupted with a hungry look. "This is the man said to have slaughtered ten thousand soldiers in a single night? Even in my homeland, I've heard stories of the famed Thunder Ninja, Matsuda Onix. They say the last thing you hear before he kills you is the crackling thunder clashing against the air. We have a god-damned legend in our midst!"

"Indeed," Bishop Dehka added. "Though I wouldn't put it so crudely. Legends are so easily fabricated. He looks frail and starved of Sanctum Energy. Could this man really be so fearsome?"

Matsuda smirked. "If you take these chains off, you'll see for yourself how frail I can be."

"Nice try, Mr.Reaper," the hidden Bishop — Nero — said and chuckled behind him. "Those restraints aren't coming off anytime soon."

Leonard raised his arm and rolled back his sleeve for everyone to see. Minerva's eyebrow rose as she stared at the charred skin. There were metal gears in his arm with bits of flesh sutured in to hide the wires. It was a nearly disgusting sight.

 "Twelve years ago, I was lucky enough to only lose my left arm to this man in battle. Do not let those restraints fool you. As we speak, it's not only taking the power of the chains, the nails, and the Sanctum Energy of the parishioners below to hold him at bay — but even the presence of us Bishops. His power rivals that of a Paragon. He's a bonafide monster."

Despite his warning, Oscar inched closer, more enticed by Matsuda than scared of him. A pool of grey energy formed behind him and assumed the shape of a black raven. "Interesting!" he laughed. "That just makes me want to test him even more! Come on then, 'Reaper'! I'll give you a shot!" 

DWO~OM!!

An unexpected force hit Oscar's back and sent him crashing down to his knees. "Wh—!"

He desperately looked around for the source of the pressure and realized all the other Bishops were kneeling as well.

"Bishop Oboni," a hoarse voice called to him. It was the voice of an elder, but it was by no means weak or shaky. On the contrary, it was domineering to the point that absolute silence had befallen the room. 

"Allowing a bound heretic to unsettle you is unfitting of a man of your… stature."

"Y-Your Holiness!" Oscar whimpered, prostrating himself out of fear.

Matsuda's eyes traveled across the room until he saw an old man standing in the doorway. He sported a pair of crooked spectacles and a few strands of blond hair poked out from underneath his mitre. In his hands was a staff with two intertwining snakes circling a shining purple gemstone.

"Jeremiah..!" he snarled, pulling hard at the chains. "I should've known you'd still be alive!"

The elder raised a brow and smiled. "So, Onix brat… After all these years, we've finally caught you, haven't we?"

Matsuda struggled against his bonds and grit his teeth. What's going on? I thought Hatagi and Dopi came from Eclipse! Who is Bishop Nero to be connected with both parties?!

The pope walked past the crossing and approached the altar. "At long last we're face to face again. Just like on Verglas."

Matsuda's breathing paused at the mention of 'Verglas'. Jeremiah noticed and extended his arm. Somehow, despite the barrier, his hand was able to phase through and grab Matsuda's chin. He studied him how a father would study his child and tsked "Of course this time, the Pendragon brat and that loud upstart aren't here like they were then, are they?"

"Maybe it's better that way," Matsuda smirked. "Those two would have burnt everything you control to ashes… Just like Verglas. Who knows? Malik still might." 

The pope's glasses shone darkly. "Be that as it may, the Dei Verbum covenant pacifies any intentions of rebellion he may have. The Church is the absolute law."

 Jeremiah sighed, turning back to his followers, and raised his staff for a speech. "Our lord has rewarded us for over a decade of patience. It is a sign from our lord that the day of Armaggedon is drawing near! But we must not yet celebrate. We must be steadfast and prepare ourselves for the day his visions come to pass!"

"Yes, your eminence!"

"Of course, sir!"

"Praise Gabriel!!"

The Gabrielites chanted praises, too caught up in their pope's words to hear Matsuda's.

"Betrayed? Don't make me laugh!" Matsuda spat. He tipped his head and gestured at Oscar. "The boy there said their stations haven't been made official yet, right? You haven't told them have you?"

Leonard stepped forward, his jaw tightening. "That's eno–" he began before Jeremiah cut him off with a raised hand. He wanted the prisoner to speak. 

Matsuda's expression darkened as flashes of electric Sanctum Energy began to spark from his body. "Except for Leonard, they're all new Bishops, aren't they? What's the matter? You won't tell them what happened to the previous ones? Well, I—"

A sharp cough pierced his throat. Behind him, he could hear Nero snicker.

"I forgot to mention that your cage is made of Ilodium," the hidden Bishop said playfully. "It'll be difficult to breathe."

Matsuda drew in several breaths, his eyes laden with rage.

"You should choose your words carefully, sinner. Continuing to tempt my Bishops with devilish words might end up choking you." Though Jeremiah's back was still turned to him, Matsuda could feel his seriousness. Not one of the Bishops' trust was shaken in their pope. To them, Matsuda was just a war criminal trying to say anything to escape.

Once he understood that, the purple-haired prisoner hung his head in defeat. "What do you want from me, Jeremiah? Why am I still alive?"

FWA~THOOM!

The cage around Matsuda shattered into shards of light and dissipated. "Well, old friend," Jeremiah smiled, facing him. He pointed his staff at Matsuda's body. "I know about the Codex. And I know that there were children who escaped with it."

In a flash of bewilderment, Matsuda's eyes lit again. 

"Oh yes," Jeremiah laughed, egging him on. "I know Runnulf didn't destroy it. To use it as sustenance for an Axis was genius indeed. We would've never found you had your children not given you away."

"You'll never find them!" Matsuda yelled, "They're gone!"

A brilliant glow of gold and white charged at the tip of the staff, placing itself between Matsuda's forehead and the stone engraved between the two melding snakes.

 As it glew, Jeremiah's lips pursed together and became a condescending smirk.

"Though I didn't see them," Nero said from the shadows, "I heard you call out one of their names in your little escape attempt, fufu~❤"

A chill of cold ran through Matsuda's body once Nero said, "Aleximus, right?"

"You bast—" he began, his powers flaring up again. The Parishioners in the background started collapsing under the weight of his power. They could only barely hold him back.

"Good and upright is the lord," Jeremiah interjected in a foreboding tone."For the sinners, in his new kingdom, shall be welcomed and taught to love as he has loved them."

A black coat of Sanctum energy shot from the staff and wrapped itself onto Matsuda's kimono until it traveled up his skin and covered him.

"A-Ah–" he choked, trying to grab at his throat. Sadly, the chains around his arm restricted his movement and simultaneously caused his blood to feel as if it were slowly turning solid in his veins. 

"The meek, guided and culled by the waves of unfairness, will find reward in our Lord's mercy."

Now, the Bishops themselves had joined in on the prayer, fortifying whatever power was being used to restrain him.

Matsuda's arm began to twist roughly, crumbling in on itself until a bone pierced through his cracked skin and burst from his elbow's socket.

The chains around him tightened, resulting in a swift spillage of blood.

"And let the barren hate of man be stripped, drowned in the torrent of love soon to come!"

The darkness had fully engulfed Matsuda's entire body, a blood-red tinge accenting his skin horribly like he was a living corpse. The purple within the gemstone faded and was replaced by the horrible thrashing of lightning bolts. 

Matsuda's Sanctum Core… was sealed.

 [Lord Of Justice]