Divine Punishment [Operation Moon Massacre]

She is preparing to become more offensive… The Captain's thoughts echoed through his mind, making him wonder if he should be more aware of his own defenses. He could feel it; doubt was beginning to spread through her. ...She's just a child. That thought occurred to him, nearly catching him off-guard. However, it was not enough to break his concentration. Too much blood had been spilled this day. Even if she was a child, she had far too much power. Would I have been the same way if I held that much power when I first arrived on this Earth…?

True, Moonie was not proud of his past. In that past he had wanted something base and demeaning: 'to be the strongest'. Over time, that desire had faded, before being eradicated completely. How can something have so much power and yet have grown so little? Moonie was fairly irritated by now. If he managed to survive this fight, he might just have to go have a little 'chat' with this things 'parents'.

While Blackheart was attacked, the Captain continued his assault. He could not care about individual soldiers in this battle. Blackheart had chosen this path, the path of the warrior. Whether or not Blackheart thought of it that way, the Captain believed that he would understand. The sight of the attack, however, was burned into the Moon God's mind. … Redirection would be the best method… With that deduction, his assault continued.

Her blood splattered across his body, being eradicated by the layer of Blast which covered his skin. No part of her demonic spawn would make contact with his body. That was the entire purpose of this 'armor'. While it did not actually prevent against direct attacks, it did tend to wipe away things such as poisons that were small and intended to cripple. What truly bothered him, however, was that expressionless look on her face.

…! The Captain actually had to clamp his jaw shut to keep his composure. That expressionless face. He knew it. He knew that expressionless face. ...No… His thoughts were interrupted by the searing heat blazing across his hand. The Armor took the brunt of it, but he could feel his fingers beginning to melt. Blast coursed around his hand, ripping with such blazing intensity that even effected his own flesh, preventing the structure of his hand from being broken even as he lost a few of the joints in the process. Using that hand would be a bit more difficult, but it was about as incapacitated as that wing of hers was.

Once again, her mental tone shifted. She was not actively trying to hide her emotions, and for someone like Moonie, who clashed souls against others on a daily basis… it was not difficult for him to see the conflicting elements of hers. Despite this… the Captain had been driven too far. If he was still in his proper mind, still Mjesec Võrgukliendid, perhaps he would have stopped his assault and attempted to coax her into a proper soul-shining conflict. It was… too late for that now, however.

This was not the first time that he had fought creatures that were corrupt and caused devastation, who were 'monsters'. He even had a few friends who were that way, bonded by trauma. That was not the part of her that had triggered his rage. It was the absolute lack of feeling that she had associated with it. If she had some amount of heart in what she was doing, was crying, or even was laughing about it, Moonie would likely not have become Captain Võrgukliendid.

Her influence indeed rendered his attack to ash, but she would perhaps be a bit surprised to feel a substantial amount of the ambient energy she had reduced having been pulverized into dust in response. Blast did not die easily, ripping and tearing and burning at whatever tried to destroy it, shredding it back down in response. While she sought nullification, it sought devastation. This clash of forces would lead to a significant amount of… 'dead' energy in the air around the battlefield.

"Pathetic." That single word left the Captain's mouth as he saw the tears in her eyes. "How dare you." He asked, his fury all the more invoked. How dare she shed tears while the ashes of men have yet to hit the earth, destroyed by her power! Those who love them should never have needed to expect they would not come home! They were merely soldiers! Not to mention the innocents…!

"PATHETIC!" The Captain roared again, as a deep sense of self-pity overwhelmed the being before him. "ARE YOU FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF OVER THE CORPSES OF MY HOME?!" He demanded as a surge of pure force echoed from the Captain's body, the Blast armor surging and resurging as it began to gather into his hands. Her tears would be swiped away by the Gravity that was pushing around the Captain's body, sending the tears into clouds of Blast that were forming around his body almost as if they were out of control, where they were shredded into dust.

"Scum." Was the only word that the Captain had for this individual as he watched his attack send her flying away, smashing into another building. His assault attempting to continue, however, finally met with some rather… significant resistance. The force grabbing hold of his leg would find that doing so would be difficult, to say the least. While it did rip away the top layer of flesh completely and claim three of his toes, the force with which the Captain's leg smashed against this force ripped it free, his body moving away from the center of that influence that had attacked him as he manipulated his own gravity.

...Hmm? The Captain's eyes narrowed, feeling that his leg was not responding as well as it should. It had taken damage after all, enough that it would take quite a while to come back to normal. His black blood was shed onto the ground in front of her body, and a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAGGGARRH!"

That was the only noise that emerged from the Captain's body as an explosive fury of pure energy exploded from his form. This energy was laced with Blast and Gravity, crashing into her own corrosive influence, absolutely exploding from the his form. Centuries of experience with loosing massive amounts of energy projected themselves into one moment as the Captain's roar shook the ground for miles around, the corrosive energy clashing against him as he continued to roar. The gravitational effects against her own body had been nullified, but those in the surrounding area were increasing in power the same time she attempted to decrease them. When it came to raw power, the Captain was not going to hold back in the slightest. He was not divided in the least about his force being used to subdue and eventually overwhelm this child. It was with this force that Moonie continued to smash against even this new sphere that she formed around herself.

"COWARD!" He roared at her shell, the Blast that had been forming around his hands finally forming his Enhanced Claws. Great rends appeared in the earth along with Moonie's blackened blood as he smashed both hands into that shell of hers. Along with each attack, an ocean of Blast energy would surge outwards from his arms, tearing entire sections of the shell to dust as the Moon God panted. He was going directly for her chest, seeking to rip her into pieces even as she tried to resist his charge. It did slow him significantly, but unless she was able to disable both of his arms he would not stop this assault until the shell she had created had been ripped away and her body at least stunned by the force of his charge.

The final attack on his leg was met similarly to before, though he drew this leg back much earlier. He had learned from the last attack what she was likely to do… and she indeed did it again. Drops of blood dripped down his limb, and while he had not expended as much energy escaping this time, he still felt the effects."Pathetic…" He growled again as another wave of that self pity emanated from the being in front of him, before continuing his assault once again.

The Captain watched as her attack destroyed his bullets, heading directly for himself. Reaching a single hand back, his crimson eyes locked on the incoming attack, he then brought the right hand down, before turning his entire body in a circle.

At this moment, a wave of Blast coursed around his entire body, before surging outwards as flames appeared on its edges. This cartwheel then turned into a tornado of black and red flames, surging outwards from the Moon Iramasha as it clashed into the incoming attack. The two attacks conflicted, with the Blast in the tornado ripping up hers and beginning to centralize it and destabilize it, before a massive explosion rent before him. The Moon Iramasha was blown back, the front of his Blast armor devastated and a gash along the front of his chest. It was deeper than he had expected; much deeper, even though he had blocked with his arms as well. That black blood was dripping along his torso as the Blast surged back over its master, his head having tilted for a single moment before returning back to focusing on his opponent.

"Scum, and you chose it… That's the worst part…" The words of the Captain rumbled out from his body, not very loud, but he had no doubt she could hear him. He did not need to speak loudly. He was not here to argue. He was simply disgusted by this creature, and what it had chosen to become. The Captain watched her beginning to assault Hayden, his breaths slowly going in and out. She had moved her attention away from him… and that meant that the Blood of the Nature Iramasha would get to work. That is, if that was all he needed. No…

The Moon Iramasha plunged his head downwards, opening his mouth wide as he bit into the very surface of the moon. As he did so, a large wave of pure energy poured out from his body, his muscles relaxing, his breathing calming. A surge of force left him as it crashed into the Moon, creating a large hole. The Captain's mouth opened wide as the recently smashed Moon poured into his mouth, Gravity directing it there as his entire form began to glow. The injuries he had sustained so far began to disperse, and the energy he had lost was being rapidly restored. She had made one very vital mistake in her assault here…

This was his territory.

Every fabric of his body felt that he was ready to continue the battle, looking in the distance. However she was fighting Hayden, and something about the boy caused for the Moon God to pause for a moment. His arms crossed over his bare chest, a scowl forming on his lips. "Fear." Was the single word that left the Captain's mouth as he watched the blood beginning to pour out of her mouth. If she bothered to observe him now, she would likely see to her dismay that he was similar to how he had been when he first started this fight. He was still largely covered in injuries; the funcionality of his arms and legs was reduced, and he still had that gash in his chest that was leaking. However, his energy had been replenished by a great amount… and she would realize better than anyone what that meant.

"Your fear controls you." The Captain told her, before merely glancing in the distance as that presence began to be felt. "The fear that knows I'm going to kill you if whatever that is actually gets here." He explained, his entire body calm. Rather an impressive feat, considering the bone-chilling presence that he had just felt. However, this was his home, and there was no place where he felt that he could fight better. He was done playing with her.

But.. It seemed this boy was not. You get one chance. He thought to himself, his arms crossed as he focused every bit of his power into his regenerative processes. One chance for that look in her eyes, that look that reminds me so much of the one who brought me out of that darkness. The Moon God thought to himself, before turning his attention back to the presence that was looking down on them.

Slowly, the Moon God placed both weapons into one hand. Gently he breathed in and out, before slowly drawing them together. As this occurred, Blast energy coursed along his body, flowing into the weapons. They burned as if something else was being forged, before a single Blast-covered blade emerged where they had once been. This was a sword that the Captain had never gotten to use before, but Moonie had… in his fight with the legendary beast, Radioactive.

The energy from that blade, its presence alone sent shivers through the Captain's spine. It was a blade which called for devastation… not even blood, but to simply be allowed loose, to destroy. It did not care why it destroyed, simply as long as it was allowed to do so. "The Scum is given a chance." He observed, the blade in one hand, his own empty gaze looking at the two of them. "You are a child. You do not deserve to be here, voi. One chance. For the sake of the woman who saved me from that pathetic darkness… you get one chance. But it won't be easy or happy, voi. Just as it isn't easy whenever I see a friend who has fallen into the same despicable trap you're in." That was all he said, before preparing himself. It was not the Captain speaking now, but Moonie himself. The thoughts that he had been having went even beyond the shell he had created, and it was only by his will that the Captain had not attempted to destroy her from behind while she engaged Hayden. That was against what Moonie believed… and for the sake of Shisome… the doll who… couldn't be here any longer… he would give her a single chance. A single chance to repent, even if every fiber of his being told him to destroy the pathetic wretch where she stood. But… he was still prepared.

After all, if she did anything further to cause destruction…

She would find the Moon God before her, the sword ripping out as miles upon miles of the Moon was reshaped from the raw force of devastation that it unleashed, like an earthquake and a tornado combined and given horrifying life. That attack would likely rip at least one part of her body completely off, even pushing away a large amount of the energy she would try to push against it in response. It was a merciless assault, but again…

It would only happen if she chose to go down the path that would lead to it.

As the reddened skies of the cosmos night shined down upon them, it brought a torch in the dark to unveil the scenes of destruction unfolding all throughout the base. Indeed, her plan was going as intended, but there was still such great conflict sealed within her soul. A lingering sense of nihilism and apathy ran throughout the core of her being as she viewed the based being dismantled by her associate, allies and those who were drawn to the chaos like a moth to the flame. Even The Princess felt this was futile and it was the same sense of lethargy, uncaring and indifferent attitude that haunted her towards the end of the Iceland conflict and weighed on her conscious like a parasite draining her of any comfort or peace.

It did not matter that one side of herself as jumping for glee and anticipating the unleashing of Hayden's bankai and seeing him on the verge of tears; the greater part of Neoveta wanted nothing to do with this and just desired for things to go back to the way they were. Every year is equal to two thousand years at the rate of perception Neoveta's mind moves at. And, in retrospect of this, it felt as if the days of her happiness were thousands upon thousands of years ago.

Ever since this darkness crept through her spine since the start of events of The Black World Arc, those golden days she spent at the side of Iriko, her kingdom, Khala and everyone in the Asthavon family seemed to be dissolving into nothing. It was as if everything in the world was being taken to her and there was nothing but the cold, empty abyss to latch herself to. Nothing seemed familiar anymore, everything was so distant and she just wanted to feel a warmth again. No matter if it meant even filling her body with malice, contempt and the utter need for destruction under the guise of religious retribution.

So, even as her chest lay open and bleeding, there was nothing but an overwhelming dullness felt in her and she truly hadn't the spirit to continue this fight. As whatever was propelling her to pursue these actions was losing it's grip on her body and being summoned away. And as Hayden continued to prod on and ask why she started this war; the words, thoughts and actions just weren't coming to her head. Everything was in a blackened blur and she couldn't think of anything to defend herself with.

Was it the fact that she was designed to be a weapon since birth that triggered this? The lost of Iriko which persuaded her to do this? The degradation of Khala's mind? The pointless of this existence? Or perhaps her Asthavon blood and it's desire for chaos? There were so many factors whirring about in Neoveta's mind, but they all diluted and turned into mental mush. None of it really mattered. Not one bit.

It's why she barely reacted to the hug as even that felt cold and numbed down to her. It was as if a mass limb of heavy emptiness was pressing against her body and she couldn't care to fight it anymore. This apathy grew so potent that not even the wild nature of The Void itself seemed to be able to overpower it. As, the right side of Neoveta's face could be seen making a distraught and angered face as it could barely move. While, to the left of her face, there was nothing but a dulled and tired expression filling The Princess face as she was genuinely tired of this life.

Yet, be that as it may, the word "peace" still managed to get through the muddied and hushed hearing of The Princess. It was something she once strove to achieve with all of her being, but now was an ashen and decayed ambition in the halls of her barren mind. Though beaten and withered, that portion of herself still remained and it seemed to resonate with the visual imagery being infused into her mind. So, although no words were spoken, Neoveta, not The Void, understood wholly what needed to be done.

Even if it cost her everything and her life, Neoveta's apathy no longer cared what happened. If death is what awaited her, she would welcome it as solace from this life is now the only thing she sought in this moment. Thus, in one cold sigh, the attachments of her Saca Dila were being undone by the satanic might of her divine demonic power. It was screaming at her not to let go of these bonds, but Neoveta did not listen. No matter if her power was growing weaker, this creature would be expunged form her body -- and she would be the lone person in control of her body for the last moments.

Thus, the rays of shadow and crimson consuming the right portion of Neoveta's body would begin to break way, crumble and eventually dissolve into the nothingness of space. When it all evaporated in the sea of blackness around them, the body of The Princess was shown as having mass blood lost, multiple cracks across it's skin and white energy leaving these wounds at an alarming rate as she felt control over her divine prowess weaning and leaving her.

But, that was fine. It was all fine. There was no way that The Void could be strong without a physical host for long. Those injuries would take awhile to recover from and she had a full understanding that her opponents could deal with whatever storm was heading their way. As for those in her family? Well, she played her role in this whole plot and they could clean up the mess just as well. There was little to no concern as to what would happen to them as everything felt cold and life was leaving her at a rapid pace.

One would expect that a person on the verge of death would have their whole life flash before them, but even for a mind as vast as Neoveta's, there was nothing akin to that. No. All she could feel was a great obscurity quickly consuming her soul and a great chill overwhelming the very deepest depths of her body. It was if she was sinking into a sea that held no end, but it's far reaching waters pulled in her conscious and told her it was alright to finally let go of it all. Not even the love of Belle Viyae could seem to reach her; as everything was so far, far away.

So, for this reason, the body of Neoveta reached great levels of cold; radiating an awful chill that would freeze the hands of those who dared to touch her without the proper protection. And, because of this, she would move herself out of the grip of Hayden and seek to make herself spiraled out on the ground as her vision started to dim and blur. There wasn't much of a point in standing back up. It was futile.

This lone act was considered a motion of treason against Shadow Fall and The Asthavon family. So there was no certainty as to what her life would be if she decided to find the strength to fight against this lingering sense of death looming throughout her body. There were also many unspoken horrors which those in the power of Shadow Fall yielded for the future of the planet. Ones she did not wish to see or fight against.

And, on the other hand, even if she wanted to -- the whole planet was against her embodiment at this point. Even if that Void within her heart was guiding The Princess's actions, she was still responsible for not keeping that force in check no matter what forces dared to turn her into a weapon. So, if she were to continue from this point, each of the worlds she once knew would be opposed against her. And, for a being with such great apathy consuming her heart -- there wasn't enough desire to want to deal with a future such as that.

So, perhaps it was easier to lay on the cold ground of the moon and watch the beautiful sights of the cosmos fade from her vision as the last bits of her life started to fade. Wings cracking, eyes dulling and skin turning grey; this wintry feeling of death continued to progress further through her body and a frigid mist exhaled from the mouth of Neoveta as she embraced for whatever may come next. And through her decaying body, she would utter these rasped words to Hayden:

"I want to go home as well......."

Dim

Dimmer

The eyes of Neoveta gazed upon the millions of stars beyond the grasp of the moon and wondered if her spirit could possibly be reborn in an existence, a dimension or world with far greater harmony and hope than the life she was born into. While on the door step of death, The Princess could think of her life as nothing more than an overdrawn burden. Born into a family of chaos, devoid of love, constructed to be a weapon, forced to kill, corrupted beyond all repair and used even to the last bits of her dying breath; there was little to anything worth clinging for in her recollections and it was a far better solution to just accept death and find home -- in nirvana.

It was all destined to come to this and there was no point in further bloodying her hands for this.

So perhaps for the world, her family and for she herself -- the best solution was to die.

The Princess was tired and just wanted to go home....but there was no hope for such a thing in a world like this.