Tread Lightly

A river of darkness reaches out for Vincent, but the man has already caught the Colt in his hand somehow, tipping the barrel past him. We double bluffed, and succeeded, but it doesn't matter. He's just too fast. Lily misses entirely, her first river hitting nothing. I can only gape at him in awe, but... then I grow confused as he continues to move the barrel, letting it point all the way at his other shoulder. Reality shivers beneath my gaze as I realize an illusion has managed to deceive Vincent of his own body. The God felt nothing where there was something.

Just as I search for the cause, an old enemy of mine stands near Vincent Harvey, a knowing smile growing to its peak on his face behind the shadows that elucidate his form. His figure is far too close. But... He knew that a long time ago.

The first man I ever hated gives me a slow farewell just as he evaporates into the Endless, his flesh and bone mixed with faux metal. The Phantom Pain managed to trick the most powerful God once—his greatest trick of them all. I didn't even know he was here until now, but I suppose that is the only way it would have worked. If I had known, Vincent would have figured it out. The only way to genuinely pull one over on Vincent is for Alexos to have made us all believe he wasn't even here.

Vincent's face of complete and utter horror almost counteracts the grief I feel as he realizes what has happened to him.

The oh-so-familiar current of darkness conjured by the Blooming Spider Lily links Vincent Harvey to my soul. His eyes widen in shock as I step closer, reaching for his collar. My partner shouts in strain as she struggles to siphon his vitality away, but I change her course.

"It's... impossible! I can't! He's resisting!?"

"Then don't take his life. Just distract him. Do anything to hurt him."

Lily acknowledges my words and refocuses her efforts as I stare Desolation in the eyes. He is momentarily paralyzed, the Cardinal itself bearing its weight upon him while my father does the same. It takes two of the strongest Gods imaginable to halt Vincent. And that's only temporary. His pupils, golden and sandy as they are, remind me of a dear friend and mentor. But they do more than just place that figure in my eyes.

They tell me his words.

"...When you... begin the final battle. Don't look at me that way. When you fight your final opponent to end this war... please take them into one of the two."

I'm sorry, Johnny. I've forgotten. And in doing so... I've ruined so much of our world. If only we had fought Usen elsewhere, then this continent would still be fully habitable after our war. As it is now, though... I don't know if that will be the case other than the absolute fringes.

But... I won't destroy anymore. And I won't let Vincent either. My irises slide over to those who are here to help me. If I do this... I probably won't have any more help.

Is it worth it?

No. I'll just have to bring them.

With one hand wrapped around Vincent's shirt, made of the Endless, too, I bring the other to the sky. Making a Crossroads is difficult. But it is not impossible, especially not for a God. Ma told me how they work. What they are—congregations of incredible amounts of Ether that fracture space. I've done it before. I just need to do it again. I won't let him ruin my world.

My knuckles impact the atmosphere itself as space cracks from the rippling Ether and force of Limitless. The remnants of Lennon's strike leave my way forward far more effortless than it would have otherwise been. Fissures emerge, and before Vincent recovers from Lily invading his entire system, I tackle the man and take him into the nearest open realm.

Space itself shifts and wriggles before my very eyes, and I see an... infinite span of locales. There are... so many places, so many worlds, so many... lives out there in the cosmos. The Crossroads delivers me to a random one, the one that just so happened to have its reality connected to ours at that very moment I bashed the air.

Vincent and I go tumbling through a series of gray bricks, rolling in the dust and debris as we both separate instinctively, our Ether and Concepts broiling to their peaks. He's hurt. Good job, Lily. But it's not enough. For a moment, though, our eyes are focused on something... other than our battle.

In the sky above, three stars twist, delivering three different hues of red, white, and blue while countless eyes fall upon us. We stand in... a fortress of some kind, with humanoid creatures of a shade of light crimson and three eyes.

A quick glance tells me they do not possess a single Sigil. Not one amongst the thousands in my sight. Not a single one. Shit. Even in the poorest regions, there should be at least one out of this many. That means... This is a planet without Sigils. Like ours used to be. It probably doesn't even have any Naturals, either.

My opponent doesn't care beyond the shock of being teleported here through the Crossroads, even as others rush in from behind us. Bonfire and Lazarus are stunned, while Mie is in awe of how far we were brought.

Vincent Harvey... however... blames me for what is about to occur.

"This is your fault, Wyatt Graves. We could have fought in the Wastes. Now these... pitiful creatures will die in our aftermath."

The thousands of faces turn into nothingness in a singular second as the Endless reaches them without any mote of protection. My heart shatters as I see just how... monstrous this man is. He is willing to kill them all just so that he doesn't have to tone down his Sirza. Just so that he doesn't lose his momentum...

He's right. This is my fault. But he... he could have restrained Endless! He didn't have to...

Lazarus's feet impact the stone beneath us with the trinary stars above in the now-silent battlements. I watch the man vibrate in raw fury as he stands above Vincent at his great height.

The Cackling Lightning doesn't laugh, not even a slight smile. He simply attacks, and something within me knows that is an oddity that means he is beyond enraged.

No words are shared before the silver lightning pierces Vincent's shoulder once more. Fire bursts from Bonfire as he leaps at the God, too. But... my friend is batted aside by the Endless as the bastion begins to transform into the tide of insects.

I rush forward as Mie tosses Bonfire into a shadow, saving him from the devouring bugs. I can feel her ache from here, as it wasn't easy for Virgil to do, and she's only safe right now due to the Trickster's Glove protecting her.

Before I can reach Vincent, however, the man catches Lazarus' unparalleled lightning. The crackling electricity flows into Desolation, but the insects now devour it with a smile. Even the man's face curls into a widened grin.

"I believe this has lasted long enough. Killian will no longer impede my Ether."

My jaw drops as I feel Ether move once more, the Endless... somehow twisting again. It is already a part of a Sirza, nearly impossible to attack or prevent. The only way to protect ourselves is to be teleported away by Mie, who is staying far behind us so that he won't rush her.

But... to Vincent, it appears he doesn't need to kill her anyway. He's already... defeated my father.

No matter what my mind may have to say about this, the Ether is telling me something different. Is this a second Sirza from Vincent? No way... no... please don't let that be the case!

I curl the Ether within my body, the bones of my own Sirza exploding outward as I strike out at Vincent, too, but a hand emerges from his chest and catches mine. I stare down in awe while Bonfire attempts to hit him, too, only to be caught entirely within a sandy palm. I can't see him anymore.

There is only the smile of the Endless before me. It's worse than a second Sirza. Vincent's has a second stage. I... didn't... know...that...was...possible...

The Endless Devours All Until It Has No Woes.

His body was already cradling the Endless, and the Sirza let him turn entirely into his Concept. But... this is... so much worse. Now... he's formless yet formed. The transformation into his Endless took time and was unmistakable before, but as I stare into the maws and countless beady eyes, my knees wrinkle from the pressure.

Agony spikes through my whole arm as Lily screams in pain, too, the Endless devouring the flesh, bone, and soul within. Before the insects invade too far, however, a shadow overtakes me, and I land on the floor beside Mie. Lazarus and Bonfire are with me, only in worse states.

The Undead is missing his whole left arm and half his torso, while Bonfire's right arm is gone. Fires lick at the edge of his shoulder, gradually regenerating, but it will take some time as Vincent's Concept doesn't just destroy.

He takes. And he never stops.

Mie crashes to a knee beside me, Silas' body unable to stand any longer. Just a few uses. That's all she could handle, but it still saved us. Ahead, Vincent greedily approaches, his body dematerializing into the insects with each step. A swarm in the air and a boot upon the ground before recongregating. It is.... the most magnificent display of power I've ever seen. The Ether... it's more than alive. It's an entire civilization working together in unison.

It is only awful because of who owns that power.

"Mie. Go. He'll just kill you now. We can't stop him from doing so. You already saved us. Go."

The iridescent iris of the Mind's Eye closes in pain as she nods, stepping rearward into the swirling pane of the sky that brings her back. And that leaves just the three of us. Bonfire shrugs his shoulders as half of his upper arm is back. Meanwhile, Lazarus groans toward me, the lips on his face curling into his ears with faux joy.

"He's so much stronger than I thought. Killian is... he's still in there. But... he's locked away for now by this creature's masterwork. I don't have much more time. Vincent has fractured my soul. Soon, I will be gone. Before that, however... let us laugh one last time, my friends. It is not hopeless. Nothing is. We can still win. He is weakening. No matter how he tries to show otherwise. No one is unkillable."

I nod to Lazarus as he splits into forked lightning of silver, streaking right for Vincent. He collides with the God's form, but Desolation diverges into the Endless just before impact. And... Lazarus misses as the lightning catches nothing but air, unable to strike the insects as they evade the current.

The Third lands on the other side of Vincent, and I can see the forced smile. The man isn't laughing. But... I can sense why. It is how he survived all that time in the Gullet. He conjures that smile and compels himself to feel that emotion. It is a defense mechanism. From what, though?

Where did he learn it?

I don't know. But what I do know is that my fist is already flying for Vincent's head. The insects part along my knuckles while lightning streaks from behind the God. I hit nothing but air, and Lazarus is the same. Instead, the Endless eats into my arm again, the Adaptation just enough to stop it from devouring me entirely. Second by second, we grow more robust and more together, but...

But someone does land a hit.

Bonfire. The colossal deluge of flames that come from the man washes away millions of Endless, causing Vincent to scowl in pain, but it is not enough. There are billions of these things.

Desolation turns toward Emmet Knox, and I see the hunger in his eyes. I don't say a word to my friend, as he, too, understands. Heat emerges from his back as flaming wings arise, and he flies into the air. The God leaps to catch him, his hand reaching out for Bonfire, but Vincent doesn't make it.

Lightning wraps around his legs and hauls him to the ground. Yes! I see! To touch another, he has to be solid! This Sirza is so complicated and so powerful, but it has to have some weakness! Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible.

The Wastelander's jaw slams into the new wasteland he's created, and I'm right behind him, swinging a Soulbone for the back of his head. Yet, I hit nothing but rock as he shifts around me. A shout from my dear friend is the last thing I hear before the insects become my world.

"Wyatt!"

He doesn't escape, instead preferring to devour my whole body with his insects. I almost laugh as he meets a grand resistance, my flesh and bone not as simple to feast on as all the others. Through the Endless and all their buzzing, I can see Bonfire in the air. The colors of his fires shift constantly, from the colorless I've grown used to into all the colors of the world. Finally, though, they settle on a solid, pure-hearted orange.

Pride swoons even as I am eaten alive, for the Ether speaks in his stead.

Fire Always Finds Home.

A supermassive ball of flaming orange emerges where Bonfire once was, and it falls directly for Vincent and me. Lazarus dashes away in a blur of silver, but I don't fear the glow.

Bonfire has always struggled to control his flame. His emotions have been the thing that control them. His fires have hurt everyone he's ever known, including himself. It's not something he talks about, but I know... I know it hurts him dearly.

And yet, as the orange sinks toward me, with Vincent snickering in my ear, I know... I know Bonfire has found his control. The Endless devours my skin and bones, likely betting he can outpace the damage from the flame as it will hurt me, too.

But he is wrong. The orange scorches every tiny mote of the Endless it comes into contact with, but when it reaches me... It is utterly unlike the time my friend lost control at Bent.

The fiery Ether simply rolls over my Sirza's bone, coating it and... protecting us from the Endless. With Bonfire's help, I push forward and escape the tide of insects, nearly stumbling to the ground as I do so.

Turning around, though, I find Bonfire nowhere in the sky anymore. Instead, flames boil upon my flesh as an aura of heat while Vincent stomps the rest out from under his feet. The earth cracks from his strength, but the fire gives only after several attempts.

I stare at the flames, but no words come from it. I almost want to laugh as he must have gotten Vincent's idea to turn into his element in a different way from before. Bonfire isn't stupid. He knows that he is limited in this fight and that his usefulness comes from his inferno. Yet, he also knows that he is holding us back due to his lack of speed. So... he found a balance, a way he can help without getting in the way at all. The most self-absorbed and comical man I know tossed it all aside to be helpful.

Desolation stares at me as he growls out a rare insult.

"All of you and your petty tricks. They won't work."

I shake my head, ignoring his words, and dart back toward him, kicking the ground beneath me with lava left in my steps. He heads right back for me as lightning circles around him, aiming for his side. I see Lazarus' plan and step back, acting as though I am afraid that Vincent will rush me, but it doesn't work.

The God twists an arm out to the side as a dozen more emerge from his body, catching the bolts of lightning in all directions. The Endless bulges outward, and I gasp against my sealed mouth of bone while the silver vanishes under the Endless.

Lazarus howls in agony, laughing with a crude smile as the man reemerges from the ornate-colored electricity. Arbalests spring me forward as fast as I can, but I'm just not quick enough.

The Thunderbolt Titan goes out with a blaze to the heavens above. Electricity bursts outward, rising all the way into the cosmos where the trinary stars lie. The raw heat of the lightning roasts away much of the Endless devouring him, but as Vincent steps back, shaking the burnt flesh from his palms, there is nothing left of Lazarus.

Only the smell of singed air.

Vincent Harvey twists slowly, lowering his gaze to focus on me. And me alone. My heart squirms in weight as I remember what Johnny told me... a long time ago. You always saw so fucking far away, Caldwell. Your damn sharp eyes.

I bet you're happy now, though, huh? How am I...

"And now. It comes down to the one. Well,... more than one, but it is all the same, really. Tell me, young man. Why don't we just stop this? We don't have to fight anymore."

Just as my confidence dwindles to the slimmest thread, it shoots back up all the way to the pinnacle, from the nadir to the apex. Vincent Harvey...

Vincent fucking Harvey would never ask for peace at this juncture. Unless... unless he is not as strong as he is leading me to believe. Unless... he believes he might actually lose to me. I squint, staring at the man more profoundly as I begin to see it—the weakness.

He, too, is man. He may no longer be human, but all living things have their limits. And he...

Desolation has been fighting for too long without rest. How many Gods in a row has he put in their graves? Dozens? I can see the minor shake in his hands. The way his Ether, while grand, is starting to turn choppy and imperfect. He... he isn't confident in doing three more. I can't help but smile, and Vincent notices the emotion on my face instantly. The bone from my Sirza seals my lips, but he knows what I have to say nonetheless as a little girl flips him a middle finger.

"Go fuck yourself, old man!"

I pat the little girl on the head just as Blodwyn's Concept settles into my flesh and bone, as if it was always meant to be there. Adaptation blends with Limitless, and it feels fantastic as the weight of the Endless is less consuming. Gradually, it is becoming nothing more than a winter breeze. Blodwyn's mind aligns with Lily's, and he wholly agrees.

"I fucking hate him."

I nod and clench my fists at my sides. The bones from our shared skill have only continued to make me grow, and at my height now, I tower over the once-human. Bonfire's flames crackle over my bone before settling upon the edges of my knuckles. A supportive skill. How... unlike my friend. He's grown far more than I ever have.

Vincent Harvey chuckles at our motions, his shoulders heaving up and down as the older man nearly doubles over. Then, he wipes a tear from his eye, tossing it to the floor, as it, too, turns into the Endless.

On this wasteland, which was home to some civilization just hours, with a mighty fortress and thousands of lives, we are the only two living things to stand surrounded now by rubble. We face each other quietly, each doing what we can to recover in these short moments.

This is it, Johnny. We won't let you down.