Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.3] Quest 295- Primordial Flame, Part 7- Thunderclap

Cirrus looks around to find himself back in Gekai.

"Ah…" Exhaustion hits him like a tidal wave. "I’m so tired."

"Cirrus!!!" Ai head-butted his back.

"Gah!!" He coughed up some blood as he fell over. "A-Ai?" He said, looking to see Ai on his back.

"Seems you’re alright." Said Artemis.

"No… I’m really fucked up."

"I’m so glad you’re alive! But I am going to fuck you up even more for making me worry so much—"

—Booom!!

Several explosions could be heard outside.

"Oy!!" shouted Hera. "That hero is still around!! And he has his divine weapon!!"

"Fucking shit." Cirrus tries to get up, and Hecton helps him up. "Thanks." Cirrus goes to pick up the weapon he made to find something in his right hand. "Huh?" he opens it to find a golden diamond with an oak design on it. "A gift, huh? Hm. (Damocles)." He lifts the weapon in the air, and slots the yellow diamond in one slot, and gold circuits are added.

"Are you going to keep fighting?" asked Ai.

"… I’m sorry, but I am, the process is still not done… Hestia is the purification actually done or what!?!?" Cirrus shouted.

"It’s half complete!! Half was sent up!!" she shouted. "They ripped the other half away!! Also, we will talk about you taking Vesta!!!"

"Half then… ah," he said, looking at the sword. "Is that so…" He turns to Ai and Artemis. "I will be back."

"10 minutes," Ai said angrily, touching her abdomen. "Or else." She glared at his eyes.

"Of course, my dear. I will not break that promise. (Exousía, Adorn: Chimera)." The armor equips itself onto Cirrus, and his injuries slowly heal. "Artemis… Did anything in my status change?"

"I didn’t have time to check," Artemis said, staring dead into his eyes.

"Damn. We are short on time." The wings on his back flap, and he goes through the hole in the ceiling.

"… Artemis his right eye," Ai said.

"I know…"

High in the air, Cirrus could see the corrupted fire fast approaching. He holds out his new weapon.

"… I think I’ll name you... White Night. What do you think, Vesta?"

A wisp of fire came out of the red gem, and out came a chibi version of Vesta.

"It is a fine name; your status has not been updated, so all of your skills remain the same. It seemed it was just opened and then quickly closed."

"… Do the abilities the contracted spirits give you remain even if they are gone?"

"I don’t know, but it could be because of that silver right eye."

"Silver eye… Ah." He gently touches his right eye. "… a last gift from her, huh? A bit cruel. Shall we see what White Night can do?"

"Hm." she nods. "Cirrus, I should inform you that to purify the corrupted flame now, you must gather it within Epimetheus and then kill him. Sending it back to heaven. I must also tell you that not a single ember must remain."

"Really? But can’t you or Hestia purify it?"

"That is already too late. That ship has sailed, and it’s with you here. This Divine Weapon can store a limited amount of flame due to its capacity. If it’s too much, it will start to slowly kill you."

"Alright, so a little stab after you take all the corrupted flames?"

"Yes. So long as White Night enters his body, I can pump him full of the flame and then seal it. This process should be easy, as White Night’s qualities should be too much for his regeneration. Then you send him to Heaven, and we call it a day."

"Okay, was that a joke or…"

"I mean it. When the flame is sealed inside him, you simply kill him, and since his soul has been exposed to the flame for so long, it can handle the strain of carrying the flame to Heaven. Unless you wish to do it?"

"My soul can handle it?"

"Yes. Only you two can do it. As I said before, the ship has long sailed to have a god purify it. So unless you wish to—"

"Let’s get going!! Time to slay a hero!"

"Let's," Vesta smirks a bit before she returns to the gem.

"Fuuuuu." Cirrus lets out a loud cry, takes a deep breath, and flies full speed toward the source of the fire.

Bam!!!!!!!

Landing before them was Cirrus, with a black weapon that Ais and Lili immediately recognized.

"Hey, gramps I missed you in that purgatory." Cirrus' armor fades away. "It’s time for round 3."

"Your body is holding well; I had figured taking in the flame would have crushed you, but…"

He looks towards the weapon in Cirrus’s hand.

"You like it?" He holds it up with the light of the flames reflecting off its polished surface. "I named it… White Night after a dear and close friend of mine."

"!!" Ais' ears perked up at his words, as did many who knew Nox.

Epimetheus could feel the power and might of the blade in his hand. It gave off a feeling similar to his own blade, Ethon, which gave off an unnerving feeling.

"That weapon… it couldn’t be!" With his agitation, the flames grew.

"Oh, it is. Take your first breath upon the world and experience life!!! White Night!!!!" Cirrus holds it up and shouts. "(Wake up, Nox)!!!" The blade turned pure white in an instant, with the color of the stars being overtaken, and the hieroglyphs along the edge of White Night glowed gold.

FLASH!!!

His soul roars to life, and its screams energize his body as he swings White Night.

Fwhish~

A radiance sprang from Cirrus that resembled that of a god's divinity, his right eye turned from silver to topaz, and it glistened even more as if polished and put under a light as Kali’s tattoo encroached up to his neck and down his arm. His hair grew slightly longer, turning pure white at the ends, and a small veil containing the night sky covered him, yet it did not impede him as if it were light.

To the gods, they saw Ananke’s strings attached to Cirrus. They fade off as they flap in the wind.

"D-divinity!?" They all shouted as if it were the closest thing they could compare it to.

"No…" Aphrodite said.

"It is something more… He is something more." Hermes said, transfixed by the hero before him. "Even Ananke herself found it fit to tie him to her strings."

Looking at Cirrus up and down, Epimetheus scoffed.

"I expected no less from you, Cirrus," Epimetheus said, gripping Ethon tightly.

"Hmph." Cirrus smirks. "Allow me to reintroduce myself as one hero to another." He holds White Night with his arm extended. "I am Cirrus Zephyr!!" The red cloth grows and wraps around Cirrus’s neck, giving him an even more striking appearance as it grows long enough for the fabric to flow behind him. "Hero of the White Night!!!"

"Hm. You have chosen your path towards tragedy."

"Enough talk." He swings White Night, and its soft movements are enough to cut the air. "Swish~!" Cirrus disengages his armor. "I am here to finally put your years of anguish to an end, Epimetheus, Humanity’s First Hero!!!"

"Let’s see you try, Cirrus Zephyr, Hero of the White Night!!!"

They both took their stances, and the air and space around them warped. The air got heavy as the first hero faced off against the current era’s strongest hero.

"(Exousía, Adorn Synafxáno: Circe)!!!!!!!!!"

Circe’s color dyed Cirrus, Circe’s color stacked on top of the white. His red scarf turns even more beautiful, like the setting sun.

"RAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Epimetheus charged forward with the boost of the flame, and Cirrus easily met his great sword.

CLANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The sound and force shook and broke the earth.

Circe appeared behind Cirrus, and just as quickly as she appeared, a dusk-colored smoke quickly wrapped around him.

"Let me give you a taste of what I can truly do! (Sword of Damocles, sing your vespers.) [Dia Dikastí̱s: Logia]!!"

"!!!" Epimetheus jumped back as his hair rose.

The gems on the blade glowed like stars, but the one that shone the most was the gem Nyx gave Cirrus.

CRACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A deafening city-wide crack boomed with the power of electricity, swirling like a tornado around White Night before settling down into the shape of a thunderbolt with a tinge of twilight.

"T-t-that weapon!!!" Aphrodite fell to her knees as she looked on at the visage of Zeus. "Bronte!!! Why does he have Zeus’s divine weapon!!"

Hermes stood with eyes wider than he has ever made them before.

"I-I think I’m dreaming…" he said, making a massive smile. "H-he truly crafted a divine weapon!"

Everyone could only watch as they are witnessing a myth of old happening before their eyes.

‘Hey! Cirrus, we need to talk!!’ Shouted Circe in his head.

‘We can do that when this is finished, I promise you that. For now, do what you can.’

"Fafnir, you can rest now."

Fafnir quickly returned to his shadow.

Cirrus lowered his body and moved his right foot forward.

"Two minutes have passed. Get ready for the warm-up."

"Tch! Aren’t you cocky?"

"Hm. White Night." Cirrus points White Night toward Epimetheus. "Ex—"

"!!!" Epimetheus did not hesitate to move his great sword before blocking.

"—tend."

Fwhoosh!!!!

White Night’s handle rocketed forward within the blink of an eye, striking Epimetheus.

Crash!!!

Crash!!!

Crash!!!

Crash!!!

He went flying back into the deep forests of Olympia.

It didn’t take long for Epimetheus to set more of the forest on fire.

"Hm. Retract White Night." White Night returned to the length necessary to qualify it for a spear.

Cirrus took a step, and he was gone.

Tap—

Without even making a sound, Cirrus seemed to be gone before their eyes could blink, followed by a—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

—A strong blast of air rushed past them all.

He was nowhere to be seen; the only thing left behind were heavy dents in the ground.

"O-Ouranos!!" Hermes shouted into the air. "Let me use my arcanum to witness this fight!! Please!!!!"

"Granted." His voice boomed around them.

Hermes snapped his fingers and opened up divine mirrors for all in Olympia to see.

When the divine mirror opened, it showed Cirrus pinning Epimetheus to the ground with his legs spurting blood.

"Gaaah!!!! You damn monster!!!"

"Says the one who is harnessing all the evil of humanity. Fafnir follows Hecton."

"Like you would even know over 3000 years of ridicule!!! (Incinerate and die, wrathful ashes.) [Guf Deukalion]!!!!!"

"(Damocles)."

Cirrus bent back as Epimetheus swung his sword into the air.

BWOOOOOOOOSH!!!!

The sky and clouds separated from the fire magic.

"I already know what that can do," Cirrus said calmly.

Cirrus leaned back in and punched Epimetheus. He blocked using his right shoulder, but the force with which Cirrus punched shattered the bones in his shoulder, launching him further into the wilderness.

He slowly walked towards Epimetheus, with White Night crackling with thunder.

"Gaaah!! Huff! huff! huff!" Epimetheus picks himself up to find his body in shambles again. "Uroooo!!!!!! Bwoosh!!!" The corrupted flames healed their champion.

‘He’s far too powerful now! His punch shattered most of the bones in my shoulder, and some of them even got into my heart!' Thought Epimetheus.

His heart throbbed more and more intensely. A wicked smile and eye donned on his face.

"A challenge!!!" he looks to see coming at him from a distance.

‘He gives off the feeling of one of the Black Beasts!! But far, far weaker!! If I can slay him, then I have a chance to slay the Black Dragon!!’

The corrupted flames ignite intensely.

"Let’s see if you can match up to those monsters you’ve slain!! Cirrus!!!!" He stabbed his divine weapon into the ground, and a spiral of fire surrounded him.

All the corrupted fires converged on him and take shape. From the corrupted fire came everyone who was a challenge, from Briareus to even Zald, Alfia, and Arbuda, to the Nuckelavee, Iku-Turso, and even Hecton and Fafnir.

"Those…" Cirrus said as his arms tensed up.

"Do you like them? The flame doesn’t like you much."

Cirrus could see more and more clones appear from the flame.

"Likewise." Cirrus gets into a stance. "I fucking hate it. Unfortunately, they're shitty copies of the originals. Fafnir, it seems you're being called to action again so soon. Hecton, it’s about time you got some fresh air."

Cirrus’s shadow expanded.

"N-no way!!" Welf said as if he wasn’t even looking in the mirror to see their height.

The Hecatoncheir and Iku-Turso were massive in their own rights, but the Hecatoncheir was in a league of its own, towering high into the clouds. So large they could see it from any location within 100 miles, and yet there were four of each monster.

"S-so many…" Mikoto felt her blood run cold.

"Cirrus could barely beat one of those giants at age 10 from what Finn said…" Ais said, feeling intimidated by the sheer size of the Hecatonchires.

Bell could only look on in awe that he was seeing a hero relive his story.

‘I want to do that as well!! I want to!!! I want to fight alongside him!!!’

Bell was so engrossed in it that he didn’t realize his back was heating as he stormed off towards the battle, wishing, wanting to appear within Cirrus’s story.

"Bell!!!" shouted Lili. "Where are you going!!"

"To fight!!" He looked at her with eyes brimming with excitement and ambition. "We either fight or we die!!!"

"Cranel!! I won’t let you go alone!! Syr will have my head!!!" Ryuu reluctantly followed Bell.

"You," Malion said to Ais. "Take this." She tosses her an elegant sword.

Ais catches it.

"This weapon…"

"It’s mine. Use it to keep him safe. His eyes were something I have seen several times before, and I don’t want his recklessness to get him killed, and with those foes, I fear my skill will not be enough."

Ais looked up at her and nods.

"Very well, let’s go."

"Hm, and lucky for us, it is twilight. I move faster with it. (Voyager of the Twilight.) [Rǫkkvi]!!!!"

The twilight covers her, and she grabs Ais and runs, quickly catching up to Bell and rushing toward the battle.

Watching all the challenges in front of him, Cirrus couldn’t help but sigh.

"Sigh… I guess a hero who never had a Falna had to rely on everything in his toolkit to survive."

"Cirrus!!" shouted Malion and Ryuu, arriving with Ais and Bell.

"You came." He said, gazing at them. "Are you here to help with an army of my past?"

"Y-yes!!" said Bell, with a fire lit in his eyes.

"Hmm," said Ais. "Cirrus, you look... different?"

"Your eye." Ryuu walks closer to him. "It’s…"

"... It’s something." He slightly raises the edges of his lips. "I should give you something to help give you a chance. (Exousía, Adorn: Ceryneian), (Exousía, Adorn: Hippolyta)."

The Ceryneian armor dons on Bell, and the Hippolyta armor dons on Ais. An ability was given to him by using Spirit Drive with Circe.

"Woah!" said Bell and Ais.

"Do you—"

"I am fine," said Malion. "I can handle my own."

"Ryuu?" He looked at her.

"Hm. I need to keep Cranel safe for Syr’s sake." Ryuu said, clutching Lumina Ardi.

"Then here, I think this armor would serve you well. It is intense. (Exousía, Adorn: Cerebus)."

The black armor covers Ryuu, changing and shifting to fit her perfectly.

"Oh! This is—!?" Ryuu felt her emotions, her anger especially, get stirred.

"Make sure you keep your temper in check. It liked to make you run wild."

Ryuu could understand why Cirrus went mad during his fight with Evilus that day. Her anger was being spurred on; it grows annoyingly, which only makes it worse.

"Fuu~" Ryuu takes deep breaths and takes command of her emotions. "Hm!"

"Good. All of you, be careful with your magic management." Cirrus said, walking forward, and he holds his blade to the side. "(Damocles)." As he swung his blade, they could see the handle expand, and the weapon became a spear.

Crack!!!!

A thunderous slash cut through the air, slicing the visage of Hecton in half.

"Leave the big ones to Hecton and Fafnir."

"Hecton?" Ais and Bell said.

"Yeah. HECTON!!!" Cirrus roared.

Hecton rose from his shadow, which now reached into the shadows of the trees of Olympia.

THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!! THUD!!

Several mighty arms slammed to the ground to help him rise from the shadows, and Hecton once again graced Gekai with his mighty presence.

"URRRRRRRROOOOOO!!!!!" His bellow shook the earth and even the heavens.

Hecton was about the same size as the other ones made from flame, yet they lack his pressure, his presence.

"… Waaah." Everyone was astonished by Hecton’s appearance.

"Master," Fafnir said, standing next to Cirrus.

"Fafnir. Sorry, you have a bit more work left."

"Not at all. I enjoy the battle." She smirks, looking at her corrupted flame clones.

"Here. (Exousía, Adorn: Stymphalian)."

Cirrus’s armor adorns Fafnir.

"Oh! I feel lighter already."

"Then." Cirrus stomps his right foot forward, cracking the earth. "LET'S HURRY AND FINISH THE DAY!!!"

"RIGHT!!!" They all shouted, following him.

Fafnir changed her body into her dragon form and shot through the sky. The armor changed to fit her as she struck and flew with her clones behind her, chasing her as they darted through the sky like constellations.

THUD!!! THUD!!! THUD!!!

THUD!!!

THUD!!! THUD!!!

Hecton ignited the air, punching his clones. His skin begins to steam and turn red as he and the clones engage in a Star Platinum amount of punching. There might constantly shake the foundations of the whole battlefield.

THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!! THUD!!! RUMBLE!!!

Running to the flaming visages, Ais, Malion, and Ryuu could see Alfia and Zald before them with several more behind them.

"They even have those two!!" Ryuu shouted.

"Let us hope they are not like the real thing!!" Malion shouted, readying her bow.

"If they are like the rest of the flames we struck down, they are a poor mockery of their strengths!!!" Ais shouted, running even faster.

Looking at Alfia, Bell felt a tinge of familiarity. He soon pushed it back and focused on what was in front of him.

Dong!!

"Let’s end this quickly!! Ais!!" Bell held his hand forward.

Ais looked back and nodded. She stopped in her tracks and held her hand out as well.

"(Tempest)!!!"

 [Firebolt]!!!"

Bwooooosh!!!

Fire and wind exploded through the waves of corruption.

In a single moment, Ais glanced at Bell as cinders blew past them. She was glad he was by her side.

Whoosh!

Running past them was Ryuu.

"Tsk!" Within the visages, she could even see the Astraea Familia. Seeing them so desecrated only pissed her off. "Do not use their likeness for your own purposes!!!" Ryuu swung her weapon, cleaving through a massive swath of the army.

The chains of the Cerebus armor shot through the army as well and dug into the ground to pull Ryuu forward, attacking with even more speed and movement.

Malion, seeing Ryuu go into the fray and see a likeness to Nephele, didn’t wish for the elf to meet her end this day, so she decided to help her.

"You Stupid-Elf!! Calm yourself!! FWIP!! FWIP!! FWIP!!"

"!" Ryuu stopped for a second. "Ah. It’s so easy to lose yourself." She turned to Malion as chains impaled a flame visage. "Thank you for calling me."

"I am sorry for calling you stupid. Thud!! Thud!!" Malion bashed some of the visages with her bow. "I needed to get your attention.

"It is fine." More chains impale the enemy. "It reminded me of an old friend. Oh, here she is. Swish! Bwoosh!" Ryuu swung her weapon, decapitating the flame visage of Kaguya. "The real Kaguya would never have been this shamelessly weak."

The anger within Ryuu's words was something Malion understood well and was sympathetic with. Even as Malion looked into the flame, more of her old comrades appeared.

"Yes. They do not shine like them. Let us cull these fakes!!!" Malion charged forward, firing off more arrows.

"I am behind you!!!"

Somewhere else, deep within the battlefield of corrupted flame.

Cirrus moved and cut through the waves of past foes with Zald and Alfia and cut them down. They were about a level or two weaker than when he faced them.

"WEAK!! FAR WEAKER THAN THE ORIGINALS!!! (Sing your Vespers.)!!!" Cirrus’s thoughts and words bled together; his mind was beyond tired from his time in purgatory.

A thunderous dragon soars through the air from his magic circle, devouring the copy of Fafnir and coming down, destroying the copy of Arbuda.

"(Incinerate and die, wrathful ashes.) [Guf Deukalion]!!!!!!!!!!!"

Cirrus looked to see a mountain of fire before him.

Epimetheus came down with a powerful overhead plunge that Cirrus met with his blade.

Clang!!! Crackle!!!!!!!!!!!!

Clang!!! Bwoosh!!!!!!!!

"Epimetheus!!!!" Cirrus roared to the scored eagle.

"Cirrus!!!!" Epimetheus cried out to the divine deer.

Thunder and fire began their dance once again, for the last time.