Rias didn't know exactly what happened. It was too fast to react, too swift to perceive. One moment she was sleeping, the next she was frozen and covered in an icy aura that could chill the very soul. The house was frozen.
Inside the ice, Rias saw that all the girls in the bedroom were awake and looking at one another in surprise and fear, unaware of what was happening. However, that wasn't the case for one of the girls.
Hannah's body was shining and melting the ice around her. She twisted in her sleep, mumbled hoarse, unintelligible words. The energy readings around her were setting off the roof. And then it happened.
*BOOOOM!*
An explosion, but it was a silent, quiet explosion that Rias and the girl saw in slow motion, coming to them.
!!!
Then hazy silhouette travelled across the ice as if she were the ice itself. She picked up the girls one by one, away from the explosion and outside of the house. When it was Rias' turn, she realised it was Anna. But she didn't appear to be in control. This Yokai had spectral eyes.
When she carried the last girl out of the house, Anna jumped, taking a deep breath... time went back to normal, and the explosion shattered the whole house, showcasing a display of unprecedented void. There was no noise, no bang... just the desolating vision of space getting shattered and restructured around a singularity.
When the spatial storm subsided, there were no casualties, but also no house, just an empty perfectly spherical void that went way down the concrete foundation of the street, showing even soil and even the perfectly spliced roots of trees.
Hannah was gone, and Anna collapsed soon after, going back to her humanoid form, completely unconscious.
Rias took her in her arms, watching the disaster, completely oblivious to what had happened. All she knew was that Hannah had caused it... and that power was so devastating that even she didn't know if she would have been able to stop it with Destruction.
"Rias..." Akeno approached her friend. Rias noticed Akeno's hands were shivering, something completely unusual. All the girls had in their countenance the fear of death, even the nonchalant student council president, Sona.
They didn't know what happened, how they got saved by Anna-chan. But one thing they knew... they just dodged a bullet.
A powerful world-shattering spatial bullet.
**
**
[Ray: Rias, is everything okay there?!]
[Rias: S-Somehow... Anna-chan reacted before Akeno, or I did. Hannah's body was shining, we were confused... then we were frozen... I don't know, Ray]
Once the information was released in the group, all parties went into action. Yasaka and Amaterasu got dressed quickly. Something like that happening in Japan needed immediate addressing by the Onmyoji, who had to put barriers and concealment. Although it was true the population was more aware of the supernatural than ever... things like this still couldn't be allowed to spread in the news, or the fear of the supernatural would just skyrocket.
Amaterasu and Yasaka wore their kimonos, ready to go. A brief exchange of stares was enough for them to exchange all the information they needed with Azrael, Haku and Tsunade.
The Sun Goddess then looked at Ray and Elysir, who were holding Hannah, the cause of everything.
"This is happening because you are giving away too much power, Ray..." Amaterasu said solemnly, not in the mood to sugarcoat the truth.
Ray evaded her gaze with a bit of shame; he knew... but that didn't mean he was willing to stop.
Realising her words may have had a bad interpretation, and Haku was already looking at her with killing intent, Amaterasu sighed and caressed Ray's cheek.
"I am not scolding you, dear. I know you do this to protect us, to give us the means. But if you give us the powers without having the means to control them..." She gave Hannah a brief stare, "We will just become a danger to ourselves, to you... and to the ones we love".
"I know... I will reflect".
None of the girls said anything to counter it. It had to be said, and Amaterasu did.
"We will go for now. There has to be a cleanup and explanations, Ray". Yasaka kissed his cheek as well, "Please take care of Hannah. I don't know what caused this, but she looked so afraid when she arrived".
"I will, although... I have an idea of what it was..." He mumbled, caressing the girl's bunny ears.
Amaterasu and Yasaka left. Tsunade rubbed her forehead. She checked the sky outside, and it was dark, very dark.
"I will make some tea, my lord" Azrael wrapped herself up and went to the kitchen together with Tsunade.
[Ray: Is everything under control? Should I go there?]
[Rias: There is no need to worry, everyone is safe and sound, but where is Hannah? Can you contact her through the group?]
[Ray: Hannah is with me... somehow].
[Rias: Ray, when are you coming back?]
Rias' voice sounded more like a demand than a question, he had already been gone for longer than he promised.
[Ray: As soon as possible, Rias. I am sorry–]
[Rias: You don't need to apologise, darling... just take care of her, please... I think we made a mistake... with that movie, now that I think about it].
[Ray: What movie...?]
Rias didn't answer; it seems she was too embarrassed to confess what movie they had been watching at night.
[Akeno: Come back soon, dear, and please bring Hannah, just tell her we are okay and she doesn't have to feel guilty for anything].
[Ray: Don't worry, Akeno. I will be back soon, please take care of Anna too].
Ray caressed Hannah's ears, massaging her temples. The girl's frightened visage in her sleep immediately turned serene and warm.
"Do you know what caused this?" Elysir asked him finally.
Ray shook his head, but still had a conjecture, "I imagine it has to do with her memories. I can't think of anything else. Hannah is always very quiet, and even though her powers have resulted in being frightening, she has never had an outburst like this".
Elysir put her hand on top of his and stared at him dead in the eye.
"She can't continue avoiding her past... she can when you're around, but when you're not..."
"Can't I erase her memories? With Illusion Domain? Wouldn't that solve it?"
What he had done before was conceal her memories. But if they were going to be a problem, he didn't mind wiping them out completely.
"Ray, this girl has lived the majority of her life in pain. If you wipe out her memories of that pain and suffering, you're wiping out 99% of her memories. What is going to remain of her if not an empty husk? Would that still be Hannah?"
"What can I do then?!" He was reaching a point of desperation with this issue. Removing her memories was not an option, but he didn't think Hanna was strong enough mentally to face her demons.
"You have to trust her".
[She's right. Have you forgotten? She's our chosen one, daddy~]
Another voice resonated, one only I could hear, and I knew who she was.
'Queen Aether'.
[I am not the Spirit of the Star Crafter… I'm merely the remnants of a previous owner. Horus couldn't fit the bill as a spirit; he was only an automated construct. But Hannah…? Hannah will do perfectly, Daddy. I have chosen her, and you have chosen her… she is not going to be the spirit of the star crafter, she already is. Therefore, you have to trust her, she can do it].
'What implications does this have for her…?' He groaned, once more feeling like he was played. He never desired for Hannah to take this role.
[For one, she will be forever attached to the Star Crafter. This is a multiversal treasure. Even if you cease to exist, it won't. Multiversal treasures are sentient artefacts that have evolved through aeons, feeding themselves on their hosts' energy. They mourn the loss of each of their hosts. My beloved spirit perished during a tough battle. The Star Crafter needs a spirit to work properly. Hannah fits the bill].
"Why Hannah…? Why did you make this decision on your own!?" He said out loud that even Elysir heard, and she realised he was talking to someone. Someone she couldn't see.
[I did it by myself? You are wrong. You wanted Hannah to be extraordinary; you wanted her to be able to stop Tokisaki Kurumi and Albedo if necessary. What other way was there? The blessings that the Star Crafter gives it can also take back. This is Hannah's power now. You wanted a way to stop them without having to eradicate them, you got exactly that, Daddy]
"…" Somehow, even though what she was saying was serious, he couldn't quite take her seriously when she called him that.
[You two are now attached forever. Her mind may still be a bit too immature to understand what she is now. But you have no choice but to tell her and count on her. If you want to face the devourer of light, dominating the Star Crafter is your only choice].
'Devourer of Light? Do you mean–'.
[Isn't it about we have a deep conversation, huh? the three of us... no, the four of us~].
*RUMBLE!*
The world went still as if time had stopped, even a flying bee that happened to go across the window, stopped mid-air. From space itself, a silhouette formed, taking the shape of a female whose dress seemed to be attached to the space itself. She appeared in the middle of the room with Elysir and Ray, capable of staring at her.
She pointed her finger at Ray and pulled something out of him.
Much to their surprise, Ophis's humanoid body came out of Ray like a concealing ghost.
"Baka-ray", Ophis turned around to hug Ray, still confused at how she had been taken out of her slumber.
Her belly was considerably bigger than any of his women; she looked as if she was going to give birth in the upcoming weeks, but that was merely the human representation of her pregnancy.
"Ophis? Why do you want her in this conversation?" Ray looked at the spatial woman who merely giggled in silence, staring at the three of them.
"Ray, who is this?" Elysir put her guard up; the woman descended and came face to face with her, making deadly eye contact.
[I am Queen Aether, or what remains of her, to be exact... just a small Multiversal Overlord who existed millions of years ago. But even I, with my humble background, couldn't hope to compare to you, Elyseum~]
!!!
Just the fact that she uttered that name told Ray she knew something. No, she had to know A LOT. Queen Aether pointed her finger at Elysir with a wicked smile.
[You are the greatest criminal in existence. You are the reason the multiverse is dying. Due to you, stars a no longer born. Because of you, old stars are fated to die young. You are a parasite who has slowly been devouring the light from this plane of existence for millions of years. You will shatter all the life that exists because of your hunger and greed]
The woman pressed her finger hard against Elysir's chest even as the latter's star eyes shook.
[Elyseum. Your true self, Elysir, is the worst villain of the multiverse; there is no such thing as true love within you].
Something cracked, and Ray raised his hand in anger.
[A Disgusting Sun Who Betrayed the Light, that's what you are].
*SLAP!*