Project Deus--Rebirth [FINISHED]

[Mikage Tsubasa]

Tsubasa did not walk with haste as she approached the wreckage of her correction facility. In the middle of deciding to hunt down Ren and kill him, she had been struck by a memory, a fleeting echo at the back of her mind that reminded her that there were more important things to take care of at the moment.

That something was located here.

The wreckage of the building looked like a it had experienced a bomb fallout. There was a bowl-shaped crater where the building once stood, and only in the center, at the bottom, was there anything to be seen--

the remains of a once large building.

Even as she walked she had to use Devlin's power to shield her, for the Yamazaki's damage had taken a toll to the point that even the ground had been electrically charged, and Tsubasa was going to have to dig through the wreckage--a feat that could kill her again if she wasn't careful. That foolish scum hadn't had control of his powers when he killed her, and nothing in the surrounding area had escaped the fortitude of his berserker mode.

It only took fifteen minutes of having Devlin dig for her before she had found it--the metal nine layer door that led to her underground research facility.

Each door had been ripped through by the destruction and was now a dark and empty entrance.

"Holy Kouryuu...how many doors did this place have, you crazy bitch?" Devlin asked.

"Silence," Tsubasa said harshly, and Devlin obeyed. "This facility was blocked by nine heavily guarded doors."

"Why nine?"

"Because there were eight Kings trained by the Shijin."

Devlin apparently didn't follow. "Then why are there nine doors?"

Tsubasa said with the utmost seriousness before entering the opening, "I don't trust the Shijin. I added one more."

[Tsubarisu Hotaka]

Hotaka sighed as he approached Tsubasa. He had made this place off limits and purposely shut it down, to show the inhabitants of this layer, that they were indeed heading for much better and far more joyous times. "The Violence of the past, need not hinder the Peace of the present.", That was the quote that he emphasized during his speech. Happiness and safety were the top priorities of his time in office. The cities had more parks, the children had more play grounds and so on. The morale of the layer was at a magnificent high, and Hotaka intended to keep it that way.

"Tsubasa, I have placed the area off limits, I would ask that you leave this place." Hotaka said a hint of aggravation in his voice.

[Mikage Tsubasa]

"Funny," Tsubasa said, "How much like your new Master you sound. Taking voice lessons from Kouzetsu?"

Tsubasa did not have too much against Gin, except that he had kept her from her goal, which was to spur Heaven into a state of War so that they would eradicate Hell as soon as possible. In actuality, she admired the way that he was able to capture an audience with his words--it was very affective, even though she couldn't do it herself. She would stick close to him...perhaps learn from him. She was not one to mince words, but she admitted that the ease with which he ascended to be the pinnacle of Conference was something that she had no choice to acknowledge.

However, that was not the main point here. Tsubasa was no longer useful; he was a hindrance, and she knew that Gin would soon realize that. She wondered, in fact, how he would choose to keep Hotaka busy while he was getting the real work done.

Tsubasa's glare of contempt was cast at Tsubarisu as she ignored him, beginning to climb down the hatch that had been opened but not destroyed by Ren's magic.

"I made this facility when I was King. Your word in this case does not overcome mind. I appreciate you keeping this place off limits from the people--I couldn't imagine what I would have to deal with if my research had been properly taken care of..." her voice echoed off of the hollow walls as she climbed down, daring Hotaka with her eyes to see if he would risk following her. No one knew what was down here but her, and she was sure that he would be curious enough to follow.

She was met with another door which opened easily under her touch, and she kept going despite Hotaka's denial.

The door opened to a large research lab. She felt at home--she felt like she had finally returned to Heaven. The strong Heaven, the determined Heaven, the Heaven that was full of loyal subjects and those who would die for the cause.

Giving a contented sigh like no one had ever her from her since her return, she ran quickly towards the controls near the wall of the room and she turned the lights on, revealing wires and circuitry connected to a large, white circular stone in the center of the room.

Tsubasa smiled, looking on with bright eyes.

Tsubasa no longer cared what Tsubarisu did. He was irrelevant now, his eyes growing large and a smile like no other spread across her face as she paced around the object.

"It is still here!"

[Tsubarisu Hotaka]

"I was the same way with you, back when I thought your way was the correct way of doing things......Until I found this place, and spoke with locals and children." Hotaka said as he stepped down to a point where Tsubasa could hear his voice.

Hotaka could not risk a fight with an Elder. That would lose him his position and perhaps even cause him to fall.

[Mikage Tsubasa]

"What you heard from the locals depends on whether or not they were loyal to Heaven. Those who were not probably told you something of little consequence to me. Those who were told you that this was a correctional facility for Angels who were showing signs of taking the wrong path.

"However, I will admit that Yamazaki Ren was a very severe case. I had to deal with him in a very extreme way, a way that I would not have nor had I ever used with the others. The result of my miscalculation in full thinking of my subject's advantages cost me my facility. However, that was an error in my own sight and I take responsibility for it completely. Which is why I have not sought to reestablish the building. I have left it where it stood to this day, and for that you may be thankful."

Tsubasa even while speaking had never taken her eyes off of the glowing stone before her, and she touched the top of it.

"Watch, Hotaka..."

The stone began to glow brighter than it had before, machines whirring to life with groans and squeaks. But everything had been made with Celestial Metal--plain Celestial metal, with no outstanding effects, but the Metal was resistant to aging nonetheless, as most Celestial Metals were.

Once everything was going, there was no sound other than that of efficiency. And the stone began to glow brighter and brighter until it became a blinding white, and still Tsubasa could not look away.

A great crack appeared at the top, revealing the stone for what it truly was--an egg. And the crack ran itself to the center of the egg and then spread to both sides...

Amid the loud, cracking sound the egg began to break, a figure emerging and Tsubasa's elated smile outshining anything else in the room now.