User blog:Seieireppa/God Eater:Universitas, chapter 23: ∑

All noise seemed to vanish from the vicinity—all, save for the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps, the sound of someone stepping out of a portal in space and making his way through the chaos towards Feldman’s position.

Instantly, Nanako was struck by the man’s appearance. There was no mistaking or forgetting the sight of that man, his dark skin and brilliant silver hair, the one from all those years ago in Glasgow. Together, they had long ago fought against the Gehenna, the greatest threat the world, and the future, had ever known—and now, here he was, standing before her after fourteen long years.

“Sig…ma…”  Nanako dropped to her knees at the sight of this new arrival, tears in her eyes. “You’ve… you’ve come back…”

Sigma turned to face Nanako, walking over to her.

“Here,” he spoke, offering his hand. “Stand up, and wipe those tears.”  At those words, Nanako grasped Sigma’s hand and helped herself to her feet.

“You’ve grown so much, Nanako,” Sigma continued. “You’ve truly matured into a fine woman and a God Eater that Cyrus would truly be proud of. But our reunion can wait… let me do something about Isaac Feldman for you.”

Without a word, Sigma strode forward, towards where Feldman stood, his barrier still active.

Feldman, on the other hand, was shaking with fear.

“It’s… it’s you…” he spoke, his voice trembling. “You’re the one who—”

“Not another word,” interjected Sigma. With a single, slight motion, Sigma held out his hand and clenched his fist as if to grab an invisible sheet of fabric, then pulled. All at once, Feldman’s barrier melted away and dissolved into nothingness, leaving him defenseless.

“His barrier was being generated by that weapon of his,” explained Sigma, as he strode further towards Feldman. “That thing operates on the same principle as the Boundary Aragami do. If normal God Arcs are weaponized Aragami, then that thing is a Boundary Aragami in weapon form. I had been keeping tabs on him in the future, and I noticed he was developing this… this “Boundary God Arc,” as I’ll call it. However, I never thought he’d use that technology to create more Boundary Aragami once he got here, to this time…”

Feldman, meanwhile, was staring Sigma down, frozen in place.

“You bastard…” he began, his face a picture of grotesque rage. “I’ll not have my plans foiled. Not here and not now!”

But before he could brandish his blade, Idenn was upon him, her God Arc impaled firmly in Feldman’s torso.

“Y— you…!!” Feldman gasped, his breath labored as a result of Idenn’s God Arc stuck through his chest.

“I’m sure you know what comes next, If… no, Isaac Feldman,” spoke Idenn slowly and deliberately, a malicious grin spread across her face. “This is where I exact my revenge on you for what you did to all my comrades… this is where I banish you far, far away across time and space. After this, you’ll never bother anyone again, and there you will die, cold and alone, with no one for company but yourself to curse your own powerlessness… over… and over again… until the end.”

“N-no…” Feldman stammered. “Please, don’t—”

'“TOO LATE, ASSHOLE! LIFESPRING!!”'

The familiar flash shone out across the landing pad of the Liverpool Branch—

—and just like that, Isaac Feldman was gone.

Idenn slumped to the ground, her energy drained from exerting herself on that powerful a Lifespring. Everyone else present breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Their long struggle had finally come to an end. However…

“Let’s not get comfortable, everyone.”  Sigma spoke a word of caution to everyone gathered there. “He still has his Boundary God Arc, and while it was certainly damaged as a result of Idenn’s Lifespring, who knows if he’ll be able to use it to return given enough time. In the meantime, though…”

Sigma began to walk towards the door to the elevator that would take everyone down into the Branch proper.

“…come with me. I’ll tell you the truth about everything.”

<-- Previous chapter | Next chapter -->