The oppressive presence of Amon's Avatar lingered in the room, its weight bearing down on everyone like a suffocating fog. Rias stood motionless for a moment, her gaze locked on the figure before them. The Avatar's power was unlike anything she had felt before, a pure manifestation of Amon's ominous will. There was no mistaking it—he had come to deliver a message, and perhaps even more.
Azazel, ever the calm strategist, was the first to recover from the initial shock. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the Avatar with calculated intensity. "You think you can intimidate us with your theatrics, Amon?" he said, his tone cool but laced with a hidden edge.
The Avatar of Amon didn't respond directly at first. Instead, he allowed the shadows to coil around the room, dark tendrils of power swirling like a living thing. The temperature in the room dropped, and Rias could feel her breath catch in her chest as the shadows seemed to reach for her. It was as if they could sense her weakness and were eager to consume her.
"Intimidation?" The Avatar's voice was soft, almost mocking. "No, Azazel. This isn't about intimidation. This is about inevitability. What's coming is far beyond your comprehension, beyond any of you. You're just delaying the inevitable."
Rias couldn't suppress the cold shiver that ran down her spine. The Avatar was right in one sense—no matter how much they fought, no matter how much they resisted, Amon's influence was too vast, his plans too far-reaching. The pieces were already in motion, and they were racing against time to try and stop something that might already be too late to prevent.
"What do you want from us?" Rias finally demanded, her voice unwavering despite the fear crawling at the back of her mind. "Why come here and waste our time with these theatrics?"
The Avatar's expression didn't shift, but there was something dark in his eyes as he regarded her. "I don't have time to entertain you. You're already involved, whether you want to be or not. You see, Amon doesn't need to fight you directly. He doesn't need to break you down physically, because that would be too simple. He's already won in ways you can't even begin to imagine."
Issei clenched his fists, his irritation mounting. "What's that supposed to mean? You think we're just going to roll over and give up?"
Akeno, always perceptive, tilted her head thoughtfully. "What is he trying to say, Azazel? He's making it sound like Amon has something far more destructive planned. Something that goes beyond simple control."
Azazel's lips curled into a slight, grim smile. "He's right, Akeno. Amon isn't just out to control people. He's playing a much bigger game—one where every action, every decision, is part of a larger, far-reaching plan. The power he possesses is just a fraction of what he can wield when he has everything in place."
The Avatar's eyes glowed with dark amusement. "Exactly. It's not about controlling individual pawns. It's about rewriting the rules of the entire game. And you're all so desperately fighting to keep the pieces where you think they belong."
Rias's mind raced, but she refused to be intimidated. She stepped forward, locking eyes with the Avatar. "You're saying Amon is trying to change the whole world. But how? What's he planning to do?"
The Avatar's lips parted, a cold laugh escaping his throat. "You don't need to know the details yet. Not now, anyway. But rest assured, Rias Gremory, everything you know and everything you hold dear is going to change. The war, the factions, the balance of power—everything will fall into place, exactly as Amon intends."
Kiba's eyes flickered with determination. "Not if we have anything to say about it. We'll stop you. We'll stop Amon from tearing everything apart."
The Avatar's smile widened into something far more sinister. "You can try. But understand this: as long as Amon exists, there is no stopping what's coming. Even if you manage to defeat me, there are more of us. More avatars, more influences. You're already outmatched."
Azazel narrowed his eyes, his expression growing more serious. "You've underestimated us, Amon. You think we're just pawns, but you've made a grave mistake. You've made an enemy of people who won't give up. No matter how many avatars you send, no matter how many of your plans you set in motion, we won't bow to you."
For a brief moment, the Avatar's expression faltered. It was barely noticeable, but Rias caught the slight twitch in his eyes. "Is that so? Very well, then," the Avatar said, his tone now laced with disdain. "It won't matter in the end. But if you think you can resist forever, you're sadly mistaken."
With a flick of his wrist, the shadows in the room surged forward, slithering like serpents. The darkness began to swirl around the group, enveloping the room, its tendrils pushing them toward the edge of their limits.
But Azazel was ready. "Get back!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the rising tension. A powerful barrier shot up around the group, a wall of energy that pushed back against the shadows with incredible force. The Avatar's smile only deepened, his eyes glinting with twisted pleasure.
"You think your barrier can stop me?" he sneered. "This is nothing. Just a preview of what's to come."
Rias gritted her teeth. She could feel the pressure building, the overwhelming power of the Avatar pressing down on them. But she refused to yield.
"Azazel," she called, her voice firm. "We need to end this now. We can't keep playing defense."
Azazel gave a sharp nod. "Agreed. Let's see how far your shadow can stretch."
With a sudden motion, he directed a surge of energy toward the Avatar. The power exploded outward, creating a shockwave that reverberated throughout the room. The Avatar, however, didn't flinch. His smile only grew wider as he absorbed the energy into the shadows around him, bending them to his will.
"I told you," he said in a low, mocking voice. "There's nothing you can do to stop me. You're just delaying the inevitable."
But even as the Avatar spoke, a flicker of doubt passed through his eyes. For the briefest moment, he seemed to hesitate, as if sensing something deeper, something that he hadn't anticipated. Rias caught the momentary weakness and seized it.
"Now, Issei!" she commanded.
Without another word, Issei stepped forward, his gauntlet glowing with power. The red energy crackled around his body as he charged, launching himself toward the Avatar with the speed and power of a battering ram.
The Avatar's expression darkened as he raised his hand to deflect the incoming attack. But just as Issei's energy collided with the shadows, there was a shift—a pulse in the air. The Avatar's power flickered, and for the first time, he appeared vulnerable.
"Issei, now!" Rias called again.
Issei roared, his energy surging. The power of the Boosted Gear slammed into the Avatar's defenses with overwhelming force, shattering the shadows around him. In that moment, the Avatar was thrown back, his form flickering like a mirage before it collapsed into nothingness.
The room fell silent. The oppressive darkness lifted, and the air returned to its normal weight. But even as they caught their breath, they knew this wasn't over. This was just a small victory in a much larger battle. The real fight was only beginning.
Azazel glanced at Rias, a grim expression on his face. "We've only just scratched the surface. Amon is far more dangerous than we thought. And this is only the beginning."
Rias's gaze hardened. "Then we'll keep fighting. No matter what it takes, we'll stop him."
But before anyone could respond, the room seemed to shimmer with an unnatural light. The shadows that had been dispelled began to swirl once more, and a dark figure slowly emerged, this time standing taller, more imposing. The Avatar was not defeated, only momentarily disrupted.
Amon's presence became palpable once again, his influence expanding like a dark cloud.
"I have ascended." The Avatar's voice was different this time, deeper, resonating with a new power. "The time has come for me to rise. Your resistance, futile as it is, will soon be irrelevant."
Rias felt her heart sink. The Avatar's words held a terrifying weight. Amon wasn't just playing games anymore; he had begun the process of transcending the limits of this world.
"I will ascend to godhood," the Avatar continued, his form shifting, now almost ethereal. "When I do, no one—no god, no devil, no angel—will stand in my way."
The room trembled as the Avatar's power soared, the shadows reaching out to claim more than just their physical space. It was as if reality itself was warping under the pressure of his ascension.
Amon's plan was no longer hidden in the dark corners of manipulation. The path to godhood was open to him, and all of creation would soon bend to his will.
Author's Note:
Hey guys! If you're enjoying the story, toss a Power Stone my way—it really helps keep me motivated to write more. Thanks for reading!