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The forces of order are preparing for their assault on the martian world of Mars from the cradle planet of Earth, the world governments entrust the Knights with their military forces as drafts are put in place given how sever the situation actually is. Elvo gives every nation that has the proper tools to make the needed space craft, factories in China are converted while those in Russia and the United States are brought back to life in record time as North America, Europe, Asia and Australia rapidly begin creating ship yards and areas are given to new industry. In addition to the widespread mechanical build up, the agricultural sectors go into overdrive to provide the needed food for the invasion, MRE's are created in numbers the world has never seen before as people donate blood for cold storage, all while the nations do their best to produce the needed aircraft, ground vehicles, weapons and equipment needed for the storm to come.

The new mystic gate has arrived and is put in place, while the connection is still being formed it gives many in the fleet an added layer of hope as reinforcments from the Knight's can be brought in with a mystic warfleet already preparing to enter the ancient gate. For those in the void, the damaged ships are quickly repaired with aid from the drones of the Howling Crusader along with their own damage crews as some materials are provided by Earth to help in repairs. Meanwhile some of the higher ranking Knights make planetfall in order to help the world know the enemy and what they are truly capable of, the results showing while the older more battle hardened side of the population is a little unvered but they are determined to see it through as war veterans as early as the Vietnam War era are placed as squad leaders and even formed into special forces of their own. The new draft brings in many bodies, those that try to flee are simply gunned downed by Magnum's automata and branded as traitors, terrorists organizations are brought to heel as they decide to join and are placed in the opening wave against Mars according to the mystics specifications as he knows given their fanatic nature they'll serve their role flawlessly... as fanatical cannon fodder.

Meanwhile after many hours of looking through the new found records, they have located the sword that is Galatine... at least in theory as they cross referenced the british myth for any hints and clues as well. Magnum, Elvo's automata, Za'vara and Mo'Ceva are en route to the United Kingdom in order for the mystic wolf to claim the sword as his own, given what he has been told of the mystic weapons and what he has seen personally it will be the deciding the factor in his mind, as the enemy leaders can just restart their operations and set up somewhere else, the main targets are the two remaining corrupted mystics with Circie being secondary and knowing Kathleen is likely with the twisted unicorn, she is also a priority target. But what's on his mind is what he has read personally when it come to the mystic text he has read himself...

Elvo's image comes onto one of the screens "Based on what information we've been able to gather, Galatine is somewhere in the United Kingdom, I have outfitted Pegasus with special scanners to better detect the sword given it's materials and properties."

Mo'Ceva gives a soft nod "Here's hoping we do, those two shades will be far tougher to dispatch otherwise.", she looks to the wolf "And I am a little surprised Magnum, you aren't wearing your armor."

"The enemy has made no efforts to attack or even scout us, they are likely building their defenses." the wolf shifting around a little.

Za'vara sighs "Can Earth take the losses if they bare the brunt?"

Magnum gives a shrug "I am unsure, the younger generations will more then likely break anyway, it'll be those that have already seen combat who will likely carry the day." a grin form on his features "Besides, after dealing with the enemy we currently face our sights will go to Earth itself."

The two vixens glance to each other before Mo'Ceva eyes him "What if your allies take too many loses?"

"Elvo and I have more then enough automata to do it ourselves, originally I didn't want to make it back to Earth but now, I can put my own plans in place and claim the Sol System as my own. Even if we sustain too much damage I'll just level what needs to be and return to finish the job later." his gaze goes to a viewer "And I look forward to putting the corrupt to the sword, none of them will escape."

Elvo picks up an energy reading "I think we have located Galatine." she brings an image on the screen "The signature is coming from the Canterbury Cathedral."

Magnum puts on a grin as he nods "Set a course and contact them."

The a.i. raises a brow "The sword is likely a religious relic, what if they say no?"

"Given the situation... they can either willingly give it to me or we'll just dig it out after I bring the building down on top of them." earning some shocked looks from the vixens.

..................................

Mars is unrecognizable, the raging storm and strange powers rampage across the entire planet as the cult forces set up fortifications with a few cruisers having been converted to battlements as the twisted fortress once contained is now free for all to see in the middle of them. Kathleen and Circie are with the two corrupted mystics in their throne room, those the two brought are in awe at the ancient structure and are completely lost in thought.

Tam'vez gives a grin "It's good to see you again jackal, changing your presence was a wise choice."

Kathleen bows her head "Thank you my lord, I have served you well."

Ver'cal moves around "Indeed you have and far better then expected despite the snags.", she stops just in front of Circie and Kathleen as her gaze goes to the unicorn "And you Circie have accomplished much as well and the both of you will be rewarded." the wolfess raises her hands which become consumed with blue energy "The both of you are heralds of our court!"

The mystic flings the energy at the pair, the magic infusing with them as they feel their powers becoming greatly augmented, the ancient power corses through them for a few moments before it lapses.

The matriarch smirks "Now we can deal with what lays ahead. Our remaining forces are gathering and will join with yours."

Tam'vez slinks around "We have lost our strongest due to Magnum's interventions but we still have our forerunner and core forces.", he stops next to his mom "We need to figure out how to weaken their resolve, especially Magnum as he seems to be the driving force no matter what."

Circie looks to him "We can use your teleport to send all of us to Earth's surface, we can do a lot of damage while they try to react."

Ver'cal sighs "We don't have the power to do that, it took all of our reserves to finally break the seal along with most of our power." she looks to her son "But we may be able to shake him up a little."

The male eyes her "Shake him? I want to eat his heart! He killed Fal'erk and for that he deserves to die!"

"And he will Tam'vez, but we must approach this carefully and given I know you can't restrain yourself, I will go to Earth myself. I want you, Circie and Kathleen to keep building our defenses in the meantime.", she looks around "I have been looking at Earth as it stands now, I think I know the perfect place to get my point across... and maybe I can get him on our side, we know a Negative Emotion Catalyst won't work as he's undergone the Dark Change, but maybe my words will carry the weight I need."

Tam'vez blinks "Give him some words from a siren and hope he heels over?" unsure if it's a wise idea.

Kathleen and Circie share a look, they have tried to sway the mystic in the past and it's imply a tactic that never works, no matter the spell, no matter the enchantment or charm, he always pulls through. But Ver'cal will have better luck as her reputation easily suggests...

Ver'cal casts her powers and disappears in a flash of red, Tam'vez leads Circie and Kathleen to another chamber, the air having a strong stench of blood, the room is mostly iron with pipes and tubing of bronze, many of them having glass to show the crimson flowing through them, at the center is this square platform, there are ports at the bottom with tubes at the top, chains hang off the top with this green glow, on the ceiling are four green emeralds the size of cars but they are all cracked. Kathleen looks at the room as the trio stop... this is where she was reborn into what she is now... her mind slowly goes back to that moment...

..........................

Kathleen is screaming as she rides the tides of death, all around her are the cries of the dead, the last thing she remembers is this bright blue light and it gave way to this and before that she remembers seeing Magnum in the darkness with what she thought was a flashlight in his mouth. The jackal breaks free from the torrent of souls and watches them go by as she gets an idea of her new surroundings, she feels like she's swimming in water with a mirage of different colors bombarding her eyes... she begins to growl as her thoughts go to Magnum, her most recent victim having slain her and keeping her from her next prize, she turns her hands into fists as she feels the hatred build in her heart...

"CURSE YOU MAGNUM!!! IF I FIND A WAY TO RETURN I'LL HAUNT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE!!! I WANT TO TAKE YOU WITH BOTH MY HANDS AND WATCH THE LIFE LEAVE YOUR EYES!!!"

For a breif moment the colors leave before her vision becomes nohing but this hazy red and lingering green, the smell of blood and screams of pain take over her nose and ears, her anger giving away to fear as she looks around... she's beginning to think she went past limbo and went straight to Hell itself, she's just wondering which circle she went to given she was a raised catholic.

A male voice comes from the haze "Such a strong heart, one that wants blood and revenge... I also see you enjoy carnal pleasures and enjoy torturing another's soul."

A female sounds from behind her "Hmm, how bad do you want to kill this Magnum? If you pledge to serve us you will have your chance at revenge, understand however that your soul will be forfeit and you will belong to us!"

Kathleen blinks for a few moments, she puts on a smirk "I will serve you however you want me to! I want to rend that wolf limb by limb, until he is nothing but mulch!"

The two voices laugh which catches her attention, these chains come at her, they lock onto her limbs with one wrapping around her tail, another around her waist and the last goes around her neck. The two voices inform her that she'll gain the knowledge she needs from the conversion along with many abilities to help her out in her tasks, she sees this red seven with a curved edge and she gets shocked by red electricity as the female voice chants something in a language she has never heard before, green lighting comes from above, the jackal tries to scream from the pain but she can't. Her eyes shoot open, the white of her eyes slowly changing to crimson, her form slowly gaining a red outline as she gets hit from all directions.

The male voice moves around "We're going to use all the remaining power from the gems, you'll become a being of fear and terror... a demon." the other sounds "Serve us well and you'll fully earn your place in the empire to come!"

Four large beams shoot towards her, they hit the jackal, she finally manages to get a scream out as pain and pleasure hits her all at once, this loud humming sound overpowers the air as the chains tighten their grasp, the chamber snaps shut and a moment later opens once more as the clamor of gems shattering comes. The chains leave Kathleen's form and she falls to the ground, she picks herself up, seeing her hands have become more claw like as she picks up on her new outline instantly, she feels far stronger then she did before and she can feel this hunger deep inside her.

The jackal begins to laugh, her maw opening wide as her wicked laughter consumes the atmosphere "I'll be there soon Magnum! I'll drag you to Hell myself!"

.........................

Kathleen looks over the ruined room, it's clear that the two corrupted mystics have left it all to rot as they simply didn't have what they need to fix it or anything, she can see the blood that remains is being redirected to someplace else as the shattered emeralds have a layer of dust.

"Tam'vez..." earning his gaze "Why did you and your mom choose me?"

The mystic moves over to her "Unlike many souls we captured, yours had this spark and hearing that you wanted revenge the way you did caught our attention. After you told us how you died we knew it was a mystic wolf, however we weren't entirely sure given we were still contained and we couldn't interact much given how much power it all took. Choosing you because of your grudge and because of your encounter was a no brainer as it was likely it could lead to our escape." he puts on a grin "Besides, your drive is pretty strong, you were going to try to get to Magnum no matter what and we wanted to give you a boost. If all goes well, Magnum will be no more and you can claim your prize."

.........................................

Magnum, Elvo, Mo'Ceva and Za'vara enter the cathedral, whispers from everyone can be heard as the group walks by them.

Magnum glances to Elvo "Alright Elvo, where's the sword?" witha raised eyebrow.

Elvo works the scanner on the Pegasus "It looks like Galatine is within the podium on that stage."

"And it is our relic!"

The group stops, they look and see a fox moving towards them "It was given to us by Gawain himself, it has rested here since the church was established."

Magnum fully faces him "I understand your stance, however it is a mystic sword and can be the very thing that can lead us to victory. Religion or no religion, the sword is coming with me weather you like it or not." earning shocked looks from everyone present save for Elvo and the mystic foxes.

The fox stands firm "I understand you are a knight and I respect that, but if the sword goes with you then we'll never see it again."

"Let me put something into perspective for you, if that sword doesn't do what it has to then it'll be the apocalypse and all of Earth with die... and you are right that it'll never return to the cathedral as it'll become my new sword. It needs to perform the task at hand and we need it now."

One of the attendees comes over "Pastor, the arrival of the mystics and what is going on, proves that this is the end time, the angels and demons are going to begin their fighting soon, if Magnum is an archangel then who are we to say no?" another makes their opinion known "You said it yourself that when the time comes you will hand over the sword!"

Magnum rolls his eyes 'A bunch of sheep, how can they blindly follow such stupidity? All religion is is a form of control, nothing more and nothing less, but I do give them credit for taking my side, at least they know how real the danger is.', he eyes the fox "I believe your flock has spoken, if you get in the way I'll test the sword on you to see how sharp it is."

Magnum moves up the stairs to the podium, he looks underneath and sees the sword in a glass case, he opens the case and removes the sword, it looks exactly like it did in the memory though it is in a black scabbard, there's this golden glow coming from the swords handle as Magnum can feel the swords power radiating off of it. Magnum grabs the handle and his becomes part of another memory...

The surrounding area is a desert with fire and smoke choking everything, Magnum looks and sees the tower he was on earlier is completely wrecked and burning, he looks to his right and sees that flying fortress he saw previously crash into the ground and explodes, he had learned what these two wonders were, the tower is the Tower of Babel which was a mystic embassy and head of a colony government in Earth's history while the flying fortress was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, an ancient vessel meant for founding settlements in a planets atmosphere but it was the only one of it's class given it was a prototype that doubled as a super weapon and bulwark in a war.

Ga'in runs past him, his sword striking down what looks like a mystic in dark armor with the curved seven the cults use on it's chest, the armor offers no protection as the sword glows a bright yellow as it cuts, the wolf looks around before giving a sigh as Prov'ka joins him, the head of her hammer covered in crimson.

Gain lowers his sword "We were able to stop them but the Hanging Gardens and Tower are lost, to make matters worse they have the Wheel of Fortune."

"Reports are coming in from all over universe, the most disturbing is that this rift has opened and it is starting to consume all around it.", the vixen moves forward "There's too much chaos, the Alliance is in turmoil and no one knows what is fully occurring."

"We need to rush in what we were already planning, if we can reform the weakened Knight Orders in time we can form a proper counter offensive."

Magnum freezes at Ga'in's words, the Mystic Alliance formed the Knight Orders that we know?

This bright flash comes and Magnum is now witnessing one heck of a battle play out, a massive mystic warfleet firing upon corrupted ships of the same type while creatures similar to the ones he has been facing from the cults in abundance... a knight comes around him, his armor being exactly like those of the Order of Cerberus, his left hand holding their bulky shotgun while the other holding an impressive sword, the creatures burning as the knight swoops close, delivering one killing strike after another, the firearm booms it's shot and shreds through a horde of them closing in. Ga'in follows close behind him as several more knights follow the mystics lead, Ga'in opens his maw and fires his beam, it's a ray of blinding light, obliterating all it touches as he sends a razor edge of light from Galatine which cuts a foe clean in half. Magnum blinks as he looks to Ga'in, seeing a brilliance type of mystic wolf in action is different then reading about them, the other rare breed.

A beam from one of the twisted ships fires and destroys what looks like an early knight vessel made out of a converted liner by the looks of it, a battle cruiser of Cerberus fires and tears into the enemy vessel with it's formidable guns, their special shells punching through their protective shields and armor. Fighters, interceptors and bombers zoom around to carry out their missions as what look to have been once been proud mystics turned into twisted parodies of themselves with strange body modifications and even mutilations and self-inflicted scar tissue with many showing mutations, displaying that their powers have changed, a disease-ridden wolf firing it's beam only to be maggots that corrode through armor, what looks being an example while another delivers that piercing scream that ruptures the armor of multiple knights and mystic warriors.

Magnum follows the carnage to where Ga'in is face-to-face with another mystic wolf, his markings that are visible gives him away instantly, it's Tam'vez, though he isn't the twisted being he is now, he's wearing a complete suit armor with only his hands and head uncovered, that seven symbol on top of the brass chest, he's wielding a sword of gleaming red with a red grip and red symbols, his armor showing sighs of battle as it has cuts, scratches and specks of blood from the fallen knights, warriors and soldiers around him.

Tam'vez eyes Ga'in "You may have beaten us back this far, but you can't fair against me and my Clarent!" his swords power intensifying.

"This has gone on long enough traitor! You and your wretched mother have brought the Alliance low in this civil war!" the two begin to circle around as he continues "And for what to gain some kind of power?"

The shade laughs "You fail to understand the extent of it, look around you, you see the violence, the blood and the cries, it all empowers us... we have even modified the wheel to help fuel what it really needs, it will help us end this war in our favor, this universe will become what it needs to be?"

Ga'in growls "Become what, a hellscape for which no one sane would call it home? You bring shame on us and to our race, to the Alliance and it's tribes and castes!"

"Embrace the Dark Change Ga'in... you and I can ascend alongside my mother, we can become far more then the sum of our parts." giving a lick to his teeth.

Ga'in aims his sword as he stops "I will never join that whore and I will never join you either, I will see to it this rebellion ends!" and he charges "For Avalon!!!"

Tam'vez joins in a charge of his own, their swords clash but Ga'in knocks the corrupted mystic away, Tam'vez opens his maw as purple flame consumes it and he fires, the brilliance wolf deflects it ease as he fires a beam of his own which misses as Tam'vez dodges. Their sword get locked in a clash for a brief moment but the shade sends forth a wave of energy which forces Ga'in back, Tam'vez goes in for a lunge but Ga'in has his body shine as bright as a star which blinds the shade...

Magnum watches the exchange as the carnage continues to unfold around him, seeing the two commanders square off paints quite picture but he's most surprised by Tam'vez and the powers he had before his transformation... but what caused this schism? There has to be more to all of this, it's far more then just being a power grab. His eyes focus on the sevens on all of the traitor forces, why are there two versions? Tam'vez and Ver'cal wear a different pattern compared to the cults... what does it all mean? They are still exploring the records unlocked and still haven't found the answer.

Ga'in and Tam'vez smash into each other, their swords in a deadlock, from the veil this strange shape appears, it looks like a mechanical wheel of some kind with some pretty impressive gems with this energy coursing through it....

"With the Wheel of Fortune, we'll put this battle in our favor! The energy bound within bares the might of many souls, Gai'n, you and the council have failed!"

Ga'in eyes the object for a moment, he glares at the shade "I will make sure you don't put it to use!"

Tam'vez laughs "It's too late, the Wheel is primed, it'll fire no matter what!"

The brilliance wolf nods to himself "I see...", he quickly shoves the shade away and fires his beam at the Wheel.

The attack strikes dead center, it's not powerful enough to destroy the machine but it starts to go into a frenzy as it's power becomes unstable, the wheel spinning in both directions randomly as it sparks.

Tam'vez growls as Prov'ka arrives, she looks to the wheel and begins to chant, her hammer glows in it's power and swings it, the energy wave smashes into the Wheel's center as she resumes her chanting. The shade tries to go after the vixen but Ga'in intervenes, the two continue their exchange of blows, their sword meeting in clashes and deflecting off of each other, Prov'ka's eyes glow as she spins her weapon around, she plants the top square on the ground as she finishes her chant. The wheel stops moving and locks up as energy from the vixen shoots from her to the wheel, Tam'vez eyes the vixen, Ga'in steps in and delivers an impaling blow to the shade, the mystic sword glows as bright as the sun as it punches clean through Tam'vez's armor on it's left side, it's magic barrier glowing as it's protection is breached. The shade backs away as the brilliance retrieves his sword, Tam'vez looks to his wound and Magnum can easily tell what the wound is, given the length of the sword along with the shades dimensions, the shades left lung has just been punctured, something he can't walk off but not entirely fatal either.

Prov'ka moves towards the pair "I have enchanted the Wheel of Fortune, your storm is coming to an end!"

The shade begins to give a painful laugh "You fools, you think I didn't plan for this? I put a fallback option in the wheel, if it were to gain anything for it to seal the Shifting Crimson then it'll seal the way to Avalon as well and it'll return to our bastion in the process. You two have gained nothing, neither of us will win now!"

Ga'in and Prov'ka become stunned at this, to hear that such a trap has been put in place, that once their hellstorm is sealed so is the path back to the home of the mystic race as a whole... and with it the enemy will still have the Wheel of Fortune, the very thing that can break the seal for them. In a flash of purple, Ver'cal makes her presence known, her form is enveloped by an intense purple energy and with a flick of the wrist her power zooms to the arcane machine, it forces the machine to unlock and this massive wave emits, the energy goes in all directions and goes to light speed but has no real force behind it, upon hitting Ga'in and Prov'ka they instantly look a little ill but quickly recover. The shewolf begins to laugh as the wheel locks up once more, saying that now every mystic from now to the future will now bare at their heart the potential to bare their change of darkness, that now the Dark Change itself will longer be simply carried out by them... but by any mystic alive and those to come.

Another massive wave comes, Magnum glances and sees a familiar sight... it's the Hunter of the Damned, it's cannons firing wildly at the incoming energy as creatures swarm it, the wave impacts the mighty dreadnought and sends it away into the void, the hellscape shaking wildly as everything starts to breakdown...

Ver'cal gives a grin "We will return one day, time will tell if either of you see such an event. It will be some time because the wheel is depleted, but it is inevitable."

Tam'vez stumbles a little "True, we only have one way to return... but it's more then enough." crimson flowing from the wound as he winces.

Ver'cal casts her spell, both she and her son disappear in an eyeblink, before anything else happens there is another flash of light and Magnum is back in the present, the wolf eyes the sword, he grabs the handle and pulls the sword out, Galatine's blade shines in the air as the wolf gives a smirk.

Elvo's voice comes through her automata "Ver'cal has just been spotted in Poland and there's a broadcast!"

The Gypse deploys a hologram of the shewolf, she's declaring a parlay between her and Magnum alone. Everyone looks to the wolf as he thinks about it, he gives a nod as he puts the sword back in it's scabbard and followed by him putting it on his hip. The group boards the craft and makes haste to Poland, the vessel arrives at the designated coordinates, they leave the shuttle and sight instantly shocks Magnum at where they are. Magnum orders Elvo to block any and all transmissions as it's best that this meeting isn't televised. The wolf begins to move on his own into the location, the unease of it making him tense, on either side there are multiple sets of train tracks, the structures of dense brick and mortar with fences of tall barbed wire on all sides, guard towers long abandoned sit in a dark watch.

The wolf makes it through the first gate, the unease growing in his heart, his blue eyes scanning the area as he comes to a stop... he can hear the silent screams long drowned out, his mind seeing the shadows of old... of all the places Ver'cal could have chosen... it's this place...

Magnum resumes his pace as he take a breath, after navigating the old location he finds the shewolf in between buildings of ruined concrete, the two wolves lock eyes as Magnum makes it over to her, he stops about ten feet away from her and stands in attention.

"I am happy to see you made it, I was starting to wonder of you would make it."

Magnum raises an eyebrow "You wanted a parlay Ver'cal, I am simply granting your wish, understand that any aggression will be met accordingly."

Ver'cal gives a light laugh "As uptight as the heroes of old.", her gaze goes towards the sword "And you have Galatine? Even though it has been such a long time, Ga'in still haunts me.", she looks back to the knights gaze "But enough star gazing, I asked you here to see if maybe we can find some common ground and to answer any questions you may have."

Magnum blinks "Very well, first off... why do you and the cults use two variations of the same symbol? What purpose do they serve?"

Ver'cal explains to him that the seven she and her son wear are their families symbol, as to the explanation for the cults it is far more complicated...

"For the use with those that follow us, the symbol they use was adopted by our shamans and spiritual leaders during that time and became our unofficial symbol during the civil war, but it also serves another purpose. You see, another mystic and his kin were working on the Wheel of Fortune, the original purpose of the device was to ultimately link the Alliance together as Avalon was moved to a pocket dimension we had created to ensure it's safety from possible invasion. However, he quickly discovered that it can be used to augment our abilities and to make us stronger... with a catch, to fall into the acts that ultimately turned us into what we are now. When the Wheel was finally finished it was considered outdated as by that time we mastered our technology and powers to where it wasn't needed, by this time we were putting in place what we needed for our colony here on Earth as we were bringing the ferals here to heel as we wished to bring them into the fold. Our associate however didn't want to abandon the Wheel of Fortune as he had plans to use the wheel to spread his idea of paradise to the Sol System and by extension the rest of the Alliance, but we had other plans, we offered both him and his kin to the Wheel of Fortune, we were already on the path to damnation, that only made the trail solid for us. We were the first mystics to undergo the Dark Change and the Wheel of Fortune gave us instructions what we needed to do to become stronger, we began to convert populations for our purposes as we gathered allies to our cause, we introduced that symbol so that when they worshiped us, carried out acts in our name or simply died for us, their souls would come to us, we used them to augment ourselves and turned our most devoted to demonic creatures. We did that particular process to Kathleen simply because we felt she would serve us well and she did, she just needed some aid and Circie was excellent in providing what she needed. Every act they do it generates energy for us then that energy goes to our fortress at it's core."

Magnum stands a little more firmly "But the Wheel of Fortune was badly damaged, how can it do anything?"

The matriarch laughs at him "Who said it was the Wheel of Fortune, we developed other tech and enchantments to carry it out, the Wheel simply became our super weapon, it just needed the proper to charge what it needed to to do. The machine we developed to convert Kathleen and the like came after our change, many saw it as the ultimate reward and we were able to use more simple version to create mindless spawn to carry out simple orders... until we needed them to replace loses."

The conversation continues with Magnum inquiring with the shewolf, she reveals that when she and her son planted the Dark Change in every mystic, they also planted the information needed into the alternate form to know certain things about the mystics as a whole when it came to the change, but it doesn't mean they'll flock to her and her sons banner as she's had to put down many mystics who had undergone the Dark Change numerous times.

Ver'cal grins at him "You have already gone through the process of the Dark Change, your powers have been upgraded a little, but could be so much more if you simply gave in. You could be the very thing that makes or breaks the upcoming battle, but it'll be a full win if you were to let the change run it's course and let the one you call Anubis shine."

Magnum glares at her "I will never become that heartless monster again!"

Ver'cal sighs, her eyes glancing here and there "You say that now... but what if it did come down to it? If it was the thing that secured the victory you need?", she spreads her arms "Look around you, you know what this location is and what it served, everyone falls because they end up believing what they are doing is just, to where they become the monster themselves and fail to recognize it even when they look into a mirror and see their reflection. Then those like you were sent in and while avenging those lost, you carry out virtually the same barbarism thinking it changes anything and all you do is repeat the cycle, the only difference is that you and them are liberators and are given a free pass. Both sides spill blood, both inflict suffering felt long after the ordeal is over..." her gaze focuses on the wolf "And the reason why... it's because at everyone's core, if it came down to it, we are all the same, everyone is capable of killing and inflicting pain just as much as they can employ comfort and implement joy. That is why in the end, no matter how much you fight the darkness will always be there to send another after you, should you prevail the cycle repeats until you die or fall yourself. What is your answer Magnum for all of it?"

Magnum takes her words in, he takes a breath as he closes his eyes for a moment "The answer is simple... we all have a final solution, there are just different versions of it."

The shewolf gives a few claps "You understand then, your final solution is different from mine and it varies from one to another. But who says that your end game can't fall in line with mine?" all with a wicked grin.

Magnum glares at her, he pulls the sword from it's scabbard "The truth is that it easily can, but I have values that I stand for, and my ideals don't match yours, I will continue to serve as a knight of the orders, and many will show you where they stand in the battle to come!"

Ver'cal wags her finger "Until their will breaks down completely, you have destroyed Knight Orders that have fallen, even they with all their armor and status are still fallible and entire populations will happily butcher each other over crumbs if such an opportunity comes to pass, especially if it means survival. The real question is this... how many more times can you go into the abyss and come out as the beacon of hope everyone expects you to be?"

Magnum gives her a grin "You know what's ironic with what you just said? Do you even know what the most powerful form of chaos and defiance is?" earning a shrug from Ver'cal, Magnum puts the sword off to the side "The most powerful form of it is hope, sure it means different things to so many, but that drive is what matters most. I have hope I will stop you as the others do, the hope for a brighter tomorrow, the hope that we can beat back the darkness and we are willing to pay the price for having the hope we feel and bare. Sure some may end up getting lost and we'll have to address it, but in the end we have the spirit to match yours and the people of this will will aid us fighting you. I will defy you in stopping your plans as I have been doing it seems for three years, I will defy your claim on the Sol System and most importantly... I will defy you and your son from continuing any of it."

Ver'cal blinks as she takes Magnum's words in, she gives a nod and grin "Very well put, my son enjoys exploring such philosophy as well. He wishes to match his strength with yours, so what ever you do don't hold back."

Magnum gives a laugh of his own "Tell him to do the same, because I won't be holding anything back."

Ver'cal wasn't expecting this at all, Magnum is excited, possibly from the prospect he finally has foes that can easily match him in combat if not exceed him "I'll leave you to your final preparations, before I go though there is one thing I want to point our to you... only those who have undergone the Dark Change can use the Wheel of Fortune!" disappearing in a cloud of magic.

Magnum puts the sword away as he looks to the sky 'This Wheel of Fortune... how it sounds and what it sounds it could do...' his mind going through numerous possibilities.

The wolf heads back to the craft and the group heads back to the Howling Crusader, Magnum informs them that Ver'cal has revealed the source of the powers and capabilities, that the bastion they occupy harbors the linchpin needed to win and that destroying it is top priority... also that he has given a challenge to Tam'vez to meet in combat. They eventually get to the bridge of the dreadnought while the automata heads to it's station in the hanger, a bright flash claims Magnum's vision and now he is face to face with Ga'in in a space of radiating light with the mystic of the past looking a little old, the radiance type eyeing the elemental with an inquisitive gaze.

"So, you have claimed my sword... and on top of that you have just bitten the devils cage. I know who you are and you know who I am so we don't need introductions, understand that there is no going back from any of this. Are you ready for what may happen?" the mystic of light crossing his arms.

"I am ready to die if it means we defeat them, I am fighting for those I love and care about, I will not allow those things to claim Earth and the Sol System! I will do what ever it takes!"

Ga'in raises a brow, he sighs "I remember leading the charge, don't underestimate what you face. I died when I entrusted my sword so that way someone like you can finally end this nightmare. Prov'ka ensured there was a way for the connection to Avalon to be restored while I returned to Terra to see if I can create an order to guard Mars and failed. The war we fought became the foundation of most religions and all are false to maintain their own form of control, we mystics laid the foundation of universe, we just wish we had been here for the past 30,000 years, but part if me is happy that it had a chance to develop on it's own.", he approaches and puts his hand on Magnum's shoulder "This will be won not by the ways of old, but by the ways of new, it's you and the one of younger blood that'll decide the fate of not just the Sol System but the entire universe. Galatine is a fine sword and will serve you well, I will unlock the knowledge you need to properly use it and do the binding so that it mainly answers to you, carry the torch Magnum, those that are to come are depending on you and your allies."

Magnum gives a nervous chuckle "No pressure right?"

Another light passes, Magnum looks around and see everyone looking at him, he looks to see Galatine glowing like a star, energy from the sword goes to Magnum as his body produces a field of it's natural energy, the two auras join as one, the blue and blazing gold swim against each other, he can feel the sword and himself forming a connection, Magnum releases the sword and holds it high as it radiates, the sword of light is now his own. Everyone in the room and the other leaders on the viewers are in awe at the sight, now all they needed was reinforcements...

The mystic gate soon activates and connects to the mystic travel nexus, mystic, knight vessels and many more are ready to make the trip to the Sol System as vessels rise from Earth itself, sadly the relief is cut short when a red ray from Mars comes and hits the gate, forcing the construct to shut down entirely... but there is no choice now, everything is now in full swing and it is now or never, Magnum does have a mystic vessel remain behind so that they can try to re-open the gate itself. The combined fleet makes haste to Mars, ready for fight of the Sol System...

Elvo looks to her brother "Would you like to address the fleet... Force Commander?"

Magnum nods as he looks out to the void, Elvo confirms the connection is established with video and audio and the wolf begins to speak "The time has come for this crusade to take the fight to the enemy, we face a foe that this world had faced in it's past, regardless of nationality, religion or politics, we all have come together to fight for what we have to, not for freedom or resources, we are fighting for the right to continue to live and to exist. On this day we are patriots of Earth, in Terra's name we will not go quietly, here the people of Earth stand side-by-side with the Mystic Alliance, the Knight Orders and forces from the kingdom of Io'Ra Light, everyone not just on Earth is counting on us, the souls of past, present and future are watching us, they are all hoping we pull through, to keep the hour glass flowing and open, this battle has a lot riding on it, so let's make them proud. My comrades in arms...", he raises his sword "LET'S TAKE THE THE FIGHT TO THE ENEMY!!!" pointing the weapon at the void.

The fleet cheers and applauds, the vessels flying in close formation as they make final preparations, squadrons are deployed as troop transports make ready for planetfall, the capital ships ready to slug it out.

........................

Tam'vez looks to the void, having seen and heard Magnum's speech, he pulls out from nearby his sword of old, Clarent, it's crimson blade showering black sparks here and there, he begins to chuckle as walks away "Yes come to me Magnum!" he raises his sword and it's blood-colored energy drowns the rest of the room out.

To be continued...