Minato wielded the Universe, standing defiantly in front of Nyx.
'Strange, that you seek to defy me, and your own kind with such adversity.' She said, only appearing as a pale moon to his eyes.
Minato looked at her, unblinking and without talking. He knew what he needed to do.
'Hmm?' The night queen mused, sounding genuinely confused. 'So you would give yourself to me willingly to save others? This is stranger then the last fact.'
The darkness around Minato swirled, trying to touch him and consume him, like so many others before him.
'Thanatos?' She asked, sensing her son in the man who stood against her. 'That is where you were, my wayward son. Come, speak with your mother.'
Minato held the blank, but all encompassing power of the universe in his hands, ready to unleash it's power to seal away the force behind the night queen. Yes, he could see it. The darkness that sought to consume him, consume all of humanity. It was pushing Nyx to kill all of humanity, bringing them all into the darkness with it for all eternity.
He could see those red eyes, watching from the darkness all around him, watching with a hunger unmatched for the souls of humanity.
He could See Erebus.
'Is that so?' Nyx said, talking to something Minato couldn't hear, or just didn't pay attention to. 'He would defy me to save others, but also willing to give himself to me to do the same. Strange, this human.'
"Minato!" A familier voice called from the Darkness, making Minato's eyes widen.
"Ryoji!" Minato said, surprised to see the avatar of death.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt your big hero moment sealing my dad away from my mom, but she would like to talk with you." He said, his yellow scarf fluttering in the vacuum.
Minato gaped, still holding the Universe in his hand. He stammered, before recomposing himself.
"I'm sorry... but what?"
Ryoji shook his head. "Dunno. She said you interest her. Mom always did like interesting things." He said with a sigh, shaking his head. "I suppose I should go say hi to everyone while I'm here. Man, won't they be surprised!"
"Uh..." Minato said, trying to find the words. "Didn't we just... fight you? On top of Tartarus?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, don't worry about it. I'm not mad at all. You guys were just doing what you had to do." He said, grabbing Minato's arm. "Now hurry. Mom really wants to meet you."
"Wait... Ryoji!" Minato said, feeling himself be pulled along through the endless darkness.
Except... it wasn't endless?
Minato found himself walking through a ivory and Onyx hallway, split evenly down the middle. On the left, there stood ivory. On the right, Onyx.
"Come on, don't stand there gawking." Ryoji said, pulling him along still as Minato was in awe of the stone work. It was seemless, the transition from white to black.
It also caused a headache, since every so often the hall would invert.
"You know, I just want to say, since I remember it all, sorry for killing your parents that night. I didn't really know what was going on, all I knew was that I hurt and that I was summoned. And I really didn't have human emotions at the time." He said. "And thanks for putting up with me for all those years, even as a monster and as the creepy kid Pharos. Popping in everywhere, cryptic messages. Ah, the good old days." He said, still pulling Minato along. "Oh, we're here."
Ryoji pulled Minato into a large, open room. It was tall, easily as tall as tartarus. The walls were black as night, thousands of lights shining from them like stars. The roof was made of Ivory, a stark contrast from the walls. It also seemed as if it were floating.
In this room, there was one piece of furniture. A fainting couch, not that Minato knew what it was called.
But it was who was on this absurdly large fainting couch that caught Minato's eye.
She was, literally, larger then life. A giantess. She wore robes that held the cosmos, the scene moving with each movement it took, like a sliding frame picture. She had dark hair, like the Onyx, and Ivory skin, almost blending into the background of her palace. She wore a black toga-like piece of cloth, leaving one of her breasts uncovered, which made Minato blush. She looked down on them, her eyes being as different as the sun and the moon.
Wait... Minato looked closer...
Holy shit they were the sun and moon.
She had the sun and the moon for eyes!
Well, that made sense given the appearance of the moon before he ascended to fight her.
Well, this made him feel slightly under-equipped now.
"Hi Mom!" Ryoji said, waving at her like nothing was out of the ordinary.
'Hello sweetie.' She said with a small smile, but never moving her lips otherwise. 'Have you seen your brother around? He's been gone almost as long as you have.'
"Um, no. I can't say I have. I think he may have fallen asleep on the way back from wherever he was." Ryoji said.
'Would you be a dear and go look for him?' She asked, stretching as she turned her focus solely on Minato. 'I wish to talk with this human alone.'
"You got it mom! Later Minato." He said, strolling back past Minato, leaving him alone with this giantess of a goddess.
'Hello, human.' Nyx said, not beating around the bush as soon as Ryoji was gone. 'I must admit that you are quite the looker, if a tad scrawny.' She said with a laugh.
She stood up, towering over Minato. Then she was in front of him, standing a few inches taller then him. She was in his face, inspecting him, regarding him with her moon/sun eye combo.
'Interesting. Yes, I can sense the potential in you. Very powerful. Strong enough to wield the universe even.' She said, looking at the blank card in his hand. 'Even more interesting. Even capable of using a persona of the universe, mixed with power of the fool. Limitless potential, with limitless power, and you would only seal Erebus away? Nay, human. You could bind Erebus so that he could not contact me in any way, shape or form. That would keep me from sending my son to kill humanity, if that was your desire.'
"But why do what it tells you?" Minato blurted out, slapping a hand over his mouth a moment later.
Nyx smiled sadly, not upset with Minato's outburst it seemed. 'Because he is my husband. He may not seem like it, but Erebus was once a nice god. But when men feasted upon the fruit of knowledge, he was reduced to what he is now. A black pit that seeks to consume all of humanity in despair.' She said, standing back up. 'Ever since, he has been trapped in the sea of souls, floundering in its depths to stay away from the light of life. I had thought to be able to save him, but I know I delude myself.'
She moved back, looking up. 'But even still. He is my husband, and I love him dearly. But... perhaps it is time to let him go. How long has it been since he has been reduced to the mindless beast he is now?' She asked in wonder, a tear escaping her moon eye.
She sniffled, before smiling sadly at Minato again. 'And that is where you come in, Human...Minato.' She said, moving closer to him. 'I think it is time I gave my husband up for lost and remarry. However, due to humanity turning what few gods remain into either persona or into beings like Erebus, it would not be wise to search for a husband in my realm of existence. But you are a special case, with that power you wield. A mortal with the power of a god. Something like that happens once every universe life-span, if one is lucky.' She said.
She wrapped her arms around Minato, pulling his head to her chest, making him blush even more.
Remember. One. Exposed. Breast.
'So, I think you would be the right person for me. You are of stronger will then I, and are willing to defy me. You would be perfect to be the new king of the heavens, and I would cherish you forever and always. I would be more then willing to help you and your... associates in defending humanity if you wished. Do not think that I am the only one with the ability to conjure shadows. My son may be the perfect shadow, or was the perfect shadow at one point, there are other gods who wish death upon humanity. And best of all, you wouldn't have to sacrifice yourself to seal Erebus away. I would help you, along with my sons and daughters. Just agree to be mine.'
The way she said the last sentence sounded more like a physical need then anything else. It was almost frightening, hearing that tone. It was like she absolutely needed someone to lavish attention on, someone to love.
But honestly, how could Minato refuse? All his life he had helped people. Nyx really was no different.
Besides, could it be all that bad? This meant he could see his friends again after all.
"I..." Was he really going to do this? "I..." Nyx seemed to hang on his every word. "I acc..." There was no turning back after this.
"I accept." Minato said, only to have Nyx crashing her lips into his the next second as the Universe flared to life in his hand.
~In the darkness
Erebus clawed at Nyx's dimension, trying to push her towards killing humanity. It didn't know why, but Nyx listened to him, so it used that to the advantage it could even figure out.
'Killkillkillkillkillkillkillkill...' Was all that ran through its head, trying to push Nyx to kill them all.
A light blasted towards it, causing it pain just by the mere presence alone. It blasted it back, shredding the shadow's away, revealing nothing but bone underneath. The light wrapped around, like chains, making it scream in agony and anger, not able to move even the slightest.
Many figures stood around Erebus, pulling the chains taught. The children he had sired, even Ryoji and Hypnos.
"Good work Minato." The avatar of death said. "Or should I say... Dad?"
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