Hands Of Heaven

Clad in glorious attire, he seems to glow with an aura of a G.o.d of battle.

The simple white gloves glimmer with spectral light, before being absorbed into his skin- wrinkles smooth, and liver spots fade as Anno"s tan skin seems to regenerate.

The same occurred for the inky greaves on his legs- they absorb into him, in turn rejuvenating him.

He was slowly returning to his prime state... and seemed to be getting even more powerful.

As he hurtled upward, the rage of nature could be felt all around, as the swirling of heavenly clouds distorted with immeasurable power. Anno was getting even further from the ground beneath- he would be indiscernible from the storm around him if it weren"t for the seemingly divine light he emitted.

His closed eyes snap open, and seemed to emanate the light of the concealed stars.

On the broken bones of his brethren, and on the last shreds of his sanity and humanity, he has come this far. This is Anno"s time to take his place as a supreme being.

A rift seems to open behind him, producing heavenly light- said rift was being torn open by a set of giant, ethereal hands- clearly manifestations of the Hands of Heaven.

This was his ultimate plan- separate himself and his artifacts into pieces, then consolidate them all within him for the final confrontation.

As the rift opens fully, the light takes the shape of a circular disc behind Anno"s back, connected to him by tendrils of a strange and powerful energy.

The rumbles continue, and the storm intensifies when-

A white bolt containing insurmountable rage flashes down in an instant.

Expecting this, Anno quickly swings his palms upwards, as if ready to grasp it out of the sky.

Instead, a transparent barrier inscribed with a plethora of ancient tunes takes form nigh instantaneously... which was the base line requirement to deal with a bolt from the sky, imbued with magical and heavenly energy.

The bolt strikes the barrier, and produces a ear shattering and mind shaking screech before dissipating as soon as it came.

Though the danger was averted, Anno"s barrier collapses into dust- the same barrier that previously only barely saved his life back when his people were wiped out, managed to block a blow of obscene power after Anno had strengthened himself.

Though there would be no way for him to be unscathed. His bones are rattled, and blood seeps from all orifices. His brilliant robe gets stained a darker shade of red. His eyes leak all sorts of fluid, yet not for a second do they close.

Nearly shaken out of place by its strength, his preparations remain uninterrupted. Around his legs, the hands of the dead and d.a.m.ned grasp him, keeping him in place. The mournful howls of the souls of his brethren, sacrificed for a selfish cause and lacking absolution, power him and keep him steady.

He is not dissuaded. With a mad look in his eye, Anno"s hands swing upward yet again. A terrifying repulsive force gathers in his palms- one that seems to be as powered by the world around him as the bolt that just struck. Steadily, he is becoming closer and closer to a G.o.d.

Seemingly sensing danger, the unintelligent yet orderly, the beast like yet restricted, the essence of the will of Heaven and the world gathers itself for another blow.

Yet, it"s power is gathering slower and with a lesser maximum output as previously. And that is because-

It and Anno are drawing from the same source.

His quick speed after taking on the wrath of the unintelligent Heavens was for this purpose. It only knows how to release it"s power in obscene bursts- which means it doesn"t have the knowledge to properly control it"s unmatchable strength. If it did, it would have sent out a low powered strike immediately after Anno"s barrier was broken, interrupting him and his plan to scatter the storm.

Anno"s preparation is evident.

His limbs begin to blur into the sky around him- the power he is attempting to wield is unlike anything he"s ever dealt with before. He is getting ever closer to losing control, but remains on the razor"s edge. One wrong step, and his consciousness and power will dissipate into nothingness.

But that"s exactly where the thrill is from.

That"s right, the thrill. A madman who has sacrificed everything for power can not be in the same playing field as a normal human. His initial aspirations to become a G.o.d seem to fade along with the last vestiges of his sanity. All that remains is a battle hungry genius with a desire for nothing but victory.

The force held within him seem to shatter him from within. A human body, no matter how powerful or how enhanced by relics can only last so long. Yet, he is no longer just a human body.

He has become a relic himself.

As beams of all consuming light seem to shoot through his skin, he becomes tempered, like a sword in the heat of the forge.

The strength held within his palms grow every stronger. A vast feeling of propulsion is at the brink of being released into the sky above.

Somehow feeling the danger, Heaven reacts unexpectedly- it releases it"s collected energy in a bolt, quite a bit weaker than the last, as a last ditch effort to disrupt Anno"s plans. It is not nearly strong enough. Yet even still, the glimmer of intelligence there seems to inspire a feeling of dread within him, considering it was never displayed before....

The thought is discarded as soon as it came.

With a mighty roar, his arms are pushed upward, as if they desire to hold up the sky and the world.

A wave of rippling energy is released from his hands, and sent hurtling into the storm above.

The spell cast hold no element. It holds no malice. It has no ability to actually hurt Heaven.

But that was not it"s intended use.

"I will scatter this storm."

The storm above, emanating a feeling of unwillingness, is dissipated by the repulsive, scattering power conjured from world itself.

It is true, you can"t fight Heaven.

But what if you can make it so it can never fight again?

In the center of the has-been storm, a floating gem like eye can be seen. A literal Eye of the Storm. A crystallization of the power and authority of the laws of the world.

It gazes at Anno, as he gazes back.

A smile takes over his face, and he opens his arms wide-

As it surpa.s.ses the speed of light and enters his body.

His face is the epitome of serenity and satisfaction.

I"ve done it, he thought.

I can feel the power to rule over all existence.

I can feel it.

I can...

Feel...

It...

As his body fades into nonexistence, his soul is shaped into a different shape-

The shape of a tool.

A consciousness can not hope to rule over all things in existence.

The absence of the will of Heaven must be replaced-

The storm reforms.