Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 355- Westward Cloud, Final Chapter, Part 5- Precipitation.

Having ended Nox’s contract and taken the other half of Elpis, Cirrus’s body was now just a massive, colliding maelstrom pool of power.

‘How unfair,' Cirrus thought. ‘I wanted to grow old. Just a few minutes ago, I could strike down mountains and slice through forests, but now I have become fragile from the great power that is slowly killing me now.'

Entropy and negentropy, growth and rot, destruction and creation.

‘Faith. Yes, I am sure there is more to me severing fate. I… I’m tired.’

Thinking wore him down.

His health quickly deteriorated at an even faster rate. The pain burned through his body as it drowned him in the sensation of being burned, drowning, suffocation, and cellular decay, but also in the opposite of all of that. His body is doing everything it can to survive. The excess energy causes him to grow at an incredible speed; his nails grow out long and curl in; and his skin sheds old skin cells and replaces them with new ones.

‘Vesta.’ His tone told her what he wanted, and so all the excess stuff stopped, and his hair grew even longer at an even faster rate before Vesta burned it off.

Bwoosh!!

Death was a release from this mortal turmoil that keeps getting worse.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

The black stains covered more and more, with iridescent-colored veins now appearing.

"Cough!! Cough!! Cough!! Clough!!"

His armor was healing him as much as it could, but swelling soon appeared around his body. Cracks became more frequent, dripping ichor down on the earth below, along with his golden antlers.

Crack!! Spurt~!

Crack!! Crack!! Spurt~!

Spurt~! Spurt~! Crack!!

‘It would seem you developed a few new symptoms.’ Vesta said, noticing the new veins and bumps.

Cirrus’ body had become like a primordial soup. Many harmful and helpful things were being created and dying.

‘Oh, well.’ Cirrus told her mentally. ‘Can you talk through our link? My mind is getting clogged up; my anchor is leaving me.’

His eyes saw infinity. Hundreds of possibilities were already showing themselves as possible versions of himself littered the surrounding space with their bodies. Like gazing directly at the sun, his eyes soon worsened.

One by one, they all fall off and crash to the earth.

"Cough!! Cough!! Cough!! Cough!! Cough!! Cough!!"

He was coughing up gold, its purity, and luster growing with every heartbeat.

The ichor falls to the ground below, and new flora grows from it. More than anything, a green cloud-shaped flower flourished.

‘Very well. Can I ask why you are still headed west?’

Cirrus was flying as fast as he could, heading only west.

‘I saw... a path, a possibility that I liked. Ah, my eyesight is gone for good.’

His eyes could no longer see the world, but infinity.

‘No more specks of light from the setting sun, huh?’ Vesta spoke to him through his mind.

‘No. Just the color of different branches of time. They're quite beautiful in a transcendental way. but I would like to see the sun of my home.’

‘Then let me clear the fog for you.’

His eyes were glazed over with azure. He could once again see the sun that had hung over him for 35 years.

‘Thank you for being my eyes.’

‘Not at all. I assume you are going to your final resting place.

‘Yeah. It’s a fitting end.’

He flew as fast and as far as he could, and he was thankful to Vesta for helping him get where he wanted. A last request.

Whoosh!!

Whoosh!!

The sound of the waves reached their ears.

‘The coastline? This is what you wish to be your resting place?’

Cirrus gently lands on the ground.

‘Yes,' Cirrus said as his armor faded away.

Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack!!!

Spurt-Spurt-Spurt-Spurt!!!

His body was breaking down even more.

‘Cirrus… you… Hm. Very well. A fitting end for Artemis’s Orion.’

He walks towards the sea.

Tap~

Tap~

Tap~

His golden antlers shed from his head and fell into the sand, dispersing within it. More and more grew and shed on their own.

From his spring-licked boots that were dyed in their wearer’s ichor, flora sprung from his footsteps.

Tap-Bloom~

Tap-Bloom~

Tap-Bloom~

His hair has already regrown and reached the sand. It’s dragged along by Cirrus’ weary body, taking the flora that grew from his ichor.

‘Yes. There was another reason I chose this path. It was to avoid that end.’

‘So Artemis would not be the one to lay the finishing blow?’

‘Yes. You do not need to be my eyes anymore. There is no more need.’

The azure of his eyes is gone, showing his once emerald and silver eyes are now pure white, the color bleeding down his cheeks, following the cracks down.

Bits and pieces of his body began to disintegrate like ash and burst like boils.

Splash~

Tap-Ripple~

Cirrus reached the water, but, to his surprise, he walked on it.

‘How interesting…’ He had no more thoughts, for he did not have the energy or will to pursue it further than what it was.

His hair got soaked.

The waves slowly pushed him back, but even that was soon gone.

"___"

The wind stopped; the sea was in a lull.

It was as if the planet itself was working to let him reach his final destination, or at the very least, get close enough to it.

"Thank… you." He said to the world.

He wished he could feel the wetness of the sea and the salty taste it had at that moment. But all he could feel was the slow, increasing weight of the sea dragging his head.

‘Can I request a song? Bwoosh!’ She burned off the hair that was dragging him, but it quickly grew again. ‘A song you hold dear to your heart?’

"Of… course." He smiled, and parts of his skin broke off. "This song that only Hakushika, Callisto, Auberon, and Alise heard in their dreams when they first came into this world. A song that I recently sang to my youngest. The song I have sung to them as they slept."

More of himself broke apart; a finger, an ear, and some chunks of skin fell into the sea.

"*♪Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are♪"

He sang it in English; for too many, it was a foreign language. To the gods, they knew what it was.

"*♪Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky♪"

For his children, it rang in their heads and hearts, spilling out onto their cheeks.

"*♪Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are♪"

Out at sea on board the Poseidon Familia ship.

"Dad…" Tears streamed down Haku’s face.

Slowly walking towards the horizon, his hair wilted away like the leaves of a tree in autumn and grew back as leaves in spring.

"*♪When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,♪"

Whoosh~

A light breeze came to support Cirrus as he walked along the calm sea.

Along with his hair, his skin was blown by the wind like ash.

"*♪Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night♪"

Crack!! Spurt!! Crack!!

He lost an arm; it fell into the sea, spilling his ichor.

Pitter~Patter~

Pitter~Patter~

Pitter~Patter~

The sea was slowly beginning to reflect the sky; stars even shone.

"*♪Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are♪"

Orario.

"D-dad!!" Alise cried out, trying to hold her tears back.

"Dad," Auberon said, tears staining his cheeks.

Next, his leg falls off. Sinking into the sea.

Splash!

Cirrus, of course, fell next, landing on his face.

Splash!!!

"…Splash~" He turns over on his back with relative ease, gazing into the sky with lightless eyes.

"*Then the traveler in the dark,

Thank you for your tiny spark♪"

The setting sun slowly sets. The night sky encroaches into view.

"*♪He could not see which way to go,

If you did not twinkle so♪"

He does not reach for the heavens that he dreamed of, nay; he reached to his chest and held the locket given to him by his children and the charm Ai gave him long ago when they were children.

"*♪If you did not twinkle so,"

His arm turns to ash, carried away by the wind that came to see him off.

"*Twinkle, twinkle, little star..."

The wind carried it high into the sky before letting it all fall like snow.

Much like Megas Alexandros, Alexander the Great's dying wishes, Vesta helped carry Cirrus to his end, a goddess’s aspect in place of the best doctors. His ichor, gold in color, surrounded him like all the wealth he accumulated through his life, like the wealth the great conqueror gained and left behind upon earth. Yet his hand was not empty. In his hand, leaving this world was his most valuable treasure, the time in this world accumulated in a simple gift by his children and the woman who brought him the sun, the locket, and the charm they gave him.

"*How I…"

In his last moments, he smiles, tears welling up and falling down the side of his face. No matter how much he prepared for this moment, this was the end. He may not even see his family, friends, or anyone else in this world ever again.

Yes, it was his instinct to live that brought out this fear in him.

"*Wanna… live."

With only faith and love in his heart, he sinks below the sea’s surface, his long hair dragging him down. This was it.

Bubble~

Bubble~

He does not know what lies before him, but what he does know is that he has freed the world of a monster that had plagued it for millennia and opened as many doors for his children to take to be who they wish to be.

Bubble~

Bubble~

Bubble~

Bubble~

Bubble~

Bubble~

He does not know how the garden he planted will turn out. But he was happy to at least see them grow for as long as he did. Those memories will forever shine like gold.

‘It is all right, Cirrus.’

Cirrus slowly closes his lightless eyes and falls asleep, lulled by Vesta’s voice.

‘Listen to my voice and slowly go to sleep.’

Bubble~

Bubble~————

———Whoosh!!

Cirrus opens his eyes to find himself back on Circe’s island.

"Huh?"

Whoosh!!

Whoosh!!

He could see once more and feel the warmth of the sand and the coldest of the tides.

"So." Cirrus turns to see by the campfire a man with brown hair and eyes in office attire. His past life. "How was it? This life?"

"It was nice." He said to himself.

"How fun was it?"

Coming from right next to his past life was a young boy with the first version of his Ceryneian mask. It has splatters of blood all over him. The piece of himself that died when he first took a human life.

"Really fun."

"It better have been."

Another one came from his side. This one was far bloodier than the last one. He still had intestines and viscera on his golden antlers. The version of himself during his time in the Kaios Desert.

"I mean, I got married."

"Yeah, you did."

Another one appeared wearing his wedding attire.

He, along with everyone else, sat around the campfire and looked at him.

"Cirrus." They said it in unison. "Did we have a good life?"

"…Yeah, we did. Say you guys don’t happen to know where—"

"Just keep heading inland." Said the Cirrus in the wedding attire.

"Thanks."

Cirrus walks past them.

As he walked away, the sea turned into a tar-like substance and swallowed the surroundings.

"A journey well walked." Said his pre-reincarnation self.

"Hm." All the Cirrus’ nodded.

"May we face the unknown one last time?" Said the Cirrus in the wedding attire.

Swallowing the Cirrus’ on the beach before slowly following Cirrus.

Walking through the island, he arrives at his home in Fuyukusa.

He opens the door and enters. He could hear the sounds of his kids playing and his wives conversing with one another.

He enters his home, and the first one to greet him is Ai.

"Welcome back, Cirrus! Take off your boots and get inside! Dinner is almost ready!" She said it with a warm smile.

Running up from the corner were Nox and Callisto.

"Cirrus!!" Nox jumped at him.

"Oof!" He caught her in his arms.

"DAD!!!!" She headbutted Cirrus’ stomach.

"Oof! Jesus Christ." He said it under his breath, putting Nox back on her feet.

"Not fair! I wanna be held in his arms too!!" Callisto looked at Nox.

"Then you should have been faster," Nox smirked at her.

"Now, now." Cirrus patted Callisto’s head; he also patted Nox’s. "I love you both, so no fighting."

"Hehe!" Callisto smiled brightly. "Come on, Dad, you wanna play with me and Haku?"

"Naw, he’s coming with me!" Nox spoke confidently.

"Callisto." Artemis came up to them. "Nox. It is nearly dinner time. Wash up like your brother. Nox, as my daughter listens to my—"

"Not my mom!! Lalalala!!! Not true!! Not true!! Fake news!! Fake news!!" Nox covered her ears, walking away.

"Come on, Dad, one game!" Callisto spoke excitedly as he pulled on her father’s arm.

"Come on!" Haku walked up. "We've waited for him for a while, and the food is getting cold."

"You traitor!! Come on, Dad, one game!"

"After dinner, now go clean up." He said, kneeling.

"Promise!"

"Of course." He raised his hand and showed his pinky. "Pinky promise."

Callisto wrapped her pinky with his.

"Pinky promise!" she said with an even bigger smile.

"Now get going." Cirrus gestured with his head for her to get going.

Calli quickly rushes away, with Haku following along.

"So, how was the trip?" Artemis said, walking up to him and fixing his collar.

"It’s okay. I met some—Knock! Knock! Hm?"

Cirrus opens the door to see Circe, Hecton, and Fafnir behind her.

"Sorry for the late arrival!" Circe said, giving Cirrus a bottle of wine.

"My apologies, sir, but this is all I can get." Hecton hands him a basket of bread and cheese.

"Yeah, we looked for anything, and this is what we got," Fafnir said. "So here you go, master!" She hands him a Blu-ray of an anime.

They both entered the home.

"…Lovely," Cirrus said, putting the DVD in the basket by the door.

He walked into his dining room to find everyone already seated at a long dining table.

"You're finally here, Cirrus." Said Malion.

"Yes, we brought the table in from Fuyuhama." Said Ryuu.

They both linked their arms with him and seated him at the head of the table.

"H-here you go, Dad!" Auberon said, giving him a plate.

"And your utensils!" Alise said, with Ryuu helping her up to give him his utensils.

"Thank you both." He patted both of their heads.

Knock! Knock!

"I’ll get it!" Ai said, rushing over.

Coming into the dining room were Fels, Ouranos, Astraea, Eupheme, Lugh, Ibic, and all of his friends.

Cirrus looked at the table to see it had grown longer.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, let’s get to eating!!" Ai shouted.

They had a lovely meal. They all ate, laughed, argued, and fought.

Cirrus couldn’t help but smile and be at peace with all of this.

"Hey, hey, Cirrus!" Ai said, seated next to him. "This is fun, right?"

"Yeah. Very fun!"

As the dinner went on, one by one they all left, until eventually only two people remained. The table had slowly shrunk down to a very small table fit for a one-room apartment.

"You have a nice family, Alcides." Said Nephele, sitting across from him wearing the same things she left him that night.

This time, she was not drenched in rain or crying. She looked at him with a smile and a light blush.

"Thank you, Mom. But when did you get in?"

"I wish you could have named one of them after me." She rests her head on her hand. "I didn’t get an invitation, so I let myself in!" She smiled earnestly and with affection.

"I did not wish to remember a pain I couldn’t bear to feel again."

"…" Her expression soured a bit, and her lips lightly lowered. "I’m sorry, Alcides. Unlike your name, I was not strong—brave enough to take you with me."

Cirrus has a moment of pause. He takes a sip of his wine.

"It’s fine. I understand. I met Hera. I feel you made a good choice at the time."

"Excuses. I should have never left you that day. I should have—"

"There are plenty of should and coulds. The past is the past. We must remember them and learn from them, not lament over them."

"… That’s right. You also walked down a bloody path, huh?"

"I did… In the end, I endured that pain of my own making, but in that pain, I lost a part of myself." Cirrus’ expression matched his mother's. "But through that loss, my heart was filled with light, warmth, and love. Lots and lots of love."

"That’s right. You now have a heart that can overcome anything, a heart full metal."

"Pfft!" Cirrus couldn’t help but smirk. "It was nice talking to you, Mom. Even if my brain is using everything to make this conversation possible. Thank you, Vesta."

Fwhish~

Nephele's appearance disappears like cinders in the wind to reveal Vesta.

"… Did you like it? I kind of slapped it together." Vesta avoids his eyes, fidgeting with her fingers.

"I loved it. Thank you so very much, Vesta."

Vesta looks up to meet his solemn gaze.

"You're welcome, Cirrus."

"Is it time, Vesta?" Cirrus said, still eating from his half-eaten plate, that his last regret was never being finished.

"It is. Look around, Cirrus."

He looked to see that the tar-like substance had already left them on a small island. His home was swallowed up long ago.

"Ahh… I see. I had a nice life. Far better than my last."

"Hm. You did. You made a lot of friends and had a big family." A blue flame surrounded Vesta, engulfing her as she held out her hand. "Do not worry; I’ll be there for you. That is a promise."

As Cirrus goes to grab her hand, several hands reach from the tar and grab hold of him.

"?"

He looks to see, and he saw all those he killed. Still clinging onto him in desperation, seeking salvation and release.

"Oh… You guys." He had almost forgotten about them. He looked back at Vesta. "You don’t mind if they come with me, do ya? I sorta made a promise to take them with me till the very end."

"Not at all. You have been carrying them with you for a very long time. It’s about time you let go of that weight."

They hold hands, and the blue flame covers Cirrus and fills the empty void they reside in.

Bwoosh~!

He smiles one last time.

"How lucky I am to have something to make saying goodbye so hard." He closes his eyes, and the fire is snuffed.

Tss~

Standing before the harsh winter foes.

Stepping into a new world in the spring rain, he would grow again in this world.

Enjoying the halcyon memories of summer in his past life.

But throughout his life, he changed like leaves in the autumn.

He left shining so beautifully, the sky’s sword, the star of the star-maiden, the huntress's precious deer, and the cloud born of the western winds finally rained.

His long journey has come to a conclusion after 35 years.

His legend has turned into a myth, as he wished from his youth.

All of Gekai will learn of the hero known as Cirrus Zephyr, the Hero of Hope, from the story Westward Cloud.

Back in reality, the oceans and sky darken by a blue hue as a pillar of blue flame shoots from the sea and into the heavens.

BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!

The departure blew the seawater back.

WHOOSH!!!!

The dark sea reflected the clear night sky from Cirrus’ ichor, and the two slowly became inseparable from one another.

The sea and sky blended into one for this mortal.

Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~

Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~

Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~ Pitter-Patter~

Droplets from the night sky rain down upon the earth and upon the daughter of moon and cloud.