It had been a long time since Beginning and End had spoken once more.
Their talks would not just be simple but would invoke many powers that would echo throughout time.
Time was not linear to these beings. To them, the past, present, and future flow like spirals that intersect in various points. Through the eyes of the Watcher, the group of End began to view a discussion that they had with Fate which transpired in the past, that is acted out in the present, and the gods and fallen who are at the End, we're reacting to it in the future.
It was a concept that no mortal being who lived in linear time could comprehend. Even most gods and fallen could not see, but only some who were Beings that Are, and those classified as Beings that Were could exist in such paradoxes.
"How have you all been? But I guess my question does not make sense since you are all well there in the future" Fate chuckled as she called out to them.
"Oh? You're calling to brag, Fate?" A woman suddenly appeared next to Fate.
"Of course! And Destiny said I wouldn't even win the first fight! And considering how important this fight is, I guess Destiny must be really ticked off. Our victory was not even a simple victory. It was a glorious one! We won so well. It's like we won twice! And Destiny didn't even see it! The Nephilim had succeeded with great tests!" Fate laughed.
"Is it true, Destiny?" End called out.
"...My Lord, the circumstances..."
"Yes. Even I cannot see the events that led to the Nephilim's victory. But the length of history has increased, as you can see in my hair. The Nephilim has delayed our victory by twice the time. And as our control over the past has withered, he can lay the foundation that could even delay the end even further."
"Oh? To think that you two would be able to outsmart Destiny. He has seen the end of things and could have countered the battle by manipulating the future. How did you do it, Fate? Wisdom?" End asked.
"Mysterion." It was Destiny who answered.
"They hid a mystery that could not be seen through our eyes."
"How can these two conceal something so strong that could thoroughly defeat your army?" End asked.
"Through secret hidden since the Beginning. It must be a power lost before Calaminus was born and before his first death." Another being appeared around Fate and Wisdom. But this figure did not have a form of being. It was because he was the Beginning. He had no form, no finality, but only the essence of the Beginning.
"Beginning. You're here too. Are you here to brag?"
"I am always here. I am from the Beginning." Beginning chuckled.
"How do you like it, End? I told you that my plans and the arrangement we had with Fate and Wisdom would be more challenging than you would think it to be."
"But it's over! Such power to deceive could only be made possible with Wisdom's traitorous husband! And he does not even present himself here in fear of being found out! What is his identity? Let that coward stop hiding behind his mask!" Destiny roared. When he had lost, he sensed the power of lies and figured out that the way for Beginning to ever beat end is to have a Fallen of Lies to be with.
"Why would he? Since the beginning, he has been hiding and has constantly been lying to hide from you so that you wouldn't even find out about his existence and never know the true events of things! I'm sure you've figured it out now! The Nephilim is a deception to the entire world. Wisdom's husband had to hide behind millions of lies to be forgotten even from History. Not even Histerion or you, End will ever see who he is. And because of that, we've managed to create a being that will also carry out our plans. Wisdom's husband shall never be shown. But their offspring, he who is Mysterion, shall walk through history at the very spotlight of all of creation. But as he does that, he will have a shroud in him that not all his enemies can find out who he is! He is a mystery hidden and will be revealed to fight all of you!" Beginning laughed.
"I am yet defeated, Beginning! The Nephilim my have won, but the powers I sent to the past will echo out and leave their mark. I know that some of those Wisdom's husbands shrouded are the gods and fallen who were lost in the first war! Hyperion Steel? Kyriachos? They may have their descendants and destined disciples accompanying the Nephilim, but how many of them remain now?" Destiny sneered.
"I sent in all my wrath to Middle! The majestic powers I sent would have been impossible for the Nephilim to defeat! Each of my Commanders was strong that they had reached the peak of their potential! I bet that right now, the Temple of the Nephilim is utterly damaged and that his allies could only be counted in one hand! The army they fought Destined them for destruction! And while they may escape Destiny, they will not go out of my fangs unharmed!" Destiny declared.
"Oh? Is this true, Fate? Did the Nephilim fight a pyrrhic victory and lost so much of the men we've prepared and hidden in history?" Beginning asked Fate.
"Actually, no! It was super easy. Barely an inconvenience for the Nephilim and his minions! They lost three men in the entire skirmish. And these men were just recently recruited people."
"You lie! Impossible! The powers I sent harnessed and enhanced every member of those Commanders and that Cardinal! I sent in a Vampire who could create three clones of himself! Even a Cardinal would have a hard time fighting it! Those descendants of Hyperion were whelp Champions! In the first fight they had, that sword expert lost all his limbs! And the second fight would have been more horrifying for that swordsman!"
"Was it horrifying, Fate?" Beginning asked again.
"Well, it was horrifying. I mean, how embarrassing would it be for a vampire that can challenge a Cardinal to die against three slashes? And I'm talking about two vertical slashes and one horizontal slash. That's all that the sword expert did. It was done. The vampire was sliced and killed with all his clones with him."
"Liar!"
"I am not Wisdom's husband. I don't know how to lie. I'm sure you know this to be true, Destiny. Just accept it! You see, this is where we differ. You sent in your strongest minions that could be sent to the Middle. I made the Nephilim and his army so weak that they had to live a life of constant struggle. You made your men strong. I made them weak and Fated all of them to fight their own mountains of enemies. So that when they finally get together, the mountains that are mountain ranges that crush them with meteoric weight won't be so heavy a burden. After all, they lived a life of burdens."
"You all at the End focused on creating armies and warriors to be scattered throughout time and space. We selected and fated a few insignificant, persecuted, and beaten-up groups of people and bounded them to greater curses so that they would rise stronger than all your armies. It's that simple. And Fate isn't lying, Destiny. My son really didn't suffer great pain or had his limbs cut off when he fought Heralcus." Wisdom laughed.
Destiny was raging, but End only laughed.
"I'm very disappointed, Destiny. But don't get too worked up in this defeat. After all, we are still the winners in the end. There are delays, there is no more work to be done, but we still exist here in the End. This means Beginning will soon end. In any case, thank you, Beginning, for giving us enough hints about the powers of your selected champion throughout time. Of course, even everything you said could be lies. I'm sure even the Nephilim does not know about himself and his true identity. Thora, end this call."
And just like that, the call ended.
"How pathetic, Destiny." Apathos sighed.
"Now, now, Apathos. Relax. Destiny, do better next time. The end has been delayed by seven hundred years. More work for you, and you will bear the pain for that. This means lesser power, glory, and wholeness for you once we win. But these seven hundred years could easily spike to two or three millenniums. I sense that Middle and the Planesworld will be spared for a full two years, correct?"
"Yes. But I sent power to the past that will alert all warriors of Destiny. So the Gods and Fallen will hurry up and begin the wars."
"Good. That should keep the Nephilim busy and alter the universe's formation to our advantage. But, let's not underestimate the Nephilim. Who knows how stronger he will be in this time?"
"I can see that while Wisdom and Fate told truths about the battle, the strength of the Nephilim has weakened. They fated him and his allies only to reveal this strength when our eyes could not see. Which means..."
"That they are weak again... I understand." Destiny agreed.
"Go. Let the End become..." End dismissed everyone.
Each went into their own realms, but Destiny stayed.
"I have to ask his help... I cannot allow Time to be their advantage!" Destiny decided and traveled to the very edge of time and space.
A being stood there and was one of End's strongest commanders.
"Lord Pausontai..." Destiny bowed. He dared not be arrogant before this being.. For everything, including Destiny, will cease before Pausontai.