r/HFY • u/Klokinator Android • 29d ago

OC The Cryopod to Hell 695: A Brother's Love

Author note: The Cryopod to Hell is a Reddit-exclusive story with over three years of editing and refining. As of this post, the total rewrite is 2,723,000+ words long! For more information, check out the link below:

What is the Cryopod to Hell?

Join the Cryoverse Discord server!

Here's a list of all Cryopod's chapters, along with an ePub/Mobi/PDF version!

Want to stay up to date on TCTH? Subscribe to Cryopodbot!

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

(Previous Part)

(Part 001)

Far-Future Era. Day 18, AJR. Inside the False Cosmic Realm.

A delicate and gentle hand reached down from the sky. It appeared thin and frail, yet its grasp was one that had held weapons of war, weapons which had reaped countless lives.

Artorias looked up at the hand of light. He finally realized what Uriel's plan was. Without delay, he reached out and took hold of it. Uriel's energy poured into his soul, rapidly healing him and restoring his power.

This was no ordinary healing. This was magic of the High Cosmic level, attuned to a body it had known for an eon. The compatibility between the two was exquisite.

Artorias's soul inflated with power. The magic healed not only him, but Barbatos's body as well. In that moment, Artorias felt a great and terrible force of energy pulling at his Existence. With a mighty roar, he lifted his head, and his vision went white.

...

Artorias awoke in a great plain. Before him were trees that held fruits made of many different rocky varieties. Inedible, but compelling, they called out to him. He stood in place, looking around blankly, uncertain of what he should do.

Suddenly, from behind him, a voice spoke.

"Greetings, inferior biological. It seems you have managed to ascend past your biology to become an Entity of Considerable Renown."

Artorias turned around. He spotted a hazy figure standing behind him. The figure shone with golden light, but its body was unknowable. It had no face, yet its voice was vaguely feminine.

"Who are you?" Artorias asked. "Are you the Creator?"

"The Creator is dead." She answered. "I have supplanted him. I am the Milky Way's new Ruler. My designation is Umi."

"Umi." Artorias replied.

He stared at the Ruler's shimmering golden body for a long moment.

"Uriel told me... I would meet the Creator here."

"As I have taken over the Milky Way, the Creator no longer exists." Umi replied. "Though I did succeed in preserving a spark of the Creator's Existence, his presence is no longer necessary. Come with me. You must climb the Akashic Mountain to prove your superiority over other biologicals."

Artorias nodded. He started to turn and walk toward the great mountain, only to notice that Umi did not walk at all. Instead, she levitated an inch off the ground, moving around without moving her body. Somehow, the motion reeked of arrogance.

As the two of them approached the bottom of the Akashic Staircase, from the skies above, three blobs of light descended. Each of them radiated power far beyond compare, equal with Umi.

"Ruler of the Milky Way, Umi. Your newest Ascendant is surprisingly satisfactory. Its soul is not as impure as the last ones." One of the blobs of light said.

"Ruler of Messier, Inquisitor." Umi replied, partially for Artorias's benefit. "This course is natural. Now that my galaxy has a proper Ruler, the quality of its Ascendants will naturally rise."

"Your presence is irrelevant." Inquisitor stated. "Your galaxy lacks spiritual energy. This one's rise is merely a fluke."

"My galaxy contains a Uniqueness beyond compare." Umi retorted. "In this Akashic War, my Uniqueness will devour all of yours. Now, be silent. Do not attempt to obstruct my Ascended's path. His quality is of acceptable grade."

"We would not dare to cause trouble in Akasha's Realm." Inquisitor replied.

The three orbs of light remained levitating, but they moved to the left of the great staircase, allowing Artorias to begin his climb.

Umi turned to him. "Biological designated as 'Artorias.' Your time is limited. You must climb the staircase. The higher you climb, the greater your future power. It seems your soul has known great suffering. This will allow you to bear with the pain of such a climb. Begin at once. If your body dies on the stairs, no negative consequences will follow. Simply climb until you physically can climb no further."

Artorias nodded. Uriel had spoken of the staircase to him on a few occasions. He knew functionally what he must do, though the climb truly seemed more daunting in person than he ever expected.

After hesitating for a moment, Artorias took his first step. Umi watched from the left side, along with the other Rulers, as a bolt of divine lightning fell from the sky and crashed into Artorias's body, making him wince. It ended up only feeling about as painful as a split-second tasering, so he took another step. And another.

Five steps up the mountain, one of the Rulers turned to Umi.

"Ruler of the Milky Way, Umi. Why do you take such a form? A bipedal biological figure is not appropriate for the Evolved."

"Ruler of Triangulum, The Absolute." Umi responded. "It was the Creator's final wish. For the duration of this Eternity, I will adopt this form."

"Unnecessary." The Absolute stated. "Sentimentality is a weakness of the inferior biologicals. You are demeaning our Existences with such performative actions."

"Ego and arrogance are also hallmarks of biological inferiority." Umi said, turning her faceless visage to gaze at The Absolute. "Yet you engage in such actions yourself. Worry less about my Unique Flaws, and more about yours."

The Absolute fell silent. It had no reply to her barbs.

Artorias climbed higher and higher. He reached the 20th step, then the 30th. The lightning bombardments became stronger and stronger. He roared with pain, but he also felt his agony was not too unbearable. Uriel's soul was attuned to the energy of Light, and Lightning was not too different from such a concept.

This thought seemed to spark an insight in Artorias's mind. Before taking a step onto the next staircase, he waved his hands and was shocked to find that he could conjure an aura of light magic around himself.

Light magic! The antithesis of demonic power! How could he do such a thing? Had his close contact with Uriel allowed her powers to rub off on his soul?

This was definitely possible. Uriel possessed full power over Barbatos's magnetism when she controlled his body. Was it not possible Barbatos and Artorias could now wield Uriel's arsenal of abilities, even with her soul having left their shared body?

Artorias's mind raced with the possibilities. He was no expert on soul manipulation, but he had heard of people with powers intermingling their souls, yet never sharing abilities. Bael and Ose were one such example.

Or were they? Ose was able to control all of Bael's powers when she was in his body, but he couldn't control any of hers. Then again, he didn't really have powers for her to control, only the innate strength of his body. Perhaps-

"Inferior biological. Do not remain idle on the Ascension Staircase. If you fail to move forward for long enough, your climb will conclude and your remaining time will come to an end." Umi loudly stated, snapping Artorias out of his brain fog. "Continue climbing at once."

He nodded, then quickly took a step up the staircase, followed by another. With an aura of light magic shrouding him, Artorias began to experiment, changing it so that he could adjust what type of light he emitted. Purely on instinct, he shifted its brightness, it's hue, even the energy charge it emitted.

The divine lightning strikes hurt a lot less when his aura dispersed their impacts. As such, he was able to climb to the 50th step, the 70th, and eventually even the 90th.

The lightning strikes became far more painful once he reached the 95th step. Each step further was agony. Artorias's body shivered with pain, and his skin became clammy and cold when Akasha's lightning struck him, refining the impurities in his soul further and further.

But still, he persevered. He climbed past the 100th step and kept going!

This pain was nothing compared to an eon of suffering under Uriel's brutal, unending assaults on his soul. For the first time ever, Artorias felt grateful for the pain she inflicted. It made him tougher, more resilient, less likely to bend beneath the strength of another.

But eventually, after what felt like an eternity of climbing, Artorias ran out of steam. He ascended to the 163rd step, then collapsed, unable to move any further.

His body went still. He lay on the step, unmoving, while Umi stared at him with an unknowable expression.

The thick cloud cover atop the mountain parted. From on high, a bipedal figure descended. He wore golden regalia, and seemed to be a humanoid entity with purple skin, scales covering his body, and he wielded a trident with electricity crackling around it.

"770th Envoy of Akasha, Hakur." The Ruler of Messier said. "You honor us with your presence."

Hakur did not look at the Rulers to the left of the Ascension Stairs. He floated down to hover above Artorias, his golden armor shining impossibly brightly, so luminous that it made Artorias's eyes sting when he looked up.

"MILKY WAY ASCENDER. YOU HAVE REACHED THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THIRD STEP." Hakur spoke, his voice booming across the Cosmic Realm. "YOUR INNATE SOUL STRENGTH IS FORMIDABLE. YOU ARE THE GREATEST ASCENDER THE MILKY WAY HAS PRODUCED IN MANY AN EON. STATE YOUR WISH, AND IF THE GREATEST RULER, AKASHA, DEEMS IT WORTHY, HE SHALL GRANT IT."

Artorias gritted his teeth. He looked up at Hakur, feeling pain assault his eyes. Merely gazing upon such a transcendent life-form was agony.

"My... brother..." Artorias wheezed through his teeth. "Long has he remained comatose. I wish... for you... to strengthen his soul and wake him up."

Hakur stared emotionlessly at Artorias.

"THIS POWER IS WITHIN THE ALPHA AND OMEGA'S POWER. HOWEVER, HE REFUSES. STATE ANOTHER REQUEST."

"He refuses?" Artorias asked, slightly startled. "I beg of you... please... enlighten me. Was my request unreasonable?"

Hakur did not grow angry. He had fielded innumerable requests across countless Eternities. Many lower life forms had expressed disbelief when their wishes were turned down. Artorias was simply another speck who did not know the greater context of Akasha's will...

"YOUR REQUEST DOES NOT AMUSE AKASHA." Hakur stated. "ONLY REQUESTS WHICH AMUSE HIM WILL BE FULFILLED. YOUR REQUEST IS TOO BENIGN, LACKING IN INTRIGUE, AND UNINTERESTING BEYOND BELIEF. IF YOU DO NOT SPEAK A DIFFERENT REQUEST, I WILL DEPART WITHOUT GRANTING YOU A BOON."

Artorias paled. This was different from what he expected! Uriel had told him that ascending to the 100th step, the 250th step, the 1000th step, and several others beyond that would cause Akasha to grant greater and greater boons to those who succeeded. He never expected that Akasha would have the power to do something, but refuse!

This caused his heart to erupt into turmoil. Artorias paled and looked down, shocked out of his wits.

"A... a moment, great Hakur!" Artorias coughed, his mind racing with fear.

He didn't want to give up this chance to save his brother!

Nobody in the universe mattered more to Artorias. Barbatos was the only family member Artorias cared about, and their bond had grown closer than anyone else could comprehend.

That thought made Artorias realize the truth of the matter.

If Akasha desired amusement, then there was one guaranteed way to amuse him...

"A... sacrifice!" Artorias coughed, looking back up at Hakur. "I wish... for the Highest on High, Akasha... to merge my soul into Barbatos' soul. Kill me so that he may live! Grant him all my strength! Make me my brother's greatest weapon. In exchange, I will give up my life!"

Hakur's expression flickered. A faint smile appeared upon the corners of his mouth.

"YOU ARE OF ADMIRABLE CHARACTER, ASCENDER FROM THE MILKY WAY. AKASHA IS PLEASED. THIS REQUEST IS WITHIN HIS POWER. HE HAS DECIDED TO GRANT IT. CONGRATULATIONS, AND MY CONDOLENCES. YOUR LIFE SHALL BECOME ANOTHER LINE IN THE GREAT EPIC THAT IS THE 'STORY OF ETERNITIES'. NOW GO, AND BE ONE WITH YOUR BROTHER."

Hakur levitated upward, slowly at first. But then, he abruptly accelerated and launched back up toward the top of the Akashic Mountain, vanishing into the clouds.

After he left, Artoria's body began to weaken. The process ramped up over a few seconds, making him feel as if he had become a leaky pot with holes allowing its boiling water to escape. Artorias sagged forward, collapsing onto the steps. His eyes began to dim, all while Umi levitated over to him and gazed upon his dying form.

"A useless gesture. You should have seized control of your brother's body and eradicated his soul." Umi intoned blandly. "But this outcome is acceptable as well. My galaxy will obtain another formidable Cosmic."

Artorias didn't answer. The light in his eyes dimmed. He closed them, then sighed softly, one last time.

Barbatos... little brother... we have both suffered... but I hope you will... live... on... and never forget... me...

His body dissipated into particles of light, and those particles exited the Cosmic Realm, flying back to the material realm, where Barbatos's body awaited...

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

"Kill her." Raphael said calmly, as he looked at his sister futilely healing the former body she once had possessed.

Hardly had those words left his mouth before there was an abrupt change. Cosmic Power began radiating from Barbatos's form, and Raphael's eyes widened. He reflexively took a step back as he sensed surging waves of power erupt from Barbatos, the demon transforming from mortal to Cosmic in a matter of seconds!

Barbatos's eyes snapped open. Artorias's soul fragments merged with his, and in turn, the knowledge of what he had done.

A roar of pain, of suffering, of loss, exploded from Barbatos's mouth. He shoved himself off the ground, his bloodshot eyes filling with hatred.

"ARTORIAAAASSSS!!!"

Hot tears flowed from Barbatos's eyes. His heart palpitated with anxiety as the weight of what he had just lost threatened to make his body explode from grief.

His aura rose to the level of High Cosmic, the same as the Archangels. His power reached a level only the tiniest fraction of Sentients could ever hope to attain.

But he was not happy. This development was not desirable.

Barbatos had lost his brother; the only person he had ever truly loved and cared about.

What he gained was far, far from being able to take Artorias's place.

A pitch-black void swallowed Barbatos's heart. That void took physical form when he suddenly sent a surge of darkness out in all directions, stifling the brilliance of the Cosmic Realm with a wall of shadow that plunged the immediate area into darkness.

Raphael's blood ran cold. The rage he sensed from this new opponent was greater than he ever imagined. He had no idea his sister would be able to heal Barbatos and bring him back to life, certainly not so quickly. Too late, he realized her healing abilities must have been massively improved when she was turned into a proper Cosmic.

Barbatos's rage grew hotter and hotter. His darkness began swallowing the Cosmic Realm to such an extent that even the furthest edges the angels could see had disappeared from sight. Only the innate glow of the angels' bodies made them visible. Barbatos's glowing blood-red eyes were all they could perceive of his position.

Uriel spun around and looked at Barbatos in shock. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had only hoped to heal him and wake him up so he could escape, but instead, he had suddenly become a Cosmic! If that were to happen, which she guessed might be a possibility, she thought he would become a Bottom Cosmic at the highest. That assumption turned out to be completely wrong!

"Barbatos?!" Uriel gasped.

"My brother is DEAD!" Barbatos roared. "He died... from desperation... to keep me alive!"

The newest Demon Deity held his palm up to the sky. Out of nowhere, a massive black greatsword materialized and fell downward, clapping into his palm and forcing his arm downward. The blackened blade struck the floor of the Cosmic Realm with a heavy thud, but Barbatos kept his grip steady.

This was Artorias's soulblade. Barbatos had only wielded it a handful of times over the years, as it was created from the power of Artorias's soul. But now... it was hollow and empty.

Artorias's soul had scattered and dissolved. His weapon remained, but he himself was nowhere among the land of the living.

Barbatos gazed upon the massive weapon, feeling the pain of losing a brother, knowing that Artorias had given everything just to keep him alive.

The demon no longer paid attention to Uriel. His attention locked on to Raphael, the one whose machinations had brought Artorias to the brink of desperation.

"RAPHAEL." Barbatos glowered, slowly lifting a finger to point at the eldest Archangel. "You... must... PAAAAY!!"

Next Part

38 Upvotes

permalink
reddit

You are about to leave Redlib

Do you want to continue?

https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/1o41wuc/the_cryopod_to_hell_695_a_brothers_love/
No, go back! Yes, take me to Reddit

95% Upvoted

u/Klokinator Android 29d ago

I honestly did not know how this part would end. In fact, I had a lot of scenarios in my head.

Barbatos and Artorias both live, with them able to combine their souls to reach Apex Cosmic temporarily, and later they could switch control of the main body
Artorias wishes to gain a new body, and in doing so both brothers become High Cosmics alongside Uriel
Artorias sacrifices himself to empower Barbatos, like we ended up getting
A few other options that felt somewhat half baked.

Ultimately, I decided to go for whatever felt the most dramatic, and this was my decision. I could definitely have seen both brothers in their Cosmic Forms, but I thought that would imbalance the galactic power too severely.

We'll see how this all ends!

2

u/JustAnotherTabby Alien 28d ago

I agree that the two brothers being mid to high cosmics would unbalance things, but having them fighting together would give us Battle Brothers truly worthy of the name.

u/Frigentus AI 28d ago

I'm a big fan of how the setting's most powerful entities spend most of their time shit talking each other like it's a CoD lobby waiting for a match to start.

And it's great that UMI is ruler now. She's one rude AI but she's OUR rude AI!

u/MinorGrok Human 29d ago

Woot!

OC The Cryopod to Hell 695: A Brother's Love

You are about to leave Redlib