Editing Forum:Shadowkeeper Apocalypse

|place= [[Forum:Aincrad|Aincrad]] <br> '''[[Earth]]:''' [[Forum:Auradon|Auradon]]; [[Cosmodrome]], [[Old Russia]]; [[Old Chicago]]; [[Old Accra]]; [[European Aerial Zone]]; [[European Dead Zone]]; [[Forum:Isle of the Lost|Isle of the Lost]]; [[Plaguelands]], Old Russia; [[Mumbai Push]] <br> [[Moon]] <br> [[Venus]] <br> '''[[Mars]]:''' [[Phobos]]; [[Hellas Basin]]; [[Forum:Olympus Mons|Olympus Mons]] <br> '''[[Saturn]]:''' [[Dreadnaught]]; [[Titan (moon)|Titan]]; [[Cassini]] <br> [[Nessus]] <br> '''[[Jupiter]]:''' [[Io]]; [[Deep Stone Crypt]], [[Europa]] <br> '''[[Reef]]:''' [[Tangled Shore]]; [[Dreaming City]]; [[Distributary]] <br> '''[[Mercury]]:''' [[Infinite Forest]] <br> '''[[Unknown Space]]:''' [[Forum:Chinese Dead Zone|Chinese Dead Zone]] <br> [[Ascendant realm]] <br> [[Black Garden]]

*Deaths of Kazuto and Stacia's evil doppelgängers Kirito and Asuna and defeat of the Shadowkeepers and Shadow Army

*[[Forum:Vothriks' Faction|Vothriks' Faction]]

*[[User:Kirito Beater3|Nagihiko, Loyal to Koriks]]

*Sister [[Lupe]]

'''House of Spider:'''

*[[Forum:House of Dragons|Dragon Reformists]]

*[[House of Spider]]

**[[The Infinite Forge]] emissaries

{{Quote|Pain... Your suffering. Your death. Your misery. Your despair. This is what I fight for. I fight to one day see the despair of all humans. The fear twisting their expressions. The despair of seeing your children screaming as I violate the bodies of their parents. The screams of mothers losing their babies. The fear that I'll cause to all your friends and family. I was born to deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves. To make them look at the world they destroyed. In this universe of billion years, your existence is nothing. You're absolutely nothing. That's why all your kind is unnecessary. Every life... every intelligent life in this universe is unnecessary. Your fate is inevitable. And so is all of this reality. This place is not worthy of my presence. Humans, your existence is a mistake. War, cheating, jealousy, greed. You once made me lose everything. But today, I will devour everything. Because I am the Honkai!|[[Forum:God Kiana, Herrscher of the End|God Kiana, Herrscher of the End]] to the civilians of the Old World.<ref name=HonkaiImpact3rd>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-b6rdyIJsY '''Honkai Impact 3rd''': ''Will of the Herrscher - Honkai Impact 3rd Animations '']</ref>}}

Fearing that Nagasaki's arrival would resurrect God Kiana's dark legacy, a group of freedom fighters known as the [[Forum:Flame Watchers|Flame Watchers]] would rally under the banner of a lone rebel known as [[Forum:Alanzo G. Zeppeli|Alanzo G. Zeppeli]] to hunt down Nagasaki and his Herrschers in a daring effort to end their reign of terror. Forming an alliance with various [[Forum:Hamon|Hamon]] users and the first [[Forum:Auradonian Knights|Auradonian Knights]], along with the members of the [[Forum:House of Tudor|House of Tudor]], some of which included the relatives of [[Forum:Bruford|Bruford]] and [https://jojo.fandom.com/wiki/Tarkus Tarkus] and [[Forum:Trish Una|Trish]]'s great-great-grandfather [[Forum:Raphael Una|Raphael Una]], they would manage to destroy the Houkai forces and incapacitate most of the Herrschers, revealing the true origin point of Nagasaki's awakening. Venturing into the heart of [[Forum:Arc City|Arc City]], Alanzo and the freedom fighters would seemingly succeed in defeating Nagasaki and bringing an end to his reign of terror, but little did they know that with his dying breath, he would go on to become the progenitor of the coming Apocalypse.

{{Quote|The Dragon's Eye has awakened. It is on a little world. A human world. They would only wield its power… But our allies know its workings as they never will. They are ready to lead. And our forces will follow. The world will be theirs. The universe yours. And the humans, what can they do but burn?|An unnamed Taken commander, speaking to the Darkness about Kirito and Asuna shortly before Auradon would come under attack.}}

Upon traveling to Auradon from a few weeks after the Jewel-bilee, the Shadowkeepers and their newly-assembled Shadow Army, led by Kirito and Asuna, breached the gateway to Auradon, eager to lay waste to its hierarchy and destroy everything that symbolized its kingdom. Being the first to respond to the civilians' evacuation from what appeared to be an escape attempt enacted by Maleficent, Zavala and Leafa would rendezvous with Ben, Evie, and Merlin to detain her and send her back; however, by the time they got to her, she was already killed by Mal, who became corrupted by the Darkness. Unbeknownst to them, the Ghosts of Nagasaki, led by [[Forum:Magda Peterson, Devilwalker of the Damned|Magda Peterson]], had already freed the son of Yzma known as Zevon from the frozen prison on the Isle of the Lost, which led to a full-scale assault between the Auradonians and the Shadowkeepers.

{{Quote|When I was a kid, I entered the world of [[Wikipedia:Sword Art Online|Sword Art Online]] to escape the cruel depths of reality. But now, as I look back, I remember the faces of those I saved from the death game. Klein, Agil, Silica, and Lisbeth, my old friends... may be gone, but they are with us now and always. As for you, my loyal servants, my new friends, my Shadowkeepers... I gather you today because the time has come to rain darkness upon Sol. For too long, the Traveler has prevented the universe from entering the true, final shape - that of Darkness. But now, this ends. Ever since you came to this world, you've helped me do what no one else has done: kill a Guardian. I have already slain the Guardians' [[Vanguard]] Commander, the man they called Zavala. There could never be a better time to strike, now when their morale is low and they are susceptible to falling to Darkness. Go! Unleash chaos upon their people! Create fear in the hearts of those who follow the Light!|Kirito, addressing the Shadowkeepers and his elites.}}

Moments after taking over Auradon, Kirito and Asuna set up countless programs and [[SIVA]] networks from his computer that the Pyramids used to rebuild Aincrad as they saw fit and split up the Shadow Army into its six respective groups: the [[Forum:Shadowkeepers (Paradox)#House of Shadows|House of Shadows]], led by [[Forum:Kotrik, Bloodcrafter of Kirito|Kotrik, Bloodcrafter of Kirito]], the notorious [[Fallen]] [[Kell]] of Shadows who formerly worked with the [[House of Devils]]; the [[Forum:Shadowkeepers (Paradox)#Shadow Swarm|Shadow Swarm]], led by [[Forum:Zharves, Shadowcaster of Kirito|Zharves, Shadowcaster of Kirito]], a surviving [[Hive]] [[Deathsinger]] who formerly served [[Crota, Son of Oryx|Crota]] and [[Oryx, the Taken King|his father]]; the [[Forum:Shadowkeepers (Paradox)#Shadow Divisive|Shadow Divisive]], led by [[Forum:Hydrax, Mindkiller of Kirito|Hydrax, Mindkiller of Kirito]], a massive [[Vex Mind]] [[Hydra]] who possessed the ability to stop time; the [[Forum:Shadowkeepers (Paradox)#Shadow Legion|Shadow Legion]], led by [[Forum:Gha'arn, Crownforger of Kirito|Gha'arn, Crownforger of Kirito]], a powerful [[Cabal]] warlord who helped restore the Cabal Empire to its full glory; the [[Forum:Shadowkeepers (Paradox)#Reborn|Reborn]], led by [[Forum:Thu'urg, Blightmaker of Kirito|Thu'urg, Blightmaker of Kirito]], a [[Taken]] [[Cabal]] commander who sought to seize control of Oryx's army; and the [[Forum:Shadowkeepers (Paradox)#Cult of Shadows|Cult of Shadows]], led by [[Forum:Vayeriks, Fatesmith of Kirito|Vayeriks, Fatesmith of Kirito]], [[Fikrul]]'s right hand and a commander of the first [[Scorn]].

[[File:Shaxx cut off.PNG|300px|thumb|right|The Guardians, Redjacks, and Lord Shaxx preparing to fight the House of Shadows]]

On the anniversary of the [[Battle of Six Fronts]], the Vanguard discovered that all of their outer defenses, satellites, and outposts went dark in the cover of a storm. In a sudden bombardment, the House of Shadows severely devastated [[Bannerfall]], but the Vanguard survived with the help of Ikora's [[Nova Bomb]], and mobilized against the invasion. As the House of Shadows's Ketch assaulted Bannerfall, a massive Skiff latched onto the tomb of Sofia the First, defiling her corpse and soul. During the chaos, the Speaker's guards would be swiftly slain by the Shadow Splicers, forcing the Speaker to escape to another world, leaving the City and its Guardians questioning his whereabouts. Civilians were successfully evacuated, but the Vanguard and their elite orders were quickly overwhelmed.

===Ahnkra's Campaign===

{{Quote|So, it seems that one of [[Forum:Viznoor, the Black|Vizzy]]'s precious servants turned traitor and joined up with that stupid brat and his boot-licking army. That rat bastard Ahnkra's been tearing up the [[Tangled Shore|Shore]] with a resurrected army of brainwashed soldiers. A trick he picked up from [[Xivu Arath, God of War|Xivu Arath]], I assume. Anyhow, the Shitkeepers are gonna be even more of a problem now that they have knowledge of the [[Forum:Stygian Brood|Stygian Brood]]'s special blend of necromancy, so....you know what to do. Time to take out the garbage.|[[UserWiki:Vothriks, the Lost|Vothriks, the Lost]]}}

Some time after the War of Dimensions between AJ and the Shadowkeepers, the [[Forum:Stygian Brood|Stygian Brood]] fell under attack by Kirito and Asuna and their army. While most remained loyal to [[Forum:Viznoor, the Black|Viznoor]] despite the damage they suffered, a few did defect to Kirito's army, among them being [[Forum:Ahnkra, Devoted to Zharves|Ahnkra, the Desolate]], who viewed the swordsman as "the true pillar of strength." Ahnkra pledged absolute loyalty to Kirito's cause and the [[Forum:Zharves, Shadowcaster of Kirito|Shadowcaster]], and shared his knowledge of the Stygian Brood's necromancy and the method they used to free themselves of their [[Worm]]s. Setting up a base deep within the [[Tangled Shore]], Ahnkra then began replicating [[Xivu Arath, God of War|Xivu Arath]]'s method in resurrecting a wide array of previously slain foes from Fallen, Cabal and other sects of Hive and corrupting them into his mindless servants, effectively creating the Shadow Army's sect of [[Wrathborn]], the [[Forum:Shadowkeepers (Paradox)#Shadow Ravagers|Shadow Ravagers]].

In the following days, Ahnkra would launch repeated strikes against the Stygian Brood while adding more to the Shadow Ravagers' ranks from across the system. Furious, Viznoor rallied his brood to stage a counterattack on Ahnkra's forces, leading to a violent large-scale conflict between the Shadow Swarm and the Stygian Brood amidst the Tangled Shore. Sometime after the skirmishes began, Ahnkra began preparing a ritual to infest the Tangled Shore with Darkness in Kirito's name, which a Fireteam, led by [[Forum:Anna Blue|Anna Blue]]'s friend [[Forum:Zoe|Zoe]], would discover when they were sent to investigate the Hive activity. Working with Viznoor and his forces, they managed to break through the Shadow Army's defenses; however, before they could have the chance to stop the ritual from being completed, Zoe and her crew would be slaughtered by Ahnkra, forcing Viznoor's forces to retreat. Moments after hearing about Zoe's death, Anna Blue went to her friend's last spot on the Tangled Shore and fought a harrowing battle against Ahnkra. However, just when Ahnkra was about to slaughter her, she is saved by [[Eris Morn]], who sends a series of brutal attacks against Ahnkra, who is forced to retreat, but not before vowing revenge on Eris. Awed by Eris's daring effort, she would eventually work under Eris's tutelage and help forge a powerful weapon of Light known as the [[Forum:Silent Scream|Silent Scream]], her personal [[Scout Rifle]] that combined [[Symmetry (weapon)|Symmetry]] with both [[Void]] energy and Hive runes, which she would soon use against the Hive.

Meanwhile, Cayde-6 would return to his own time and form his own Fireteam, consisting of himself, Petra Venj, [[Suraya Hawthorne]], and [[Banshee-44]], along with the other members of his crew - [[Jin]] and [[Nadiya]]. Hoping to draw attention to those looking for danger, Cayde would set up base within an abandoned court on the [[Twilight Gap]].

 

Some moments after the reconstruction of the Consensus, [[The Hidden]] would come across reports of various Guardians who had supposedly deserted the Light, one of them being a rogue [[Warlock]] known as [[Forum:Morgana Archwell|Zinaida]]. Fearing that they would be enthralled into joining the Shadowkeepers, [[Aunor Mahal]] would task Eris and Anna with investigating this disturbing matter in the hopes of confirming those rumors to be false. Later on, Eris would deploy Anna to a facility within [[Europa]] to replicate her memories and transfer those into an [[Exo]], whom she would call Anna Ciel.

{{Quote|You can call House [[House of Devils|Devils]], [[House of Wolves|Wolves]], [[House of Winter|Winter]], and [[House of Kings|Kings]] the Fallen. But, call [[Forum:House of Flame|us]] the Eliksni.|[[User:Koriks, Kell of Flame|Koriks, Kell of Flame]], establishing an alliance with the Guardians.}}

 

 

{{Quote|There's more to this than just enemies swearing loyalty to one person. This… Kirito… is the one who murdered Zavala. He has made the Traveler - and the Light - vulnerable to attack. If we are not careful, there may be a situation like the Red War in Danville… or worse. Across the system, multiple groups of our foes rally around his banner. The Fallen House of Shadows and their Shadow Splicers led by Kotrik, Bloodcrafter of Kirito, a master with weaponry who has stolen much Guardian tech; the Hive's Shadow Swarm led by Zharves, Shadowcaster of Kirito, who is a surviving Deathsinger; the Vex's Shadow Divisive, led by Hydrax, Mindkiller of Kirito, an immensely powerful Vex unit attempting to cast us into a dark future; the Cabal's Shadow Legion, led by Gha'arn, Crownforger of Kirito, a powerful Cabal warlord; the Taken Reborn, led by Thu'urg, Blightmaker of Kirito; and the Scorn Cult of Shadows, led by Vayeriks, Fatesmith of Kirito, one of the first Scorn. We have also identified some of their leaders - the Shadowkeepers. They include the names: Uldren Sov; Fikrul - also known as Eugeo due to his current form; Ruby Hale; Totomaru; Malcolm Merlyn; and many others. I will send the full list to you, Guardian. One last thing. The overall objective of this is to save a certain high-value person - Mallory Bertha. She has been corrupted by the Darkness and made the Dragon Queen of Auradon and the Isle of the Lost. She must be saved from the Darkness. But we will have to defeat Kirito's armies of Shadows in order to accomplish this. Around the system, your fellow Guardians are taking up arms and fighting these new foes. Go and join them, so that the Light may be victorious.|[[Forum:Luther Hargreeves|Luther Hargreeves]], addressing the Guardian.}}

{{Quote|You claim to be a defender of humanity, Guardian. But, in the end, you're just a person… someone who will always fall into the dark. No matter how fast you run, how far you go, and how hard you try to fight, it will catch up with you. The Light thought it could make you soft and sensible, but you have yet to feel all the pain I felt when I lost my friends and family! And this time, the Traveler will die for Auradon's sins!|Kirito, preparing to fight the Guardian.}}

{{Quote|This world we're in now is a paradox. Reality has changed somehow and in some strange way." <br> "How do you know all this?" <br> "No one knows. Neither does [[Cayde-6|Cayde]]. But, I know [[Forum:AJ, the Relentless|someone]] who did.|[[User:Kirito Beater3|Nagihiko]], conversing with the Guardian.}}

====The New Evil====

{{Quote|My loyal and ambitious subjects, you are here today to finally end your troubles, finally end your griefs over your losses, finally to end your droughts against The Last City's forces...and to finally bring your people's salvation. The wait is finally over, for I, Kirito, Chosen by the Winnower, Champion of the Black Fleet, Bringer to Light's End, will bring you the Salvation and justice that you crave so dearly...|Kirito, bestowing the powers of Fusion on his forces of Darkness.}}

Moments after the Guardians step into the Chasm of Corruption, they and Petra would eavesdrop on Kirito as he presented the powers of the Darkness to his Shadows. Expecting to kill him, the Guardian would instead be ambushed by a Shadow [[Marauder]], only grazing his shoulder. Now exposed by the Shadow Army elites, the Guardian would run from the arena, running into a room holding a prisoner.

====Ahnkra's Final Stand====

{{Quote|So, that [[Forum:Kirito, the Black Swordsman|Motherfucker]] thinks he can bring back Menkrodos eh? No matter, we can put him back into the dirt, and any "Shadow" that was in cahoots with that [[Forum:Menkrodos, the Dimensional Mind|son of a bitch]].|[[Forum:AJ, the Relentless|AJ]], learning of the Dimensional Mind's Return.}}

{{Quote|You are finally here, Guardian. Monster slayer. Light avenger. All that strength, and you still have yet to fathom much more. You could be so much more... all you need do is wish it. This city within my vessel will challenge you in ways you have never thought possible. Come. Let's enjoy ourselves.|[[Forum:Evangelion, Mastermind of Eternities|Evangelion, Mastermind of Eternities]], welcoming the Guardian to his ship.}}

==Legacy==

{{Quote|On our Solar System, the Darkness came into existence with civilization for many millennia, many timelines, and numerous worlds. As society developed and improved over the course of history, the Darkness grew even stronger with the sole purpose of exterminating us. For many years, there have been too many people who have given things up to the Darkness, and now... ever since the arrival of the Pyramids, Kirito and Asuna took so much...way too much...and what we've lost to them may be even greater than the Earth itself... But because of those we lost...because of them, we're alive now. Zavala. Evie. Ben. Suguha. Klein. Agil. Lisbeth. Silica. Eiji. Black Yuna. Alice. The war is over, and now begins a new era of hope... a new age of triumph.|Ikora Rey, speaking to the Guardian during the aftermath of the Apocalypse.}}

Though the Shadowkeeper Apocalypse ended, while the Shadow Army and Ghosts of Nagasaki would still be more than enough of a threat that the Guardians continued to fight them, various enemy orders would reemerge, with some of them rallying under the banners of numerous threats, including [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]].

==Trivia==