SCP Foundation

In the center of the large semicircular desk that holds the most important paranormal agencies of the world, the Chairman of the Committee for the World Paranormal Congress stands up — General Louis Petain holds a wooden hammer, and bangs it the desk. He calls the attention of the seated attendants from multiple parascientific institutions and occult societies, and speaks.

Chairman Petain: By the will of the Committee of the World Paranormal Congress, I hereby declare, in today, the Fifth of the month of May, of the year 1876, declare the start of the first — and hopefully last — World Paranormal Congress.

A series of applause start at the podium, and Chairman Petain asks again for silence.

Chairman Petain: We are here today to discuss a most pressing matter, one that is not only of concern to us, the ones in charge of protecting our nations and our peoples from the mysteries of the unknown — but of human civilization itself. We're here to discuss the following topic: the confirmation of the existence of God, and our next course of action — for or against Him.

Chairman Petain: Because I do not see myself as qualified to speak of this topic, I will ask for the man in representation of the expeditionary force that discovered the artifact that led to this discovery, to stand up and come up here to where I am speaking. Doctor Frederick Williams, if you would do the honors.

From the seats, Dr. Williams stands up and walks down from the rows of seats as he is applauded. He arrives at the podium, and shakes hands with Chairman Petain, before taking the microphone.

Dr. Williams: I want to thank the efforts of Chairman Petain and the rest of the Committee for allowing me to participate in this historical date. I also want to apologize that my companion, Lord Blackwood, could not accompany us today. He's still in recovery, but he will be informed of the progress we will do in these meetings.

Dr. Williams: Now, after these formalities, I know that everyone here knows why we are here — and how we came here, most importantly.

Across the seats, the representatives nod and hush in agreement. Dr. Williams nods in satisfaction.

Dr. Williams: Good, then you know that the artifact we're here to talk about is a key from Solomon's Temple, and that this key — if the records from the wise king suggest — will allow us to bend the nature of thaumaturgy. Lord Blackwood and our researchers are also thinking that maybe this could extend to the entirety of the anomalous itself. Even more, if all of this proves correct, then it is possible that we may do something that our ancestors have tried and failed: to summon God.

Immediately, loud shouts and comments burst throughout the seats, as the men of the committee order to remain silent. Dr. Williams slowly raises his hand, and everyone immediately stops.

Dr. Williams: Thank you. Again, these ideas are just that, ideas. Mere hypotheses that our team have come up, that are up for debate and testing. I know that the idea of summoning God and meeting him is quite impressive. Some may even say it's impossible! But that's what the texts of King Solomon suggest.

Suddenly, a man wearing Catholic robes raises his hand, and Dr. Williams allows him to speak.

Cardinal Bonaventura: Greetings, my brother. I am Cardinal Alejandro Bonaventura, representing the interests of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, and part of the Confraternity of Saint George's Knights. I pray for the safe and healthy recovery of your colleague, Lord Blackwood.

Dr. Williams: Thank you very much, Mr. Cardinal.

Cardinal Bonaventura: However, as much as the Church is impressed by your findings, the Pope decreets that whatever artifact that you and your men possess holds something incorrect.

Dr. Williams: And that would be?

Cardinal Bonaventura: The idea that that key may summon God. If it can, then the Pope and the Church does not believe that whatever will be summoned will be God.

Before Dr. Williams can reply, a voice raises from a row below the Cardinal. A young man sitting in plain dressing clothes, with a well-groomed beard and round glasses speaks up.

Voice: And why would that be?

Cardinal Bonaventura looks at the man.

Cardinal Bonaventura: Science — and to an extension thaumaturgy — gives us power over nature; but to think that we can measure God, that we can control God to our will and desire, is not a blasphemous thought but philosophically contradictory. A being of incomprehensible intelligence, incomprehensible strength, and incomprehensible power — to be diminished by just a mere key? That would not be God, and it cannot be God.

The voice sighs, picking up his glasses and wiping them.

Voice: Is that so? Well, the King of Judea says otherwise. Despite his beliefs, I think we can agree that he was leagues far wiser and intelligent than the both of us combined. If he held such great knowledge of all that we've studied, who can deny him that he was wrong? I doubt we can.

Cardinal Bonaventura: Solomon was a wise man and a great king, until he was consumed by his own pride and short-sightedness. He may have been knowledgeable, but to believe that he had an artifact that could summon God and bend his will over God's is something that I have a hard time believing in.

The man snorts, and puts back his glasses.

Voice: It's hard for you to believe that we can summon God, but easy to believe that a powerful tyrant is capable of benevolence and love to our species? You believers come with new arguments each day.

Cardinal Bonaventura: Excuse me, who exactly are you?

Professor Borchardt: I am Professor Siegfried Borchardt, of the Faculty of Thaumaturgy from the International Center for the Study of Unified Thaumotology. However, I come here in representation of an occult society: the Society of the Godless.

Cardinal Bonaventura: ...That German cabal.

Lt. Colonel Bowe: Order! Gentlemen, both of you settle down. We’re not here to discuss religious matters, we’re here to discuss a problem.

Professor Borchardt: Mr. Bowe, I’m afraid this is a religious matter too. It’s no wonder why the great three branches are present here today. After all, they’re extremely interested in vouching for their lord instead of helping humanity, as usual.

Cardinal Bonaventura: You are talking of the Lord as if he has caused us harm, when all we’ve done is poking with the power of at most, a powerful entity – at worst, a false god. Whatever the professor and Lord Blackwood discovered, that is not God!

Professor Borchardt: Then let me ask you this, how do you know it isn't god? What else could it possibly be? A being of such power, with its artifacts kept by King Solomon – the descendant of David – inside the remains of his lost temple. Why would he be interested in hiding those artifacts, if not to protect God?

Cardinal Bonaventura: I don’t know what King Solomon may have hidden them, but knowing the circumstances of the discovery, it must be important. The last thing we should do is try to play god with that key – and the keys that we will find, if we continue to pursue them.

Dr. Williams coughs purposely, attracting the attention of the public.

Dr. Williams: If I may continue, Cardinal, where you left off. I know that Chairman Petain brought you hear because of this discovery – and that he’s absolutely concerned, as are our government representatives. But, at the moment, there’s not much we can do – both for you, Cardinal, and Mr. Borchardt.

Dr. Williams: What we’re here to do is to inform you, with the purpose of being in the same page. Lord Blackwood and our team of researchers are continuing to research what we call the First Key of Solomon – considering it we found inside the great temple. But, we’re still ignorant of the functionings of the key. That’s why, I ask from all of you, to wait. We will meet again, when we have done progress, and we will inform all of you when we decipher the first key.

Dr. Williams: As for now, that is all I have to say. Are there any questions?

Nobody answers, and Dr. Williams nods. He steps down and hands the speaker to Chairman Petain.

Chairman Petain: Without any further questions, on the fifth of may of eighteen seventy-eight, we dismiss the first session of the World Paranormal Congress.

Secretary H.G. Heckley stands up, representative of Her Majesty’s Foundation for the Studies of Curiosities and Phantasmagoria, stumbles on her words. He tries to call for order in the loud chamber, interrupted by the loud debating and shouting between the representatives of the congress.

Secretary Heckley: Order, order! By the order of Her Majesty Victoria, we ask for order!

Suddenly, Professor Borchardt stands up and whistles the rhythm of an old German folk song, causing the shouting to slowly dwindle as the representatives look confusedly at each other. Professor Borchardt looks back at Secretary Heckley.

Professor Borchardt: You’re quite welcome, Mr. Secretary.

Professor Borchardt sits down as Secretary Heckley rasps his throat.

Secretary Heckley: Thank you. Now, we can actually begin the second session of this congress. Everyone, settle down again! We know what your dreams showed, we all saw them!

Grand Master Luhan speaks from his seat, screaming.

Grand Master Luhan: It is our architect, he has communicated with us!

Cardinal Bonaventura: Architect or not, that’s not God! I know it isn’t, the representative of the Orthodox Church knows that too, and who knows how many more Protestant cardinals I have met today say the same thing! That is not our Lord!

Lt. Colonel Henry Bowe, representative of the American Secure Containment Initiative, stands up and shouts.

Lt. Colonel Bowe: All of you, shut up!

Dr. Williams rasps his throat lightly, and his voice deppens from normally.

Dr. Williams: Please, do settle down – I suppose you do not want Professor Borchardt to repeat what he said.

Unknowingly, Grand Master Luhan and Cardinal Bonaventura fall silent, each looking at each other in confusion. Secretary Heckley gives the word to Dr. Williams, and he walks down the podium and into the center of the rows, and begins to speak.

Dr. Williams: I’m sorry to keep all of you waiting, but Lord Blackwood and our team had to finish researching the key. We could not take any chances, especially for the circumstances of this key, as well as the recent events. So, Lord Blackwood and I made sure to present to all of you our most recent discoveries. Lord Blackwood?

Lord Blackwood: Why certainly, my dear friend!

Lord Blackwood enthusiastically stands up from one of the seats at the top of the rows, surprising multiple representatives as he walks down from the rows to the center.

Lord Blackwood: The discovery of the Key of Solomon. No, I am absolutely mistaken, the First Key of Solomon. Oh, I’m truly saddened that none of you were there that day. Many brave gentlemen died that day to recover that key, it was a sad consequence of our desire to explore that monument buried by time. Isn’t that right, Dr. Williams?

Dr. Williams: Frederick, if you may, Lord Blackwood. And certainly, what happened was a shameful tragedy.

Lord Blackwood chuckles as he finally arrives at the center of rows, standing alongside Dr. Williams.

Lord Blackwood: If you continue to call me Lord Blackwood, then I must continue to call you for your academic position, Dr. Williams. Now that we're here, I suppose we can finally present to you the key.

The congress erupts in whispers between representatives, as Lord Blackwood commands for his research team to come in. They push a cart with a box on top of it, and leave it at the center of the floor in front of Dr. Williams and Lord Blackwood as they step back.

Lord Blackwood: We believed that we would spend some months trying to decipher how to use this key, but we faded into a wall with two problems: the first, was the deadline for the following congress, making us rush the research into SCP-8343 – even with the original date despite your petitions to move it sooner; the second, was that this key has become absolutely useless.

The representatives stand up from their seats and yell at Lord Blackwood and Dr. Williams.

Grand Master Luhan: What did you do to the Architect?! Now, after seeing our desperation to interact with him, he has sealed himself away from us. The opportunity to discover the mysteries of life and the universe have been interrupted by your mendling!

Noviciate Weishaupt II: And you think he would’ve given us the chance?! It was obvious that from our dreams, he was drunk in madness and jealousy for what we had accomplished. He sees us as our rivals!

Grand Master Luhan to face against Noviciate Adam Weishaupt II, of the Bavarian Illuminati, wearing a mask of the Owl of Minerva on his face.

Grand Master Luhan: Don’t you even dare to speak, you’re the son of an ignoramus who couldn’t see the light of the Grand Architect, and started his own knockoff that you inherited.

Noviciate Weishaupt II: You shut your mouth about Founder Weishaupt!

Dr. Williams: Everyone, please remain silent. I’m sure that some of you are incredibly powerful thaumaturges, correct? We’re here to find someone who will volunteer to help us unseal the box that contains the ring.

The discussion stops as the representatives look back at Dr. Williams, finally catching their attention.

Dr. Williams: And you heard me right: a ring. It’s not precisely a key, and from what we’ve read, neither are the rest of the remaining keys of the King. From our translations of Old Hebrew, we found that this ring may allow us a brief summoning of God and interact with him.

Cardinal Bonaventura: That’s impossible!

Dr. Williams: Maybe, maybe not. We will have to find out, of course. That is the reason all of you are here: to clear your doubts. Many of you have different interests and desires of what to do with God, but we first need to resolve our questions and arrive at clear answers. With that fulfilled, we can take the next step as to what to do with him.

Lord Blackwood: Like my good friend said, we will need your help. We are archeologists and scientists, but we’re not thaumaturgists. Luckily, we know that some of you are, and very powerful indeed. What we need you to do is draw the Seal of Solomon, with each thaumaturge standing at each point of the seal, with the box in the middle. We will give you further instructions once people volunteer – five of you, exactly. May any of you be interested?

Professor Borchardt: I volunteer.

Professor Borchardt stands up from his seat and walks down the stairs as other representatives whisper.

Grand Master Luhan: I do too!

Noviciate Weishaupt II stands up too as he follows Grand Master Luhan, and multiple other representatives begin to volunteer.

Dr. Williams: The lady in the front row, what’s your name and society?

Madame Blavatsky: Madame Helena Blavatsky, of the Theosophical Society.

Dr. Williams: If you will, ma’am.

Lord Blackwood: The gentleman in the back – the one chuckling –, what’s your name and society?

Professor Simeon: I’m sorry, Lord Blackwood. My name is Professor Magnus Simeon, and the actual representative of the International Center for the Study of Unified Thaumatology.

Lord Blackwood: Delightful, a noteworthy scholar! Do you know Professor Borchardt?

Professor Borchardt: We know each other very well.

Professor Simeon: Indeed, we do! We teach in the same faculty, just with different subjects for our students and practitioners.

Professor Simeon steps down the podium, standing alongside the rest of the representatives. Dr. Williams and Lord Blackwood explain the procedure to the thaumaturges, and the research team and thaumaturges begin.

Lord Blackwood commands the assistant research of the team to put the box in the middle of the floor, as the thaumaturges begin to draw the Seal of Solomon on the floor. Finishing with the Seal, each thaumaturge stand at each point of the seal.

Dr. Williams: Now, I will begin the chant, and you must follow along. If this works, the box will open and one of the thaumaturges – the most powerful one – will need to wear the ring and end the chant to summon God. If I may ask Professor Simeon, who exactly is–

Professor Borchardt: I will do it.

Dr. Williams stares skeptically at Professor Borchardt, and turns to Professor Simeon.

Professor Simeon: Let him do it.

Lord Blackwood: It’s settled then! Gentlemen of the research team, do step back. Dr. Williams, please take good care of yourself as you lead these talentful men – and lady. Now, you may commence.

The research team step back with Lord Blackwood standing in front of them, as they and the rest of the congress stare at the group of thaumaturges. Dr. Williams sighs, and he signs the first verse of the chant – the thaumaturges follow.

They continue to chant, and the box begins to shake, with the lines of the Seal of Solomon begins to bright up in a cerulean light, which slowly begins to morph into multiple colors. Dr. Williams and the thaumaturges move to the second verse, and the box violently begins to shake from the inside – with a bright, intense glow appearing from the edge of the box.

The congressmen and members of the committee are caught in a trance staring at the ritual. Dr. Williams and the thaumaturges repeat the chorus, and the box clangs violently from inside, with the lights inside the room dwindling for a minute before lighting up again.

Dr. Williams and the thaumaturges arrive to the last verse, their initial worries calmly dwindled by the chanting despite the shaking of the room and the lights turning on and off. Dr. Williams arrives to the last line of the verse.

Dr. Williams: And we ask of you, thy Lord of the Universe, to allow your perfection to show unto us.

The thaumaturges: And we ask of you, thy Lord of the Universe, to allow your perfection to show–

Suddenly, the box pops open with a golden light, pushing back the thaumaturges and suddenly blinding the rest of the congressmen. The box begins to show a gigantic, enlightened humanoid wearing the First Key of Solomon in what seems to be its fingers. Faceless, the composition of the humanoid seems to be composed of the darkness of the universe, which is surrounded by its skin composed of light.

The windows across the room break violently, its shards falling to the floor. The lights inside the room explode, leaving the room in complete darkness with the exception of the light coming from SCP-8343. The representatives and tha thaumaturges who continue to see despite the blindful light stare at SCP-8343 in awe. Cardinal Bonaventura yells from the background.

Cardinal Bonaventura: W-What are you?!

SCP-8343 looks around, and finds Cardinal Bonaventura. Cardinal Bonaventura stares at SCP-8343, his eyes reflecting the light coming from SCP-8343. SCP-8343 moves slowly, as if exasperating, and speaks up.

SCP-8343: I AM THAT I AM.

The room of the Congress shakes violently again, with the light coming from SCP-8343 increasing dramatically and engulfing the entirety of the room of the Congress. SCP-8343 continues to speak.

SCP-8343: I AM THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. THE DESIGNER OF THIS CLOCKWORK. AND THE ONE WHO KEEPS THE UNIVERSE IN BALANCE.

SCP-8343: I DO NOT COME HERE TO HARM YOU. I COME HERE TO WARN YOU. YOU MUST NOT INTERFERE WITH THE BALANCE.

SCP-8343: I KNOW HOW YOU ARE, AND I KNOW WHAT YOU WILL DO. I AM HERE TO SHARE YOU SOME WISDOM: DO NOT INTERFERE. I DO NOT WISH TO HARM YOU, BUT IF YOU CONTINUE TO PURSUE WHAT YOU WILL DO, THEN I WILL BE OBLIGATED TO FIGHT BACK. FOR YOUR SAKE, AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE UNI–

SCP-8343 is interrupted as it is shot in the back of the head, it searches everywhere, until finding Lt. Colonel Bowe shooting at it in the face.

Lt. Colonel Bowe: Stop the damn ritual. Better yet, kill that fucking thing! I hope you heard that it won’t doubt to kill us, so we shouldn’t doubt killing it too.

Lt. Colonel Bowe continues to shoot at it, but his bullets are stopped in the middle of the air by SCP-8343, and fall back on the floor. Lt. Colonel Bowe spits at SCP-8343, with the spit passing through its body and hitting the wall – Lt. Colonel Bowe recharges his pistol.

SCP-8343: I AM TELLING YOU, I DO NOT WANT TO. I AM WARNING YOU OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. IF YOU PUSH ME, THEN I WILL HAVE TO DEFEND MYSELF – FOR THE SAKE OF THE BALAN–

SCP-8343 is again interrupted after it is hit with a fire bolt, pushing it forward. SCP-8343 looks back, and is attacked again by a fire bolt from Professor Borchardt – who stares at SCP-8343 with rage in his eyes.

Professor Borchardt: You heard the General, give god hell!

Suddenly, the representatives and the men of the committee pull their arms and artifacts to face SCP-8343. Cardinal Bonaventura and other members of religious societies speak up.

Cardinal Bonaventura: Stop it! Even if you think it is who it is, we can’t defeat it!

Professor Borchardt looks back at Cardinal Bonaventura angrily, and yells.

Professor Borchardt: Then you will let us kill every single one of us! What lives matter most right now: his or us? If you want to stand back, then stand back. Let others fight.

Generals and congressmen fire at SCP-8343, most of their bullets being caught in the air before falling to the floor, with some of them hitting SCP-8343 and distracting it. Meanwhile, the rest of the thaumaturgists, alchemists, and occultists incite rituals and utilize their magical items to fight back at SCP-8343.

SCP-8343 attempts to avoid getting hit, and at the same time avoids attacking the members of the congress. Suddenly, SCP-8343 expands throughout the room, backlashing the members of the congress and blinding them with its light.

SCP-8343: I WARNED YOU. I ASKED YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE, BUT YOU DO NOT. YOU WILL CONTINUE? THEN I WILL MAKE SURE THE RITE OF SOLOMON IS NEVER COMPLETED.

The light of SCP-8343 dwindles suddenly, with its humanoid form decreasing in size as it returns inside the box alongside the First Key of Solomon. Professor Borchardt yells, and runs toward the key. He pulls his wand, and chants, sending a big shock of Akiva energy – hitting the ring, causing it to fly across the room.

SCP-8343 screams violently, shaking the room as it returns to the box, closing it with a lock. All of the representatives of the congress stand up in the darkness, with multiple of them summoning fire for light. Everyone remains quiet from the shock, until Cardinal Bonaventura speaks up.

Cardinal Bonaventura: Do you see what we have caused?!

Professor Borchardt looks for the key, and picks it up.

Professor Borchardt: We recovered the First Key.

Cardinal Bonaventura: And for what?! That ring will be the start of the second cause of man’s downfall. We first rebelled against God when we took a bite from the tree and were casted out of Heaven, and now we will do it again by killing that thing. That ring is the representation of our pride! We need to get rid of it.

Grand Master Luhan: You are an ignorant fool, blinded by your dogma, Cardinal. Don’t you see what we did? We controlled our artisan – if we find the rest of the keys, we may be able to study him and understand him!

Cardinal Bonaventura: We didn’t control that thing, Grand Master. It simply allowed us to do so before it felt threatened and disappeared. We will end up killing ourselves by trying to find the rest of those keys before even summoning that thing again.

Noviciate Weishaput II: Then what should we do then? Hide in our temples and churches and forget about it, or maybe we should pray to it and ask for its forgiveness. You heard what it said!

Madame Blavatsky: We certainly did bring a lot of trouble to ourselves, and a bad image of us to Him. But, it’s not wrong to try to understand him. After all, he created us.

Noviciate Weishaupt II: Did you even listen to what it said?

Madame Blavatsky: Clearly, I did help to summon it after all. However, I find his reaction to be understandable. Whatever we do next, I suggest we do it peacefully. We shouldn’t try to antagonize Him, but try to understand him. And, it did seem it was worried about us and what we were doing. We’ll have to do this cautiously next time.

Noviciate Weishaupt II: That light must have blinded you for you to say those things without sense, witch. What do you suggest we do next? A sacrifice? Use blood for the next ritual?

Madame Blavatsky: Don’t you dare call me a witch – you are the one using an owl over your face.

Noviciate Weishaupt II: It’s symbolic!

The representatives begin to bicker and fight amongst themselves in the darkness, until the fire bolt of Professor Borchardt increases dramatically and lights up the room in the light of its red and orange colors. Professor Borchardt decrease the size of the fire, but continues to light it sufficiently.

Professor Borchardt: This is the reason we can’t deal with anomalies.

Cardinal Bonaventura: What do you mean?

Professor Borchardt: The bickering, the debates, and the differences. Everyone is currently wondering what to do about God, just as we do about what to do with anomalies. At least the members of the committee have an idea, with the containment. But that’s not how it should be.

Professor Borchardt: We’ve made great advances in the sciences, slowly answering the questions we didn’t know of and pushing the unknown into the field of the known. Our control over nature, thaumaturgy and the anomalous has increased but it seems it can never truly go away. Let me ask all of you: would you have preferred a world where we didn’t have to face the horrors of the unknown and the unexplainable every single day?

The representatives are caught off guard, but all of them answer positively.

Professor Borchardt: So do I. It’s like asking if things like poverty, disease, death, and tyranny should end. Everyone answers that they should, but nobody says anything about it. We continue to let people pick from trash to eat because they can’t afford food, causing them to get poison and die in the street in a painful death as corrupt leaders sits in their thrones. We’ve done wonders in arts, medicine, sciences, and knowledge – and we did this when the first man decided to not let fate dictate what it does, but let man take fate by its own hand.

Professor Borchardt: So why shouldn’t we do the same with anomalies? Why shouldn’t we face the unknown and get rid of thing, as another fact of life we don’t need nor want? And why, then, should we not get rid of the first cause that brought the anomalous into our existence.

Grand Master Luhan: Because it’s the work of the Grand Architect, it’s his will and we should understand it. It’s the law of life.

Professor Borchardt: Well that law of life has brought us monsters, demons, golems, dark magicians, phenomena that break our scientific knowledge, and many more things. People barely sleep calmly at night because we are the ones protecting them, because we swore a duty to protect the normal world while we fight into the unknown.

Professor Borchardt looks back at the members of the Committee, who are staring back at him.

Professor Borchardt: You are the leaders of the world. Personally, even as an atheist, whether what we saw was God or not, it doesn’t matter. We have been confirmed that he keeps the so-called balance, even if it means our suffering. That thing is evil, and he has allowed for so many deaths to maintain that balance. I ask of you, please, to put an end to this topic. We need to band together to kill this dragon. Either we steal fire like Prometheus, or we let the darkness of this dragon consume us. It’s your choice.

The members of the committee whisper to each other, and Secretary Heckley stands up.

Secretary Heckley: By recommendation of Professor Borchardt, the congress has changed the focus of this discussion: from the confirmation of the existence of God, to the discussion of what we shall do with it. Meaning, we will debate – and vote – if we decide to execute it for crimes against nature and humanity, or we will let it live. The session is over.

The congress is boisterous, with open discussions among the members of the committee and the seated representatives. Finally, it is stopped after Secretary Heckley stands up and orders the congress to stop talking.

Secretary Heckley: We’re now opening the final session of the World Paranormal Congress, after almost half a year since the discovery of God. Today, the election will begin. The procedure will be simple: we will ask those who are for the execution of God, and all those in favor will raise their hands; then, we’ll move to those who are against his execution, and those will also raise their hands.

Secretary Heckley looks around him, gazing intently at all the representatives of the congress.

Secretary Heckley: Did we make ourselves clear?

The representatives agree in unison.

Secretary Heckley: Splendid. But before we do that, we will let a member represent the opinion of each side to stand up in front of you, and deliver a speech. It’ll be a battle of rhetoric, so you must have a spoken a great man that represent your ideals and goals. For those who are in favor of the execution, your representative may step up.

Secretary Heckley stands down from the podium, and Professor Borchardt stands from his seat, walking to the podium. In the background, his supporters cheer for him as his critics whisper and demean him. Professor Borchardt stands in front of them, and asks for silence.

Professor Borchardt: It is a known fact that man has always been a challenging animal. Ever since we refused to freeze in the Ice Age, man has always found itself fighting against something: be it forces of nature, other predators, his own brothers and sisters, or even gods. Today, that nature of man as this animal who refuses to back down and always strike comes back to show itself.

Professor Borchardt: But instead of fighting because of petty reasons, we fight for the reason we even do so in the first place: survival. Our first ancestors fought for the survival of their family and clan, and now we fight for the survival of our species. And we fight for the survival of our species, so that one day we may see ourselves free from our shackles.

Professor Borchardt: Those shackles have been many things: war, disease, and tyranny. But most importantly, man has always challenged and fought against its biggest fear: the unknown. Our world is fantastical, but man even more so. Today, we’re at a crossroads, and we’re facing the biggest challenge and the highest representation of the one thing we can never truly understand: God.

Professor Borchardt: Today, we stand against the being that even lets all of those shackles we’re chained to every day of our lives exist. Today, we stand against the greatest tyrant of them all: the one who created our universe, and the one who, supposedly in all his wisdom and benevolence, has allowed a universe full of evil to consume us with its wrath. That caused that our ancestors hid for centuries inside of caves because of their fear to step outside into the unknown.

Professor Borchardt: But our ancestors only survived once they decided to venture into the unknown – but that venture wasn’t just to be engulfed into its darkness, but to shine that unknown world with the light of our intelligence and reason. To fight against dragons and monsters, which weren’t dragons and monsters in the first place – and when we finally understood, we could understand and slay them.

Professor Borchardt: Despite that, it seems the universe demands that we always face unknown things, even if we have advanced in the realm of knowledge. Indeed, it seems the universe wants to push us back into the caves of our ancestors and not face against its tyranny. And the reason behind that is because of the man in the skies forcing its twisted worldview unto us.

Professor Borchardt: So should we bow, should we hang our heads and nod happily for his tyranny? I have seen many people die, many fall into madness because of their attempts to understand the universe only to be horrified by their inability to understand. Now, we’re given a chance: a chance to change the world to our desire, to bring a world to our own image and desire, to the one that the God-Tyrant could ever dream of.

Professor Borchardt: And so I want to remind every single one of you facing me today: it doesn’t matter what you believe in, because at the end of the day, we will all die. But the question should be: should we die because of our free will, in a world where we choose our fate, instead of our fate being dictated by a tyrant? If you want an answer for the latter, I respond: absolutely yes.

Professor Borchardt: Humanity has endured enough with the strange, with the incomprehensible, with the unknown. We’re at a crossroads, and with the ability to start a new age: an age where fantasy and magic will be buried by science and reason, where we won’t be subjected by the forces of the anomalous, but by controlling the forces of nature to humanity’s will. And to do that, we must out the tyrant, like our French compatriots did with their tyrant king just a century ago.

Professor Borchardt: Today, let us vote. Let us vote for a new era: an era where mankind will chose their destiny, to take hold of his destiny and oust the superstitions that bind us. Today let us vote for that freedom, by choosing to free ourselves from the greatest of tyrants of them all: God!

The supportive members of Professor Borchardt stand from their seats, applauding and cheering to Professor Borchardt, as well as some chairmen of the committee. Professor Borchardt bows and thanks the public, and steps down from the podium. Secretary Heckley stands up and takes the lead.

Secretary Heckley: If there aren't any questions, we may continue: next, the representative for those against the execution of God, we have Professor Magnus Simeon of the International Center for the Study of Unified Thaumatology.

Professor Simeon stands up, bowing and thanking his supporters as he walks down, shaking hands with some of them. He walks to the podium and shakes hands with Secretary Heckley, before been given the podium to himself.

Professor Simeon: Originally, Cardinal Bonaventura was planned to stand where I'm standing. After some discussion, he decided that I'd be the best candidate: given that I am a professor who teaches magic to his student, I was appointed as the best qualified for it.

Professor Simeon: Of course, personally I do not want to kill God because it'll make me lose my job!

Despite the complaints by some members of the congress, several chuckle at Professor Simeon's remark.

Professor Simeon: But the dilemma of this decision is far more important than my work: what we'll chose today is the most important decision that mankind will make for his future. What Professor Borchardt and his supporters have done is sell you a preposterous idea, that is that we have the capability of killing God.

Professor Simeon: Think that for a moment. Killing God. And we're not talking about a pagan deity, we're talking about the creator of the universe — the all-knowing and all-powerful, that created us from clay and brought us to life. Even if we decide unanimously that we will kill God, supposedly for our survival, I believe we're doing the opposite: committing suicide.

Members of the congress begin to shout at Professor Simeon in protest.

Professor Simeon: What we're doing is exactly what Lucifer did, and he was once one of the most powerful angels of God. Now, he's burning in the deepest of hell. Supposedly, of course. I wouldn't know. The point is that his rebellion is what caused his downfall. If one of God's most powerful angels rose against him and failed, what can we expect from us?

Noviciate Weishaupt II: That's your point? That we sit by and let him continue ravage ourselves because we should?!

Professor Simeon: We either pretend that this never happen and continue with our lives, or go against him and cause civilizational suicide because we tried to defy him. Is it really worth to supposedly free humanity from the anomalous, from the unknown, just to make humanity suffer because we're going to force them to fight God? It seems that none of you understand that the anomalous is a fact of life, and we can't do anything about it.

Doctor Aaron Siegel raises his hand, and Professor Simeon allows him to speak.

Doctor Siegel: But we have done many things to… fight the anomalous. We've developed the scientific method, established laws of nature, increased our understanding and knowledge. Slowly, our capacity to get rid of the unknown has increased by the day. Even our knowledge of the anomalous has increased compared to just a century. If our ancestors had accepted to be eaten by the apex predators of the past, none of us would be here.

Professor Simeon: They fought for survival, we're fighting because we're deluding ourselves to believe we can kill The One who created us.

Doctor Siegel: And what's the difference? After all, he did threaten us.

Professor Simeon: Because we summoned him and attacked him.

Noviciate Weishaupt II: Only because he threatened us first, and blew up the building of our brothers! Is that not enough of a preemptive strike to you?

Several members of the congress agree.

Professor Simeon: I-I mean, it did, but we were meddling with his authority.

Professor Borchardt speaks up.

Professor Borchardt: You're still arguing for complacency, and using his authority as an excuse. An authority that he never gained, nor asked us for — but merely took, and asked us to obey.

Professor Simeon: Wouldn't you do the same, Siegfried?

Professor Borchardt: No, because I am not God, but a man. Just like you, and just like the rest of the people sitting here.

Professor Borchardt stares at him, and then moves to the audience.

Professor Simeon: It still does not change the fact that we're committing suicide with trying this! We'll kill ourselves doing so.

Doctor Siegel: And continue to die because of monsters? To kill ourselves with sorcery? To live in fear, and without the ability to comprehend our world? Ludicrous, professor.

Professor Borchardt: And if I may continue with what Dr. Siegel said, you're not right about our ancestors fighting for surival. They sure did, but don't you think someone of the cavemen also suggested that stepping out and fight for good was also suicide, and that it was best to remain in the cave? They had a world out there, right for the taking. But it was because of men like us, without a reason to bow to the dragons outside the cave and their rule that they not only survived — but thrive.

Professor Simeon: But—

Professor Borchardt turns around, and interrupts Professor Simeon.

Professor Borchardt: Everyone, listen! You are all afraid of what may come, but there is no reason to continue with this charade: we do not need magic, and I say it as a thaumaturgist myself. We do not need the paranormal, and we certainly do not need a tyrant in the sky telling us what to do. We can follows the footsteps of our ancestors, and leave the cave — or remain in the cave, wait for our own fire to dwindle in the darkness, and freeze and starve. Both choices lead to death, but one will be a death we chose for ourselves.

Professor Borchardt: And if we win, we will gain the most precious treasure of them all, better than any riches: our freedom.

Professor Borchardt turns around, and walks down the podium where Professor Simeon is standing.

Professor Borchardt: And it's an outrage that you are using the legacy of our ancestors, who because of them we even live, to justify the existence of the God-Tyrant. And unless you have a good reason, a valid reason to not execute the man behind our woes, then I suggest you step down.

Professor Simeon turns around everywhere, and makes eye contact with Secretary Heckley, who looks above his glasses.

Secretary Heckley: Would you happen to have another argument, Professor?

Professor Simeon looks down at the floor, and shakes his head. Secretary Heckley asks him to stand down of the podium, and Professor Simeon walks to his seat. He is stared with madness by his supporters.

Secretary Heckley: Ladies and gentlemen of the congress, we have concluded our final speeches about this discussion. Now, we will vote.

The members of the committee stand up, and Secretary Heckley adjusts his glasses, reading over a piece of paper.

Secretary Heckley: By the will of humanity and the nations of the world, we stand here to judge God for crimes against humanity, as well as crimes against nature. For those who believe that God is guilty for these crimes, and should be executed with the death penalty, please raise your hands.

Immediately, multiple representatives lift their hands up to vote. The members of the committee count each risen hand, murmuring under their breathes. Secretary Heckley orders the representatives to put their hands down.

Secretary Heckley: For those who believe that God is not guilty of the previously mentioned crimes, and that his charges should be lifted as well as his execution, please raise your hands.

Across the congress, multiple representatives raise their hands. However, it is clear that the representatives do not make a majority of the vote. Still, the members of the committee count their votes. Secretary Heckley orders the representatives to put their hands down.

For a moment, everyone is silence, with the exception of the members consulting their votes. After agreeing with their votes, Secretary Heckley picks up his hammer and talks to the congress.

Secretary Heckley: After a vote of fifty eight in favor, and thirty-three against, the jury finds God guilty for crimes against humanity and crimes against nature. His execution will be done as soon as possible.

Secretary Heckley slams his hammer, and multiple members of the congress stand up in amazement and happiness, shaking hands and hugging each other.

Secretary Heckley: Today, Janaury 11th, 1876, the last year of our Lord, we end the final session of the World Paranormal Congress. And in this day, we officially begin a war against God. Ladies and gentlemen of the congress, as of today, the Sixth Occult War has begun.

The soldiers of the different armies finally finish digging up their trenches, digging dirt out of the Earth and piling it to form barriers for the upcoming battle. Meanwhile, the thaumaturgists utilize their magic to prepare potions and healing powders for the battle in their respective camps, chanting and stirring in their pots as the smoke of their brews fly in the air.

In the center of it all, a large tent stands, waving no flag above it. Inside it, multiple figures of authority in their respective nations and societies discuss with each other. General Sir John Churchill informs that the Admiral of His Majesty’s Navy has arrived in the area, sailing across the island as he watches carefully for the start of the battle.

Professor Borchardt: How much time do we need to wait for the artillery to arrive, General?

Lt. Colonel Bowe: I was informed that the SHARP’s artillery were taking a while to come in. I don’t know why they were stopped at Liverpool, if the Parliament already knows we’re killing God.

General Churchill: It’s all out protocol, Lieutenant Colonel. Even if we’re allies at this war, we still need to maintain control of what comes in and out.

Lt. Colonel Bowe: Well, they should hurry, General. Killing God is no easy task, and it isn’t easier if our modified artillery doesn’t get right here in time when the forces of God are wiping us out in the battlefield.

General Louis Petain speaks up.

General Petain: But what matters the most is the commando led by Monsieur Borchardt, and the artifacts they will use to destroy God.

Professor Borchardt: We still need the artillery – both for support against whatever he puts against us, and as a distraction while we try to destroy him.

General Churchill: Well, it’ll take some more time. I think we can manage to fight off at the start – we do have a great amount of magicians–

Professor Borchardt: Thaumaturgists.

General Churchill: My apologies, Professor. Thaumaturgists who can fight against the forces that the Lord will send. I doubt he will concentrate his power on all of them, when He should focus on his own survival. Besides, gunfire also works killing paranormal beings too.

Lt. Colonel Bowe: I can vouch for that with personal experience.

Professor Borchardt thinks for a moment, then nods.

Professor Borchardt: Then we should start the battle. Even if we cannot have everything at our disposal, we should not stop. We’ve fought for years to have this opportunity, so we should not waste any more time. That is, if anyone does not disagree.

Lt. Colonel Bowe: I don’t.

Field Marshal George of Wessin: I support.

General Petain and General Churchill agree as well, with General Okakura Noritoshi nodding too.

General Okakura: Admiral Tokugawa should arrive shortly too, with his own SHARP artillery for support. We also have those... thaumaturges of Shushu-In and Bureau of Omnyo outside for combat too.

Professor Borchardt looks around, and the rest of the military officers and representatives agree on the matter. He nods, and finishes the session. All of them step outside, with Professor Borchardt taking the lead. All of the officers go to the respective camps and order their subordinates, picking up their firearms and beginning formations.

Professor Borchardt arrives at his camp, with banners from the Society of the Godless and an unofficial ICSUT alongside it. Professor Simeon, wearing a modified, thaumaturgical-enhanced knight-like armor, stands up from his seat as he sharpens his sword. He walks to Professor Borchardt, and smiles.

Professor Simeon: Siegfried, when do we attack?

Professor Borchardt: Now. The plan stays as we planned it: we will cross the trenches’ limit, and perform the Rite where we said we would. We will cast god, and we’ll fight him. By the end of the day, he and his minions will be dead and humanity liberated.

Professor Simeon smiles even more, then looks at Professor Borchardt confused.

Professor Simeon: What about the artillery? I haven’t heard of its arrival.

Professor Borchardt: It will arrive shortly, and we already have several SHARP’s mounted on the battleships of the British and Japanese. Besides, most of the legwork will be done by us and the common foot soldier. As long as the naval officers strike god and distract him to accomplish our task, the result will work.

Professor Simeon: Siegfried, you devilish rogue. You’re the only man I know who wants to kill God from the bottom of his heart, as well as the only man who would try to strike him with a wooden stick and a stone!

Professor Borchardt: Our ancestors killed many beasts and gods with sticks and stones. Now, if you will, let me put on my armor.

Professor Simeon steps out of the way, and Borchardt enters the tent. He returns wearing the same knight-like armor, while holding a shedded weapon in a band across over his shoulder.

Professor Borchardt: Tell our men in charge of the Rite to meet in front of the Headquarters, and inform the officers to bring their soldiers too. I have a speech to make.

Professor Simeon nods and runs over to the nearby horse stable, mounting in a horse and riding to the rest of the camps. Professor Borchardt follows up, mounting his horse and riding to the Headquarters as Professor Simeon rallies the thaumaturgists and soldiers across multiple tents.

Slowly, the officers, soldiers, and volunteers surround the tent headquarters as Professor Borchardt arrives in front of the tent’s entrance. The semicircle surrounding him gets bigger, with everyone looking above the shoulder at Borchardt wearing a knight armor and mounting a horse.

Borchardt’s light infantry, consisting of a platoon from the Society of the Godless arrive as well, holding a banner of their logo as the soldiers and volunteers open up to lead them in and stand alongside Borchardt. Finally, Professor Simeon arrives, with another five members walking behind his horse. Professor Simeon mounts off his horse, and stands alongside the other five men in front of Borchardt.

Professor Borchardt: Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, soldiers and sorcerers – generals and occultists. Today is the day where our efforts as a race finally come to fulfillment. For six years, we fought and stood shoulder to shoulder to search, retrieve, and fight back against the powers of the unknown. Today, we not only fight the powers of the unknown – but we make sure to put them down, and stay down for good.

Non-parahumans whistle and clap across the semicircle, with most thaumaturgists and occultists remaining silent.

Professor Borchardt: For centuries, our ancestors have fought against the monsters they called gods, and worshiped them for their mercy. Of course, mercy was never handed to our ancestors, and so their destiny was decided by cold, cruel, and bloodlusting monsters and creatures that destroyed our ancestors. Unlike golden calfs, which were created by our hands yet we worshipped, we worshipped those tyrants that ruled over us.

The crowd agrees.

Professor Borchardt: But there were always wise and intelligent men who knew better – men like you and I. Who saw through the lies and made sure they would no longer suffer under their tyranny. We fought them, hunted them, and most importantly, studied them. Suddenly, the light striking from the sky was not a god anymore, but a mere meteorological phenomenon; fire was not a product of a titan brought to man, but a product of our own creativity; and the unknown was just a lack of understanding of our world, once we slowly filled and understood by the use of reason and science.

Professor Borchardt raises his voice.

Professor Borchardt: But even today, in a century of scientific advancement and understanding, the unknown does not wish to wither away! Its weak and decadent tyranny wishes to remain. If it wishes to continue to barely hold on to life, then we should gladly cut down the serpent’s head!

The soldiers and volunteers begin to clap and roar at Borchardt, and his horse whins.

Professor Borchardt: My brothers, I do not stand here to fight against your faith! I stand here because I want some of my people – you – free from the shackles of the unknown, from the incomprehensible, and from the magical. I have seen things – and many of you too – which you cannot tell to your loved ones, things you must hide so that others may live in the light of our sane world. Let me ask all of you, would you prefer to live in a sane and normal world?

All the men surrounding Borchardt answer positively, clapping and roaring at him and his platoon.

Professor Borchardt: So do I – even if I’m a thaumaturgist! Because I prefer to live a life where I don’t worry that my family lives with a monster underneath their beds, knowing that I am the only one who knows its existence. I’d rather have them and myself sleep in peace. And our ancestors thought the same, and that’s the reason why many cultures, from Asia to Europe, have stories of people slaying gods and dragons – because the death of a tyrant means the freedom of the people. And the greatest freedom we’ll ever achieve – from the tyranny of the unknown – will be achieved once we killed the tyrant who created our universe, the tyrant that lets lives be thrown to the slaughterhouse to the monsters we fight. Today, we will summon God one last time, and today we shall slay the dragon-tyrant that he is!

Despite the cheers gradually diminishing, Professor Borchardt’s supporters take over the quiet passiveness of the absentees.

Professor Borchardt: And I’m not the only one willing to sacrifice his powers for the greater good of humanity! In front of me stands the seven men who will help me summon god, and who don’t doubt to give their own powers for that same sacrifice. If you will, take a step when I mention you. Magnus Simeon of the ICSUT!

Professor Simeon steps up, and Borchardt calls the second.

Professor Borchardt: Then, we have the Lady of the Lake, a comrade of King Arthur who has survived the centuries: Nimue the Enchantress, if you will!

A figure hidden under a hood steps up, and puts her hood down, revealing a woman underneath: Nimue-Lar.

Professor Borchardt: From the lands of the Far East, and representative of the Abnormality Institute: Lü Dongbin!

An old, Chinese man standing to the left of Borchardt steps up and bows to the public.

Professor Borchardt: A young man fighting for his honor and samurai tradition, from the abolished Shogunate, I’m proud to have Tokugawa Noritoshi among the men to stand in this fight.

From the left of Lü Dongbin, a young Japanese man with well-kept mustache steps up and bows to the public as well.

Professor Borhcardt: We also have a true knight standing among us and willing to fight for our cause: Knight Charles Durant!

A young, Frenchman wearing a knight armor steps up and thans the public.

Professor Borchardt: Finally, a prince continues the legacy of the Spanish hero that fought in the Reconquista! Son of the Cid, Pedro Aragon de Vivar!

A young-looking Mediterranean man steps up, thanking Professor Borchardt.

Professor Borchardt: They are the most powerful thaumaturges, sorcerers, and alchemists that have joined our cause – the cause of humanity. Guardians of old traditions and from different backgrounds, they set aside their differences to shed their swords and fight against a greater evil. They’re the equivalent of their ancestors and our kings and dragonslayers that fought for us, and they will fulfill their duty today. Now, we march outside our trenches and camp, and summon god with the Rite of King Solomon. We will give all of you a clear signal to come and support us, and the battle that will decide the future of humanity will begin! Brothers, clean your weapons, sharp your swords, and stand guard – when dusk falls, we will be free from the greatest dragon we have faced, and humanity will be freed!

Soldiers and volunteers roar excitedly, as six officers bring horses to the platoon of Professor Borchardt. The men in charge of the rite climb up the horses, and Professor Borchardt leads the team. The men open a way to let them cross, continuing to clap and roar at them as they march out of the trenches and into the green lands of Golgotha.

The platoon marches for several miles into plain, greenish land of Golgotha. Not a single tree or bush is seen, only the mountain that stands tall miles ahead of where they are marching. Suddenly, Professor Borchardt orders to halt. In front of them, Cardinal Bonaventura stands with his hands inside his robes. Professor Borchardt and the rest of the team march wearily, as Borchardt calls the Cardinal.

Professor Borchardt: Have you come here to find your god, Cardinal? To show mercy, to love and forget the abuses of the tyrant you worship? If so, I recommend you leave immediately. Humanity is at war with the Vatican, and even if we won’t assault the city, we won’t doubt in attacking a Cardinal in battle.

Cardinal Bonaventura shakes his hand.

Professor Borchardt: I’m here to give you some news.

Prince Vivar: Good news or bad news, Cardinal?

Cardinal Bonaventura: Hopefully good news, my brother. But that all depends if you take them as good news.

Professor Borchardt: What is it, then?

Cardinal Bonaventura: First, I’m here to inform you that the Catholic Church and the Holy See surrendered and have withdrawn from the war. That includes the Confraternity, and every other Roman Catholic group that has acted under our authority.

Professor Simeon: There were more?

Cardinal Bonaventura: You haven’t noticed? Well, I suppose that will remain a mystery. The point is, the Pope has decided to stop our war against the alliance, and so we are retiring our hostilities.

Professor Borchardt: Congratulations that the Pope finally came to his senses. Now, other news do you have for us?

Cardinal Bonaventura: The other news is our explanation as to why: I, as representative of the Confraternity, interacted with some of the leaders – if you call them that – that fight against the side of false god you’re waging war over. They suspected me – I don’t blame them, they’ve had it against us humans for some time now –, but I gained their confidence. And they’ve explained to me why they fight.

Professor Simeon: For survival.

Cardinal Bonaventura: Some do, others have different motives. However, there was one in particular which I trusted in: Gaea, Mother Earth. Of course, I don’t believe her, but she said something interesting.

Professor Borchardt: Get to the point.

Cardinal Bonaventura: She said that god – and I’m saying it with a minuscule g, because I don’t wish to insult the Lord by comparing His Greatness to that false deity – was not the god that you think it is. That what you’re about to do won’t change anything, and it will not go as planned.

Professor Borchardt: You said you don’t believe her, but you trust her in what she said? You’re more foolish than I believed.

Cardinal Bonaventura: You don’t understand. If you kill that thing, you will not accomplish anything. They fight because they want to keep things like what they are to survive, because they will die. And let me tell you, they’re mad. They will slaughter you. I’m giving not only you, but the soldiers at the back a chance to stand down and live another day. What you will do will only bring destruction and death.

Professor Borchardt: Like all wars do.

Cardinal Bonaventura: And the aftermath of this war will be greater than any normal war we wage among ourselves, and would’ve been fought for nothing. I’m warning you, Siegfried. Please, have mercy.

Professor Borchardt and his platoon stand silent for a moment, looking at Cardinal Bonaventura. Professor Borchardt speaks up.

Professor Borchardt: If we stand back and we give that.. false god mercy, will they be merciful to us back?

Cardinal Bonaventura: ...I’m afraid not. I tried to reason with them, with Gaea. But they’re too mad, and too far gone in this war to stand down.

Professor Borchardt marches to Cardinal Bonaventura, and his horse stands in front of him, its breath hitting the Cardinal’s face. Professor Borchardt looks down to the Cardinal.

Professor Borchardt: And we are also too far gone to stop, Cardinal. And just like them, we’re trying to survive.

Cardinal Bonaventura: You’re not trying to survive, you’re trying to commit a slaughter.

Professor Borchardt: Then let a slaughter happen, Cardinal.

Cardinal Bonaventura looks frightened at Professor Borchardt, and he looks down and sighs. He looks up, and prays for a moment. He blesses Professor Borchardt, and finishes with an amen.

Cardinal Bonaventura: May God have mercy on your soul, Professor. And may God have mercy on all of you. I just hope that you won’t regret your decision if you survive.

Professor Borchardt: We don’t need your prayings, Cardinal, and we don’t plan on regretting our choice.

Cardinal Bonaventura nods.

Cardinal Bonaventura: I imagined.

Cardinal Bonaventura turns around, and walks away. His figure slowly diminishes as he walks farther away from the platoon. A sudden cloud sweeps through the island, and Cardinal Bonaventura is lost. Professor Borchardt turns around the platoon.

Professor Borchardt: This is where we’ll start. It’s the center between the coast and the camp.

The platoon nods, and they step down from their horses. Professor Borchardt casts a spell, and he clears an entire perimeter of grass. Lü Dongbin follows up, petrifying the dirt as hard as stone. The platoon begins to draw the lines to resemble a more complex Seal of Solomon. They finish, and Professor Borchardt pulls out the First Key and puts it on – he slightly shakes his hand, but he grows accustomed. He stands at the tip of the Seal.

Professor Borchardt: Let’s finish this, take out your Keys and have your weapons ready. We’re going to have a long day ahead.

The squad nods, and they each take their key. Nimue-Lar pulls out the Dragon Brooch of Xia – the Second Key of Solomon –, and puts it on; Professor Simeon pulls out the Third Key of Solomon, the Iron Crown of Lombardy, putting on – he collapses to the ground, barely holding himself conscious. Prince Vívar tries to lift him up, but he pulls his hand up, and slowly raises to his feet; continuing, Prince Vívar pulls out a golden necklace with diamond extracts, the Fourth Key of Solomon, called the Necklace of Queen Sheba. He puts it on, and Prince Vívar feels a heavy weight over his neck, almost pulling him into the ground – he kneels for a moment, breathing heavily, and stands up.

Lü Dongbin looks around him, but continues. He pulls out the Fifth Key of Solomon, the Royal Sceptre of Jerusalem. So far, he had it inside a bag on his lap. Now that he took it out and held it, his hand began to burn, but he continued to hold the Fifth Key; immediately, Tokugawa Noritoshi took out the Sixth Key of Solomon he kept inside the bag that hung from his horse: a large, purple mantle with golden touches across, alongside the Seal of the House of David: the Saintful Mantle of Babylon. He put over his shoulders, and began to feel his body temperature rose, still he continued to wear it. Finally, Knight Charles Durant pulled out from his horse's bag a golden orb with emerald cravings and a cross above it, and held it in his hands – the Holy Orb of Prague.

The lines of the Seal of Solomon in the ground began to glow in golden yellow, and the earth began to shake. Then, the insides of the lines began to glow with a cerulean blue, making an immense glow of gold and cerulean in the Seal of Solomon. Professor Borchardt pulled up his hand, and pointed the Ring to the sky – the rest of the platoon followed, each pointing their Key to the sky. The cloud grew heavier, the breeze began to hit in their faces harder, making the camp in the background and the sailing battleships in a vast and voluminous mist. The keys glowed, and Professor Borchardt ordered to recite the summoning prayer.

With each passing verse, the glow from the ground and the minerals attached to the rings escalated in brightness, with some members covering their eyes to avoid the heavy shine hitting their eyes – Professor Borchardt persisted, avoiding to squint his eyes as he kept his focus on the progress of the rite. The earth shook again, and the verses each member of the platoon prayed echoed around them.

At the middle of the summoning prayer, the earth began to crack in the lines where the Seal was drawn. Despite the concern for their safety, the platoon continued their prayer, now closer to summoning SCP-8343. As the echoes of their prayer grew and the golden and cerulean glow brightened to the point of hitting their eyes, the cracks below earth deepened and expanded. A faint roar was heard from below the crust, followed by falling hits of rocks beneath and the pounding hitting the crust as if a giant beast escalated to the top of the Earth.

The redness and brown from the Earth combined with the almost heavenly colors of the Seal of Solomon – with each passing word and each finishing verse, the situation grew in immensity and strength. Then, Professor Borchardt and the rest of the platoon prayed their final verse.

Professor Borchardt: What is your superiority over us?

The platoon: What is your superiority over us?

The center of the Seal cracked, collapsing on itself, falling to the deepness of the Earth and swallowed by the neverending fall.

Professor Borchardt: Take the chain off me...

The platoon: Take the chain off me...

From the collapsed center of the Seal, the center roared immensely, hitting the faces of the platoon.

Professor Borchardt: ...give me your ring, and I will show you.

The platoon: Give me your ring, and I will show you.

The self-containing glow of cerulean, gold, burning red and carbonated brown formed a gigantic sphere with an all-encompassing Seal of Solomon above them. For a moment, there was silence, but nobody kept their guards down. Suddenly, the sphere exploded after a massive roar came from the collapsed center, pushing the platoon back.

SCP-8343: THE NAME OF THY MASTER IS UPON THEE.

The earth around them begins to collapse, and Professor Borchardt orders the platoon to stand up. They regroup, joining in the remains of the collapsed Seal, with each touching the tip of their respective Key.

Professor Borchardt: You, the Lord Our God, summon you to present yourself to us! And we summon you in the shape of a dragon! Present yourself upon ye!

The Earth shook again, and the floor collapsed yet again. Professor Borchardt ordered the platoon to disperse, with each jumping to a safe position away from the new useless drawn seal. What was left of the seal fell to the insides of the globe, and an immense light from the inside exploded from the immense crater. A sharp, cutting scream roared from the inside.

The earth from the fallen seal erupted in flying pieces, as a gigantic, serpent-like body flew from outside the crater. Its scales cut the edges of the crater with extreme sharpness, showing the endurance of its body. Finally, the body flew away as the tail at the end of its body propelled it into the air alongside its wings. The massive dragon roared in the sky, shaking the Earth and putting the platoon out of balance. SCP-8343 flew away, from harm's way of Professor Borchardt’s platoon, and into Mount Golgotha.

SCP-8343 landed on the top of Mount Golgotha, its claws pierced through the mountainous terrain, and roared again. However, instead of showing a serpentine-like head, SCP-8343 had the head of a lion. SCP-8343 roared again, and spit a fire-like substance into the sky. Suddenly, the area from the camp headquarters all the way to the established perimeter of the battleships was encapsulated by a dome-like mist. The dragon looked down from Mount Golgotha, and pierced down to the eyes of the small platoon standing kilometers away from it.

SCP-8343: I WILL AT LEAST SPARE YOU THE TROUBLE OF PEOPLE WATCHING WHAT THEY MUST NOT SEE.

Professor Borchardt puts down his bag, and sheds out a weapon from inside: a large, roman golden spear, with the tip of the lance covered in fossilized, dry blood. SCP-8343 hisses and backs up even further to the top, as Professor Borchardt now holds the glowing Lance of Longinus in his hands and points it at SCP-8343.

Professor Borchardt: Even at your weakest, when you’re back down to a wall and coward in fear, you still remain a tyrant! You blind the people you call your creation, your greatest pride, but have no doubt in blinding them to the reality of this corrupted world created by your hand. Tell me, God, do you have no shame? No regret? No sense of dignity or compassion? Or are you too blinded by your own power and authority, just like when you stripped Job of his life because you were jealous he didn’t idolize you enough. Are we your new Jobs, testing our faith?

SCP-8343 opens its jaw, but interrupts itself. He looks down to his right, and looks back at Professor Borchardt. The platoon of the Society of the Godless, looks at the direction SCP-8343 looked, and they gasp amazed. A gigantic infantry line walks from the depths of the isle, pushing forward. It is formed by many anomalous species, each rising up their banner: Faeries, Children of the Night, and necromanced skeletons in different military uniforms. Humans can be seen as well, wearing robes of Druids, Native Americans, occult societies that did not support the alliance’s cause.

The Children of the Night infantry carried immense catapult systems, standing at arms length as they placed them in strategic places. The humans, trying to keep up, mounted horses and rode alongside the flying Faeries. In the front of them, a woman in Classical Greek warrior armor breezes through the grand, with leaves and branches carrying her feet as she walks to the platoon: SCP-9927.

The entire platoon unleashes their weapons as SCP-9927 approaches: Professor Magnus Simeon holsters Tyrfing, shining a bright light like the sun – overshadowed by the darkness of the mist imposed by SCP-8343; Nimue-Lar unshed the sword from its blue cloth with three golden crowns: the Excalibur, and pointed it at SCP-9927; Tokugawa Noritoshi and Lü Dongbi held the grip of their swords, Kusanagi and the Flying Sword respectively; Knight Durant unsheathed the Durendal of Roland, stabbing it into the Earth and shaking the ground, momentarily stopping the marching army; SCP-9927 stopped, just in time as Prince Vívar when he unfolded Tizona and stood guard.

The members of the platoon and SCP-9927 stared at each other, as multiple trumpets played in the back of the platoon. A march of horses, footsteps, and carrying SHARP artillery were brought to the fighting field. The generals of each army stood at the front, riding their horses and waving their respective flags: American, British, Japanese, French, German, Russian, and Chinese. Many more minor coat of arms and banners were lifted up by the multiple secret societies who had joined the war. Now, the two armies faced each other as well. They each remained silent, with SCP-8343 roaring from Mount Golgotha – which was broken by SCP-9927.

SCP-9927: Professor Borchardt, I congratulate you for your efforts so far to undermine our cause. But the Cardinal already gave you a warning, didn’t he?

Professor Borchardt: He did, one we promptly ignored.

SCP-9927 nods, and lifts her hands.

SCP-9927: Then there’s no reason for us to keep this battle waiting. Everyone, charge!

The army of humanoid anomalies and parahumans shout from SCP-9927’s back, charging to the front into the Society of the Godless’ platoon and the army behind them. The generals shout orders to their, and the SHARP artillery cannons blast from the back, shooting immense Akiva-concentrated shells at the enemy. The Children of the Night artillerymen fight back, charging their catapults with EVE-concentrated fireballs, screaming it as they shout.

The Akiva-concentrated shells and EVE-concentrated fireballs fly through the air to both sides, casting out immense light as they are fired, hitting the ground with immense explosion and breaking apart enemy lines. Several of these shells and fireballs hit each other, causing immense explosions in the air that make soldiers and volunteers from both sides fall from the ground.

The soldiers who still remain on their feet advance to the charging enemy, some aligning formations with gatling guns and rifles in multiple sides, firing at the enemy in a barrage of lead – these bullets are at times stopped by thaumaturgical users and avoided by the flying Faeries, but they still manage to him some, killing them and falling to the ground. The barrage continues as the soldiers shoot, ending their ammunition and recharging.

As the infantrymen recharge their weapons, the cavalry lead by Lt. Colonel Bowe charges at the enemy, firing their own rifles and revolvers at the enemy in the ground. Lt. Colonel Bowe himself brings his own sword to the ground, striking at the enemies and cutting limb for limb, at times entertaining himself as he persecutes some of his enemies. Once the infantrymen finishing recharging their weapons, the earth shakes as SCP-9927 lifts her hands to the sky and throws them back to the ground – the leaves from the ground began to shift below the soldiers, forming deep and rough branches, that tangle their arms and legs to the floor as they try to escape. Then, the branches begin to tangle their bodies, screaming in horror as they enter their orifices and their screams slowly dwindle by the branches entering their mouths. They become just another branched tree in the middle of the battlefield.

The surviving soldiers gasp in horror, and stand up and continue to shoot at SCP-8343’s forces and to SCP-9927 in particular. Each bullet shot at her is caught in there by a branch or slapped away. As the cavalrymen meet with the mounted sorcerers and natives in battle, slicing, firing, and casting incantations onto each other, SCP-9927 does signs with her hands, and touches the dirty ground. Immediately, the grass surrounding the soldiers and volunteers becomes taller, thicker, and more difficult to travel – some soldiers are stopped from moving, causing them to be pierced and shot by the enemy; others, with great difficulty, begin to scratch themselves and ache from the scratches by the grass.

Professor Borchardt orders his platoon to cut the grass, suffocating and attacking their teammates. He unleashes the Holy Lance, and slashes it into the grass that’s beginning to trap him – as the swift blade of the lance cuts through the grass, and immense ray of light follows up, causing the grass to be cut down in its entirety and the earth to be incapable to be grown again. The rest of the platoon follows, as they support each other in cutting the grass, leaving enough room for the generals, soldiers and volunteers to breathe.

Professor Borchardt: Everyone, move forward! Each of you, acquire a horse. We’ll pierce through the enemy lines with our swords, and force a way into Mount Golgotha.

Finally cutting the grasses and leaving the earth lifeless, the members of the platoon agree and attack the near enemies mounting horses. Piercing the horsemen or knocking them down, Borchardt’s platoon acquired horses, and dispersed to assist the multiple fronts of the battlefield. Professor Simeon assists the thaumaturgists from secret societies, slaying in half at each Faerie and parahuman on his past with Tyrfing – in their last breaths, some barely manage to mutter "traitor" and "liar".

Nimue-Lar, Tokugawa, Knight Durant and Lü Dongbin each stab and strike at the enemies in their way – cutting them in half, catching them on fire and blinding them, evaporating them in blasts of light. The first wave of SCP-8343’s warriors is severely diminished, leaving the other waves and the Children of the Night artillerymen defenseless. SCP-9927, now surrounded by enemies and with few remaining forces – hunted down by the generals and their armies – lifted up an immense patch of land from the ground to an even taller position, allowing the artillery to have a better range of fire and protection.

SCP-9927: The Earth isn’t yours to conquer, you arrogant fools! It belongs to us – while you remained in your caves, we created civilizations that balanced with nature and embraced what you call the paranormal. And when you come out on top, you ravage my land and kill my sons and daughters. We gave you a chance to spare yourselves your lives, and you have thrown it away. Then I’ll gladly take it!

Borchardt and his platoon ride to the other side of the battle into SCP-8343’s territory, and the Earth shakes in their feet. The earth trembles and cracks fast, causing the ground to fall again as soldiers and volunteers fall through the cracks. The cracks deepen and expand, following the platoon as the hooves of the horses are tripping, trying to win against the cracks on the ground.

The SHARP shells fire again, pointing at SCP-9927 in the center of it all. She raises her hands, with sweat falling from her forehead and her mouth twitching as she concentrates to hunt down Borchardt’s platoon and protect herself. A barrier rises from the ground, barely protecting her from the barrage of shells banging the barrier and the ground. However, shrapnel and debris fly around her, hitting her and cutting her throughout her arms and face. She yells, casting down the barrier and sending a wave of branches, leaves and rocks towards the army in front of her.

SCP-9927: Get out of our way already!

The soldiers and volunteers in her path are swiftly pushed away and killed in the motion, with barely a few reacting on time. The Generals order their men to disperse, some barely coming out alive. Several of the generals, directly in the line of impact, wait for the attack to come. Suddenly, the cracking ground falls over itself, giving birth to another gigantic crater in the middle of the battlefield.

Borchardt’s platoon, SCP-9927, and the common foot soldier and volunteer are confused. Those near the crater approach carefully and peak into the crater – they back off, after a sudden swarm of flies come out of the crater, with an immense laugh coming from the bottom. The insects fly to SCP-9927's side and attack her and her underlings. Those who pass SCP-9927’s defenses swarm to SCP-8343, biting it and attacking it everywhere they can – making SCP-8343 roar.

Astonished, the crater finishes with the swarm of flies, as demons climb up their ranks with thaumaturgical artifacts and pre-Diluvian armor and weapons, significantly outweighing and outgrowing the common foot soldier. Finally, from the bottom the laugh finally stops as a giant demon rises up from the crater and closes it, with it mounted above a chariot with demonic runes and led by skeletal horses. Confused, SCP-9927 covers herself with her arms as flies continue to fly, swarm, and attack her.

SCP-9927: Beelzebub, what are you doing?!

Beelzebub: Finishing what I, Lucifer, and the others started, of course! It looks like Michael ditched his father at last, so this might be more than just marching right to death. I am willing to take the chance and help these mortals overthrow the tyrant from the skies. Nothing personal, Gaea.

Beelzebub charges to the front, straight to SCP-8343 as his archdemons fly alongside him. They are pushed back and brushed away by the branches of SCP-9927, but the branches casted down to attack Beelzebub are cut down rapidly with a swift cut from his sword, burning the branches to dust as he derails from his destination and onto SCP-9927.

He charges forward with his chariot, burning his path to SCP-9927’s anger. Arriving in front of her, he knocks his blade down onto her, but is blocked midair by a branch. Suddenly, SCP-9927 knocks the chariot down by turning the earth below Beelzebub’s chariot to a side, knocking him down. SCP-9927 pulls up the earth around him, casting an immense shadow onto him as the earth pushes itself back to smash him. Beelzebub spins around quickly, cutting the earth from its root and spinning out of the area, panting and brushing his eyebrow.

Beelzebub: You know, it’s been a while since I’ve fought someone like you. Punishing corrupted souls and enslaving weakens you. I’ll leave my job to those sinners down there – I can entertain myself with you for a moment.

SCP-9927 snorts, with sweat falling in her face in her dirt-trenched face. Beelzebub screams at his archdemons, who immediately stop to his side.

Beelzebub: Bring those mortals to the highest point of Mount Golgotha, as close as you can to God! They have the swords capable of annihilating him – assist them, and Earth and Hell shall be freed from His tyranny.

The archdemons comply, flying past Beelzebub and SCP-9927. She pulls branches to the sky, but they miss as the archdemons disperse to different routes – the branches miss their targets and stand in the middle of the air, incapable of following them. SCP-9927 looks back, charging her branches to the flying archdemons – but she’s sliced in her back and hit with the shaft of Beelzebub’s sword, knocking her helmet down and dripping blood from the back of her head.

Beelzebub: Don’t get distracted, Gaea!

SCP-9927 waves back at Beelzebub, slapping him off from the field with a gigantic, thorned branch. He is sent back, and stands up coughing, with multiple thorns stuck throughout his body and armor. SCP-9927 snaps at him, and charges towards him as the earth splits below her, dirt and rocks flying through all sides as strikes at Beelzebub – blocking at the last minute.

SCP-9927: You’re a traitor, Beelzebub.

Beelzebub: I’m just looking for Hell’s interest, Gaea, my dear.

SCP-9927 screams at Beelzebub as he continues to smile, with branches tangling him to the ground as flies surround the both of them, obscuring SCP-9927’s view. Professor Borchardt looks away from the situation, and looks up at the sky and points at the platoon, the demons falling from the air towards them. He orders each to hold themselves to an archdemon, as he jumps and is catched in his arms by an archdemon.

The platoon follows him, bracing themselves to an archdemon as they fly to Mount Golgotha, leaving the bloody battlefield and their comrades on the ground. Professor Borchardt looks back from the sky to the battlefield, seeing the catapults of the Children of the Night falling to the ground as the SHARP shells blast the bases created by SCP-9927, and the anomalous humanoids and parahumans fighting to their last breath as they are shoot, striked, and incinerated by the allied forces – all while the Earth continues to be shaken by SCP-9927 as she fights against Beelzebub, as SCP-8343 roars in horror at the situation.

SCP-8343: DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER.

The small flies and insects that were attacking and biting at SCP-8343 are incinerated by a giant flash of light, with the archdemons carrying the platoon being temporarily blinded from the flash, losing their grip on the platoon. They fall from the sky, barely landing near where SCP-8343 is standing on Mount Golgotha. SCP-8343 shifts around, and roars at Borchardt’s platoon.

SCP-8343 lifts up its front leg, showing its massive claw as it throws it down to the platoon. SCP-8343 is stopped after being shot by multiple SHARP shells from the Japanese and Royal Navy's battleships, distracting him from the platoon for a moment. Professor Borchardt turns around and points at SCP-8343 with his sword.

Professor Borchardt: Everyone, get as close as you can to the dragon! Attack him from the lowest height you can and build up from there. I will go from the tail all the way up to its skull, and I’ll strike him the last. I when I yell at you when I’ll do it, I want you to escape and run off as far as you can!

Professor Simeon protests.

Professor Simeon: Are you insane, Siegfried?! We didn’t come all the way here just to let you kill yourself alongside God! We’re all returning back.

Professor Borchardt: Not everyone comes back from war, Magnus. And I don’t want you to be one of those who don’t come back, nor anyone else of you here. I am where I want to be, and I want to die knowing I achieved my mission – that will be the biggest satisfaction I’ll get right now. So, Magnus, let me do it.

Professor Simeon opens his mouth, but is interrupted by the roar of SCP-8343 as its echoes move the waves aggressively, causing the battleships to lose balance.

Professor Simeon: Fine! But I will help you do it, and I’ll make sure that what you achieved is done.

Professor Borchardt nods.

Professor Borchardt: Let’s go!

The platoon separates as SCP-8343 casts down a gigantic spell of fire to the ground, and Nimue-Lar stands at the front, casting the aether to her will as she disperses the fire away from the platoon – yelling at the rest of the team to disperse and attack SCP-8343. They comply, with Professor Borchardt and Professor Simeon running together to the tail of SCP-8343, who slams his tail at the both of them – they jump just in time, with Borchardt stabbing the Holy Lance into the bottom of the tail. Knowing what will happen next, Professor Borchardt gives his hand to Professor Simeon, who holds him firmly as SCP-8343 screams to the top of its lungs, shaking its tail around to put them down – as Professor Borchardt continues to grip the Holy Lance and Professor Simeon pulls out Tyrfing and repeatedly pierces SCP-8343 into its skin, until he finally stabs SCP-8343 and pierces it, making SCP-8343 scream.

While SCP-8343 screams, Dongbin and Tokugawa slice the legs of SCP-8343, shaking its head below itself as Dongbin and Tokugawa continue to slide below its belly. Suddenly, Nimue-Lar jumps, striking Excalibur into SCP-8343’s throat and sliding down. As she is about to fall down to the ground, SCP-8343 roars and slaps Nimue-Lar away to the slope of Mount Golgotha. She yells, barely slamming to the slope of the mount as she hangs in the air, listening to the artillery and screams at the battle below. Prince Vívar, who was cutting the sides of SCP-8343, looks at Nimue-Lar hanging and runs to help her get up. Rocks fall around her, and she looks up at Prince Vívar giving her hand. She throws her hand, and Prince Vívar pulls her up. Nimue-Lar tries to pull Excalibur from the stone, with Prince Vívar helping her. SCP-8343 roars, preparing to charge against them.

SCP-8343 screams yet again after Borchardt climbs up its column, stabbing it multiple times while Simeon slides SCP-8343’s with Tyrfing. SCP-8343 shakes its body, Borchardt and Simeon holdings themselves as Borchardt yells to cut SCP-8343’s legs. The rest of the platoon follows, with each member slicing SCP-8343’s in a single hit, tumbling SCP-8343 to the ground as it roars again.

The platoon strikes again, each cutting SCP-8343’s body as it continues to roar, sweeping its tail and casting fire out of its breath. Halfway to the head of SCP-8343, Borchardt and Simeon continue stabbing the body of SCP-8343. Suddenly, SCP-8343 turns around, knocking Borchardt and Simeon to the ground, spitting immense rays of lights around. The rest of the platoon takes cover, while Borchardt and Simeon cover each other from the rays of SCP-8343.

SCP-8343 turns over itself again, dragging its body to the cliff of Mount Golgotha. SCP-8343 begins to open its wings, and falls down the cliff. Professor Borchardt screams, and runs towards the cliff.

Professor Simeon: Siegfried, you madman! Everyone, leave the rest to us. Try to contact the flies, and assist everyone else on the ground!

Professor Borchardt jumps down the cliff, and Professor Simeon screams as he follows Borchardt. Borchardt falls right above SCP-8343’s back, with Simeon falling just in time to hold onto SCP-8343’s tail as SCP-8343 flips its wings and begins to fly. The beating of its wings push Borchardt and Simeon back, clinging their nails onto SCP-8343’s skin – it roars, and shifts direction, unbalancing both.

Professor Borchardt: Magnus, jump! Leave him to me, I’ll finish this.

Professor Simeon screams desperately as he clings to SCP-8343’s tail.

Professor Simeon: No! No, no, no! We started this battle together, Siegfried, and we’ll finish it together. Give me a chance!

Battling with himself and the rush of the situation, Borchardt finally agrees. He turns around, dragging himself to SCP-8343 as it continues to fly and roar. Borchardt extends his hand to Simeon, and after touching each other's tips, they finally hold each other hands – Borchardt pulls Simeon towards him and onto SCP-8343’s back.

Professor Borchardt: I don’t want to, I want to finish this by myself – to know that after I die, I will be remembered as the man who killed god. Now, I guess we’ll have the privilege of being both men to kill him.

Professor Simeon chuckles.

Professor Simeon: I was satisfied with the title of professor, but I can accept that too.

SCP-8343 roars, bursting out immense rays of light to the battlefield, screams crying from the ground. Borchardt and Simeon look down, then back to each other and nod. Borchardt stabs SCP-8343 again with the Holy Lance, as Simeon crawls himself to one of its wings and swings Tyrfing – cutting the wing to half, and making SCP-8343 cry in pain.

SCP-8343: STOP! STOP IT, YOU DON’T KNOW THE MISTAKE YOU ARE COMMITTING!

SCP-8343 screams again, bursting light out of its mouth, seeing Borchardt stabbing him on the other wing. Borchardt returns to the back, and proceeds to stab SCP-8343 again, then again, and again. With each stab, SCP-8343 continues to lose balance and falling down from the sky.

SCP-8343: BORCHARDT! SIMEON! YOU ARE COMMITTING AN IMMENSE MISTAKE! I KEEP THE BALANCE! I AM NOT THE CREATOR, BUT THE GUARDIAN.

Professor Borchardt looks confusedly at SCP-8343, but is interrupted after Professor Simeon stabs SCP-8343 repeatedly on the side of the neck. Professor Simeon turns around to Borchardt.

Professor Simeon: What are you doing standing there?! Go kill Him!

Professor Borchardt snaps out of it, and cuts SCP-8343’s neck, making it difficult to speak.

SCP-8343: B-BORCHARDT! DO... DO NOT LISTEN. P-PLEASE, HAVE MERCY.

Professor Borchardt: What about Sodom and Gomora, did you have any mercy for them?! What about letting sin crawl to the entire world, then blaming us and cleansing us in a gigantic flood? Was that mercy?! What about sending your own son to die on a cross, was that mercy too?

SCP-8343: I... I–

Professor Borchardt climbs up, pulling SCP-8343’s fur and making it roar. Professor Borchardt stabs it in the back of the head, causing SCP-8343 to screech loudly and fly more erratically. Professor Simeon looks up, watching Borchardt continuing to climb and holding himself to SCP-8343’s ear. Barely clinging, Borchardt stabs SCP-8343’s on the top of the head. Immense rays of light come out of SCP-8343’s ears, mouth and eyes, causing it to shine in immense golden and cerulean – the mist of SCP-8343 begins to change in colors dramatically.

Professor Borchardt: You... You didn’t give us a chance. You created the same problem you blame us for, and avoid your own damned responsibility. You created this world? Fine. But we don’t need you anymore. We will create our own, without the boundaries of religion, superstition and the unknown.

Grasping himself into SCP-8343’s fur, he climbs down to SCP-8343’s forehead. Professor Simeon tries to climb back up, but his hand rips the fur and begins to fall down. Simeon screams erratically, trying to reach for SCP-8343 as he slowly falls to the battlefield. Professor Borchardt looks down, and screams.

Professor Borchardt: Simeon? Simeon?!

Borchardt grips the Holy Lance, his hands trembling as he touches the divine lance. Just like when Longinus stared into Christ to make sure he was dead, Longinus stared into SCP-8343 to make sure it died. Borchardt lifted the lance up, and saw SCP-8343’s filled with terror.

Professor Borchardt: Humanity will be freed, God. We will finish your job.

Borchardt stabs SCP-8343 just in the middle of the eyes, causing it to roar in immense pain. Borchardt takes out the Holy Lance, and furiously stabs SCP-8343 again, deepening it into SCP-8343’s forehead. The light begins to condense and concentrate into SCP-8343 and even Borchardt himself. He ignores the light, pulling the Holy Lance out of SCP-8343, with immense distress for the latter. He takes a deep breath, and Borchardt swings the lance again into SCP-8343’s forehead.

SCP-8343 flies to the sky, higher and higher, reaching for the mist it created. However, now the mist begins to reduce in size and slowly retrieve from its previous area, concentrating on where SCP-8343 is going. The men and anomalies on the battlefield stop, as they stand in awe at the sight of the lion-headed dragon flying higher and higher, out of the sky and into the stratosphere with a man on top of it. SCP-8343 screams, its last roar coming out tired and defeated, and the light inside of it is no more.

The light returns again, in a mass explosion in the middle of the sky. The mist that surrounded SCP-8343 expanded to all sides, engulfing the entirety of Mount Golgotha, the battle on the ground, and coast of the island where the navy was sailing. The mist continues to expand into the North Sea, causing the water to whiplash in immense waves comparable to the Flood. Every soldier, every sorcerer, every demon, every parahuman and abnormality stare at the scene in shock, as they take cover and hide their eyes from the blinding light.

And from a second to another, the light stopped. There was no longer a lion-headed dragon in the sky, or a mist that surrounded it, or a man riding the dragon on itself. The brightness of the sky was now replaced with the setting sun, and the fall of dusk. SCP-8343 – God – was killed, and humanity had won. The anomalies, those who had not been killed yet, disappeared or collapsed onto the floor. And the humans still standing cheered in victory, hugging each other – to the parahumans, they were the ones who knew the truth. Even if they did not understood yet.

From the office of O5-9,

To anyone who is listening to this, I hope you just read the documentation regarding SCP-8343. Please, let me introduce myself: I am Siegfried Borchardt.

I know that it was long read, but I'm saddened to admit this to you: what you just read was a lie. Well, a half truth, actually. SCP-8343 was indeed neutralized by myself and Magnus. But, SCP-8343 was right when I was about to strike a blade in between its eyes: it wasn't God. Let me tell you more about myself before elaborating.

At the time, I was a young man. Energetic, rebellious, like all young men must be. I was raised deeply religious at the time: Lutheran, common from the upper regions of the German Confederation at the time. But, with time and reading, I became skeptic of my religious education. Frankly, I despised everything what I was taught and the philosophy behind the Bible. I considered it foolish to believe anything it said: man given birth from clay, the Earth created in just six days and the creator rested on the seventh, a massive flood that swept throughout the planet, and a carpenter crucified for our sins and being born again on three days. It was absolutely ridiculous.

I could tolerate stupidity, but not moral hipocrisy. The bishops at my town raged against me for having too many questions, and them too little answers. They shoved the word of God on my face, despite the immorality of the same: he sent his Son to die for our sins, but constantly bullied and picked us for being sinners. He burned Sodom and Gomorra to the ground; let his own sons drown on his storm just to let his favorite live; made Cain immortal as punishment for mudering his brother, despite not giving him the same self-proclaimed love he had for him; but worst of all, casting down Adam and Eve out Eden because they took a bite from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. I remember that re-reading the Bible at that time, it absolutely infuriated me.

By that point, I had abandoned my religious beliefs. I became a proper atheist, and always absolutely denied any belief for the existence of any deity. It was at the time too, that I became interested in the natural sciences, and was eventually admitted into Göttingen. This would result in my eventual participation in occult practices. Again, I didn't believe in any of that nonsense at the time, and I thought it was an absolute sham. It turned, it wouldn't.

And just as I left my superstitious history, I was pulled back. I had a crisis after the session was over… I simply couldn't accept it. It grossed me that I was attracted to it, but I came back. I wished to understood. And I returned again, and then again. It was paradoxical: each time I understood more, but it made less sense. I could cast spells and use magic, but I still couldn't understand why and how. I felt that everything I was studying in Göttingen was for nothing. If the paranormal existed, and it contradicted everything we were understanding of our world, then why do we even study? Why do we even try to understand, if it will be contradicted because reality doesn't wish to be understood?

We built libraries, we formulated the scientific method, we began to understand. And the paranormal just swept the floor with its mere existence. And even if I was grateful for what I learned, I was furious. Again, I questioned my seniors. And again, I was eventually casted out. That led me to only two conclusions: either the anomalous had to bend to man's laws, or it had to be entirely wiped out of the face of the earth.

I was not alone. Many of my contemporaries: philosophers, scientists, intellectuals, some thaumaturgists and occultists, agreed with my opinions. Why wouldn't they. Humanity was at the gate of an era of reason and intellectual enlightenment, where we wouldn't need the superstitious and religious. And the paranormal was difficulting the process. So, we formed the Society of the Godless. A secret society united by their anticlerical, antireligious fervor, in order to explain the unexplainable. Eventually, we grew in numbers and influence. Especially after Nietzsche arrived.

And the news came in: the Ring of Solomon, and the Congress in Paris. I was one of the first to volunteer, and I arrived as its representative. You already read that part in one of the addendums, so I will spare you the details. After all, what mattered was to show you why I was so eager to kill "God". And I say God with quotation marks.

The reason that I say that SCP-8343 was not God is because I received most of its being from the backlash of its destruction. And I don't mean just SCP-8343's powers, I mean everything that it was. Its experiences, its memories, its outlook. The moment that I gave the final blow to SCP-8343, I sensed the EVE and AKIVA radiating throughout my body and into my core. I felt as if I had just pierced to my own mind insteaf of SCP-8343's mind. And that moment, a revelation was sent to me.

I realized that SCP-8343 was not God, but something else. Not as powerful, not as knowledgeable, nor as perfect as God would've been. The best way to describe it would be a demiurge, or a sentient cosmic force. It did not create the universe, but evolved from the creation of the universe, and it adapted to do one mission: to safeguard the balance between the paranormal — sorry, the anomalous — and the normal. The unknown and the known, in simple terms.

SCP-8343 was in charge of keeping this balance, and that was it. It kept the balance of the natural world, and the magical world. Therefore, it protected the laws of both — and it did not care if we considered it good or evil. It was merely interested in protecting both worlds and, as an extension, protecting itself from anyone who might threaten itself. And there you have the reason of SCP-8343's hostility.

I saw its birth, its formation, its place in the vastity of the cosmos. It's perspective… was otherwordly, something that I had never felt in my life. I never felt that sentiment of connection to the vastness of the world, and balance between two clashing, opposing forces. For a moment, I felt a tear fall through my cheeks. And in a minute, SCP-8343 was gone, and I had killed it.

I was snapped back to reality, its light piercing through my eyes and into my skull as it bursted in the gigantic flash of light that everyone saw. I could see myself, and everyone else as SCP-8343 died. My own point of view where I was mounting SCP-8343, and the point of view of every single person that was watching SCP-8343 on the ground. I felt an immense shook in myself, alongside the Earth. Then, I was blinded. I entered a black void, with nothing inside of it. For a moment, I feared that the world I wanted to free from its misery was too literally.

Then, I was standing all by myself into the void. I felt my body, I saw it and I could feel and touch it. But there wasn't anything around it. No light, only darkness. And, an immense sense of guilt swept through my body. I feel to my knees, with my head down. I saw what SCP-8343 was, what it felt, what it meant. And I had just killed it. The psychic backlash that you just read above was horrifying to those who experienced it — I felt it ten, hundreds, thousands and even million more times worse than them.

That's not for you to feel pity of myself, I didn't even have pity for me. I didn't wish to move. I didn't wish to do anything. I just wanted to remain there, in that dark world, and suffer my self-inflicting punishment. Another tear felt down my cheek, and it fell down to the floor. Suddenly, a small branch came out from the darkness, shining some greenish light to my face.

My curiosity gave me a new sense of wonder, one that was pushed by the backlash from SCP-8343. I imagined the tree taller, and it grew. I imagined it taller, and it grew again. Subconsciously, I imagined one tree in particular, a tree that would imprison me in this world: the Tree of Life. And so I remembered the tale of Genesis, and the beautiful scenery of Milton. I closed my eyes, imagining the tree and the garden I was going to make for myself. I should've felt bliss, knowing that I could create my own Eden with this new mind; but I felt I was trespassing a point of no return.

I could feel the grass in my feet, the smell of fresh air, the running of water, and the branches popping out of trunk. I didn't want to open my eyes, but I had to see what I did. I opened it, and my lights adapted to the brightest rays my eyes had ever felt, to see what I just created: a lively, beautiful and blissful garden. I walked, incapable of realizing that I had just casted my own Eden for myself. I arrived to the running lake, and splashed myself with the water. I had never felt so freshed in my entire life, but at that moment I did.

Once I swept my face, I saw my face in the reflection of the water. The tree above me, leafy and lively. And just above my shoulder, Dr. Williams stood beside me, looking at me.

"What a lovely garden you've made for yourself," Williams said, looking around absentmindedly. "Of course, I doubt that [REDACTED]'s garden was like yours. Certainly his must have been better."

I shook the water off my hands. "How did you get here, Doctor?"

He looked back at me, and smiled. "You already know that, Siegfried."

And he didn't lie, I did. The memories of SCP-8343 showed Williams' true form, but the aura surrounded him was the same. They had both met, and in a way, Frederick was standing alongside SCP-8343 again. At least, what remained of him.

"So, what do you want, Doctor?" I stood up, and walked to my own Tree of Life, and touched it. "I doubt you're here to feel the breeze of my garden, especially because you found it in such short time."

Frederick chuckled. "You caught me, Siegfried. You're right, I didn't come here just to pay a visit. I came here to ask you something."

I rested my back on the tree, tired from the battle at Golgotha. "And that is?"

Frederick looked down at me.

"What do you plan to do from here on out? You're still alive, and stronger than ever."

"Continue to live inside this garden, and not leave," I looked up at the leaves of the Tree, at the center of my own little world. "I created it to remind myself that this is the result of my crime, and the punishment I'll bestow upon. To live forever, caged inside my garden, with the tree as my reminder."

"Poetic," Frederick said. "So you plan to live here forever as your punishment for killing the demiurge."

"The demiurge?" I asked. "If you're referring to God… to it, then yes."

He nodded. "And you're not interested in life outside your garden, anymore?"

"Why should I? I've only caused damage to the world, Dr. Williams. I caused a catastrophe to all of humanity: I killed the being that kept the balance of the world, caused a massive flood across the seas, and made nature out of balance between both forces. People have died, are dying and will die because of me. I am a danger. My arrogance caused others to suffer while I dragged them down."

I shook my head. "No, it's better that I stay here, in this garden. If I return, I will damn my people again, and worse with the capabilities I now have."

Frederick didn't respond, not immediately. He sat down alongside me in the tree, and looked at the sky in front of us.

"Do you think so? You just created a beautiful garden, Siegfried. In part because of the demiurge and what you received from it, but mostly because of your own mind. All of this was created by you. You created such beauty, but you believe you will damn people?"

I nodded. "I do."

He sighed. "Siegfried, do you feel guilty?"

I bit my tongue — a part of my old self didn't want to admit it, but he slowly dwindling. I had to make sure he was buried. "I do."

"Do you think staying here will make the world better?"

"It'll be better without me."

"You also said the world would be better without the paranormal, and after we tried it, you can see what is happening."

"Exactly."

"Then it means the world is not better yet, and it won't be better, unless we do something about it."

I remained silent.

"You know what will happen next, don't you?"

"Partly, I can only know the immediate consequences."

"And what are those immediate consequences?"

"The governments are going to try to hold their grip into the new paranormal wave, and use it for their advantage; the paranormal will increase in size and strength, while we… they, humans, will diminish in both; and it won't stop, not for a long time."

"So do you now understand why I'm here for?"

I nodded.

"To protect mankind?" I asked.

"That's correct."

I chuckled. "By replacing one dragon with another?"

Frederick chuckled back. "By replacing one dragon with another."

Frederick stood up, and offered his hand to me. I looked up, and grabbed it. He pulled me up, and when I stood up, I saw the tree slowly begining to shift. The branches creaked, the leaves shrivelled, and three grew again. Then, one of the branches slowly began to move down, and from it two apples appeared in front of us. Frederick grabbed one, and held it in his hand.

"I know you like symbolism, Siegfried, but there isn't any need for this."

I stared at the apple. "I didn't do it, you should know that."

Frederick gazed at me, funnily. "I know. But I think that God has a fate planned for us."

At that moment I remembered Eve being tempted by the Serpent to eat the Forbidden Fruit, and now God was asking me to do the same. But was he tempting me, or encouraging me? To this day, I know it was the latter.

I grabbed the apple, and held it to Frederick. We bumped our apples, and took a bite. We returned down to Earth. Once we returned, we got right to work. Eventually, our small group between Williams, Siegel, Shaw, and many others would transform into the Foundation. Each would become an overseer, and I was given the title of O5-9, that I've held for the last thirty years — until now.

The truth is, power tires. Especially for a human mind with the powers such as the demiurge. I've fulfilled my role as O5-9 in the Council, but I'm getting old. Williams have always been old, but Siegel and Shaw won't admit it. They believe they can keep it up. But if I, that I've hit with the gifts of cosmic divinity, I've grown tired, soon enough they will too.

This is my last report to the Foundation, before stepping down. I want all of you who are listening to me, to hear this: be careful for what you wish for, because you may regret the mistake you have committed, and you will only see the mistake unfold without being capable of overturning it. And if you manage to, it will cost dearly to you.

And, one last thing…

Please, forgive me…

This is O5-9, signing out.

Cite this page as:

For information on how to use this component, see the License Box component. To read about licensing policy, see the Licensing Guide.

Filename: CongressOfTheHague1876.jpg
Name: Europacongres._Churchill_spreekt,_Bestanddeelnr_902-7351.jpg
Author: Snikkers / Anefo
License: CC-1.0
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Europacongres._Churchill_spreekt,_Bestanddeelnr_902-7351.jpg

Filename: FirstKeyOfSolomon.jpg
Name: Solomon Ring Lapislazuli.jpg
Author: Pblpitt
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solomon_Ring_Lapislazuli.jpg

Filename: GermanArmyAidingAffectedTown.jpg
Name: Solomon Ring Lapislazuli.jpg
Author: Unknown
License: Public Domain
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Soldiers_of_the_Imperial_German_Army_entering_burning_%C5%A0iauliai_in_1915.jpg

Filename: God_de_Vader,_RP-P-1921-2144.jpg
Name: God de Vader, RP-P-1921-2144.jpg
Author: Rijksmuseum
License: CC0 1.0
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:God_de_Vader,_RP-P-1921-2144.jpg

Filename: Golgotha.jpg
Name: Burned forest Ferch with snow 2021年02月07日 06.jpg
Author: Leonhard Lenz
License: CC0 1.0
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burned_forest_Ferch_with_snow_2021年02月07日_06.jpg

Filename: HolyLance.jpg
Name: I09 525 Heilige Lanze.jpg
Author: Falk2
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:I09_525_Heilige_Lanze.jpg

Filename: LastSessionOfTheCongress.jpg
Name: Congres van Europa in de Ridderzaal. Overzicht, Bestanddeelnr 934-6838.jpg
Author: Snikkers / Anefo
License: CC0 1.0
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Congres_van_Europa_in_de_Ridderzaal._Overzicht,_Bestanddeelnr_934-6838.jpg

Filename: SiegfriedBorchardt.jpg
Name: Robert Crosbie (1849 - 1919).jpg
Author: Robert Crosbie
License: Public Domain
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Crosbie_(1849_-_1919).jpg

Filename: TempleOfSolomonBlackwood.jpg
Name: Waolton Polyglot King Solomon Temple.jpg
Author: John Webb and engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar
License: Public Domain
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waolton_Polyglot_King_Solomon_Temple.jpg

Filename: UpperFranceSecondDiluge.jpg
Name: 1871年11月25日, La Ilustración Española y Americana, Almería, Aspecto de la calle de Méndez Núñez durante la inundación.jpg
Author: John Webb and engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar
License: Public Domain
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1871年11月25日,_La_Ilustraci%C3%B3n_Espa%C3%B1ola_y_Americana,_Almer%C3%ADa,_Aspecto_de_la_calle_de_M%C3%A9ndez_N%C3%BA%C3%B1ez_durante_la_inundaci%C3%B3n.jpg