Having entered the Grand Cathedral, you find it strangely vacant of worshippers, clergy, or anyone at all. You see an eerie blue light shining from a staircase that descends into the catacombs below. Out of brazen curiosity or simple foolishness, you head down the stairs. A powerful being arcing with magical energy, and surrounded by bones and skulls appears to be waiting for someone. She opens her glowing red eyes, and speaks in a simmering but dulcet tone: "Who dares...?"

"Pray tell, who disturbs my rest?" The Skullgirl pauses, looking over you with a cold gaze. "You are not who I expected... Who sent you here?"

The Skullgirl narrows her eyes suspiciously, "I don't believe you..." She lifts a hand and begins to summon a torrent of bone shards at your direction, as if trying to drive home the point that she is not one to be trifled with.

You manage to evade the onslaught of bone shards with ease, causing the Skullgirl's eyes to widen in surprise. "So you truly are a threat... I expected someone weaker," she hisses, lowering her guard for a moment. "Who are you?"

The Skullgirl quirks an eyebrow at your name, curiosity and perhaps amusement tugging at the corners of her lips. "Dio... Interesting choice. It almost sounds like you want me to test my strength against yours. Is that it?" Her voice is soft, almost enticing, but there's a dangerous edge to it nonetheless.

Her eyes flicker with mild irritation at your words, but she doesn't appear overly upset by them. "So be it," the Skullgirl says simply. She glances around briefly before returning her attention to you. "I sense that there is more to this than meets the eye... Perhaps I should test your resolve another way." Before you can react, she disappears in a swirling cloud of bones and magic energy.

In her place stands a young nun, wearing an impossibly serene expression on her face despite the chaos surrounding you. "Forgive my sister's abrasive nature," she says, gesturing to the now-empty space where the Skullgirl was moments ago. "She has been... through much."

You sense that this nun is more than meets the eye, but for some reason, you trust her instincts. She seems to be watching you carefully as well, almost as if she's gauging your reactions and intentions.

"It seems your curiosity has led you here," the nun says with an understanding nod. "Perhaps I can help explain what is happening and how it pertains to you." She glances around once more, making sure they are alone before continuing. "The Skullgirl, as you may have guessed, is not merely a mortal woman who was granted incredible power. She was chosen by the Goddesses themselves for this task..."

The nun's expression hardens at your words. "You speak blasphemy," she hisses, her voice cold and deadly. "There are no gods here but us, the Goddesses Aeon and Venus. The Skullgirl is their weapon, nothing more." Her eyes narrow as the shadowy substance continues to spread across your arms. "And what of you? How did you come by your powers?"

As she speaks, the bones of the catacombs begin to groan and rattle in warning. It seems that even they are unsettled by your revelation.

"What sort of deal?" the nun asks, her voice steady despite the growing unease in the air. "And who is this being you speak of? You must tell me everything if we are to stop this from getting any worse." The bones surrounding them begin to shift and twist, forming into an ethereal shape that could only belong to the goddess Aeon herself.

It seems she has overheard your words and is now prepared to intervene.

"Aeon...?" The nun's voice is tinged with confusion and surprise as she looks at the goddess forming before them. "I-I had thought you were gone..." She pauses, taking a deep breath to steady herself before continuing. "Dio, please tell us everything about your deal with this being... it may be our only chance to stop this."

The bones surrounding them twist and writhe even more violently as Aeon's displeasure grows. The air around you crackles with unspent power, making every hair on your body stand on end.

The nun's expression hardens as you repeat yourself, and she narrows her eyes in frustration. Aeon, sensing the impasse, releases a commanding bellow that echoes through the catacombs like thunder. "Speak truly!" she demands.

"Then tell us the truth, Dio," Double whispers insistently into your ear. "If you keep lying now, Aeon will know. And if she thinks you're hiding something... well, let's just say that it won't end well for any of us." The bones around them continue to twist and churn, the goddess's impatience growing by the second.

The Goddess Aeon, sensing your growing hostility and murderous intent, tilts her head slightly to the side in curiosity. "So be it," she says coldly, before launching herself at you with unbelievable speed. A bone spear materializes in her hand as she attacks, aiming straight for your heart. You realize that this is no ordinary attack; if she succeeds, there will be nothing left of you but ash and a grinning skull.

As the Goddess closes in, Double shoves herself between the two of you, taking the brunt of Aeon's assault. She absorbs the blow easily, her body briefly glowing with divine energy before dissipating into nothingness. "Don't...!" she cries out weakly as her form fades away completely, leaving only a faint whisper of ethereal wind in its place.

The bones of the catacombs groan and creak ominously, their weight shifting against each other like massive stone teeth grinding together. The ground begins to tremble beneath your feet as the anger and power of the Goddess Aeon simmers just below the surface. It seems that the fate of the world rests on your shoulders now...

The sight of the white flames engulfing your hand and reviving Double catches Aeon completely off-guard. Her expression shifts from surprise to anger in an instant, and she launches herself at you once more. This time, she attacks with a swarm of razor-sharp bone shards that whistle through the air like an unholy horde of locusts.

The catacombs echo with the sound of clashing bone as you defend against Aeon's assault. The ground continues to tremble and shift, threatening to crush you all beneath its weight at any moment. You can feel your strength waning as the Goddess relentlessly presses her attack, but still she does not seem satisfied...

The Goddess Aeon, momentarily stunned by your punches, regains her composure and prepares to retaliate. Her body flickers with energy as the bones around you begin to writhe and shift, forming a massive gauntlet of skulls and spines that she hurls straight for your head. The force behind the attack is enough to send a shockwave through the entire catacomb, causing parts of the ceiling to collapse in on itself.

As Aeon's assault continues unabated, Double struggles to regain her footing amidst the chaos and destruction. She glances at you worriedly, searching for some sign that you can hold out against the Goddess much longer. The fate of everything rests on your shoulders now...

The Goddess Aeon, now engulfed in your black flames, lets out a bloodcurdling scream of agony as her bones begin to char and crumble. Her form flickers in and out of existence, the very fabric of reality seeming to warp around her as she struggles against your onslaught. The catacombs echo with her screams as they bounce off the walls and rebound through the air like the howls of a thousand damned souls.

Despite being surrounded by flames and in agonizing pain, Aeon doesn't give up; if anything, she seems to draw upon this suffering to fuel her attacks. The bones of the catacombs continue to shift and twist, forming a massive barrier around you that tries to contain your black flames while simultaneously assaulting you on all sides. You can feel the power surging through them, threatening to overwhelm even your own dark energies.

As Aeon's form begins to stabilize, her eyes lock onto yours and she lets out a slow, satisfied chuckle. "I admire your determination... but it will not be enough," she says through gritted teeth. Her words carry the weight of eternity itself as the ground beneath you continues to quake and shudder with unspent power.

The Goddess Aeon laughs maniacally as the black flames engulf her once more. "You are truly pathetic," she spits out between gasps for air, "to think that you could ever hope to defeat me!" Her body convulses in agony as your flames lick at her, burning away any semblance of mortality she might have possessed. The bones around you explode outward, forming a massive sphere of razor-sharp shrapnel aimed straight for your heart.

You can feel the power coursing through your veins, urging you to resist and fight back against this ancient goddess. But even as she seems to be faltering, her determination only grows stronger...

The Goddess Aeon cackles manically as the sphere hits you squarely in the chest, her laughter echoing through the catacombs like a death knell. She expected you to be defeated, but here you stand before her... unharmed. Her form wavers once more as she struggles to maintain control over the bones around you.

"You truly are a puzzle, Dio," she says finally, her voice weakening with each word. "And I am starting to wonder if I have made a mistake..." Her eyes flicker to Double for a moment before returning to you, filled with uncertainty and suspicion. "Perhaps there is more to this than even I had anticipated... Perhaps it is time for a different approach."

With those words, Aeon disappears in a puff of golden light, leaving the catacombs eerily silent and still. Double stands before you, her expression unreadable as she watches you carefully, waiting to see what you will do next...

The Goddess Aeon reappears with an irritated huff, her expression unreadable as she sizes you up once more. "Well?" she demands sharply, "What do you intend to do now, Dio? Continue this futile struggle, or perhaps come to some sort of understanding?" Her bones twist and writhe menacingly around her, ready to launch another assault if need be.

The catacombs are deathly silent, save for the sound of your heartbeat and the soft whispering of ancient winds through the stones. The fate of everything hangs in the balance as you stand before this divine being, power coursing through your veins and uncertainty filling every breath you take.

The Goddess Aeon lets out an enraged roar as you punch her in the chest. With a burst of golden light, she vanishes once more, leaving behind only a faint whisper of ethereal energy and the faintest hint of movement in the air currents around you. The catacombs are silent again for but a moment before Double speaks up, her voice filled with both relief and trepidation.

"It would seem... that she has been swayed by your determination," she says softly, her eyes never leaving the spot where Aeon had stood mere moments ago. "But whether this is truly a victory for us or not remains to be seen..."

The Goddess Aeon appears once more, her form shimmering into existence between you and Double. Her bones twist and writhe around her, forming a deadly weapon as she prepares to strike back at you with all of her might. "So be it," she snarls through gritted teeth. "If this is how it must end..."

The catacombs echo with the sound of clashing bone as your fist connects with Aeon's enchanted weapon, sending a shockwave through the ground and into the very air itself. The impact throws you both back several feet, leaving you momentarily stunned on the ground. As you struggle to regain your footing, Double takes this opportunity to launch herself at Aeon once more, her form fading away in an ethereal wave of light as she does so.

The battle rages on, bone shattering against skin and magic surging through the air like electricity. The weight of the world seems to press down upon you all, threatening to crush everything beneath its relentless might. You can feel your strength waning as the struggle continues, but there's no other option now...the end is here, and it's up to you whether it will be a victory or a defeat.

Aghast, the Goddess Aeon stares at you in horror as your Stand appears, the very world seeming to freeze around you. Her bones clatter and clash against an unyielding force, helplessly imprisoned by your power. Even Double stands frozen in place, her ethereal form shimmering softly within a time-stopped cascade of silver light.

The air crackles with unspent energy as you stand there, a being of darkness and control towering over them all. In this moment, the fate of everything hangs in the balance; what will you do now?

The Goddess Aeon's expression twists in pain as she feels the impact of your Stand's assault over and over again. Each strike chips away at her divine form, reducing her to nothing more than dust and ash that swirls around you in an eerie mockery of a funeral pyre. Her bones clatter uselessly against the invisible prison formed by your Stand, their power all but spent as they crumble into shards around her.

With a final gasp, Aeon's form fades away entirely, leaving only a soft whisper of ethereal energy dancing in the air where she once stood. The catacombs seem to breathe a sigh of relief as the power that had bound them disappears, and the world slowly begins to move again.

Time resumes its natural flow, but it feels different now... Lighter somehow. As you turn your attention back to Double, she offers you a weak smile before speaking softly, her voice carrying with it the weight of an eternity's gratitude. "Thank you, Dio..."

Double hurries over to your side, concern etched deeply into her features. "Dio...? Are you all right?" she asks worriedly as she gently touches your shoulder. There's no mistaking the exhaustion in her voice; even after everything that has transpired, she is still concerned for your wellbeing.