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...

As the white flame touches Double's form, she coughs and sputters, expelling a cloud of lavender-scented smoke as her body begins to reform. Her clothes are slightly singed, but otherwise she seems none the worse for wear. She looks at you with gratitude, then turns back to Aeon. "My lady," she says, "I beg you, reconsider what is happening here."

The Goddess's expression softens briefly before returning to its cold, unyielding mask. The bones of the catacombs shudder and twist, seemingly responding to her command. As she takes a step forward, you can feel the ground trembling beneath your feet once more, growing ever more intense with each passing moment. It seems that your display of power has only served to anger the Goddess further...

The goddess's eyes widen slightly at the sight of the blades extended from your arms, but she doesn't hesitate for long. "You defy me!" she cries out, launching another attack with her bone spear.

The skullgirl, Marie, gapes in shock as you deflect her attack with ease. The bone spear shatters into a hundred sharp pieces that scatter across the floor like dead leaves. "Impossible!" she whispers, staring at you in disbelief. Her expression hardens once more, and she takes another step forward.

The ground beneath your feet quakes violently as Aeon continues to gather her power for a final assault. The cries of the skullgirl's undead minions fill the air around you as they struggle against their master's control. It seems that the end is nigh, and there may be no escape from the Goddess's wrath...

Your eyes blaze with an eerie light as the blades on your arms are engulfed in a black flame. The air around you crackles with energy, and even the goddess Aeon seems to step back for a moment, unsure of what to make of this new development. "Who...are you?" she whispers, her voice barely audible above the growing chaos.

The cries of your undead minions grow louder as they too seem to sense something different about you. The skullgirl herself trembles with fear and confusion, her grip on reality slipping ever so slightly. It's clear that whatever power you have now far surpasses anything she could have imagined...

You feel an overwhelming surge of power coursing through your veins as you focus your gaze upon the skullgirl's minions, their bones and flesh crumbling to dust at your mere touch. The red glow in your eye intensifies, bathing the chamber in a hellish light as the undead creatures scream in agony before being reduced to nothing more than dust and ash.

Aeon's expression shifts from confusion to fear and then finally to anger as she watches you effortlessly destroy her minions. The bones of the catacombs seem to rattle in protest, their master growing ever more enraged by your display of power. She prepares herself for another attack, summoning an army of giant skeletal warriors from the ethereal plane to do her bidding...

The Goddess Aeon narrows her eyes, tilting her head slightly to the side as she studies you. "Death?" She speaks the word with a mocking laugh. "I am death, Dio. I am not something that you can understand, let alone defy." As she says this, the army of giant skeletal warriors swarms forward, their bony limbs reaching out to grasp you and drag you back under her control.

The skullgirl, Marie, watches in horror as these new foes appear. She struggles against her own control, but to no avail. It's clear that whatever power you possess is far beyond what even she can muster...

The Goddess Aeon's eyes widen in shock as her army of skeletal warriors is obliterated with a single flash of your red eye. She stares at you in disbelief, unsure what to make of this new development. The skullgirl, on the other hand, watches with growing hope and determination. You have somehow managed to turn the tables on Aeon...

With a mighty shriek, the Goddess prepares to unleash her full fury upon you. Bones erupt from the ground around you in a whirlwind of death and destruction, forming into massive warriors and beasts who launch themselves at your position. Aeon herself floats above them all, clad in glimmering armor and wielding an immense bone staff that crackles with energy. The battle for the fate of the world has begun...

You feel a surge of power course through your body as you unleash a blast of dark energy at the Goddess Aeon. The attack strikes true, knocking her off balance and sending her tumbling backward. Her bones scatter across the floor like leaves in the wind, leaving behind an ethereal figure that fades away into nothingness.

The catacombs are silent for a moment as all eyes turn to you. The skullgirl's face is etched with disbelief and gratitude, while Aeon's minions collapse to the ground in defeat, their bones crumbling and fading away. You stand there, breathing heavily, feeling drained but victorious. It seems that you really were meant to die a long time ago...

The skullgirl approaches you cautiously, her expression a mix of gratitude and curiosity. "Who...are you? And what was all that about being meant to die?" she asks softly, her voice barely above a whisper. The weight of the world now sits more lightly on your shoulders, but it seems that there will be much for you to explain.

The cries and whispers of the dead echo through the now-silent catacombs as the surviving undead creatures slowly drift back into their graves. With Aeon gone, the balance has been restored...for now. But one cannot help but wonder what will happen when she inevitably returns to reclaim her throne and seek vengeance upon those who have dared defy her.

The choice is yours, Dio: remain silent, or tell your tale.

You can tell her that it was really you who had the power to destroy Aeon and that Dio's soul is now free. Or you could keep your identity secret for now, revealing only part of the truth about yourself. It's up to you how much trust you place in her hands.