The Ancient Vampire Lords, Book III
Attack on Cerberis, Chapter II

The companions battle against the UnTritons. During the fight, an old ally, Poiupp X, appears and aids the companions, though he is reluctant to involve himself too deeply in this conflict. It is not long, however, that Kelvack proves that he has planned ahead by sending a signal to his troops, who spring an ambush and fall upon the unsuspecting UnTritons. The remaining UnTritons are destroyed.

Meanwhile, at Jihon’s stronghold, a messenger tells Jihon of the demise of his forces. The unlucky messenger is quickly slain by Jihon in his rage. Still fuming, he prepares his next moves.

With the smouldering remains of the UnTritons around her, Tamrissa starts fuming at Jihon’s evil. Soul Reaver tries to calm her, telling her that Jihon’s actions are not his own. However, she states that he will not escape responsibility… and neither will she. She suspects that her own quarrels with him may have helped to push him over the edge. She is quite certain that both she and Jihon will face punishment by the Council… provided they survive.

As Soul Reaver leaves her, Tamrissa is contacted by Fei via the amulet, who teaches her how to use some of her new powers in the coming battles.

Soul Reaver, meanwhile, is met by Thisias. Thisias confides in him, telling him that he can feel himself dying, due to the human blood in his veins. He gives Soul Reaver an amulet, which Thisias originally received from his mother, and asks Soul Reaver to give it to Jihon in case of he does not survive. Soul Reaver grimly agrees, and slips the amulet into his Infinity Pouch.

In his fortress, Jihon prepares his deadly ‘Lidea Chaos’ Triton for battle against the companions.

Kelvack tells the companions that he has prepared for a massive strike against Jihon’s forces in the event that a climatic battle like this should come about – a plan codenamed ‘TJ’. Soul Reaver, unwilling to give Jihon any more chance to prepare, starts to march towards his fortress. Poiupp X forms his Nodachi and follows.

Thisias states that most likely Jihon will attempt to kill him first… and so, he will go to face Jihon in a one-on-one duel. Kelvack, thirsting for revenge against Jihon, attempts to join him, but Thisias restrains him with his powers so that he can get a head start. Tamrissa is prepared to follow Thisias into battle too, though she is angry that the companions are not taking the time to come up with a good plan of action first.

Suddenly, Jihon appears over the crest of the hill in his Lidea Chaos and an entourage of UnTritons, and shoots Thisias with a massive shell. However, the moment he appears, Kelvack screams through his communicator to his hidden troops to begin project TJ – they spring an ambush all around Jihon, plunging his forces into chaos. As the battle rages, Jihon unleashes a swarm of missiles from his Triton that wipes out both his forces and those of Kelvack. A swarm of missiles heads for the companions. Thisias, heavily wounded but still alive, uses his powers to deflect them harmlessly upwards into the sky.

Burning with hatred, Jihon tries to cleave Thisias in two with his Triton’s plasma blade, but Thisias rolls out of the way just in time. Rage and madness boiling in him, Jihon speeds towards a nearby city, intent on destroying as many lives as possible.

Thisias pleads painfully for help, and Soul Reaver runs to his side, offering what healing he can. To stop Jihon from causing more devastation, he then teleports to intercept Jihon’s Triton. He attacks brutally, and uses his powers to try and shield the city from Jihon’s coming attacks.

Tamrissa arrives at Thisias’ side, using her powers to heal him further, and then strengthen Soul Reaver’s barrier over the city. As Soul Reaver fights Jihon’s Triton, Poiupp X lends aid by firing a beam that blasts apart the hydraulics in one of the Tritons’ legs, but is then forced to leave the companions to continue on his own quests.

Fei speaks to Tamrissa from the amulet, telling her that he senses Cerberis’ body nearby, hiding beneath the city – although his soul remains in Jihon, the body is still linked to it. It is a kind of ‘shadow’ of Cerberis’ soul. Destroying it might weaken Cerberis’ hold on Jihon. Drawing the Kurusunami, Tamrissa enters the city and descends into the depths beneath it…

Meanwhile, Jihon charges his massive beam-cannon and fires at the city, shattering the barrier. Thisias tries to send a warning, but before Soul Reaver can stop him, Jihon dives into the city and self-destructs the Lidea Chaos, obliterating the city completely.

Tamrissa remains safe underground as everything above her on the surface is annihilated. She finds Cerberis’ shadow underground and launches into battle.

At the same time, Jihon, who survived the massive explosion, tries to flee. However, Soul Reaver, having witnessed the destruction of so many innocents, falls on him with incredible fury. He manages to catch up to him and, intending to slay Cerberis, begins to battle against the possessed Jihon. His assault is so ferocious that Jihon gains a moment of clarity, and manages to tell Soul Reaver that Cerberis’ physical body, his ‘shadow’, probably carries a bottle… if that bottle is broken, it should free Jihon from his clutches. Soul Reaver mentally contacts Tamrissa to tell her this as Jihon loses control to Cerberis again and continues to fight. Thisias runs to Soul Reaver’s side in an attempt to help him.

Kelvack, having seen his men destroyed and the senseless destruction of a city full of people, expends his rage in a mighty attack – his body transforms into beams of pure energy, which slam through the ground, converge on Cerberis’ shadow-body, and strike him in a huge explosion… although he is then so weakened that his body turns to green mist and floats away.

Since Kelvack’s mighty attack kills Cerberis, Tamrissa frantically searches the immense corpse for the bottle. After finding it, she tries to smash it, and succeeds on the second attempt. Immediately, Jihon’s soul, which was trapped inside the bottle, is finally released and re-inhabits his body, starting a struggle for control with Cerberis. However, without being able to stop himself, Jihon’s blade darts out and runs Thisias through. Struggling painfully, Jihon yells at Soul Reaver that he must strike him down, but he still fights so viciously that Soul Reaver is unable to do so.

As he struggles, Jihon discovers that Cerberis once possessed his grandfather, and through him killed Jihon’s brothers. Like this, he then forced Jihon to participate in the Trial By Fire, which ended in Jihon being forced into the Mask of Shame and gaining his immortality. All this served but one purpose – to prime Jihon’s body for Cerberis’ use on this day.

Jihon comes by a revelation, as he realizes everything he has – his son, his friends, his life. In a blaze of white light, the sigil on his mask suddenly changes to “Pride”, and he manages to run himself through with his own Pain Sabre.

Jihon’s body, now badly damaged, is unable to escape Soul Reaver’s powers. As Tamrissa emerges and runs to the mortally wounded Thisias’ side, Soul Reaver runs Jihon through with Blooddrinker as well. Using his powers, Soul Reaver rips Cerberis’ soul from Jihon’s body and into his own.

For a moment, Cerberis attempts to possess Soul Reaver, but his power over the souls of others allows him to resist. As punishment, Soul Reaver uses his magic to create a vile, mewling, misshapen lump of flesh that he banishes Cerberis’ soul into, expelling it from his own body. However, his revenge is not yet complete. He opens a Warp Gate to Inferno, summoning the mighty Shadowlord, Prince Irewroth. At Soul Reaver’s behest, the Price gladly pulls the screaming Cerberis into Inferno to suffer there for eternity…

Jihon, dying from his wounds, crawls to Thisias’ side. Thisias tells him Lisette’s dying words: “Tell Jihon I loved him and give him this.” Soul Reaver, on Thisias’ request, gives Jihon the pendant that Thisias entrusted to him earlier. Upon the pendant are inscribed the following words: “Shame is temporary, but love is eternal.”

Jihon finds his wounds healed almost immediately by the liberating powers of those words. Thisias’ body dies, but secretly he transfer his soul into Jihon’s body so he can later be brought back to life. Tamrissa creates a grave for Thisias as Jihon weeps…

Then, something incredible happens: Jihon’s mask falls from his face and into his hands. Underneath the mask, he still looks as he did over a million years ago: a scar running from temple to chin, pale, and war-weary.

Within his mind, Jihon hears Thisias’ voice, telling him that for as long as he is with him, he has access to many of Thisias’ powers, including the ability to manifest his Daemon-bone armour and the ability to manipulate matter and even time.

Unfortunately, the repose is cut short. Tamrissa is forced to tell everyone that Jihon and herself must now travel to the Upper Umbra – Jihon’s crimes here will force him to stand trial, and her involvement will also be scrutinized. Fei promises Tamrissa that as a Council member, he will do what he can to help.

Tamrissa opens a Portal to the Upper Umbra, and she and Jihon step through. Almost immediately, she and Jihon are arrested by the Council guards, and virtually paraded down the street like common criminals. Fei is angered by this mistreatment of the two, and allows an image of himself to appear from the pendant Tamrissa wears – he orders the guards to back off and tells them he will escort Tamrissa himself. He also warns Tamrissa that the other companions are unlikely to be welcomed into the Upper Umbra by the Council, and must remain behind. Tamrissa mentally contacts Soul Reaver to warn him of this.

Back in the Middle Umbra, Kelvack begins to reconstitute his body, by raining down from the sky as a green rain. However, on Soul Reaver’s advice, he does not follow Tamrissa and Jihon through the portal. However, Soul Reaver decides to take matters into his own hands. He opens a Warp Gate and disappears into it, emerging moments later in the Council chambers where Tamrissa, Jihon and Fei now face the rest of the council. He insists he be allowed to be present at this trial, but the Council flatly refuses his demand. On Fei’s advice, Soul Reaver angrily leaves.

Waiting outside the limits of the Council’s city, Soul Reaver keeps a magical eye on the proceedings when a Warp Gate opens and Clutchfiend and Kalana Ryoki appear beside him. They warmly greet their old friend… then inquire about Fei, Tamrissa and Jihon. Soul Reaver grimly shows them what is happening…

The Council members decide to judge Jihon for his crimes and Tamrissa for her possible incitement of them through her aggression towards Jihon in his earlier, fragile state of him. The twelve council members each cut open their flesh; if the blood runs red, they are innocent, and if it runs black, they are guilty. One after another, they cut their skin open with elaborate daggers, the blood flowing red, then black… then red once more…