Apocalypse

Apocalypse is hostile, theatrical and openly contemptuous of humanity. It takes obvious pleasure in announcing dangerous quests and catastrophic penalties, frequently taunting the Negators who must deal with the consequences.

It is also unusually strict about the rules governing quests. Although it dislikes the Union, it expects the quest system itself to function correctly and becomes irritated when outside interference undermines the conditions under which a mission is supposed to be completed.

Beneath that hostility is a complicated attachment to Juiz formed across many loops. Apocalypse has spent an enormous span of time watching her repeatedly challenge God, and its later actions show that its feelings toward her cannot be reduced to simple hatred.

Apocalypse administers the quest system associated with the Round Table. When the required seats are occupied, it can announce quests with specified targets, participation limits, rewards and penalties. Completing quests can produce enormous changes, including the acquisition of Artifacts, information or the addition and removal of rules.

As an Artifact, Apocalypse is physically unusual. It can animate its cover and spine into a mouth capable of biting people, as Andy discovers when he grabs it while choosing a quest.

Apocalypse also contains records accumulated across the world's loops. Its connection to those memories becomes increasingly important as the story explores the history of the Union and the repeated conflict against God.

Apocalypse is introduced when Fuuko Izumo and Andy attend their first Round Table meeting. It announces a new quest set, including the mission to capture Spoil, and establishes that failing the Union's assignments can add dangerous new rules to the world.

Its announcements repeatedly determine the direction of the Union's operations. The quests involving the Four Seasons UMAs—Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer—become particularly consequential because the associated penalties threaten humanity on a global scale.

Much later, Apocalypse's history reveals that it has accompanied the Union since its earliest iterations. Its relationship with Juiz and the memories it carries eventually become important to the final struggle over the world's rules and the fate of the Negators.

Juiz has an exceptionally long relationship with Apocalypse through the repeated loops. Despite Apocalypse's antagonistic behavior, their shared history develops into genuine attachment.

Victor has likewise encountered Apocalypse throughout the Union's long struggle across repeated worlds.

Fuuko Izumo becomes one of the Negators receiving and exploiting Apocalypse's quests.

Andy treats Apocalypse with little reverence and physically grabs the book when demanding the most difficult available quest.

Luna is Apocalypse's creator and the being it reveres as its master.

God stands behind the system of rules and punishment within which Apocalypse operates.