The Grand Crossover RP - Pathway to Origin [IC/PG-13/Moved to NCM for Finale]

[Merci]

Shadow Realm?

 

"It seems like I'm going to be making enemies soon enough...hm?"

 

Just as Isamy was about to generate a portal, she stopped as she noticed something. Something that was familiar in a way, but unfamiliar at the same time. It was possible that she'd met another one of the same species or race before, or something along the lines. Following this sense, she wondered about the collapsing realm. It was a miracle that there was still space to walk around, since it was compressing itself. Soon, it would soon become a two-dimensional realm, then one-dimensional, and finally it would expand began into a three-dimensional realm, replacing the former core with a new one.

 

Everything currently existing would be purged in the process.

 

But, there were still some minutes until then. Enough minutes to spare.

 

As she arrived at the source, which appeared to be dying, she knelt down to it and asked-

 

 

---

 

 

Unlimited Blade Works

 

After enough time had passed, the warped Emiya finally opened his eyes again. After having requested more information from the Multiverse, he now had a new course of attack, one which would allow him and the rest of his team to outrace Isamy in this war and overcome them. In fact, it was strange how the girl had never actually thought to go there, but then again, she must've lacked information when it came to the Door of Origin. At the very least, that was one advantage for the corrupted knight and the rest of the Counter Corps.

 

"We can do this." He muttered, getting up.

 

It was time.

Taking a few steps away from the hill, he flicked his right hand with the intention of summoning a very large sword he had encountered during his lifetime. Instead, however, came a gigantic, bident spear that was vaguely ominous, and it consumed more energy than he'd intended on using. It stretched out sixty meters as it fell from the skies and stabbed into the ground before him, and with it a large crashing sound that echoed throughout the realm.

 

It was the Spear of Longinus, one of the biggest and most dangerous weapons he knew, and most certainly not something he should be wasting energy with on a whim. Also, he was quite lucky - while it looked massive right now, it had the potential to become almost twice as large.

 

Nevertheless, it had served its purpose. The Corps had seen it, and he sat tiredly on the hill it landed upon at the center of Unlimited Blade Works.
 
That was the Spear of Longinus you just saw. Once you're prepared, head over there. Emiya told the entire Counter Corps telepathically. His voice had a slight edge to it this time, possibly due to the corruption, fatigue, or a combination of the two. I'll be explaining our next course of action, and then we'll head out. Don't take too long.

 

 

---

 

 

Isamy's Throne Room

 

Should she say something? Or not? Isamy sat on the throne with a rather clueless look, her gaze locked on Viligance. But no matter how much she tried to figure it out from his body language, she couldn't. He was an animate suit of armor, and perhaps it was that which made reading his intentions so difficult. Even as Alister and Sayer started fighting over something, she stayed where she was, feeling much like a little girl. This was pathetic. This was absolutely pathetic, but since she knew just as little as they did about their next plan of attack, it wasn't her right to speak up. The most she could do was make herself look like she was important.

 

However, when that big guy who accompanied Dorian everywhere - Butler...? - came to address her in a rather unusual matter, she knew it was her duty to answer.

 

"Yes? What would that be?" She asked him, still sitting in her throne.

 

"I trust that you have all prepared." Viligance started off afterwards, sensing that just about the entire Divine seemed to be there.Keeping his sword in its sheath by his waist, he stepped forward in front of all the warriors, standing by the side of the throne. "The place we'll be heading towards is what is perhaps the smallest natural dimension in the multiverse, known to various realmwalkers as the Desert Seth. As you may have predicted, the heat will be high, the enemies harder to bend to your will, and there are numerous sandstorms that may appear suddenly."

 

After pausing for a moment to observe if his audience was actually listening to him, Viligance continued.

 

"Before we head over there, a spell has been prepared. It will also help maintain your normal body temperature however high or low it is, and like in the Shadow Realm, it will also allow you to bend the various creatures residing there to your control through willpower. However, avoid creatures such as the giant sandwyrms if possible, as they possess rudimentary intelligence due to the size of their brain, and they can resist..."

 

Then, remembering about the anomaly, he decided to add something, "If you encounter anything unnatural, that doesn't respond to your influence at all, it most likely did not come from this realm, and you are recommended to kill it on the spot."

 

 

---

 

 

Unlimited Blade Works

 

"...have predicted, it will be hot, the enemies will be more dangerous, and there will be a great many sandstorms there." Emiya began in a confident, powerful voice. "That's why, before I begin, you should all put on this red cloak. Stretch out your arms."

 

Emiya continued, once the Counter Corps had already gathered. Just as before, they would be required to form their own teams and see who fit best with who. However, unlike before, they may not have a chance to have second thoughts this way. Holding both of his arms out, he emitted a bright light as he began to project a ton of red cloaks with hoods into the outstretched hands of his gathered soldiers, each of them fitting their holder perfectly.

 

"This cloak acts as a basic defense against the sandstorms, and you may require the hood both to shield yourself from the thick sunlight. Also, as there are many creatures below the sand that tend to attack suddenly, it has a spell cast upon it - one that will shield you should you be caught by surprise. However, it's one time only."

 

The knight himself didn't put on the cloak, but that was because he was already wearing the original around his waist. Even if it was corrupted, it could still serve its purpose as a defense against all environments.

 

"Of course, you can choose not to wear it if you so choose, but it's recommended that you do. After all, I myself do not know whether there'll be any water there, or whether there'll even be shade."

 

 

---

 

 

The Desert Seth, Pyramid of the Chaos Barrier

 

There was a disturbance. As far as he could tell, an unidentifiable entity composed of condensed energy had barged straight in and stolen him in his sealed, metallic orb form. However, he did not activate in response to contact with it, which must have been because this entity was not a true 'life form' in a way definable by the natural definition. No, rather, it could only be defined as a natural disaster that had taken the guise of a huge monster. Did it have a name? Could it even think? He didn't know, but as the 'it' studied him, the latter was quite possibly proven to be correct.

 

He himself was not a 'he'. Like 'it', 'he' was an entity composed of something unlike matter, having been sealed into this form not out of choice but out of necessity. 'He' was not a life form in the normal sense of the word, and 'he' also acted as the keystone to a place forbidden to all. Originally, there had been an elaborate setup of traps, spells, and monsters that were meant to keep everyone and everything out. However, this 'it', with both its size and its unnatural properties, it tore through them all without even noticing and had taken him. The sacred pyramid was in ruins, and he could not discern whether it even noticed.

 

Moments later, 'he' found 'him'self dragged into a pocket dimension...or could it even be defined as such? It was more like an extension of the energy being itself, like an extra limb made out of radiation, maintaining the laws of physics not out of necessity but out of choice. If he were to take that point of view, then there was no appropriate word in a dictionary that could define it.

 

Except, perhaps, 'Reality Marble'.

 

Yes. That seemed very appropriate. This dark realm that 'he' had been brought into was a marble of a reality all on its own.

 

'He' would be useless in 'its' hands, so the reason why 'it' had taken 'him' in the first place was difficult to imagine. While there seemed to be no clear purpose to it, all 'he' could do was wait for the answer to reveal itself.

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Silver, The Wayward Traveler

 

"What was th-" Silver spoke as he turned around to see the giant weapon. However, he was not stopping his speech because of the sight of the spear, but because he saw something in the distance that he thought he might be able to use. It was some sort of wolf creature with mechanical parts also laced into its own biology. Silver ran towards the creature, returning his pokemon to their balls just before taking off; the fires had been put out on the ship however. He stopped when the creature came into better view. "I didn't see you around here before, so you must be a wild pokemon; this is great, I thought there would be no more to catch ever since I left my world to come here." Silver said, and before MachGaogamon could respond, Silver was already tossing a Pokeball into the air; releasing some sort of pink cat-like creature within a bright light. "Espeon, use double team!" Four copies of Espeon were made suddenly, but only one was truly real, the Espeons surrounded MachGaogamon. "Now, use Shadow Ball!" All the Espeons generated a dark ball of energy from inside of their mouths, but only the one behind MachGaogamon fired that ball straight at him...

Nero, The Keyblade War Hero
 

Nero was still lost in thought when Sora said that they should go see what the other Counter Corps member was yelling about. "Uh, yeah, sure." Nero responded, but when the group went to make their advance, Emiya had summoned a giant spear and said that they were now meeting. Nero accepted his cloak with great praise, as he needed new clothes anyway. Nero quickly threw his keyblade within the air, took the clothes off he was wearing on his upper body, put on the perfectly fitting cloak, and then caught his keyblad again. He slung the keyblade onto his back again afterward. "That's another thing I've noticed, you won't go away anymore, you merely stay on my back." Nero said, talking to his keyblad but saying out load so Sora could hear it too. Nero leaned his keyblade against a tree and walked away a few yards, he reached his hand up, trying to call for his weapon, but it did not come. Nero walked over to his blade while speaking. "I see, you haven't the power to vanish any longer, nor the power to come back to me should I ever lose you." Nero put the weapon on his back once more before turning to Sora. "Don't worry about me. It might not make sense now, but our group of heroes is going to be just fine, you wait and see, Sora." Nero said, possibly uttering the first line of hope for the Counter Corps in a good long while; coming from someone who just lust their primary form of offense, it meant a lot.

 

Matthew Supplex, The Man With The Not So Golden Gun

Matthew looked at Viligance as he started speaking about what their next move should be. He absorbed all the information about the Desert Seth and the information about the spell that had been prepared for them. Those creatures only did me a small amount of good last time I used a spell such as this one. Hm, maybe this time around will be different. Matthew then heard the second part of what the spell does and looked at the man who was manipulating ice during their last encounter with the Counter Corps. "Shouldn't he sit this one out? I don't know if he'll really be effective." Matthew said, pointing toward Kiotso Senju.

Kiotso Senju, The Frozen Soul

 

He was listening to Viligance just as everyone else was. The spell that they have prepared would only be useful to him for the temperature regulation aspect, but since he could already preform that action himself there was no need to accept the offer. Kiotso then looked up intriguingly as someone questioned his ability to be useful during the next round of fighting. "Do not patronize me, human." Kiotso said, standing up and looking toward the man. "With the powers I possess, not even the sun could go unfrozen." Kiotso responded, clearly ready to enter the Desert Seth regardless if anyone thought it would be a good idea or not.
 

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

The Inch of Will's Crash Site:

Itsu winced as the exposed sections of her ship were sprayed with water, causing visible power fluctuations inside, as evidence by the flickering lights and clear sounds of malfunctioning. She quickly sent out a burst of flames to get the Feraligatr's attention. "STOP!!!" She cried out, but it was clear that, while the fires were now extinguished, the damage was worse, as exposed electrical wires and panels, normally protected from the elements by the armor around them but laid bare no thanks to the impact, were now damp and shorted out. She then noticed Alexander approach, accompanied by a slightly smaller Lombax who had a talking robotic companion, and immediately got on to damage control. "Alex! Thank me that you managed to get here! The Inch of Will didn't quite make it back, and now, I fear the worst for Bradbury, the ship's AI. Alex, I want you to take the cargo bay, while your new friend can go up to the passenger compartment and his robot can take the bridge. I want you to do damage assessments and make repairs where needed. Also, if you can get Bradbury back online, he can give you a more detailed explanation of what you need to fix, and how." She then turned to the young Trainer with the Feraligatr. "I appreciate the help, but sometimes, water can't put out fires. If you have any Pokemon that would be good for soaking up the damage to the exterior, as well as a Pokemon that is dextrous, but able to carry things, that would be wonderful. I'll need all the help I can get, and judging by how bad she is right now, even that will take a while." She ignored the summons, focusing on her ship. Foster could hopefully take care of things while she was gone.

Near Emiya:

Foster snapped his fingers in front of the demonic creature that led his faction. "Hello. Big guy. Earth to Emiya. Come in Emiya."

[Love of Ghibli]

Isamy's Throne Room

 

Butler and Ragnarok arouse from their resting place and they both looked at each other. In short we need souls. In order to better serve that is. Yeah what he said. In order for me to become more and more powerful I must consume a large quantity of souls. If you have souls of a magical or witch like nature that would be even better. I do sincerely hope we are not asking too much. While they waited for a response the two made sure they listened to the speech that Vigilance was giving about their next location. Apparently this would be some kind of Desert. Butler knew how his master hated the extreme climate changes. Luckily there was mention of some body temperature controlling magics. It seems that Lady Isamy was very good at providing efficient and borderline convenient magics.

Dorian was simply wondering what type of upgrades Butler would get that would make him top tier. Oh the random possibilities that would make everything so much more eventful. While the speech was going on he simply noted that they would be in a desert, he get his body temperature regulated, and once again he gets to control the creatures of that realm. He managed to save one of Butler's shadow bats that came from the Shadow Realm so now that means he was obliged to start a collection. He wondered what he should try to capture. He looked up at BWG and he realized that if they set out now this would be his bodyguard for the time being. It would be great if he had spent more time with the man but that could easily be some kind separation anxiety. Didn't matter he was sure that this time around he would  fair a lot better than he did last time. 

The one thing that caught Dorian a tad off guard was that this time Vigilance didn't give the luxury of explaining why they were going to this place. Last time there was some funny business about guarding her soul. That ended up being some kind of supertrap, but still this was peculiar. 

[Merci]

Unlimited Blade Works, about fifteen minutes before calling everyone.

 

As the corrupted knight was deep in his thoughts, he opened his eyes for a bit and turned to Foster.

 

"If it's about the Inch of Will, I'm well aware of the damage. However, with such gentle technologies integrated into it, I fear that attempting reinforcement in this state of darkness would only worsen the condition of the Tau Manta." The Counter Guardian replied without pause, and it was evident that he was annoyed with this little intrusion. "Not only that, but time is not something we can afford to waste, especially when maintaining Unlimited Blade Works is much more difficult now. The Door could open at any second. Once I have gathered the necessary mana and information from the Throne to form a coherent plan, we shall have to head out, with or without Itsu."

 

Isamy's Castle, one minute before Viligance began his explanation.

 

"Oh. Souls. Right." Although Isamy replied casually, as if it was something that could be easily solved, she wasn't actually sure how to answer to this strangely-different-than-before Butler person.

 

After a bit of thought, she snapped her fingers as she came up with a thought. While she was a little reluctant to sacrifice some parts of her 'collection' - which most of the Divine probably didn't even know she had - it wasn't as if she couldn't give away one or two minor sentient ones. Like, perhaps that teddy bear Gabriel. When he mentioned that ones with a 'magical or witch-like nature' would be preferable, the first person to pop into her mind was Bayonetta. But, then again, she did have plenty of others similar to that woman.

 

"Yes. I have plenty of those that can fill your quota." She continued, this time calmly, but jolted when her animate servant turned his head back as if he was trying to tell her something. Maybe he wanted to start the explanation now? Everyone seemed to be gathered already, after all. "...Once Viligance is finished with his explanation, I'll provide you with ones you'll really love before we head out....alright?"

 

Before Butler-Ragnarok could reply, Viligance began with his speech in front of everyone else. "I trust that you have all prepared."

[Dad]

UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS

 

There was a thunderous crash amongst the obnoxious machine that was speaking, which stirred Kenpachi and made Yachiru look up, eyes wide.  A large weapon (much different than the sword they witnessed some time ago) crashed into the hillside not too far from them, where Emiya requested their audience.  Things were about to get much more dangerous as Emiya noted with his booming voice.  Sandstorms, intense heat, and monsters below ground.  This sounded a lot like Hueco Mundo, so it would be nothing new for the Captain; he would of course make Yachiru wear whatever equipment was necessary to protect her from imminent danger.  Kenpachi's state of mind had changed completely once he realized Byakuya was dead.  There was only silence in his head now and the difference between the Castle of Necrophades encounter and the following result had changed him.  He knew now Yachiru was in danger while she was at his side.  He had a lot more responsibility now after losing another comrade.  One of the few remaining Shinigami.  Yachiru could sense the change in Kenpachi's breathing pattern, and watched as he drew his blade from the sand.

 

"Step down Yachiru," he said turning to face her as she backed a few steps away from his back.  "This is my vow to you," he said as he raised his blade to the back of his head.  "Ken. . .chan?"  He grabbed his hair tightly and tied it with one hand in a pony tail, cutting it from his head.  Now his hair was short and spiked, a bit mangled, but more important than not it was a representation to him.  He took his blade and Yachiru by the hand as he carved a small scar in his right hand, and a smaller scar in her left.  She winced, but she understood.  He took the blood from both of their hands and used it to fit his old bells that he drew from his pockets back onto his head, but only two bells this time.  He placed one bell on a spike of hair over his right eye, and another bell on the exact opposite.  "Yachiru.  We've been friends for a long time.  And after we met, I thought these bells were only to give my opponent an advantage.  But I realize they mean more now.  They're a symbol of our bond.  And that's exactly why your blood-- our blood holds them together.  You're a part of me Yachiru, as all of our past friends were.  So I'm not doing this for just Seireitei any more.  This is for the friends we've lost.  The family I've betrayed.  The loved ones that were sacrificed.  And I'm gonna start with whoever killed Byakuya.  After that," he paused as he memorized Sephiroth's face.

"He's next."  Yachiru nodded and hugged Kenpachi tightly.  "Let's go," he said urging everyone around him to stand back.  Yachiru jumped onto Kenpachi's shoulders without hesitation, as the atmosphere grew hot.  For a moment, Kenpachi's feet sank into the ground, and seconds later the ground around him exploded and Kenpachi Yachiru were gone into thin air.  They landed moments later at the Spear that Emiya had summoned, where Kenpachi politely made a request.  "Emiya.   Yachiru will be wearing the cloak.  I won't.  All I need to know now is when we get to face those Divine bastards again.  I've got debts to repay."

[Astolfo]

The Renegade sighed when he saw a childishly clueless face upon the woman which he was supposed to place his bets on. For a moment, he wondered if he could just dispose of her and still be able to achieve his goals. Deciding against it though for the moment, he had noticed both offending parties from before had ended up unscathed. The furry thing had used time travel, which was somewhat interesting, and the other being was ingested and regurgitated by one of the eyeballs, which seemed to have healed him. Tch. Just then a man and some person that seemed to radiate madness wandered up to the lady - Isamy, was it? The latter of the two had asked for souls, in order to gain power. Their apparent leader seemed to have been caught somewhat off guard at this request, but nodded and willing to give some souls, seeming at ease after a brief pause. Seriously, I'm relying on this fool? It's some dumb little girl playing dress-up. Just then, the empty tin can the lady had for a servant spoke up, saying that a spell had been prepared for their benefit. Not caring too much about this, he rolled his eyes, although it was covered by his hood. Rather unimpressed by "The Herald of Chaos and Entropy", who seemed to be full of big talk and only rather - somewhat - dangerous due to what seemed to be clothes and a scythe constructed out of dark matter, and with a servant, he voiced these feelings in a rather disrespectful way. The Joker laughed as he insulted the two in a way that seemed almost playful, but for those with acute hearing, they would hear an undertone of poison in the melodious sound of something which should've been innocent. With a sudden burst of glee, he decided to test their powers. For now, he knew that the dark matter would protect her from most anything, but blunt force would still mostly penetrate through. He also knew that unless he was in his Darkwing form, he would be vulnerable to her scythe if he got too close and couldn't dodge in time, so relying on a long distance attack, he giggled as he spoke to Isamy. He knew from a long distance that he could dodge and maneuver his way around near anything, with the powers of a Joker as well as his Esper. "Well, Isamy, are you worthy of commanding me? I won't hurt you too bad, but show me what you got!" Really wanting to belittle his appearance as he uses his massive powers, he gently tapped the ground with his foot in Isamy's direction. As he was laughing with unadulterated glee from the destruction, a massive slab perhaps 10-15 feet wide ripped entirely out of the ground instantly without any visible resistance, hurtling at Isamy much faster than a bullet, as the Renegade sped it on using his vector powers. Jumping up impossibly high before doing a graceful flip and landing on the toes of his right foot, the other leg arched against his right leg's knee, he waited for Isamy's response.

[The Warden]

Lydia stood by somewhat curious as the duo walked away. She nodded to Ivankov and followed the duo. But, it was when Eria drew her dagger that Lydia felt the need to step in. "Whoa! Time out you two!" she cried as she pointed Cue-Stick at the space between them.

 

"CRYSTAL TOWER!"

 

A bolt of ice launched from the star and impacted the site between the two attackers, creating a large ice spike that seperated them. "Now hold on you too. I know you're having some kind of insane lover's spat here, but you're not ACTUALLY supposed to kill each other and- What the hell is that noise?"

 

At that moment, the Spear of Longinus pierced the UBW, and so came with it was Emiya's voice. "Hmm, it was that guy. I guess it's time for the mission, and a new universe. Pretty exciting, but-" Lydia thought as she look at Arthur and Eria. "You two should seperate for a while. Come on Eria" she added and forcefully dragged the bunny girl off.

 

Ivankov meanwhile, had also followed but remained quiet as the events took place. Once the two candy-girls were gone, he was just left with the candy-boy. "Vou looks like vou've had a long day, candy-boy. Ve should meet up with sword-boy, the universe is in need of heroes after all" he remarked and walked off, with or without Arthur.

 

---

 

It was now after Emiya had gathered everyone and his speech was over. Eria had broken free and walked off on Lydia, leaving her in a crowd of unknowns; well, they would be unknown had she not been savvy/sad enough to know a good deal of anime characters. She was slightly put off by the red coat though. It wasn't exactly the prettiest thing, and it wouldn't work with her hat. But, it was necessary to protect her sensitive mily skin from the desert sun.

 

With a sigh her hat vanished into particles as she put it on. God it was ugly.

 

Ivankov had no issue with the coat, he was used to it anyways. It was pretty humourous how big the head of the hood was.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Near Emiya:

Foster suddenly looked behind him to see smoke rising from behind one of the giant swords, and could faintly hear his superior shouting out orders, but that was not his intention. Instead, he turned back to the crimson creature. "Actually, I wanted to talk about you. Are you alright? You have clearly changed from before into some sort of demon, and I wanted to know if there was anything any of us could do to help with that little problem."

The Inch of Will's Crash Site:

As Itsu worked, she pondered her dilemma. With all of the work needed to fix up her ship, she would have to send someone to take her place, and she had options, but who would she send? Regardless, she did start to devise a battle plan. With all that happened in the Shadow Realm, it was clear that her faction was less organized than their foes.

This had to be rectified.

Immediately.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

Unlimited Blade Works

 

Sarah just stared blankly at the glass of water that Itsu had given her. She didn't know what to make of it at first, but eventually she began hallucinating again, this time thinking she saw signs of the water being holy. Why? Was this just paranoia? Or was Itsu actually expecting Sarah to drink this and get poisoned by it, unknowingly or otherwise? Regardless, Sarah dropped the glass in her trance, only to shriek and jump backwards as the contents splashed on her foot.

 

'OK... now I really need a drink; and not funking water this time!" Sarah thought to herself, before seeing the aftermath of the fire that consumed a good portion of the Inch of Will, "Wow... that must really suck. What happened to it?"

 

It was obvious that Sarah had spaced out too heavily to notice the fire, which could only mean that she missed Itsu's scream for help as well. But at least she heard the mission for today... which was exactly what she was expecting. Perhaps this place would be a trap too.

 

"Right, go somewhere other than where the artefacts are, grab item if ya want it, fall into obvious trap; got it," after saying this, Sarah had picked up a robe and teleported to the Spear of Longinus, unaware that both the robe she picked up and the one that she was wearing fell down to the ground as a result.

 

Lerna's Barrier

 

It was only once she returned to her Barrier that Lerna realized she fell into a series of traps... though it would be more correct to say that she busted through the whole lot of them. Brushing off the few that had set off on her like they were nothing, Lerna continued to observe the orb that she had rested on a dark tile in her Barrier. She could sense a sentient being within the orb, but multiple attempts to unmask it had failed miserably. Eventually, Lerna decided to play a little hacky-sack with this stupid orb. Perhaps then it would realize that Lerna was in fact a conscious being... or at least help Lerna pass the time.

[Hälō]

Sephiroth, and Jecht

 

 "Well, Isamy, are you worthy of commanding me? I won't hurt you too bad, but show me what you got!"

 

Upon hearing the hooded figure’s challenge towards Isamy, Sephiroth instantly manifested Masamune, loosely gripping the impossible long blade, as he continued to lean against the pillar that stood closest to the throne. What happened next would seem extremely bazaar the weaker members of the divine; they would hear the sound of a sword cutting through the air, followed by several ghostly streaks of silver that seemed vanished in an instant , they would then witness the hooded figure’s high speed projectile fall into several pieces, only a few feet away from the throne.  Those of the high caliber would know that this was thanks to a plethora of high speed slashes from Sephiroth, who still appeared to be leaning against the pillar.

 

“An impressive display, but I don’t think any tests of Isamy’s strength are required.” Sephiroth rested is cyan gaze on the man, as he spoke in a semi-amused tone. “That being said, I won’t allow you, or anyone else to even attempt harming her." He paused for a moment. "I believe you should be thanking me, though… What exactly did you think destroyed the shadow realm anyway?”  As he spoke he glanced at Isamy for only a moment, once again observing something unseen. Seemingly satisfied with what he saw, Sephiroth regained the hooded figure in his sights, silently awaiting his next action.

 

Jecht watched the whole display with a bored expression, before turning back to face Dorian, and his Digiman friend. “Wasn't the kid in the hood the one complaining about “pointless fighting”, and all that self-righteous noise?" He sure dropped that pretty quickly, eh?” Jecht made sure to speak intentionally loud, as he placed his muscular hand on Dorian’s shoulder in his usual jolly manner. “But I was wondering, if both sides keep bringing in subs... how long do you think this season’s gona go for?"

[Astolfo]

The Renegade had fully expected that the attack would be otherwise removed before it could do any harm to any being, but what he didn't expect as much was that the tall man that seemed to radiate some twisted angelic aura to do it. Using what seemed to be a blade conjured out of thin air, it had sliced the projectile to pieces with immense speed. When the man spoke, the Renegade just laughed, ever the Joker until he decided to become aggressive, his current mood fading quickly to a playful sounding tone. "Well, well, well. Aren't you the loyal knight to protect her? Maybe you could replace Vigilance, who knows? Teehee~ But I'm afraid I haven't been around for a "Shadow Realm" party. You should've invited me." His red eyes twisting into crescent moons with their tips pointed down in an amused face, he once again leapt into the air, flying around gracefully using gravity manipulation in front of his head to pull him along gently. Landing down just in time to hear a snarky comment from the man that seemed to have an ungodly amount of strength, the hooded figure turned. "Well that hurts. And to the extent of my recent knowledge, I have not complained about pointless fighting or the like." His eyes twisting upside down into an expression that might be viewed as offended or sad, the figure laughed melodiously. Completely settled down by now, he spoke. "Well that piece of funny business is over now. Care to tell me your names? You guys seem stronger than the rest of these crapsacks." Walking over to Sephiroth, then Jecht and BlackWarGreymon, he opened his arms in a pseudo-magnanimous "why not?" expression, his head cocked, his Reflection on passively at the moment as usual. He wasn't the slightest bit worried by any of the three of them, but viewed them as worthy allies and was a bit more careful, slightly hoping he didn't ruin their perspective of him already.

[Gαr]

Unlimited Blade Works

 

Ed couldn't help but smirk at MachGaogamon's about helping the Corps' cause. "My friend, I guess your definition and my definition about showing loyalty are very different. And the name's Ed Garith, but just call me Ed. Short and sweet." Suddenly, a an extremely large spear formed in the sky and pierced the ground. Ed already knew what that before Emiya even sent out his telepathic message to everyone. He then noticed the young man who MachGaogamon was eying earlier was running towards them. Ed hopped of his little pillar and as soon as he was standing, it dissipated in a small burst of black flames. He began walking towards Emiya, and when he pasted MachGaogamon, he whispered, "That young man you were looking at earlier is running towards you, and he looks pretty adamant about something." He kept walking until he noticed Kenpachi committing one of the most solemn acts a swordsmen can ever do: cut his own hair. Ed prayed a silent prayer for whatever Kenpachi was dedicating himself to. Ed arrived at the large spear and received his red cloak. He decided against wearing it and tied it around his belt since he was already resistant against most natural environments and climates. Suddenly, Kenpachi appeared out of the sky, and for a moment, Ed was slightly confused and aghast. Upon hearing Kenpachi's resolution, Ed understood what he was planning, except the details. "Kenpachi, I don't know you and you don't know me, but from swordsman to swordsman, godspeed on your mission."

[Love of Ghibli]

Isamy's Throne Room

 

Things surely were eventful on the villains front. It seemed that while the second string of recruits did provide some more useful members it did come with there fair share of loons. It seemed that someone was bold enough to actually challenge Isamy to combat. Dorian rolled his eyes at the folly of this action. If this person were to actually use some thought process instead of just flattering his ego he would see that there are multiple super powers all willing to bow down to this one women. Butler already being close to the throne was ready to intercept this attack but of course the more powerful and silver haired knight Sephiroth dealt with the attack flawlessly. What was interesting was the three different viewpoints Team Dorian saw. Dorian being the weakest only saw the initial sword make contact with the structure. Butler was able to see the slashes but not all of them and finally BWG could see everything. BWG respected this silver haired fellow and he was infinitely more impressed with the defense rather than attack but he acknowledged that persons power. 

Dorian sighed as this buffoon was set on making a scene but this should have been expected. Dorian just shook his head and facepalmed. After this display the hero figure Jecht proposed an interesting question. If more recruits are brought end then this clash could be endless. Unfortunately before Dorian could reply to the man the annoyance decided to seek out the two strong one clustered together.

BWG didn't really have an understand of what was happening. So many strong people are seeking his attention which was definitely new to him. In all honesty he wanted to start scrapping with everyone right then but he knew that Dorian would not approve of this action. Odd that he somehow felt bonded to this new person who was definitely weaker but had a lot more inner strength. Maybe the inner strength is the quality BlackWarGreymon was searching for. BWG stepped forward making sure this stranger's path to Dorian was impeded. My name is BlackWarGreymon, but it seems Bob is easier to remember. So you may call me that. 

Dorian's eye twitched as he knew this stranger was referring to him as a "crapsack." Though it didn't matter. Pretty soon Dorian was going to have two top tier combatants acting as his personal bodyguards why would he care with this miscellaneous mortal thought. He decided to use this opportunity to answer Jecht. I think the point of drawing all these subs is to stall. Well at least for us anyway. All we're here for is to keep these good guys from touching her while she searches for some door. Though I must say she seems to be lazily sitting there watching us while her secretary knight does all the vocal work. Curious, you were on the front lines when we were in the shadow realm how did the strength of the good guys measure?

 

Butler had witnessed everything including this sick persons power. It was then he and Ragnarok looked back at Isamy with intense earnest as it seems that going on this errand was getting more and more risky. Luckily BWG seemed like he was a trustworthy fellow. .

[Phantom Roxas]

Eria stopped herself before her face hit against the block of ice. “Stay out of this,” Arthur said. The girl who had summoned the ice suggested that this was just a lover’s spat, which didn’t help things. Before Arthur could protest any further, the sound of something crashing into the ground was heard across all of Unlimited Blade Works, and Eria was folding up her bunny ears in fear. When it had stopped, Eria didn’t argue with the girl dragging her away, leaving Arthur with the transvestite and that boy Eria seemed to know.

 

The transvestite seemed to actually care about saving the worlds, although he didn’t take it very seriously. He walked off, not waiting for Arthur. The young man turned to the other boy, curious about him. “Jin, wasn’t it? If you don’t trust me, I get it, but Eria seems to trust you, so take care of her, won’t you?”

 

---

“Um, thank you,” Eria said to Lydia, “But I need to get something~pyon.” Eria turned away, looking at the cloak Emiya had given her. It fit quite nicely, although she was humiliated that there were holes in the hood that her bunny ears could fit through. She ignored everyone else, including MachGaogamon, who seemed to be in the middle of a fight, although she dismissed that as training. She returned to her barracks in spite of Emiya ordering the Counter Corps to report to the Spear of Longinus, taking the parts of her staff in her hand. They were enchanted to work to her will, so Eria was thinking of ways she could fix it. Putting the pieces together and commanding them to merge didn’t work, and when she focused solely on the part that held the crystal – the true source of the staff’s power – nothing happened. There were a few moments where it looked like a drip of water had formed, but the water evaporated before it even touched the ground.

 

Eria recalled how she and her fellow Charmers received the staff. The four of them journeyed up a mountain, each of the girls carrying white crystals in their hands. The girls came to split up as different parts of the mountains held the sanctuaries where the rites of enchantment had to be performed. Hiita and Aussa ventured into a cave, while Eria and Wynn ascended to the top. Wynn had to embrace the power of the skies, while Eria had to the freshest spring. Among her three friends, Wynn was the one Eria was the closest to, so of course they helped each other out, even though the rules said that eventually would need to perform the rites on their own. Indeed, Eria did, and her crystal turned a beautiful shade of blue, infused with her spirit.

 

As Eria had trained with the Charmers, Gagagigo was being taken care of by her mother back at her home village. When Eria made a brief visit there, she bonded Gagagigo as her familiar. The memories reminded Eria of just what she was fighting for. She had journeyed with her friends, and now the only one she had left, a creature she had raised while he was still in his egg, was with the Divine. She held up her staff at the walls, trying to pour all her feelings into it. “O blessed spirits of the sea, I beseech thee~pyon.” Eria bit her tongue, knowing that her vocal tic would be upsetting to her prayer. “In this soulscape, please let my powers be restored~pyon."

 

The staff began to crumble to dust, in her hand, forcing Eria to drop it to the floor. However, the crystal seemed to remain intact. Reaching down to grab the crystal, Eria’s vision was blinded by the blue light. When she could see again, she noticed that the barracks were frozen, and her body was covered in snow. The walls, the floors, even her bed, were all ice. “I guess that’s a start~pyon.” Looking at her bed, she held up both her hands, imagining the bed unfrozen. Slowly but surely, the ice began to melt, and the bed was covered in water. A smile formed on Eria’s face, and she jumped into the air. “My powers work~pyon!” She surveyed the entirety of the barracks, and soon the whole of the ice began to melt. Eria commanded the water to rise up, but nothing happened. “Great, so I can only melt stuff~pyon. What good is that going to do in a desert~pyon?” Stepping back outside, she solemnly returned to the Spear of Longinus. “It’s okay, Eria, you can do this~pyon. You’ll save Gagagigo~pyon.”

 

---

MachGaogamon simply rolled his eyes at Ed's attempts to be intimidating. He was acting just like Arthur, and MachGaogamon was hoping that there would be less people like him among the Counter Corps. As Ed warned MachGaogamon about the boy with his pets before running off, one of the small creatures charged at MachGaogamon, firing a ball of darkness at MachGaogamon. The ball was no bigger than his pinky, so MachGaogamon simply poked the ball, popping it. However, his hand winced in pain. He looked down at the boy and sighed. "…Really?" He looked at the Spear of Longinus and slowly moved forward. "I suppose I was mistaken in trying to mingle with some of the others. We don't have time for playfighting." MachGaogamon looked at the cloak that had appeared in his hands. Somehow, Emiya was able to generate a cloak that could fight on a twelve-foot wolf cyborg, and with a shrug, donned the cloak, although there was a large gap in the back of it, so the back only covered the his shoulders. Still, MachGaogamon didn't feel like he need it, but it was worth the precaution.

 

---

Nero kept trying to keep things optimistic, which was rather strange considering what he was going through. When Sora received his own cloak, he resembled his Valor Form while wearing it. It had been a while, but maybe this meant he could summon a second Keyblade. He tried to call one forth, but there was nothing, although Sora wasn't surprised. He looked around for Kenpachi, and when he found the Shinigami, he noticed that he had cut his hair. Sora nodded at Kenpachi, understanding that the Shinigami had prepared himself for what was necessary.

 

However, while the warriors had gathered, awaiting Emiya's orders, a young woman had teleported to the area. Naked. Sora covered his eyes, not daring to look, although he heard another voice calling the girl out.

 

"Show off~pyon!" Eria cried out. "Why are you choosing now of all times to streak around~pyon? Waiting for all the attention, I bet~pyon!"

[Tophat Tiger]

Unlimited Blade Works: Minutes after the spear fell on the ground.
 
The Gentleman had been leaning on the door of his facility for some minutes, having a clear visage of the spear crashing onto the ground, the sound of the impact roaring on his ears. Not more than a few moments, Emiya's voice echoed in his ears as well, and he went to hurry himself up as quickly as possible, picking up his hat from the ground and placing it in his head, following with a tuck to place it in a proper angle for him.
 
He reached for the cards scattered around the table, taking 5 complete decks of 56 cards, and placing them in hidden pouches of his tuxedo, finally reaching for his cane. He looked around, contemplating his aim for a couple of seconds and briskly walked in direction of the hill.
 
Unlimited Blade Works: Present Time
 
Had stretched his arms and "caught" the cloak, examining him with a critical eye while shifting his gaze towards himself. "It doesn't fit my suit too badly. Plus, who would I be if I refused a welcome protection?" He nonchalantly placed the cloak on top of his suit, leaving the hood hanging in his back. He still had to figure out a way to use it with his hat, in case it came to that.
 
He looked around, studying the unfamiliar faces around him, with a polite smile on his face. "If we need to be in groups, I believe I need to fit in somewhere. If someone would be so kind to welcome me in one, I believe I would be no hindrance to you."

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

Unlimited Blade Works

 

"The hell kinda bullshit are you on about?!" Sarah called back to the rabbit woman, Eria, "I'm not even down to..."

 

Whatever she was thinking she was wearing, she was wrong; as she found out the hard way. As her eyes strolled downwards to double-check that she was still wearing her robe, all she saw was pretty much skin and bone. This was nothing like what Sarah was expecting. All she wanted was to get over there already and get the show on the road, but thanks entirely to the screwy way teleportation now worked, she ended up embarrassing herself in the process.

 

"FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!" Sarah screamed at the top of her lungs, trying desperately to shield her goodies from the sight of the other Counter Corps.

 

Isamy's Castle

 

While Vigilance was busy explaining the course of action, Azumi had pulled out her laptop, trying to see if she could connect to the satellite that had been brought to Isamy's vault from the Throne Room. That part was successful at least; now she just needed to actually hack into it and blow it up so she'd never have to deal with it again. But she automatically gained access to what the satellite was seeing; all those artefacts in there, and even some living beings...

 

Not knowing what to do, Azumi shut the laptop down. Perhaps this was something she should address Isamy about.

[The Warden]

Lydia rolled at her eyes at the smooth naked flesh. She didn't exactly condone public nudity, but some people do need to stop making a big deal out of this. Pointing Cue-Stick in a circle around Sarah, she lightly tapped the shortstaff into the ground. "Ice Wall" she muttered.

 

A wall of ice burst from the ground in the area around of Sarah. "Okay boys, nothing to see here. Move along with the storyline now Emiya" she said as casually as you would after seeing someone streaking.

 

Ivankov nodded solemnly. "Candy-girl is right sword-boy. Each passing moment just gives the Divine more power and time. Ve should take initiative and strike the Desert Seth to prevent the Divine from having a decent setup. Ve must get them before they can bunker down and wall us off" he purred; obviously his year of working as a Revolutionary paying off.

 

Lydia raised her wand in agreement. "Yeah, I agree with the disturbing transvestite. -Okama candy-girl.- Whatever, point is, we have the power and the cloaks, SO LET'S FIGHT! Since, I'm not quite sure if you guys noticed, but we ARE just standing around developing our own little plots whilst the multiverse is at stake! Maybe we should show a little more hustle here."

 

---

 

Frank was quite passive at the events going on. When you're on the 'evil side', infighting is even more common than on the hero's side. "Really we are all a large number of egos with something to prove. Though my place amongst them seems certainly out of place. But, I must follow through with the young lolita's plans, if I am to achieve my dream of a world of animal ears... and of course animal horns. So many at times do I forget my new love. Maybe that's what my next Mimigar should be about, functional horns. I should upgrade the Mimigar ZZ as well with horns, to further achieve ~moe~ and blahblahblah"  Frank thought, his mind wandering over into his obsession with ~moe~.

 

Jeriii on the other hand was growing impatient. They had been standing here for too long and she was already tired of the company of the humans and that, horrible wretched Digimon. "I aM gRoWiNg ImPaTiEnT! bEgIn OuR vItAl PrOcEsS hUmAn WiTcH, sO wE mAy CoNsUmE tHe WrEtChEd LiVeS oF tHoSe InSiPiD cOuNtEr CoRpS aNd ThEiR vIlE lEaDeR! nO mOrE dIsTrAcTiOnS! nO mOrE gAmEs! PrOgReSs BeGiNs NOW!" the horrible creature roared.

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Silver, The Wayward Traveler

 

"Y-you talk?" Silver said, in disbelief. Some Pokemon had spoken before, could this be a legendary Pokemon? Then, to Silver's horror, a giant cloak had appeared in the 'Pokemon's' hands; a much smaller one appearing in Silver's hands. That was when silver realized his mistake; he had assaulted another Counter Corps member and had called him a Pokemon and tried to make him his own. Silver returned Espeon and frowned at his own folly. "I'm sorry I tried to battle you; where I come from we have creatures similar to you walking around all the time, free for trainers such as myself to catch and make lovely homes for." Silver said, then noticed the growing crowd. "Either way, we should be getting over there." Silver said, walking away from the beast, hoping the apology was good enough.

 

Upon Silver's depart from MachGaogamon, he saw the owner of the spaceship he had been helping earlier just staring at him. It was then he realized he said that he would help with the ship's overall fixing. "Oh! Yes! I'm sorry, I had, something else to take care of." Silver said, reflecting on his attempt to catch a false Pokemon. This person was good enough to be trusted by Emiya and to join the Counter Corps, so Silver was about to do something he never did before. "I can let Tyranitar help you, he's strong and his speed is good too." Silver threw a Pokeball in the air and with a beam of light a tall and strong olive-green beast of a Pokemon came into view. "Tyranitar, I want you to listen to this woman and help her as much as you can." Tyranitar obeyed and walked over to Itsu. "I hope your ship gets fixed soon and you can join us in there." Silver said, and then began his walk towards Emiya.

Nero, The Keyblade War Hero

 

"And here's the random, we were wondering what happened to that aspect." Nero quickly flicked off his cloak and threw it over the naked girl; then being separated from his new cloak seconds later by an ice wall. Nero looked at Sora who had just now found his other friends and seemed to be happy about Kenpachi's new appearance. In his own way, Nero was also happy; despite his growing circumstance, seeing Sora with his own group of friends somehow outweighed his current situation. "I think I'll stick around you guys when we're in the Desert Seth, as long as I can I suppose." Nero stated, looking at his keyblade handle in the corner of his eyes, thinking that maybe these new friendships could restore its power.

[Reinforce]

Lyon

Lyon didn't bother to reply to MachGaogamon's previous comment, save for his name, "Lyon" as he walked up towards the spear and the assembling group. On arrival, he received a red cloak along with everyone, that seemed to easily fit itself over his armour. With the knowledge of where they were heading this time, Lyon didn't bother with reinforcing his armour with ice, expecting it would just melt once the group got there even if the cloaks partially shielded them from it. That done, he just stood and waited, watching to see what would happen next.

 

Ayame and Naomi

Once mostly recovered from their previous ordeal, the two girls met up with the rest of the group as it assembled for the fight once more. Having received the cloaks, there was no hesitation in either of them as they placed them on. That done, they just stood around and waited for Emiya to open the portal to the Desert Seth, where they would be fighting the opposing forces once more.

 

Darcy

Darcy rolled her eyes as the troublemaker who had just tried to attack their leader as he seemingly found a group to fight with. Listening to the knight's briefing, she frowned slightly at the mention of creatures that would once again be able to resist their willpower. Thinking over that, a slight smirk found its way over her face as she recalled that amidst the chaos that had happened in the last confrontation, she had managed to nearly bend one of the flying creatures in the shadow realm to her will before the water mage distracted her, and wondered if she could try again with the sandwyrms. Also on her thoughts was the little water mage, one she would dearly like to have another go at, after their original fight had been interrupted by the winged warrior.

[Kingdom Xathers]

[spoiler=Isamy's Castle/Artifact Vault]
"Hey, Gabriel," Bayonetta spoke, momentarily removing the lollipop from her mouth, "can you keep a secret?"

"What kind?" asked the lion plushie sitting in Bayonetta's lap.

"The kind that can make our stay here a bit more productive. Now, it may not be a way to actually get us out of here," Bayonetta said, giving a small twirl with the lollipop in her hand, "but it is a way to contact the outside."

"Contact the outs--!" "Shhh!" "Oh, sorry," Gabriel apologized, bringing his voice down to a whisper. "But seriously, we can contact the outside now?"

"In a roundabout way, yes," Bayonetta confirmed. "You see, when Isamy momentarily brought down the barrier to hand me my snacks, I took the time to activate a simple spell, one that she wouldn't easily catch on to. It's merely a communication spell, one with which I can contact The Gates of Hell."

"G-Gates of Hell?" gulped the plushie.

"Oh, don't worry," reassured Bayo, "that's just the name of a bar I frequent. The proprietor, Rodin, is both the bartender and my weapon supplier."

"Sounds kinda badass, I'll admit."

Bayonetta nodded. "Anyway, if I'm correct, Rodin may have found his way out of harm's way. The Gates of Hell can sort of be temporarily moved into the Realm of Inferno, or anywhere else for that matter. All I'd have to do now is to give him a ring." As she said this, a few cryptic glyphs seemed to form by the right side of Bayonetta's face, arranging themselves to form a headset. Meanwhile, another glyph formed in front of her, the symbol of the Umbra Witches. The center of the glyph seemed to flicker briefly, almost like a television set experiencing static. "Testing, testing. 1, 2, 3. Testing. Oh, is this bloody thing even working...?"

"Ba-*krssht*-etta, tha-*sssshhrt*-you? Bayo-*sshshshs*?" On the glyph's screen, the outline of a bald-headed man could barely be seen amongst the static interference.

"Rodin, can you hear me?" Bayonetta inquired. "Is this connection working?"

"I-*shsrhshshhh*-barely-*SshRHRSHshshht*-a word you're-*sshhrhsthts*--ckin' piece of-*BANG BANG* ... ... huh, that's better." After what seemed to be a bit of percussive maintenance on the other end, the image of a seemingly African American man wearing sunglasses could be seen clearly on the glyph's screen.
(BGM: The Gates of Hell/Bayonetta OST)
Bayonetta gave a genuinely relieved smile. "Rodin, I never thought I'd be happy to see your face again."

"Likewise," replied the bartender, his perfect-for-smooth-jazz-radio voice now clearly audible. "Thought you'd been jammed inside some cosmic keyhole by now."

"Well, we can thank fate for that, for what it's worth," Bayonetta said. "The girl is still looking for more junk with which she believes can open that Door--how do you know about the Door, anyway?"

"Some guy calling himself "Emiya"," Rodin answered. "We were actually introduced around the time he found Jeanne floatin' around in space--"

"Jeanne's all right?!" Bayonetta practically grabbed the glyph out of the air, bringing it closer. "Where is she? Is she there with you? I want to speak to her!"

"Hey, take it easy, Bayonetta! You're gonna cause a disconnect," warned Rodin. "Jeanne ain't here right now, she's off about to do another mission with the rest of Emiya's motley crew. Still," Rodin added, "there are a few stragglers here who'd be more than happy to see y--HEY!!"

Rodin was unceremoniously pushed aside by a young man wearing a blue-and-orange scarf, some of his shoulder-length hair tied into a small ponytail. "Bayonetta! Is that really you?!"

"Luka...," Bayonetta sighed out as her facial features grew even softer, relieved to see that the man was all right. "Yes, I'm okay--"

"'Ey, what about me?!" Luka was also shoved out of the way by a stout, heavyset middle-aged man. "What, am I chopped liver now?"

"Enzo, you too?" At this, Bayonetta was genuinely surprised. "Rodin, you seem to have been busying yourself with a bit of rescue work, haven't you--and why do I hear mewing? Do you have cats over there, too?"

"Those'll be Luka's girls," Rodin replied with a shaded glare directed toward Luka. "He wouldn't stop complainin' 'til I went and picked them up for him, and his little dog, too."

Bayonetta sighed. "Oh, Cheshire, Cheshire, Cheshire...."

"Anyways," Rodin continued, "Luka and his little pets aren't the only ones I managed to pick up."

"Really?", asked a curious Bayonetta.

"Yeah. Ever heard of the C.O.G.?"

---

UBW

---

"Ugh, this thing is even more tacky than the last accessory he gave us," Jeanne uttered in displeasure as she looked over the red robe that appeared in her hands. "It's not even my shade of red." After pouting about it for a moment or so, Jeanne decided, with a shrug, to actually make the most of this; almost like a blur, Jeanne began to rapidly make numerous adjustments to her robe. One could even see a sewing machine momentarily if they paid close attention. In mere seconds, the robe had been tailored into a sleeveless, high-collared dress, the remaining fabric being used to make a stereotypical witch's hat.

"So, Madam Okama," Jeanne said to Ivankov, giving a little pose to showcase her new look, "any comments on my new look?"


Meanwhile, Alexander and Ratchet stared at the pile of clothing where Sarah once stood. "So... did that just happen?" asked Ratchet, trying to stifle a guilty laugh.

"Well, that's one way to get something off your chest, I suppose," Alexander chuckled a bit with a shrug. "Anyways, looks like we'll be wearing these robes to our next destination... shame, it's really not my shade of red--wait, how do you have one?" Alexander blurted, spying a red robe in Ratchet's hands as well. "Don't tell me--"

"Huh, looks like I'm coming with you guys this time," Ratchet replied with a half-smile. "And looks like Clank's got some protection, too," he added, seeing Clank's metallic body now taking on a reddish tint.

"We can't be that short-handed, can we...?" Alexander uttered with a half-curious, half-worried tone.

"Alex, could you stop freaking out for a sec?" Ratchet groaned at the older lombax's "excessive" concern. "I mean, I've got Clank and Mr. Zurkon with me."

"And what am I?"

"Huh?"

"Of course, I'm keeping an eye on you, Ratchet," Alexander elaborated. "I mean, we can't have another episode--"

"Alex!" Ratchet exasperatedly shouted. "Ugh! Okay, we can team up, but I can handle myself without too much assistance." He then realized Alexander and Clank giving him a shared, skeptical look. "... oh, cut it out!!"

Alexander sighed. "Well, if you're coming with us, that means you won't be staying here to help Itsu fix the Inch of Will. But~ I'm sure she still has plenty of other people to help in the reconstruction."

"Like us, you mean?"

"Yeah, like these two--" ( O _O)7 Alexander turned around to see two individuals standing behind him: the lighter skinned one sporting short blonde hair and wearing goggles on his head; and the darker skinned one with a shaved head wearing a pale bandana. Both of them were wearing heavy-looking sleeveless armor. "... daf*q did you get here?!" Alexander blurted out in utter surprise.

"Hey, now that's no way to greet us, is it, fuzzball?" chided the blonde.

"Wait, I think I remember... Baird? Cole?" Ratchet uttered.

"How 'bout that? The little one remembers us!" laughed Cole.

"Barely," Ratchet admitted, "but it's sorta coming back to me--wait, where's Marcus? And the others?"

"Yeah, about that," Baird replied, scratching the back of his head. "Marcus and the others are over at Rodin's place, The Gates of Hell. That's where we've been crashing since the universe's been, uh... crashing."

"... you don't seem too calm about it, though," Alexander spoke, noting Baird's unease. "I mean, less calm than most people would be in your position. What's wrong?"

Baird and Cole gave each other a solemn look. "... it's Dom," Baird answered.

"What...? What's happened to Dominic?"

"Dom... he's been kidnapped," said Cole.

---

Isamy's Castle/Throne Room

---

As Alister watched the Renegade Joker's attempt at striking Isamy, time seemed to once again slow down for him (involuntarily, for some odd reason). Just as it did, Alister noticed that the silver-haired swordsman, Sephiroth, began to swing his sword at an alarming pace; even with time slowed down, Alister could only register seeing the man swing twice, maybe even thrice, at the large stone slab, while he could also see a multitude of flashes from his abnormally long kodachi slicing through the stone. Before time returned to its regular pace for him, Alister got to see the stone fall apart in half; when time returned to normal, the stone became nothing more than dust. "... oh my god," he uttered under his breath, his eyes widening as his ears drooped back.

"Well, that was a lovely little distraction," Sayer said calmly, slightly taken aback by the Renegade's sudden show of rebellion. "Let's just hope there'll be no further assaults on our fearless leader... or each other, for that matter," he added, with a slight "glance" in Alister's general direction.

[Kōsuke Ueki]

Now you all shall face your greatest enemy: yourselves...

 

Stand up, you coward...!

 

I will fight forever if it means I can protect those I care about...!

 

To defeat yourself, is to take advantage of your own weaknesses...

 

That moment...what brought that up? What made Tsunugai think of which was already said and done? What made it the slightest bit clear, was a particular man nearby Vigilance. Tsunugai had already listened to what the animate shell of armor had to say, so he took everything into consideration. The man in white was questioning another's usefulness and seemed to have something that interested Tsunugai. After the backlash by Kiotso, Tsunugai walked up to Matthew, reluctancy seen through his helmet. Whatever this man had about him, he needs an ally. Being alone is the one the one thing he would avoid at the moment.

 

"So...dare I ask what your story may be?" Tsunugai asked, no hesitation in his voice whatsoever.

[Malignant]

Location: Unlimited Blade Works

 

Hibari looked upwards. He had felt the tremors within the air before he had even glanced at the gear infested sky. He smirked at the gigantic falling spear, whistling slightly as it crashed and pierced itself firmly against the breaking earth.

 

"Wow."

 

Readjusting his grip on his two tonfa, Hibari increased his walking speed. There was some curiosity at the sight of the spear, no doubt, but he knew why the spear was there in the first place, even without Emiya's message.

 

It was a sign for gathering.

 

And although he absolutely loathed gathering and crowding together like a herd of herbivores, he knew that the people who would gather at the enormous fallen spear were anything but weak-willed, pathetic, organisms.

 

His own self included.

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Matthew Supplex: The Man With The Not So Golden Gun

 

Matthew was still in a bit of a lock-on with Kiotso when a voice asked him about his story and if he should dare to ask about its details. It was good timing, as Matthew had just decided that there was nothing left to dispute with Kiotso. Matthew turned around and had to adjust his eyesight slightly; the man was right behind but was about two inches shorter than him. "My name is Matthew Supplex, there really isn't much to tell about my story.. My past is paved with greed, bloodshed, and doing what needs to be done when no one else seems to know anything." Matthew said, removing his hand from his pant's pocket to cover a cough. "Might I ask your name?" Matthew said, never really being the best at small talk.

[Kōsuke Ueki]

Hm, not the response he'd hoped for, but was fine with it nonetheless. "I don't really have a name. The life in which I once lived is locked within my memory and reveals little with each passing day. But from what I already know, I had so much innocent blood on my hands that I feel as though I can never undo such a thing. But now I stand to right my wrongs with the power destined to me since birth." Tsunugai felt like he was just rambling. "Sorry, got off track there. I guess you can call me by my original name: Yagato Kuroichi." Tsunugai then extended his hand. "Would you care to form a temporary alliance?" He then made a half-smile behind his helmet.