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

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Matthew Supplex, The Man With The Not So Golden Gun

 

Matthew listened as the man spoke of his life and about writing his wrongs of the past; he was most interested in the fact that the man seemed to be missing most of his memories. "Heh, don't I know a thing or two about memories..." Matthew responded and thought of how he used memories to control his subordinates and to make his clones that much more under his control. By the time he had come back to the conversation, the armored man was offering his hand and trying to make a temporary alliance. Matthew shook his hand and then put it back into his pant's pocket. "I'll form an alliance with you, but if I may speak freely, it sounds as though you're on the wrong side." Matthew said, turning his attention toward Isamy and Viligance once again.

[Merci]

LERNA's Barrier
 
'It' appeared to be playing some sort of game with 'him', a game that involved keeping him continually moving at velocities within the air without hitting the murky ground below. At this point he was entirely certain that 'it' possessed some form of intelligent awareness, but how it managed to preserve this sentience with such a metaphysical form was difficult to comprehend. After a bit of thought, perhaps it was a 'ghost', though one that could interact with the physical environment, and one that possessed such remarkable strength and energy at that, was unfathomable to 'him'.
 
Perhaps 'he' should attempt to communicate with 'it'. But would it understand? Were it to speak any other language than the one that which 'he' knew of, then it would be a futile effort. Still, perhaps 'he' should try it anyway. While the question remained as to how 'he' would communicate outside of this imprisonment, it wasn't that much of an issue. Having existed for as long as 'he' had, there were surely many methods to do so, some that even a natural disaster with a mind could understand. Besides, the result may prove to be somewhat interesting.
 
After all, wasn't that how 'he' used to spend 'his' life? Surrounded by beings that could never understand 'his' existence?
 
Reminded of such a time even though it had occurred thousands of years ago, 'he' couldn't help but feel somewhat nostalgic.
 
And so 'his' mind slowly began to run through the different options, as 'his' physical body continued to be flung about in the air over and over again.
 
 

---

 
 
Unlimited Blade Works, five minutes ago
 
Emiya shook his head.
 
"Unfortunately not. It would take a very long purification ritual or the power of an angel to cleanse such corruption. Adriel may have been able to help, but he's no longer present with us. We don't have the time for any rituals either." He informed Foster. "The quickest option would be to let myself die so the Multiverse can replace me with another, unblackened Counter Guardian. But that person won't be Emiya, and I don't know what sort of decisions he or she might make. They may even side with the daughter of Maximus. It's too risky an option to take."
 
 

---

 
 
Isamy's Castle
 
Was somebody...actually attempting to attack her?
 
Shortly after replying to Butler, and before Viligance could continue on with his speech, the hooded figure yelled out all of a sudden and launched a part of the very floor as a kind of platform towards her. Time slowed down as it did so, and for a moment, she had to think to herself whether this was a betrayal against the Divine or merely a tantrum thrown by a Class Four Entity. After a bit of consideration, she decided that it would be best to consider this the latter, but a clear demonstration of her abilities would have to be due.
 
Calming standing up from the throne, Isamy observed the projectile and held her right hand up like she was about to perform some kind of beginner's karate chop on it. However, there was no need, as Sephiroth intercepted it with highly impressive speed. Having slowed down her perception of time, she bore full witness to his movements that were harsh yet fluid, effortlessly taking down the Renegade's projectile.
 
But it was only to be expected. As far as she knew, Sephiroth was the strongest member of the Divine. Others came a close second, including Jecht and the Renegade, but she considered him to be at the very top. Of them all, he was the greatest in terms of strength and technique, and also the least likely to betray her so long as she had him unleash his might against the Counter Corps. He could probably even defeat Emiya in a one-on-one match, which was what she was counting upon.
 
After sitting down again and after an unexpected event had been laid to rest, Viligance saw it fit to continue with his explanation. He faced the Divine.
 
"The Desert Seth is, as said before, is perhaps the smallest realm in the multiverse. While the overlaying physics that dictate it resemble that of a normal world, in truth, it's much more complicated than that, and after research it served as the template for the original pocket dimensions. They've also measured it, and it's roughly around ten kilometers in diameter. Travel too far and you'll be bent by the edge of the compressed space. Luckily, an exceedingly long line stones have been conveniently placed along the edge,so if you encounter them, turn around."
 
Although he knew that he was most likely boring the multidimensional warriors, he did nothing but continue on without any form of body language to imply that he was even remotely human.
 
"Of course, this would beg the question of how such a small place would come to be. While many interdimensional scholars tend to speculate about its nature, the answer to that is quite simple. Once, it was a universe just like all of yours." Viligance continued. For the briefest of moments, he fidgeted. "Only it was a superior universe in every way. It was dictated by the greatest of beings. More powerful than the Saiyans, and more advanced than the Time Lords... In their effort to master the entire multiverse, they used powers beyond comprehension to try and rewrite reality. But as a result, they wiped themselves out from existence. All that remains of their legacy is a tiny fragment of their society - a desert - that has preserved its properties due to a certain artifact. Truly, it was a pitiful end for those dreamers."

 

The knight stopped, remaining silent as if lost in thought. Only to resume.

 

"Now. After their previous failure, the Counter Corps will most likely head there as their next move, since it threatens Isamy's discovery of the 'Key to Origin'."
 
It does? Isamy thought to herself, but chose not to interrupt.
 
"Since time there is damaged, both the Big Bang and the Big Crunch no longer exist as phenomena, so even if we travel to the very beginning or end of time in that realm, one shall go never beyond the desert. To fix this paradox of cause-and-effect, the artifact temporarily crystallized itself into an orb for the first hour of the realm's existence - in the process creating a pyramid through which it could blend in with its surroundings - in order to act as a medium through which a sufficient negative energy could be generated, before mysteriously dissipating. Our goal will be to either defend or contain this artifact."
 
 

---

 
 
Unlimited Blade Works
 
"...to secure and obtain this artifact. And once you have it, defend it until I arrive at the Pyramid of the Chaos Barrier."
 
Though Viligance's explanation of the Desert Seth ended there, Emiya continued onward, for he did not feel as inclined to keep secrets to the Counter Corps. Even though his corruption was warning him that the Corps may attempt to take the map for themselves, he reasoned to it that they had no way to travel through the multiverse. Right now, only those who could bend the laws of spacetime such as Isamy, or those who served it such as the Counter Guardians, could traverse the vast spaces.
 
"While I have no idea how it'll do this, or why it possesses such a property, the orb can also act as a map leading towards the Key to Origin. Isamy has no knowledge of it, and essentially, our plan will be to outrace her there." He explained, and then frowned a bit. "There seems to be an anomaly within the pyramid as of right now, but perhaps it's only the orb exerting a little more force than necessary. Nothing to worry about, I'm sure."
 
Once everyone had put on their red cloaks, he decided to add one more thing before they all headed out.
 
 

---

 
 
"I'm sure you're all wondering about why there would be monsters on an abandoned, fragmented realm." Viligance went on. "The truth is that these monsters were brought there by the artifact as another defense mechanism, taking ones that suit and can blend into the desert environment, brainwashing them with the sole command of defending the pyramid. The sandwyrms are among the greatest of threats, but what else lies there is unpredictable. Also, the same principle as before should apply - the stronger you are, the stronger monsters you'll attract, though they'll generally focus more on taking you down this time."
 
Once it seemed like he had finally finished with his explanation, Isamy - up up until then felt left out - decided to conclude it,
 
"As before, I will resume my search of the Key. Should I exert too much force, my many avatars traversing the other realms will disperse, so I'm afraid I cannot accompany you all there." Isamy said, explaining the reason for her inactivity in the process. "Also, while your main mission will be to protect this artifact, erm...thing, you must all remember that you're here to crush Emiya and every last one of his Counter Corps, so if you could do that, that would be appreciated, thank you very much."
 
Then she took out her dark scythe from empty space and created a tall, black portal with a single swing, leading directly into the Desert Seth. It was aimed to take them all directly in front of the pyramid, but unbeknownst to her, the anomaly would end up scattering the members around the edge of the desert.
 
"Once you step into the spacial gateway, you should feel a slight tingling. If you don't want to have your own personal army of void creatures, just shrug it off. Viligance will accom-"
 
"Actually, since my shadow magic is insufficient in the light of the desert, I've decided to find someone who's better suited to such an environment." Viligance interrupted, and took out what appeared to be a Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card. "The spirit that resides within this shall contact each of you telepathically and ensure that you are all organized, as well as observe the battlefield from above. Follow any plan that it comes up with, and yes, you are free to ask it any questions."
 
Then he tossed the card straight into the portal, letting it materialize into a being on the other side.
 
"...well."
 
Was he always this weird? Though confused, Isamy shrugged it off, before turning back to the Divine with a calm, composed look.
 
"As you should all know by now, failure is not an option. Grant me victory, and I shall grant you your happy ending. Now, go."
 
 

---

 
 
Waving his hand, Emiya let the spear disappear, though it noticeably took a little longer than it should've, and the dark veins lining his body thickened a bit.
 
Once the large weapon was gone, it left only an empty hill, providing him the space he needed to create the entrance and take the Corps out. His real body had already entered the Desert Seth, so once he deployed them with the portal, they should all be in the most ideal position to approaching the pyramid. Thrusting both of his arms forward, space on top of the hill began to bend as a vortex was slowly being created, tearing through Unlimited Blade Works to create an opening outside.
 
Although, unbeknownst to him, the anomaly would interfere and scatter everyone all across the desert. That is, except for those who chose to enter at the same time as others. So for those who had formed a team, they would have to go in simultaneously to prevent being separated.
 
"Keep in mind that apparently, there's some kind of team called the Divine opposing us, made up of people also from all across the multiverse. Arthur and MachGaogamon have already told me about them, and I warn you; should you encounter a man with flowing silver hair named Sephiroth, or a man with a red bandana around his forehead named Jecht, run. Kenpachi can take them... But for the rest of you, I will say this frankly. Those two are beyond your level."
 
Looking over his shoulder to face the Counter Corps, he told them, "Finally, be careful. I'm sure you all know this by now, but anyone here can die. However, there is no turning back at this point. This time, we have to win."

[Love of Ghibli]

Isamy's Castle.

 

It seemed as if everything was actually underway. Dorian took in all the information and he was constantly perplexed about how complex this whole megaverse thing was. Nevertheless this whole mission was basically about one thing whoever finds the "artifact" first wins. Well whoever finds it first and successfully plays keep away with it long enough wins that is. Dorian gave an incidental snicker as he thought about how the fate of a series universes and worlds depends on a game of keep away. Though this game was pretty deadly and Dorian didn't want to begin the next round unprepared. While he now had what seemed to be fourth and sixth/seventh strongest members of the Divine acting as his own bodyguards. That would all be useless if the good guys were able to pull out some new super powered people. No Dorian wasn't going to take any chances this round. This round required patience. 

He looked around and noticed that portals were open for each of the members to go through and begin their assault on the dessert. Dorian contemplated and nodded as he reached his conclusion. So you've gone and gotten all smart on us now said the voice inside his head. Naturally it was Anansi who was speaking on behalf of the spirits that now reside in his soul. Dorian laughed as he realized that he hadn't talked to his spirits since he used them to fight the pink haired man/woman. Of course they knew everything that was going on thanks to his perfect balance. So guys what do you think? I say wait for Butler. I'm anxious to see what he unlocks with the help of our fearless leader. I would like to think that we're all on the same page with that. Meaning that in a combat scenario you're going to have to stop holding back so we can do our job properly. That and I think we're going to be needing the guys you keep locked up. You know just in case. Dorian's eyes widened in hesitancy and fear. Using spirits like Biida the Great Dragon of Prosperity was something he never attempted. Even as a card he didn't actually have to use it, mainly because its awesome power wasn't something that seemed like it would have helped in that situation. Um let's just say okay to that, but hopefully with Butler and Bob I won't actually need to use Biida. He literally shuddered at the thought.

BWG saw this shudder and was curious on what was going on. He was naturally anxious about fighting other strong fighters and it seemed like he was finally about to get the chance. However it seemed that his new colleague Dorian was not moving. Something wrong BWG asked.Nothing really I just want to wait for Butler. You weren't here for the last round of this...whatever this is, but I lets just say I don't want there to be a repeat. BWG nodded and then he was deep in thought. He tried this going solo thing for a while so maybe it was time for a change of pace. He decided to stay and wait as well though hopefully all of the good opponents won't be defeated by the time this Butler character does whatever he needs to do.

Butler and Ragnarok witnessed that the portals were open and people were ready to set off. This wasn't what either of them had hoped for. Now they were going to be late in the service of others. Now they just had to hope that there were enough souls for them to make a difference. What was slightly bittersweet though was to see that BlackWarGreymon and Dorian were actually staying behind. Wow...way to put on the pressure. Ragnarok said with a comically sad face.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Near The Inch of Will's Crash Site:

Itsu finally reached a nice, flat area for her to commence with her ritual. She couldn't enact the first part of her plan by herself, as her own powers were not working precisely, but instead, she could utilize a workaround. Instead of simply creating a hole through spacetime to her beloved companion and pull him out that way, she would enact a ritual from her own religion, summoning her motorcycle that way, which would instead draw upon her own divinity to grant the success of her ritual. She focused, and created a sphere of flame in her hands, dancing across the ground and letting the flames extend to trail behind her. Itsu's intricate dance wove a pattern into the ground, and when she was complete, she had a summoning circle with a hexagonal design etched into the ground, and stood at one end, where she would call upon her own godly abilities. Immediately, Itsu saw the circle glow gold, and a rush of wisps of golden flames jettisoned themselves from somewhere inside of her, the many souls that she had absorbed into herself as a sort of afterlife. They would be released temporarily to form the building blocks of her summon. These wisps streamed towards the center of the circle, coalescing into a serpentine form before adding more and more to the image, such as pods on the sides, circular sections at the fore and aft, and other details, before they materialized into a splendid construct of a motorcycle, decked out in crimson plates with an almost-organic chrome set of mechanisms along the undercarriage. The motorcycle appeared to be some sort of dragon, and it roared to life, its engines starting. <I HAVE ARRIVED, MILADY.> It announced out telepathically.

 

Near The Portal:

Foster turned to the rest of the Counter Corps, backing up so he is standing several steps in front of the portal, facing the others. "Now, before we blindly rush in, let's take a moment to actually plan out a strategy. We all rushed in last time, and we all went our separate ways. That was kinda stupid. Instead, we need to form up into teams. Now, whoever wants to be a team leader, raise your hand, and come up here to me." He himself raised his hand.

[Dad]

UBW, Near  the Newly Opened Portal

 

Kenpachi didn't hesitate to step forward and stand beside Foster, who was proposing a strategy.  "I didn't get your name, so you'll have to excuse me.  But I will volunteer to lead a team," he said as Yachiru bounced up behind him and climbed up to his right shoulder.  "Emiya and the guy beside me are both right.  If we're gonna come out of this with few to no more casualties," he said turning to look Yachiru in the eye, then returning his gaze to the Counter Corps members again.  "We have to do it right.  I'm sure the Divine already have teams formed as well.  And with respect to our enemies, we should organize ourselves by power.  With that being said, placing our strongest members on one team would make our total fighting strength weaker, but make our assault strength much stronger.  In other words, while spread out we would be at a disadvantage per team aside from the head team.  But together we would be able to force the enemy to adapt to your strategy.  You can make up your minds as to who joins who, but we should have at least one other leader," he said at last.   There was a stiffness in his voice, but Kenpachi was certain the others were as ready as he was.

 

"Battle calls.  Who among you will answer?" 

 

UBW, Mr. Zurkon

 

Mr. Zurkon's demeanor changed with the atmosphere as a portal opened up from space.  He put away his megaphone and hovered over to the center of other Counter Corps members and listened as Emiya, Foster, and Kenpachi each gave their speeches.  These aliens (to him at least) were not as stupid as he'd once thought.  But sure of his own strength, Mr. Zurkon hovered a bit higher and called out, "Mr. Zurkon is mighty and is ready to kill the stupid Divine aliens."  Yachiru cheered him on from Kenpachi's shoulders in an attempt to raise morale and get the Counter Corps going and prepared for battle.  "We're gonna win!" she cheered.  Mr. Zurkon laughed heartily as he fired his blaster into the air.

 

Kenpachi smiled silently, thinking in the back of his mind, "This machine's mindset is needed.  But we still cannot underestimate the remaining Divine members.  They're as strong as we are."

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Kiotso, The Frozen Soul

 

Kiotso listened to few words that Isamay and Viligance had left to say; teams and minions that weren't his own mattered not to him. The portal was now open, and almost as soon as it was, Kiotso walked right through with his same calm demeanor. He was the first, and he would have to be because the Desert Seth was not prepared for battle, not prepared for bloodshed, and not prepared for him. When he arrived there was a noticeable change in temperature, but his passive skill in body temperature manipulation would handle this change. Kiotso charged his hand with energy and threw a ball of light blue light into the air; this is actually an understatement, as he had to throw about six of these spheres into the air. His energy might have been lower than when he entered the desert, but it would soon be worth it as snow began to fall throughout the area. Small quakes were being felt now as four crab-like beasts surrounded him for the power he had just unleashed. "So it begins..." Kiotso uttered under his frozen breath as he dispatched the first sand crab with ice shards fired from in between his fingers.

Matthew Supplex, The Man With The Not So Golden Gun

 

Matthew watched as Kiotso walked through the portal first. "Wonder if we'll ever see that guy again, any bets?" Matthew chuckled to himself and started to approach the portal but then stopped. "Oh yes, I've almost forgotten." Matthew stepped aside so he wouldn't be blocking anyone and then turned his attention towards Yagato. "Are you still coming? I don't want to leave you behind because you've been a gentleman, but I will if I have to." Matthew explained, ready to walk into the portal with Yagato so that they wouldn't get separated.

 

Nero, The Keyblade War Hero

"Heck ya!" Nero shouted, suddenly perking up his attitude and walking towards the group; another red cloak popping on him as he did so. "My blade may not be able to swing as ferocious as it once could, but as long as my body still moves and my heart still beats, I'll fight with you guys until this things is won!" Nero said, his keyblade rapidly shaking on his back in agreement. Nero stood next to Kenpachi and looked at him with the eyes of a fighter, the eyes of someone with fire in their eyes and a song of battle in their souls. The same eyes that everyone should expect from anyone else on the Counter Corps team.

 

Silver, The Wayward Traveler

 

Silver was conflicted, did he need anyone else other than his Pokemon? Silver began to walk more towards the portal than towards the group and only the sound of five Pokeballs could be heard as all of his Pokemon appeared beside the respective group. They all shouted in their own tongues that he should not be going at this alone. "Alright, alright, I hear you over here." Silver said with a smile as he returned his Pokemon to their respective balls. "I think this means we're all in on this end!" Silver called out and gave the group a smirk.

 

[Gαr]

Unlimited Blade Works

 

Ed was taken aback by the concept of teams, since he was with Emiya last time and was nowhere near the frontlines. But then Kenpachi stepped forward as a team leader, and a spunky floating robot yelled and fired a shot in the air with Yachiru cheering. This got Ed's spirits back up to their normal level. "I'm no team leader, but I'm one helluva team player, and a war machine at that. At least where I come from." When Ed stepped forward to stand next to Kenpachi, so did a young man with a strange weapon strapped to back with his own reputation to boast. Ed's eyes narrowed in interest, but he shrugged it off. Then there stood three of the finest swordsmen their worlds' could offer, tall and defiant, prepared to throw their lives away to stop Isamy and the Divine.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

'God damned funking wardrobe malfunction!' Sarah cursed inside the ice wall, 'Now look where it's got me; trapped inside this... wait... wait!'

 

She just realized something; although her teleportation ability was no longer to be trusted, she could still levitate her way up to the top of the wall and peer over top, and use her telekinesis to grab her robe... assuming she could still remember how to do it. First, she had to use her telekinesis on herself, lifting her up and up until...

 

'OK, that's as high as I'd funking dare,' she decided, having gotten to the stage where she could see out of the wall, 'Now where the hell's my new robe at?'

 

Eventually, though, she found it, right next to her old one. Using her telekinesis to bring the one she took from Emiya over to her, Sarah then put it on, before finally levitating the rest of the way over the wall and on top of it. Now, fully dressed and with her bare feet on the wall, Sarah stared down onto the others, before jumping off, levitating just at the last second so she couldn't go splat onto the floor in front of her. At least it was something that could go according to plan, unlike her teleportation.

 

"Right, don't need that wall any more," said Sarah, "Now does anyone mind telling me why teleporting's gone all funked up, lately?"

[Malignant]

Location: Unlimited Blade Works

 

Walking on, Hibari simply glanced around. He had only caught the last few snippets of Emiya's briefing, but it was enough for him to go by for the mission.

 

Get in, get to the orb, defend until Emiya arrives.

 

Seeing the portal be made was peculiar, but of no real importance to him. It was the entry way to the destination, and that was all he needed to know. Bypassing the rest of his fellow Corps members, he strode into the portal, his tie flapping wildly as he vanished.

 

The less time spent gathering around like a herd of cattle, the better.

[Kōsuke Ueki]

Tsunugai was in deep thought, listening carefully to what Vigilance wae explaining, and he felt like he would get a migraine if he was given too much information about their destination. Well, he didn't, gladly, and was prepared to move. Then, he saw Kiotso move into the portal, his arrogance thicker than fog, and said, "He probably won't get far. And even if he did, he can handle himself." He then heard Matthew ask if he was still coming. "Right, sorry. Got sidetracked." He chuckled as he walked towards the portal and into the Desert Seth, not being able to explain what he sees.

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Matthew Supplex

 

Matthew walked into the portal at the same time as his partner, whether it was needed or not for them to stay together, he didn't actually know. The portal was magnificently colored; there were even some colors that didn't exist in Matthew's world. As Viligance had said, during his time in the portal a strange feeling came over Matthew as he chose to accept the power of the spell that was prepared for the members of the Divine. The portal released him on the other side and all Matthew saw was a brief glimpse of Yagato before he tripped and fell into the sand. He would lay for a moment or two, embracing the ground of the newly discovered dimension.

[Reinforce]

Lyon

Looking around at the teams that were forming, along with currently lone person who had rejected the idea, he made his choice and, with a few quick strides, walked up to where Kenpachi was assembling his team, the team Ed had joined. "If you don't overly mind, I'll join this team as well. I'd prefer to be fighting alongside someone I've fought with previously when I can."

 

Darcy

Seeing the portal open, and what appeared to be a playing card be thrown through, Darcy wandered over to the portal herself, walking through to the next realm after looking around to make sure she hadn't missed anything important before she left. On the other side, she started to float slightly in the air, to avoid having to walk through the sand in her heels, and started to feel for the magic they had been granted this time, to figure it out and make use of it to start controlling some of the creatures to use as living weapons against the Counter Corps.

 

Ayame and Naomi

With one of the men in the assembled group making a decree about forming teams again, several leaders and teams starting to form, as well as one foolish person who went straight for the portal. Looking around at the teams, the two girls noticed that the man who had made the announcement and put himself up as a possible leader hadn't actually gotten anyone on his team yet. Walking up to him, Ayame said, "We'll fight with you then, I'm Ayame and this is Naomi."

[Merci]

Isamy's Castle -> The Vault

True to her word, Isamy had taken Butler-Ragnarok directly to the vault where she stored all of the artifacts. And by 'directly', it didn't mean by walking through long hallways, but through a direct portal. As he emerged, he found himself in what looked like a void, or perhaps space what with the stars everywhere and all. The floor looked to be made of glass, but it might've easily been something else. This area, in and of itself, was a separate dimension in which hundreds upon hundreds of items were being collected with each minute, thanks to the many avatars of the sorceress.

 

"Here we are. Oh, but don't tell the other Divines about this, some of them still don't know I'm the culprit." She told her guest, guiding him in.

 

While doing so, they passed by Bayonetta and some kind of teddy bear -both enclosed within a single tube-, the former of which was staring into a glyph while having a second more familiar glyph on the right side of her face - as if to act as a headset? After a bit of thought, Isamy concluded that the woman must be listening to music, and let her be.

 

"Keep going up ahead, and you should see a whole lot more lifeforms. Choose them as you see fit, but avoid the boy with dark spiky hair." Isamy explained, and looked away in a slight bout of embarrassment as she recalled a fairly recent memory; she cut off that guy's arm in an effort to steal his Imagine Breaker, but ended up with her clothes destroyed before he could be properly contained, and he grew out a new arm anyway. I hate protagonists...

 

"So once you're done taking souls, return to the portal, and it should take you directly to the Desert Seth. Um. Good luck with that."

 

After a shy wave, she turned away and disappeared off into darkness.

 

 

---

 

 

 

Heat.

 

The desert they found themselves in was so hot that an ordinary human would start getting dehydrated within less than a minute, and the sand below them - while soft and golden - offered no sanctuary in the form of water. The Divine remained mostly unaffected due to the spell cast upon them, but for the Counter Corps, they had nothing but the hooded red cloaks given to them to protect themselves from the sunlight. Luckily, one detail that Emiya had left out was that they would cool down a little when bathed in intense sunlight, providing at least a little comfort.

 

The only thing that could be seen for miles were sand dunes, and indeed, the desert itself stretched over twelve miles. It was difficult to look above, as the sky was completely white, and nothing could be made out apart from purple blurs here and there. Though for those whose eyes could penetrate through intense sunlight, they would see irregular octagonal panels suspended in the air like puzzle pieces. So far, there were no sign of any monsters, but they could easily be hiding or blending in with the sand.

 

More importantly, everyone had been separated from their respective groups, even though they were supposed to be gathered together with the others. Only those who had gone in at the same time as others found themselves in the same location. And each and every one of them had been scattered all throughout the desert edge.

 

"Well, this was unexpected." A cheerful voice suddenly echoed into the minds of all the Divine, and heavy winds could be heard in the background. "Sorry, the anomaly must've interfered with Isamy's magic, so we've all been separated. I'm still surveying the area, but once I have a good idea of the landscape, I'll coordinate you all into one spot-"

 

Her voice cut off suddenly, but only for a moment before she continued.

 

"No, forget it. Apparently, the Counter Corps are already here. Since it would take too long for us to regroup, you should start to head for the Pyramid of the Chaos Barrier now and defend it from all others. It should roughly be about four to six miles from where all you guys are, and maybe you could use one of the monsters down there to help you travel or search? Once I've finished my survey, I'll notify you all of your positions. Be careful of any sandstorms, and good luck."

 

Then the telepathic call stopped once more.

 

 

---

 

Emiya: B8

 

Unlike the Divine, the Counter Corps had no such convenience, and so were left to fend for themselves.

 

As the real Emiya (the one inside Unlimited Blade Works was only an avatar, though alike) looked around, the warriors deployed themselves out from his inner world one by one, but strangely, none of them appeared directly by him. After a while, he realized that some kind of anomaly was interfering with the transfer and all of the members had been scattered about the desert.

 

He himself was standing upon a large dune, and the pyramid probably wasn't anywhere near him. If it was, he would've sensed it. Cursing his luck, he closed his eyes and tried to improvise by using each of the red cloaks he'd provided as a medium for communication, but it wasn't easy. Even so, if he concentrated enough, he should be able to-

 

Moments later, the sand began to vibrate, and a gigantic worm creature stretching for tons of feet suddenly burst out from below and nearly managed to swallow him whole had he not jumped back in time. It let out a high-pitched squeal with a round mouth filled with multiple sets of sharp, circling teeth. The fact that something so huge could move so fast and be so stealthy was something he found surprising, but he didn't have time to think about it as it burrowed back deep into the sand. Since he was prepared this time, he projected twin falchion blades into both of his hands and prepared himself.

 

"Damn it." The dark Counter Guardian muttered to himself, as the sand began to vibrate harder this time.

 

It seems that there were more coming. Just like in the Shadow Realm, they were attracted by his enormous amount of power, but this time they weren't acting out of hunger. They'd been stolen from their homeworlds and brainwashed by the artifact into defending it at all costs, and so the strongest of them were attracted to the strongest of intruders. It was certainly troublesome. Even if his holy shroud protected him from the effects of the desert, there was no way he could concentrate like this.

 

Then, as three more sandwyrms burst out from around him, Emiya charged forth.

[Kōsuke Ueki]

The sunlight was blinding like a supernova. The fact that Tsunugai was grateful for Isamy's spell did help, but he'd be solid if he went into his "other" mode. But with the backslides that come with it, it wasn't worth at least one broken bone. After adapting to the above average heat and taking notice of Isamy's telepathic call of heading to the Pyramid, Tsunugai noticed Matthew in the sand. He sighed at the fact he chosen him. But regrets will come later. Tsunugai grabbed him by the back of his jacket and stood him up. "Well, at least you know the coin flips both ways." In other words, Tsunugai could have left Matthew behind, completely negating his just formed alliance. But he didn't. He knew better...

 

---

Meanwhile, within the general area of the Vault, a mysterious, yet powerful presence could be felt. Even Butler/Ragnarok could realize something was with them...

[Love of Ghibli]

Isamy's Vault

 

Oh my God, OH my God, OH MY GOD YEEEEESSSSSSS!!

 

Ragnarok was in pure elation. This was way more than he could have ever hoped for. His eyes were split going in different directions and they just kept seeing all the possibilities. So many things he could eat, so many strong souls,  SOOOO MUCH POWER!! Butler actually allowed himself to smile as he took a looked at all of the loot he could grab. While walking he wondered what she meant when she said something about her being the culprit. Then he looked on a shelf next to him and he saw what looked to be a playing card. Would you look at that its Master Key Beetle. Butler immediately understood and he chuckled. This was a rather sneaky trick the Goddess of Entropy pulled, whether  she knew it or not Butler now respected her a lot more. That's quite the moxy she had. 

OH MY GOD WHY ARE YOU NOT MOVING!!  Ragnarok complained as he was trying to tug Butler in the direction of his potential food. Butler had quickly snatched up 4 cards from Isamy's vault while he let Ragnarok take the lead. O..Okay so who do we eat first? Ragnarok said literally foaming at the mouth. We don't have much time. I'm sure Dorian and Bob will have figured out to leave for the desert and...I don't know how long our mysterious visitor is going to remain hidden. Ugh fine! I can store all the souls and dine on them slowly...later. Butler's eyes started to glow as he softly but evilly said two words. Mad Blood. Ragnarok laughed an insane laugh as a seemingly infinite amount of black blood just oozed from Butler's body and proceed to fill the entire room. Now there was no vault, there was only Butlerok. Inside this void of infinite darkness one could only hear screams as Ragnarok was ripping souls from these different specimens body. While one could not see anything they could surely hear it. 

 

This mysterious force was now inside of Butlerok (unless it escaped somehow) Butler decided to walk up behind it as there weren't anymore corners or types of space there was just void. Is there something I can help you with here? While waiting for a response a massive beast flew up behind them seemingly out of the darkness. Butler's face didn't change as black dragon came up behind that creature OH NO YOU DON'T!! NOOOOMMMMMMM NOOOOOOMMMMMMM!! The dragon tore apart the mysterious creature. and ate it piece by piece. Then empty space turned into a library of books and information. Then that same black dragon proceeded to everything like a game of pac-man. Butler realized that it would be best to deal with this force before he rejoined his master.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Desert Seth A1 -B2

BlackWarGreymon looked around as he could no longer sense Butlerok. I think your Butler has vanished, I can't sense his strength anymore. Dorian looked Bob and he simply nodded and tried to think everything through. Hmmm I guess that means he's about to get to work. We should do the same. I doubt Isamy would waste time with making him come all the way back out here to go to the desert. With that BlackWarGreymon lifted Dorian up and threw him into the portal and quickly followed. 

On the other side of the portal Dorian could only see sky as he was a couple thousand feet in the air. ARE YOU F***ING SERIOUS!! He yelled as he was entering his panicky free fall. He tried to compose his thoughts, but that just wasn't going to happen. Then in a serious feat of aerial acrobatics BlackWarGreymon scooped up Dorian, did a spin and threw Dorian on his back. As long as Dorian kept his balance he would literally be surfing on BlackWarGreymon. Of course he had to start glowing gold and let his spirits take over a little bit. He had never even touched a skateboard in a meaningful way before so someone else had to do the work. Luckily his panic subsided by the time he and BlackWarGreymon got their mental PSA. Dorian nodded as it seemed like there was a race to the pyramid and since he had flight as an option there was a good chance he would make it to the front. 
 

Dorian like this new voice it was a lot kinder and softer than Vigilance's cross voice. This was something refreshing. While gliding in the desert Dorian realized that the temperature regulating spell was an actual thing. He didn't feel adverse heat at all. Villains just get all the perks now don't we? He said smiling and looking at his hand. It seems that there are sandstorms brewing up ahead. We can plow through them if you want. BWG asked his passenger. Hmmm how about we land for a second I need to think of a plan. BWG made his way downward and about ten feet above the sand two massive scorpions shot up from the ground. Immediately BWG went into combat mode as he started to spin GREAT TORNADO!! Instinctively the spirits keeping Dorian's balance in check made him do a backflip right off of BWG and onto one of the scorpions. Naturally Dorian was screaming the entire time. BWG's attack drilled right through the beast immediately killing it. He was looking forward to a fight so much that he lost control for a minute. Unfortunately that wasn't satisfying enough for him. Maybe the other Scorpion would be worth something. When he turned around he saw the scorpion being bound by a golden snake and he sighed in disappointment.

It didn't take long for Dorian to take control of that beast and that beast seemed to slink back into the sand leaving Dorian alone.Dorian then looked around blinking in curiousity. This naturally made BWG concerned. What happened? Was your dominion over that creature broken? No I...I..think you just became the scorpion king. You killed the alpha scorpion and apparently there's a whole colony of scorpions under our feet. So now they're all going to follow you. I do not crave subjects, I only crave strong opponents with which to do combat with. I know...I however will not turn down such aid so I acted as your voice. Well that big scorpion I control will anyway. I've basically sent an army of scorpions to the pyramid to help us protect it. Now since I don't feel like trying to be a boss through the storm we're going to have to fly over it. Dorian started to glow gold again, BWG threw him into the air, and they resumed surfing status. 

While in the air Dorian snickered. I think our new tour guide is American. Why would you say that? Well I think only Americans say "miles" as a measure of distance. Does that matter? No, but I do remember Vigilance using a playing card similar to the ones where I come to summon...something. And I know for sure where I come from there are cards that are only released in certain countries. I was trying to figure out maybe I could guess what he summoned? It can wait we have a job to do. Dorian and BlackWarGreymon flew off in the direction of the Pyramid trying to fly over the storms.

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Matthew Supplex (K-5)

 

After a few moments, Matthew was lifted to his feet by Yagato, but Matthew only shrugged to cause Yagato to move his hand away. "Although appreciated..." Matthew flicked his jacket so the sand came off of it and straightened his hat. "...I didn't need your assistance." Matthew said to his new partner; he was great at having underlings, but having someone he had to accept as an equal was another thing. Matthew listened to the information the guiding spirit had to deliver and recognized the new order. "Now, let's see what we can't do here." Matthew took his elemental revolver from his coat and fired treacherous bolts of lightning, ferocious fire balls bigger than their bodies, and bursts of ice magic that made some of the sand freeze over. Matthew calmly reloaded his weapon as the sand started to shake and several serpents made their way to the surface. "Delightful, burrowing creatures." Matthew activated the spell given to them by Isamay to take control of the four snake-like creatures. After a minute, the snakes stopped wanting to attack and only stood silent and waiting for orders...

Kiotso Senju (K-2)

Kiotso listened to the words that were being broadcast into his head, as the dead bodies of the sand crabs lay baking within the harsh desert sun. "So we have been separated, I will make my way to the temple as requested." Once the transmission had ended, Kiotso could only smirk. Separation is a far better situation than any of these Divine could hope for. Kiotso thought, and started walking through the desert once more. He would make his way to the temple, but he had somewhere else to walk to first. Getting to temple would require extra effort on his part, but it was a small inconvenience.

[Kōsuke Ueki]

Tsunugai (K-5)

 

"You say that now, but when you're left to fend for yourself and you're overwhelmed, you better hope I'm there to finish what you started." Tsunugai watched Matthew as he shot out multiple high-class spells that has yet to ever cast. But he didn't need to worry about that yet. Next thing he knew, Matthew used his spell from Isamy to take control of snake-like creatures. "Hm, I wonder what they can do?" Before Tsunugai could see what they're capable of, something didn't feel right. Considering what kind of power came from Matthew's revolver, they were bound to come across something powerful along the way. Speaking of powerful, the unthinkable happened.

 

How a giant sandwyrm could sneak up on them without making a sound is beyond him...

 

Without even thinking, Tsunugai jumped at Matthew yelling, "Get down!" As he did that, the giant sandwyrm popped up from under the sand. Had Tsunugai not reacted in time, he would have been eaten alive, and he would have to had resorted to using his "other" mode to get out. Thinking quickly, Tsunugai took out his shield and activated his Earth Rune. He then yelled out, "Detrimental Crush!" Tsunugai then created two giant spiked boulders on either side of the sandwyrm. He then attempted to crush it, but it dodged, going back underground and the boulders returned to being sand. Tsunugai sighed.

 

"Your turn. When it comes up, don't hesitate to strike." Tsunugai suggested.

 

---

??? - Isamy's Vault

 

The mysterious presence remained silent for a second and then spoke into Butler's mind. "I have no quarrel with you Butler..." It didn't give Butler time to respond. "Ah yes, I know who you are. I know everything about you. I also know of the upbringing your so-called master Dorian went through, far better than he knows himself, I believe. Now, before I depart in search of what the culprit that I have come to realize stole from my world, and offered me an alliance with as well, I shall give a word of advice to consider in your distant future: Do not keep your free will surrendered to one man who could push you away and abandon you when you can't get the job done. Instead, take control of your life and be your own master. You would be better off. Farewell..."

 

The mysterious presence then left Butler alone and began to search for the 10,000 karat ruby...

[Phantom Roxas]

Arthur left Sora before the boy could answer, moving closer to the center of Unlimited Blade Works. MachGaogamon sniffed, recognizing that his partner was nearby. He saw that Arthur wasn't too happy, so he decided to speak with him. "Not surprised."

 

"MachGaogamon, please hear me out."

 

"Alright."

 

"Say you were controlled by… I don't know, let's say the the Demon Lords. What would you want me to do?"

 

"What brought this up?"

 

"Eria has a friend named Gagagigo. She's fighting because she wants to save him."

 

"So that was his name…"

 

"You saw him?!"

 

"I fought him, right before Emiya and Isamy call back the armies."

 

"Why didn't you say that before?! What did he look like?"

 

"It was an overgrown lizard, with armor that seemed to strengthen its body, much like how my own form works."

 

Arthur snarled. "Then I've already met him."

 

"When?"

 

"When I talked to that scientist to fix the Digivice. He had Gagagigo acting like his pet. You probably would have liked watching me squirm."

 

"Arthur!"

 

"Sorry. Just… answer what I asked you earlier."

 

"If I was in the same situation as Gagagigo?"

 

"Yes."

 

MachGaogamon took a moment, thinking of what to say. "The best case scenario is that you'd find a way to free me, and only taking the life of who was controlling me if there was no other option. However, if there was truly nothing you could do, and it was clear that I could kill you…"

 

The two looked away, both understanding was MachGaogamon was going to say. However, it was Arthur who continued. "You'd rather have me kill you instead."

 

MachGaogamon nodded. "That's correct. However, Eria specifically asked me to spare Gagagigo before I could finish him off. I know she'd want you to do the same."

 

"Don't worry. I'll let him live. Eria's mind is a mess right now, and if she ever turns back to normal, she needs to see him alive, and back to normal."

 

"Is this how you intend to pay for your actions?"

 

"I took three… no, six of her friends. I know saving one isn't going to make up for that, but it's the least I can do."

 

MachGaogamon smiled. "You mean that?"

 

Arthur paused. "What other choice do I have?"

 

MachGaogamon held out his hand, invite for Arthur to jump on. Arthur agreed, and MachGaogamon lifted him up so they can be at eye level. "Stopping the Divine, with me as your partner."

 

Arthur was shocked. He shook his head, thinking back on how little he cared about sending Eria's friends to fight, how much reveled in the power he was granted. Eria's desperate pleas made his heart feel hollow, and his arms tensed up as he recalled how Gagagigo could have teared off his arms if the scientist wished as much. He tightened his grip on his sword, but his hand was longing to hold the crossbow again, even though Arthur had cursed his father's name. And yet, in spite of all of that, MachGaogamon was there to help him. Tears began to run down Arthur's eyes, but he wiped them away, laughing wholeheartedly to make the tears less embarrassing.

 

"Are you okay?" MachGaogamon asked.

 

"It's nothing," Arthur said. "Thank you, MachGaogamon." He looked back at the field of swords, making out the faint image of the crossbow. "Mind if I go get something?"

 

MachGaogamon behind himself and nodded. "Of course."

 

MachGaogamon flew back, resting his arm on the ground so Arthur could get off. Arthur picked up the crossbow, but he didn't smile. He had cursed the gods, and that was something Arthur wasn't so ready to change his mind about. "Fine, dad, I'll give you another chance. I'll save our world, and then I'll see you again."

 

Arthur went back with MachGaogamon to the center of Unlimited Blade Works, although the quick departure and return of the giant Digimon wasn't subtle in the least. Arthur looked down at Foster, who seemed to be trying to get an idea of the teams. "Thanks, but the two of us will be just fine."

 

Arthur and MachGaogamon took one last nod at each other before they went through the portal at last, entering the Desert Seth.

 

The pair arrived southeast of the pyramid, with the sandstorms notably farther away. MachGaogamon shielded his eyes with his free hand, but Arthur wasn't at all bothered by how bright the desert was. As a son of Apollo, Arthur was naturally able to see through intense lights.

 

"We should sit tight for a couple minutes, in case more of the Counter Corps stumble arrive here," Arthur suggested.

 

MachGaogamon chuckled. "After you just said the two of us will be just fine?"

 

"Heat of the moment, MachGaogamon. Besides, we need to be able to help them if they can't defend themselves."

 

Current location: K8

[Final Fantasy Revolution]

Matthew Supplex (K-5)

 

Matthew heard Yagato shout to get down, but Matthew had already gotten out of the Sandwyrm's path on his own accord. "Excellent, just what I was hoping for, a monumental digging machine." Matthew said. Yagato was trying to hit the beast but failed, then he mentioned that it was Matthew's turn to attack and that he shouldn't hesitate. "My dear boy," Matthew stated and then fired upon himself; the spell also seemed to effect Yagato, and if he were to run or move he would notice that he was much faster. "I never hesitate." The Sandwyrm came up under them again, but with their new-found speed they could not only dodge but counter. Matthew quickly shot his revolver at the hole the beast was emerging from, it became frozen in a cold ring of ice. Much to Matthew's dismay, the Sandwyrm was already getting free. "Best hurry and hit him again while we have him above ground!" Matthew launched a ball of pure light that seemed to harm the beast enough to halt its escaping process.

 

[spoiler=Effects]

~Matthew cast Hastega on himself and Yagato

~Matthew cast Blizzaja at the Sandwyrm, freezing it inside its hole.

~Matthew cast Holy at the Sandwyrm.

 

 

 

Kiotso Senju (Mid K-2)

Snow begins to fall...

 

Kiotso noticed that his power was rather delayed, although it was to be expected in this harsh desert. He didn't need maps or a guide, he could feel it, feel where he wanted to go and he knew that it would be easier to get to the pyramid once he was finished with this task. Could he get through the sandstorms without making this stop? Perhaps, but if one can work smarter, why would one work harder? Kiotso pondered as he finished killing yet another creature that the desert had to offer. The sun was a fine site here on this planet, Pluto didn't see much sunlight. Kiotso often wondered if the human's could see the sky anymore, what with their high buildings and polluted sky's.

 

Silver

 

As the groups were smiling and talking about making teams, Silver was having a look around the area and spotted the creature he was fighting before. There he is again... Silver thought and then noticed the boy riding on the beast. That must be his trainer... Silver thought and watched as they were about to go into the portal. "Oh no you don't!" Silver shouted, even though he was sure they wouldn't hear him. Silver ran as fast as he could and manage to literally jump through the portal almost at the same time as MachGaogamon and Arthur had. However, because he jumped through, when he appeared on the other side he shot like a torpedo straight into Arthur; they were both knocked into the sand and Silver was stumbling on the simple words he was saying. "I'm meet you, nice to Silver..." He uttered, as stars danced around his head.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

Isamy's Castle - Throne Room

 

"Oh yeah! Let's do this!" Azumi exclaimed excitedly, opening her laptop again, "Hang on, I better bring in my Mecha,"

 

With that, she began to type ferociously on the keyboard, and then, all of a sudden, The Jaws of Hell came busting through the wall, before opening its cockpit and halting, ready for Azumi and Riley to get on board. Although Isamy would probably be none too happy at best and horrified at worst.

 

"Yeah... ya could've tried to come up with a better way of bringing it in," Riley commented.

 

"Well it's too late now!" insisted Azumi, "We have an artefact to bring back to the boss!"

 

Deciding against saying anything Riley hopped on inside the cockpit of The Jaws of Hell alongside Azumi, taking the co-pilot seat while Azumi assumed main controls. After that, The Jaws of Hell began walking into the portal, ready to take on The Desert Seth and what it had to offer.

 

---

The Desert Seth

---

 

Borderlands 2 OST: Ascent

 

Azumi had activate The Jaws of Hell's boosters just in time, to stop the oversized Mech from falling about 600 feet from the ground, before gliding it to the solid ground where the pyramid once stood. Even though the sandstorm was blowing too heavily for the naked eye to see through, it was rather difficult to fail to notice a missing pyramid on the ground. Azumi couldn't detect the orb shaped artefact to be anywhere amongst the rubble, either. Something was wrong... very wrong.

 

"These readings can't be right," she said in utmost disbelief, "If they were..."

 

"Then Sir Dumbelot was lying to us the whole time..." Riley determined, before reading the ground underneath the Mech's feet, "Although we're standing on something,"

 

Only just noticing this, Azumi moved The Jaws of Hell's foot out of the way; for one of the Witch Runes that Lerna had left behind earlier to be revealed. This in turn enticed Azumi to kick the rocks out of the way, rewarding her with the entire message... albeit one that proved almost impossible to decipher.

 

"Well, it's obviously not in anything spoken on Earth... funk, it's not even a bloody Wingdings font!" Riley was quick to voice his frustration as he used the Mr. Handy PDA he'd found in his lab pocket in an attempt, before turning to Azumi, "We're gonna have to inform Isamy,"

 

"Actually, I think I can do that from here," Azumi stated, getting out her laptop again, "I managed to get access to the satellite that was stolen from my universe before; I can use to see if the boss is inside, although I'll probably have to fine tune its audio before we can actually communicate through it. Wish me luck."

 

Azumi began her hacking again, managing to once again bypass its firewalls and detection protocols, and gaining access to the satellite where she could see inside Isamy's vault. Now began the hard task of fine tuning the audio controls, so that it could project her voice loudly enough to be clear, but not so loudly that it would be defeaning. She'd also have to ensure that she could hear Isamy, or whoever would decide to speak on her behalf.

 

"Have fun with that," Riley stated, before exiting The Jaws of Hell to explore around the ruins a bit.

 

[spoiler=The Message]

[The Warden]

(_|Magical Girl Lydia|_)

 

Lydia had paid not much heed to things as finally  they departed for the desert. As it turns out, deserts suck. She had almost crash landed at B8 had she not managed to sit on the Tome at the right moment. It slowed her decent until she was a foot or two off the ground; and, guess what? No one was around for miles. "Well, isn't this fantastic? We all got seperated after rushing the portal. God this place is dry isn't it? I can't even detect the faintest hints of water, so Water and Ice are pretty much cut from this mission. Which sucks a bit since I have no doubt there's going to be a creature made of sand here, because there are always creatures made of sand in deserts. Hmm, I should probably find the others and stop monologuing to myself" she remarked and peered through her hood.

 

She was a small alcove near the edges of oblivion, and there was a line straight ahead. But, upon wandering for a little while forwards, she found there were two roads. Left along endless desert, or forward on endless desert. Well, she might as well move forward as she floated onwards into B7.

 

(Location: B7)

 

---

 

(_|Okama Queen Ivankov|_)

 

Ivankov was luckier than the others, having been spat out onto the flat land of the cruel desert. His cloak billowed in the desert winds as he surveyed the land. By good fortune he had been warped to the only oasis in the desert. Though, an oasis, here? That seems somewhat suspect. "vI should not concern vyself with luxuries, when all my candies are scattered across the cruel desert. Oh vy poor candies, all alone without Ivankov to guide them. What a tragedy" he said with enough melodrama to earn him a spot on any crappy soap opera.

 

Though his head and body were heavy, he stormed off in the direction of J2, though his progress was slowed by the gripping sand.

 

(Location: J2)

 

---

 

(_|~Moe~ Scientist Frankram|_)

 

Frankram had been deposited in D2, right in a big pile of nothingness. He had accepted the spell offered as he went through the portal, and he could feel the sunlight just bouncing off him, or, he would, had he not been spat out on the fringe of a brutal sandstorm. It was like an enormous column of sand, and he had to grip his glasses to stop them from flying away. "I won't get anywhere through that monstrosity. I should see if I can find a way around it, since no doubt these whirlwinds most likely defend the pyramid we seek."

 

His shoes sunk into the thick sand as he went south to E2, but there was still more sandstorm to be found.

 

(Location: E2)

 

---

 

(_|Data Horror Jeriii|_)

 

Jeriii had also been spat out around forty feet in the air above K6. Unlike the others she had rejected the magic, and she loved the intense heat. It was just like being in proximity to the Reaper Mass again. The glorious warmth of Chaos. For the briefest moment her heart gave way to elation before being consumed again by rage. It was almost tempting to seek out the orb and destroy it utterly, just to annoy that human.

 

She chose not to land, despite how gloriously warm the sand would be on her bare feet. The height given to her would allow to scan out those insipid Counter Corps. There was no particular reason for Jeriii to hate them, but when do megalomaniacal computer programs need a reason?

 

Though the land shimmered from the heat, Jeriii could lamost make out something a distance away. Following it, she flew into the airspace of K7.

 

(Location: K7)

[Love of Ghibli]

Butler could only raise an eyebrow when this mysterious presence decided to give him life advice. The energy went on to go look for something that was stolen. Of course if it was all knowing then it would realize that the two were currently inside Ragnarok. But those who say they know the most tend to know the least. Besides Ragnarok was having so much fun going delightfully insane eating all of these souls. Butler was feeling his body change as this must have meant Butler was getting stronger and some new abilities. Ragnarok appeared out of nowhere with his mouth full of souls. WHfff wafff taff a ffeff (what was that about). Nothing, just another traitor from the first go around. Ragnarok swallows and gets more and more pumped. AAAAAHHH taste sooooo gooood! So should we do something about it? No. People like that tend to have a plan and I feel for those with plans. Plans never go as well as we want them to. 

Ragnarok sensed a sadder tone coming from Butler but he wasn't going to let him ruin his good time. Screw that let's talk about all of our upgrades. Okay Butler decided to placate the man as the Mad Blood began to regress back into his body. Okay so first there was this random brown haired dude with weird eyes. He was moody but when I cracked him open and went to eat his soul then that massive thing came out. It was delicious. Butler nodded as he remembered seeing Ragnarok feast on some weird creature. Then I saw the dude that Isamy warned us about and she was right he couldn't be affected by the Mad Blood at all. But there was this girl next to him who had this oddly bright nun's outfit on so I wanted to eat her. You should rephrase that. But her outfit acted as some kind of barrier so I had to grab some pipes and use them move the magic boy's hand and it blew off her clothes. Not sounding better. So with that I was able to eat her and somehow inside her mind was this unhealthy wealth of information....SO I ATE IT ALL. You don't think about what you say before you say it do you? Nevertheless I saw the library of knowledge as well. Oh it gets better! Really? Yeah over in the corner somewhere she had this horribly brutish looking man with grey skin, stigma all across his forehead, and all tied up. So I had to eat him. But get this he just kept healing and he had these weird lightning powers, I don't even think he was human it was so freaky!! But now I think we have lighting powers. Hmmm okay....anything else. And the best for last...this...Ragnarok pulled a random crest like thing from behind his back and  Butler seemed to examine it. I know its not a body but I can tell there is some fragment of a soul inside. I think its pretty powerful too. Well are there souls that you can't handle? Well no, I highly doubt it. I was made to assimilate the rogue super powered son of Death I'm pretty well equipped to not break. So eat it then. Ragnarok ate the crest whole, lightning then engulfed Butler's body forcing the man servant to his knees. 

After a minute he regained composure and he blinked a couple of times. Well I must admit this worked out well. He made sure his gifts to his master weren't damaged. And he dusted off his pants and the two made their way into the portal. 

 

On the other side Butlerok appeared in the air above the desert. Having missed the announcement Butler simply landed with no idea where to go. So what do we do now? Simple, Vigilance said that this world was built around some artifact meaning that the artifact is in the center. If its a race to the center, then I know Dorian will use BlackWarGreymon to take him there the most direct way possible. So we just have to get through those sandstorms and meet them there. Ragnarok nodded as he approved of this plan of action. Just then three massive sandwyrms came out and were ready to attack Butler. Really? Looks like a good chance to test our new abilities. 

 

Ending location A8

[Dad]

UBW

 

Other teams had already prepared and were going through Emiya's portal.  However, a similar tactic proved fatal last time.  Zaraki sat back and waited for everyone to gather their heads and formulate something tactical because he wasn't the most precise in this situation.  "Kenny?"  Yachiru called, tugging on his shoulder.  "Aren't we gonna follow?"  Zaraki shook his head.  "No.  There's too much at stake.  We should gather everyone's thoughts and let some of the smarter ones gives us a strategy.  When I know for sure who's gonna be where, then I can kill.  But they'd better hurry up.  I'm getting impatient."  Kenpachi stabbed his sword into the ground and sat in a legs crossed position as he waited patiently for a battle strategy.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Zurkon floated above and observed everyone selecting their parties.  Because Ratchet and Clank were no where to be found, he hovered downwards and began to search for a suitable team.  "Who will take Mr. Zurkon to battle?" he said through his megaphone.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

At The Portal To Desert Seth:

 

Suddenly, like something went off, people started to pour towards the portal, prompting Foster to quickly whip out his ZF-1 and fire a few rounds into the air to get people to stop. "EVERYBODY CALM THE FREX DOWN!!!" He loudly proclaimed, standing in between the crowd and the portal. "Last time we all blindly charged into one of these portals, it was a total mess, with everyone going their separate ways! We need to take a few minutes to get organized and prepare ourselves! Is that too much to ask of you all, or do you not care about saving THE ENTIRE MULTIVERSE?!?"

 

"He's right." A voice spoke up as a woman with red hair and wearing a kimono added, escorted by a strange motorcycle. "I can quickly fabricate some communicators so we can stay in touch with each other, so we all don't get lost and can therefore work together. The one thing that the Divine has over us is the ability to be focused as an entire group. We lack that advantage. We might as well be a mob with superpowers." Itsu raised her fist into the air and yelled out. "Now, who wants to actually work as a combined force to represent the will of the multiverse, and show the Divine that WE WILL NOT LET THEM CHANGE OUR HOMES, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR LIVES?!?"

 

Foster calmed down from his little episode and noticed the floating robot. "I would be more than happy to have you on my team, Zurkon." He looked out onto the crowd. "Anyone else want to be on any other teams? I think Miss Fudo will commence with making those communicators for us all once while we finish this up."

[Kingdom Xathers]

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UBW

---

"Wait for us, Itsu!" Alexander called out as he, Ratchet and Clank ran after the woman and her sentient motorcycle.  "Foster, of course, we would be honored to join with you."

 

Ratchet nodded in agreement, then got distracted by the weapon in Foster's hands.  "Hey, what's that weapon called?"

 

"Hm?  You mean that, uhh, SPF-15--no, that's not right," Alexander blurted, facepalming himself for his verbal faux-pas.  "I'm sorry, I meant ZF-1, that's what it's called."

 

"Looks cool," Ratchet mused as he looked at it some more.  "What's it do?"

 

 

Meanwhile, Jeanne decided to check on the Water Charmer.  "So, where'd your boyfriend run off to?" she asked as she approached Eria, knowing full well how the Water Charmer would react.

---

The Divine/Desert Seth

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"You know what," Sayer uttered, "I just realized that this is a very bad idea for me."

 

"Forget your eyedrops, Sayer?" Alister Azimuth snarked nonchalantly.

 

"As a matter of fact, yes," Sayer replied, genuinely concerned.  "My R.O.D.s may be constructs, but they're still (mostly) organic, and as such will react to getting covered in sand just like regular eyes would.  Ohh, this is really going to suck, I'll be the first to admit."

 

With a satisfied smirk running across his face, Alister simply walked off, chuckling to himself at Sayer's misfortune.

 

 

Alister's Location: J7

Sayer's Location: K8 (staying behind to apply eyedrops to his R.O.D.s)