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

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Prologuous - Gemini's POV~

"...I f*cking told you all," were the only words that came from his mouth as the appearance of the so-called 'Archon' melted away to reveal the Avatar once more. Oh, he knew it was a sham soon after his little attempted dive into that portal himself, though he only had himself to blame for the sudden loss of a portion of what soul he still had left.

Gemini was not all that surprised to see many start to return from their near-instance with Origin, though he couldn't help but glance towards the Avatar's empty hand that once held the citrine flower. "But we lost the only one in this group that had any real form of immortality."

At least she can rejoin the others in non-existence, at least for now.

...wait, what? That thought wasn't his own, sounded too feminine to be his thoughts, so where did it come from?

...on second thought, nevermind. He knew exactly where that thought was from. That puppeteer of his game him a hell of a headache at times...

~Counter Corps - Path of Death - Jace's POV~

"I refuse to embrace any sort of fate that's laid down in front of me like an absolute path. While some things may be likely to happen, I refuse to believe that the future is unchangeable and fated to happen in a certain way. My freedom is my own, and no predetermined fate is going to bind me."

Jace couldn't help but give a sad smile to those words before turning his head towards the stone, unsure of how to answer. Often times, unless you purposely try every tactic in the book and even a few that aren't written within it, one's past is often the greatest indicator to how the future for that person will pan out.

From what he can recall of his past, however...doesn't indicate great tidings for him.

"Fear not for the future, friend."

That sounded oddly close. In response to the voice, Jace wound up having to look down to see a pale-skinned young woman wearing glasses over her closed eyes as she gave him a genuine smile. How did he not even sense her, even now...wait, she called him 'friend'. Why? He's never seen her before! "Things will get interesting in the future, but they will be alright given time."

"Just...who are you," he managed to ask due to his illusion-covered nose finally ceasing to bleed from the impact earlier. "And why can't I even sense your presence from here?"

The girl that literally appeared from out of nowhere behind Jace just continued to grin stupidly at him.

~??? - Path of Death - Gemini's POV~

In the darkness of the pathways, Gemini glanced back towards the red and blue planeswalker, glancing at the girl standing in front of the blue one with a fanged grin emerging on his face. "You just couldn't resist saying 'hi', could you, Michele?" A frown appeared soon after before turning his gaze towards another direction, towards where he sensed the Key and its current holder. "Either way, hold them for as long as you can. I can move between Paths, but I can't take items like the Key through with me."

And for a moment, Gemini vanished from all view, solidifying once more near what looked like a deadly fight between dragons, watching the pair dance in deadly ways. Gemini's invisible gaze fell upon Protheus in the scene, whom seem currently occupied with what was ahead.

He had only one chance for this.

Under the darkness, he summoned within his hand a spherical crystal, one that molded itself more and more into another form familiar to a select few upon the paths, the Key of Origin. Looking up towards his intended target once it was done, the crystal disappeared from view for a moment before appearing to reappear once more.

A nod in the darkness was all he gave before disappearing quick, the Key in hand if the Switcheroo was successful.

~Counter Corps - Path of Remembrance - Neos' POV~

While he was fast on his feet before, he was immediately on guard after hearing a not-very-Gemini laugh emerge from the collapsed form's body as it stood onto its feet. "Ah, Counter Guardian Arturia, and the one from which this failed construct arose," were the first actual words heard, himself creeped out over the fact that Gemini's eyes had turned pitch-black in front of him as he continued to listen.

He wasn't sure he was ready for anything, but he wasn't going to make what ever was happening to Gemini easy for it.

"I do not know fully what nightmares exist in your head, but they must be incredibly potent for you to have broken the Pathways so utterly as to have created a terminal construct. Such a thing shouldn't exist in the first place, and yet, here it is, idly prostrating itself in Prologuous with the smug air worthy of Protheus himself, though arguably carrying much less refinement in regards or verbosity."

Welp, he had to give this thing props, that was an accurate description of his unfortunate double. And while he was ready for a fight, it felt he had the wind knocked out of his sails as the figure suddenly turned around for a second before turning back to face them after a brief flash of light, Gemini's eyes having turned grey now.

 

"As I was saying, presently Protheus Maximus and the Key of Origin are in the Pathway Death, having completed the Pathway of Truth. The Pathway of Remembrance will be the last Pathway for him, and your own last chance to fight him for the Key."

...despite the fact that you're one to talk about overstepping boundaries Counter Guardian, as you shouldn't be here in the first place. You know as well as I do that the Throne of Heroes prohibits your entry into this most sacred of places. But unlike you, I am not overstepping my boundaries.

Neos couldn't help it, but the lines echoed in his head, prompting him to glance towards Arturia's direction, though the false human did not dare to move his head to do so. Her earlier 'request' for him to end himself earlier did actually fall in line with when Gemini told him in Death that she had tried to kill him to end Gemini's existence, something that hasn't exactly sat right with him in the slightest.

"I'd suggest you cease your act, Avatar, for the stars predict your fall in due time."

 

"Yeah, leave Neos and Arturia alone, you meanie!"

Neos couldn't help but lift his head at the pair of outburst, seeing what looked like a pair of young children, one male and one female. He felt as if he should know whom they were and yet nothing came to mind about them.

Well, nothing except for two things.

"...Jace Cort and Faye Xandros," Neos found himself whispering to himself, unsure of how he knew their names, but he knew somehow that they were on his side.

[Merci]

~Protheus Maximus~
Pathway to Death - (Shadow Realm Reality Marble)

A few minutes had passed since the duel of dragons first began, and if it hadn’t been obvious from the beginning as to how things would’ve turned out, it certainly was now. Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon crashed into the ground after being thrown across the whole area. Relentlessly not allowing it any time to get back up, Eyes Omega Void Dragon burst forth at high speeds that completely contrasted with its ridiculous size, letting out a distorted, thundering roar as it did so, the intensity of it so harsh that it almost seemed like the Shadow Realm around them rumbled, threatening to break due to nothing but sheer power.

DARKNESS METAL FLARE! Pener commanded mentally, fully understanding just what she was up against this time. Her Ka responded immediately, firing a pre-charged ball of superheated mercury at their approaching target. However, this was far, far too slow, as Omega unexpectedly powered through with raw strength, letting out a concentrated blast of darkness that connected with the attack and resulted in an explosion that covered the battlefield in smoke. Then, it took advantage of that instant to tackle the metallic Red-Eyes straight into the swamp, before using its claws to violently push its head into the dark waters, as if in an attempt to drown it.

N- no, Isha! It was only becoming more and more obvious when it came to how this battle was going to turn out.

The overwhelming power and bestial brutality that Omega possessed, combined with the experience of millennia worth of battles, mirrored the sorcerer’s own so much that it was terrifying. Her own dragon, the gift that Isha had left her in order to realize her dream, was up against the most powerful of all void dragons, the greatest creature the Shadow Realm had ever had the privilege of corrupting, and its speed and strength may well surpass that of its owner. The odds of victory were…

“You will be next.” Protheus stated simply, standing on top of a dead tree, a safe distance away from the brawl with the Key of Origin safely protectedin his hands.

He scanned the battlefield, noticing that Pener had somehow managed to disappear from her previous position and find a hiding spot in his Reality Marble. Pointless. Even if he couldn’t pinpoint where she was exactly, it would not take much effort to eradicate this entire location. He could be certain that she was definitely around somewhere, since he’d be able to tell if she already left. This whole thing was only getting more and more pointless. In the middle of the battlefield, the hulking Omega used its strength to keep the resisting metal dragon submerged, paying no heed to its aimless struggling and splashing. At this rate, the battle would be over in seconds.

Of course, there was no way the end would come about that quickly. There was a duty that Pener had to see through, after all. Well,if she could be glad about one thing, it was that she'd miraculously managed to get to where she needed to be, which may give her a valuable opening later on. After having intently watched the battle go by via connecting to her dragon's sight, she focused, before yelling “Isha, now!”

At that moment, four more balls of molten mercury shot out from the murky water, all aimed at Omega. A look of surprise crossed Protheus’s face, and with it, Omega reacted instinctively by shooting up into the air to evade, releasing its claws in the process. Just as it had done so, however, each of the attacks changed their respective trajectories and pursued it upwards through the purple skies, apparently homing in it. It silently stared, as though questioning what the point of these things were. Then, just as they were close to connecting, a field of darkness erupted around the void creature, causing each of the attacks to disintegrate on the spot. It had been a fruitless effort all along – hold on, where had its prey gone?

An answer to that came shortly afterwards as Isha reappeared behind Omega, opened its mouth, and unleashed another Darkness Metal Flare at point blank range, which successfully blazed into Omega’s body and left behind a small wound. Annoyed, Omega swung its gigantic tail, spun around, and smashed it downwards into the smaller dragon with enough strength that it formed a deep crater in the ground upon crashing. Only a moment later, an entire array of darkness blasts rained down onto Isha, not giving it any time to recover.

With a chuckle, Protheus let go of the Key of Origin for a little bit. Strangely enough, rather than falling to the ground like an ordinary object bound by gravity, it simply stayed suspended in the air. He started clapping, knowing all too well that his enemy could hear him even if she couldn't be found anywhere. One thing he didn't know, however, was that this small lapse in holding the most precious artifact in this entire self-contained universe was what would ruin him for good.

"Your efforts are pointless, but I must say, the sight of an inferior insect being beaten up in this fashion is quite entertaining. It wasn't honestly worth bringing out my Ka, but as with the case as that other girl, I suppose I could think of this as some sort of warm-up for the things to come... If it makes you feel any better, I do commend how long you've lasted despite your low level of strength."

But just as he was satisfied with this turn of events, the sorcerer abruptly turned his head in another direction, as though having just noticed something far away. There’d been an ominous ripple in the energy of the air, within what should’ve otherwise been an unchangeable environment. As he concentrated on identifying what it was, a frown grew on his face and he grabbed the Key of Origin again, just in case. It felt just a little different, but it must've been his imagination. “That is… How absurd, what sort of anomalous creature is that...?”

It proved to be just the distraction that she'd been waiting for, as Isha promptly charged straight back up, tackled Omega into the ground, and then aimed at the wide-open dark sorcerer with opened jaws, before firing…none other than the Egyptian girl herself, homing in on him with what was apparently a tightened fist coming straight for him!

Flying towards him like a missile, she let out a glorious warcry, now going in for the kill. In this sort of situation, there was no way she was going to have much of a chance at victory to begin with, so even though there was a possibility that things could end up badly, she'd deal with whatever consequences there were if it meant 'victory'. "GaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagagagaggagagagagagagagagagagagagagagaaGAGAGAGGAGAGAGGAGAGAGAAAAAAAAAAAA——!"

"Oh, so that's where you were." Protheus stated dryly.

The sorcerer placed his free hand onto the sheathed Impure Future, and what occurred next was instantaneous.

A huge wound appeared onto Pener's body out of nowhere, dry blood flying out from her back, and her eyes widening in what may have been horror. Almost as though an invisible blade had stabbed directly into her - and merely moments later, unable to control her own trajectory, she came to a sudden stop when it hit Protheus's black sword, the wound perfectly lining up with the weapon's shape. It had been so hilariously easy to counter such a move, that he was actually more than a little disappointed. One of the greatest entertainments in life came from the so-called 'heroes' who always came up with new and creative ways to bypass his techniques. Blunt assaults like this simply could not work-

CRACK

For a moment, he didn't notice what happened.
 
To put it simply, even though the girl's heart had been run through, her fist hadn't stopped - it went on and smashed with surprising strength into his skull, blowing off everything above the lower jaw. Eyeballs, nose, ears, hair, and pieces of bone were all scattered about behind him, though there was no accompanying blood. In a way, it was like he was nothing but a semi-realistic human anatomy model on the inside. That description wouldn't be totally inaccurate.

"Take THAT, a******!" Pener felt the need to scream at him. God that was satisfying.

His body remained still for a bit, perhaps not so much because of the lack of a head as much as it was shock that she'd actually managed to land a hit in the end. Did he think her regenerative capacities were so weak that she'd immediately die from a penetrated heart? Well, that line of thought bit him in the back. Naturally, there had been no possible way to get close to the crazy man without getting hurt in some manner, but hopefully this risk wouldn't be for nothing. At least she didn't end up gobbled up by his pet, obliterated into smithereens, or chopped into pieces.

Scarily not too far away, the Red-Eyes Omega Void Dragon was charging in a beeline straight towards her, all the while letting out a demonic screech, though thankfully Isha intercepted it with another well-timed tackle. For now. At most, only about fifteen seconds of time could be bought. If she was going to do this, she had to do this now. It was already beginning to get quite clear just how rapidly he was regenerating from the blow, so she had to act as fast as she could.

Okay... Here goes nothing. She pulled herself off the blade, stifling her sense of pain by grinding her teeth together, and went on to grasp tight hold of the spatial box suspended in the air. The Key of Origin. Then, as her wound began to create a puddle of mudlike blood beneath her, she attempted to yank it off.

It didn't move.

Was it because she was a construct of the Pathways, or was it because of her inherent zombie-esque nature?

She pulled even harder, enhancing her arm strength with as much dark energy as she could muster.

It still didn't move.

It wasn't recognizing her soul, that was the problem.

Fine, if that was the case, then there was only thing left for her to do. Her eyes started glowing as she made contact with the box once more, feeling its internal energy, intending to ensure that this time it would be coming with her. But then, out of the corner of her eye-
 
...!

"...what, did you really think it would be that easy?"

Before she knew it, her arms had been sliced off. But instead of screaming, she simply looked down blankly at them, like a minor inconvenience in life that she could go without.
 
It didn't end there, as once he had made the necessary motion with his blade to complete the cause-and-effect cycle of its ability, he sheathed it and grabbed onto her head before she could do anything to defend herself, with such force that just a little tighter and her own head might explode in a fashion far more violent than his own. Relying on his own arcane proficiency, and having long since identified how hers functioned, he then proceeded to forcefully negate her connection to her Ka - ten meters away, Omega appeared to have already smashed the Darkness Metal Dragon's head in absolute victory, so perhaps it was an unnecessary effort, but it was better to be thorough about this kind of things. The corpse of the metallic wyvern vanished just like that.

Yet, although the girl's look became a little sadder, there wasn't much of a reaction. Isha... You've done a good job. Go back to rest now. Had the hopelessness of the battle finally gotten to her? How dull.

"By your slow but sure type of regeneration, you must be a servant of Necrophades. Curious to see how you would have so much free will. In the event of betrayal or independent action, your immortality could easily be revoked by a Dark One. To begin with, why it would even choose someone like yourself is a question for another time." Protheus remarked. By then, his head had already completely restored itself, and he cracked his neck in both directions to emphasize this.

"You really... don't... remember, do you?" Pener collapsed to the ground, having ultimately decided that there was no point in fighting any further, it seemed.

"Oh, are you going to insist on that again? That you and I are the same, or whatever? Yes, yes, I admit, we do share some trivial similarities, but not nearly so much that I would even begin to consider that you are my 'past'. The very idea is hilarious."

She sighed. "You know, that bravado of yours is pretty impressive, but the sooner you accept it, the better it'll be. Otherwise, you are going to fall a long, looooonnnggggg way. Once you're done with this place, you'll have Remembrance to move onto next. And once you reach that plane... there would be no escaping your past."

At that, the Herald of Darkness gave her a cold, silent look, as though judging her, wondering if she was being serious.

Then, Protheus began to laugh. Just a little. Not a manaical, mad sort of laughter like the kind he normally did, but a more subdued one, which somehow managed to be even more annoying. As he did so, cracks formed in the skies and the ground of the Shadow Realm around them.

"Is that so. I have a few things to say, but before I begin." Glancing over his shoulder at the greater void dragon, he gave a nod. In response, his Ka vanished, letting out a cry of raw victory. If he had to be perfectly honest, it was anticlimactic, but sometimes that was simply the way events around him worked. Being too strong had its downsides. In any case, once the dragon was gone, the image of the reality marble shattered, and in its place was the Corridor of Death they'd begun in, having fixed itself in a manner not unlike his head. Since there would undoubtedly be a lot of collateral damage from all the fighting, not merely in this area but in all areas of all Pathways, every area had the capability to revert back to its original state, erasing all traces of being wrecked or tampered with.
 
Now then. He would've preferred to reveal this in a location where there were far more people around, so he could gloat on and on about it, but it didn't matter much either way. Perhaps it was about time to close the curtains on this little charade he'd been keeping up when it came and get to the point.

"So! Where was I? Oh, oh oh oh, that's RIGHT, I almost forgot, you think I'm following the 'rules' of this silly little game we're playing here, don't you? That I, like the rest of you inferior insects, am bound to the Pathway to Origin! Well now, it's time for me to reveal the truth. I'm not. I have a few things up my sleeve that sets me apart, but of course, my prowess far surpasses that of the simpletons, so this shouldn't come as a surprise." Protheus announced, grinning triumphantly.

"K."
 
"Hmm." He seemed displeased by her lack of reaction, but deciding it was irrelevant, he carried on. "First of all, I have the ability to leave my body and enter an incorporeal spirit form, and while it is true that I wouldn't be able to interact with much, but it would be child's play to generate a new body - this would enable me to transport myself in otherwise impossible ways. Second of all, I have this one lovely trait called Time Sense, which keeps my existence constant, providing me a float against the current of Origin. But these are small details, because none of this would be possible without understanding how the planes work. Now, such an idea would normally be incomprehensible..."

While Pener tried (without much effort) to remain alive a little longer, in the lack of a heart, she considered informing him of that, since she was a construct of the Pathway to Death, but decided not to. Damn did he like to talk a lot though.

"However, I have a way! For you see, the formula to this plane is already encoded within a certain object that I have, right, HERE!" He gestured towards the Key floating next to him, now fully absorbed in his monologuing. Something seemed a little off about the spatial box, an energy presence that shouldn't be there, but he dismissed it as his imagination. "Only a master magician such as yours truly, with knowledge over specific subsets of First, Second, and Third Magics would be capable of using its contents in a worthwhile fashion before the Door... Anyway, what I'm trying to say is this. I don't plan on coming anywhere near Remembrance. I never intended on completing all three trials to start with! Technically, by being in this corridor, I'm already halfway through. That is sufficient. From here, I'll be able to break through to Prologuous via sheer ingenuity, bypassing all these ridiculously sentimental obstacles at the same time! MUAAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!"

Pener opened up her mouth to speak, but she found that it was filled with mud. She coughed it out before going on. "So... You're that...desperate to run away from your...past..."

"Don't be silly. I merely don't have the time for such trivialities." The dark sorcerer brushed her off with a 'hah!'. "Well then. I sensed a strange occurrence not far from here, suggesting that there may be something going on at the end already. A final boss, perhaps? Whatever it is, I'm sure no one will mind if I were to, say, interfere."

It was time. Whatever the Pathway to Death intended for him, he wasn't about to stick around and find out.

He had entertained the possibility of heading towards the end, but he'd had a few unexpectedly close calls before, and it wasn't worth risking any more. Not to mention, again, that anomaly. His research had never revealed anything beyond the three Pathways and Prologuous, though common sense did indicate that there would be a guardian lying in wait for all challengers. Whatever it was, it had an impressive aura of power, surpassing nearly everyone else he'd encountered in the Origin War thus far. He lacked too much information to judge for sure, but the possibility of an entity like that being here... m̕ąd͟e ̵h̶i̛m ̴want to͡ ͝crưsh ̸it.

"Watch and learn, little girl, as I show you just how far I will go to defy reality! Witness the power of an Omni!"

He turned to the Key and went on to channel mana into his arms. White, into his left arm. Black, into his right arm. Synchronized perfectly. A spell that would tear into its core and gouge out the secret. From there, he would potentially be able to construct a portal back into the White Room, then a path to Prologuous, both of which he would only be able to enter as a spirit. A slight inconvenience, but it was far from the first time. He wasn't much worried about the possibility of Pener attempting to strike him down whilst he was in the process of casting this spell, since she was half-dead anyway. Even if she wasn't, what could she possibly do?

"By the way... Protheus."

The man narrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. "Yes?"

"There's still that... important... question from Truth..." She spoke, her voice getting fainter by the second. Any second now, her form could collapse. Her regeneration wasn't functioning to heal her pierced heart - he must've disabled it too.

"Oh." At this point, he really didn't care. "Go ahead and ask me." These trials weren't relevant to him anymore, and were really beginning to lose their appeal in terms of entertainment. Truth had been a gigantic disappointment, and Death was turning out to be the same thus far. "I assume it'll be bullsh**, but I'll entertain you this one last time."

The spell was ready. He paused, to let the dying girl ask her question, just because.

"H- have..."
 

"have you found a purpose to live yet?"

"What sort of stupid question is that?" Protheus spat out. As it turned out, he had been completely correct in his suspicions that it would be utterly devoid of worth. "Whatever. Now-"

Closing his eyes, concentrating on the influx of mana within his body, he began. This would be both a delicate and a forceful procedure, though he was more than confident enough in his skills and in the result. His arms were currently charged with huge amounts of mana, the very air around them distorting due to its concentration. Cackles of lightning mercilessly filled his surroundings. The ground was trembling, threatening to tear open. In any ordinary universe, elements and objects from parallel ones would've been leaking in through those bolts, and time itself would've been slowing to a halt due to the immense field. However, on the Pathways, neither of those were allowable - for now. Yet here he was, about to screw that very law. He raised his hands up into the air, and thus, with a victorious smile on his face, shoved his hands onto the suspended Key of Origin as hard as he could, knowing that it would take all of his power in order to access its dormant core. Perhaps he may even need to rely on his true form so as to gain the necessary amount of power necessary-

wait what

At that moment,

why did it break apart

Protheus's understanding of the situation ceased to be.

what

crystal shards what are they doing there falling to the ground

what do you its made of crystal of course its not made of crystal its made of origin. ORIGIN. ORIGIN DOES NOT BREAK LIKE THAT, THAT'S JUST RIDICULOUS.

...seriously, what

A KEY. OF. ORIGIN. WOULD NOT SIMPLY BREAK LIKE THAT!
 
IT HAD TO BE A FAKE!

It simply had to be a fake. Of course it would be a fake. Keys of Origin were composites of massive causality, it would take a near-infinite amount of power to destroy it after all. But the one he'd been holding up until then must've been real, since he would've been able to tell otherwise. But now, well, how? Damn it. Damn them all! How? How did this happen?! Who could have done it in the first place? Who did this? The girl? No, she never had a chance, and her skillset couldn't possibly manage it. Someone else must have interfered while he was too occupied facing her.

No, no, no, wait, hold on, he was attempting to figure it out, touching one of the glass shards, analyzing it for its source and any magical properties that may have been imbued.

This had to be...the Substitution Jutsu? No, SWITCHEROO. A Pokemon move. There could only be a few Pokemon on this plane, and if he acted now, he might still- no, he WOULD still be able to catch them. He would take them. He would destroy them. He would take the Key of Origin back no matter what. It was inconceivable to believe that something such as this had happened, but it had, and now it was time for him to rectify that mistake.

"Ahahahah..."

The girl. She'd known somehow. On the brink of death, resting in a pit of her own mudblood, she was giggling at him.

"You truly...are an idiot... Protheus Maxim-" He thrust his boot down and smashed her head without a second thought. There was no time to bother with this anymore.

He was pissed. He was very, very, very, VERY PISSED RIGHT NOW!!!

The dark sorcerer, using the energy signature he'd obtained from the fake Key, expanded his senses so as to encompass as much of the Pathway to Death as possible. Yes, the darkness interfered, even with he who would normally be affiliated with it, but his strength was more than sufficient enough that he could utilize brute force to power his way through the dark. Inconveniently, the Key of Origin itself emitted no energy, meaning that it couldn't be sensed in any way, so he would simply have to look for the culprit instead. Whoever it was, they had to die. They would die. It was a guarantee. The only question was, 'how soon can I make it?'

After thirteen of searching, he discovered a hint of what might be it. An entity, racing towards the end beyond the corridor. His exact position couldn't be determined, but no matter what sort of Pokemon he was, if he was one at all - there was NO way he was getting away with this ALIVE. Crouching downwards with a burning rage deep inside, charging up energy within his legs, Protheus proceeded to burst forth like a rocket, firing out black lasers from the soles of his boots.

He didn't cease even after exiting the corridor, entering this new place where there seemed to be strange lampposts about everywhere. They flickered a few times, but when the darkness descended upon his rushing body, the only thing he saw was fire. Probably nothing relevant in any way.

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

The anguished scream of the leader of the Divine echoed throughout the whole area as he darted through at an unbelievable speed, wildly pursuing whoever was responsible for this. And, in the event that he couldn't quite pinpoint their position, then there was another simple solution. Head towards the end, and kill everyone who attempts to pass through, simple as can be!

Current Position: D11

---

~Arturia Pendragon w/ Neos, Avatar Conflictous, Jace & Fave~
Pathway to Remembrance - A4

"Perhaps that is true... But in that case, it's awfully convenient of me to have had my connection to the Throne of Heroes severed before entering here." Arturia dryly remarked towards the possessed Gemini's body, all the while she continued to advance onwards with Neos. A moment afterwards, something happened suddenly - what exactly was going on at the Prologuous anyway? - and his attitude and demeanour changed abruptly for no clear reason.
 
"As I was saying, presently Protheus Maximus and the Key of Origin are in the Pathway Death, having completed the Pathway of Truth. The Pathway of Remembrance will be the last Pathway for him, and your own last chance to fight him for the Key"

Whatever the case for this was, he was clearly still Avatar Conflictous in every way, so she thought nothing of it. However, what he had told her posed to be very interesting, and potentially very important as well. In other words, Protheus would be heading here in due time. Not to say a confrontation was inevitable but...the chances of it were higher than not. It would be an excellent opportunity for her to engage and finish him before he could become an even greater threat, but now that she thought about it, did she have the strength currently to face him a second time? Her very loss of that Counter Guardian status and her current more fragile body could prove to be detriments against him. At full power and whilst in her own reality marble, she had only barely been able to hold her own, and that was before, well, something happened. There was a block in her mind that prevented her from remembernig, which was definitely suspicious. Perhaps, amongst other things, Remembrance could help with that.

Whilst in thought about this, two memory golems that appeared to have come from Neos's mind sprung up, telling the Avatar to go away, for some reason. Arturia wondered what they meant, before turning to the possessed Gemini once more. "I see. Thank you for informing me about this, Avatar Conflictous. I'm afraid this is my first time meeting you, so I have little information on what you are, but nonetheless..." She gave him a determined look. At the moment, it was unclear whether he was good or evil, orderly or chaotic, but if he was a kind of guardian like her, then, "I believe that you and I would have similar goals. If they are not the same, then perhaps we can at least agree that Protheus Maximus and the majority of the entrants cannot be allowed near the Door of Origin. With that having been said, do you have any other information for me regarding the status of the other Pathways and Prologuous?"

Then, she stopped as she saw a figure standing far off into the distance, obscured by the trees and snow. Had that been... It couldn't be. But the possibility wasn't zero. This was the Pathway to Remembrance, after all, and even her own demons from the past would be returning. This was her final Pathway, so she expected to have the most intense trials of all waiting up ahead - of the possibilities of what she may encounter, not a single one of them were welcoming ones.

"Neos." She said, then nodded to the golems. "Do not worry about me. I sense that you may have...business with these friends of yours, so you may go ahead if you wish. I understand that these things are, perhaps, better off left private. It seems that I may have some matters of my own to take care of, so in the event that there are, I believe it would be wisest of me to confront them alone as well."
 

---

Prologuous

TICK

TOCK

TICK

TOCK

TICK

TOCK

TICK

TOCK

TICK
 
TOCK
 

Almost as soon as the Avatar Conflictous has revealed his deception and resumes the battle, the loud, mysterious sound of a clock suddenly starts at the end of the Pathways. It is unprecedented and unplanned, of unknown origin, with no apparent meaning or rhythm to it, but it appears to be emanating from the rainbow energy that surrounds the arena.

 

Again and again, it ticks and tocks, ticks and tocks, ticks and tocks. Never constant, but uneven, as if the clock in question is broken.

 

Perhaps it is a calming sound, or perhaps it is a maddening sound. Nonetheless, it is an UNNATURAL sound that is out of place in what should otherwise be a realm of purity. It signifies that there must be an ANOMALY in this otherwise perfect structure that leads towards the Origin, it acts as an ominous warning to all who are present to not attempt to proceed.

 

It appears to be counting down.

 

But to what?

[The Warden]

[[Pathway to Remembrance - A4]]

 

"I believe that you and I would have similar goals. If they are not the same, then perhaps we can at least agree that Protheus Maximus and the majority of the entrants cannot be allowed near the Door of Origin. With that having been said, do you have any other information for me regarding the status of the other Pathways and Prologuous?"

 

Cute, but Avatar or Archon, he would not all himself with anyone who had aspirations of claiming Origin. However, he had more pressing matters to attend to now. "I will not ally myself with you Arturia, but, I will tell you something useful that has just come up. The Key is no longer in Protheus' hands, but that of Gemini's. As such, the mad sorcerer is severely angered by that, and is not want to wait around. So prepare yourself, as he will be appearing quite soon, and with a vengeance" Archon grinned as he faded away.

 

 

Black ichor oozed from the Avatar's exposed and fractured ribcage, his body rent apart by yet another failed attempt at murder. Why were they so tenacious in keeping themselves alive instead of actually fighting him? Drip. Drip. Drip. That was more of his "blood" dripping onto the ground, and fading away into nothingness. "You... you...."

 

TICK

 

TOCK
TICK

TOCK

TICK

TOCK

TICK

TOCK

TICK

 
TOCK
 

 

!!! With a horrified look the Avatar turned to the clock. "What?" he gasped in surprise. The clock was NOT supposed to be acting like that. The only cause could be.... "Someone is attempting to break Origin."

 

 

[spoiler=Avatar Conflictous]

HP: 7/10

SP: ∞/∞

Attack: 1000

Defence: 2000

Speed: 5000

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"What was happening...?"

 

Yukari, from her hole, watched as the Avatar was clearly hurting from something. What was it, she still have no idea about, but Yukari realized that it was her chance now to actually act. Protecting Reimu would still be important, but right now she had to get rid of the Avatar now that the moment had presented itself to her. It's too troubling if the thing's around for longer...although damaging it would be a completely different matter entirely. However, there were individuals here that could help her handle that part of the matter.

 

"Koishi, go get Reimu and protect her from whatever's coming into this place soon. I'm going to try my luck with this thing."

 

The satori looked at her questioningly, not really seeing what was on her mind as a good plan. However, after a while she let go of her hold from Yukari, and started to move away from her, floating towards the direction where Yukari kept Reimu. Once the satori's away, Yukari opened a slit from under her, and fell from that hole. She reappeared behind her previous tea party guests not long afterwards.

 

"It's a real pity we didn't finish our little tea time earlier, no?
 

But perhaps once this no-fun ruiner of parties could be eliminated, we could continue it again." It's fun talking about unnecessary things first to open up a conversation. Tapping Rhadamantys' shoulder with her fan, her gaze was still locked at the bleeding creature not too far away from their location.

 

"Say, do you thing it's possible to blast him with a similar force like earlier? Even if he would just fire it back, it shouldn't be too problematic perhaps? Don't worry, I think I have a plan."

 

---

[Love of Ghibli]

Team Dorian: Prologous

The team stood still and watched as the Avatar proceeded to do nothing but stand there. It looked like it was distracted by something. 

Must be pretty important if it decided to stop paying attention to us. Dorian commented.

It would be foolish to think that something so powerful was actually ever paying attention to us to begin with. Butlerok added though in the back of his mind he did somewhat agree maybe something truly dangerous has happened. 

Well if he is distracted...Rhadamanthys added until he was quickly interrupted by a familiar voice. 

 

"It's a real pity we didn't finish our little tea time earlier, no?
 

But perhaps once this no-fun ruiner of parties could be eliminated, we could continue it again."

 

Dorian looked on at the tea guest and wondered what she had in mind. Surely she was referring to the joint Cosmos based attack that the two launched when the collective melted the Avatar the first time. Though current circumstances would lead one to believe that they didn't actually melt the creature. It was just playing possum. For reasons that no one seems to know. Nevertheless it could not hurt to give something another try. 

Rhadamanthys raised and eyebrow to that question. Hmph, I won't have to use the brats Cosmos to hold me back? What you ask is merely a trifle for one of the Three Judges of the Underworld. Rhadmanthys said proudly.

Really I was holding you back? Dorian added sarcastically. 

Yes you were! Rhadamanthys retorted. Watch and learn. Rhadamanthys started to glow and oozing purple and all of Prologous started to shake as if he very presence was being rejected by the space. He put his hand in the air and looked towards the emptiness known as the sky. In an instant everything went dark...the world was pitch black and then all of the that pitch blackness collected itself in the palm of his hand. Sink into the depths of oblivion! Rhadamanthys unleashed a torrent of darkness at the Avatar that was easily 10 times more destructive than the combination attack that he did with Dorian earlier.

Okay so maybe I was holding him back...a little.

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Path of Death - Gemini's POV~

As he bolted through the one lit area of the Path of Death with the speed of a maxed-out Agility, the flickering lights moved within an unfeelable wind, dimming momentarily though they stayed lit. When the lights re-stabilized, he could be seen with something akin to thin crystalline wiring reaching down into the front of his jacket with something in his earbuds.

Headphones to a music player of some sort playing some form of melody in his ears.

"This is your time to pay.
This is your judgment day.
We made a sacrifice,
And now we get to take your life," Gemini could be suddenly heard singing underneath his breath as he sensed company coming, the nearly-dead aura of the Omni on this walkway.

"We shoot without a gun.
We'll take on anyone!
It's really nothing new.
It's just a thing we like to do!"

"Hey, f***er! Turn around!" Without missing a beat after belting out his words did Gemini disappear from Protheus' view before reappearing behind him a good distance away, pulling out the familiar cube from another pocket inside his jacket before waving it about for a couple of seconds once his former follower caught sight of it. Putting it back under the purple, a look on his face clearly stated the challenge issued in getting it off of him as a shimmer of dark blue began to envelop him.

"I figured you'd want a bit more of a challenge before you exit stage right from here. So, I shall give you one. Shall we dance...Adam? Pener? Protheus? There are so many names connected with ye that it's almost unreal now."

Gemini did not look worried in the slightest. In fact, the smirk on his face never left, with even his fangs visible in the grin.

Ending Point: D9

 

 

~Counter Corps - Path of Remembrance - Neos' POV~

"I believe that you and I would have similar goals. If they are not the same, then perhaps we can at least agree that Protheus Maximus and the majority of the entrants cannot be allowed near the Door of Origin. With that having been said, do you have any other information for me regarding the status of the other Pathways and Prologuous?"

"I will not ally myself with you Arturia, but, I will tell you something useful that has just come up. The Key is no longer in Protheus' hands, but that of Gemini's. As such, the mad sorcerer is severely angered by that, and is not want to wait around. So prepare yourself, as he will be appearing quite soon, and with a vengeance."

Wait, what?

"Neos," he heard Arturia say to catch his attention before nodding to the golems. "Do not worry about me. I sense that you may have...business with these friends of yours, so you may go ahead if you wish. I understand that these things are, perhaps, better off left private. It seems that I may have some matters of my own to take care of, so in the event that there are, I believe it would be wisest of me to confront them alone as well."

"Sadly," the young lady began to interject, her hands remaining crossed in front of her on the black and gold dress that she wore. "Unless he falls within the waters ahead, he will not recall either of us, despite being the one that saved us from the fatal realm we were born in."

"...nor do I forsee you reaching the end with the Key in hand, dear Queen. Instead, I see it within another's grasp, though I see not whom it is clearly just yet."

It wasn't a challenge to prove her wrong. It was a statement, spoken as if it events fore-spoken of has already reached its conclusion. Neos recognized the tone, though he knew not why. Another thought also floated past his thoughts.

Faye Xandros has never failed to make a correct prediction in the past.

 

"How close is the one who bring the Key to the end, then?"

 

The young girl with the violet eyes closed them for a brief minute.

 

"The soul is currently at the end of Death." The young male child next to Faye was silent, but he was staring down mostly Arturia, as if ready for anything in case a move was made towards the young girl of the Pathways.

 

Ending Point: A4

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Nero - Keyblade War Master / The X-Blade's Wielder ~ Prologous

 

Things got stranger and stranger still as Nero watched as Archon took on the one known as Tenco. The battle was intense between both opposing sides, neither giving an inch in it. However, Archon won the battle...and Tenco had returned, as the being said: "Back to Origin". Such an immense power that this being had and it even made the Keyblade Master's hands tremble slightly at seeing this display.

 

But it did not end there...the strangeness anyway...

 

The guardian spoke as a black portal opened up near the base of the great tree. He, among others, were going to go and seize destiny, but he was halted nevertheless. A new stranger entered the fray and began to speak to Archon, arguing points. But that was just the start. Arturia finally arrived on the scene, but Archon seemed to change upon it, but ever so slightly. But Nero could tell something now...whether it had a heart or not, this guardian was fighting between the light and darkness....

 

And then...everything went wrong.

 

 

Enfin Apparu!!

 

"This was all too perfect, truly, it was. You fell for my ruse hook, line, and sinker. Truly is shows how little you compared to me at all; especially you, you sleeping dragon. You cannot hear my words, but the world will hear this... goodbye, Tesability Black. The Pain, of Non-Existence!"

 

Nero watched as the unthinkable occurred, the being changed, seeming to give into the darkness. And he watched as those who walked into the portal were instantly gone as he crushed the gem he held in his hand. His fists clenched tightly, seeing those falling by the Avatar. Soon he started seeing flashing images of not only just those who were taken but then those he lost in the Keyblade War.

 

A Hero Will Rise

 

Again...I could've saved them... Nero thought, before suddenly opening his closed eyes. No. Remember the paths...I've been able to throw away that guilt that I died with. It wasn't my fault...look to the future...but...

 

Nero slowly raised his head and looked at this Avatar. His hand was held out to his right, as the X-Blade manifested in his hand. "On the borderline of light and dark...and yet you chose the dark." he said, his eyes fixated on him. "You had a balance and yet you decided to tip the scales. And you took the lives of those who risked everything to get here..." Nero swung his X-Blade and pointed at the Avatar. "Your going to pay for it."

 

And the Battle Begins...

 

Nero quickly stepped back as he swung his blade in the air. "FIRAGA BURST!!!" he shouted as a grand blast of fire was sent directly towards the Avatar, but this was only the beginning. "THUNDAGA!!" he shouted, as now around the Avatar, it began to rain bolts of lightning.

 

Nero held out his left hand and fired off a few blasts of light towards the Avatar, before even beginning to imbue this power to his X-Blade, before sending a horizontal slash towards him. He knew by himself this wasn't going to phase the being, but at the same time...he knew someone had to do something, and Nero decided he had to.

[Phantom Roxas]

[Death A10] - Kairi

 

After fighting Ansem and Sliske back to back, Kairi had begun breathing heavily enough that she had begun to notice it. This was only the first Pathway, and two more still remained, but already she was beginning to feel exhausted. Probably a consequence of joining this war at its end. Sora, Eria, and the rest were probably used to this sort of thing. But that didn’t mean she could give out now.

 

The darkness had begun to subside, at least a little bit. Looking behind her, she found the exit of the corridor standing tall. At least, she assumed it was the exit. There were lampposts ahead of her that she hadn’t seen at the entrance, so that had to mean she was at least going in the right track. However, she couldn’t find anyone else nearby. Either she had made it before the others, or the rest had gone ahead of her. Maybe Eria or Arthur, maybe Zilyana or Kree’arra, but not Sora. Kairi wasn’t about to go ahead without him, so she knew that he wouldn’t head deeper into the Pathways without her either.

 

She had made it past Sliske, so if the others had to fight anyone like him, she hoped it wouldn’t be too long before they came her way. Kairi needed a place to wait, and leaning against one of the lampposts was one of her best options. Pressing her back up against the post, the only source of conversation she could have was herself. Could the Counter Corps and Divine truly work together? She knew the factions had fought on other battlefields before this, but how many people were left to even claim firsthand that they were there? If Protheus could still find others to join his cause, how many of them could come to realize how pointless it would be to fight at his side? If any the Divine who could remember that first battle were still with Protheus, then Kairi couldn’t forgive him. Even if she didn’t know even half of the people fighting here, Kairi was content with the Counter Corps.

 

Kairi stood waiting, thinking more on what separated the Counter Corps from the Divine. She wanted to know more about Arturia. The woman who was leading the Counter Corps. Was joining the Corps merely a gut instinct on Kairi’s part? Maybe she did it only because of Sora. There had to be another reason. Before she could think of one, a sudden chill blew over her body. There was no wind. There was hardly any semblance of weather in his insane place. What she felt was something she knew all too well. Darkness. Not the simple shadows surrounding the Pathway, with the lamps offering the only other light she could fight. There was a pure, unbridled malice coming from the Pathways.

 

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

 

Kairi’s felt goosebumps. That voice… she had heard it back in the Rejected World. It was him. Kairi didn’t want him to see her face. She wasn’t going to risk the fight. But that voice could only mean one thing. Even if the scream wasn’t meant for her, Kairi was about to get caught in the crossfires of none other than Protheus Maximus.

[Merci]

~ Protheus Maximus w/Gemini

Pathway to Death - D11

 

"YOOOOUUUU!!!"

 

The dark sorcerer came to an almost immediate halt as the voice of his target (which he strangely enough recognized) yelled from behind him in what was apparently a taunt. Just as he turned around, the Pokemon - or was it? - somehow disappeared before reappearing a little further away. How curious - under ordinary circumstances, teleportation shouldn't be possible within realms like these. No, that wasn't the curious part. What truly intrigued him was the utterly inexplicable arrogance that his opponent seemed to possess. Just how much idiocy did one need to possess in order to issue such a challenge?

 

Nonetheless, the being before him did seem to possess some knowledge which no normal entity should normally, judging by his words, so perhaps there was some merit to him. Could it be that he was another one of the realm's manifestations? There was no reason to believe otherwise, and it would make perfect sense. He didn't recognize this entity, but really, there was no rule stating it had to come from his past, or even stem from him rather than any of the others. It shouldn't have been possible for the Key to have been stolen away under any circumstances, but if this was the will of the Pathway to Origin itself acting against him, then...

 

As for the being's voice, there was something about it that bugged Protheus. He thought a bit as he faced his target with a radiating bloodlust, before speaking in extreme distaste, "Ah, of course, it's the maggot from before. First that, now this, you truly are daring to test my PATIENCE, aren't you? Or did you think your actions in the Skype Dimension would go unforgotten?"

 

Locking onto Gemini with a barely-controlled glare, he brandished Impure Future in his hands, not making any attempt to hide the utter contempt emanating from his very being. He was enshrouded in an intense aura like black flames, making it difficult just to look at him, and from it, the smell of blood leaked out into the air.

 

"If you think your increased awareness gives you some sort of advantage, then I'm afraid you are terribly mistaken. All it does is make you better understand just how hopeless this silly attempt of yours is." He began to walk forward, slowly, patiently, emitting a pressure that made the air heavier with each step he took. "I'll be frank. Even if you were to surrender now and hand over the Key of Origin, I will not grant you a peaceful death. We both know how this will end, don't we?"

 

Protheus paused, turning his head in a different direction. "Oh, one of Ophelia's machinations made it this far? Hmph, she can't even dispose of her own minions properly. Judging by her energy signature, it must be that Keyblader's wife..." Despite the situation, he found himself being crudely amused, as he often did whenever there was a possibility of him reuniting with someone he'd killed. While he couldn't recall her name, he could recall her screams as he amputated her limbs before tearing her Heart of pure light straight out of her, one amongst many things he did in his experimentations with the Princesses of Heart. "It would be convenient if the girl made them send another Sora after me. I've killed so many of those it's hilarious. A Counter Guardian version would be a bit of a change."

 

The wife's presence on her own was irrelevant, so he chose to ignore her, at least for now. Although it did raise a separate issue he hadn't given much thought to. Namely, who, if anyone, was currently leading the Counter Corps? Of course, as had been proven by the Divine getting so far, they didn't really need any leadership, but they must've had some outside help in order to make it to the Pathway to Origin. He doubted that Neighborhood Watch was capable of intervening what with all the distortions, but he wouldn't rule out the possibility. It would certainly explain away how they got to this place. There were few who were aware of the existence of this realm after all, let alone its location, which included the Throne of Heroes. Arthuria had been slain by his own two hands, so chances were that they would opt to send another Counter Guardian after him - though how that fighter would follow him into this realm was another question entirely.

 

If he had to describe the Throne of Heroes, it was like an autonomous omniversal 'charity', filled to the brim with 'volunteers' that serve out the purpose of keeping reality stable. However, for the sake of this, becoming one with this phenomena removed one from the cycle of life and death, making them essentially cease to exist in the eyes of reality, which also just so happened to disqualify them from eligibility to the Door of Origin. While their plans remained a mystery to him, what he knew for sure was that neither Emiya nor Arthuria ever planned on coming close to the Pathways. It was clear that they hoped to obtain the Key of Origin before Isamy did, but to what end? He figured that they probably would've just hidden it in an even more secure place, making his job harder, but there were a few other, well, rather unpleasant possibilities.

 

In any case, opening the Door had never been on their agenda.

 

It was on his agenda though. And he had no intention of failure.

 

"Dance, eh? If you insist, but,"

 

By then, Protheus was standing only a few feet away from his target, now uncomfortably close. He hadn't teleported, but had simply walked the whole distance uninterrupted. His cold eyes had taken on black sclera, with a burning energy leaking out of them.

 

"Do tell, how does it feel to be distracted by a monologue...?!"

 

Then, putting his left arm forward, he unleashed a massive black laser from point blank range that threatened to obliterate every last speck of Gemini, so as to make sure that there was nothing left for him except the precious Key of Origin held in his hands-

 

 

---

 

 

~ Arturia Pendragon w/ Neos~

Pathway to Remembrance - A4

 

"I will not ally myself with you Arturia, but, I will tell you something useful that has just come up. The Key is no longer in Protheus' hands, but that of Gemini's. As such, the mad sorcerer is severely angered by that, and is not want to wait around. So prepare yourself, as he will be appearing quite soon, and with a vengeance"

 

The Avatar let her know as he faded away, and for some reason, she had a feeling she wouldn't be encountering him again. Still, this information was quite the revelation to her, and her fists clenched. Gemini had told her that he wasn't interested in the Door of Origin for himself, but these actions spoke otherwise. Even so, due to his nature, was he truly capable of taking it out on his own? Most likely, he would have to pass it onto someone else, and honestly, anyone was preferable to Protheus right now. If they were a member of the Counter Corps, they would have no problem handing it over to her, and if they were one of the Divine, then she could crush them with little difficulty. Though it was a strange feeling, she hoped that he would prevail against the sorcerer.

 

"The soul is currently at the end of Death." One of the memory golems let her know.

 

 

 

 

 

~ Fate/Zero - Tragedy and Fate ~

"Already?" Arturia muttered under her breath, and took a step away from the rest, before turning towards the Ditto. With all this happening, she couldn't afford to waste much more time. "Neos, there isn't much left for me to say at this point. I would suggest that you make your way out of this forest and keep on heading forward until you reach the end. If you stay here... One way or another, you'll undoubtedly die."

 

Then, she turned to a different direction, towards the person that she couldn't be fully sure if she'd seen head into the forest, who might now be standing there, awaiting her arrival. There was no guarantee that it was who she thought it was, but again, it would make sense in this Pathway to Remembrance, and as much as she dreaded it, she had to take even the slightest chance of her foresight being correct. She couldn't pass up the opportunity, or rather, she didn't have any choice in the matter. Her time was running out, and if she missed this, there would no longer be any way for her to progress.

 

What was this feeling? Her hands were shaking, unlike that of a leader. Unfamiliar sensations churned deep within her heart. Haha. Hahaha. There was no point in pretending. It wasn't that she was uncertain as to what she had seen, as to who she would end up meeting. She knew exactly what was going to happen once she came over, understood exactly what it represented to her. Even though she wasn't quite a proper Counter Guardian anymore, her senses were still more than clear enough, her sight included. She'd seen his face, and that unmistakeably resolute expression on it. And yet, even as the woman dreaded her fate, she had to go, while she still had that opportunity, that privilege, that blessing.

 

"Neos... I have a feeling that this is where our paths must part." Arturia said calmly, her back still turned, her gaze now focused on the grey sky above. She was simply stating a fact that must've been clear to the both of them. "We may never meet again. If we do, I hope it will be at Origin, victorious. The truth of the matter is that I cannot allow you to accompany me from this point onwards. Greater challenges lie ahead, and you need to conserve your strength for them."

 

Unsheathing her blade, she held it out in right of her. Its strange metal gleamed in the light penetrating through the trees, and she observed the reflection of Neos upon it, as if taking something into consideration.

 

Touching it with her other hand, it started to transform, until it had become identical to her former, lost weapon. Clarent, the Sword of Knighting. As it formed in her hands, a barrier of wind appeared to materialize between the two of them, preventing anyone else from interfering. The memory golems had no choice but to watch as an audience if they so chose. While nothing was for certain, it must've been obvious that something special and ancient was about to occur.

 

"Before that, I have a question I need to ask of you... Answer from the bottom of your heart, for I must know whether or not you are worthy of this privilege."

 

Arturia turned around to face him. There was no shaking. No fear. Only the duty that she felt obligated to perform.

 

"If you were ever given ultimate power, the power to rewrite reality as you will...

 

...can you honestly say that you would be able to do the right thing?"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

[spoiler=Eightfold Fence, Countless Clouds]

 

Yakumo Yukari

Pathway of Death, Entrance

 

“My, my, so my future is this dark, apparently.”

 

Striding through the pillar area that greeted her as soon as she entered the dark pathway, the youkai sage continued her way to finish this pathway seemingly without any expressions of worry on her face. The pitch-black void before her didn’t deter her at all from going forward. It was still quite a bother for Yukari for her to finish this pathway, but she’s left with no choices in the matter. And worse, it seemed that her power over boundaries became weaker and weaker the closer she was to the endpoint. At first she thought that she’s restricted by the narrative boundary so far, but now she could feel that it was actually the effect of Origin itself on her. The Origin is the starting point of everything, and by it, boundaries that separate one and the other ceased to exist. It’s perhaps the main reason why she couldn’t break the sequence and open a path directly to the end.

 

In the darkness, Yukari chose to follow the straight path through the forest. She didn’t bother with using any source of lights as she didn’t want to attract the attention of anything else. She simply relied on her ability to see the boundary between the straight path and the forest to avoid getting lost. And so far, it worked well for her. She didn’t opt to float even if it would be a lot more practical since the worst thing she could do now would be to lose any contacts she had with the ground – making her completely lose track on where she was.

 

“This smell…”

 

A certain nauseating aroma was in the air. Blood. Rotting corpse. As a youkai it shouldn’t have bothered Yukari, but each step she took intensified the sensation to the point of her needing to block out her sense of smell if she didn’t want to throw up. Yukari pondered for some moment about where the smell was coming from, or whether someone died somewhere not too far away from her position, but soon she learned firsthand of the source as she felt she’s stepping on something funny.

 

“Really now?”

 

Flesh. Rotting, decaying flesh. Flesh and bones. It seemed that Yukari had stepped on a body as she walked through the darkness. Yukari had a slightly disgusted expression on her face as she realized what she’s been stepping on, although it soon replaced with exasperation before she grinded the corpse below her with her heels. If she’s not wrong, then she’s probably standing on top of the corpse’s spine now. A cracking sound, and soon the bones broke while the decayed, loose skin simply collapsed following it.

 

“The dead is dead. Corpses are just a pile of bones and flesh. Without soul and spirit, there’s no reason to care. This world is for the living, after all.”

 

Thinking more about of what she just said, Yukari couldn’t help but giggle a bit. How could she say that when her close friend was a ghost? How could she say that when she’s holding someone that had long since gone inside of her heart? But nevertheless, this corpse held no meaning to her. Simply an obstacle on her way. Living as long as she did, being a man-eating youkai as she was, it wouldn’t be the first corpse she saw, and wouldn’t be the last. Finishing her thought about her current condition by moving the corpse aside with her feet, Yukari continued her way.

 

Yet, she could feel it once again. It’s no longer a singular corpse this time- instead, she could feel that she’s ascending on top of a mound of corpses now. The smell would’ve been unbearable now had Yukari didn’t remove that sense of hers now. Yukari stopped in her tracks once she’s sure she’s at the top of the mound. She stopped to think more about how unnatural the mound was. While the earlier corpse could be attributed to a lot of different, more natural circumstances of events, it would be unlikely that these were all actually corpses of a battle that had been going on here, or the corpses of other people that passed through the pathway. The only explanation would be that the corpses were generated by the pathway. Part of the test.

 

Instinctively, Yukari summoned an orb of light to illuminate her surroundings.

 

“…This is truly a new low…”

 

The macabre sight before her unveiled itself. Before her, under her, and all around her, she saw a mountain of corpses. Familiar faces could be seen here and there, repeating and repeating infinitely. Looking behind, Yukari stared at how she had stepped on these corpses simply to move forward. She couldn’t feel any sort of disgust, nor feeling any sort of feeling at this sight, however. For her, these corpses still hold no meaning. They’re just corpses, worm food. They used to have names, but it shouldn’t matter now. Being the excrement that the pathway shat out to torment her only made it less meaningful for her. Although, this new knowledge did make Yukari curious about the identity of the corpse she stepped on and crushed earlier, so she descended from the mound back into the path, with the lightsource following her.

 

“Ah…of course.”

 

Just as Yukari expected, it was Reimu’s lifeless body that she had been stomping on earlier. In context, Yukari found that fact to be somewhat hilarious. Was the pathway trying to guilt trip her about her decisions so far? It’s as if she’s just using Reimu and plan to dispose her if she’s in any way defective. That would be quite low, even for her standards.

 

At least, Yukari felt like she now understood the main point this macabre display were trying to say. What it probably would try to illustrate was the fact that for her to reach this place in the first place, a lot of people, people that were close to her, had to be sacrificed in one way or another. Everyone in Gensokyo, Ran, Chen, and perhaps, Reimu would’ve been yet another one body on her road to reach the end of this place. Reaching Origin, ensuring Gensokyo’s future survival until the end of time. That used to be her goal, the reason why she’s willing to sacrifice everything – even the thing she’s trying to protect.

 

“Though, that was the past. Just like these corpses, it held no meaning to me. What I can do now…is to walk forward.”

 

In silent, Yukari turned around from the generated Reimu’s corpse at the side of the road, and returned to scale through the mound she left earlier.

 

 

Yakumo Yukari

Pathway of Death, D5

 

"And then Reality reared its ugly head.

What did you seek...

What did you see...

What did you hear...

What did you think...

What did you do..."

 

That was a quote, wasn’t it? Just like its first sentence, the string of questions popped inside of Yukari’s head as she came closer and closer to the end of the forest. Yukari couldn’t exactly pinpoint where she heard of it first, but it’s like one of those things she would remember vividly anyway, and for one, it’s relevant to her current situation.

 

With Reimu convinced her that her past goal should be discarded, did she even have anything to seek anymore? The conceptual path that lies before her was as dark and concealed as the physical one before her. Unwavered by anyone’s thoughts and opinions, yet having nowhere in particular to go. Perhaps she thought that the pathways would give her enlightenment? That would be too convenient, and would simply make her look desperate.

 

But even then, knowing all that, she kept on moving forward because it’s the only thing left for her to do.

 

It’s not troubling at all.

 

 

Yakumo Yukari

Pathway of Death, D8

 

“…Of all people that would be here to face me…it’s you, huh?”

 

That was unexpected. The person that stood before her, the so-called Ultimate Enemy of hers, simply smiled at Yukari’s surprised expression, despite the youkai sage’s best attempt to hide it.

 

“Yeah…it’s me. Been a while, isn’t it? Kind of wished I didn’t have to be involved with you again, but…well, fate’s a big pain.”

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“I don’t really know myself. Perhaps a test? I don’t even know anything at all about myself, why would you expect me to know about my purpose of standing before you here? Though it's probably better that I just die now or something.

 

And really, you’re the one that made me into this nonsense, and you expect me to just be your dog or something?”

 

“Well…yes. I did do it with that purpose in my mind back then.”

 

“Then, I guess it’s time for the dog to bite back.”

 

A crimson glint in the distance. Yukari readied her stance, preparing herself for the possibility of an attack. She was well aware that she couldn’t utilize her gaps as willy-nilly as she usually did with how much being close to Origin eroded her existence as a boundary. The person before her laughed at the sight before them, but it’s clear that they were just forcing it.

 

“You’ve fallen way too deep. The power you used to boast weren’t here to protect you now, and on the opposite side of the coin, the weak me had seized the power capable of tearing through the heaven and earth.”

 

“Yes, you are right.”

 

“No need to state the obvious. This here…it’ll be your graveyard, you evil witch!”

 

“…Big bark, wanna bite?”

 

“E-eh?”

 

“You have the power, yes. I can see it radiating from you. As said, no need to state the obvious.”

 

“S-so what then? Look at me! I’m someone that can kill you in one strike!”

 

“And I am someone you can kill in one strike. Go ahead. Lift that sword, and blast me to oblivion if that was what you wanted.”

 

“…You bastard…I’ll kill you!”

 

Yukari closed her eyes after saying her taunt. What she said was true, after all. The person before her could simply kill her in one hit. Waiting for their move, Yukari stood still and readied herself. If she died here, it’d be a pity. But…she knew she wouldn’t.

 

“…I thought you wished to kill me?” A minute had passed, and nothing happened. Yukari taunted the person before her once more in response to that inaction.

 

“I’ll…k-kill…y-“

 

“You have the power…and then what? You wish to go walk the same path as me? That would be a pity…you’re too young to make this mistake.”

 

“Save that nonsense to yourself!”

 

“In the previous pathway, I have decided that I would let the kids run the show now. Kids like you, I mean. Bright, still have a long way to tread.

 

I’m choosing to believe in that possibility. Yes, that means I do choose to believe in a fool like you. If this is a gamble, then I have gone all in and put all my stocks to you and the others. It’s not about whether you’re weak or strong, those things mattered little to me.

 

I’ve realized, after what I’ve gone through these pathways, that those fire of determination would trump any kind of power and opposition. Me myself is simply an old hag that has no vision for the future for now. Rather than forcing my twisted idea forward, I’m content in letting you choose for me.”

 

“I- what?”

 

“And…for everything about you…I’m sorry. I know you’re not the real you, but this is my apology for you.  Perhaps it’s unwarranted, coming from me of all people, but still, I’m sorry. You’ve suffered a lot due to me…yet even then you kept on going forward, partially due to me and you feeling that you need to pay me a favor.”

 

“…That is so, huh? Well…simply being an obstacle made by the pathway, I could not address the apology satisfyingly. Well but I guess, it’s nice to see you’re not as stuck up and all mighty as you were before. Perhaps failure really did knock some sense to you.”

 

“And some words from someone that cared for me the most, yes. Common sense is a rare commodity back here in Gensokyo…and I guess I forgot to go get myself some. Perhaps having nothing going on with me, a vision for the future and whatnot, is a bad thing. But it’s perhaps not as bad as one might think. All in all, even if I don’t have a vision of my own, kids like you do have one. My job here is simply to assist you as much as I could.”

 

“Heh…

 

,,,At times I wonder now whether you’re the same person as the youkai sage of the past.

 

You’ve changed quite a lot, huh?” The person lowered her sword, and moved aside. Even if it was almost pitch-black over here in the corridor, Yukari could see that person’s smile. Satisfied that she could get what was on her mind out of her system, Yukari smiled back at her supposed ultimate enemy. While it was a weary one, it’s the best that she could muster. And, she thus proceeded to continue her way. She knew there’s no point in hanging around for much longer, even if perhaps the point of the encounter was to defeat one another.

 

“I’ve softened way too much lately.” Yukari commented with a chuckle as she passed the person.

 

“It’s not all that bad, really. You’d snap back to some of your old self soon after finishing these pathways if you miss being like that. However, perhaps the most important thing is what sticks with you. In fact…I must say that the thing you used to seek out the most is now ahead of you, if it still meant anything for your current self. Up to you whether you’ll try your luck with it or not.

 

That said…wish one day we can see each other in a better circumstance. Goodbye for now, mom.”

 

“…Mom?” Yukari wasn’t really ready to hear that, but the figure had disappeared before she could get some explanation. Although, after a while of pondering about it, she could see why she called her that. Yukari was not a fan of it, but if that’s what she wanted, then Yukari wouldn’t object. It wouldn’t hurt her, after all. A more important thing is what she said just before. Something Yukari really wished to obtain before…could it be…?

 

Knowing the risk but willing to take the one in a lifetime chance to confirm her guess, Yukari ran as fast as she could towards the exit of the corridor.

 

 

---

 

Yakumo Yukari

Pathway of Death, D10

 

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

 

“I sense a great disturbance in the force…so Protheus is indeed here in this pathway.” Yukari mumbled to herself. So her guess on what her ultimate enemy meant was correct. The key of Origin, was somewhere nearby on this walkway illuminated with street lights. Yukari didn’t once stop or slow her steps, knowing full well that it might cause her to lose her only chance if it’s even there in the first place.

 

And now, lo, it was right there. A completely furious looking Protheus, raging because of something…and an unknown man in purple, seemingly out to piss off the Omni. The man suddenly reappeared behind him, while showing a certain orb from his clothes momentarily, before hiding it again. It was clear that he’s taunting the Omni, but Yukari’s mind was focused on the orb itself.

 

The Key of Origin. It was over there, just moments away, and the man didn’t realize her presence just yet.

 

"I figured you'd want a bit more of a challenge before you exit stage right from here. So, I shall give you one. Shall we dance...Adam? Pener? Protheus? There are so many names connected with ye that it's almost unreal now."

 

Something about how the man spoke bothered her. She was unsure about what exactly was it, but she could feel a hint of similarity between him and her. But that wasn’t important. Yukari examined the man’s boundaries while he talked to figure out what exactly he was, and figure out the exact nook for her to steal the key while he’s not being aware yet of her presence. Whoever that man was, his existence…if one could say it, was completely abhorrent. The boundaries that shaped him…from one glance, Yukari could feel that he was some sort of impossible existence. She couldn’t read him further due to her unfamiliarity of anything resembling him, but at least, he’s not another Protheus. And besides, she had detected where he stored the orb.

 

In silence, as she kept herself from doing anything that would directly reveal her presence to both the man and Protheus, she opened a gap towards the man’s pockets, looking for that orb he had just revealed before to all of them. A spherical…if that was the correct way to describe it, orb, shouldn’t be too hard to find. Gemini would probably feel her hands going around, but as long as he didn’t get himself be aware of her presence, it wouldn’t be a big problem. And…without long, the orb was in her grasp. The item she long had desired…gotten at the moment she felt like she didn’t have as much desire to possess it anymore. Was it a test of some sort? Either way, Yukari did not waste any single seconds, and pulled her hand out of the gap to bring the orb to her view.

 

The sight of it….it was beautiful.

 

Her long, long lost dream now was before her, completely on her grasp.

 

The distant dream would finally be…

 

Finally be…

 

P̗͉̗̖͚̬e҉̙ri̼̯͇͜ͅs҉̞̰̣h̦ ̯̘̞̥͢l̨̘̟i҉̫k͇̠̗͚͍e̮̪ ͈͍t̮h͏̯͉̘͓̦̳ͅe͖̺̥͇͇̼ͅ ̛f̟̭͟a͈̻̜n̖͚̙t̖͉̯͕̪̬ͅa̡̝̜̳͉s̞͇̀y̬̫̭̫̲̣͝ ̳͎͍̝͓͕̹i̷t̯͜ ̞̰͞ìs̷͍̤̫͚͈͍͉.͕

 

 

"Dance, eh? If you insist, but,

 

Do tell, how does it feel to be distracted by a monologue...?!"

 

There was no time to think more about this. Protheus had just fired a superdense black laser towards the man’s direction. Towards her direction. No reasons for her to save an existence that disgusted her by merely existing, but at this point, she couldn’t just let the man die. She put the orb on her gap, and summoned another big one to swallow the laser whole…

 

…and summoning that same laser at the opposite direction, now firing at Protheus with full force. It of course won’t kill him at all. Yukari just found the idea to be nice to try.

 

“Protheus Maximus. The Omni that…perhaps had seen what lie beyond the conceptual wall known as the fourth wall…and another one, a man that speaks with the exact same text color as me. I didn’t think I’d be in such a fortunate condition to meet both of you at once in an occasion like this.

 

However, while I’d like to distract you two with a monologue as our friend Protheus here had suggested earlier…bursting your bubble seems like would be a lot more interesting…and perhaps, this could burst your bubble too, odd man, unless this is your plan all along.

 

This Key of Origin…” Yukari threw the orb upwards to make sure that both of the people that she’s talking about could see it. Without wasting further beat, she then proceeded to blast it with a beam of energy from her gap, shattering it to pieces on impact. “Is a fake. A sloppily-made one, in fact.”

 

Where is the real one? Yukari thought. She could feel it. It’s still somewhere here. It’s not on the odd man. Neither it is on Protheus. It shouldn’t be too far. It should still be somewhere close, but…

 

“I do not have any reasons to lie to you about this. While you would attempt to kill me whether I lied or not, I could barely care about that. Perhaps the key you’ve been holding all these times is a fake all along, or if you don’t want that as your conclusion, feel free to tear this place apart to find it.

 

Now…if you may, I shall take my leave…”

 

Yukari tore the ground below her, and disappeared into the void waiting for her there after she said those words. But, it was not only her that disappeared. A slit formed just under Gemini, and swallowed him whole, dragging the fake human into Yukari’s portable space.

 

Inside, the woman floated in mid-air, staring at the man he had just dragged in. Looking at him more and more…it felt like he should’ve been familiar to her. She had met him somewhere, but…where? When did she ever meet such an existence? All these times, she had been only on the pathways, barely interacting with anyone outside of Reimu. And she also waited. She waited. She waited all those long months to be able to move. It makes no sense. But…no, she talked to people. She could feel it. She did talk to some people. Protheus said something, right? He was…

 

And it finally clicked on her.

 

“It has been a long while. Last time or now, I didn’t expect on seeing you again. Once, I thought those were just a faint, fevered dream of a lunatic…but it proved to be not the case.

 

Let’s cut to the case however. I have a lot of methods that, while I wouldn't like to ever use, could be very handy in making you talk. Where is the Key of Origin...odd man?

 

Or should I say, G̶̙̲̻̫̣͍ḙ͕͖̦̟̘̮mi̻̤n͠i̛͎͎̯͍̱?̦͍͘"

 

[Reinforce]

Chandra

Pathway of Death: C14

 

Chandra was, at this point, quite confused. After the sudden rush to get here, and after unlocking the barrier to herself, someone had appeared in front of them and started talking to Jace. Finally managing to shake herself aware, she just was shocked at the sudden intervening person. That said, there was something else about the person that Chandra was wanting to know at this point, having heard Jace's words. 

 

"How do you hide your presence from a telepath? Can you teach me?"

 

---

 

Darcy

Beyond the Portal

 

Just after flying through the portal, Darcy felt something shift in the space they were in, immediately followed by Butlerok's blood engulfing them all. Just in time too, as she didn't know if she'd have been able to figure out a teleport back into the previous area in time to avoid it either. After a few moments of being completely surrounded by the blood, she was let out, standing in something that she had no idea what it was. With a quick teleport, she left the defence, reappearing out in the air nearby. As she did, the clock started to tick louder and irregularly, and the entity that had tried to kill them seemed panicked. 

 

Ending Location: Prologious

 

---

 

Ayame

Beyond the Portal

 

As the space shifted, Ayame was likewise engulfed by the blood, being let out shortly afterwards back in the white realm she's briefly flew through. Now annoyed, she left the protective defence, ignoring the clock noises that were reverberating around the room as she started to attack. From a single outstretched hand, she threw a bolt of lightning at the entity, trying to hit him quickly while he was distracted by something else.

 

Ending Location: Prologious

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

"Desperate Space" the Avatar said idly, summoning his portals to nullify the attacks thrown at him.

 

He was distracted, but not stupid. He CAN hear you, y'know? But, despite the ruckus the insects were making, something was clearly on his mind. "This is all very wrong. The ticking of the clock is supposed to be rhythmic, orderly. It ticking with such irregularity can only mean that someone, or something is attempting to break Origin. It couldn't possibly be the brat, could it? No, that's impossible, she was too weak, too fragile from the Pathways. But, I felt it, a rupture from Death.... Protheus.... Only he would attempt to cheat the Pathways, to cheat their meaning. It is against the rules, but if he refuses to play by them, then I shouldn't either. It is clear now that he is not only a threat to the Omniverse, but he could perform irreparable damage to Origin itself if he so tried. However, so long as he doesn't have the Key, then things should be fine, assuming the construct can keep him occupied for long enough, in any case."

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Desperate Space"

 

With those two words, the assault that everyone else launched was nullified as it entered a portal. Yukari wasn't really a fan of that fact, but she noticed something quite important about the portals it made, the so-called Desperate Space. As the slit opened, Yukari could feel a certain kind of familiarity...yeah, it was actually reminiscent to one of her usual attacks. The Avatar used it to nullify the attacks completely by destroying it within the space, but how exactly did it work was the mystery that needed to be solved. At least until now, when Yukari could see and analyze the workings of Desperate Space enough to reach a conclusion about its nature. While it was hard to discern, as the slit opened, a certain kind of boundary separated it from the rest of the place. Something otherworldly, something that simply did not belong in the same plane as them. If everyone else could be described as existences with a positive value, then the slits the Avatar used would be something of a negative value.

 

Thinking about it more for a bit while the Avatar stay being paused, Yukari then tapped Rhadamantys' shoulders as a smile formed on her face.

 

"Let's try it once again. I believe I've found a way to break past his defense."

 

Alas, Ikaruga is going . . . Undesired, unwanted them,

What makes them go?

It is nothing else than the principle of the man who has the reason for being.

 

---

[Love of Ghibli]

Team Dorian: Prologous

 

HA Dorian said as Rhadamanthys hyper mega finisher move was simply distorted into nothingness. Guess it wasn't all up to the hype now wasn't it? He said arrogantly! 

Really brat! As if you could dream of achieving that level of mastery in your infinite lifespan. Rhadamanthys retorted. 
 

Yeah yeah you have a point there. Dorian with a cartoonish pouty face.

Rhadamanthys rolled his eyes at the young specter when he was suddenly tapped on the shoulder again. "Let's try it once again. I believe I've found a way to break past his defense."

 

Rhadamanthys raised an eyebrow at this woman who just talks to him so casually and dares not even mention what she intends to do. Slightly annoyed Rhadamanthys twisted his neck and was about to charge up again. Until Butlerok stepped forward. 

Well if it is another strong attack we need I propose we take shifts in dishing them out. I shall take a turn this time. The Mad Blood swallowed the sacred staff and Butlerok took the Iaido style stance. Ragnarok. HAHAHA lets do it! BAN...KAIIII! In a roaring tower of fire Butlerok once again wielded Zanka no Tachi. Now lets try triple combination. Black...Dragon. From the back of Butlerok sprouted two massive dragon wings coated in black flames and a second later Ragnarok shot forth with his whole upper torso. HAHAHAHA.

Hmmm this is going good so far. Scream Resonance. KIIIIYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Ragnarok shouted as black lightning and black Rukh crackled together as the Kishin prepared to draw his sword.

Screech...Alpha! Butlerok swung his sword at the Avatar but this time the blasted was completely black and destroyed everything in its path as it made its way to the Avatar. 
 

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Path of Death - Gemini's POV~

 

"Ah, of course, it's the maggot from before. First that, now this, you truly are daring to test my PATIENCE, aren't you? Or did you think your actions in the Skype Dimension would go unforgotten?"

"Considering the amount of knowledge that passes through my mind at any given time as well as the number of seizures my present puppeteer has had between then and now, I'd highly suggest giving a reminder of what you speak of." Gemini was speaking nonchalantly, not exactly caring that Protheus was approaching with the extreme urge to end his existence right then and there.

Well, Protheus was about to be out of luck on that department.

"Dance, eh? If you insist, but,"

Gemini could feel the buildup of energy around him, the Impure Future exposed to his sight. But he wasn't concerned. Instead, he still remained tapping his foot as he listened to the music playing in his ears, knowing exactly how this would end.

"Do tell, how does it feel to be distracted by a monologue...?!"

 

Gemini wasn't distracted.

 

He just didn't give two sh!ts.

 

At point-blank did Protheus fire the overcompensating laser of blackness at him, though it never met his being. Instead, it disappeared in front of him before reappearing and firing itself off back at the one that shot the large ray. A smirk on his face, Gemini glanced back towards the one that 'saved' him. “Protheus Maximus," he heard Yukari start to say. "The Omni that…perhaps had seen what lie beyond the conceptual wall known as the fourth wall…and another one, a man that speaks with the exact same text color as me. I didn’t think I’d be in such a fortunate condition to meet both of you at once in an occasion like this.

However, while I’d like to distract you two with a monologue as our friend Protheus here had suggested earlier…bursting your bubble seems like would be a lot more interesting…and perhaps, this could burst your bubble too, odd man, unless this is your plan all along.

This Key of Origin…” The demon in human form saw Yukari lift up the false Key of Origin, his admittedly-quick creation, into view of both sets of eyes before smashing it in front of them. When the shards scattered across the ground, Gemini tapped the ground with his foot lightly before the shards faded into the ground before reabsorbing the Aura contained within them back into his being. “Is a fake. A sloppily-made one, in fact.”

As much as he would like to slap the sh!t out of her for such a statement, even he admitted that he could have done much better with more time, and so chose not to react to the statement.

“I do not have any reasons to lie to you about this. While you would attempt to kill me whether I lied or not, I could barely care about that. Perhaps the key you’ve been holding all these times is a fake all along, or if you don’t want that as your conclusion, feel free to tear this place apart to find it."

"Some fakes can take an impressive amount of power before finally breaking, after all," Gemini agreed, pretending to have never moved the original off of Protheus to begin with.

"Now…if you may, I shall take my leave…”

Apparently, he would be going with her as the floor fell from underneath him, though he moved so that he would fall gracefully through.

“It has been a long while."

"Hm?" Raising an indigo eyebrow, Gemini turned towards the source of the voice, finding himself turning to face Yukari as he floated within her private slice of space.

"Last time or now, I didn’t expect on seeing you again. Once, I thought those were just a faint, fevered dream of a lunatic…but it proved to be not the case.

Let’s cut to the case however. I have a lot of methods that, while I wouldn't like to ever use, could be very handy in making you talk. Where is the Key of Origin...odd man?

Or should I say, G̶̙̲̻̫̣͍ḙ͕͖̦̟̘̮mi̻̤n͠i̛͎͎̯͍̱?̦͍͘"

And Gemini flashed her a fanged smile.

"Believe it or not, the Key has not yet left Death. Had I been aware you would have been able to do this, I would have kept the Key on myself instead of onto another. My question is this, though: What is your plan with the Key? Why do you wish to use it?

And before you ask about myself, I plan on undoing all the damage caused by this farce of a war before making sure that no one else can make use of this place ever again. I don't know about you, but I don't like the thought of a big, red 'Easy' button existing somewhere within the Omniverse. Protheus wants to be truly immortal? He should work for it like everyone f*cking else."

Ending Point: That is a damned good question, actually...

~Counter Corps - Path of Death - Jace's POV~

"How do you hide your presence from a telepath? Can you teach me?"

Jace shook himself out of his stunned shock after hearing Chandra ask the strange lady in front of him that question, curious about that answer himself. Maybe it would give him an idea as to how the hell a certain...no, he was not gonna dwell on that thought right now.

The lady in black looked towards Chandra upon that question before gaining a thoughtful look. "I'm...not actually doing anything, in all honesty." She suddenly gained a reddish color to her cheeks, as if embarrassed before looking at Jace. "Probably a good thing, though, or he'd be purging his own mind for a week straight."

Jace just couldn't help but stare at her, unsure of what he should even be thinking at this point. He was pretty sure that, if Chandra was looking at him at this point, she'd be studying the look on his face, for it was unlikely to occur ever again.

In his stunned state, he almost leapt into the air upon feeling the woman's gentle touch on his cheek, seeing her look into his blue eyes with brownish-silver ones. "Know this, Jace. If you ever manage to return to Vryn, I'm sure your parents would be glad to see you alive again after ten long years. I wouldn't doubt that your mother especially has been worried about you since you disappeared from the plane after your battle with Alhammarret."

"Battle with...?" Suddenly did he grab her with both hands on her shoulders as his hood flew backwards to reveal more of his hair having become brown instead of dark blue, shaking her a bit, though she didn't appear surprised. "First Gemini, now you. Who are you and what the hell is this 'Vryn' you both keep mentioning?!"

"...do you really remember nothing about your birthplane?" She looked away for a moment before looking up towards the disturbed mindmage once more. "If you wish to remember your past from before arriving in Ravnica, the waters of Remembrance will be your greatest aid."

With those words did she disappear from his grasp, causing him to fall forward a little before regaining his balance. He brought his hands in front of himself, both shaking greatly at what he had just learned.

He could finally, finally learn who he really was underneath the clouds of fog surrounding his mind that he had never been able to clear away.

Turning around, he began to walk up towards the end of the path, lifting his head as he heard the question asked once more in his mind. He couldn't help but lean his head on it, propped up by his arm between himself and the crystal.

"...in all honesty, I'm scared sh!tless of the future," Jace started to say, shaking a little as he admitted it. "I never know whom will wind up hurt because of something I've done, or if that will be the day the Dimir finally succeed in ending my life and shattering the Guildpact's magic once more or if something else will finally do just that and threaten the existence of the plane I call my home.

But I also know," he continued to say before standing straight up. "That if I don't move forward, that I would have no chance of aiding anyone or even..." Jace fell silent for a few moments, lowering his head a little. "...or even have a chance to meet my parents, if they are still alive by now. No doubt, I've probably hurt them really bad by this point as well." Lifting his head, his eyes landed upon the jewel once more. "So, no, I'm not willing to 'embrace my fate'. I'm no clairvoyant like Faye is. I'd rather try to write my own fate instead, even with the number of times I've fallen on my face while trying to do so already."

As soon as he put his ungloved hand upon the crystal, it began to glow before consuming his form, forcing him to disappear from the Path...

~~~~~

~Counter Corps - The White Room - Jace's POV~

His landing was shaky within the White Room this time, actually falling onto one side instead of landing on his feet. However, he felt an unusual set of edges poking into the side he landed on, prompting him to dig a hand into the pocket of his blue pants and pulling out an unfamiliar cube that he was sure he didn't have on him before.

"What the hell is this," Jace asked of himself, not recognizing the strange box now on his person before suddenly getting the feeling that he should not get rid of it. While he was no clairvoyant, he did still have fleeting moments stemming from the time when he tried to learn the art, and this seemed to be one of them.

Placing it back where he pulled it from, thankful his baggy pants made it hard to spot, Jace got back up onto his feet before dusting himself off and looking up towards the doors.

There was only one door left. Remembrance.

"If you wish to remember your past... the waters of Remembrance will be your greatest aid."

Jace inhaled a deep breath to steady his nerves before pushing forward, through the door that led to the Path of Remembrance...

~~~~~

~Counter Corps - Path of Remembrance - Jace's POV~

"Whoa!" He landed facefirst in a large pile of white from the sudden fall, pulling himself out of the fluff quickly before dusting himself of it. "That was...odd..." Standing straight up, he couldn't help but look ahead, spotting a forest covered in the snow.

"...I hope I don't lose another toe here," he muttered under his breath before bringing his hood over his head, wrapping himself as tightly as he could with his cloak to try to keep warm. Hopefully, Chandra would show up soon so that such wasn't an issue for long...

Ending Point: A1

~Counter Corps - Path of Remembrance - Neos' POV~

"Already?" Neos turned his head towards Arturia after hearing her shift her weight, catching her turning towards him. "Neos, there isn't much left for me to say at this point. I would suggest that you make your way out of this forest and keep on heading forward until you reach the end. If you stay here... One way or another, you'll undoubtedly die."

She really didn't know him well enough, then. When he put his mind to it, he can be a pain in the ass to find...wait, were her hands shaking? It was really hard to catch, but he could have sworn that her hands were moving slightly in ways that contradicted a calm demeanor.

"Neos... I have a feeling that this is where our paths must part." At this point did she look up towards the sky, appearing to be in heavy thought about something. Neos settled for the moment on watching her, unsure of what would soon happen. "We may never meet again. If we do, I hope it will be at Origin, victorious. The truth of the matter is that I cannot allow you to accompany me from this point onwards. Greater challenges lie ahead, and you need to conserve your strength for them."

He couldn't help but be on guard for a moment as she pulled out her blade, holding it in front of herself in such a way that she could see his reflection upon while also catching the look of consideration on her. What was she thinking, he couldn't help but wonder to himself before seeing her touch the blade with her free hand, watching it soon transform into a blade he had never seen before. While the transformation occurred, the winds surrounding the group of four began to stir rapidly, forming a wall around that would be an absolute challenge to pass through. He wasn't sure of anything except for one thought.

He was officially in over his head.

"Before that, I have a question I need to ask of you... Answer from the bottom of your heart, for I must know whether or not you are worthy of this privilege."

Arturia turned around to face him. The shaking had stopped. The traces of fear that he could notice was gone, even the scent had left. He instead only saw a look in her eyes often seen in those whom felt as if they had submitted themselves to their duty.

"If you were ever given ultimate power, the power to rewrite reality as you will...
 
...can you honestly say that you would be able to do the right thing?"

Looking down, then glanced over towards the side, towards where the two strange children were, he saw the girl between them nodded solemnly towards him.

You will pull though, Neos. Answer her question.

Releasing a sigh he had not realized he had been holding, Neos lowered his head one more time in thought as he closed his eyes. A few seconds passed before he lifted his head, opening his neon-green eyes towards Arturia. "Yes, I would. Actually possessing such power would make me better able to make sure it is never used outside of the greatest of purposes, and even then I'd make sure there were absolutely no other options throughout the Omniverse."

"The Key has arrived upon the Path." It was a whisper and Neos almost didn't hear it, but he did catch it after he spoke his words.

He was officially in over his head.

 

Ending Point: A4

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Believe it or not, the Key has not yet left Death. Had I been aware you would have been able to do this, I would have kept the Key on myself instead of onto another. My question is this, though: What is your plan with the Key? Why do you wish to use it?

And before you ask about myself, I plan on undoing all the damage caused by this farce of a war before making sure that no one else can make use of this place ever again. I don't know about you, but I don't like the thought of a big, red 'Easy' button existing somewhere within the Omniverse. Protheus wants to be truly immortal? He should work for it like everyone f*cking else."

 

"You seem to also remember me too, huh? So we did have met before.

 

As for what I would do with the key...let me ask you a question back. What would you do with the key yourself? You said what you wanted to achieve, but you did not say anything about what would you do with the key or the Door itself.

 

Although honestly, as much as I hated to admit it, I believe we have the same general goal. Though it's awfully considerate of something like you to even consider achieving it as a goal."

 

Yukari sighed. Gemini just mentioned that the Key still resided on Death. She might still have some time to get it if she didn't waste her time here anymore, so she opened up a gap back towards the Pathway, appearing under the streetlight area once more, but having made a distance the Protheus she was sure that she could get enough time to get it.

 

And...not too far away, she could feel it. The boundless void that composed the Key. No mistaking it this time. She rushed forward to get a chance to find it, but not knowing of the exact location just yet, she couldn't actually grab it straight using her gap. She ran and ran not minding anything else that she passed, and in the end, she could see it. The person possessing the Key. Yukari, realizing what he was on the process of doing, tried to use her gap to hold him back, but before she could do it, he had disappeared from the Pathway.

"Damn it! It's...so close...urgh..."

 

Yukari, looking really annoyed, returned to her gap world facing Gemini once more. The key slipped through her fingers at the last seconds. What she hoped to gain, what she hoped to utilize, her future, had disappeared just like that. "The Key...had left the pathway. In which case, I don't think you served any further purposes for me, Gemini. I'll see you later." Opening a gap underneath him once more, Yukari unceremoniously dropped him back to the pathway, very close to the position where Protheus used to be earlier.

 

"...Now what I should do...?"

 

After taking his frustration out at Gemini, Yukari was now alone inside of her world. She considered to go through the pathway and finish it so she could intercept the wielder of the Key before he could reach the Door, but would that even be possible? She had little knowledge on what lie after the pathway. Although...what was she going to use the key for, anyway? Gemini's question rang on her head once more. As unwelcome as it was, he had a point.

 

The Yukari that she was now would be different from the one of the past, the one that was obsessed with the key so she could rewrite Gensokyo's root of existence. Continuing with that goal, aside from the fact that she wouldn't even be able to cheat End with it, would only make her be just like Protheus. No way would she fall that low. And...yeah, the desire itself was irrational to begin with. If anything, she would only secure the key as long as she secured it from someone unworthy of it. If that man was the one wielding the key...then she should support him as long as he was the right choice.

 

"Heh...in the end, I'm not worthy. So this is the final test of the pathway."

 

Her Ultimate Enemy seemed to mention this fact so it would serve as her final temptation. Would she betray her newfound resolve and return to who she was before this soon? With the key being as distant as it was now, perhaps the answer would be no. It's not worth it to seize it by herself. And, if she betrayed her new view just for her old desire, then she would only add more corpse to the mountain that she had built.

 

"Maybe I need some time alone for now."

 

---

[Phantom Roxas]

~The Pathway to Death - Hallway C~

 

Gagagigo vs Erebos

The shadows surrounding Gagagigo were the same to his eyes as the rest of the Pathway, but now, he could feel it. Slick like oil dripping from his body, cold like wind beating against his back, coarse like sand. Gagagigo allowed the darkness to pull at him, for he knew had the strength to defeat its master. “This cannot hold me forever, Erebos.”

”Of course it won’t,” a heavy sigh uttered into Gagagigo’s ears. ”But you’ve returned to your other leash, gigobyte. Back you go to being that little girl’s pet.”

”Eria is my friend!” Gagagigo swept his hand through the shadows, but he hit nothing. A glint of gold peaked out of the corner of his eye, and he found Erebos’ shaking his head.

”What was it that Isamy had said to you and the boy? You were to finish this Pathway all alone. That honestly should not have been such a simple concept for your to grasp. You left your owner, trying to make a name for yourself, and even the knights you sought to help you pitiful. You struck out on your own. You can only fight on your own. Perhaps when Dorian chastized Eria, his words were meant for you. You cannot help anyone. Those you wish to be of use to will fall, in due time. You perhaps grant them a couple years or so more of life, but that is a cruelty on your part. You give them hope that their efforts will matter, but in the end, they were all for naught.”

”Don’t you dare put your sins on me! Freed and his men fought because of monsters like you who threaten our lands.”

”Yet in a fighting a monster like me, you turned from an innocent gigobyte into a monster of your own doing. I mean, really, Kozaky? You resorted to a mad scientist to defeat me! Is that the sort of legacy you had expected to leave behind? For madness to be your only chance against the darkness?”

”I’m not here for a chat.” Gagagigo opened his mouth and lunged at Erebos, but as he prepared to chew down, he felt a pull against his neck, a force that drew his back down.

”Then perhaps you will settle for some sightseeing.” Erebos was kneeling a fair distance away from Gagagigo, and pointed a golden finger towards the ceiling. At least, Gagagigo had expected it to be the ceiling. Looking “up”, Gagagigo found a large serpent hurling its body against the walls, its head upside-down as it tried to catch something. At the upper end of his vision, he caught flickers of fire and lightning. Back by the serpent, water was flowing, not in rhythm with the serpent, but clearly aimed at the same thing. Looking closer at the serpent, he had begun to recognize it.

”Eria?” Gagagigo pressed his hands deeper into the floor - which he had begun to realize was actually the ceiling - and tried to force himself to fall down. However, Erebos pressed his hand on Gagagigo’s throat, his feet pointing upwards and away from Gagagigo; he was standing in midair.

”You think I was being condescending when I called you a pet?” Erebos asked. ”While I certainly indulge all the pleasure I can get from reminding others how inferior they are to me, I find the sweetest of pains to come from the coldest and hardest of truths. You were a present. A wild animal spared mercy only by the gratitude of a man with a child who saw more in you. You see that has Eria’s love, but did Rahz ever have anything for you other than mere pity?”

”Rahz… was a good man.”

”A lie you deluded yourself into believing, passed down to you by a naive little girl who was raised to believe in it yourself! Honestly, I can see why he would pity you. Your king was a greedy bastard among bastards more concerned with filling his sack belly with the pigs that he was no doubt separated from birth from than lining the pockets of his citizens with half-chewed scraps of rusted copper! Rahz was a coward. He left the peasants to throw away their lives in rebellion, all because he wanted to protect Eria. And now, this farce you call the Counter Corps is about to do the same. All because you’re more concerned with protecting Eria than going back over the line to do whatever it takes to stop Protheus. You gain nothing from being a hero, but risk losing everything. Eria’s opportunistic mate is probably salivating at the mouth for a chance at making his life mean something. You had that chance, once. It only came from you being an idiot, but still, take your chances where you can get them.”

Gagagigo managed a spit to Erebos’ face. ”It cost me my soul.”

Erebos wiped his face, tightening his grip on Gagagigo’s throat in the process. ”Ignoring what I have to say will cost you far mo-” Light began to shine from below, illuminating the entire hallway. Erebos let go of Gagagigo to cover his eyes from the sight, but Gagagigo took the chance to leap down. He was stopped midair, but he could feel something below him. The oil, the wind, the sand. Erebos had stepped up a barrier of darkness to keep them separate a little bit. Gagagigo closed his own eyes, the light too bright for him to dare look at, but gathering his fingers into a pair of fists, he pummeled at the barrier below him, and digging through until he could feel a more natural air. After taking in a deep breath, Gagagigo jumped.

---

Eria vs Megiddo

”Your beloved is quite the distraction.” Gesturing towards a torrent of water coming towards him, Megiddo summoned the swirling mass of dark energy - the chaos. The water hit the chaos like a wall, splashing outward, but Eria changed the water to keep moving in the direction of Megiddo. The chaos began to spread, moving around until Megiddo was guarded by a shield of chaos. ”Tell me what you fear, Water Charmer. I am here, after all. Why do you think that is?” Eria bit her lip, and called forth a column of water directly from above Megiddo, spiraling in the shape of the drill against the chaos shield. Leviathan coiled around the shield, but Megiddo shifted his arms. They weren’t focused on the walls of shield. They were at his side. He was standing still, and laughed. ”I’m starting to get an idea. It’s related to why you cannot break this shield. Now, then, then there’s a variety of reasons for that.”

”And none of them matter!” Eria declared. ”I’ll break through your shield no matter what!”

”Do you wish you had more power? A delusion only the arrogant would dream. No… that isn’t it. You may not want the power, though you certainly need it. But why?” He began to pace around inside the barrier, seemingly paying no mind to the immense about of water hitting against it, or Leviathan trying to devour Megiddo, even though the barrier repelled the beast as well. ”Why am I who this Pathway has presented for you? Perhaps you need more power for what lies ahead. Right now, you must defeat Protheus. I am of no consequence in this war. Then I must be your assurance. That you have another fight. That you can survive Protheus. That you would face me. You flatter me. What about Gagagigo, or Arthur?”

”Leave my friends out of this!” Water shot from beneath the ground, moving in arcs before diving back into the ground. Megiddo tilted his head, looking up at Eria with pause. Planting his hands at the ground, chaos began to spread out from below him, but water sprung up, knocking Megiddo in the face. He stumbled onto his back, and the barrier dropped. He threw his body back up, standing back on his feet while the spiral of water hit where he was laying just moments before.

”…There it is. Perhaps Dorian was correct. You want power for those you can help! But here I am, the master waiting for you beyond the Door! Yes, I see it now. Tyson, the Matt’s, Jin, Otto. Arthur didn’t seem overly fond of Otto, but he did send Solasiro away. Unfortunately, Otto was not fast enough, as I still found you. You needed him to save you. Unfortunately, I simply cannot leave your friends out of this. Weren’t they told that they had to complete this Pathway through their own power? They shouldn’t be expected to rely on you. That is what Dorian warned you about. The moment someone places their life in your hands, they might as well have killed themselves right then and there. You are cursed, Eria. What makes you so special? Several of your Counter Corps have persisted since the Shadow Realm, but at what cost? How many lives could you have saved if you were only stronger? That is why Dorian gave you your gods! So you could manage some semblance of survival in this war. Why give you the gods? Why did you survive so long? WHY did Emiya even enlist you in the Counter Corps in the first place?”

Using one hand, Eria swung wave after wave of water at Megiddo, but to no effect. Megiddo kept on walking towards Eria. The Leviathan appeared behind Megiddo, but as the silver entity lowered his head, one of his legs raised straight up behind him, kicking Leviathan’s jaw and sending it flying to the side. Megiddo resumed his movement, and just as Eria prepared another spell, Megiddo gripped her hand in his. ”Is this the desperation of a survivor? Is this the fear of one whose love helped to defeat the Madara?”

”I won’t listen to you,” Eria said. ”That’s what these Pathways are for, right?”

”You’ve endured enough trials to make it this far. Did you not think the Pathways themselves would offer me?”

”This isn’t a trial!” Eria pulled her hand free. ”I don’t care what you are. Don’t speak to me of people you don’t even know. Anything you think you know… you get that information from me, don’t you? You don’t know me, so how can you talk so casually about them?”

”…Casually?”

”I’m not going to be tested by an illusion. Not if my life is going to be treated like… like a checklist you can just read off!” Megiddo’s face flickered. Eria had no other way to think of it. Like Megiddo’s face was transparent for a fraction of a second, before taking a solid form all over again. Eria smiled. ”Didn’t expect me to talk back, did you?”

”You are supposed to take this seriously!” A sword appeared at Megiddo’s side, and he charged at Eria. She prepared to summon a wall of ice, but a sharp pain at the side of her face brought her down. A cut formed on her cheek, and she could feel the crawl of blood. ”Eria. Despite how may have interpreted my tone, do not make the mistake of presuming this to be a game. This is not a mere obstacle course. I am not a simply trap in a dungeon. These Pathways are your life. Where your past, present, and future meet. What do you believe awaits for your at the Door of Origin? Protheus seeks the power to reshape reality. You would keep that power out of his hands, but do you even know how to do so? The very fate of your universes, of all universes, has been endangered by this war. To oppose Protheus is to commit yourself to changing that fate. Even if you will not use the Door, you would, in a way, still be changing reality. If you expect to do that, you must prepare to change yourself.” Megiddo’s body flickered again, as the image began to move, swapping with another. ”You joined this fight for a reason, Eria. It is true that you have changed, but do you think that is enough? You once wished to grow stronger. That is the change you must now make. But once you become stronger, strong enough to challenge Protheus Maximus, what kind of person would you be?”

He looked beside Eria. They weren’t alone. Arthur was rushing up to Eria’s side. Something was arriving from above, and he allowed it. Gagagigo landed on the ground, his figure causing a brief moment of tremors.

”Eria! What’s going on?” Arthur asked. He was holding his hand out to Eria, but she didn’t respond. He wasn’t even sure if she had noticed he was there. It was no longer Megiddo that stood before Eria. Now, Eria was facing the man that first led her against Isamy. The man who had allowed Arthur to flee from the Divine. Emiya.

His appearance changed back to Megiddo for a moment. ”If only this body would remain stable. It’s because you don’t know what you want anymore. So, what power is most important to you, Eria? The power you need to save reality? Then you and Gagagigo can finally go home, go back to the way things used to be! Or do you wish for a power that would allow you and Arthur to stay together even after the end?”

[Reinforce]

Chandra

Pathway of Death: C14

 

Chandra was having to hold back from laughing again now, what with Jace looking completely shocked at what this new lady was saying. Still, she calmed down quickly as the lady proceeded to mention Jace''s past, something that was surprising even him it seems. Finally, once she vanished, Jace managed to compose himself enough to answer the crystal's question.

 

"...in all honesty, I'm scared sh!tless of the future, I never know whom will wind up hurt because of something I've done, or if that will be the day the Dimir finally succeed in ending my life and shattering the Guildpact's magic once more or if something else will finally do just that and threaten the existence of the plane I call my home. But I also know, That if I don't move forward, that I would have no chance of aiding anyone or even... or even have a chance to meet my parents, if they are still alive by now. No doubt, I've probably hurt them really bad by this point as well. So, no, I'm not willing to 'embrace my fate'. I'm no clairvoyant like Faye is. I'd rather try to write my own fate instead, even with the number of times I've fallen on my face while trying to do so already."

 

With that, Jace stepped forward and out of the path, prompting Chandra to follow along at last, and find herself back in the white room, with only a single door left. Determined to finish this, Chandra stepped through, into the final pathway.

 

As she set foot upon the pathway, she shivered. All around her was snow, with more falling from above. Just ahead, she spotted Jace, the other planeswalker wrapping himself up in his cloak to keep warm. Walking forward to him, she could feel flames come into existence around her hands and hair as she called her powers to heat the air around them. As she reached him, a wry grin came across her face even as she back up again. 

 

"Bet you're glad I'm around now, with how cold this place."

 

Ending Location: Pathway of Remembrance - A1

[Dad]

Black Lagoon Company, Prologous

 

They collapsed.  One by one.  Revy, Kratos, Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Killua each fell to the ground in Prologous, a powerful pain seared through their bodies.  Revy tried to speak, but her mouth became dry and her throat sore from the anguish she was experiencing.  Fortunately, it didn't last long, but the sudden attack left the Black Lagoon Company winded.  Kenpachi stood up straight, trying not to let the frustration show in his face.  The Avatar.  It had turned back into a menace once more.  Helping the others up with an extended hand, Kenpachi aided the rest of the Company.

 

"What the hell was that?" Revy said wheezing.

 

Kratos shook his head.  "What it was is not important.  What we must do now," he said looking to Killua and Kenpachi.

 

"Is get this over with."

 

"Yeah.  I've been here for all of a few hours and I already hate that thing," Killua said, pointing to the Avatar.

 

"But it's defenses--"

 

"Yeah.  That thing can take more than a punch.  We could try coming at it from different angles, but I'm sure it's already prepared for that too."

 

A powerful screech grabbed the Black Lagoon Company's attention, as they turned around to see Ragnarok and Butlerok yelling their heads off as they roared at the Avatar.  They were back in action, and it was time for the Black Lagoon Company to do the same.  "Let's give 'em a hand boys," Revy said right away.  

 

They split up, Kratos and Revy moving East, Kenpachi and Yachiru moving West, and Killua moving North.  Kenpachi took the most bold approach, as he silently called upon Nozarashi in his right hand.  Yachiru chanted softly on Kenpachi's back, as a bright orange bubble began to surround him.  Kenpachi leaped up, behind the Avatar, both hands on his Zanpaktou as he attempted to bring it down in its blind spot.

 

Opposite him, Kratos grabbed Revy's right arm, as they began to separate.  She grabbed Kratos' left arm in reply, standing equal length apart.  With all of his might, Kratos leaped into the air, before slamming down on the ground beneath him, tossing Revy viciously over his head.  The woman flung far and wide in an arc over the Avatar's head, a missile launcher in her hand.  Kratos followed her, prepared to receive reckless amounts of damage as his feet became adorned with the fires and wings of Hermes' Boots.  His speed increased drastically, as he drew his twin blades in either hand.  With a powerful, sparking cross strike, he attempted to rip and dive directly into the Avatar, blades first.

 

On the far end, nearest Butlerok and Ragnarok, Killua appeared between them, his hair standing straight up in a flurry.  Rubbing his hands together quickly, he began to generate a crackle of lightning, and delivered it to Butlerok and Ragnarok each, amplifying and twisting their shouting attacks into something with a bit more kick.  He poured his strength into them, concentrating his being on supporting the enemy of his enemy.

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Path of Death - Gemini's POV~

 

"You seem to also remember me too, huh? So we did have met before.

 

As for what I would do with the key...let me ask you a question back. What would you do with the key yourself? You said what you wanted to achieve, but you did not say anything about what would you do with the key or the Door itself.

 

Although honestly, as much as I hated to admit it, I believe we have the same general goal. Though it's awfully considerate of something like you to even consider achieving it as a goal."

 

Gemini frowned at this statement upon hearing it, crossing his arms in thought of how to respond to that. Once again, she was among many that assumed him to be nothing but 'evil' considering how he portrayed himself. Not every maddened person is such, after all.

 

Hell, they can often be wiser than one would believe, if given the chance to shine.

 

"Damn it! It's...so close...urgh..."

 

He lifted his head upon these words before looking up to find himself looking into Yukari's face once more. "Not fast enough," he calmly asked, already knowing that the one he spoke to was irked.

 

"The Key...had left the pathway. In which case, I don't think you served any further purposes for me, Gemini. I'll see you later." Opening a gap underneath him once more, Yukari unceremoniously dropped him back to the pathway, very close to the position where Protheus used to be earlier.

 

And he landed square on his rump, forcing him to look up towards the bladewielder above him. "Well, how peachy. Ever considered the fact that you may not have had the real one on you after all, just a damned sturdy duplicate?"

 

The moment Protheus moved to place hand upon blade, before he could trigger the reversal of effect and cause through Impure Future's inherent power, Gemini was gone, faded away from his view...

 

 

~Counter Corps - Path of Remembrance - Jace's POV~

 

"Bet you're glad I'm around now, with how cold this place."

 

The mindmage couldn't help but give a close-eyed flinch at the statement from underneath the cloak, thankful Chandra wouldn't be able to see his face from under the hood at the brief moment. "That's not why I'm shivering."

 

That didn't stop him from clenching his toes onto themselves, though. "I'm more worried about Nicol Bolas appearing again than anything else."

 

As well as having to deal with things I can no longer remember...

 

"I'd suggest watching your thoughts as well as your steps, kid," Jace suddenly heard before turning to look behind himself, seeing the now-familiar purple that was Gemini walking up to him from near the beginning of the path that he recently came from. "There's no telling what this pathway especially will try to bring to life."

 

"Aren't you in the same position," Jace none-too-politely asked the doppelganger, from which he received the sight of a slightly-fanged grin.

 

"You'd think so," Gemini started to say before walking up to beside the blue planeswalker and stopping beside him, looking down towards him like Neos would do in his stead, standing a literal head taller than Jace. "But that statement was already true the moment my counterpart was in this pathway. My presence in particular had nothing to do with it." Suddenly, his face straightened out as he looked ahead, his eyes upon a half-sphere of white wind far, far ahead that the two humans were unlikely to be able to see from such a range. "If anything, the focus would be to get the Key I planted on Jace pa---"

"Planted what on me?!"

 

Gemini's hand met his face at the outburst, keeping it there for a full couple of seconds before peeling it off to reveal the yellow print now on his face. "That's it," he whispered to himself before bringing his hand in front of him to point towards the forest ahead. "I'd suggest you two get running while you can and do not stop, especially you, Beleren. Probably better if Chandra explained what the Key of Origin is as you ran."

 

To this, Gemini cracked his knuckles before walking forward a bit to see all three entrances to the pathways. "I'd not suggest waiting for Protheus to show up, he's already livid at me," he telepathically projected towards the duo, doing his best to not let his eyes fall on them once more while waiting for incoming. "I wouldn't let Arturia have the Key, either. She has no plans to return everything back to how is was before this stupid war."

 

Jace tossed a worried look towards Chandra before bolting forward. "I received next to no information about what is going on here after waking up. So, would you kindly tell me what the Krokt has been going on here?!" If Chandra knew anything about her multi-planar swearing, she would have realized that Jace has actually just used a Ravnican one...

 

Ending Point: A1/2, Beside the statue at the edge of the forest

[Reinforce]

Chandra

Pathway of Remembrance: A1

 

"If anything, the focus would be to get the Key I planted on Jace pa---"

 

Chandra's mouth dropped open in surprise at that line, though she closed it quickly as the conversation continued.

 

 "I'd suggest you two get running while you can and do not stop, especially you, Beleren. Probably better if Chandra explained what the Key of Origin is as you ran."

"I'd not suggest waiting for Protheus to show up, he's already livid at me,""I wouldn't let Arturia have the Key, either. She has no plans to return everything back to how is was before this stupid war."

"I received next to no information about what is going of after waking up. So, would you kindly tell me what the Krokt has been going on here?!"

 

Chandra went to reply, then stopped for a moment, shocked once again at the Ravnican swear that he'd said, before starting to run after him. Waving her hand forward, a Phoenix burst out of the air, letting her jump on before accelerating forward towards Jace. As she reached him, the phoenix swooped in close and slowed down a bit, nearly touching the ground as it flicked Jace up into the air slightly, just enough for Chandra to catch him around the waist as it continued forward. As she steadied him on the phoenix so she could let go of him, it accelerated again, speeding towards the forest in front of them as she started to speak.

 

"Ok, so you know we're on the Pathway of Origin currently, trying to make our way to the Door that leads to the Origin itself. Well, the Key of Origin is what opens the Door, allowing access to the Origin itself. I'm not sure how Gemini managed to steal it and get it to you, as last I knew, Protheus had taken the Key after we'd found it, but if you have it, Protheus will likely be coming after you, and by the sounds of it he's only got this pathway left to go after he finishes Death. I don't know why he's so against Arturia, but Gemini's been right in everything he's talked about thus far across the path, and Arturia was concealing information from us before, it's possible she's doing so again."

 

As she finished speaking, the Phoenix had just reached the start of the trees and, not slowing down in the slightest, flew through them at high speeds, swaying around trees enough to ensure it's passengers wouldn't get hit, while just letting it's burning wings go straight through them.

 

Ending Location: A2

[Tesability Black]

~Counter Corps - Path of Remembrance - Jace's POV~

 

Suddenly picked up around his waist into the air by a pair of familiar arms, Jace couldn't stop the 'eep!' that left his throat before it could be heard by both bird and human, probably netting him a few giggles from the latter of the two. Thankful she took a few moments to let him get settled on the flaming bird before having it hasten its speed once more, Jace turned his full attention to her words, hoping to finally understand what was going on.

"Ok, so you know we're on the Pathway of Origin currently, trying to make our way to the Door that leads to the Origin itself." Jace gave a quick nod to this statement. "Well, the Key of Origin is what opens the Door, allowing access to the Origin itself. I'm not sure how Gemini managed to steal it and get it to you, as last I knew, Protheus had taken the Key after we'd found it, but if you have it, Protheus will likely be coming after you, and by the sounds of it he's only got this pathway left to go after he finishes Death. I don't know why he's so against Arturia, but Gemini's been right in everything he's talked about thus far across the path, and Arturia was concealing information from us before, it's possible she's doing so again."

"I don't even know what he's talking about in regards to a Key...unless he's talking about this odd thing." At this point did Jace reach into the pocket of his pants with his ungloved hand, pulling out the unfamiliar-to-him cube and bringing it into Chandra's vision. "This wasn't on me when we were on Death."

 

"Yes, I would. Actually possessing such power would make me better able to make sure it is never used outside of the greatest of purposes, and even then I'd make sure there were absolutely no other options throughout the Omniverse."

 

Jace froze upon hearing the faint voice from nearby, though he heard it more on a mental front than a verbal one. His hand lowered slightly as he thought about the voice before recognizing it. "Wait, was that Neos?"

 

"The Omniverse would fare better if you moved ahead beyond Antonio, Mr. Beleren and Ms. Nalaar."

 

Surprised to hear the voice, Jace turned his head back behind him fast enough to cause his hood to fly back, catching sight of a young girl with long-brown hair and violet eyes looking upon them with an almost-emotionless expression, someone he recognized immediately as one of the two kids that Neos brought with him when he arrived in the Multiverse. Somehow, she had appeared upon the back of the phoenix alongside the two Planeswalkers without disturbing either, though that could be due to her thin frame. "Faye," Jace asked in both recognition and surprise. "What are you doing here? How are you here?"

 

"Do not surrender the Key to either Arturia or Protheus," the young girl warned cryptically towards the pair. "Her possession of it is just as, if not more, fatal than if he were to have it." Looking down and ahead, towards the oncoming sphere of wind that the group soon approached, a worried look started cracking through on her face. "And now, she is pulling the pure-hearted Pokemon into her mad scheme further than anyone else, because he knows not better. I know of no other among the Counter Corps that she would dare knight."

 

"Why would someone be knighting someone now," Jace asked out of habit more than anything else, even though the silence from the preteen showed that he would not get an answer from her at the time being.

 

Ending Point: A2/almost A3

[Phantom Roxas]

[Death C8] - Sora & Zilyana vs Xansvita & Zamorak

 

An obsidian dragon with three heads began to tower throughout the corridor. It paid no heed to the light that had surrounded everyone, which showed off its form. Six wings of golden feathers spread out, each one surrounded by a translucent blade. Even Zamorak stood in awe of the dragon, a beast all too familiar to Sora, Zilya, and Xion: Xansvita, the Endless Warlock.

 

”Where is it?” Xansvita snarled. ”Roxas… even your death was treachery. THE POWER OF RA! IT BELONGS TO US! Sora! Don’t you wish for it? Izumi-Itsu-Mary-Sue-Thermopylae stole the power that was meant for you. Is that not why Ophelia saw fought to send Sliske against us? RIGHT THERE she had introduced someone who would render us his slave; a new player in this GAME we play but call a ‘war’. But to us, he was a sacrifice we could kill to ascend ever higher and HIGHER! We were denied that. You wish to find the source of our sacrifices? Then blame her. There was someone - a princess? - who had to sacrifice herself. Oh, Thermopylae, why did you have to FAIL LERNA? But you, Sora. You can finally put it all to an end. Take the staff, either out of your ridiculous sense of nobility to set another universe right, or as a trophy for defeating Izumi. After all, she seems to know Protheus rather well. Or at least, just as much as Emiya and Arturia do. Have you even considered why she is a part of this war? Or did you just think that, because you are a hero in your universe, the other warriors of the Counter Corps are simply the heroes of their own, isolated story. It’s what you’re used to, after all. You travel to worlds, find a fool in over his end, and maybe reunite him with his princess. Perhaps that is why you entrusted the Keyblade to Arthur? That fool… he really is just like Rika.”

 

”Enough talk!” Zilyana had leapt high into the air, her blade poised to strike Xansvita, but the Warlock simply smacked her aside with one of his heads, knocking her down, before she was lifted up once more by Zamorak, whose claws tightened around her throat.

 

”Is this really it?” Zamorak asked. ”You made it this far, but you are nothing more than another straggler.” Zilyana reached for Zamorak’s hand, but he grabbed the wrist of her sword hand, squeezing it until the sword fell from her grip. ”Any last words?”

 

Zilyana bit her lip. She tried to look towards Kree’arra’s body, but her neck was locked in place. ”Sora… please don’t let this end with us.” Zamorak twisted his hands, and Zilyana dropped down.

 

”Some hero you turned out to be, Sora!” Xansvita’s heads each cackled. Fire, ice, and thunder all rained down on the Warlock, but he just shook his heads. ”They were a loose end that should have been tied up long ago, nor should they have even been invited. Arturia said that simply involving any of you in this war doomed your universes to oblivion. The moment Ophelia brought Sliske to the Sphere Forest, they were already dead. You didn’t give them hope that they could save their home. You just told them a lie that they were still alive.”

 

Sora trembled on his knees. Roxas, Kree’arra, and now Zilyana all laid dead around him. ”I promised all of them…”

 

”Then don’t make promises you cannot keep! Someone dies, and you believe you can stop it from happening again! Or even postpone it, allow them to die on their own terms! Do you expect me to say I’m sorry for breaking the hard truth to you? You see this war as the Counter Corps against Protheus, but Protheus doesn’t care about you. It makes no difference to him, the leading power in this war, whether you live or die. It would mean even less than nothing to him that you lose a few friends along the way.”

 

”’A few friends?’ Don’t give me any of that you-” Sora was screaming, the golden aura erupting out of his back.

 

”If you expect me to indulge your wasted breath on how they were more than that, spare me.”

 

Zamorak laughed at their exchanges for a moment. ”Ahh… actually, Xansvita, I suspect it isn’t as simple as that.”

 

”Silence! Your role here is finished.”

 

”As fellow constructs of the Pathway, I’m inclined to agree with you. However… our purpose on these Pathways is to test the courage of those who wish to reach Origin. We exist for their sake. Yet I was created for Kree’arra and Zilyana. What do you think should have happened to me when I slew them?”

 

Xion rested her hand on Sora, but he didn’t respond. ”They wouldn’t want us to sit around like this.”

 

”They’re dead, Xion. I can’t just ignore that.”

 

”They wouldn’t want us to. What they would want is for us to win.”

 

”They didn’t need to die for me to figure out that out.”

 

”Xansvita said we fight to let them die on their own terms, and they did!”

 

”They had no choice!” Sora buried his face in his knees. ”There is nothing Protheus could want that should be worth so many people dying. He’s the same as Xehanort.”

 

”Get up, boy,” Zamorak said. ”You do not know me, but I can sense your heart. Ordinarily, I should not. It was Kree’arra and Zilyana’s hearts that called to me.”

 

”Don’t you even think you have any place to talk to him!” Xion cast an Aeroga spell, and Zamorak spread out his wings, responding with a gust of wind. The two forces collided, and scattered the air from side to side. Zamorak and Xion remained as they were, but Xion continued speaking. ”You killed our comrades. Even if these Pathways are meant to test us, isn’t wanting to stop Protheus good enough? I don’t want the Key! I don’t care about that. I just… I just want to go home.”

 

”That is not up to you!” Xanvita answered. ”And just because you want to stop Protheus doesn’t mean you can! You’ve lost three friends to us. The more friends you lose, the sooner the target will be on your back. If you can’t protect your friends, you won’t be able to protect yourself, and you won’t be strong enough to defeat Protheus. That is the cruelty of reality.”

 

Sora looked up at Xansvita. ”Can we change it?”

 

”Perhaps! But the chances of that are-”

 

”I’m not asking you. Xion. If we can beat Xansvita - by ourselves, doing more than we did in the Sphere Forest - can we still change this war?”

 

”Even if Protheus is powerful, there’s still a lot of us. Roxas, Zilyana, and Kree’arra didn’t just throw their lives away. They’re trusting us to fight for them.”

 

”The reasoning of a coward! That’s not them fighting. That’s being too weak to even run away, and leaving you to pick up their slack.”

 

”Stop talking, already!”

 

”You have yet to give me a decent answer!”

 

”Because you’re saying things just to confuse me!”

 

”You think I would kill your friends just to confuse you?

 

”Would you even need a reason? These Pathways… they’re just designed to make me question myself. So you just looked at my friends, figured they'd be the best way to get to me, and decided to make them disposable. But I swear to you, I’ll bring them back.”

 

”Funny. You rejected using the Door when Roxas entertained the possibility of bringing Ventus back after he died for me.”

 

”Because back then, I thought I had to accept that sometimes, sacrifices have to be made. But now… I’m done with believing that.”

 

”You’d just be making their sacrifices worthless.”

 

”I’d be giving them another chance at life! And even if they die, or their sacrifice isn’t forever, they’d have still bought me enough time to get far enough to bring them back. As long as I can make it to the end, I’ll never believe I’m picking up their slack. I’m finishing everything they started.”

 

Xansvita began to scream, breathing flames upon Sora and Xion, but the two Keyblade warriors each dodged, blocked, reflected, and counter them, firing Blizzaga attacks. Ra’s power began to surround them, and their Keyblades began to charge with more power. Sora and Xion glided through the air, grabbing each other’s hands, and activating a Drive. Ra’s golden glow had enveloped them completely, and in their place was a single warrior whose armor formed in the image of Ra. The six translucent swords of Wingblade appeared behind them, surrounded by golden flames.

 

”I knew it!” Zamorak exclaimed. ”You see, Xansvita, even when Zilyana and Kree’arra died, their fears… no, their dreams didn’t. Sora is carrying them with him.”

 

”You sound like you’re happy about that!”

 

”We are both constructs of the Pathway to Death. My original opponents were weak, but they still came here for Sora. I can see now that it wasn’t a mistake. The Pathway demands that tests be passed, and Sora has done so. Prepare for the end, Xansvita.”

 

Zamorak held out his arms in embrace as Sora dove towards him, his Keyblade cutting Zamorak down, splitting his whole body in two. Sora turned his gaze towards Xansvita, and the Endless Warlock screamed. ”Do you honestly think you can stop me as you are now? You were a part of me. Despair had consumed you, Sliske gave me the power of a god, you needed Kairi’s help to bring you back to the light, and Izumi, Yuki, Foster, all of them had to bring me down!”

 

”The despair says it all,” Sora said. ”But Lydia showed LERNA that hope was stronger. You were just too afraid to accept that. Then when Ophelia tried to stop you - even if it meant killing me - she made the happiest mistake of bringing in Kairi. She reminds me of why I still fight. You were always living on borrowed time, Xansvita, and you stole more of that from me. Kairi is the one who gave it back. People have had to die for my sake, and my friends had to go all out to stop you. So I’m not just fighting so I can protect them, or make up for what they can’t do. I’m fighting because it’s the least I owe all my friends for what they’ve already done.” Xansvita blasted three more flames on Sora, but with his and Xion’s Keyblade, he surrounded himself with two Reflega shields. The fire was absorbed into the shields, converting them into pure energy, blasting back against Xansvita’s heads. ”I’m going to start paying them all back by taking you down.” Two of the Wingblades shot out, the first pinning the throat of Xansvita’s right head, while the second shot upwards against his lower jaw, shutting his mouth closed. Two more blades shot out, and the same process was repeated with the left head, and again with the center.

 

Xansvita tried to scream more words, but he could only manage the screaming. Sora threw each Keyblade in arcs, a Fire Raid and a Blizzard Raid, and they cut through the left and right heads. Once they were far enough behind the dragon, Sora began to call the Keyblades back, and they moved towards a single spot, severing Xansvita’s final head from his body. Sora took the Keyblades in his hand, and watched as Xansvita finally fell down once and for all.

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

They all come again, how annoying. There are so many of them, how could he even hope to keep them all down when he wasn't even supposed to be fighting so man- Ahhhh, now why hadn't he thought about that before? Their advantage was numbers, so, let's remove that advantage, shall we? Without a word the Avatar vanished, more or less nulling attacks made on him as he reappeared high above the tree, so he could survey all of those beneath him. Yes, they were beneath him, like ants... they made his bony wings itch. "Möbius Exclusion!"

 

In an instant, time froze for everyone, even the Avatar himself. With a loud bong, the clock chimed loudly, an ∞ symbol appearing before the clock. With a ripple it split into a swarm of technicolour variants, each flying out to all people present in Prologuous. They shone brightly, preparing for the Exclusion.

 

 

[spoiler=The Reason Why]

 

[spoiler=Ayame]

Ayame was alone. Everyone else from Prologuous was gone, and she was alone on the landmass. "Ayame...."

 

Standing before the girl was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Ayame, of the Blind-Eyes. A demon slayer huh? Interesting. I say that because, it's funny how a slayer allowed their mind to become home to the Shadow Realm. Hmm hmm hmm, but, that's not what this is about girl," the Avatar remarked, flourishing his scythe, "why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Butler]

Butler was alone, as not even Ragnarok's voice was contained within his head. He was no Kishin, but a man alone in a Prologuous that had no others. "Butler...."

 

Standing before Butler was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Butler, the dog that serves the young brat Dorian. Hmph, I admit, while I admire why you sought power, I pity you for why you did it. You allowed a monster into your body, and you have absorbed countless souls just to protect that insipid brat. And then, this is hilarious, I felt as you sacrificed them for Rukh. I couldn't have even caused that Soul Rejection I threatened you with anyways! Don't you get it? I made you sacrifice them for no good reason, beyond what your fears thought was real! You come off as a stalwart and aloof figure, but I terrified you enough that you were willing to sacrifice your greater store save for a choice few souls just to save your hide. Not that that matters, as now, neither Ragnarok or your souls are here to protect you. And your precious little brat isn't here either; you are alone, without purpose. So, tell me mortal, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Darcy]

Darcy was alone. Everyone else from Prologuous was gone, and she was alone on the landmass. "Darcy...."

 

Standing before the witch was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Darcy, one of the Trix, and holder of the Dragon's Flame. You've come far witch, even when you didn't have your sisters backing you up. But you probably love that, you love that you get to keep all of the glory of your achievement to yourself, as you do not need to share it with Icy or Stormy. But at the same time, you are pitifully weak without them. You might hold some of the Dragon's Flame's power, but you are still weak and fragile without your sisters to back you up. You are alone Darcy, so why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Dorian]

Dorian was alone. He had no Rhadamanthys or Butlerok to protect him as he stood alone in Prologuous. "Dorian...."

 

Standing before the brat was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Dorian, or should I call you Bennu Dorian? Hmmm, second verse, same as the first, a pain. Who are you trying to fool here? Me, or you? Do you honestly believe your delusions of grandeur will amount to anything? Do you honestly think you're worthy of claiming Origin? Don't answer that, as it's clear you do. You're sad, you know that? You act big, you act tough, but really, you're just a frightened child hiding behind the big people. You're nothing more than a cocky support character, shouting insults and boasting while the real fighters do all the work. After all, you were more or less useless in the fight with LERNA, and that battle cost you your life for a failed plan! And then, you failed to do anything significant against the Madara, when it was Arthur of all people who defeated it. The one you boast was weak and a pet, and he defeated what you could not. Don't you get it yet? You aren't anything special, you aren't great. You're nothing more than some insipid brat who the universe decided to throw a bone too. And you chew on that bone restlessly, believing it makes you better than everyone else. Well, I'm sorry pup, but how about I take your bone away?" the Avatar chuckled.

 

With a flourish of his scythe, Dorian's Cloth vanished, leaving him in his normal clothes. "It's funny. Without your fancy armour, you really aren't much to look at. I don't think it's even worth the effort trying to destroy you when you're just a nothing. So, humour me Dorian, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Kazuya]

Kazuya was alone. There were none others in Prologuous, none he could stand by. "Kazuya...."

 

Standing before the demon summoner was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Kazuya, the one who would command demons, even though he allowed the demons control him. Why are you here? Why do you insist on trying to reach Origin? Do you believe there's a point to this hollow war? Do you think the sacrifices are worth it? Answer me this: Why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Killua]

Killua was alone. There were no friends found in Prologuous, he only had himself. "Killua...."

 

Standing before the young psychopath was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Killua, a boy who became a hunter for funzies. It must've been something quite intriguing, if you would injure your family in order to flee for it. But there is something adorable about your friendship with Gon, despite the fact he just isn't here now, is he? How do you feel about that? Are you empty inside, or will you just think you can brutally defeat me to escape your fate of loneliness? Well, I doubt it will be that easy, but I'd like to see you try. But for now, I want to know, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Kratos]

Kratos was alone, but that was nothing unusual for him. He was alone in Prologuous, alone with just himself for company. "Kratos...."

 

Standing before the god slayer was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Kratos, he who has killed mortal and immortal alike. The God of War who slays gods, and yet, a man who carries such a horrific burden in his heart. Yes... your wife and child, such a pain it must have been to lose them. But I'm sure everyone tells you that, it is quite the button to mash whenever possible. You ever wish to aggravate Kratos, mention his wife and child, ah ha ha ha. Oh, I wasn't laughing at that little tragedy, no. I just find it funny how willing you are to give up. I sense your feeling of doubt and confusion of your life's future. You want to be with Revy, such a pity she's not here now. But you don't think your life could suffer through the transition. I don't blame you. I doubt anyone could imagine you in a business suit, especially with those gaudy tattoos. So, what do you want to do Kratos? Die? If that was the case, then you would have let me kill you multiple times over. So, Kratos, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Kenpachi]

Kenpachi was alone, there was no Kachiru to keep him company as he stood alone in Prologuous. "Kenpachi...."

 

Standing before the Shinigami was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of the now extinct eleventh division. I must say, death must've been a new experience for you. I myself couldn't even begin to grasp the pain and frustration that must've occurred when you proved utterly useless against the Renegade Joker. Nor the agony of being nothing more than Ragnarok's tool, a snack. Just a calorie-free tic-tac. I won't lie, you managed a magnificent victory against Sephiroth, but then, it's not as if you were the first to do so. Somewhat graphic too, but that's enough praise. Answer me Zaraki! Why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Nero]

Nero was alone. There were none others in Prologuous, just him. "Nero...."

 

Standing before Nero was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Nero, or, is it Ivero? Hard ask really. Was it fun being Xansvita's puppet? I imagine not, but then, I'm nobody's puppet, so I don't have much of a basis of comparison. Also, do tell, but how does it feel to not really know a single damn thing going on? Being late to the party is poor manners you know? But, I'm distracting myself from my purpose. Ivero, Nero, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Ragnarok]

Ragnarok was alone. He had no host to cling to, and thus had to rely on himself as he wallowed solo in Prologuous. "Ragnarok...."

 

Standing before Ragnarok was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A shadowy version of Ragnarok's sword form was clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Ragnarok, the parasite. How does it feel not having anyone to cling to? How does it feel knowing you're alone, with no one to feed off of? Is it fun having to deal with all the lingering souls alone? I can't imagine it would, but I feel like adding insult to injury. So, I'll tell you that the Soul Rejection I threatened you with, was a lie. I had no intent to perform it, nor the power to even do so. You converted so many souls into Rukh for no reason beyond pure and simple fear. You believe you lie in Madness as a Kishin, but, Kishins are always afraid. They're terrified, which is why they try to hide in Madness. You try to hide in the Madness to avoid fear, but, as you can see, fear will always find you. You were so terrified of dying, you tried to avert a potential disaster by sacrificing all those souls you worked so hard for. It's truly hilarious actually. So, with that revelation out of the way, why do you try to move forward Ragnarok? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Revy]

Revy was alone. She had no allies with her in her solo mission to Prologuous. "Revy...."

 

Standing before Miss Two-Hands was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Revy Two-Hands, of the Black Water Company. Well, it's not much of a company when you're it's only member, but I digress. What do you plan to do girl? Do you think your relationship with Kratos could work? Could the difference between you and, hell, your own timelines ever be surmounted. I can't say myself, but, I feel that you don't want to know. Does your resolve waver, now that you are all alone? Can you find the strength to continue on in the face of certain oblivion? Hmm, Revy, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Rhadamanthys]

Rhadamanthys was alone. Neither Dorian or Butler, or anyone was there with him on Prologuous. "Rhadamanthys...."

 

Standing before the Judge was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. A scythe made from shadows clutched tightly in his thin wisps of shadow he called fingers. "Wyvern Rhadamanthys, Judge of Hell. Or, should I say, the Dog of Hades? Isn't that what you are? Just some attack dog your god sics on people, acting at his beck and call? Hmph, I'm sure you take pride in the fact that you are simply someone's puppet, boasting your own strength as if it means something. It doesn't, really. A tool has no power, for it is the wielder who carries it all. You are Hades tool, and that's all you will ever be. Now I'm sure you're going to groan and moan and say what I'm saying his meaningless, but is it? I'm sure you must realize how empty and pointless your life is, right? I'mm sure you realize the futility of your own existence and the Saint Wars that cast you Cloth wearers like missiles. Just weapons... it's sad, a sad life. So tell me Rhadamanthys, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[spoiler=Yukari]

Yukari was alone. There was no Koishi attached to her arm as she stood alone in Prologuous. "Yukari...."

 

Standing before her was a very much reduced Avatar Conflictous, now only seven feet tall. He carried nothing in his arms, as he folded them to stare at her intently. "Yukari, I will admit, you have proven an enormous bother for me. I didn't even see it as you hid in a gap, rather than walking into my Desperate Space trap. A sense of distrust like that will serve you well, as it has kept you alive until now. But, I don't understand you much, to be honest. If you realize you aren't worthy of Origin, then why bother trying to stay alive? Without the Key, you can't even access the Door anyways, and right now it's held in the hands of a truly weak man. If all goes well, the Key could very well end up lost, even beyond Protheus' reach. And when it is, this entire war will be rendered pointless... so why try? What's the point? Why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

 

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Nero - Keyblade War Master / The X-Blade's Wielder ~ Prologous

 

"Desperate Space"

 

Nero could only grit his teeth as he watched how this Avatar just nullified his attacks, as if they were nothing. But he wasn't the only one attacking. He barely dodged as he watched as the one known as Butlerok, unleashing a strong attack towards the Avatar. But this was only the start...

 

One by one, Kenpachi and Yachiru, Kratos, Revy, and Killua began to strike at the Avatar from all sides. He was impressed by the tactic, blindsiding the enemy from all directions. As strong as it was, it was probably not going to be able to focus on everyone's attacks at once like this.

 

"Alright..." Nero smirked, swinging the X-Blade around in his hand before pointing it towards the Avatar. "THUNDAGA!!!!" Once again, a strong bolt of lightning struck down towards the Avatar. Everyone hitting him at once would most likely get the job done...but...what if it didn't?

 

These thoughts began to swarm his mind: what if the attacks wouldn't faze him? What if this Avatar just could not be beat? Was there any hope?

 

Nero closed his eyes as his grip on the X-Blade grew tighter as he quickly opened them. No...there is a way. There is hope...we can beat him. The journey through the pathways weren't for not. he thought, as he twirled the blade in his hand, smirking in a determined fashion.

 

Unfortunately...the Avatar thought otherwise...

 

"Möbius Exclusion!"

 

Nero gripped the X-Blade tightly as he watched this ripple of technicolor strike at each of the warriors that were present...as he put his hands up to protect himself.

 

Destati

 

Suddenly, all light vanished. He lowered his arms and saw nothing but darkness. He had remembered what this felt like, after all, he stood in complete deafening darkness twice. Once was in a vision that he was given before he started his mission back then...and the second, was his death.

 

"Nero...."

 

Nero looked as before him stood, the Avatar Conflictous. He was only seven feet tall now, but the concerning part was the shadowy scythe he held within his wispy fingers. "Divide and conquer...an old tactic, but effective." he spoke in response. "What do you want from me?"

 

"Nero, or, is it Ivero? Hard ask really. Was it fun being Xansvita's puppet? I imagine not, but then, I'm nobody's puppet, so I don't have much of a basis of comparison. Also, do tell, but how does it feel to not really know a single damn thing going on? Being late to the party is poor manners you know? But, I'm distracting myself from my purpose. Ivero, Nero, why do you try to move forward? Why do you try to grasp beyond the reach of your own feeble mortality?"

 

He was baffled at what the Avatar spoke. His fists clenched as this being spoke of Ivero...and of Xansvita...those he was once apart of. "It's Nero...do not confuse me for the likes of Ivero...nor of Xansvita." he quickly said. It was bad enough that the Avatar spoke of his past like this, but even to go as far as degrade him for 'being late'. "Honestly, didn't know there was a set time for this shindig to start." Nero cursed to himself, trying to act comedic when facing this being. "I digress. Getting here at all, shows that I wasn't late. I made it here all the same, it shows I've accomplished something that not many have."
 

Nero was quite satisfied with this answer, but then he heard what the Avatar spoke next. He wanted to know his reasons for moving on... This puzzled the Keyblade master as he thought the point of the pathways was for this reason. Nevertheless, he answered if only to humor this being. "Why? There are multiple reasons why anyone does anything. Fame...power...prestige. You of course know that." he sighed. "Why I continue to move forward? Why I even try to grasp beyond the reach of my own mortality? Simple...I've already lost everything once. Before Emyia called out to me...I had been adrift in darkness...no longer alive. I lost my friends and even left the one I cared for behind. Then I heard Emyia's light calling to me. I stand here before you...with a second chance at life."

 

He paused for a moment, before looking at his hand slightly. "I did hit a rough patch...Vanitas...Xansvita...Ivero... I did lose myself. But my allies fought to bring me back. And even when I was brought back, I couldn't remember anything...my heart, had never felt an emptiness quite like it." Nero lowered his hand, before his gaze met the Avatar's. "But the three paths I faced to get here...they reminded me of who I am, my past...what I've become, my present...and...what my future holds."

 

The Keyblade master took a deep breath, before looking at the Avatar with a smile. "So...why do I continue onward, Avatar? I continue, because, to honor my fallen master and my friends...I will keep the X-Blade protected...and with it...I'm going to protect the light."