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

Maeriberii Haan · June 15, 2016

Zanka No Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin

"S-so bright..."

The shadow Koishi watched in awe as Butlerok's army of exploding skeletons destroyed her thorn barrier, and with it, her manifestations of Butlerok's past victims. The thorny rose prison was decimated in minutes, with the flames burning it until it completely disappeared, and while the shadow Koishi had its health restored by the Avatar earlier, it was still quite wary of what its opponent could do. In the face of the army of skeletons, at first it aimed to keep them out using walls of thorns, but with that effort failing to do anything as the army would just burn those walls with their advance, the shadow Koishi ended up curling into a fetal position instead. Then, just as if she turned into a vacuum cleaner, the advancing army, and anyone nearby would find themselves being forcefully drawn towards the shadow Koishi's direction, with the force that pulled them were strong enough to crush bones the closer they were to Koishi.

Once the army of skeletons had been sucked in towards her enough, the shadow Koishi, still in her fetal position, aimed the garbled mess that she had gathered and expelled it towards her opponent's direction, with a severely increased force behind that.

"Show me more good tricks! More, more, more!"

:Shadow KoICHI:.

HP: 850/1000

Attack: 1000

Defence: 1000

Speed: 1000

"Oww..."

Ichor flowed from the wound on the other Shadow Koishi's chest as Dorian's flaming arrow pierced it and destroyed its heart. With the force he fired the arrow however, the gaping hole on her was quite big, and she had to force close it using her tentacles to fill the void. It seemed that its regenerative capabilities had some limits, but even then, the fact that the shadow Koishi was still up and about for another round of fighting was still clear. Raising dozens of its tentacles to the air, like arrows the shadow Koishi fired them all in succession towards Dorian, carrying enough force and speed in each to easily stab through walls and the area's floor.

"Aww, you took my heart~

As a proof of my love, I'll take yours too!"

:Shadow KoiNI:.

HP: 650/1000

Attack: 1000

Defence: 1000

Speed: 1000

Reimu Hakurei

Prologuous

Really, I thought you both would have put up a fight before you eventually concede.

"Talking big for a shadow...eh, whatever. You're dead meat anyway."

The sword she was holding, it was brimming with life energy. No, it would be more accurate to say that for some reasons, Reimu felt that the sword was alive. It was calling to her, perhaps even tried to talk to her, and asked her to wield it. The malevolent aura surrounding it that Reimu saw when she confronted Tenshi back before she entered Strange Aeons was not there anymore. It would be hard to say that this was even the same weapon as the one that girl wielded, Reimu thought.

Warmth enveloped her arms as she withdrew the sword. It was now guiding her, and right now, Reimu decided to just follow her instincts for what would she do with the sword. The blade's golden light shone brighter as it siphoned the energy from Reimu's three orbs, and the energy she gathered was now at the tip of her sword. At first Reimu felt like she would need a chant here, but something made her decide that it wasn't necessary.

Now!

Following her heart's calling, she swung the Sword of Hisou from overhead, and a devastating beam of crimson came crashing down towards the shadow she was facing, and while it disappeared after several seconds of continuous fire, Reimu didn't let up on her attack and started slashing the air before her as her intuition guided her, sending a barrage of laser shockwaves towards her opponent. She stopped not long afterwards, getting quite drained from swinging her sword wildly. While her stamina was gradually recovered by her monochrome orb, she was now more focused on the sword she was holding. It would still be far from enough to deal with her opponent, but as an exhibition on what the weapon could achieve on a whim, Reimu was satisfied.

"So...so this is what this could do. Thank you...thank you a lot for entrusting yourself to me. Now, let us end this.

Together."

The Warden · June 15, 2016

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

Once more another failed attack struck the shell, sinking into its depths, and in response it spat out a glob, revealing another Shadow Koishi for the world to enjoy. he terrifying nightmare grinned evilly as its head somehow managed to rotate 360 degrees around, just to amp up the creep factor. But something more distracting was happening as the shell started to pulsate, thick black veins bulging along the throbbing orb, the membrane growing thin as... something... appeared to be swimming about in it.

T̨̨̮̣̜̪̭̣̤̣̞̐ͧ͊ͭo̷̮̯̠̳͍̥̤ͤͥ̃̓ ̸̛̩̣͉͔̙̩ͤ̈͝w̧̩̳͎͙̣̖ͭͧͥ͊̿͊̑̽ḫ͎̘̱͓͉̿̎͞e͉̞ͥ̇̔̾̕n̦̙̔͒͗͗ç̷̘̺̖̊͂͐͛̐̿ͅeͮ͂͐҉̺̣͔̦̰̱͔̀ ̵͓̙̗̰̜̲̹̓̐̾̾̈ͨͩ͜͞I̧̬͚͖̥̼̐͡ ̡̧̠̰̦̳ͪ̔ͭͩ̿̾̿͛͜c̶̨͓͇͍͓̘̻̰̙͊ͭ̓̑o̮̝̖͓̭͂̉͑̀͂̕͝m̢̗̪̗̪̥̜̻͛̈́͌ͅę̠̫͖̬̟͎̰̖͌̔̽̎̔̃͌̉̚,̞͚͇̳̳͕̟̺̻̅́͗ͧ̆̿̄͘ ͩͯͦ̉҉̭̭̹̞̞͉ͅf̨̠͈͔͚̠̞ͦͩ̃́͆ͬ̐̐r̬̫̃̿͑̿̇͒̊̀̚o̱̮̺̎̈͑͗͑̆ͧ̊ͯm̫̩̖̺̮̱̼̊̃́ͭ ̈͏̪̥̲̣̘̱̼̳w̭͚̪͎̦̄ͨ̚ḩ̷̯̻̬̣͖͕ͥ̽͒̓ͭ͐ͫe̸͚̼͗ͬ̔́n̫̝̞̟̮̫̠̱̤͊̆̃̐̀ç̖͔ͪ̉̈́̈́͗͟ę̶̩̘̝̺̎ͤ̐ͮ͒̌ ̅̇ͯͭ͏̜̹̠̝͕͙͙̹͈I͚͚̼͓̜̯͉̯̅͊ ̬̝ͦͯ̉̎ͬ͋͝c̨ͬ́̓͒ͭ҉̛̘̼̗̻a̧̮̰̭ͫͣͦ͗̄ͫ̃m̘̻͔̩̞͋̎̅ĕ̛̘̤͙̮̜̖̥̱̐̔ͩ̄̾,̧̘ͯ͂͟ ̶̢̬̩́̃̿I̵̷͎̟̰̯̟̥̠̘̓ ̗̻͓͇̃ͮͫ͌ͭ̀̓g̙̣̯͙̺͙͚̙ͬ̓̊̈̉̑͘i͓͍̲͎ͨ̓̕͠͝v̷̼̥̹̱̫̉̏ͯ̉̅e̴̵̴̝̝̠̟͔̙̭͈ͤͭ̍͐ ͫͬ͏̠̬̗͇̹̗̯̼͈m̡̛̩̼͉ͬͯ͐͊̓̐ͬy̧̦̘̅ͬ ̵̸̨͚̝͗ͦ̈́̐̿̂̋m͚͉̪̜̖̱̳̃̓i̷̴̤̼̓̐n̺̹̰̺̞̜̙̰͂̎̄͗ͨd͓̻̼̜͖̥̖͕ͧͣͨ͆̚ ̶̛̳̝̤͇͎͚ͮͫ̌ͩͥ̈́̈̓͝f̮̭͖͈̮̠̳͆̓̓͞o̶̴͕͍͓̼̮̦̱ͧ̽̒̔ͬ̚r̢̡̳͔̤ͬ̂ͣ́̐̅̚̚ ͔̓͛ͧ̀̕͘p̛͇̱͂ͯ̎ͬ̆́̈̕ȯ̲͙̲͚͛ͭ̌ͥw̲̞̩̥̫̺͊̈́̔͘e̸͈͉̬̓͌̊́͞r̗̬̗ͦͧ͌ͮͨ̈͒!̶͈̞̖̜̮̒̈͑͘͘ ̡̼͙̠̠̳̭̭͇̤̆͋̈̒̊Y̡̯̤͉͍͐͋ͮ̉͌̽̒͌̀o̡̧͎͎̯ͨ̎̅ͤu̷̡̬̫͍̗͉͕̘̐͆͐̉ͅr̭̆͂̍͑ ̡̙͙̼͂̋ͭ́ͯ̓͛͡͞t̞̦͓̜ͥ̂̃̌i̵̡̺̜̲̝͓͉̔͆̐̿̉͟m̲̫̖̱̻͌̆͑̓̓ͮ͟͠ë̝̫̤̘͍̺͊̊ͣ͡͠ͅͅ ͇̣̭̲͙̀̀̀i̗̭̘̅ͧ̿ͩͨ̀̿͝s̤̟̪̥̍̊͛̃͛̈ͨ ̃ͨ͋́͆̀҉͖̼͞ǘ̵̲̬͕̤̃ͬͪ̔̇́̚p̵̩̳̯̜͈͚ͦͤ͐,͖̤͓̅̑͗̾̿ͤ̔̚ ̵̙͚̗̘̅ͬ́̿̀͠t͈̭̟̠̫̭̍̈ͨ̈ͅh̵̪̦͉͙̫̺͓̙̍ē͊̔͑́͌̌̉͏̩̼͕̫͓̪̕ ̛͎͉̫ͭ̌̌͠ȩ̶̣̳̗̙͔͙̞ͩ̔n̤͖̹̭̝̟̪̩̩͑͛ͭ͛̐̊͑d͈̰͎̦̲̊̑̌̔̇̌͢ ̨̮̗̞͙̞̖͋͆̑ͦ͝ͅi̧̡̟͓̤͗̒̽͐͐̅͟ͅs̸̘̭̖̍̈́ͮ ̶̻̱̦͎͆̓ͩ̊̈̎͛n͈̜̝͈̣͊̀i̸̦̠ͨ́̂ͩͩ͗̃ͬ̀͟g̥̐͊̏̎ͨh̷̜̘̺̗̒̋̓̽ͮͥ̈́̌̕,̷̷̤̮͓̰̘͐ ͖͈̘̋t̢̻̩̠ͫ̓̽͌̐̈́͂̑̊ḥ̢͓̥̯̘͆̓ͥ̆͂̆̈ͯͅi͎͇̪͙͕͌͛ͫ̅̇ͯ̔̓͋͢s͖͖͇̮͚̪̞̭̮͌͂ͮ͟ ̶͓̳̋ͨ̐ẉ̷͔̦͗̽̔̇ͣ̋̔ͭ͘͜ͅi̠̳̯̝̇ͯ̿͞ḻ̨̺͕̦̻̙̩̒̊̾͡ͅl̶̙̠͑̑̏͜ ̦͗ͯ̅͆ͨͬ̀b̔ͨ̉́̅̊͂ͣ͏̨̦̜͓͍e̢̠̼̗̺̖̟͍̻̊̽̆̋ͣ̄ ̦̪̠͔͚̜̑̇͒̆ͦ͡ͅỵ̨̖̖ͩͬo̯͙͎̊u̵̡̟͉ͭ͆̈́̃̏̄̀̅͠r̞ͩ͊̿̃ ̢̫̫̪̲̞̹̭̘͒͆̉͠f̤̝͒͐͟i̬̯͕̥̜̋͛͛ͥͫͤ̊ͩ͘͠n̸̛͎̬̭̜̖͈̪͂͛͆̐́̆a̛̱͖͚̘̭̘͙̒ͣl̼͕̟̬ͩ̓̓͆ͯ̅ͥ̐̆ ̗̣̯̗͚͖̹̜ͬ̓̂̉͠h͎̹͙͔̠͇̥͈ͯ͆o̢̗͍͔̩̰͈̩͙ͯ̄̑͛ͯ͒ů̶͈͖̠̞̫̳̍̏ͨ͑ͣ͟r̯̝̫͖̞̹͎̔ͫ̀͜͢!̸̢͎̣̺̬͙̪̯ͯ̅̇̒̍ͫ̒

Those words didn't feel spoken, but more felt by all those around it. Whatever was inside was coming out soon, and it wasn't very happy as the shell began to show its wear, cracks forming alongside the pulsing veins. The shell pulsated again, allowing black ichor to ooze through the cracks, coating the branches of the tree in darkness.

Countdown: 10 turns

Shell's HP: 40/100

.:Shadow Koishi #3:.

HP: 1000/1000

Attack: 500

Defence: 500

Speed: 1000

Tesability Black · June 15, 2016

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

"To whence I come, from whence I came, I give my mind for power. Your time is up, the end is nigh, this will be your final hour."

Gemini had repeated the words to himself soon after essentially feeling the words instead. He had morphed back into the form of the Malamar in order to rise high above the scene and watch the madness, taking advantage of the fact that no one laid notice to him to do so. Apparently, attacking the sphere creates a dark duplicate of the attacker, prompting him to bring the tip of a tentacle under his chin in thought. He figured that if only the ones that had attacked the orb could continue striking while the others took out the shadowed doubles, things would be easier...

...then he saw a third annoying Koishi double emerged from the orb upon her strike.

Sh!t.

And he looked towards the point that the others would eventually emerge from to join this madness, expecting more to come while trying to figure out what to do from his aerial point of view...

Gαr · July 1, 2016

[spoiler=Truth Was A Long Time Coming][spoiler=Dance of Dragons]This other Ed fought very differently from the actual Ed, but he could predict how he was going to attack and where the hits would land. He was getting the same answer using different methods. Other!Ed swung horizontally at Ed’s chest. Ed jumped to avoid the attack but regretted it. Other!Ed was summoning black flames in his left hand. Ed responded with his own blast of flames. The columns collided, exploding into another of two dragons grappling and flying into the night sky. The swordsmen were blown back.

Ed landed on the ground and slid to a stop, while Other!Ed recovered with a swift backflip. Ed swung his swords parallel to each other and shot two air bullets. Other!Ed fired air bullets of his own. They exchanged a volley of air bullets, each one colliding with another. The salvo stopped and Other!Ed flew towards Ed with his swords thrusted forward. Ed let himself fall backwards to dodege and kicked Other!Ed in the stomach. Black flames exploded at the point of contact.

Other!Ed was blow towards a torii but managed to twist himself so he landed feet first. The black flames seemingly melted into the cloak.

“You know that looks really cool.”

“You can get this cool trick, too, if you drop and resent everything you’ve had any form of affection towards and embrace all the hatred you feel towards those that look at like you’re an abomination.”

Ed didn’t really have a response to that, but Other!Ed didn’t provide the opportunity to give one.

“Why don’t you realize you’re messed up? Screw the people who made you feel lesser than everybody else! You’re filth they say. Why do you continue live? It’s not your fault, but everyone thinks it is. And you believe it. So give it back to them. Be the very thing they hate and turn that hate into fear. Resentment follows you like a shadow, so become the shadow, and cover everything and everyone with that shadow. Show them who the real monster is.”

Ed never liked thinking about why he is the way he is. He kept the philosophy of accentuate the positives and hide the negatives, with the negatives being his entire past. He grew up feeling just short of either human or vampire. He almost never heard of anyone who was both, and when he did, people’s words were filled with disgust and contempt. It’s one thing to feel conflicted about something you’re not sure about, but it’s another when the person that’s raised you for your whole life say you’re the very thing that’s said in hushed, spiteful tones.

But Ed can’t hate Pietro for raising him in a world that thought Ed was unworthy of life. He protected Ed from all the pain of being a hybrid in the old society of Lath for as long as he could. He took in Ed having full knowledge of his lineage and loved him with all his being that was not dedicated to a higher calling. For every questioning look people gave Ed, Pietro gave one of acceptance and caring, and that was all Ed needed in his childhood. Pietro’s death was the end of that warmth. And to hate him was to go against the very moral’s that shaped Ed’s life.

Other!Ed propelled himself off the tori with a blast of flames, switching from verbal attacks to physical ones. Ed was being pushed back and couldn’t make any headway with Other!Ed maintaining the high ground. To end the deadlock, Ed readjusted his grip on his short sword into a reverse grip and spun. Ice overflowed from the blades of the swords and spiraled outwards, destroying several toriis in its bloom. Other!Ed was forced back and stood on the rim on the structure.

“Have you ever wondered why you focused on ice magic above all others?”

“I’m going to guess it’s some underlying life-long trauma that I never acknowledged so I let it guide my choices subconsciously? Because I kinda came to that conclusion a few seconds ago.”

“You’re not as stupid as I thought.”

“You would know.”

Other!Ed continued with another psychoanalyzation of himself. “Ice means you’re stuck, you can’t let go, can’t move on. Fire, on the other hand, means living, no inhibitions.” He waved his hands around, using his swords to emphasize his points. “You somehow managed to find a middle ground. You went north on Lath, trained with the ice tribes and gained their special magic, the black flames. Stagnant yet free.” He paused to look right at Ed. “You consolidated all your problems in one form of magic. You have to be pretty messed up to do that, especially the way you did it. You dichotomy.”

Dichotomy somehow hurt more than hybrid. It was such a mechanical term for something organic. He was flesh and blood, not a concept. Dichotomies were concepts, not people. He was a person. But he was seen as a concept, a bad concept, a concept that shouldn’t even have been created. And yet, he continued to live in spite of that. How audacious of him to exist? they think. How arrogant of him to exist as a person?

“If I can’t be a person because my blood says I’m not, all according to people who don’t have the same blood as me, then I’m not going to be a person. No, I’m a vampire-human hybrid and that’s the gospel truth, not because they say it’s the truth. A hybrid proud of his blood. I’m going to be a hybrid right in their contemptuous faces. I’m going to be the best goddamn hybrid worthy of their scorn.” With each successive realization of his worth, the look on his face got sharper and sharper.

Other!Ed raised his swords. “Now you’re getting it.”

Ed flew at his other, feinting with his swords and kicking the other Ed in the side. Black flames exploded from the point of contact in the shape of a dragon’s head. Other!Ed was spat from the dragon’s mouth towards the castle. He crash landed and skipped along the ground, before finally skirting to a stop.

Ed descended on where his other landed. Other!Ed scrambled towards the castle to get out of the way. Ed slammed into the spot where the Other!Ed landed. Nearby bamboo reeds were covered in black frost from the ensuing flurry. Nothing like a man proud of himself marching towards war.

Other!Ed made it to the castle wall and ran along the top of it with Ed in pursuit on the ground. Ed blasted a column of black flames at Other!Ed. Other!Ed redirected the column in a circle around himself and shot it back but Ed wasn’t on the ground. Ed was now with his other on the top of the wall. The narrowness of the wall forced the two swordsman to exchange sword strikes and unable to dodge.

Ed swung both of his swords downward. The other Ed deflected the slash away from himself and slammed his short sword into the backs of Ed’s swords, knocking him off balance. Other!Ed created a black ice sword and it flew at Ed. Ed created a sword in his mouth and knocked the flying sword away. Using the momentum of knocking the sword away, Ed flipped head over heels and brought his foot down, surrounded in black flames. Ed created another sword but Other!Ed trapped it in his crossed swords.

“You know what,” Ed said through a mouthful of sword handle, “this is the perfect opportunity to start being perfectly honest about something we’ve always denied ourselves.”

“Black Dragon Sword Style: Sudden Appearance of a Bamboo Forest!” Ed broke through Other!Ed’s crossed swords and started an attack of ever increasing swords. After each successive strike, Ed created another sword and used to momentum of each hack and slash to keep the combo going, flipping and spinning to make the technique more interesting. He was making up the whole thing as he went along but it worked. Ed ended up with swords being held in place by several parts of his body. The swords dissipated as Ed completed one last flip, landing as gracefully as a swordsman with great improvisational skill.

Other!Ed was forced off the wall and further into the streets of the castle’s roofing. He had several cuts running the length of his body, leading both Ed and Other!Ed to wonder, does this constitute as self-harm or just another installation in the gallery of scars.

“It embarrassed me thinking up names for techniques and attacks while no one else ever did…well actually, maybe they all did name their attacks but they said them in their heads and no one ever told me because they felt the same way. Either way, doesn’t matter anymore. I own it now. I’m owing everything about me.”

“Prove it.”

Reiatsu emanated from Ed in the shape of his iconic dragon. “Kiotso Kurokoriwa.”

Having released his Zanpakuto, he shifted his sword grip into reverse yet again and swung. A dragon set its sights on Other!Ed.

Other!Ed rolled to his left, sheathing his short sword in the same fluid movement. He held up his sword and let the dragon cut itself its whole length. “Black Dragon Sword Style: Dream God’s Dragon Slaying.”

The two halves crashed into different parts of the castle. Other!Ed rose. Ed held firm but his eyes confirmed his disbelief. This was no time for disbelief, however, this was the time for the final battle. The fight to reaffirm Ed’s entire life.

Other!Ed was surrounded in a similar reiatsu aura and summoned his Zanpakuto.

Flames crawled across the castle and overtook some of buildings as they stood off. The swordsman waited for a signal, any signal, as tropes and traditions dictated. The tension spread with the flames across the castle grounds. Slowly, a ground fight became less and less likely, the only choice now being an aerial battle. An air fight, while not something he regularly takes part in, is a fight Ed has fought it. A tower eventually succumbed to the encroaching fire and tension. The final bout between the two Eds started.

Their swords crashed into each other so hard that if they weren’t Zanpakuto, sparks would have flown. Instead, it was reiatsu that exploded from the points of contact. Ed’s Soul Reaper powers were still new to him, so he only had one setting, full throttle. Each sword left trails of their respective element. The flames on the ground fluctuated with the exchanging blows, waves rising and falling with steel moons.

Reiatsu poured from their fight like the sweat on their brow. The excess turned the flames into dragons. They swam around in the sea below, some even climbing out and clinging to the towers that weren’t already burned down or destroyed in the wake of sword blows. They roared and encouraged the two swordsmen to fight.

They came at each other with enough force to blow the two swordsman back, riling the dragons. It was the first time since they took to the air they were any further than swords length. Neither of them were any more injured than before their fight, expect they both managed to get a cut on the other’s forehead. Up until this point, they didn’t have to blink to keep the blood out of their eyes due to the force each sword blow and the constant flying around blowing the blood away.

Other!Ed tried to wipe some of the blood away but he ended up getting the blood in his silver hair and giving himself the proverbial crimson mask. Ed fully embraced his bloody face, going so far as to vigorously rub his blood into his hair for some added flair.

The dragons made their approval of the swordsmen’s theatrics known but the fight was not over. They called for both Eds to prepare their finishers. Other!Ed raised his swords and held them upside down above his shoulder and pointed towards Ed. The black flames on his body began to expand and engulf his body. They continued to expanded, turning Other!Ed himself into a dragon. The dragon avatar roared and charged. “Black Dragon Sword Style: Crushing Charge!”

Ed held his swords close together. Black ice formed over his two swords, making a single big sword. It became a huge slab of ice in the vaguest shape of a sword, a sword that was bigger than Ed himself. Swords that big could kill a dragon in one blow, a beast of a sword meant only for dragon slaying. Ed raised it above his and brought it down on oncoming dragon. “Black Dragon Sword Style: Berserker God’s Dragon Slaying!”

The abundance of dragons roared in satisfaction as they watched one of their brethren lose its head. The body and the head both fizzled, leaving Other!Ed with a large gash down his entire body to fall into the sea of black flames below.

[spoiler=Blizzard]Other!Elsa’s arms were at her sides, her hands palms up, wisps of ice magic flowing from her fingers as she strode down the staircase. “Oh, Elsa, where to begin? You could be so much more, so much better. You sang ‘Let it go’ on the lonely mountain, and I’m all for liberation, but you let go all the wrong things. You kept the expectations and pressures and fears that others imposed on and gave up control over your powers. Your one and only true free expression was your castle, which was absolutely magnificent by the way, even if it was only two floors. Everything else after that was just as restrained as ever. The cold protects you instead of the other way around, and even when you try to use it offensively, it still has to cover for you.”

Elsa did not need to be read like that, but then again maybe she did. She remembers all the times her magic got out of her control because she couldn’t control it, whether it was frost spreading on whatever she touched or a full on blizzard pushing everyone around her away or when the two assassins came for her or every time she is upset and swings her arms creating arcs of ice. She even created Marshmallow to guard her castle, basically giving her own already sentient magic a physical form for the sake of protection.

“People aren’t necessary, they really aren’t. Push them away, push them all away! That Ed fellow? Take off that coat, freeze it, and smash it into the ground. People hold you back. Why? They don’t understand you, they don’t want to understand, they never will. And what’s even worse is your fear of them, your fear of hurting them-“

Elsa rubbed the sleeve of Ed’s coat. “Why are you saying all of this?”

“For you to learn.”

Elsa did not want her “lesson” to continue but she didn’t want to act out with her powers because that would only prove herself right, which sounded weird when Elsa thought about it like that. To prove she was in control, Elsa created countless little ice spikes around herself and direct them at Other!Elsa. She swiped them all away with one hand in a blast of ice magic. They each created a column of ice spears directed towards the other. The ice spears crashed into each other and shattered. Other!Elsa rode over the splinters on a thin ice column. Elsa spread her hands and raised her arms, expanding her own ice spears and formed a wall.

Cracks spread across the crystal structure. Other!Elsa exploded through the wall with her fist encased in a large ice gauntlet and did a superhero landing. “Still restraining yourself, limiting yourself to protection. Your restraint is based in fear. Fear of what you can do to others and doing what you did to Anna to them. Why? Accidents happen and people can get hurt. A little too easily, I’d say.”

“I’m the queen of Arendelle! I can’t harm my subjects.”

“And yet you let them harm you. You didn’t run away because you wanted to, they’re the reason you were exiled from Arendelle. Don’t give anyone the chance to hurt you like that ever again. Hurt them first, and never be the one hurt! People don’t understand you because they fear you and what you can do. Don’t give them the chance to understand. You are unknowable and that is all there is to you.”

Panels on Other!Elsa’s gauntlet lifted, revealing vents. Icy wind and magic blew from the vents. Elsa tried to defend against the goal and was successful until Other!Elsa unleashed another gale blast from a second gauntlet. Elsa slid backwards before being totally blown off her feet. Other!Elsa stamped her foot hard on the ground. A block of ice formed behind Elsa and she crashed into it. Other!Elsa’s heels clicked on the ground as she strode her original, who crawled up the block to support herself. Elsa feebly held up her hand. “Stop…”

Other!Elsa held her fists in front of herself, one above the other. The vents opened and blasted Elsa point blank. Elsa slid down the block and fell on her side. Other!Elsa watched smugly as Elsa crawled away. Having gotten her fill of pitifulness, she rolled Elsa onto her back with her foot. Elsa’s clothes were covered in frost but Elsa’s cheek weren’t red, she didn’t even have a runny nose. Other!Elsa found this a little odd but dismissed it. She was enjoying this too much.

She pressed her foot down on Elsa’s chest and digging the heel in it. “Conceal it. Don’t feel it.” She moved her foot to Elsa’s face and dug it into her cheek. “Do you feel it now!”

Elsa tried to say something but Other!Elsa really digging her heel into her cheek.

“Excuse me, what was that?” Other!Elsa bent down closer with a hand cupped behind her ear.

“I control the cold. The cold does not control me!”

A violet burst of magic forced Other!Elsa off Elsa. Wind and snowflakes stormed around Elsa. She stood with Ed’s coat flapping around behind her, shoulders low, neck high, and murder in her eyes. The magical blizzard drew closer to Elsa. “Tell me, does the cold bother you?”

The blizzard surrounded her, snow building up like a snowdrift. “It will.”

The column of ice and snow exploded. Elsa stood clad in armor made of ice. It elegant as snow and as strong as a storm. Fractals were intricately decorated all around the armor. Ed’s coat hung from her shoulders and was held in place by rondels in the shape of her signature snowflake. Her eyes shone a brilliant, defiant purple.

Other!Elsa responded with a yell and the biggest blast she could force through the gauntlet vents. Elsa formed a wedge of ice, diverting the blast around herself. She pushed the wedge forward until she was in front of Other!Elsa. The wedge disappeared and Elsa wound up her fist and aimed straight for Other!Elsa’s face. The gale blasts were blown away, the gauntlets shattered. Everything made of ice directly behind Other!Elsa was shattered and blown away. However, her fist stopped just short of Other!Elsa’s nose.

Elsa lowered her fist. “I trust others to hurt me but I know others will not hurt me. I will be fine either way. What you’re saying is true, all true, and I accept that. But I don’t want to think like that anymore, it’s helping no one, especially me. It’s not me against the world, it’s me with the world. I don’t have to hide away. Whether I’m Snow Queen of Arendelle or just the Snow Queen, I will do my damnedest to improve myself not only for the sake of myself but also for the ones who look up to me and will be inspired to do same.”

“You have learned your lesson. Smart girl.”

[spoiler=Hunter x Hunted]Gon felt like he was taking the Hunter Exam all over again. He got to meet and see a bunch of cool people and now he was redoing the Chairman’s ball game and the fourth phase of the exam with himself. Except this time, he had the home field advantage but then again so did Other!Gon, so that’s a moot point.

Gon was in his element, stalking the forests of Whale Island. It felt good to have familiar grass below his bare feet. Gon couldn’t decide if he should actually hunt for Other!Gon or if he should let Other!Gon come to him. Difficult choice, both seemed challenging and fun in their own right. Gon wondered if there some way to combine both options but a black ball Nen flew past his head and tore through the tree next to him.

Gon turned to see Other!Gon in a tree quite a distance away. Gon retreated deeper into the forest and used Zetsu. Gon hid in the most rotten tree hollow in an area with other hollows to cover his scent. He could feel Other!Gon prowling after him. Since he wasn’t any good at using En, Other!Gon had to manually search for the exact place he would hide, giving Gon time to think of a plan. Gon wasn’t that good at thinking up elaborate plans but he had just the right idea to win the game.

Other!Gon was working his way towards Gon’s hiding spot and he was ready for him. Other!Gon had reached where Gon hid and before he could investigate the hollow, Gon shouted, “First comes Rock! Scissors!”

Other!Gon leapt back to avoid the blade and Gon used the distraction to scrambled out the hollow. Gon ran through the forest. The shadows of the trees felt chased him like hounds. He was approaching a cliff and did what Gon does best in situations like this: jump. Gon would have enjoyed the view of the expansive forests and shining ocean if he wasn’t being pursued by a Hunter.

Other!Gon was soon falling through the air with him. “First comes Rock. Paper!”

The big, black ball of Nen coming down on Gon looked like impending doom but he knew it was a distraction. Other!Gon’s fishing hook flanked either side of Paper and was hidden by In, zeroing in on Gon’s badge. However, it blocked both Gon’s view from each other. Without knowing which direction the hook was coming from, Gon normally wouldn’t have thought of a way to counteract Other!Gon’s endgame hunting strategy. But he did have a plan.

Gon knew himself. He was always overconfident when he worked out a plan to catch whatever he was hunting, like a fish or a rabbit, and it actually worked out. Gon would cast his fishing rod with his left hand, making arc widely left. Other!Gon would think this was one last desperate attempt to win the game but Gon knew Other!Gon would be so full of himself and focused on his right flank he would foolishly dodge to his left and not pay attention to that flank.

Gon cast his line and pulled his father’s Hunter license from his back pocket. Other!Gon slid into Gon’s view on the right side of Paper. Taking a page out of Hisoka’s book, Gon used Shu and threw the license. Other!Gon realized too late something was zipping towards him from his left. He watched the flying license carry away his badge and embed itself in a tree. He also saw that the fishing hook wasn’t even aimed at him, it instead hooked itself on a tree branch overhanging the cliff.

Gon swung himself onward and upward back up the cliff. He snatch Other!Gon’s badge from the license as he swung by the trees. He proudly showed his prize to Other!Gon who responded with a thumbs up.

[spoiler=Conclusion]All three members of Team Ed were teleported to the last platform of the Pathway at the end of each of their fights. They were healed of any and all injuries they might have incurred, though Ed was the only one that conceivably needed any healing.

"Want me to fly us across?" Ed asked Elsa.

"You can fly?"

Elsa smiled at Gon's innocence but turned serious when answering Ed's question. "You don't have to do that. I want to take a short, little break from any kind of magical powers. I'm still processing what I went through." She paused and stroked her braid. "Hey, Ed, can you...no, nevermind."

Gon looked from Elsa to Ed. Ed shrugged his shoulders in response. They stood on their own boards and crossed the open sky to the staircase. They walked up the stairs, answered the question, and exited to the White Room. The last Pathway for all of them was Death.

Love of Ghibli · July 13, 2016

Team Dorian: Prologuous

~Butlerok~

Surely this opponent was going from the sublime to the ridiculous. It looked like a vacuum of space simply ate up his attack and then decided to spit it back out towards him but with greater force. Butlerok then waved his hand and the black blood that was attached to the skeletons flying at him separated from the skeletons and formed a massive wall and blocked the attack. He was looking around and he realized that he wasn't getting anywhere fast with this kind of opponent and since he was already in a bankai state he wouldn't have the luxury of holding his strength back any longer.

Butlerok raised his sword and a swirling whirlwind of Rukh started to collect around him. He then quickly disappeared and reappeared right above his opponent.

Combination technique Zanka No Tachi, Higashi: Kyokujitsujin Blood Rain! From above the Mad Blood started to rain down upon her like a monsoon. Little did she know that if any of the droplets of Mad Blood touched her person they would explode and eradicate her.

~Dorian~

Dorian looked on as his opponent started to shoot a series of tentacles at him. This was definitely getting vexing as he tried to speed blitz his way pass all of the attacks. The barrage kept coming and destroying the ground he was fighting on. Of course he couldn't dodge them all, but luckily his surplice was taking the brunt of these attacks. After a while Dorian decided to counter attack by waving his hands and started detonating some of these tentacles.

"Aww, you took my heart~

As a proof of my love, I'll take yours too!"

Aww this is sweet, but I can't yet! I need you to die and die permanently this time. Maybe after that we can talk. Dorian replied breathing slightly heavily. What do you say?

Dorian then pointed his fingers upward and two pillars of fire shot up and tried to bisect on his opponent hopefully burning her to a crisp...again

~Rhadamanthys~

Rhadian smirked as he was the lady sent waves and waves of concussive energy at him. It was pretty annoying that this woman thought that just because she got a new upgrade that it would somehow close the power gap between them. Silly rabbit... he mused as he did not even deign to put up a defense. He proceed to take every attack she dished out and stood there like there was not anything happening to him at all. As she finished her barrage he simply laughed as the smoke cleared.

Come now, this will not do.

I only wonder if you're through?

That this battle shall come to a close.

With me as the victor and you wallowing in your woes.

Rhadamanthys could only raise an eyebrow as his opponent started speaking in rhymes. Surely there wasn't any outside damage done but something must be off. Rhadamanthys and Rhadian disappeared and after the sound of series of echoing clashes. Rhadamanthys seemed to have slid back in the air next to his teammate. Though the one thing she would notice is that he had a massive smile on his face.

Well... I dare say we are coming towards the conclusion of this battle. I think if I wanted to I could do some damage now but I think that to b safe you give it another shot. If you're capable that is? Rhadamanthys said looking at his teammate with the new fancy sword.

:Shadow Rhadian:.

HP: 1990/2000

Attack: 500

Defence: 1000

Speed: 500

Phantom Roxas · July 17, 2016

[Truth A6] - Arthur

Heartless felt the arrow pierce his arm. Darkness smoked out of his body as he brought his sword towards Arthur. ”Let’s see if you can use that bow as well as a sword!”

Arthur held his bow up against the sword. His grip was tight, almost on instinct. Once he realized that it had blocked the sword, with any tears in it, he could feel Heartless forcing his blade down. Arthur kept pushing back. ”No Reflect spell. That’s what you wanted, right?” Bring the bow close, Arthur ducked to his left, and Heartless’ sword struck at the ground. ”I guess now’s as good a time as any to ask.” Arthur lift himself up, pointing his bow at the Guardian this time. ”That tower. The one I saw on Death. You guys are meant to know whatever I’m supposed to do here, don’t you? So explain that to me.”

Guardian shrugged. ”I have no idea what you’re talking about. Heartless?”

”Why me?” Heartless asked.

”Because I don’t know about the tower. I thought you might?”

”How could you not know about that tower?”

”’That tower?’” Arthur turned his bow back on Heartless. He spoke of it as though he knew about it. ”Spill it.”

Heartless sighed. ”I guess Guardian here doesn’t know it because the Pathway to Death did something to you. Something like why you have to fight all of us. All us are… pieces of yourself. Like we’re all walking different parts of the same Pathways. Some stuff on Death might have been divided to match with each of us. You fought our father on Death because that is what Demigod would have done. Apocrypha only went after MirageGaogamon, not you. Think of that as your tip-off that you weren’t supposed to bother with Tamer. Which leaves me with the tower. I saw it. I saw those… creatures.” Heartless put his hand over his throat. ”I can still feel that cloaked figure reaching for me.”

This monster was supposed to represent what happened with the Keyblade. Heartless… it is what Sora called it. ”But the centaurs… whatever they were, they were fighting that monster!”

”They’re all monsters!” Heartless was snarling. The breaths between his words were growing heavy. ”I’m sorry. The answer you’re looking for is… I don’t know anything about that.”

”You have to know something!” Arthur pleaded. ”You’re all about why I couldn’t take the Key. If you know about that tower… maybe the reason I can’t take the key has something to do with that?”

”So what do you hope to do? Guardian turned away from Arthur. ”You think you’ll find that tower, or confront those creatures, and get back the part of you that made us lose the Key? Then you’ll come back here, and then open the Door? Impossible.”

”Of course it is,” Heartless said. ”But you’re assuming that he’ll do it before reaching the Door. Arthur, you thought that the vision meant that you’d survive this war, just to fight again. But how?”

Arthur thought it could be with the Throne of Heroes, but Guardian seemed nervous. How could Heartless know about that tower, but not Guardian? They were supposed to be like two sides of the same coin. Unless…

”Damn it.” Arthur pulled on the bowstring. ”My impulses keep getting the better of me. I don’t have to keep you guys together. That’s not how it’s going to work.”

”What are you-” Guardian’s question was cut off as Arthur fired an arrow straight into Guardian’s hand. Guardian dropped his sword, which shattered into dust. ”That’s it?! You’re giving up already?”

Arthur looked at his bow. He was using his father’s weapon, but it still felt like the same power that Sora trusted him with. And even before that, something about his Digivice still ran through it. ”I’ve been greedy. MirageGaogamon and Eria keep getting stronger, so I’ve been trying to catch up. I thought that if Arturia could offer Lydia the power to be a Counter Guardian, I deserved the same thing. Just to show up Arturia, or waste that power on trying to see if I could be with Eria. That… that’s not much better than where I was when I first started this. A Counter Guardian would be just another shortcut.”

”Ooh, he’s got you there!” Heartless said to Guardian. ”After you crossed that mirror, you could lie again. And that means, so could we. We’re still a special case that you had to sort out, but I think you’re on the right track.

”But when I became you,” said Arthur, ”That was back on the Sphere Forest. That tower, or whatever that place was, it looked nothing like the Sphere Forest. What does it have to with you?”

”You mean ‘us.’” Heartless held out his hand. ”The question is, do you want to do it as you are now, or wait to become a Counter Guardian?”

Despite Megiddo’s brand, Eria was fighting against whatever a l’Cie was. Arthur couldn’t guarantee he would win against whatever the Throne of Heroes really was, but maybe he didn’t need to. What he needed to do was become “whole” again. ”Maybe it’s another impulse, but I’m going to make the most of who am I now. If that’s not enough for Protheus, for the rest of the Divine, or even the Door, I don’t care. MirageGaogamon, Sora, Eria, and somewhere out there, maybe even my father… they’re all trusting me.” Arthur took Heartless’s hand, and Heartless nodded in approval.

Guardian clutched his chest, but he was chuckling. His body began fading away. ”Good choice, Arthur. Make sure you won’t regret it!” Once Guardian completely disappeared, Heartless began to fade away as well. Darkness bled from his body, but it was all flowing towards Arthur’s bow. The darkness sparkled with light as they touched the bow. Eventually Heartless was gone as well, and Arthur was alone. Taking a breath, Arthur took a step forward. No throne was waiting for him now. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

After a few minutes of walking, Arthur only needed to blink before seeing that the world around was completely different. Instead of soil and decay beneath his feet, Arthur was standing on a wooden platform, which seemed to hover among an orange sky.

”Arthur!” As soon as Arthur saw her, Eria gave him a quick hug. Gagagigo, MirageGaogamon, Sora, and Kairi are seemed to just… appear onto the platform. With the Pathway’s habit of teleportation, it was disappointing and terrifying how used to it he was. Eria counted everyone, then looked over at Kairi. ”Looks like we’re just waiting on Xion, right?”

”Xion…” Kairi was pursing her lips. ”She’s not going to make it.”

”Why not?” As soon as Arthur said it, he wish he hadn’t. He knew why. ”I’m sorry.”

”Let’s just go,” Sora said. Arthur wasn’t going to ask him anything. He knew how angry Sora was.

”There’s a bit of a problem,” said Gagagigo. He gestured all around the wooden platform. ”Where do we go now?”

”There.” MirageGaogamon pointed straight ahead. ”I see another platform, and something else on it. Maybe it’s the same as how we left the last Pathway?”

”And how do we get there?” Gagagigo asked. ”Not all of us can fly, you know.” As if answering his plight, another platform appeared next to their own. It was smaller, but a board laid on it. The sheen looked like a mirror, and it reflected Gagagigo narrowing his eyes. ”Well. Isn’t that suspicious?”

”But convenient,” Eria shrugged. She prepared a walkway out of ice, but Arthur tapped her shoulder.

”Maybe don’t do that. We’re so close to the end. You might want to save some of that up for the next Pathway.”

Sora called on the Wings of Ra. As Sora looked at them, Eria could feel her hand shaking. Two golden orbs of light appeared out of her hand. ”Is this… Lord Ra’s power?”

Sora stared at her for moments. ”Now I get it. Eria… after what happened to Roxas, and now Xion, all the power Ra gave them went somewhere else. I thought it was all mine, but… I think you got some of it, too.” The Wings of Ra disappeared, and another golden orb formed in Sora’s hand. His whole armor returned to its ordinary, gray design, and he brought the sphere to Eria. ”I… I think it’s best if you had it all.”

”Wait, hold on a second!” said Eria. ”Sora, Lord Ra trusted you with that power. You should keep it.”

”After what I’ve seen on this Pathway, I don’t think I can. I had to fight someone claiming to be me. Xion was my replica. Just a clone of me. At least, that’s all he saw her as. The power of Ra wasn’t enough for me to save her, because it’s supposed to be my power. I think Ra only gave it to us because it was convenient.”

It was only convenient for Dorian when he gave Eria the power of the cards, but that didn’t sound right to her. She had failed all of them, and Obelisk’s card was still trapped in the Pathway to Death. She hesitated, but she reached a hand over the orb. It was her right hand, but before he touched the orb, she switched to her left. ”Are you sure about this?”

Sora nodded. ”Absolutely.” Eria took the orb, the last trace of Ra’s power. With Slifer’s power, Ra’s felt like it was somewhere it belonged.

Gagagigo tapped his foot against the board. Five more boards appeared around it, four of them fairly small, but the other was a big as the one beside Gagagigo. ”…So, what do you reckon these things are for?”

”Probably to get us across,” MirageGaogamon answered. ”I mean, you did say you can’t fly.”

”Eria, we should take these,” said Arthur.

Eria wanted to tell Arthur not to worry, that she was okay, but her hand was burning. She tried to summon some water to cool it down, but it wouldn’t stop. ”Okay. Lead the way.” Arthur walked Eria up to one of the boards. She took a step onto the board, and her feet felt right in place. There was no socket for her feet to slide into, but she felt comfortable. The board wobbled a little bit, and Eria moved her feet across the surface. ”Now if only it would just-” She jerked forward as the board seemed to move on its own, before stopping just as quickly. ”…Right. Let’s take this slow.” The board started moving again at a brisk pace. She waved over to Arthur. ”Come on, let’s get going!”

Arthur stepped onto another board. Before he even had a proper standing, his board was moving, eventually coming beside Eria. ”While we’re on the way. I wanted to talk about what I had to see. Like Sora, I had to fight another me. So did MirageGaogamon.”

”I did, too,” said Eria. ”Guess this Pathway liked a little one on one with ourselves.”

”Just one?”

”Um… yes? Wait, are you telling me…”

”There were four other me’s I had to fight.”

”Four?”

Arthur paused. ”Well, think of how I’ve been. There were different people who were each of the different parts of me. But, they were just that. One of them was all about how I’m a demigod. For all the good that does me for how weak I am.”

”Stop that. We beat the Madara, didn’t we? We got through the first Pathway, and we’re almost done with our second.”

”Right. Then there was someone who used worked with MirageGaogamon… well, I guess when MirageGaogamon was younger. Different. MirageGaogamon took care of him, though. I didn’t need to deal with him. But the other two…” Eria held Arthur’s hand. Gagagigo was flying next to them on his own board, while MirageGaogamon was flying, having apparently left his board behind. Kairi was riding her own vehicle, a personal jet summoned from her Keyblade, while Sora was riding a board, though with wings at the back of the board. It was his Keyblade, too, rather than any of the boards that appeared for them. ”Sora. I’m sorry about what happened with Xion. I know I didn’t get to know her for long, but… I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

Sora wouldn’t look at him. ”It’s okay. I’m going to get her back, though. Xion, Roxas, Zilyana, Kree’arra, everyone we lost in this war.”

”What about that staff?” Eria asked.

”I can’t think about that now,” Sora said. ”We have to get through the Pathway to Remembrance, with or without Itsu.”

Arthur, Eria, Gagagigo, MirageGaogamon, Sora, and Kairi pressed on their way across the sky. As they did, a low rumbling echoed all around them. They tried to find the source of the sound, but eventually, all their eyes looked downward. They sky below them grew misty, and in them, they could see the images of different events. Sora and Kairi saw swarms of Heartless piloting their own Gummi ships, invading many of the worlds they knew, including the Destiny Islands. MirageGaogamon saw the same battleground on the Digital World where he and Arthur first fought. Fallen Digimon broken down into data clumps of data, and even the terrain seemed be breaking down. Arthur saw Samuel and Baxter at a train station. Even as more trains arrived and departed, no matter how many people entered and exited, Samuel and Baxter were sitting on a bench, looking at their feet as if they were waiting for someone. Waiting for Arthur. For all of them, the images eventually faded into black. Arturia was right. Their universes were gone.

For Eria and Gagagigo, it did not end so quickly. They saw Erebos leading an army of jet-black dragons, dark knights, shambling demons and zombies, marching across a mountain and towards a village. Eria’s home village, Dynaklos. The market district was burning. Even the castle laid in ruin far past the village, beyond where Erebos stood. Standing at the front of a village was a woman in a flowing white robe. She wore a rounded red mitre with a gold stair in the middle. Her body was covered in blood, staining her blonde hair, but it was not her own. She still stood, casting waves of water and fire around her. Several of the knights and creatures screamed as they were boiled alive, but Erebos continued his approach. Arrows flew in the air, striking at the dragons, though none of it seemed to matter to Erebos.

"I’m impressed.” Eria’s skin grew cold. She was watching Erebos face her master. The Elemental Mistress, Doriado. She wanted to believe that this was just another vision, a trick of the Pathway like she saw on Death, the same as what Butler showed her. But this was real. She hated watching every second of it. She threw a wave of water, hoping to strike Erebos, but it evaporated as it seemed to hit the surface of the “scene”.

”We have to go,” Eria said, but no one was listening. Gagagigo was still watching the vision. Everyone else had simply stopped, still in the air, but staring at the sky. Were they seeing Erebos and Doriado as well? Wherever Eria looked, she saw Doriado was stepping back, Erebos taking a slow step. He was revelling in the time he would take to kill Doriado.

"I see you can do well for yourself,” Erebos said. "Even without your apprentices beside you, there is still some fight left in you.”

”Then you understand me.” Doriado’s voice was calm. It was not just a defiance of Erebos, but a way to keep herself confident. ”But you will not find your son here.”

"You think I care where Dharc is?” Eria held her ears. She didn’t want to hear any of this. Erebos is Dharc’s father. Where was Dharc? Or even Lyna. Why couldn’t she look away? "I suspect you know why I am here. My agents informed me that one of your apprentices was born in Dynaklos. Eria, I believe. You stopped me from killing her before.”

”What reason do you have for seeking her out?” The earth around Doriado seemed to rise, forming rows a spikes that impaled more of Erebos’ servants. ”Your wickedness has always been against everyone. This sounds more personal.”

"In a roundabout way. A gigobyte has caused trouble for my forces. My understanding is that he is the Familiar of that girl. But catching the gigobyte has become rather… difficult. I thought that attacking this village would allow me to find Eria, or bring her here if she is a way. And then her gigobyte would follow her, like a moth to my flame. Unfortunately, it seems someone else was interested in this village as well.”

”You mean… none of this chaos was your doing?” Doriado turned around, ignoring Erebos. She ran into the village.

"I cannot claim responsibility, but I admire their handiwork!” Erebos pointed, and the dragons and zombies widened their path. The dragons launched volleys of fire, destroying houses and toppling watchtowers. Soldiers, wearing gray armor, stormed in from the direction of the castle. Their blades clashed against Erebos’ knights, while others shield several villagers who were fleeing.

”Where is the Field-Commander?” Doriado asked a soldier.

“No clue!” the soldier answered. “He and his wife are nowhere to be found.”

”His wife?” They knew who Eria’s parents were. Doriado must have realized that. Eria’s throat felt like it was closing up. What was even happening? Erebos was gliding towards Doriado, but a tornado formed between them. Doriado’s hands were raised, and she waved them around each other, causing the tornado to actually turn at an angle, spiralling the tornado against Erebos. Erebos held up his hand, as shadows formed out from it. Doriado pulled back one hand, and pushed it forward again, as her tornado was set on fire. Erebos stepped back, but the shadows he summoned began to wrap around Doriado’s tornado. Both of their attacks were coiling together, Doriado and Erebos pushing themselves forward and the other back. As Doriado could feel the darkness encroaching on her fingers, and Erebos could feel the flame burning him, everything else went silent. They could hear no dragons roaring or flying. No warriors killing each other with swords. No villagers running from demons.

Everything seemed to have stopped when even Doriado and Erebos found themselves knocked down. A shockwave hit around the entire village. More soldiers from the castle rode in on horses, but they held their spears at their side, too afraid to raise them. As Doriado and Erebos stood back up, they saw a silver figure. Each point of his crescent helmet pointed behind him, shimmering in the moonlight. ”Greetings.” Megiddo. Eria wanted to die. Megiddo had found her world. Her home.

Two people were on their knees at Megiddo’s side, each of them caught in Megiddo’s hands clutched around their heads. To his right was a man, a soldier with black hair tied up in a headband. To his left was a woman, whose skin was turquoise and her hair blue, while gills sprouted from where her ears should be. ”Mom! Dad!” Eria was screaming. This was worse than anything the Pathway to Death could show her. Erebos was fighting Lady Doriado. Megiddo was holding Eria’s parents hostage. And it was all real.

”The wreckage you see behind me is my handiwork,” Megiddo said. ”I am usually loathe to causing such destruction myself, but it allows more variation to this world.”

"And who are you?” Erebos asked. He was smiling. He sounded interested. Eria figured as much, but she wanted to kill them. She channeled as much water as she could towards the image, but none of it worked. She doubled over, the board flipping upside down. Eria’s feet still stuck to the board, but she looked at her right hand reached up. The brand had shifted yet again. The upper area of the brand, in between its two horns, expanded, forming the image of a crown.

”I am Megiddo.” The fal’Cie patted Eria’s parents on their heads. ”These two here are the parents of the girl you seek. Unfortunately, she is not here.”

“Where is she?” Eria’s father asked. He looked up, and his eyes seemed glazed over. Megiddo forced his head back down.

”She is no longer on this world,” Megiddo said. ”But rest assured, your child is still alive, though I suspect she is now beyond even my own reach.

”How do you know where she is?” Doriado asked.

”I have my ways. I believe you would be proud of how far your apprentice has come, Lady Doriado.”

“What do you want?” Eria’s mother asked.

”Your daughter is more special than anyone else here realizes. Only I have seen her true potential. But to realize it, I must change her world. She must know true despair, so that she will seek out true happiness!”

"How boring,” Erebos said. "I only came here for her gigobyte. She is only bait to me, nothing.”

”A common mistake,” Megiddo said. ”But your grudge against Gagagigo does intrigue me. As such, I would like to offer you a role. One of my own agents could have a use for you. You shall serve him.”

Erebos looked at his army. Though many of his dragons and soldiers and monsters had fallen, many more were recovering from the shockwave, preparing to fight once more. "Ridiculous! While I’m sure you were able to ruin that castle, I won’t serve you, let alone one of your servants.”

The crescent on raised up, revealing two eyes. They were completely golden spheres of electrical energy. ”Erebos. You may see yourself as a great enemy to those who dwell in the light. You are a worthy adversary to Gagagigo. But you are not the highest power. The moment I arrived, this pitiful village became the domain of a god. Those who still live are only allowed to do so until they can fully comprehend the role I have decreed for them. You are no stranger to hierarchy, and now you will see where upon it you stand. Thundajavelin!”

Red cracks formed along the sky. Even the clouds themselves turned completely red. Countless people, be they civilians, soldiers, Erebos’ servants, or dragons, everyone except Eria’s parents, Megiddo, Erebos, and Doriado, were covered with golden aura. The sky rumbled, and thunder struck down on all bathed in the golden aura. Blood showered and spilled across the entire village. Cries piled on by screams resonated all around the shambles of the village. Eria’s parents covered their ears and tried to bury their faces in the ground, but Megiddo kept their heads up. Doriado fell to her knees. Erebos was silent. The Pathway to Truth was showing the whole sight, every body and the few living souls that could bear witness to the massacre. Eria wished the board would just let her fall. The board stopped moving, and fall she did. Gagagigo said nothing. He was still. His body leaned to the side, and soon he fell as well. Eria and Gagagigo were dropping through the sky, down to the world above them. Sounds went through one ear and out the other. Eria didn’t want to hear anything more.

”What are you?” Doriado asked. Feeling something coming towards her, Doriado dodged a spear that had aimed right where she stood.

”Someone who will make Eria perfect.” Solasiro brought his spear to his side, he walked past Doriado and towards Megiddo, bowing before the fal’Cie. ”My thanks again, Lord Megiddo. Returning from Valhalla was much easier than I anticipated.”

”It is not entirely my own doing,” Megiddo said. ”I believe Ccoshobar deserves some of the gratitude.”

Solasiro looked at his mark, the purple symbol of the Dog. ”I doubt he’ll let me go until he’s satisfied with a proper Shadow Duel.”

”Rahz… Aqueria… hang on.” Doriado cast a ball of fire, but Solasiro deflected it with his spear. ”You three. I will stop here.”

”Can I please kill her?” Solasiro asked with a laugh. ”I mean, she probably has no idea how weak she actually is in the game!”

Megiddo was pushed back. Eria’s parents were standing up, her father drawing a sword, and her mother gathering water in her hand. “Rahz,” Eria’s mother said. “Don’t let him get away.”

Solasiro laughed again. ”Are you joking? You, an Aqua Spirit, want to take Lord Megiddo? Did you even see what he just did? He’ll electrocute you in an instant!”

Eria’s father swung his sword, and Solasiro used his spear. “I’m sorry, Aqueria.” Rahz could barely keep his eyes open. “Where is our daughter? What do you want with her?”

”I travel across the worlds,” Megiddo said. ”Parallel worlds, where other variations of Eria exist. No doubt you two exist there just as well. However, I have no interest in either of you. Last I saw her, your daughter had joined an organization known as the Counter Corps. I will fuse with her all her counterparts throughout the parallel worlds. I will make the perfect Eria. One who has all the memories, the experiences, the feelings of her predecessors. You parents always wish to see your children happy, correct? Unfortunately, Eria does not seem like one who would agree to my demands. But don’t worry. Your sacrifice will no doubt motivate her to seek out one of her counterparts. One whose parents still live.” The sky rumbled once more, now completely red. ”Take your prize, Solasiro. It would be a waste of time trying to kill them. Let us leave them to their fate.”

Solasiro drew a card from a box on his belt. ”I suppose that would be entertaining in its own way.” The front of the card was blank, and he pointed it towards Erebos.

Erebos could feel himself pulled towards Solasiro. His body began to twist and contort, as he could feel a force closing around him. "You cannot do this! I won’t allow it!”

”You have no idea how little power you have to enforce that.” Megiddo’s eyes continued to crackle with energy as the crescent began to return to its normal place. ”The great Lindzei has many pawns in her game. Solasiro has been my greatest tool, and Eria shall one day serve the same role. But now you will see that you are just as small as any soldier of your once-proud army.”

Erebos was completely absorbed into Solasiro’s card. The name Invader of Darkness was written along the top of card, which Solasiro returned to the box at his side. ”’Tool’, is it? Well, at least it’s fun.”

Doriado and Aqueria each summoned waves of water around Solasiro, but Megiddo summoned a shield of Chaos, stepping beside Solasiro. ”As I said, you’re my greatest tool. Be grateful that I at least think you’re useful. But it’s time we have what we came for. Eria will have no universe to return to. You three have done a remarkable service in raising my next pawn.” Chaos wrapped around Megiddo and Solasiro, and the two disappeared.

Rahz, Aqueria, and Doriado were all who were left. “Eria, please be okay,” Rahz said. “Wherever you are. If those bastards hurt her…”

“What are the Counter Corps?” asked Aqueria.

”I’m afraid I wouldn’t know,” Doriado said. ”But… we don’t have much time left. All we can do is hope that, whoever Eria is with, they will set things right.”

Rahz and Aqueria held each other close. They looked up at the red sky. “Please be safe, Eria,” Rahz said.

Aqueria nodded. “We’re praying for you.”

Doriado knelt on the ground, her dress staining in the pool of blood that still flowed through the village. She put her hands together, and Rahz and Aqueria sat before her.

And then, the world went black.

Eria heard something. A name. Her name. Someone was calling out to her. ”Eria! Eria, please. Please wake up.”

”…Arthur?” His cheeks were red. He was still crying. Eria put her hands down. She could feel ground. Or at least, something like it. ”Did we…”

”We made,” Arthur said. ”You made it.”

”When you were falling, Arthur went right to catch you,” MirageGaogamon said. ”And I carried Gagagigo here.”

”You have my thanks for that,” said Gagagigo. ”But also my apologies. As soon as I saw my world, I felt… like I needed to watch. Like I couldn’t turn away.”

”I think we all felt the same way,” said Kairi.. ”We’re so close to the end, and they still had to trick us like that.”

”Well, we’re here, aren’t we?” Eria hugged Arthur, and looked to the staircase above them all. ”So we can get out of here.” Arthur looked like he wanted to say something. There’s no way he could have seen what Eria did, but he must have had some ideas. ”I’m… I’m okay. You wanted to say something about those other two people like you that you saw, right?”

”In a bit,” Arthur said. ”You sure you’re okay?”

Eria wasn’t even sure she could see her parents again. Everyone else seemed to agree that they could just bring their homes back. Maybe the Door could do that, but she saw her parents die. They and Doriado were hopeless against Megiddo. And now Erebos… not only was he still alive, but working for Megiddo. All her bragging in the Pathway to Death meant nothing as long as Megiddo and Erebos saw her as their pawn. ”Let’s talk in the next Pathway.”

At the top of the staircase stood a purple crystal. With each step anyone took, the violet glow pulsated from the crystal. MirageGaogamon and Gagagigo which the top quickly, and as Eria took the last step, the glow began to settle, the crystal continuously casting its light over the floating platform. A voice reached into everyone’s minds, the same as in the Pathway to Death.

‘Are you content with your present self’?

Eria stepped forward immediately. After what she had seen, she needed someone to yell at, and this was the perfect opportunity. ”Of course I am! But everything you’ve been showing me has tried to make me think I’m not! Dorian, Emiya, Megiddo, whenever I try to show them that I can be something more, they’ll say the same thing to make me feel like I’m just their pawn! I know that I’m better than what you think of him. You, or whoever runs this Pathway, I know you’re thinking of something. You’ve been trying to hurt me and my friends. I get it, not just anyone should be allowed to use the Door. But if you’re afraid of someone evil, someone who would abuse whatever power they have, look at yourself. You want to hurt us. Not just because you want to see if we’re worthy, but because you enjoy it. I’m going to go through Remembrance because it’s the only other way forward, but once I’m done with these Pathways, I’m coming for you. I want my mom and dad back. I want my friends back. I want the Door to understand that people deserve a second chance. To live the lives they grew up dreaming up. Not waiting for someone like Erebos or Megiddo or Protheus to take it from them.” Eria wiped some tears and put her hand to the crystal. Golden energy began to swirl around Eria, and her body faded away.

Arthur ran after her, but Gagagigo was blocking his way. ”Please wait, Arthur. As much as you care about her, now is not the time. I won’t tell you what we saw. That is Eria’s place to decide. Let me go next. You should take some time to think about what you need to say.”

Arthur had so much to tell her, but Gagagigo was right. ”Okay. You go ahead.”

Gagagigo looked to the crystal. ”Content… yes and no. If this was just about me, I couldn’t be any happier. It’s no different than what I said on Death. But instead of me being the puppet… well, I have to protect Eria. She is a good girl, able to bring out the best in both myself and Arthur. When I faced myself on this Pathway, I only saw a beast that had to be stopped, but I felt nothing when I won. I will not become a beast again. As long as Eria can still depend on me, that will be enough.”

As Gagagigo touched the crystal and faded into the golden energy, MirageGaogamon went next. ”I have the power to protect the Digital World. I have no idea what possible threats there could be, but I will be prepared for them. I was blessed with the Spirit of Light, and Arthur has brought me here. All of us, here and on the next Pathway, have seen our fates. I was willing to embrace mine, and I know I am able to do just that.” The golden energy drew MirageGaogamon out of the Pathway.

”You can go next, Kairi,” Sora offered. ”I think Arthur and I need to talk before we go.”

Kairi nodded. ”Alright, but I want to ask something before I go. Arthur, are you and Eria going to be okay?”

”I think so,” Arthur answered.

”Not good enough. You need to know so. I mean, I don’t understand all the stuff you two have been through. But Sora here, he went all across the universe to find me. Twice.”

”Hey, let’s not put too much pressure on him!” Sora patted Arthur on the back.

”My point is, you don’t have to try that hard. You care about her, and she knows that. Don’t ask for to say everything about what happened. Just listen to her.” Arthur turned his head to the side. ”You got that?”

”Got it,” Arthur said. ”I’ll hear her out.”

”And whatever you’ve got to say, I’m sure she’ll listen, too. But considering what she and Gagagigo were talking about, I think they’ve got their own problems. Don’t make her expect you to say yours are more important.”

”Where is this coming from?” Arthur snapped, and he knew it was the wrong thing to say. ”Sorry.”

”It’s okay. It’s just, you guys haven’t known each other for more than a few days, but you both want to take this seriously. You might want to hear this now before you start thinking you’ll regret this.”

Arthur wasn’t going to let Eria be another impulse for him. ”…You’re right. Thank you.”

”No problem.” Kairi turned to the crystal. ”But this… I don’t know. Sora, what do you think?”

”Should I tell him?”

”It might be a little awkward if we don’t. Arthur, our world is… not what we remembered it was.”

”Isamy did more than just turn Riku into a girl. There was a group of people made up of those Nobodies I told you about. Organization XIII. Roxas was one of them.”

”And so was Xion. Their leader, Xehanort, wanted to use Sora.”

”More people thinking we’re just puppets, huh?” Arthur wasn’t even surprised anymore.

”Xion died because of me,” Sora said. ”She and Roxas were being used by the Organization. Like they could just replace me for whatever they wanted.”

”And when Isamy went to our universe… she made us think the Organization were our friends. Sora and I made it this far, and I don’t know where we’ll actually go if Arturia sets things right.”

”Do you think either of you will remember any of this?”

Kairi shook her head. ”I don’t know. I guess my answer is, no, I’m not… content.” The crystal seemed to accept that answer, as Kairi touched the crystal, allowing her to fade into the golden energy.

”After that,” said Arthur. ”I guess it’d be a bit awkward if you asked me how I’m doing with the Keyblade. Who I fought.” He called forth his bow, and showed it to Sora. ”I’m a son of Apollo. My Keyblade became… well, I guess it’d be a Keybow now. Anyway, I saw a Heartless. I’m… I’m definitely one. There was a monster back there. Being one of them, whatever they are… that’s why I couldn’t take the Key from the Madara. Why I can’t open the Door.”

”Then… maybe you just need to find your Nobody!”

Arthur thought of the tower again. The silver centaurs. The living cloak. ”How will I know where to find him?”

”Well, Roxas is… was… we’re different. But I think a Nobody is usually supposed to look pretty close to their original, so the best I can say is, look for someone who looks like you?”

Arthur killed Apocrypha, and Lydia destroyed its mask. ”No, that might not work. He probably died in the Sphere Forest.”

Sora went quiet. One of them had to touch the crystal next. ”We’ll think of something,” Sora said. ”But this… Kairi said it right. Isamy changed our universe, and tried to pretend like everything between us and Organization XIII was… happy. It’s not that I mind having more friends, but, why them? It’s like Isamy just wanted us to forget everything Xehanort did. If Kairi and I are going to Remembrance next, then I want to see whatever’s there. Maybe we can figure out where our universe went wrong.” Sora touched the crystal, and he faded away, just as everyone else.

Arthur had no idea what to say. After a lot of stuttering, deep breaths, and tapping his feet, Arthur looked up to the crystal. ”So. I saw myself split in four. Just, neatly divided up. But I only picked two of them, and one of them was just because I have no idea what I was supposed to understand on Death. Then again… I guess that’s kind of who I am, right? Not really living in the moment. I look over at something like fight, hide away from that, and then it turns out I was just being dumb. This whole thing is about past, present, and future, right? The present hasn’t really been its own thing for me. It’s just for when I’m stuck between the other two. At least, that’s what I thought. Heartless said I’m on the right track. Well, he’s me, so that’s as good enough encouragement as I can get. And… gods, I think I’d pretty much have to be bragging now. I know why those guys have stuck with me. MirageGaogamon and Eria, they’ve give me more chances than I can count. I wouldn’t have this bow if Sora hadn’t trusted me with his Keyblade. They saw some things in me before I did, and I want them to know they were right to trust me. I’m not going to be a Counter Guardian, but if there’s any other way to help Eria or find that tower, I’ll take it. If I can’t use the Key, then I’ll be damned if I don’t make sure that Protheus can’t use it either!” Arthur touched the crystal, and the golden energy wrapped around him. The ground beneath him, the sky around him, the whole Pathway to Truth, all of it disappeared. The world turn completely white, save for a single door. Before Arthur entered Death, the door displayed the image of a child whose head was severed at the neck, and his torso removed from his lower body. Now the child was whole again. Remembrance. It was the Pathway that Arthur should have feared the most, but now it was the only one left. The fear was still there, but Arthur still managed to smile. ”Last one. Alright, Remembrance. Show me what you've got!” Arthur opened the door, and stepped foot onto the Pathway to Remembrance.

Maeriberii Haan · July 18, 2016

Reimu Hakurei

The analysis of the entity known as “Rhadian” is ongoing.

“That…was a lot less than what I expected it to do.”

While the power of the sword was quite impressive, seeing that her attacks were really uncoordinated that it could be easily shrugged off by her opponent was less so. She wasn’t exactly that amused with it and with how her partner didn’t seem to take her that seriously still even now, but she decided to not bother with it too much. It was mostly her fault that she couldn’t use the sword well, although she shouldn’t have been able to use the sword at all, but let’s just not touch on it.

Well... I dare say we are coming towards the conclusion of this battle. I think if I wanted to I could do some damage now but I think that to b safe you give it another shot. If you're capable that is?

“Let’s just see then.”

Reimu tried to focus her mind, trying her best to figure out how to best utilize the sword now. What was the thing the original owner did with it, anyway? Reimu really could only recall the red lasers. The rocks and the earthquakes were the original owner’s ability, not the sword’s. Should she call for a deity’s blessing too? Would that even work, though? It started to get confusing for Reimu, who still had no idea how to use the sword. In a moment of stress, she decided to detach herself from her confusions however, and as she reached a state of calmness, she raised up the sword and pointed it towards her opponent. With her intuition guiding her, she wished to the sword that it could turn into a weapon that she could use better.

Golden light shone from the sword, and as the light enveloped it, it turned into a bow. It had no arrows or quivers to go with it however, and Reimu had to use one of her needles to replace the function of one. She drew the string, and aimed at the shadow on the distance. Reimu focused the energy she had on her orbs towards the needle, and once she was assured that the build-up was enough, she released the arrow. With the power from the golden sword-turned-bow, the needle arrow changed its form mid-flight.

You are there, right?

If you can hear me, then please…answer my call. Lend me your power.

Waves of crimson consumed the fired needle, and the physical projectile ended up becoming a humongous beam of light that threatened to consume its target and raze anything in its path. While Reimu was not sure yet, she felt that the attack she did earlier also made this one stronger directly. It felt completely nonsensical, but she had a hunch that the beam somehow now was attuned to the shadow, and had adapted better to deal with it aside from its increased power. But, how did it do that? A weapon couldn’t think, could it?

“Aah, damn it! Hey you, just go ahead and deal with him, this is just too confusing! Why can’t a weapon just act as a weapon for once?” In frustration, Reimu yelled at Rhadamantys and went back, letting him deal with the shadow while she tried her best to just think on what the hell was up with the sword.

Tesability Black · July 24, 2016

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

Gemini returned his focus back to the Path of Remembrance, still standing near the edge of the Lake closest to the end of the path. He had expected to see that things had moved upon the path while he was otherwise distracted, but it would appear that literally nothing had happened the whole time his focus had been elsewhere.

A frown on his face, he pocketed the card into a sleeve inside his jacket before reclosing the box that was the supposed Key, glancing back towards the distant start of the path before looking ahead to see Chandra and Jace apparently frozen in place.

"Good." Leaving behind an illusionary double, he left the spot he was in before moving forward towards the end of the path, calmly walking past the ones near the end. "The lack of activity allowed for a convenient halt in the flow of time here. Time to make use of it..."

And Gemini appeared to disappear from view, leaving only the box behind for the moment...

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

Alright, everyone. We need to have us a bit of a conversation here. I am getting sick and bloody tired of the all the inactivity present in this Arceus-damned thing. Either people are taking forever to post or have appeared to completely up and left, leaving people utterly hanging at some points. I know some of you have your reasons, but this is past the point of ridiculousness.

So, consider this a Public Service Announcement. Adam stated that this would be ending by September no matter what, correct? Welp, if by the last day of August, it looks like this is nowhere near close to ending, I will be acting on my role as a corrosive viral entity and destroy the Path of Origin from the inside out my-damned-self. Before anyone asks, I'm acting on my own accord, no one else's.

Merci · August 8, 2016

~ Arturia Pendragon ~
Pathway to Remembrance – A7

Not much longer now.

Arturia hastily paced through the forest, snow crunching beneath her boots, her blade brandished in preparation for any potential assault. The tower that she and Neos earlier entered was now quite far, and she didn’t expect to come across him again anytime soon. There was a slight drag on her senses, the strain of the accolade having taken its toll, but it wouldn’t take very long for her to reach full capacity again. Despite how they worked in a team, the simple fact was that she felt as though he’d only slow her down from completing her final trial if she happened to be involved in his.

There was no sign of the rest of the Counter Corps, nor of the Divine for that matter. At this point, most if not all must have reached the end by now. But of course, that was only an assumption. For all she knew, Protheus had already reached the end, and everyone else was locked in a vigorous battle to stop him. Or, considering the mysterious voice of nursery rhymes and the constant ticking of a clock in the sky, there may yet be worse to come.

The weather was getting harsher, with chilling breezes penetrating through the thick assortment of trees solely to reach her, but none of this had any effect on her personally. Even as a mortal, she was still a Pendragon; the dragon’s blood coursing through her veins kept her warm. Only the vaguest hint of cold touched upon her senses.

Then, once more, she saw that figure in the far-off distance. Her heart stood still for a passing instant. She didn’t even need to think about it – already she found herself running straight towards the source.

“Is…”

Each time Arturia foot hit the snowy landscape and propelled her forth, a torrent of snow exploded across the whole area. The very air desperately gave way around her path, shocked by the intensity that the one true king was pouring into her movements.

All the while she was feeling a wide range of mixed emotions unlike anything ever experienced during her lifetime. The joy at being able to reunite again, contrasted against the distinct horror of having to face the consequences for her own actions. Owning up to the truth that she believed in, what she was right about versus what she wasn’t.

“…Is that you?”

As she ran, various figures seemed to pass by from the corner of her eye.

Kay. Merlin. Lancelot. Mordred. She refused to stop for any of them. Not because she regarded them as more important, surely not, but simply because they didn’t require any sort of affirmation. Each of them had parted from this world believing in King Arthur, and in turn, she had fulfilled her duty as King Arthur to each of them.

However, the one she was chasing was a different case. Whilst he was not from Britain, it was he whom had managed to touch her heart so, and he whom bore witness to her ideal’s betrayal-

A decade was how long she spent as ruler of Britain. An eternity was how long she spent as protector of the multiverse. So why was it that those two weeks, which ought to be insignificant, affected her so?

There had once been a time, between her failure in the Fourth Holy Grail War and her ascension to the status of Counter Guardian.

And within that short, surely forgettable time, she was changed forever.

From a land littered by the rotting corpses of fallen warriors, the King of Knights stared up at a ray of silver light from high above, penetrating through the cloudy skies to reach her.

It appeared that the Heroic Spirit was being called forth to take on the mantle of ‘Servant’ within a new era. If she answered, she would have to assume the role of Saber once more and battle against six other heroes from different times in what was the Fourth Holy Grail War, all for the sake of obtaining the legendary Holy Grail and saving Britain.

Her ironclad hand reached up towards the light, but hesitated. It may have been an eternity ago, or it may have been mere hours ago, but nonetheless, the memory of accepting such a request once before remained all too fresh on her mind. And oh, how had it turned out for her?

Yes, for it was not too long ago that she had been betrayed-

In her head, she could still hear that man saying, over and over again,

SABER, DESTROY THE HOLY GRAIL.

Never again, she swore to herself with a powerful conviction. Her code of honour as King Arthur Pendragon would remain as true as it had always been, and yet, if events ever seemed that they may be heading in the same direction as before—she would do what she must. Facing the sky, she couldn’t help but notice that something was a little different from before. The last time, she had heard the distinct voice of a man calling out to her, but this time there was nothing but silence. Alongside a sense of desperation and urgency.

With that in mind, she heeded the shining call and was consequently sucked upwards across the vortex that was Akasha.

Her spirit transmutated through the millenniums.

Her existence modified and updated to the modern age.

Her body superimposed onto a physical container, a chain link of mana forming itself from within her core to attach itself to someone else.

Reality for her blinked in and out rapidly, neither time nor space distinguishable from the other.

And then it all came back together.

Saber, as she would now have to be called, had realized the purpose as to her summoning even before her form manifested itself. The knight hadn’t exactly expected that she would be entering combat so soon, but no matter.

As soon as she entered the new era, she struck forth straightaway at the mysterious assailant – a blue-haired man wielding a lance – and blew him away with her invisible blade, defending the summoner behind her from harm. Not only had she caught her enemy completely off-guard, but she had him at a severe disadvantage as well due to the confined space they seemed to be in. Just as she was about to advance, Lancer let out a ‘Kuh!’ and retreated out into the wide field now that the odds had changed.

The knight kept her guard up just in case, and then silently turned around.

The wind was strong that day.

Before her was a boy on the floor, shadowed in the darkness cast by the small edifice they were in. Even as silver moonlight poured in from the open door behind her, it was only barely enough to light him up.

“…” For some reason, she found herself speechless.

Without knowing a single thing about the other, their eyes had locked onto each other. There was something about the way he looked up at her—despite the disturbing emptiness ingrained deep into his faded golden-brown eyes, they were at the same time unusually radiant. Akin to a polished stone, shining brighter than ought to be possible.

Finally, Saber broke the silence.

“I ask of you. Are you my Master?”

Without saying a single word in response, he simply gripped his left hand in front of her, showing the proof of his status. A series of crimson symbols engraved into his skin, representing the three Command Seals that granted him dominion over her actions. A part of her felt like that wasn’t enough, but she remained silent about it and decided to go along.

“I, Servant Saber, have come forth in response to your summons. Please give me an order—Master.”

Despite her request, he wasn’t addressing her, or even bothering to give her any sort of order to deal with the enemy outside. Even so, he was very clearly acknowledging her presence, seeming to analyze her stature from top to bottom. Actually, he seemed more than a little shocked. Did he, like Kiritsugu before him, think that she was merely a tool that wasn’t worth speaking to directly?

Although the slightest bit worried, if he was going to be this way, then she would simply do as she wished in the lack of an order.

“From this time forth, my sword shall be with you, and your fate shall be with me... Now, our contract is complete.”

Regardless of the fact that he wasn’t saying anything directly to her, the warrior king hoped that if this boy was to be her comrade throughout the current war, surely, SURELY things had to be different this time.

Saber turned to the entrance of the shed, as she had recognized it. Thus, she promptly burst outwards with her invisible blade in hand, ready to deal with her awaiting opponent.

As soon as she left, she heard the boy call out from behind—

If only that night could have stayed forever.

Pound. Pound. Pound. Each step that smashed into the ground was synchronized with her heartbeat, bringing her one step closer to her fate. Or to her doom

Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Each second that passed was accompanied by a single thought, making her increasingly dread the inevitable. It was bound to happen sooner or later. The second she entered the Pathway to Origin, that fact was already set in stone. Even though she was the only one rushing forth, it felt more like she was attempting to run away from fate.

Or rather, failing to run away from him.

It had been an intense battle, and she very nearly scraped past death.

Saber’s raw strength was countered by the mysterious Lancer’s ridiculous speed and long weapon. In the end, he turned out to be Ireland’s Man of Light when he unleashed his Noble Phantasm on her, catching her off-guard by reversing cause and effect in a move that was aimed at her most vital organ. As soon as it had been unleashed, that ‘Gae Bolg would pierce the heart’ was a certainty. However, her clairvoyant abilities were such that she forcefully direct fate itself to narrowly avoid the absolution of death.

Realizing the danger, Lancer was quick to escape over a wall, but she wasn’t about to let him. Now that he had realized both his secret weapon and his identity, this was an opportunity for her to attain victory. Just as she was about to chase after him, however, she stopped short.

Of course, even though it failed to kill, Gae Bolg still succeeded in leaving a wound on her shoulder. Hindered somewhat, she grasped onto it to toughen out the pain as the wound regenerated. Although, it was only externally repairing itself, as it still requiring some actual healing magic.

Then she noticed her Master, the redheaded boy, running towards her.

He called out, “Who are you?”

As simple as it sounded, she almost doubted that she’d heard anything.

Then her mood brightened. She was actually being addressed directly, and not merely via a Command Seal. Already, he was doing far better than Kiritsugu ever had.

Nonetheless, the question itself was a bit confusing. Had her apparent status as a woman, rather than the formal image of King Arthur, put her identity into doubt?

“What do you mean? I am the Servant Saber. You are the one who summoned me, so I do not think you should need to confirm it.” She answered in a quiet voice.

“The Servant Saber…?”

“Yes. Therefore, please address me as Saber.”

As if deliberating to himself about the current circumstances, he moved his face away from her view to think. Strange. He still seemed a little confused at all this. Perhaps it was a little more than merely her appearance that was responsible for this behavior.

“My name is 士郎.” He said after a moment of silence.

Oh, so he was introducing himself.

Indeed, no matter what on earth was going on with him, she had made up her mind that a partnership with this boy was infinitely preferable to anyone remotely resembling the bastardly Kiritsugu…

“Emiya 士郎.”

Emiya…

E m i y a.

E M I Y A.

It was only a passing instant, possibly too fast for the boy to have noticed, but her entire body suddenly tensed at that. A trace of pain from being obliterated by her own Excalibur lingering in her soul. A ping of hatred at having the Holy Grail torn from her very grasp by a man whose motives had seemed impossible to decipher from beginning to end.

That cruel man and this boy, who looked absolutely nothing alike in either looks or personality…were related?!

Saber didn’t let her shock show on her face, remaining composed so as to not give anything away. Do not act before knowing exactly what was going on in this era.

“No, wait, there’s something I need to ask you right now.” He stumbled, continuing on as he seemed to be attempting to piece things together.

There was a certain awkwardness about his speech, that was so utterly apart from what she was used to. It had not the respectful, confident tone used by knights, nor the cold, indifferent tone used by magi. It sounded like someone who’d been dropped into the middle of a battlefield without knowing which side was which.

“Actually—”

“I understand.” Now grasping the situation a little better, she asked, “Could it be that you are not a formal Master?”

“Huh?” Judging by his continued befuzzlement, she must have hit the mark.

There were various scenarios that may explain what was going on, but the gist of it was that this boy hadn’t intended on the summoning of a Heroic Spirit, especially not of a king such as her. Perhaps he didn’t even know what the Holy Grail War was. Perhaps he wasn’t even a magus, and couldn’t help her fight at all!

"Nonetheless, you are still my Master.”

Nonetheless, she could tell that he had a good heart, even at first glance.

“As long as our contract remains, I will not betray you.“ She said.

As long as the boy before her stayed as he was, she could not possibly imagine a repeat of what happened before. For all her hatred and frustration towards Emiya Kiritsugu, the boy appeared deserving of none of it. She would not betray him, and he did not seem like the type that would betray her.

But then again, Emiya Kiritsugu hadn’t seemed like the type to destroy the Holy Grail.

Could she honestly afford to trust this Emiya?

“There is no need to be so cautious, Master.” She tried to reassure him, but it might not have been necessary. Confused though he may be, he didn’t seem in the slightest bit suspicious or scared of her, even after having seen her immense power in action.

“Uh, that’s not really right. My name isn’t ‘Master’.” He corrected her.

Ah yes. Even though there were more important things going on, it did please her to know that he still wished for common courtesy, even with an otherworldly being.

“Then I shall call you…

Shirou.”

As the words came out of her mouth, the king nodded to herself.

“Yes, I like the sound of that much better.”

The knight Arturia burst into an open clearing. She knew from the very moment she first entered Remembrance that this may occur. Yet, despite her endless experiences as a King of Britain, a Heroic Spirit, and a Counter Guardian, even as an activist within Infinite Tsukuyomi, none of the knowledge gained could have helped her.

It wasn’t all that hard to prepare for the enemy. Mobilize sufficient forces with training and equipment, choose the right battlefield, construct effective strategies and traps, and practically any battle could be won.

However, he wasn’t the enemy. He had never, ever been the enemy. And still she—

At the very end of her line of sight was a hill of snow, with blades of all kinds stabbed into it, no one weapon resembling the other yet all sharing the same worn, rusted quality.

Upon it stood a lone man. Somehow, he seemed to fit right in with the swords around him.

“Shirou!”

The wind was thick that today. As the vivid sun was setting, the bridge was lit red. And with it, two people.

"Oh." Noticing something, Saber stopped, turning her gaze outwards.

Just beyond the river below them, there was a thick mountain of rubble, ruining an otherwise lovely view. Steel frames and the likes were piled right up to the water surface, slightly distorting the flow of the water. Resembling the wreck of a ship, its pieces having flowed into a mountain.

"…? What's wrong, Saber? Did that catch your attention?" Shirou asked her.

“Actually, I was noticing that it still remains because I was the cause of it.” She responded. “I once used my Noble Phantasm here, having fought on water in the previous war. The river dried up, and with it, the ship anchored there was destroyed."

Not long ago, the boy had found out about her past with Kiritsugu. However—it seemed like he remained ignorant as to that man’s true, cruel nature.

“Huh? You mean Excalibur?!” He sounded shocked, and perhaps a little worried. Of course, even though he’d personally born witness to its power, it was to eliminate an opponent in the sky, so there hadn’t been any collateral damage at the time.

"Yes. Fortunately, nobody was on board and the damage was minimal. The river has gone back to normal, so there’s no need to be like that… I assure you I had no choice, but regardless, I regret it as well.”

After a pause, she added, “Shirou, are you mad?”

"Eh? No, I'm not mad, just surprised. Was just thinking how many traces there are from the last war.” He reassured her with a smile, before looking on at the same scenery. What exactly was going on through his mind at the time? “The rubble in the river shouldn't be much of a problem, at least not when compared to the wasteland in the park. Well, I guess it would’ve been pretty bad news for the ship’s owner."

Naturally. The first thing that came to his mind was how it affected others. Even though he was nothing like that man, the two of them did share a commonality. Both had aspired to be an ally of justice. A superhero. Something she understood all too well.

"Please do not worry as the owner had insurance. Kiritsugu parked the ship there as a buffer, using it as a wall to reduce the power of the Noble Phantasm."

"Ah, so you destroyed the ship knowing it was there?"

"I did not know! Kiritsugu prepared it without telling me. I believe he must have known how the battle would turn out. He never said anything before or after he prepared the ship…"

Even then, after having had some time to think about it, she couldn’t understand. She failed to understand. Anything about that man just didn’t make any sense to her. Wanting to save the world, and yet,

SABER, DESTROY THE HOLY GRAIL.

The knight looked down at the river yearningly. The water surface reflected the sunset, and just barely, she could make out the outlines of her and Shirou. She was wearing clothes from this era; a white blouse with a long blue skirt, clothes which she couldn’t help but like despite its inherent feminine quality.

As she turned her gaze elsewhere, a strong breeze rushed through the river and rustled the boy’s hair. Their eyes met.

"Hm? Did you say something, Shirou?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you had fun today, Saber." He spoke with a smile on his face.

An inaudible gasp escaped her mouth. Her eyes widened, somewhat amazed at such a bizarre question. The boy kept finding newer and newer ways to catch her off-guard.

"That is correct. I would be lying if I said none of this was new to me." Saber replied calmly. Hopeful, though nonetheless, all too well that this was all naught but fleeting joy.

"I see."

He nodded to her, probably having expected an answer like that.

"Alright, then let's go.”

It had been a very strange day overall. He’d taken her out on what was known as a ‘date’, having been insistent about it. Then upon arrival, it turned out he had little to no plans.

She should have seen it coming, since after all, he was the kind of person who continually placed others above himself. While a rest before the endgame was perfectly fine, he could have at least planned it out a little better.

He proceeded to take her to all kinds of different places – a boutique, an antique store, a fancy restaurant, and well, this stuffed animal shop which was surprisingly cute. There was nothing noteworthy or gained from these places, but even if there weren’t any memorable moments, it wasn’t as though it had been so dull that she regretted it.

Although, towards the end, she came to realize one crucial detail regarding him. Despite everything she’d revealed about herself and her powers, never did he ever see her as a Heroic Spirit.

Not once, from her summoning up until then, had he ever treated any differently from a human being—

And then,

“It's not like this has to be the last time."

Saber- No.

Arturia froze at that moment. She fixated her eyes upon him, and thus, silently shook her head.

As if saying there wouldn’t be a next time.

As if saying this mistake could be allowed only for today, fated to vanish once the night arrives.

"Why?"

He must have known her answer already. Yet, still he asked.

"I do not even need to explain. Servants exist to fight. A day like today is merely denying my own existence. I obeyed since you decided to take a rest, but I believe resting should not be necessary from now on.” She explained coldly. “There are only a few enemies left. I would like to start searching for Lancer right now if you would order me to…"

She looked at him with eyes full of fire, ready to engage in combat at any given moment if that was his order. Her body emitted an unmatchable aura of sheer power.

"What's with that?” The redheaded boy’s expression darkened. His stance tensed. Something about what she said must have pissed him off. “You really want to fight that much?"

"Of course. I draw closer to the Holy Grail the more I fight. Battle ought to be the greatest priority, now more than ever. That should be clear to you as well."

While she remained composed, her mind felt annoyed at his apparent irrational behaviour. And yet, there was also a stirring deep within her soul.

"Yeah, I understand. That's why it's strange. I've always wanted to say this, but you're contradicting yourself.”

What…?

“You say fighting is important, but you don't like fighting. You're fighting against your will because there's no other way, right?”

“That… is not true. I do not hesitate to fight. I have already told you that I would do anything to win.” She affirmed with a firm voice. Both to him, and to herself.

"As far as you can manage, right?” He finished, like it was something she’d already told him many times before. “Look, Saber. If you just want to defeat other Masters and obtain the Holy Grail, you would attack people and take their power. But it’s not like you want to do that, no?"

"That is…"

"It's not that you don't want to involve innocent people. You know well enough that people will be dying once you start fighting. That's why you want to minimize the battles.” Why? Why did she feel that his eyes could pierce beyond the armour of her soul? “People will die if you fight, so you want to end the battle as quickly as possible... In other words, you're frightened of fights with victims.”

She gasped. After opening her eyes as if having seen a ghost, she gritted her teeth and straightened her stare.

"You are wrong. I do not fear battles."

"…Yeah. I don't think you were ever scared. Because an individual's fear must have been suppressed by what you call ‘the king's mission’."

"…!"

"But you still fear battles. You were strong and good at fighting. But that's not a talent you ever wanted, right? I'll say this honestly. Fighting doesn't suit you. You must have hated even pulling out that sword. Claiming that fighting is your only objective, that’s just an excuse to try to deceive yourself!"

"Shirou. I will not tolerate any more insults, even from you." Arturia spat as she stepped back, not to escape, but to assume a battle stance in retaliation to his words, like the very ideas he was proposing were a dangerous enemy that must be fought.

"You can't stand it because it's the truth, right? You couldn’t possibly fight anymore if you admitted it!"

She glared at him in anger, and yet, Shirou stayed unmoving. He appeared resolute, even as he spoke towards the far more experienced warrior in front of him.

“I think you should stop. You want to, don’t you? You’ve got to know that fighting doesn't suit you. So just quit it. Stop being a Servant… And do something that suits you."

"How ridiculous. The only option there is for me is combat.” Arturia muttered softly.

This boy, this mere boy who knew practically nothing about the hardships of combat dared to claim that he more than anyone else understood the King of Britain?!

“I exist only to obtain the Holy Grail. I submitted my body to fulfill my promise as king, and henceforth, I cannot allow any other use for myself."

Although the words coming out of her mouth were what she felt to be the truth, there was indeed a certain doubt weighing down upon them. These were the words that she had lived by for years, which all her royal subjects acknowledged and respected.

Or had they simply taken it for granted? The decisions that she made with a heavy heart, the determination she possessed to make things right for the nation under her command, the sheer amount of pain that she had to endure with a mortal body – none of it ended up recognized. Instead, the Knights of the Round Table broke apart with the words ‘the king does not understand human feelings’.

"You—!"

Just as Arturia was mad at him for denying everything she stood for, Shirou was mad at her for refusing to accept her own individuality in the matter.

“You idiot, that’s not true! There’s an infinite amount of options out there! You’re here and different from before…so you have to live for yourself!”

In the previous war, she’d met a foreign king named Iskandar who questioned her very right to be king. Although he happened to be a heartless tyrant who imposed suffering on his people for the sake of his own massive ego, it was hard to deny that some truth had lain within his words. Not only did the people fail to understand her, but they failed to recognize her as human.

“Don’t make any stupid mistakes,”

So it was truly a bizarre sight, to witness this one boy attempting so hard to reach for what he believed was an actual person beyond the identity of ‘King Arthur’.

“Don’t use the Holy Grail,”

And was there? How true were his words?

“And don’t use it for people you’ve never met. If you're here, you need to be happy here!”

Arturia looked on in a mixture of emotions, knowing that he was awaiting an answer from her. Thus, a long silence descended upon the crimson bridge in the sky.

There was no sound apart from the intense blowing of the wind. She couldn’t help but think that, even after centuries, that sound had not changed. Though humanity changed drastically since the Age of Gods and the planet wasn’t quite the pure, godlike realm it once was, some things simply couldn’t be changed. The touch of the breeze, the movement of flowing water, the warmth of the sun as it rose and set each day without error…

When she focused on these little details, it was almost like she had turned back into a young girl living in a cottage, and that Caliburn had never once been touched.

Finally, she spoke up.

"I cannot accept your words. I made a contract to obey you, but I did not give you my heart, Master." With a strong voice, Arturia said thus.

“I cannot forsake my oath as a king. There is a duty I must fulfill as a king. King Arthur's goal is to obtain the Holy Grail, and even if I achieve that goal, I will not return to being Arturia. I have only ever had one wish... A wish that has never changed since the sword was drawn."

"Why? It’s not like you’re required to do it. It's wrong for you to be unrewarded for your actions. Do you really need the Holy Grail? And your wish…" He stopped his sentence in hesitation, perhaps unsure about it himself, before resuming. He didn’t believe it would come true. "Saber, you can't redo what's set in stone—no, actually, I think it's something you mustn't ever do. You should know that."

"No. That is not true."

"Let me be clear. However bad the result, you can't change what's happened. Wanting to redo something because you couldn't do it is just childish selfishness…!"

The wind stopped.

For a moment,

it felt like time had stopped too.

“I thought you would understand, Shirou.”

…she turned her disappointment into words.

Soon the wind came back, having turned into a powerful headwind that swept through the whole platform.

"Is that all you wanted to say after wasting this meaningless day?"

A cold voice, containing only rejection. The knight could no longer bear to look at the boy addressing her.

"Do not be so conceited. What makes you think you understand me? What right do you have to invade me? ‘Do not fight’, you say? What on earth is that supposed to mean when you need me to protect you? Please, do give that nonsense once you are able to fight on your own. Hmph... I doubt such a thing could ever occur.”

"No, it's not nonsense…!" He attempted to respond, but perhaps he was caught off-guard at the intensity of her retaliation.

"Of course it is nonsense. Think about myself? I could say the same for you. You do not consider your own life. You say I am mistaken, but you are even more mistaken!”

There was something else that Emiya Shirou shared with Emiya Kiritsugu. While they had different methods of going about it, both of them had tossed aside their humanity for the sake of their ideals. Whereas Kiritsugu would disregard his feelings to murder innocents in cold blood, Shirou… He routinely threw himself in the line of fire to save people he barely even knew.

She could still visualize her own shock as she was pushed aside during a battle against the mighty Berserker, all so Shirou could take a seemingly deadly attack for a warrior he had known for less than a fortnight. The act had smashed his insides and brought him to the brink of death, the first of many reoccurring incidents.

“Only corpses consider others more important than themselves. How can a fool who does not even know the value of his own life address the king so?"

"Wha- Saber, you…"

"Did I annoy you? Then I will not mind if you dissolve your contract with me. It is not as if you need the Holy Grail anyway.”

When she asked what his purpose for fighting in the Fifth Holy Grail War was, his answer was simple. To prevent anyone else with bad intentions from having their wish granted. He had no wish of his own. He didn’t even desire world peace the same way Kiritsugu had. What was that if not a corpse? Everything about how this boy lived his life endlessly frustrated her.

“I am fully capable of defeating the remaining Masters by myself and obtaining the Holy Grail alone. If you do not wish to fight, you can go and hide somewhere far away.”

"Saber… Are you serious?" Shirou asked with a trembling voice, suppressing his emotions.

He had never been a king. What did he understand about her nature? What could he possibly know about the burden she carried with duty and honour? He couldn’t even keep a level head in the face of pressure.

"Naturally. My only goal is the Holy Grail.” Now, her gaze was fixated on nothing but the setting sun, her back turned towards him as a blatant rejection of his ideal. “Everything else is unnecessary."

Her words were not false.

“You are no exception, Shirou.”

However, for some reason,

Arturia felt like she was on the verge of tears.

…

By the time she turned to face him again, the boy had left her.

“It’s been a while. Hasn’t it, Saber?”

He sounded exactly the same as he had back then.

Arturia tried to think of something to respond with, but found that she couldn’t. Rather, she was frozen in place, as though her entire existence had been touched upon by the mere presence of this boy…

“Shi…”

No. This man.

“Shirou…!”

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He remarked with a chuckle, glancing over his shoulder.

“Y- you… You’re… You are…”

Trying to regain her composure, Arturia forced herself to think. She couldn’t let herself be caught up in this moment. She had to press onwards. She had a duty that she needed to fulfill, and as much as it pained her, she had to face this obstacle on her trial of memories.

Standing her ground and steeling her resolve, she spoke up to the man above. Actually, now that she was paying more attention to him, she couldn’t quite discern who or what he was. He body didn’t just belong with the hill of swords, it was a part of them – his left arm was literally a blade.

“There is a question I must have you answer, for there are three possible versions that you may be.” Arturia Pendragon stated, calmly and fiercely.

“Are you the illusory Emiya, who I came to know and spend a lifetime with in Infinite Tsukuyomi?”

The ideal version created by the Madara as based off her ideals, who loved her unconditionally and accompanied her in a seemingly flawless fantasy, before being torn away from her as the false world was negated and collapsed.

“Are you Counter Guardian Emiya, who created the Counter Corps and preceded me in the Origin War?”

The future version after having attained his lifelong hopes, who was originally brought forth to defeat Isamy Maximus and save the multiverse, before failing in his task, killed during the battle against LERNA.

“Or are you…”

…Emiya Shirou, my Master?

My partner?

My—mistake?

The true version who summoned her into the Fifth Holy Grail War, fought together with her through and through and overcame incredible odds no one would’ve ever thought possible. Before she threw all of that away.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. I’ve gained a lot of things, but I’ve also lost a lot of things.” The swordsman replied, his tone seeming nearly regretful about the fact. “There aren’t many things I know for certain. A burning fire, killing many people… An old man, who passed his last wish onto me... And you. I met you.”

His words only served to confuse her, but there was no way she could be undeterred by any of this. In this rare opportunity, she had to make this most of this and learn more. “What do you remember about me, Shirou?”

“Well.”

He paused, as though pondering to himself, trying to search within his muddled mind for any clues.

“Little things. Working together to make small differences in our school and neighbor. Training in swordplay. Being comforted after my old man passed away. Going on an abrupt ferry ride… I think you proposed.”

Arturia’s cheeks turned red for the slightest second at that, but at the same time, that was a result of an elaborate construction from the Madara. Even if it felt real, it hadn’t been real. If this man knew about that, then he had to be her illusory husband-

“Some things about the present too… Worrying about the future of the Counter Corps, and the Key of Origin. When I was being overtaken by the shadows, I thought, who else could possibly outmatch Isamy? You were the first one to come to mind. Considering how you’re here now, maybe that ended up as a recommendation for the Throne of Heroes when I was retaken.”

Her previous thought couldn’t be right then. No one else could know that apart from the former leader of the Counter Corps, the Counter Guardian-

“And… “

Yet, as he turned around to face her fully, there was a deep scar lining the whole of his neck. As if a blade, the most powerful blade in the world in fact, had brutally cut through it.

SABER, DESTROY THE HOLY GRAIL.

What if that boy said it too?

SABER, DESTROY THE HOLY GRAIL.

The signs were all pointing to history repeating itself. An Emiya was an Emiya, no matter what.

SABER, DESTROY THE HOLY GRAIL.

The King of Britain would be damned if she were to let her dream be stolen away again!

[spoiler=SABER, DESTROY THE-]

“I’d been captured by that fake priest. You originally came to save me, but when he offered you the Grail, you…” His nonchalant voice trailed off, rubbing his scarred neck a little with his hand as he began to walk down the hill. “To be honest, I'm not surprised. Just, how can I put it? Talking about my own death is weird, but this time, it's only to be expected. You’re the King of Knights after all, aren’t you?”

Truth be told, Arturia wasn’t sure what she’d been hoping for. Had she wanted closure for her coldblooded action, or had she actually been hoping that he would be either of the other two versions and be able to avoid responsibility for it? She had a feeling it was the latter.

“I-”

I can explain? No, she couldn’t possibly.

“I… I…!”

‘I apologize, it was wrong of me to do that’? Words couldn’t possibly earn her any forgiveness for what she’d done. Here was a ghost from the grave to haunt her for it.

With each step Shirou took towards her, Arturia found herself stepping backwards in turn. The expression on his face was that of serenity, as if resigned to his mission – as for hers, there was only a bubbling uncertainty spreading throughout her mind.

“Saber.”

A calm voice called out to her.

She didn’t respond.

“…!”

Instead, she gritted her teeth, and did what she was best at – making a choice. Just like that, the clouds disarraying her thoughts dispersed. A certain clarity sat in their place.

Then, brandished her own sword against him in a pained movement. It was to act as a warning for him not to approach any further, though naturally, he paid no heed to this, his steps bringing him closer and closer to her. The weapon was now glowing a deep crimson, as it resonated internally alongside her conflicted feelings. There was no real need to explain, was there? He was but a simple apparition of the Pathway. Hence she would cut him down, before continuing to fulfill her duty as Counter Guardian.

Shirou regarded this quietly, and then, with a resigned sigh, uttered,

“I am the bone of my sword.”

“Shirou, you… Listen here! You granted me many experiences I could never have dreamed of in life! If nothing else, I appreciate your attempts! They were short, yet to this day, I have been unable to forget them. Wherever I went in the multiverse, the memories of you pursued me like a phantom.”

“Steel is my body and fire is my blood.”

“However, in the end, I chose the path of the king. It may have ended in absolute disaster, but that is my own burden to bear. You were walking down the same path as Emiya Kiritsugu, and eventually, you would reach that same, incomprehensible decision that involves destroying my salvation. What kind of ruler would I be if I had allowed that to occur?”

“I have created over a thousand blades.”

“It is true that you were my Master once. We fought together, defeating Rider and Berserker on the condition that I would obtain the Holy Grail… However, that is a condition you tarnished and denied me. And now, the contract forged between us no longer exists. Therefore, there is nothing binding between us that may stop me from striking you down at this very moment.”

“Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain.”

“Do not take this the wrong way. Even if you hate me for what I did, you must know that I did it believing it was the right thing. I have walked too far on this path… Too far to change now. You, more than anyone else, have to understand.”

Why? Why was he looking at her with such a strange expression? For what purpose was he coming towards her, reciting that chant all the while? Was it vengeance? Though she remained resolute as to her decision, her hands were beginning to shake.

“Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one’s reunion.”

“Shirou... I hereby sentence thee to death, for attempted treason against the King of Britain!”

“Thus, those hands must never hold anything.”

“Are you listening, EMIYA SHIROU?!”

Then, he stopped, his body inches away from hers.

“My whole life is surely still—”

Ending position: Unlimited Blade Works

~ Protheus Maximus ~
Pathway to Remembrance – E1

The ancient sorcerer took a moment to survey the landscape, and then proceeded to advance. With each step he took, the snow before his feet turned thicker and thicker, turning black underneath his feet, leaving a trail behind him.

Not only that, but he could detect countless powerful energy signatures materializing just below him, but he didn’t bother stopping to check any of them. Under normal circumstances, he would be even a little curious. Yet these weren’t normal circumstances. While he remained at full strength and no credible threat had shown itself to him yet apart from that girl, he had lost the Key of Origin – stolen by some apparition of the Pathway. At the moment, his only concern was reaching the end as soon as possible to intercept that wretched thief and take it away from him.

Something grabbed onto his right boot. As he glanced down, he noticed that it was a rotting hand. Annoyed, he tore it off without a second thought and continued further through the cold land. When more hands emerged to grab hold of him, he simply levitated a little higher into the air to avoid them. It wasn’t unexpected, none of it was.

This was the Pathway to Remembrance. As far as he was concerned, nothing particularly would happen, as he’d most likely just have to face his past victims and swat them away once again. But then again, the previous two Pathways hadn’t gone according to his expectations. Would he meet that girl again? The one who claimed she was his past self? Preferably not.

“Hmm?”

Amongst the other signatures, his senses picked up on a new, far more intense energy less than a mile away. And this one—was very, very quickly recognized. Faint though it may be, there was no way he wouldn’t be able to notice any lingering power left behind by that presence.

“Hah. So you came after all!” Protheus declared, a smile forming on his face.

An emotion began to bubble up in his chest, one which he hadn’t felt in quite some time; anticipation. With this intense anticipation, he burst off towards the source of the energy.

Prior to this, he had experienced two visions, and as a result of Time Sense, he had been able to converse and argue with them on another plane – but until they met for real, such things didn’t mean a lot.

He was well aware that that person had involved themselves in the Origin War ever since the Shadow Realm, and since the start had been secretly looking forward to their official reunion. Perhaps, in a way, even more than reaching the Door. And yet, either by fate or by chance, they still hadn’t met in person yet. It had been quite some time since they last met during the Orichalcos incident, and he still had yet to explain himself regarding the Origin War. It would undoubtedly be a little harder to explain than cheating.

As the immortal sorcerer zoomed across the sky, he noticed a pillar of black smoke emanating from a certain location, and homed in on it. There, something totally unlike the rest of the scenery entered his vision – a bright, blazing inferno, defiling and melting the snow all around it. He stopped, and silently stared at it for a few seconds. At the core of the flame was the energy signature, and naturally, as a sun goddess, her element was fire.

“———”

This was, well, just a little unusual. He wondered what would have made her create such a massive blaze, especially since he detected no signs of a battle.. Those thoughts would have to wait.

“Charmer of Fire, come forth and solve this dilemma!”

As he took out a card with the name ‘Hiita the Fire Charmer’ written upon it, the displayed picture suddenly faded away. A vortex then materialized in front of it, before a young girl flew out – with striking red hair, a robe, and a long staff, its end lit with flames. She looked like the sort of girl that would be wild and energetic, so the lack of emotion would be disconcerting to any observer. And the black sclera of her eyes only proved that. Without hesitation, she plummeted headfirst into the giant fire.

If Protheus brought anything considered ‘life’ into the greater Pathway to Origin, they too would have to undergo trials and thereby slow him down. That was why he had to banish the interiors of his servants in order to bring them along. The elemental fire magician now was nothing but a husk, lacking a soul and awareness. Why, she was even comparable to a Nobody.

The inferno amongst snow flickered here and there, but despite the Fire Charmer being in the thick of it, it showed little to no signs of being extinguished.

After half a minute, Protheus grew annoyed. “Tch, you worthless Level Three. I only brought you along to provide some enhancements and solve minuscule tasks I can’t be bothered with, so the least you can do is do your job, no? Fine… Charmer of Wind, go ahead and redeem yourself!”

There was now another card in his hand, this one reading ‘Wynn the Wind Charmer’, and just like that, another girl was summoned. This one wore the same robe, but had green hair tied up messily and her staff was a little different, containing an emerald gem that spun the nearby wind around. She looked like she would’ve been someone more complacent, but it was hard to tell considering her now-robotic behaviour.

Something else that stood out was her throat, which was a throbbing purple colour – remnants of what LERNA had done. A few days ago, he’d deployed her during the Desert Seth to relay whatever Isamy wanted while directing the Divine’s movements from the skies. However, this plan quickly went awry when the Witch captured her, which also prevented her from fulfilling the second mission assigned to her. Verdict: Completely useless.

The crippled girl formerly known as Wynn leapt downwards, guided and protected by the winds, knowing full well what her purpose was. Serving Protheus Maximus.

“Urgh. You useless, useless cards…”

A minute had passed, and while the fire was slowly dying down, they just weren’t doing it nearly as quickly as he expected them to, judging by their capabilities. It didn’t exactly cross his mind that it may be because this wasn’t a normal fire.

No matter. The longer it took, the more satisfying the payoff would be.

Well? Any signs of life? He asked them telepathically.

No. But there is something powerful in here. I cannot yet make out what it is, the Fire Charmer responded in a monotone.

…how long?

Five more minutes, the Wind Charmer answered hoarsely.

I’m afraid that is unacceptable. Try HARDER.

Though even as he said that, Protheus understood that threats wouldn’t make them work any better. If they said it would take five minutes, then it would take five minutes. How annoying. While he could easily take it out himself, he was hoping to remain at his peak of strength for that inevitable reunion. Meanwhile, he wondered just what was she doing in the middle of a fire? Surely she must have noticed his efforts by now and come out on her own. Or was she awaiting him? Huh, what a thought.

A third card was now in Protheus’s hand. This one was different from the other two. Stained in black, emitting an unnaturally foul aura.

“Should I use you?” The sorcerer asked, more to himself than anything. “I only brought you along as a novelty. I don’t know what you’re capable of, and there’s nothing I hate more than uncertainties… But then again, I suppose this is the best opportunity to gauge what you’re capable of.”

He shrugged. “Ah, what the hell?” And dropped the card into the flames.

“Arise from the darkness…

Charmer of Water!”

—it was over in seconds.

Throughout the whole sky in the area, all of the falling snow abruptly melted away, forming a strange, dark water that then coalesced unto the uncontrollable blaze and extinguished it in the blink of an eye, as if it had been nothing more than a mere candle. The amount of magic involved had been on a totally different level than the best efforts of the other two Charmers combined.

Where the fire once was, now there was but a large crater. The first two magicians sent were simply standing there quietly, drenched to the brim, and then disappeared as they were recalled to their cards.

As for the third, Protheus floated downwards, regarded ‘her’ with an intrigued, if uncertain look.

“Interesting. Very interesting… However, you have no control over the elements that you wield and no conduit to channel them through properly, and for that, what could I possibly use you for? You would have made an excellent experiment, but without any sense of balance, you would only be a hindrance to me.”

Then, as he hit the ground, he called that one back into its card as well, and then went to thinking about how he might start off addressing the one right behind him. The energy signature was brimming with power now more than ever, and although it did feel a little different, that woman tended to go through loads of transformations and transitions in form. This wasn’t very unusual.

Now then. He took a deep breath. Mentally prepared himself. Simulated several possible scenarios of how this may go down in his head, most badly, but some favourable, which was something. Impure Future was definitely sheathed by his side. His deck of Dark Ones was ready to be taken out if called upon.

What to say?

How to begin?

Well, before another second passed, he might as well start off.

“Er, hello! Good evening! I am terribly sorry for interrupting whatever you were doing, but if it helps, I didn’t personally interfere, so I cannot be at fault. My Charmers did all the work, you see, and I cannot help what they do if I were to turn a blind eye. I’m sure you won’t mind being drenched with that dreadful water, it’ll dry. I hope those Counter Idiots treated you well during your stay, though you must know that the Divine have been such a friendly bunch. In our second meeting, one of our members – the Benedict Poker, was it? – was so overcome with emotion that he attempted to hug that Isamy girl in front of everyone, which Sephiroth got oh so jealous about and ended up attacking him over. Things haven’t been the same since her departure, the older members have gotten rather sullen and distrustful and the newer ones just don’t have the same charm – in fact, not a single one of them know the meaning of ‘team spirit’, considering how half of them have attacked me by now! Oh, uh, I suppose you wish to know what happened to that imposter girl? Well, don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone else this, but she’s actually perfectly safe. I don’t believe she’s my daughter, but if she has the same powers I do, she would be awfully hard to erase anyway. When I awakened my individuality within Viligance, her soul was merely forcefully ejected out of her body and into another dimension. You see, when two Omnis exist in one place, one must be removed. And because I was under the protection of a Counter Guardian’s Reality Marble at the time, whose laws supersede the multiverse’s, it wasn’t me! Simple yet efficient. I have no idea where she was sent, but before she can do anything, reality will already be rewritten so who cares? Not me, that’s for certain. So quit your whining.”

Awkward cough.

“In any case, I wonder how you are finding the Pathway to Origin so far? It has been unexpectedly less pleasant than I thought it would be, and if you have gone through half the things I have in this silly place, you would find that these obstacles we’re facing are absolutely ridiculous. I mean, seriously. Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned days when the ‘item of immense plot importance’ was simply locked at the end of some mystery dungeon, and all you had to do was trudge through stupid monsters and unlock puzzles every now and then? It’s a tried-and-true strategy that works every single time, I tell you. Come to think of it, none of the Pathways are even relevant to their theme! For me, Truth was just filled with a load of psychoanalytic nonsense that sounded like it was written by a kid (and I bet I know which one), Death had absolutely nothing to do with death and absolutely everything to do with edgy black darkness fear whatever, and here in Remembrance I have yet to encounter anything remotely memorable. Why, the way these Pathways are designed, you’d almost think that whoever made them never intended to let anyone reach the Door! Which reminds me, perhaps I should explain this whole Origin War fiasco. I suppose one could somewhat attribute all this to that little project DATEA and I were working on, if you remember our previous conversations on that. Then the Doom of DATEA happened, so I'm ultimately glad you refused my invitation. Still, while that was all a mess, we are both clearly seeing the fruits of that effort now. Also, I am not entirely sure if you remember, but we had an argument about this already, and NO, I am NOT changing my mind, I am perfectly content with living forever thank you very much. On the contrary, I would like to ask you to join me. I went through the trouble of convincing Isamy that you could be an asset, but sadly, Emiya found you first. I scoured the Shadow Realm for you, but became occupied by matters in the castle, with some kid actually almost killing me right there. I sent the Wind Charmer to retrieve you in the Desert Seth, but that card failed all too horribly. And I have absolutely no idea if you were anywhere near the Sphere Forest. But none of that matters, because here we are. Just because they have a Counter Guardian on their side doesn’t mean that they’re the ‘good guys’ and we’re the ‘bad guys’. What’s the difference, really? The Counter Corps want to use the Door of Origin to make everything normal again – what gives them the right to revive the dead and reverse time? Isn’t that exactly what we Divine are trying to accomplish, just worded differently? It’s all a matter of perspective, you know that. Right? You and I, we can still be partners. So… What do you think… dear Itsu—”

…

… … …

… … … … …

It had been such an amazingly powerful source of energy that he’d thought it couldn’t have been anything other than her.

But it wasn’t.

He understood that all too well when he turned around and saw just what he’d been talking to this whole time. A pained expression now growing on his face, he stomped over towards the lone object impaled on the ground with a silent fury, and from there stared intensely at it.

It was an extremely well-made staff, with a green orb inserted at its tip, and emanated an overwhelming, mysterious power that was comparable to his own, if not greater still. There were definitely traces of Itsu’s identity on it. How she got her hands on such an item was one thing, but more importantly, why would she ever abandon it? Perhaps he could find some answers by finding any lingering memories on its shaft-

“This is… the Siphon?” As soon as Protheus touched it, a vast series of memories flashed past his mind, forcing him to let go instantly.

While he had some idea of what it might’ve been, it turned out to be something far mightier than even a Noble Phantasm. It was, in fact, an Elder Artefect, one legendarily known as the ‘Staff of Armadyl’. The images gained were far too scarce to make out the status or whereabouts of Itsu, yet far too immense for him to ever search through. It would be like swimming in an ocean for a lost pebble.

He gasped slightly. What exactly, had happened to her? It was like fate itself was conspiring to keep the two of them apart. His fists were clenching so hard that the bones within them kept cracking and regenerating repeatedly.

“Charmer of Water… You have no staff of your own, correct?” From a distance, the unusual spirit had just been standing there, having been given no commands nor been recalled. He quietly called out, having come up with an idea. “Take it. It will act as more than enough of a replacement, I trust.”

‘She’ did just that – and before its effect on ‘her’ could be witnessed, they were both recalled into their corrupted card. Eria the Water Charmer. He already had an affinity with the element of water, so there wasn’t as much need for this one as there was for the others, but he’d figured that there could be some way to make her, ah, useful. To put it simply, if the others were Nobodies, then this one was a Heartless. Equipped with the staff, ‘she’ would truly be a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps even on the same level as his trump card, if somewhat more unknown and volatile.

“Now… I suppose I should get moving.” His voice was heavy with sadness.

Surely something hadn’t happened to her? She could still be out there, waiting for him at the end. He never understood her anyway, so she must’ve had her own incomprehensible reasons to leave the staff right there for no apparent reason. And, if she was in fact gone… Well, that was just one more reason to reach the Door of Origin and remake everything in his image.

“How pathetic. Truly, how pathetic.”

Retreating back into the harsh, cruel exterior known as Protheus Maximus, he performed a ‘hah!’ before making his way out of the crater, hoping to reach the forest quickly.

And very soon, the end of the Pathway to Origin.

Ending position: C3

~ ? ? ? ~

Try.

Love of Ghibli · August 11, 2016

Team Dorian: Prologous

~Rhadamanthys~

Rhadmanthys looked as his teammate seemed to have some issues with her weapon. However he looked on as Rhadian seemed to have just taken the attacks on their face once again. That was where the fool was constantly making his mistakes. Rhadamanthys only smiled as the shrine maiden didn't realize that she was doing far more damage than she maybe had assumed. The thing was that not everything is physical.

“Aah, damn it! Hey you, just go ahead and deal with him, this is just too confusing! Why can’t a weapon just act as a weapon for once?”

Rhadamanthys looked on as she was frustrated but he thought the least he could do was offer her the chance to see the fruits of her labor.

Hold off on that request. You should not let appearances say your judgement of events. You've actually done most of the legwork here.

As Rhadamanthys said this Rhadian seemed to have appeared directly overhead and immediately lunged at the maiden. Rhadamanthys didn't seem to move a muscle as the shadow chimera's hand went through the girls chest...or that's what it wanted to happen.

Rhadian only looked shocked and dumbfound as his surplice shattered when it made contact with girl and his hand didn't even breach her clothing.

Whhhhaaa.... What? Was all that the shadow could must as he seemed to be frozen by his own inadequacy.

Right, that last attack was pretty potent. Rhadamanthys scoffed. As Rhadian turned around he noticed Rhadamanthys holding pieces of the imitations surplice together. I guess the two of you deserve an explanation.

Rhadamanthys took in a deep inhale. The problem with you imposter is that you can dilute a superior being like myself with one of my subordinates. Especially one that has been modified so much to compensate for how inferior he is to the people he travels with.

Elsewhere in the battle with another shadow creature Dorian's eye started to twitch. Someone's throwin shade my way!

Rhadian looked at Rhadamanthys in disbelief. Impossible! I have your strength and his immortality that's all that matters! This caused Rhadamanthys to snicker uncontrollably.

You also contain a mirrored version of Dorian's soul. Which is why you can't function right now. For Dorian's surplice body we fixed him with a small portion of his original soul that his Butler seemed to have consumed to fight off a hydra or something like that. And sense you don't seem to get it. Dorian's original soul has a unique ability to keep all elements that dwell within the mind and body in a state of "balance." This is why the wretched Mad Blood and my Divine Cosmos can exist within one vessel. I guess as some weird bonus he is also able to reset his brain functions a lot quicker after he dies. Whatever that means. The downside of this is that Dorian cannot take on new kinds of energy without having to constantly readjust the "balance." You already put to much strain by trying to balance the entirety of my Cosmos on that soul...

Rhadian looked right back at the shrine maiden. Correct, that woman is why you lost, by taking her attacks dead on you accepted all of her...whatever it is she uses, into your being along with everything else going on in that mangled form. Her positive energy directly combats the entities inside you already. The piece of soul you have just can't handle it and now you're slowly unraveling. The only thing keeping you together was the surplice and I've taken care of that. Rhadamanthys concludes by looking at his teammate now. You did all the work, it is fitting that you enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Rhadamanthys flew away and left Rhadian to be obliterated in the method of his teammates choosing.

Rhadamanthys then approached the shell of the Avatar as it was still making some form of moves. Alright...he said as he charged his cosmos and prepared to deliver another attempt to take down this creature. However as he was charging it seemed as if hundreds of little bullets just shot past him and going straight for the Avatar. It was clearly Butlerok taking advantage of his combination of Bankai and Mad Blood to throw some damage the Avatar's way.

Is that smart? Rhadamanthys thought to himself.

Maeriberii Haan · August 13, 2016

Reimu Hakurei

Prologuous

"Hold off on that request. You should not let appearances say your judgement of events. You've actually done most of the legwork here."

Beat.

"...What?"

Reimu turned around once Rhadamantys addressed her. Was he even serious, or was it an attempt of insult? Not sure on which of the two options she chose to believe, she decided to seek his explanation. For the most part, she wasn't buying it. She was clearly not using the sword to its full extent, and with how pathetic her blows were earlier, there's just no way it'd be able to do much to the shadow. Even if the sword did adapt to the signature of that shadow, it's doubtful that she could've-

"Whhhhaaa.... What?"

Reimu's thought train was stopped by the shadow's sudden attempt to attack, but she wasn't even realizing it until the shadow exclaimed in frustration, and Reimu realized that somehow, she wasn't hurt at all with that direct attack.

"Right, that last attack was pretty potent."

"That didn't explain anything." Reimu replied, still pretty confused on what's actually happening. Rhadamantys didn't really respond to her exclamation, but simply continued his words.

"I guess the two of you deserve an explanation." Rhadamanthys took in a deep breath. "The problem with you imposter is that you can dilute a superior being like myself with one of my subordinates. Especially one that has been modified so much to compensate for how inferior he is to the people he travels with."

Thinking about it, among the ones that traveled with him, Reimu noticed someone that was weaker than the overwhelming presence Butler and Rhadamantys possessed. Reimu continued to be silent and listened to the rest of explanation.

"Impossible! I have your strength and his immortality that's all that matters!"

Someone's in denial. At this point the shadow didn't seem to worth paying attention to. Without even bothering to react in any way to the shadow's utter disbelief, Rhadamantys continued his speech.

"You also contain a mirrored version of Dorian's soul. Which is why you can't function right now. For Dorian's surplice body we fixed him with a small portion of his original soul that his Butler seemed to have consumed to fight off a hydra or something like that. And sense you don't seem to get it. Dorian's original soul has a unique ability to keep all elements that dwell within the mind and body in a state of "balance." This is why the wretched Mad Blood and my Divine Cosmos can exist within one vessel. I guess as some weird bonus he is also able to reset his brain functions a lot quicker after he dies. Whatever that means. The downside of this is that Dorian cannot take on new kinds of energy without having to constantly readjust the "balance." You already put to much strain by trying to balance the entirety of my Cosmos on that soul..."

"...And?" Reimu understood the concept, but she was still not aware on how she played into this and the shadow's defeat. Seemingly in dread, Rhadian looked right back at the shrine maiden.

"Correct, that woman is why you lost, by taking her attacks dead on you accepted all of her...whatever it is she uses, into your being along with everything else going on in that mangled form. Her positive energy directly combats the entities inside you already. The piece of soul you have just can't handle it and now you're slowly unraveling. The only thing keeping you together was the surplice and I've taken care of that."

Rhadamanthys concludes by looking at his teammate now.

"You did all the work, it is fitting that you enjoy the fruits of your labor. "

"Thanks, I guess."

It still felt pretty hollow, as victory goes, but Reimu did realize that what was important was defeating him. It was at least a proper explanation, and after Reimu watched Rhadamantys rushed towards the Avatar shell, she turned around towards the shadow.

"You...well...I don't really have any grudges on you, although your existence as a shadow has now been rendered pointless anyway.

There's really no need to kill you right now." Saying that, Reimu tossed the Sword of Hisou upwards, before taking a seal from her sleeves and readying her gohei.

"Too bad I don't mind needless killing."

The seal was activated, and the shadow was bound in a cube-like barrier as the Sword fell towards the top of its head, edge-first. The prison Reimu was putting it was to prevent it from moving while she did her execution, although while she was originally planned to exorcise the shadow using her gohei and a liberal application of Evil-Erasing Circle, the sword seemed to demand her to toss it and use it as the way of execution. The sword flawlessly got in contact with the top of the shadow's head, and the golden blade started to shine brighter than before, moments before it summoned several circular seals around the shadow, and started to rapidly dissolve the shadow into small red spheres of temperament inside of the barrier, while Reimu watched the display. The shrine maiden was not sure about what was happening, but whatever it was, it definitely ended the shadow.

Being the food for a malevolently sentient weapon would never be a good way to go.

Koishi Komeiji

Prologuous

Koishi watched on the distance that her two clones were eradicated by the others, one by two pillars of flame that burned it to crisp once and for all, and the other was dissolved by a rain of foul substance, a substance that was too foul for Koishi to even thought about. On the other hand, there was the seemingly normal human with blue hair not too far from her, who somehow still managed to survive against a fused version of the clones...despite looking like a normal person for the most part. She considered to help him with his enemy, but decided not to and returned her focus to the Avatar Shell. Not much had happened to it in the meantime.

And Yukari was still nowhere to be seen.

Koishi sighed. Before such a durable...and passive foe that she couldn't even have its heart looked at, Koishi couldn't really think of a way of attacking it that wouldn't just spawn more clones. Relying too much on her big sister and Yukari to deal with thinking and strategy really didn't do her much good this time. She could attempt another Recollection...but would that even give off any good result? It's really straining her...

Wondering what would actually trigger the shadows to come, Koishi decided that for now she would just have one of her tentacles touch the shell.

Whether it worked or not could be regretted later, perhaps.

[spoiler=Notes]

The Koishis facing Butlerok and Dorian died. I was going to write about it in my previous post, but I forgot to do it.

"I think...I understand you now. We haven't talked a lot back then, didn't we? I was just there, standing on your side, and I was unable to see what you have in mind. Even when I used your name, I failed to realize it. Your wish. Everything about you. But, that doesn't matter. that last time we were with each other, I can finally see through you.

Now you are gone, but I am still here. I didn't wish to see you disappear like that...but at the very least, you were happy. That smile you showed...that was sincere, wasn't it? You are easy to read, in hindsight. Your name...it had disappeared alongside you, but I know that by seeing that smile, your wish had been fulfilled, even if it was done imperfectly. But, you also left behind regret. You would never see the people you cared about anymore, the reason you took this journey in this first place. And since...I'm not you, but in the end I still ended up carrying that leftover regret within me.

Trapped here...I...still don't know what I should do now. I know...I should do something. I've already promised you before, haven't I? I had made my resolve. But what can I actually do now? Rotting here, all these voices screaming all around me, if this is a personal hell, then perhaps it's well deserved. You'd know what to do if you're here instead of me. After all, I'm just able to copy you. But, that was the past.

I feel that I am in good hands now. I shall slumber a bit more, perhaps I can get myself used to this that way.

But before all of that, this is my farewell to you. Thank you, for understanding me. Thank for being my first and last friend.

Thank you and goodbye, may we never meet again."

Dad · August 14, 2016

Clones. A few of them, and they were all made of shadow. For Kratos, Kenpachi, and Killua, this wasn't too out of the ordinary. For Revy, this was something else entirely. "This night just keeps getting weirder," she muttered to herself, just as Kratos let her down.

"How should we engage them?" Kratos asked, blades in his hands.

Kenpachi held out a large hand, holding the others back as he observed the battle. While they had closed the distance at which they were separated from the battle, Kenpachi, Kratos, Revy, and Killua weren't nearly in range to be caught in the battle. They would have to cross another several hundred yards. Kenpachi stood up straight, letting out a huff, as he lowered his hand. "We may not have to do anything," he said watching Rhadamanthys, Reimu, Butlerok, and a few others he didn't recognize, whittle down the Avatar. It had become a shadow of it's former self, and even with Shadow Clones, the Avatar was slowly losing strength. But that wasn't to underestimate it.

Kratos stepped forwards, sheathing his blades. "Do you intend to wait? We must assist them in defeating the Avatar," Kratos said, nodding towards the battle.

"Hear me out," Kenpachi started. "Seems to me he's almost done," Kenpachi said, pointing to the Avatar's shell. "Why else would something so powerful curl up into a ball?"

Kratos looked carefully onwards. Killua then stepped up, trying to get a better look at the fight. He nodded in agreement with Kenpachi. "Don't we have a much bigger fight after this? That's what this is all about right? Why wear ourselves out when we can snatch this opportunity from the other guys?"

Kenpachi nodded again. "Let them fight. And when they can't fight anymore, we'll take the lead."

The Warden · August 14, 2016

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

The entire onslaught of Butlerok's attack was absorbed into the shell, assimilating into the creature in the depths. Twisting about, it almost looked like it was staring at the group. Writhing about, the creature gyrated, launching a wad of darkness out into it. The second it landed, it turned into a twisted facsimile of both Butler and Ragnarok, and worst of all, it was unleashing a hideously powerful Madness Wavelength across Prologuous. Its sick grin (with more teeth than the Osmond Family) covered the entire length of its jaw and cheeks, a pair of X-pupiled eyes almost hanging off of him like a gross mannequin. "PIIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Shadow Butlerok screamed, the shockwaves forcing everyone back from the sheer force alone.

This was soon followed by Koishi's tendrils getting absorbed into the shell, resulting in yet another Shadow Koishi, which was just as demented as the last ones. But more importantly, the shell had significantly thinned, almost giving a clear view of the dreadful creature hidden within it. Glowing red eyes peered out with contempt as its body continued to writhe about, twisting, and evolving. Sensing something, the dreadful shadow clone stretched itself, creating a secondary barrier around the shell, desperate to protect its master.

Countdown: 4 turns

Shell's HP: 1/100

.:Shell Koishi:.

HP: 1000/1000

Attack: 0

Defence: 1000

Speed: 0

.:Shadow Butlerok:.

HP: 4000/4000

Attack: 2000

Defence: 2000

Speed: 2000

|_)Sorceress Supreme, Avalon Lydia(_|

|_)Pathway of Remembrance: C9(_|

The wind was blowing gently, scattering ice and frost onto the lake of memories, the petals of snow lazily drifting across the water. And standing before it was a knight dressed in gold. They were staring patiently at the snow, until a change made their head rise.

"He's here."

|_)The Evangelist Hapshiel(_|

|_)End of Death(_|

"Are you willing to embrace your fate?"

"But of course~" Hapshiel purred, flexing his powerful muscles before the black monolith. "My fate is to bring love and peace to the earth, so I will embrace such a thing with every inch of my heart~!"

Seeing that a suitable answer, the barrier cleared, allowing Hapshiel to clear his final pathways.

Final Position: The White Room

Phantom Roxas · August 15, 2016

[The Pathway to Remembrance]

Eria was not prepared for a field of snow to lay before her. The wind made her shiver, despite her usual comfort with the cold. She dragged her feet out of snow, and she couldn’t see past the falling snow. Holding her hands over the snow, she commanded it to melt. Now her feet were moving through water, and for Eria, it was as easy as walking as though nothing were there. ”I’ll kill you.” Megiddo slaughtered her village in an instant. It was already in danger from Erebos, but he was so insignificant compared to Megiddo. Worse, it was Megiddo’s servant. ”First Solasiro. Then I’m coming for you, Megiddo.” But there was also Lindzei. The “great” Lindzei. Megiddo called her his mistress. That this was all her game. She was the one who branded Eria. Who else did Lindzei have as a l’Cie?

The snow was still pouring. She had the power of Slifer and Ra at her side. This should have been easier. She could hear some voices calling out to her. It was no different from the voices on Death, or the fairies on Truth. At least the blizzard drowned them out so Eria would not have to listen to them. Where was Gagagigo? Maybe it was time she talked to Arthur. She walked by a couple of stone statues. They marked only the bare beginning of the past two Pathways. Past the snow rose a forest. Like a winter reflection of the Sphere Forest.

”Those you hold dear to your heart are here.”

A voice broke through to her. Eria called forth her Keyblade. It wasn’t enough, but she had an idea of how to use a sword based on her father’s practice. Her father… she pushed the thought to her side. She called upon Slifer’s power. Her eyes blinked, and became draconic. One red wing sprouted from the right side of her back. It was not enough. The left side of her back grew a golden ring. The power of both gods flowed through Eria. She charged into the forest, blasting the ice up against the trees.

”There you are!”

Arthur’s voice. Eria stopped. She looked around in the forest, and waited. She must have been going fast enough, so Arthur needed to catch up. ”Arthur, we can talk now. Sorry if I seemed mad at you, it’s just… I saw something, back on Truth. My world. My home. My… my parents. Megiddo killed them. I’m not upset with you, I just-” Something scraped her arm. The aura of the gods provided her some protection, she could still feel the wound. ”What the hell?!” Arthur stood out among the snow. His hair was blonde again. He was pointing a crossbow at her, and carried a sword at his side. But the weapons were so plain. His black jacket was in perfect shape, without any signs of tears. He didn’t even seem to be cold from the blizzard. This wasn’t Arthur. He looked the same way he did before. Back when he had only just left the Divine. ”I don’t have time for this. You’re not Arthur. Let me guess, you’re one of this Pathway’s tricks?”

As Eria turned away, three creatures blocked her way, all like animals, but twisted into a human shape. Three girls resembling a fox, a marmot, and a dragon. Eria called upon the snow. They wrapped around the three monsters. The Void Charmers were twisted perversions of her friends. The snow turned to ice, trapping all of them. Eria closed her hand, and the dragon and the marmot were broken apart in the ice. However, the fox creature began to light on fire, as the ice melted around it. Eria turned it away with water, knocking the fox against a tree.

”You said you would kill me,” said Arthur. ”This is your chance.”

”Shut up.” Snow formed around Eria, taking the shape of dozens of ice clones of Gagagigo. ”You said you were sorry. You owe them for what you did.” Several of the Gagagigo clones went at Arthur, but Arthur slashed through their bodies with his sword, and shot two more in the face with his crossbow. Eria kept walking forward, not looking back as the Gagagigo kept charged at Arthur. ”These damn Pathways. Games, games, games, that’s all you do. Make me play your games.”

”Hiita, do your job!” Arthur ignored the Gagagigo clones, and the fox creature’s hands gathered flames. She threw fireballs, kicked, punched, and clawed at the clones, melting them all one by one.

Arthur swung his sword at Eria, but she parried him with her Keyblade. ”Don’t talk to her like that. Don’t even say her name.”

”You can’t ignore me,” said Arthur. ”You and I can’t pretend that we love each other if we’re just going to act like what I did never happened. You hate me. It must be so terrible being attracted to someone you hate so much.”

Eria stabbed her Keyblade into Arthur’s stomach. He reeled back, dropping his crossbow to cover the wound, but Eria slashed across his body. ”Just shut up! Do you think you’re Arthur? After Death and Truth, do you think I’m still ignoring what he did? I’m forgiving him! Is that so much for you to accept?” More slashes bled across Arthur’s arms. She cut at his legs to drop him too his knees. As Arthur tried to swing his sword back, Eria cut off his hand. She brought her sword up, and back down, cutting the whole arm off at the shoulder. Finally, she put the sword next to his throat. ”Is this supposed to be a test? Because I don’t know what I’m supposed to be learning.”

”Do whatever you want,” said Arthur. ”But if you want to forgive me, just remember what you’re forgiving.” Arthur fell into the snow. He was smiling, as if to mock Eria, but he said nothing. He was dead.

”This isn’t real,” said Eria. ”Arthur… where are you? Please let me talk to you.” Hiita was still back there. No. It wasn’t Hiita. The Void Fox. That was all it was. She couldn’t waste much time, but she had to find it.

Arthur tried to cast some light within the blizzard. The storm was unbearable, but that was the least of his problems. This was the last Pathway. He couldn’t be afraid of some snow. As he took another step, he winced as his foot hit against something hard. He moved some of the snow away, and saw a piece of metal raised in the ground. As he stepped past the metal, he felt something else, wood. Moving forward, he eventually met the same feeling as when he had fit the metal. He stepped past that as well, and went back onto snow. As he walked forward, he felt only more snow. And more snow. Stepping back, that once spot of metal and wood seemed out of place. Arthur gathered up clumps of snow. It was cold on his wrist, but he tossed the snow aside. Below the snow as a larger section of a train track. Arthur looked between the forest and the track. The forest was an uncertain collection of trees, and probably where everyone else was. But the tracks were completely out of place. ”That’s some pretty good bait you’ve got here,” said Arthur. Eria and MirageGaogamon were probably waiting for him. But this was for him. He knew that he had to follow it.

Someone else was stepping through the snow. Arthur was hoping it was Eria, but it was worse. It was a fox creature. The Void Charmer. Eria had said that the one who used was Hiita. Arthur pointed his bow at her. ”What are you doing here?” Hiita, or whatever the creature, bowed. Just as the one back in the Shadow Realm had bowed to Arthur. ”No. Stand up.” The creature stood back up, but tilted its head. It seemed confused. ”Where are the others? Aussa and Wynn?” The creature motioned a thumb over its throat. ”…Dead. Of course. Wait, what am I doing? I know you’re not really her. You’re not Hiita.” At the very least, it did mean that Aussa and Wynn would have shown up for some reason. ”Did Eria fight the other two? Where is she?” A point in the direction of the forest. ”Please. Tell me she’s okay.”

“Tell…” The Void Charmer was actually speaking. Probably still a part of Arthur’s ability to command her. “Eria… she’s okay. She fought the others. I escaped.”

”Thank God. Or the gods. Whatever. Eria is okay. That’s all that matters. Can you take me to her?”

The snow rumbled, the trees shook, and horn blared in the distance. The creature took Arthur’s hand, and pulled him forward. A blue shape tore through the trees, the horn blaring in Arthur’s ear. Snow scattered all around, and the blue shape began to slow down. It was a train. The front car had three claws each on its left and its right. A yellow eye looked out from the car, like a face. This was more than an ordinary train. In front of Arthur rested a familiar Digimon. Locomon.

“It has been a long time.” Locomon’s voice was wistful, but exhausted. “Have the years been kind to you?”

Samuel and Baxter. They had been waiting for him. They were still waiting for him. Five years in the Digital World… how long could that even be back on Earth? Time flowed at completely different rates between both worlds. Arthur couldn’t really calculate it, though. All the Digimon either did not have enough of an idea of Earth to really know, or the Royal Knights just never told him. Not that Arthur ever asked them to, though. ”You,” Arthur said to Hiita. ”Go to Eria. Tell her… let her know that I’ll be okay. Just that she might have to wait a little longer. I’ve got something I need to do.”

The void creature laughed. “You…” The word came out slowly. “You can tell her that yourself.”

A door on the car to the furthest back of Locomon opened up. Arthur walked up to the doorway, and up the steps. Once he was inside the car, the void creature had followed behind him. The void creature sat down on a seat, but Arthur stood, keeping both hands on his bow. Within the car was a tall, the bottom half of his body resembling a white stallion, while his upper body was a man stroking a graying beard. He didn’t seem at all cramped within the car, which was large enough to accommodate the centaur.

“Chiron.” Arthur relaxed his bow. This was probably going to be just another puzzle instead of a fight.

“This is where you wandered off too?” Chiron nodded at the interior of Locomon. “Well, I’m sure it must have been very comfortable for you.”

”Get to the point,” said Arthur.

Chiron sighed. “If only you had shown such concern when I first sent you to find Pandora’s Box. It was a mistake to trust you with such an important quest for the sake of pacifying you.

”I’m going to finish the quest. Isamy took the box. If I can defeat Protheus, then I have a chance of finding it.”

“But you would have never searched for it without Isamy’s interference, or without that Ogudomon beast defeating you and your friend. You ran from your quest, and only took it up once more when you had no other choice. Do you think that at Camp Half-Blood, we only raise heroes that will do something only because they have been told to, or because they must? A true hero acts because they want to.”

”And I want to do this! Baxter and Sam were ready for this, but I wasn’t. I abandoned them.”

“Leaving only shame in your heart. What was it Sora said? That a Heartless is when the heart loses everything that defines heart. All you have left is a desire to atone for that shame.” Arthur couldn’t tell Chiron he was wrong. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of telling him he was right either, but Chiron sighed. He must have been able to see it all from Arthur’s face. “Playing out a quest for all the wrong reasons.” Locomon began to take a hard turn to the right. Arthur held only more tightly to the railing and Hiita fell out of her seat, but Chiron stood still as though he didn’t notice. “I have no more to say to you, but you may continue onward to the next car.”

Arthur ran to the door he entered from, and pushed on the handles. The door would not budge. ”Hiita, burn the other door!” Hiita stood behind Arthur and gathered a fireball, but Chiron aimed a bow and nocked an arrow, pointing at Hiita.

“Do not try to escape. You should have known what you were doing the moment you stepped onto Locomon. This is the final Pathway, Arthur. Your trial of Remembrance.”

”…Past.” Arthur let go of the door. ”I went on Locomon the first time because I was running away from where I came from. My past. I guess running away now wouldn’t be much better.”

“For all the bravado you have shown, you still run away from your past.”

”Not like this is much better than what you were just talking about. Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Still talking like you are only doing this because you have to. However, at least it is something.” Chiron stepped aside, and Hiita followed behind Arthur. The door at the end of the car opened up, and Arthur and Hiita stepped through into the next car. The door closed behind them, and the train seemed to bump. Looking back through the door, the previous car with Chiron began to move away. It had been detached from the main body of Locomon, abandoned. For Arthur, there was no turning back.

Gagagigo had been separated from Eria so quickly. Entering the forest was like looking for a needle in haystack, but they had a bond. Eria’s position as a Charmer allowed her a connection with a water affinity, and the connection went both ways, allowing for Gagagigo to find her. Not even the Pathway could interfere with that. North. She was close, but moving further away.

“Are you sure you want to go back to her?” Gagagigo’s arms swung all around the trees to crush the source of the voice. Peering behind of the trees was the sniveling scientist, Kozaky.

”You are supposed to be dead!” Gagagigo roared.

“Dead?” Kozaky asked. ”Yes, I died. The Desert Seth killed me. You were not ready. You needed time. The upgrade needed to finish. Why did you not hurry, Gagagigo? I needed you.”

”No. You needed Sharra.”

”Don’t say her name!” Long before Gagagigo had met him, Kozaky was married. Kozaky would always speak her name with so much rage, no doubt because she left her.

”Your wife is dead, Kozaky. She was doomed the moment Isamy came to our universe.”

”No ‘us’! Isamy chose me! You were my weapon. My possession. A toy that she was too lazy to destroy.”

Gagagigo grabbed Kozaky’s whole body in his hand, punching a tree, and embedding Kozaky’s body in it. ”Sharra would be better off without you.”

”Don’t say her name!” Kozaky screamed. ”You don’t know her! A weak mind such as yours could comprehend all that happened in my life before you came to me!”

”Did you ever care about my life?” Gagagio opened his hand, but Kozaky was still stuck in the tree. ”You call me your toy, but you expect me to care about your life? You’re pathetic, Kozaky. When Eria and I find the Door, whatever wish we make to bring back our world, you will not be a part of it. You died with the Desert Seth. That’s as much as you deserve.” Gagagigo walked further into the forest, as snow gathered along the trees, covering the memory of Kozaky.

MirageGaogamon dared the Pathway to taunt him with Dianamon, but she was nowhere to be seen. And where was Arthur? He ran away too quickly.MirageGaogamon swiped his claws through several trees, knocking them down on their sides to clear a path forward. There was a soft giggle among the sounds of falling snow. ”I know you’re there,” MirageGaogamon said. ”Show yourself.”

”Aw, you found me that quickly?”

The voice was playful, but weak, like someone trying to sound tougher than they really were. MirageGaogamon raised both of his claws. ”Now.”

There was a poke against MirageGaogamon’s feet. MirageGaogamon looked down, and he saw a gray creature, only a few inches taller an average human child. It was a Digimon, whose fur was catching the snow, and its long ears drooping over its head. MirageGaogamon was prepared to kick the Digimon as soon as he recognized him.

”You know, Gagagigo had a point,” said the Digimon. ”Names, they get a little confusing sometimes. So tell me, do you remember mine? Do you remember our old name?”

MirageGaogamon did not hesitate. ”Gazimon.”

”Nice!” Gazimon raised a fist. ”But, you know. I guess being me just didn’t cut it for you. At least after all these years, you haven’t forgotten who you used to be.”

”I just didn’t like to think about it. What do you want?”

”Oh, nothing bad. I think. You’re just making such great progress! And I thought that someone would like to congratulate you for it.” Another Digimon began to emerge from beyond the snowstorm. At a glance, he resembled Beowolfmon, but his body was covered in thicker armor. His wolf mask had a complete mouth, yet it seemed wrong to call it a mask. It was his head, completely like a wolf’s. He was another giant compared to Gazimon, yet MirageGaogamon’s head only barely met the level of the Digimon’s torso. ”It’s not just Arthur who’s helped us, you know.” Gazimon was pouting, then glared at MirageGaogamon. ”You never told him about me. He got to meet Strabimon. Not bad for a first impression. All thanks to the Light Ancient.”

MirageGaogamon’s knees shook. He knew what his body commanded him to do, but it took him seconds to realize what. He took a bow. ”AncientGarurumon. Out of all who could have appeared for me on this Pathway, forgive me, but I did not expect you.”

Gazimon titled his head. ”You know it’s not really him, right?”

”I do. But these Pathways are a test. I can only assume that this is to be mine. What is that I must do?”

AncientGarurumon raised one of his swords. As soon as AncientGarurumon’s arm moved, MirageGaogamon was dashing through the snow to avoid his blade. MirageGaogamon lunged towards AncientGarurumon, catching the blade between the claws in his right hand, and as AncientGarurumon swung his other sword, MirageGaogamon caught that as well. The mouth on MirageGaogamon’s chest opened, and a Full Moon Blaster fired, blasting AncientGarurumon in the stomach. AncientGarurumon was only forced back a few feet, but he pulled his swords free from MirageGaogamon’s grip. ”Remarkable.” AncientGarurumon’s voice was deep, with a hint of amusement. ”You have come far since you first set foot in my temple.”

Gazimon was suddenly knocked to the ground, and a red Digimon was now standing beside him. This one looked halfway between a man and a fox, with red hair pointed in a few spikes, and he wore baggy red pants. "Come on, I thought you were going to show me up!" The Digimon was running through the forest, not waiting for Gazimon to lift himself up.

”You and Arthur celebrated the role of heroes of the Digital World,” said AncientGarurumon. ”But remember how you became that. You were only allowed to take part in the war against the Demon Lords because I willed it. AncientGreymon had elected a vessel for his power, but to defeat the Demon Lords, Flamemon needed to become Susanoomon. That would never be possible without my own power.”

”And it worked,” said MirageGaogamon. ”Even if Susanoomon was still not enough, we merged with the Demon Lords. We fought them from the inside.”

”And with that, you tainted my power.”

”What?”

Gazimon chased after Flamemon through the forest. ”Your memory is delightful,” said AncientGarurumon. ”A sufficient welcoming party for me, I suppose. But now the ‘you’ that was once Gazimon is only here as a doll to play out your past. As Apocrypha said, when you had merged with Lucemon to become MokushEternamon, and were split up, the last traces of the Demon Lords went to when you and Arthur were MagnaGarurumon. Neo and Flamemon were lucky to have been unscathed, but only because MagnaGarurumon took all of those last traces to spare them. For Arthur, it shouldn’t have meant nothing, but it doomed his caretakers. As for you, I made you become more than Gazimon. Through my power, you became Strabimon. But that power was corrupted by the Demon Lords. Two conflicting powers, with you caught in the middle. Through that blend, you became Gaomon.”

”And is that why you wish to fight?” asked MirageGaogamon. ”Because protecting my friends corrupted your power?”

”Not at all. I simply wish to push you. Did the real AncientGarurumon who resides in the Digital World ever speak to you?”

”Never.”

”Then perhaps he did not see your action was worthy of punishing you. No, my purpose here is something more. You may think of these Pathways as a means of purifying yourself.”

”What do you mean?”

”It all has to do with the Burst Mode. The Pathways know all there is to know about you. Particularly, when and how you activated the Burst Mode. It was to separate yourself from Apocrypha, and, in a sense, purge yourself of the last of the Demon Lords’ power. There are three parts of you that you must separate from. What is it that you learned in the last two Pathways?”

”That Arthur and I can live our own lives, in our own words. Before all of this, I was confident that the Demon Lords were already no more. Now I can be all the more certain of that.”

”You fought Apocrypha on Death, and MagnaGarurumon on Truth. You are already growing so much from who you were the second that the Demon Lords were defeated. That is the Burst Mode’s power! And you can still find a power beyond even that. All the power from your body in the Burst Mode is power that you’ve inherited from someone else. The Burst Mode is like your body rejecting something that does not belong. You became MirageGaogamon through your own power, without any need for the Digivice. You are still willing to rely on Arthur for the Burst Mode, but you must not do that. Reach the Burst Mode all on your own, and then go even further than that.”

Gazimon. Strabimon. Gaomon. He had started a new life under so many different names. How was he still not done? MirageGaogamon swung his claws at AncientGarurumon, and the Light Ancient shook in his step. ”And then what?!” MirageGaogamon was screaming, striking his claws against AncientGarurumon’s swords. ”I wasn’t good enough as Gazimon. I tried to start over as Strabimon, and then I had to start over again when I was Gaomon. I evolved so quickly when I fought the Demon Lords, barely more than a few hours between each step. I took my time when I was Gaomon. I came into this war as MachGaogamon. I’m going to live my life as MirageGaogamon. If I still have part of your power in me, then I’ll talk to the real Light Ancient. I won’t do this just as you asked. I can’t use the Burst Mode right now. I’ll rely on Arthur because I still need him.”

”Before you say goodbye. Do you ever think you’ll see him again? Have you ever thought of that.”

”I don’t know any of that! But… it’s just not fair to Arthur, for him to hide in the Digital World because his real family was such a mess. I want him to have a chance to be happy with them. If there can be a day when he and I can meet, then I will hope for it. And that’s all I need.”

”And if that day never comes, all you will have are memories of him.”

”I’ll take my chances.” MirageGaogamon walked deeper into the forest. Gazimon and Flamemon were still running around, but he soon lost sight of them. AncientGarurumon was laughing, his laugh echoing before the only sound MirageGaogamon could hear was the endless falling snow.

Arthur took a seat in the next car of Locomon. A young girl was typing on a laptop, not looking up from her screen. “Oh,” she said. “Hi, Arthur.”

”Alexandra.” Arthur kept his hands in his lap. He was still for her to look up. ”I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re here. So… what are you playing?”

“Google.”

”Oh, okay. Wait. What are you looking up?”

Alexandra’s eyes met Arthur’s. “You. I’m trying to look for you, idiot.”

”I’m right here, though. Just… could you put that away? Please?”

“But you’re not at home. You’re not on your world anymore. After you left, school started. We couldn’t find you.”

”Stop talking. You’re not really her.”

“But it’s true, right? Everything I’m saying, it’s what you thought about. Do you even remember going to school? Or were you so busy getting mad about Camp Half-Blood and hiding in the Digital World that school just seemed optional to you?”

”Alexandra, I-”

“What am I to you anymore? Just some old crush you can compare to Eria?

The Pathway to Truth was supposed to be the place where Arthur couldn’t lie, but Arthur found it even harder to lie than back there. ”When I got home, I’ll talk to you. I’ll explain everything.”

“You had five years to do that, and look how that turned out.”

”This is pointless.” Arthur led Hiita out to the exit of the car.

“Don’t do it,” Alexandra said. She closed her laptop, and turned in her seat to face Arthur. “You wouldn’t listen to Chiron, now you won’t even listen to me?”

”There’s nothing else any of you can say to me that I’m not already saying to myself.” Arthur and Hiita entered the next car, and Arthur shut the door behind him. As soon as he entered, his face was forced against a railing, and he could feel something pulling at his feet, dragging him onto the ground. His vision was fuzzy, but he could vaguely see that there were vines wrapping around his legs.

“Nice one, Baxter!” Someone was standing over Arthur. The boy was thin, but he seemed to have been the one knock Arthur against the railing. He was fast.

”S-Sam?” Arthur pulled his legs close and began to tear at the vines, but they began to wrap around his hands as well. ”Damn it, why won’t these things die?” As soon as he said that, the vines began to blacken. Arthur broke his hands and feet free from the decaying vines, and summoned his bow. Sitting in one of the seats was a satyr. The lower half of his body was goat legs, with one casually crossed over the other, while his upper half was a teenaged boy playing on a pan flute. ”Baxter. I should’ve figured.”

“Well, it’d help if you’d remember which one of us was which,” said Baxter. “We’re just a couple of names you feel bad for.”

“So, like Alexandra?” asked Sam. “You might as well dump Eria now if you’re going to forget about her anyway. She’s probably just as worthless as-” Hiita put her hand over Sam’s face, and flames surrounded her hand. Sam was screaming and gagging as the flames spread around his hand.

”Damn it, stop!” Arthur pulled Hiita away, but Sam’s was face was completely burnt, and he dropped against the door. ”What the hell did you just do?”

“Same thing that always happens!” Baxter shouted. “We’re dead because of you, and Sam’s dead twice over now. It’s all your fault!”

”This isn’t what I wanted to happen.”

“But it happened, and you know it.”

Arthur screamed, racing through the next door, not even waiting for Hiita to catch up. Arthur slammed the door, leaving her behind.

Arthur Ancyl’s Theme - Runaway Train

Arthur slid against the door. Locomon was still moving “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” came another voice. A young pale man, only a couple years younger than Arthur, and whose black hair matched his clothes, looked down on Arthur. “How dare you show your face here.”

The man who betrayed the other humans. The one who managed to impress even the Demon Lords, enough for them to work with him. ”Ytidens. Why are you here?”

“Are you seriously asking me that? The battle between the Demon Lords was our game. I could have led the others in rebellion against Lucemon. He was the real threat. You just got in the way. And you… you and Strabimon got to be the heroes. Instead, everyone just remembers me as the villain. You’re an embarrassment to the Digital World.”

Arthur’s eyes gleamed, as Ytidens tried to shield his eyes from light, Arthur shoved Ytidens and drew his bowstring. ”And I’m sure you would just loved being in the Divine. Would you have tried to stage a coup against Isamy or Protheus, too? I’m here because some people out there still think I could do something good.”

“If you had stayed with the Divine, then what then? Would you have tried to take over from the inside? Would you have still tried to use the Door to erase all the gods? Would you have been any better than me?”

”I am better than you! I at least managed to survive long enough to realize that being a control freak doesn’t work.”

“Then why does everyone else have to suffer because you wouldn’t take control? You got a chance to use Eria’s friends, and you threw that away.”

”Shut up…”

“Eria has to be all lovey dovey with you so you don’t feel sorry for yourself, and MirageGaogamon is just walking away to give you a chance to not be a coward.”

Arthur’s hands grew loose around the bowstring as an arrow formed, but he tightened his grips. ”I know. You don’t have say anything else.”

“If you’re not going to man up now, after everything that’s happened, then Sam, Baxter, Alexandra, and our whole universe will stayed because the one thing you need to control but can’t is your own life.”

Arthur let the arrow go, and it struck Ytidens in the center of his forehead. Arthur stepped over his body, and held the exit door. ”Impulses. Showing off. Stop. I need to stop.”

When Arthur entered the next car, he could hear the last one finally begin to detach from the rest of Locomon. The car was empty. ”No more,” Arthur said. ”I get it. Everyone you’re showing… I know what I have to do. And I’ll do it. What do you want from me? To know that I won’t use the Door for the wrong reasons? That’s what these tests are usually for. All I want is for the Door to let me make up for everyone I left behind. Everyone who had to stay behind because of me. I could go back. I could relive all those five years, changing everything every step of the way. But I’d just be pretending that I didn’t screw up in the first place.”

The faces of Chiron, Alexandra, Sam, Baxter, Hiita, and Ytidens all appeared before Arthur, and he moved towards another exit. In the next car, two more people were seated. Malcolm and Sophia Wolf. His parents. The ones that had cared for him. Until he returned from the Digital World.

”Mom. Dad.” They both stood up, and Arthur hugged them. He held them close. They felt so real. ”I’m so sorry. I killed you both. The monster followed me. I… I…”

“It’s okay,” said Malcolm. “You couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault.”

”Then what do I do?”

“Just keeping going,” said Sophia. “You can still run, Arthur. But don’t run away.”

”Then…” Arthur faced his parents with tears running down his face. ”I’ll run forward.” Malcolm and Sophia each gave Arthur a kiss on his forehead. He knew they were just illusions made by the Pathway, but seeing them again was enough. As he looked around the car, he could see that Sam, Baxter, and Alexandra were all sitting in seats, Sam’s face looking like it had never been burned. Chiron was nodding at Arthur, and Ytidens was standing beside a railing, also apparently completely healed. However, Arthur could not find Hiita. Arthur suspected that she may have been meant for Eria to meet, though, so Arthur didn’t mind all that much. Hiita at least had another chance to find Eria, which made Arthur smile.

“I wish you good luck at Camp Half-Blood,” said Chiron. “May your quest be triumphant, and more.”

“You owe us,” said Baxter.”

“Big time,” Sam added.

“And good luck with school,” said Alexandra. “But… there’s a lot you’re going to be telling me, right? Maybe start simple.”

Ytidens scoffed. “As simple as you can describe this, all things considered.”

“We love you,” said Malcolm.

“And your friends love you, too,” said Sophia.

Arthur closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. MirageGaogamon, Eria, Gagagigo, Sora, Kairi, Arturia, Emiya, Kratos, everyone in the Counter Corps, everyone at home, so many people in every universe, countless lives were depending on him. When he opened his eyes again, there was no one else in the car. ”I’m ready, Locomon. Take me forward.” Running away now could not be an option, and Arthur Ancyl would not have it any other way.

Love of Ghibli · August 19, 2016

Team Dorian: Prologuous

Well this was certainly a new sensation. Existing and all. It was definitely new. But how couldn't it be he was new to life. This Shadow Butlerok. The mutated contortion of just Butler and Ragnarok. He scanned around and saw all of the high level threats. Well the herd had to be thinned out somehow. After looking back at the thin fragment of the shell that stood Shadrock had concluded that it might not have been the best idea to actually move so far from the target. He reached into his what would probably be his inner pockets of hammerspace and pulled out two Desert Eagle pistols and took a stance ready to fire.

Meanwhile Butlerok didn't even notice that he had taken out his foe because he was so distracted by the mirrored monster in front of him. Butlerok thought that by sending a series of attacks he would be able to fight an army of himself which he had kind of prepared for. However fighting just one super soldier seemed a lot scarier.

What's wrong baldy? It is just a bad copy of us. Look at it, it doesn't have nearly all of the cool toys we have at our disposal! Ragnarok boasted inside the Kishin's head. But Butler knew that was what would make it more deadly. The simple fact that the shadow had pulled out firearms was already alarming. It just reminded the original how far he had strayed from his training with all of these new fangled powers he was getting used to. Butlerok readied his zanpaktou since he was already using the Captain Commander's Bankai he should be able to deal with whatever bullets the imposter throws out instantaneously.

Shadrock smirked as he started firing a torrent of bullets in all directions. Butlerok looked confused for a second then he realized the strategy at play. He quickly shouted out to everyone in the vicinity. YOU MUST TAKE OUT ALL OF THE BULLETS! Dorian and Rhadamanthys instantly looked at each other and then looked back at the bullet fury coming their respective ways. With a swipe of his hand Dorian attempted to set the bullets ablaze, but alas it looked as if they were stronger than he surmised and nothing seemed to happen. However Dorian was quick enough to dodge all of them. Rhadamanthys simply ignored the warning and blitzed passed the bullets and went straight for the Shadow. He always wanted to punch the Butler. This was as good a time as any.

Rhadamanthys was merely a hair away from landing a direct punch on Shadrock when he felt the dangerous aura that was now densely filling the air. This was Madness to another level. When he looked around he would see that all of the combatants were now inside some weird black ooze like prison. He then looked to Shadrock who was once again all teeth with the smiles as it simply said Bloody...Prison. Everyone then felt the pressing nightmares of Insanity claw at their minds. How effective it was at this point was probably another story. Nevertheless the trap was set. Shadrock seemed to have disappeared in an instant and reappeared Near Dorian with a gun already on the young spectres brain temple...

O...k...Dorian couldn't even finish as a bullet was put through his skull and with that the spectre laid unconscious if only for a second. Butlerok looked on in annoyance as he wasn't affected by the madness, but it would definitely affect the others.

What? Ragnarok shouted mentally. Don't be stupid this is the same technique we used to find Kratos back in the Path of Truth. He's teleporting to places where his version of the Mad Blood is. The bullets must have contained enough to expand and wrap us all in a cage. Now he has the perfect vantage point to pick us off.

Then let's just flood this place with our Mad Blood and smoke him! I'm getting tired of all these imitators hoppin on our swag! You know fight fire with fire!

Yes, but we would be risking burning everyone else. Butler replied. Otherwise I would have attempted that strategy a long time ago and distracted all of the Shadow copies thus far. An annoyed "Oh" was all that Ragnarok could come up with. What we need is someone who is capable of dealing enough damage while being under serious strain. Butlerok looked around and then his gaze met a unique individual that was actually perfect for the job.

Tesability Black · August 19, 2016

~??? - From Beyond the Screen - ???'s POV~

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

A tapping sound against the wooden floor could be heard as a black shoe rose and lowered itself repeatedly, wrapped around the foot of a pale-skinned girl whose hand was also tapping against the wooden desk she sat in front of. Impatience was written upon her face, even behind the wire-framed glasses she wore, though these were different than the last time she had been seen.

"I have waited long enough for Simdoggy," she muttered before beginning to type. "He hasn't been on YCM for a couple of months now. Time to get this show back on the road..."

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

Time still halted for the moment, though no one would seem to act on it, Gemini ran fast towards where Chandra was, the snow under his feet still on the ground due to the inability to move just yet. Upon standing in front of the pyromancer, he simply nodded before transforming once more, this time into a three-headed dragon that flied through the sky, with two of the heads being hands instead.

Flying up into the air, the three heads each glowed from an orb of pale-blue manifesting in front of each mouth before the rays emerging from each converged together than fired itself to connect to the ground around the planeswalker. Circling around her with the beam while careful not to hit her, the false Hydreigon created a barrier of glowing energy around her, leaving a hole near the top that was too high to reach and too narrow for her to escape through.

She will not escape, by her own power or another's, until her puppeteer returns, nor will anyone else be able to break this from the outside, even that Protheus asshat.

Once done with his work, he quickly looked over it with an artist's eyes, nodded and returned to his normal form before fading from view as time began to flow once more to leave a potentially-p!ssed Chandra within a thick cage of ice. Moments later, the box that once contained the odd card disappeared as if appearing to be picked up by something invisible, but a sharp eye would realize that something was under Camouflage instead...

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

"Jace!"

Upon starting to walk up the stairs to the crystal that lead out of here, he turned to look behind himself, seeing two things that hadn't been there. One was the now-raging Chandra trying to melt through her cage of ice, though she didn't seem to have much luck in such regard. The other was related to a large flash of yellow now running across the ice bridge that had been made across the lake. As the yellow splotch ran, Jace felt...something...

There was a brief disturbance in the air of Remembrance, a huge amount of mana feeling as if it just been heavily suppressed and made mostly-unreachable. Thinking this may have been linked to whatever just happened to Chandra, he tried to run back for her, but was immediately stopped by what felt like an arm around his stomach.

But he didn't see one...though he did feel the sudden emptiness behind him.

"...what now, Gemini," Jace asked with a flat tone before turning to face the form that was now appearing into view near the crystal.

"I wouldn't bother going for her, bucko. It's not even her own puppeteer that animates her now."

"Jace, get away from him, now!"

"And...I have to leave for the moment," he said before pushing back into the mind mage's hands the Key of Origin, the blank card within now included that only the duplicate knew of, before disappearing from view and from Jace's senses.

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

Neos continued to ride upon Rapidash's back as the two kids behind him continued their ride as well, eyes focused on the figure in blue ahead. He stopped briefly when he wound up approaching what looked to him was a pillar of ice...

...though ice did not normally look red and flickering at its core. "Hold on a second, Rap," he stated as he pulled the reigns back a little to get the large bird to stop. However, when he got off long enough to try and approach, he felt lightly pushed back.

Almost as if something was keeping him from getting close.

"The figure within has currently lost her controller," Faye stated cryptically, to which Neos turned to face her, ready to make a remark about that...

...just in time to see Gemini with his arm wrapped around Jace from behind.

"No time for this," he growled before hopping back on Rapidash swiftly, netting a indignant 'kwhe!' as well as a couple of 'yipes!' from the kids upon his kicking his leg over the bird and almost hitting them both. "Let's go!"

Realizing that its owner was not going to take 'no' for an answer, Rapidash kicked up the pace as it started running, sprinting towards Jace and Gemini. "Jace, get away from him, now!"

He saw as Gemini shoved something into Jace's hands before disappearing, to which he gave a distrusting glare as he hopped off Rapidash before beginning to walk up the stairs himself. The sight he just saw had him momentarily forget about the kids that had been with him for the moment as he finally caught up with the mindmage. "Ya okay, boss?"

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

His double within Prologuous remained floating high above the madness, mostly-ignored for the moment with the Malamar form. After seeing the proverbial cage forming around the others and feeling the presence of madness forming, the floating squid couldn't help but allow himself to laugh.

Madness...how can you madden someone that's already there?

Falling to the ground and transforming as he did, Gemini reverted back towards his human form, but he reappeared on one knee and held a decent-sized bow made of purplish crystal and an arrow of the same crystal with the arrow head appearing to be glowing with a blackish-red aura. Only after a moment did he fire the arrow...

...which was aimed right at the shell.

"Time to hit the 'play' button on this again," he muttered more to himself than anything else.

Maeriberii Haan · August 20, 2016

Reimu Hakurei

Prologuous

The clones only got more and more annoying from the looks of it. The fact that a troublesome individual ended up getting cloned, again, made Reimu sick. She grabbed the sword that had finished eating, and returned it to her sash as she flew towards the shell's vicinity to see the development of things there. Apparently, the one named Butlerok had been cloned by the Avatar's shell, and there was seemingly another Koishi that was now erecting several layers of barriers around the shell, which seemingly was severely weakened from the looks of it.

Of course, the easiest course of action was for her to just break through the barriers since doing that would be child's play for her and then finish off the shell with one application of Dragon-Slaying Circle, but the presence of the other clone worried her now. The three orbs hovering around her, she went down and looked around for Rhadamantys.

"Yo, uh...you have a plan now? Or is it just going to be blast everything away until something works again?"

It's quite unlike her that she had to ask of a plan instead of figuring out something on her own, but Reimu's intuition led her to believe that acting reckless on this stage would prolong the battle even further. The last thing she wished would be if the battle ended up being long enough for Yukari to start another tea party there. Speaking of, she hadn't seen that hag for a while. Reimu wondered whether she had ran away with her tail between her legs, but that seemed to be unlikely. More likely than not, she's observing things just like she usually did.

He and the rest of his gang was now locked into a fight against the creature. While it's perhaps not the best time to interfere, she was really out of her touch now, confused as of what she's supposed to do now. The best thing she could do now would be to just dodge anything that's thrown on her way. Reimu sighed. She really felt that it'd probably be best if she floated away from reality completely at this point. Today had been really full of bad, throbbing headaches.

Yukari Yakumo

Prologuous

"...No, I can't just let this continue this way."

Her voice was bitter. She was angry, she was frustrated. To what? Perhaps due to the fact she ended up doing nothing so far, yet another episode where she retreated while she pretended to have some plans in mind. That'd make her look smart, yeah. Just thinking about it made her feel disgusted. Yukari saw Koishi, standing there in confusion after her repeated attempts to break through the shell only caused more and more clones to attack the others. She saw how the clones were eliminated by the guests of her tea party earlier. She saw how Reimu, for a reason Yukari could not comprehend, utilized the weapon of that disgusting brat to deal with another clone.

Why did she even take that weapon earlier? Oh, right. She was simply trying to get it so she could prevent the Avatar from utilizing it against the group, and...perhaps because the weapon had a certain oddity about it that she couldn't recall it having when she was still in Gensokyo. But, that wasn't important now. She could just take it away from Reimu later and get it exorcised from any bad influences later.

Yukari felt a tingling sensation on her spine. Throwing another glance, Reimu's confusion became clear to her all of the sudden, as if she wore her heart on her sleeve as she floated around. She had always been a simple girl, wishing for a simple and predictable life. A quiet life, the opposite of her duty as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. It would be understandable for her to feel aimless in such a complicated conflict, in such a battle. Or perhaps, it was just that she doubted her own abilities now? That bizarre sphere. The sword of heaven. Her own cheating ability. Her intuition. Reimu clearly felt that she had been relying on those too much. She felt that she had failed to show her own skill this time, and those doubts were what confusing her. She was aimless on what to do next, because her mind couldn't think of anything other than her failures so far.

Yukari sighed.

It was neat to be able to read the shrine maiden like that, but...how did she even manage to do so? Reading Reimu like a book, just from a glance, that was something really hard to do. Reimu never lied about her feelings, but even she had her own sides that she wished to hide. Something had happened, and Yukari didn't feel like it was necessarily a good thing. Maybe she grew a third-

"PIIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

"Focus...that's not what I need to do now!"

Right, the fight. The heart-shaped double-Koishi clone had been defeated by the blue-haired boy using a powerful blast of light. What remained was the clone of one of Yukari's earlier- Butlerok, and yet another Koishi clone, this time focusing on creating a barrier around the weakening Shell. The shadow Butlerok, that was the one that screamed earlier. It exerted a lot of pressure throughout the arena, but as Yukari felt she wasn’t meant to deal with it now, she paid it little mind. Yukari looked at Reimu again. She clearly considered to deal with the barrier. That would've been something she could literally do with her eyes closed, but once again Reimu was held back with her doubts. She looked at Koishi, and saw a similar confusion on her. Although...the fact that she was looking at the silver-haired girl didn't seem to be ignored.

"Sis...why are you reading me like that? Didn't you say it yourself that we shouldn't do it to each other"

Figuring that it's supposed to be aimed at her, Yukari went down from her gap and appeared on Koishi's side. Trying her best not to think about what happened earlier much, Yukari proceeded to greet her with a smile.

"Sorry for not appearing much earlier. I was plan...you can easily know that I really don't have any plans earlier just by looking at my heart.

I really have no excuses for not helping you, Koishi. Once again, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, sis! Look, the shell is definitely weakening! One solid punch, and we might be able to bypass all that!"

Once again, like what happened several times before, Koishi called her "sis", Did she try to place Yukari as her sister, as Satori's not here? Yukari could perhaps try looking at Koishi to figure it out, but she'd notice it immediately. With Koishi being able to read her mind, this thought must immediately be repressed- oh look that's a pretty light!

"The clone building the barrier might be an issue. Perhaps we need a double-layered attack.

Koishi, you think you can fish out for any penetration-oriented attack with your Recollection? If you can't recall it from the top of your head, you can use my memory instead if it's not too messy."

Hearing that, Koishi went into thinking mode, starting to figure out what kind of attack would she like to use here. Several seconds passed, and Koishi's eyes opened as she got an eureka moment. Yukari smiled. The girl really needed to be aimed like this if either of them wished to have any kind of good result from Koishi's actually terrifying ability.

"What if it's another Spark? Laser solves everything, right?"

"Eh..." Yukari frowned at the suggestion. Koishi taking example from that nutcase of a magician wouldn't be good for this girl's already unstable- oooh I'm a chameleon. "It can work I guess. The important thing is to remove that barrier your clone made, and a Final Spark or Dragon Meteor could be a great way to deal with it while I prepare for my own attack to pierce the shell." That was a close one. A satori really was someone Yukari had to be careful around with.

At least, Koishi seemed to be overjoyed that her suggestion was even accepted to think of reading Yukari's heart. Her outwardly emotional display was a treat to see in a time like this. Even in such a situation, Koishi could still be a cheerful, innocent child. She reminded her of Chen, especially when the cat was in a good mood…

“The power of my love is INFINITE! You earthnoids won't be able to handle my thrusts!”

“But yeah, we really need to deal with that clone as soon as we could-

Ah, she already left.”

Koishi, without waiting for Yukari’s further instructions, had floated towards the rose-like barrier that her shadow erected, one that kept on growing and growing. The shadow looked at the silver-haired satori as she approached it, its permanently-demented grin that was etched on her face in full view. A glance of the proper nature of her shadow clone made Koishi wince and took some steps back.

“Uh…uh…calm down…Koishi…you can do it!”

Her own voice did little to reassure her, but even as she stopped, she continued to stare at the shadow as it continued to throw a mocking expression towards the silver-haired girl. An expression saying that it’s hopeless for her to try breaking through the ever-growing rose boundary, an expression that’s saying Koishi wouldn’t be able to do anything, just like before.

The longer she looked at that mocking face, Koishi felt her fears slowly disappearing. Was it what they call facing your own fears? Even if she feared it, there’s still something a lot more important than just submitting to it.

“…Staying behind like that…my sister is watching now, I can feel it! She, and Yukari, are counting on me! Everyone’s counting on me!

I’ll show you the real power of my love!”

With that, she took off into the air, and positioned herself right on top of the flower barrier. Both magical and physical, and reinforced by constant power supply from the Avatar’s shell, not any attacks would be able to break it. Koishi was aware of it. Gathering what remained of her energy right now to attempt another Recollection, she brought her hands forward as specs of light formed on her outstretched palms.

What she needed now was an attack that could pierce the skies itself. The shadow below was aware of Koishi’s attempt to attack its barrier, and fired its tentacles towards Koishi. As she was still focusing on starting her attack, she could only defend herself by using her own tentacles to block the incoming attacks, but even then some of the tentacles pierced through her body. It hurted, and even in an artificial body like this, the blood that dripped to the floor felt real. But Koishi withstood the pain, and continued her channeling.

An attack that could break the darkness of the night and turn it into daylight. A second sun. A spell card deemed by its user as being the strongest. No finesse. No complications. Nothing as such would be needed for the light that would shine at the end of the world itself. Koishi blocked an attempt to decapitate her, but the wound of her neck was still problematic. Her sight was getting worse, and relying on her third eye for this wasn’t something she liked.

“Recollection:-“

“Useless, useless, useless! That level of love won’t beat this barrier!

Numbers, amount of energy, it’s all useless! Don’t think you can break this witch of love with that kind of penetrating power!”

With her punctured lungs, Koishi took a deep breath. Being a satori on a borrowed body, it was not necessary, but it helped her focus at these last moments. Her blood, her wishes, her love, all was poured into this attack. It’s the third time she had used it so far. Perhaps that’s a sign that lasers were actually really cool? Koishi considered trying to make one for her own use.

“Perverse Love: Sure-fire Master Spark!”

Light came from her palm. The room was bathed by its radiance as Koishi unleashed the pillar of pure power that she pulled out of the depth of her and Yukari’s memories. Others perhaps had Spell Cards that served a lot more convenient purposes, but when it came to pure, unadulterated power to pierce even the firmaments of this world, then Marisa’s Master Spark would be the unrivaled answer. The blast rained down on the shell’s barrier in its attempt to break through it, and Koishi was focusing all of her remaining might to keep it up as long as she could, even if her borrowed body was falling apart due to the strain and the wounds it suffered.

Whether the barrier survived, whether the shadow survived, whether she even survived, Koishi stopped thinking about it a while ago. Yukari, who watched in the distance, was aware of it as she looked into the girl’s dimming, closing heart. Without being able to do much about her for now, Yukari fully manifested herself from the boundary, and with Koishi’s beam continuously attempting to demolish the protective layer, it was an opening that she could use.

Establishing link between points of convergence: complete. Establishing flying objects: complete. Yukari took a deep breath. Something that attacks the target point with as much speed and force behind it, perhaps even from multiple points, might be the best way to shave off the shell for good.

“Alright, open up! My Spell Card shall end this!

Aerial Gate of Bait: Ancient Flying Bait Treasury!”

The bullets had been loaded. Objects, unknown in dimension or shape, were fired from the multiple gaps Yukari summoned in an instant, and the objects converged towards the point where the shell was probably in on the barrier Koishi was attempting to break, all fired in a speed that would make it almost impossible to even perceive the object until it hits the shell, and hopefully piercing it and shattering it like the outer shell of an egg.

The Butlerok clone was still fighting her former tea guests. She could feel someone suggesting to flood the place with something. What was it? It was worrying. With the fact that she couldn’t let something like that happen, Yukari continued her assault, hoping that the shell broke before any of those madmen actually attempted the probably-insane stunt.

Tesability Black · August 23, 2016

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

His mind moved at the same speed he had wound up functioning at for a brief moment in the Path of Remembrance, a distortion caused by the apparent increase of instability among the paths. Whatever happened there he already knew was not likely to happen here with such a large crowd present.

The corrosive energy of the arrow he fired, he saw it made a decent dent into the shell he saw, though he was confused that it still stood unpopped. Almost immediately did the answer flash in front of his eyes, his mind filling the details missing from what he knew from various points within the area's time streams. Somehow, most-likely due to his puppeteer missing something from not f***ing paying attention once more, another shield had been summoned around the original one. Figuring it to be from one of those Koishis present, Gemini couldn't help but gulp upon realizing that he may be seeing a double of himself soon...which would be freaky, honestly. He was already technically a dark duplicate of Neos, so what would that make such a clone?

He soon stood as the large bow in his hand began to glow before disappearing, mentally kicking himself upon seeing the audience around him. Why didn't he put Beat Up on his Weavile form? This would have been the perfect time to use such a move, as well? Giving a sigh while thankful he had not been obviously noticed yet, the bow transformed it shape, taking on a more-slender and stafflike form slightly taller than him, though one end seemed to end in what could only be described as a spiked drill that started above his head surrounded in the same blackish-red energy.

"Let's try this again," he muttered before the drill bit begin to spin at high speed before holding it against the shield, hoping the sharpness of the crystal combined with the repeated application of the corrosion energy that surrounded helped to finally pop this bubble and the one below it, taking advantage of the fact that he was not the only one trying to damage this thing, even if he wasn't striking at the same point as the other while being ready to immediately move to the other one if this first one popped.

Not like he really wanted to be standing in the middle of an incoming barrage, honestly...

Countdown: 0 turns (?)

The Warden · August 23, 2016

[̸̝̫̤̦̝͎͈͙̱͌̚[̈́͌ͬ͐̉̌͊҉͏͕̠̻͚̦̤̬͉̻A̜̗̳͇ͦ͑̎ͬͦ̾̚n̥͙̜̾̊͐ͥ͒̃̄̇͟ǫ̶̩̟͇̘ͬ̃ͩ́ţ̛̩͈̈ͭ͌ͮͯͯ͞ẖ̜̬͇̤̤̜́̀̕e̷̜̖̦̗̱͓̥̺̓ͪ̓̈́̊̓r̛͎̘̥̺̖̘ͭͫ ̵̱͖ͩ̎̃͐̍̓̈́͢͡T̗̩̟̖̭͙̳͍ͮ̀̄ͨͮ̾ͮi̵̴̱̦͆͌́ͬ̕m̷̬̞̥͓̠̔̄ͪ͐̔̐̚̚̚͞ȩ̤̐ͤ́͜,̴͈̱̪͕̞̱̭̍ͤ͡ ̏̈́̏́̌ͪͪͯ̚͏͏̢̖̝̤͕̗̺̜A͙̫͎͈ͯ͌̓ͤ͡ṋ̨̜̭ͨͣ́̍̾ǫ̼͍̹̝̝̥͗ͫt̥̹̥̻̼͖̄̄͝ͅh͖̤̪͚͔̓͌̿ͦ̅͋ḛ̸ͤ̍r̷̖̹̳̱̲̻̤̤̭̔͢ ̍ͪ̔̌́̍̌ͮ͏̗̝P̷͖͖̯̺͖̟̺̄̂̋̀͌̚͘͢l̯͎̤̰͖ͦͨ̎̓̍̍͗͝a͚̙̫͍̦̼̐̀̎ͫ͑̃͛͐̾͡ͅc̶̱͎̳̼̪̔e̘͍͇̘̩̞ͥͬ̚:̝͉͕̭̲̱͔͉͊ͫ͠ ̩̜̤̥͙̖͔ͭ͛͛ͣ̀͐ͨ̌P̮̙̖̖̯̝͐̅ͮ͌͌̽͘͘ͅr̴̰̪̠̠̃̐͟ͅͅơ͐́̄̚͜͏̳̼̺̞̯l̛̖̖̘͖̫̘̓̐̀o̿̈̽̈́҉̺̙̟̻͟͢g̷̜̙̏ṵ̤̠͆̏ͧ̈ͧͧͧͣ͗͜ọ̵̡͈͍͙̱̭̊͋ͩͨ́u̥̽̍̔̓͆͊͛̿̕s̡͇̤̻̘̥͑̐͐̍͑̀]̶̼͛ͨ̿̎̉͑̎͘͝]̤̟̫̖̊͌̃͐ͨͦ͂͑

The force of Koishi's Master Spark had been succinct enough to break the shadowy barrier surrounding the Avatar's shell, but sadly Yukari's assault had been far too predictable. And naturally, the Avatar was a cheater as it invoked two dreadful words.

D̤̀̐̉͂ͪ͑̈͛͊͝e̊͊ͫ̇͂̃̀͘҉̛̠͎̠̹̗̞̜ͅs̖̞͍̜̦̱̘̑ͥp̙̘̗̦̥̞ͣ̈́͢e͇͎̱̞̖̓͛͆͂̓ͫr̨͉̪͇ͫ͒ͦ̔̌͢a̸̴̩͕̥̩̞̱ͪ͑̍̾͐͟t̨͙̜͇̫̯̜̰̼̉ͮ̅ͯͩ͋̈́͗̋e̸̸̫̥̪͎͍͓͈̝͍ͭ͂̄̂͐̒̽͢ ̧̛͉̫̩̦̭͐͗̀ͧͦ͝ͅS̪̲̟̒p͇̯͉̟ͮ̒́ͅa̷̻̩͋̄ͨ͌͐͊́͊͢c̴̩̰̯̈́̆̆͆͗͋eͫ̅̄ͨ͗̽̽ͤ҉̯̤!͎̺̝͚̞̊̏̈́̅ͫ͋ͧ̽ͣ͠

Yukari's sad assault was all absorbed up by minute black holes, rendering her assault moot. The red eyes of the shadowy creature was upturned in glee, and then a crystal drill struck the shell. Time stood still for a second, the eyes of the shadowy being wide with shock. And then time returned to normal, the shell exploding violently, scattering the Avatar's strange matter all around the tree, which was positively drenched in the foul stuff. Likewise, any remaining shadow clones (basically Shadow Butlerok) likewise exploded.

The Avatar

2/10

Tesability Black · August 25, 2016

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

"Ya alright, boss?"

Being called 'boss' like that, without any real sense of formality behind it, like anyone else would have back on Ravnica when referring to him by his newest title always did weird him out the most. Here was this figure in front of him that could kick his ass from a few dozen directions, probably while even borrowing his own form, and yet he listened to his commands and suggestions.

If this was a less serious time, he would be shaking his head at this situation. It wouldn't be the first time, at least. He did shake his head once to this, however, to which he caught the glare the shapeshifter was giving the odd box in his hands, the supposed Key of Origin. "Yes, I'm okay," Jace started as he looked down towards the Key before seeing an open hand extended in front of him, a hand that he noticed belonged to Neos.

"Whatever Gemini told you about that thing is most-likely Tauros-sheet, so let me have it."

"Um...I don't think that's a good idea," Jace found himself saying before thinking about what to say. "According to both Gemini and Chandra, this is the Key of Origin."

"Wait, Ms. Firecraker's here?" Jace resisted the urge to react to the nickname beyond closing his eyes and raising the gloved hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "And what in the Distortion happened to your Spark?!"

Huh?

The mind mage looked up towards neon-green eyes that now shimmered with an internal blue glow before tracing the wide-eyed gaze on him back to high up on his own chest. "What are you talking about?"

"The core of your Spark's been moved and I can see some serious tearing in various portions of your overall aura." It was at that point that Neos balled up a hand before pointing a finger on that same hand over the center of his chest. "It's somehow been moved from here," the false human began before tracing it upwards, stopping to just below the bottom edge of his neck, "to right here, like someone just forced it up with no bracing."

Or they were suspended by only it, Jace remembered, though he was very-careful not to let that thought leave his head. "I can probably move it back and try to undo the damage, but you are gonna be under a lot of pain, most-likely. Just what happened to cause this to happen to you?"

"Um..." Now Jace was on the spot, unsure of if he should tell Neos or not about what happened on Truth with Gemini and not even daring to meet Neos' gaze. The self-proclaimed demon seemed a walking contradiction and it puzzled him. At one point, Gemini seemed intent on inflicting pain, then later Gemini seemed to wish to help him out.

It was enough to make most heads spin in confusion and Jace's own comes close to joining that number trying to figure him out.

"...Jace. What. Happened."

Oh, no, Jace though to only himself. That wasn't a question.

He didn't need to look up, he could feel the impatience radiating from Neos' thoughts almost as loudly as Chandra's thoughts tended to be...

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

Get funked, Broken, Gemini thought to himself as he felt the start of the rupture before raising a thin shield around himself, preventing getting hosed in the explosion that resulted.

He's already been taken control of once, he wasn't interested in a possible Round 2, thank you.

Allowing the drill-lance in his grip to revert back into energy to allow what will to fall off the weapon, he remolded it into two things, a round shield and a longsword to maintain mobility while taking a decent hop back.

Don't hurry with that key just yet, Gemini thought to no one in particular as he braced for what may happen next, shield in front of him for the time being.

Super Chaos Sonic · August 25, 2016

Nero - Keyblade War Master / The X-Blade's Wielder ~ Prologous [[Another Time, Another Place]]

His caution kept from being able to attack, and for good measure. Nero watched as those around him struck at the Avatar first, only to witness the Shadows of themselves appearing. It was something he couldn't even comprehend on how this was possible, but then again, the Avatar proved to be of a much stranger power and abilities then one would think.

Nero could only dodge and keep distance away from the Avatar and these Shadow copies. However, it wasn't to be the end of the line for any of them.

“Perverse Love: Sure-fire Master Spark!”

From Koishi, a strong attack was delivered towards the Avatar. However it was only met with equal force of the Avatar's Desperate Space. It was over in minutes it seemed, as the Avatar's shell shattered and the dark matter of the being was now splattered upon the tree...as well as the Shadow copies exploding.

An incredible feat of power there... Nero thought, before glancing at those who had fought. They were exhausted and had taken a pretty bad beating from this fight. Nero contributed nothing to the fight, if only to keep the number of copies down, but he knew exactly what to do now. He swung the X-Blade and Divine Remnant around him, before finishing it in an 'x' formation. "CURAGA!!!"

As the Keyblade Master spoke these words, a series of green ghostly leaves as well as a small ghostly flower above each person in this group appeared. Soon those the spell would make contact with would feel their exhaustion leave and themselves, rejuvenated by the soothing magic.

"A quick healing session wouldn't hurt you guys." Nero smiled, lowering his Keyblades to his sides.

Maeriberii Haan · August 26, 2016

Yukari

It felt pretty painful to see that her attack utterly failed to do much on the shell even after Koishi opened the way for her, but Gemini ended up going ahead and drilled a hole through it, which combined to the Spark that Koishi fired, breached the Avatar's defenses and created an explosion, scattering its vile ooze throughout the place, just like earlier after Yukari reflected one of its attacks. The shadow clones were seemingly gone now. It was a time for breather from what it seemed, but the soreness on her mind knowing that her ability to do some impact on this battle had lessened and lessened still refused to leave her thought. She felt someone feeling amused at those thoughts, and wondering whether it's Koishi, she decided that it's for the best that she distract herself by checking on Koishi's condition.

Appearing from her gap right next to where Koishi fell, Yukari inspected the condition of the girl's body. She was hurt on several places, although it wasn't too major apart from the gash on her neck. Of course, being a borrowed body made it not that big of an issue, but it was still pretty concerning had Yukari didn't see Koishi's own tentacles sewed the wound shut. With her own body fixing itself, Koishi should be fine, but she was definitely really drained so Yukari picked her up and moved away from there.

The battle was not over, Yukari could feel that the Avatar's presence was still here. And after that, Arthuria and Protheus would come, and the battle would continue. Yukari felt that she really had no energy left to continue this. One of the combatants let out a wave of healing towards everyone on the place, but while it took care of her physical fatigue and the injuries she and Koishi had taken so far, the mental strain was still left unchecked.

Reimu

"That takes care of that."

The Shadow Butlerok exploded after the shell and the barrier protecting it popped like a foul balloon by the attack of the other people. The Avatar essences were now all over the place again. Reimu was tempted to perform another purifying ritual again, but the last time it was used, it really didn't do much and she fell to the Avatar's ruse. Of course, as wicked as its actions were so far, in the end it's impossible to just classify the Avatar as "evil" or it operated in a moral axis far detached from hers, either way which limited her effectiveness on purging it. She was still confused at what to do now, of course. It frustrated her to think about the fact that the time she was needed the most as an exorcist, she couldn't even do her job well. Had it not for her two additional treasures so far...

The orb containing the essences of Gensokyo itself. The sword of Heaven that had a thought on its own. There was something about both that made her couldn't really bring herself to use them freely. She simply couldn't really stand either. One was a memory of her biggest failure, and the other was a relic that she shouldn't even be able to utilize, and with its nature as a sentient weapon, Reimu could feel something utterly wrong was happening with it. Of course at this rate she really had no choice but to utilize both if she wanted to stay useful. And that made her felt quite the disappointment at herself. Still with these thoughts plaguing her mind, Reimu raised her voice again to address Rhadamantys, still with the same confused tone as before. At the very least, the wave of healing spread out by one of the combatants helped to ease her mind regarding the issue.

"Yo, uh...any plans now? The Avatar's not dead yet but...it really felt that we should find a way to finish it as soon as possible."

Love of Ghibli · August 30, 2016

Team Dorian Prologuous

It was entertaining watching the victims squirm as they thought they could actually survive the teleporting barrage of bullets that was going to rain down on them. However it was interesting to note that two of these meat sacks thought that it was beneficial to just attack the Avatar itself. Shadrock entered an immediate swan dive as he simply chose to dive in and intercept the attack. It would've been easy to have laughed at their suffering but within that second he was completely consumed by fire and while it didn't hurt much it was keeping him in place. This is something that stalled him long enough for the attack to make it's way to the Avatar.

However it looked like the Avatar was pretty much conscious on its own right and was able to defend itself using the ever classic "Desperate Space." As the team watched on as the attack was absorbed into nothingness then spouted out ooze and essence all over the place. Dorian, who had trapped the shadow for a second looked on as it seemed to have popped out of existence.

Well that was short lived, he stated and looked on as the prison of Mad Blood disappeared and dissolved. He had a mild headache from being shot in the skull but it wasn't actually enough to kill him oddly enough. Butlerok had descended and stood next to his charge and he was thinking of a counteroffensive. Of course at this moment it seemed that both of them were without a solid plan. To think that the Avatar could still use defensive moves like that was kind of a new loop. But maybe there was a limit because the other times it used "Desperate Space" it didn't really have such a visual reaction.

Meanwhile it looked like Rhadamanthys, who was about to rejoin the team, had someone else to talk to.

"Yo, uh...any plans now? The Avatar's not dead yet but...it really felt that we should find a way to finish it as soon as possible."

Rhadamanthys looked perplexed as he wondered what prompted this priestess to actually talk to him. Of course there was something he should actually consider. Did he have a plan now. Of course his first thought was actually just to punch the thing, but that couldn't work could it. He thought that thought to himself quietly while gripped his fist. It was then that his teammates came over and provided their input.

You know that might not be a bad idea. Dorian said unprovoked. What if we cut it?

Well what is to keep it from using that same move again? Rhadamanthys replied. But it was then that his eyes widened like a stroke of genius. He looked over to Butlerok to see if he had the same thought.

Butlerok replied with an affirmative nod. Yes, we do happen to know someone with a sword that can cut through anything. Even the emptiness of space which I did not think was possible. I'm sure if he made an attack he would be successful.

Dorian simply looked on confused as he couldn't figure out who they were talking about. What's happening here?

Kenpachi Zaraki, the shinigami we dealt with earlier. In the last Pathway we got a taste of his true power. Needless to say it surpasses all expectations. Butlerok and Rhadamanthys looked over in the direction of Kenpachi's group. Now the only thing to do is to persuade him to join our efforts. It was at that moment all three members of Team Dorian looked at the young shrine maiden.

The Warden · August 30, 2016

[҉[̷̡͜͠A͘͡͝͡ń̶͠҉o͘҉̸̴̀t̛͢h̷̕ȩ̴̸̛͠ŕ̴̷ ̀́͟͜͡T̛i̸̵̛͘͠m̶͠ę̛̛͞,͏̷͞͡ ̴͞A͝͏n̕͡o̶̷̴̢͞t҉̡̕h͏̕é̕r̨͏͡ ҉̴͢P҉̴̶l͟͏ą͏͏̧͢c̷͜e̸͠:̕͘ ̷̧̡̕͘P̛͘͟͢͝r̡̢̛͞͡o̶҉̀ļ̡͢ǫ̴̀͟͝g̶u͢͝o̷͢͞ư͘͡s͜͞]̶̛̕]̵̛

Here Comes Trouble

The shadows began to coalesce, gliding along the ground. They wanted to form. T͜he͜ỳ ͝n̵e͝ed̡ed̨ ̢to̸ f҉o͝rm.͠ T̵HĘ͟Y̧͝ ҉͡͞ẂIĻ̵́L͝ ̴HA͜V͝͞E ̨҉FO͘R̕͏M!̶

F̶̴͔͔̞̪̝̖̖̗̬̬̖̦ͤ̑͒̋͗̒̄̈̑̂̾̅ͧͣ͜͜ͅO̧̅ͥ͗ͦ͊̌̒ͬ̍͜͠҉̪̖͖̩̟͍͇͓̩͍̞͕̲͔̦͕̱̜̘Ṛ̯͙͆̋̿̿̿́ͧͫͧ͋ͦ̏̂̍̐͊͘͟͝M̵̈́ͬͤͧ҉̢͚͎͙̹͓͕̻̣͙̠̲̭̻͙̘͕ͅ!̴̢̮̫͙̳̯͓̩̗͎̤̯̫̈́͊̏ͭ̉̍ͯ̚̚͟ ̸͔͓̬̳̰̠̳̗̹̜͒̅͗̽ͤ̋̑͐͗ͮ̓̈́̒͋́͟͞F̸̴̴̨͈̖̹͍̖̥̘̗͚͓̜͎̩̞ͮ͆ͩ̿̈́̃ͥͨ̂͜O̶̸̬͖̬̮͔̖̳̣̗̮̰̰̥̻͚̹̙͛ͨ͑ͧ̋ͩ̅̓͂́̚͟͜ͅR̷̢̹̙͍̖͍̘͕̮̣̲̭̥͛̏̔̊̇ͣ̊̉ͯͬ̉̐̾̆ͪ͌̍͡͝ͅM̆́ͥͮ͒̃̃ͩ̏҉̮̗͔̠̜͇̤̞!̸͍̣̥̤̥̲̦͉̮͓̩͎͍̺̯ͤ̽̈́ͬ̇̑ͪ͢ ̷̷̷̧̛̳̞̘͖̬̹͎̬͓̠̰̠̗̇̂ͭ͒ͩ̉̽̍͐͂F̉̔̍́͏̵̻͓͍̰̹̲̻̪͕̳̼͠F̸̨͒ͦ͌̎́͋ͭ̈ͦͥ̈́͑̅̊̂͑̅́͝҉̻͓̩͉F̷̢̧̡ͥ͋ͩͦ̿̍̂̌̒ͥͧ̂̐҉̼̳̭͈̱̞̩F̵̡̝̮͙͓͔͍̩͍̙̻͕͔͕̲̩̓̋̃͐͟͜Oͪ̒̇ͧ̑̕͟͏̨̼̜̼̹̩͈̘̰̣̹̝O̱͕͔̯̠͓̠̹̘̖̰̝͇̣̹̬̝͌̎̈́̏͛̆̊̋ͯͫ́̀Ơ̧̼̗̗̣̤ͭ̽͛̽̚̕͞͠O̶̴͈̭̻̖̞̎̃̏̏̇̃͐ͯ̂ͣ̇ͧ͜͟Ṟ̨͓̫̯̣͇̭͔̰̾̊́̆̾͐̇ͣ̇̇Rͦ̄ͤ̆ͤ̍ͤ̈ͩ͑̂̅̓ͬ҉̴̧͓̰͇̦̯̼̬R̶̗͕̣̮͚̙̳͎͔͊ͨ̆ͧͦ̀R̸͖̳̙͇͉̖̗̘̉̀ͫͬ͐̏̽ͣ̈́̅̂͒̓ͬ̓ͮ̀͘R̄ͣ̈ͯ͌ͦ̌ͦ̆͋͐ͤ̚͞͏͉̥̯̠̩̯͎͈̹Ṃ̢̤̯͇̘͉̤̺̑ͩ͗̀ͮ̉̔̒͐ͬ̋ͥ̍ͭ̾͋̿ͤ́̚͜͞M̸̢̨̨̧͓̖̻̮̲͈͚̗̫̠̓̍ͫ͋ͤM͛́̍ͫ̃ͬ͐̽̄͌̎̅̄̍͑̍̚҉̴̨͇̫̤͎̩̙͖͎͟M̧̨͈̱̟̬̽̅̓̏̅̚͢͡M̸͓̗͍̦͊ͬ̀ͧ̃ͤͥ̍̽͌͂̔͐͘͘͜͠ͅ!̴̷̙̦͕̮̗͓̬̘̇ͧ̍ͫ̀̕!̢̻͈̭͇̜̤̯͚̗̦̠̜̤̯̭͈̠̼̃̎ͥ̀̆͋͂̈́̎̆̒ͦ̀̀́̀!̶ͩͨͮ̑͒҉̙̮͇̤͚ͅ

It can't remember. It couldn't remember. It was all too much. Body but no mind to control it anymore. It couldn't remember what it was or what it should be. It was too soon, it hadn't been ready. It wasn't ready.

ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY ITWASN'TREADY....

They met by the tree. A thick black splatter on the ground. It wasn't ready, but it had to be. It needed to be. Anything would do, just so long as it was.

F̢̛̭̲̬͙̮͇͖̼̗̫͖̲̬̲ͪͦ̿̈́̓ͨͤ̏̉ͪ̈́̒̌̅F̛͔̖̳̤̦̭̫̬̝̝͚͖ͭͫ̓͊͛͆̾̒ͨ̌̐͝ͅF̨̲̜͍̜̾̽ͨ̚͘͞F̵̴̖̯̱̞̼͓͈̮̻͙̗̹͍͔͉̝ͯ͋͆̾ͮͮǪ̵̨͙̗͓̾͑ͬ̔̿ͫ̓̈́̅͒͌͒ͫ̽ͦ̑̂̀ͅŎͫ͂̑͋͐ͨ҉̵̘͇̥͔̪̮͕̀Ơ̶͂̏ͯ̎ͬ͛̾̉̑͌̕͢҉͎͉͔̼̞̭̮̜̥̻̲̻O̵̾̏̍̇ͮ̈́̆͂ͫ͂ͭ͒̓҉҉̛҉̼͕̖͎̤̱͕͉͓͎͎̺̫͈͎ͅR̷̜̣̗͙̦̠̟̱̞̻͆ͮͬͫȐ̵̡͋ͦͣ̃̓͊͗͒̏̃ͫ̓ͨͯ̀̅̅̕͡͏͙̠̺̬̩͙Ṙͮͧ̀̓ͫ͑͏̶̸̯͍̪̳͈͍̩̗͘Ŗ̸̮̙͔̹͕̦̌͌̾͒̀̕͢R̷̓̒ͬ̇̃̆ͣ̂͌̿͒̉͏̻̝̣̪͚̘͔̣̖̖̬̯͎̳͚̘̳M̒̐ͭͣ̿̀́͋̽̈́̑ͮͭ̾̇͠͏̸͚̰̼͙̳̱͙̻͔͓̫̥̘͙͍̫̭̘͟M͛ͭ̾̀͊͆̕͢͏̴̭̫̠̻͕̥͓̪M̶̪͔͕͇̖̙̪͚̬̣̼̠͎̭͖͆̓̔̒ͯͭ͘ͅMͮͨͦ̃͌͛̌͂ͣ̉̇͌̇̾̃͑̐ͩ̄҉͢͏͖̙͙͕̭̼̹̟̠͍͚̦̪̭͈̼͚ͅͅM̷̸̵̖̣̞̘͔͍̭̼͚̼͎͉̣̯̫̻̤̐͛̎̌͑ͧ̌̾̾ͦͦ͝ͅ!̷̸̢̳̳̰̬̫̱͎̣̰̦͔̤̪̯̻͍ͧ͗ͨ̑ͧͮ̉̇̊ͪ̂͒̓̅̾̚̕͡ͅ!̟͎̝̼̥͉̿ͫ̾̀̂͋̀̐͑͂̑̈́̿͆̍ͨ̈̓̋̕͞!̛̖̖͔̮̓ͬ̿ͭ̄̒́͜͡͠͠

A seven fingered skeletal hand emerged from the darkness, thick drops of a black tar-like substance oozing out of it as something attempted to merge from the emptiness.

F̢̛̭̲̬͙̮͇͖̼̗̫͖̲̬̲ͪͦ̿̈́̓ͨͤ̏̉ͪ̈́̒̌̅F̛͔̖̳̤̦̭̫̬̝̝͚͖ͭͫ̓͊͛͆̾̒ͨ̌̐͝ͅF̨̲̜͍̜̾̽ͨ̚͘͞F̵̴̖̯̱̞̼͓͈̮̻͙̗̹͍͔͉̝ͯ͋͆̾ͮͮǪ̵̨͙̗͓̾͑ͬ̔̿ͫ̓̈́̅͒͌͒ͫ̽ͦ̑̂̀ͅŎͫ͂̑͋͐ͨ҉̵̘͇̥͔̪̮͕̀Ơ̶͂̏ͯ̎ͬ͛̾̉̑͌̕͢҉͎͉͔̼̞̭̮̜̥̻̲̻O̵̾̏̍̇ͮ̈́̆͂ͫ͂ͭ͒̓҉҉̛҉̼͕̖͎̤̱͕͉͓͎͎̺̫͈͎ͅR̷̜̣̗͙̦̠̟̱̞̻͆ͮͬͫȐ̵̡͋ͦͣ̃̓͊͗͒̏̃ͫ̓ͨͯ̀̅̅̕͡͏͙̠̺̬̩͙Ṙͮͧ̀̓ͫ͑͏̶̸̯͍̪̳͈͍̩̗͘Ŗ̸̮̙͔̹͕̦̌͌̾͒̀̕͢R̷̓̒ͬ̇̃̆ͣ̂͌̿͒̉͏̻̝̣̪͚̘͔̣̖̖̬̯͎̳͚̘̳M̒̐ͭͣ̿̀́͋̽̈́̑ͮͭ̾̇͠͏̸͚̰̼͙̳̱͙̻͔͓̫̥̘͙͍̫̭̘͟M͛ͭ̾̀͊͆̕͢͏̴̭̫̠̻͕̥͓̪M̶̪͔͕͇̖̙̪͚̬̣̼̠͎̭͖͆̓̔̒ͯͭ͘ͅMͮͨͦ̃͌͛̌͂ͣ̉̇͌̇̾̃͑̐ͩ̄҉͢͏͖̙͙͕̭̼̹̟̠͍͚̦̪̭͈̼͚ͅͅM̷̸̵̖̣̞̘͔͍̭̼͚̼͎͉̣̯̫̻̤̐͛̎̌͑ͧ̌̾̾ͦͦ͝ͅ!̷̸̢̳̳̰̬̫̱͎̣̰̦͔̤̪̯̻͍ͧ͗ͨ̑ͧͮ̉̇̊ͪ̂͒̓̅̾̚̕͡ͅ!̟͎̝̼̥͉̿ͫ̾̀̂͋̀̐͑͂̑̈́̿͆̍ͨ̈̓̋̕͞!̛̖̖͔̮̓ͬ̿ͭ̄̒́͜͡͠͠

Something unspeakable was rising upwards, its one good arm dragging it out of the darkness. Nine red dots for eyes lined an open maw filled with misplaced fangs jutting out of it. There was nothing beyond darkness as the once omnipotent Avatar Conflictous dragged its mutant form out. Its breathing was nothing more than haggard wheezes issuing from its exposed rib cage, its char coloured bones wriggling irritably, with some even piercing out what you could assume was flesh. Another arm, ending with a hoof emerged, helping the ungainly thing to stand upright. The Guardian of Prologuous, the one responsible for so much trouble, was reduced to nothing more than a torso crawling out of the shadows that once composed it, with a thick coating of some strange fluid that oozed out of it, splashing and returning to the shadows. It felt like it should be more than this, but it couldn't remembered what else was there. Pustules bubbled along the coating of tar that made its body, various limbs bursting out of various lengths and utility. A single, insect-like wing bubbled out of its side, the dreadfully malformed thing buzzing about even though lift was impossible.

F̢̛̭̲̬͙̮͇͖̼̗̫͖̲̬̲ͪͦ̿̈́̓ͨͤ̏̉ͪ̈́̒̌̅F̛͔̖̳̤̦̭̫̬̝̝͚͖ͭͫ̓͊͛͆̾̒ͨ̌̐͝ͅF̨̲̜͍̜̾̽ͨ̚͘͞F̵̴̖̯̱̞̼͓͈̮̻͙̗̹͍͔͉̝ͯ͋͆̾ͮͮǪ̵̨͙̗͓̾͑ͬ̔̿ͫ̓̈́̅͒͌͒ͫ̽ͦ̑̂̀ͅŎͫ͂̑͋͐ͨ҉̵̘͇̥͔̪̮͕̀Ơ̶͂̏ͯ̎ͬ͛̾̉̑͌̕͢҉͎͉͔̼̞̭̮̜̥̻̲̻O̵̾̏̍̇ͮ̈́̆͂ͫ͂ͭ͒̓҉҉̛҉̼͕̖͎̤̱͕͉͓͎͎̺̫͈͎ͅR̷̜̣̗͙̦̠̟̱̞̻͆ͮͬͫȐ̵̡͋ͦͣ̃̓͊͗͒̏̃ͫ̓ͨͯ̀̅̅̕͡͏͙̠̺̬̩͙Ṙͮͧ̀̓ͫ͑͏̶̸̯͍̪̳͈͍̩̗͘Ŗ̸̮̙͔̹͕̦̌͌̾͒̀̕͢R̷̓̒ͬ̇̃̆ͣ̂͌̿͒̉͏̻̝̣̪͚̘͔̣̖̖̬̯͎̳͚̘̳M̒̐ͭͣ̿̀́͋̽̈́̑ͮͭ̾̇͠͏̸͚̰̼͙̳̱͙̻͔͓̫̥̘͙͍̫̭̘͟M͛ͭ̾̀͊͆̕͢͏̴̭̫̠̻͕̥͓̪M̶̪͔͕͇̖̙̪͚̬̣̼̠͎̭͖͆̓̔̒ͯͭ͘ͅMͮͨͦ̃͌͛̌͂ͣ̉̇͌̇̾̃͑̐ͩ̄҉͢͏͖̙͙͕̭̼̹̟̠͍͚̦̪̭͈̼͚ͅͅM̷̸̵̖̣̞̘͔͍̭̼͚̼͎͉̣̯̫̻̤̐͛̎̌͑ͧ̌̾̾ͦͦ͝ͅ!̷̸̢̳̳̰̬̫̱͎̣̰̦͔̤̪̯̻͍ͧ͗ͨ̑ͧͮ̉̇̊ͪ̂͒̓̅̾̚̕͡ͅ!̟͎̝̼̥͉̿ͫ̾̀̂͋̀̐͑͂̑̈́̿͆̍ͨ̈̓̋̕͞!̛̖̖͔̮̓ͬ̿ͭ̄̒́͜͡͠͠

The horrific nightmare looked about aimlessly, its vacuous head incapable of comprehending those inside Prologuous. It couldn't understand anything. What were they? It couldn't understand. What is life? What is death? What is... being? It didn't know. And what it doesn't know, it would destroy. The beast's broken maw opened wide, revealing fangs lining all the way down its gooey tar-like throat. A light burned in its chest cavity, and its ribs impaled the very ground of Prologuous. The light surged through those ribs, and then everything went bright.

In the aftermath, those who might have survived the explosion would find themselves standing upon a shattered piece of Prologuous in darkness. The rainbow sea was gone, and all that remained was the void with the debris of Prologuous floating through. And what remained of the Avatar stood vigil by the great tree on the largest chunk of the island, the creature relatively docile for now.

T̰͇͇̝̜̜̲̟͇̉̅̾͌̄̐ͣͪ̋̾̊̂̓̏ͦ͊̃̓͘͢i̵̷͉͙͍̻̲͕̱͆ͪ̌̀̚̚ͅc̢̡̛͍̱͔̬ͫ̓ͤ͛ͭ̈͐͂̌̀̕k̨̛̲͓͕̖͍͚̝̖̟̰͓̜͖͐ͧ̒ͬ̍̒̔̓̆͌ͤ̽̔̀͠.̛͍͔̠̻͔̤̹͔ͦͭ̓̇̃ͥ͞͠.̷̳̘͍̱̲̙̠́ͧ̏̋̒̓̿͛̓͌̇̉̈́͂̄̌̚͘͝.̡͒̆͊́̿̈́͋̀̚͏̛͔̟̟̹̰̳̙͓̥̼͔͍̣̞̼̗̠͢ ̷̨̡͕̣̻̟̞̖͖̫̩͍͇͖̩͕͎̻̪͇͍ͣ̓͌͆ͭ̄ͭͮ͌̒̋̔̚t̶̠̮̞̱̪͕̤̥͕̟̣̯͕͙̩̯͑̃̑ͫ̐ͧͩͨ͋̇ͪ̊͗ͥ̀̚ȏ̴͗̆̆ͬ͑̅̊́̔̇͑́͏̬̠̮̺̲͎c̡̢̛̽̃̂̿̂̈́ͤͧ̽ͫ͌͌͜͏̺̤̗͈̣̹̠̲̺̦͔̞̖k͇̟͖̲͙̩̣̤̲̪̪̩̣̠̬̇̊ͭ̌̃ͩ̇̇ͤͯ͑͗̇ͨ̽̚͟͟.̠̳͔̮̹̟̻̫͉̳͑͛̌͋͑͋̋ͫͤ̇ͪ̃̓͟͞͝.̢̼̻̳̠̟̺͉ͯͮͫͫ͒̃͒ͩͣͨͪ̊̉̔͡͞͝.̨̧̛̳̪̥̳̪͔͍̬͚͉̓ͫ̓̈͢.͇̠͚̰͔͇͓͚̩̞͈̺̜ͦͨͬ̏ͥ͜͝

Maeriberii Haan · September 11, 2016

“You know that might not be a bad idea. What if we cut it?”

“Well what is to keep it from using that same move again?”

“Yes, we do happen to know someone with a sword that can cut through anything. Even the emptiness of space which I did not think was possible. I'm sure if he made an attack he would be successful. “

“Uh…guys, what the hell are we supposed to cut? The puddle of dark matter?”

Reimu was perplexed that the group before her seemed to consider cutting the Avatar as a viable option. Granted, perhaps they’re talking about the Desperate Space defensive maneuver it used. It seemed that so far nothing ever actually managed to get past it. It seemed like a cheat version of Yukari’s already annoying maneuver. The scarlet sword on her waist shook for some reason. Perhaps it was getting excited?

“Kenpachi Zaraki, the shinigami we dealt with earlier. In the last Pathway we got a taste of his true power. Needless to say it surpasses all expectations.”

Ah, now Reimu could see where they’re going with this.

“Now the only thing to do is to persuade him to join our efforts.”

Of course. After all, she’s a Counter Corps, as much as it still mattered at this point, and she’s pretty close to the shinigami’s friends. Granted, Reimu felt uncomfortable in the way the three looked at her, so she simply nodded in acknowledgement of the plan, before she took off from the ground and started to float towards-

And then, something happened.

The bunch of shadows started to converge into one being near the center of the area, at the tree that funnily had passed without mention from Reimu’s mind so far. And what came out was a foul abomination. Reimu doubted at this point that it had a mind of its own now. A cursed black beast covered in tar, an even more horrible sight than before. However, Reimu could feel something else about it other than disgust. Was it pity? Whatever it was, it didn’t matter, as the beast started to attack-

And so, everything became bright in heartbeat.

Yukari shielded herself and the unconscious Koishi using a quadruple bounded field as the explosion went off, and while it managed to save them from the brunt of the attack, the aftermath almost killed them. If it was not for Yukari managing to open up a gap at the last moment, the two would’ve fallen into the endless abyss below.

Opening even one gap felt more and more like a strain to her. The sharp pain on her chest magnified. Yukari felt like her heart could give in at any moments. As much as she refused to die now, as much as she still had something to protect and fight for, dying here seemed to be inevitable. Koishi was still not awake now. Even with the healing wave earlier, the mental strain from repeatedly using Recollection must be quite severe.

Not in a position to attack, Yukari chose to wait and hide behind a flying debris piece as both her and Koishi slowly attempted to recover their strength.

“Ugh…I really am at my limit, huh?”

Blood dirtied Reimu’s clothing. Coming from her mouth, she tried her best to wipe what she could. She survived the explosion by activating Fantasy Nature at the split second before the brunt hit her, but doing so clearly started to break her body apart. Looking at it, it was not a physical strain. If it was a simple physical strain, she could’ve recovered with ease using the Orb. It felt like by shifting out of reality times after times like this, reality itself started to reject her existence. That might end up being something to be concerned about, but no time to worry. There’s other people she needed to worry about.

“Revy, you there somewhere?”

She already saw Yukari and Koishi earlier. Very weakened, but at least still alive and not injured. Passing through a stone-faced blue-haired boy that stood his ground after the attack, Reimu focused her effort on finding her friend and her group. There’s no doubt the monster trio, and the shinigami and demigod, would’ve survived the blast, but Reimu was worried more about the more normal part of the group.

“Killua, answer me!”

Reimu had made friends throughout her journey here. The distance she felt between them and her still remained, but now at least she had learned to cherish the bond eventhough she could not fully feel it. That was what it meant to enjoy her life. It’s so close to the final stages of this journey, and she was fully determined to see that these people that she cherished for survive until the end.

“Yachiru, Kenpachi, you might not know me well, but just answer me if you’re still around, dammit!”

Of course, for that she needed to get this group to work with the monster trio of the Divines. It felt a bit awkward to call for someone she hadn’t known that well, but she felt that perhaps she had interacted with them enough to call them out like this.

“Come on guys, you’re all not dead just from that kind of explosion...right?"

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

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