"I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve Heaven for all, sir. Sacrifices have always been necessary for the greater good. Look to our God, after all. He, who casts plagues upon his dissidents and conjures a flood to destroy the world of the wicked beneath him. He, who acts in his infinite wisdom to create the world anew. And if we, as humans, are created in his image, then surely, we must follow his example if we wish to become closer to him," Pucci said to Max and Jiren, continuing to circle the group casually.
"The fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth. Destiny! True happiness! When I attain Heaven for all, all in the multiverse will know true freedom, of their earthly desires and fears, and become truly one people. That is Heaven."
However, for all his calm (if not passionately resolved) demeanor and words, Pucci's expression tightened as Severa spoke, mocking DIO and Othinus, as well as him by extension, contorting into visible anger.
"You dare speak ill of DIO? Bite your tongue, heathen. He is the only one who understands -- who could fathom the scope of the wish we all hold as a collective. As a people who wish, deep down, to return to nothingness and begin anew. You know not of what you speak, so just this once, I shall forgive you for your transgressions," he said to the girl, his arm visibly twitching before the priest grabbed it with his other as though to restrain it.
"However, tempt your fate again, and everyone you associate yourself with will suffer for it," Pucci threatened with a deathly serious tone in his voice, before forcing himself to calm down as he shook his head and cleared his throat.
"But none of us would wish for that. In the long run, that is what I want to attain; an existence without suffering. Beyond jealousy and betrayal, beyond hate and desire, beyond pain and death, beyond loss and sin. To return, to become one, not with those who stand with you today, but those whom you've lost along the way. Think about it. Is there not anyone you've lost whom you would wish to return with? I can reunite them with you, if you only hand yourself to me," he spoke, outstretching his arm as if offering someone to reach out to him.
"So, you're playing god? You, by playing god, believe you have to right to judge all mortal life that walks the worlds?" Max questions, "sorry, Father Pucci, but I can't respect your philosophy, especially when trillions is an underestimation of the genocide you will cause. As a Plumber, I fight for the peace and freedom of all life in the galaxy. What you are doing is excessive peace but no freedom at all. Personally speaking, I'd prefer to shape my world my way, not by your hands."
"I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve Heaven for all, sir. Sacrifices have always been necessary for the greater good. Look to our God, after all. He, who casts plagues upon his dissidents and conjures a flood to destroy the world of the wicked beneath him. He, who acts in his infinite wisdom to create the world anew. And if we, as humans, are created in his image, then surely, we must follow his example if we wish to become closer to him," Pucci said to Max and Jiren, continuing to circle the group casually.
"The fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth. Destiny! True happiness! When I attain Heaven for all, all in the multiverse will know true freedom, of their earthly desires and fears, and become truly one people. That is Heaven."
However, for all his calm (if not passionately resolved) demeanor and words, Pucci's expression tightened as Severa spoke, mocking DIO and Othinus, as well as him by extension, contorting into visible anger.
"You dare speak ill of DIO? Bite your tongue, heathen. He is the only one who understands -- who could fathom the scope of the wish we all hold as a collective. As a people who wish, deep down, to return to nothingness and begin anew. You know not of what you speak, so just this once, I shall forgive you for your transgressions," he said to the girl, his arm visibly twitching before the priest grabbed it with his other as though to restrain it.
"However, tempt your fate again, and everyone you associate yourself with will suffer for it," Pucci threatened with a deathly serious tone in his voice, before forcing himself to calm down as he shook his head and cleared his throat.
"But none of us would wish for that. In the long run, that is what I want to attain; an existence without suffering. Beyond jealousy and betrayal, beyond hate and desire, beyond pain and death, beyond loss and sin. To return, to become one, not with those who stand with you today, but those whom you've lost along the way. Think about it. Is there not anyone you've lost whom you would wish to return with? I can reunite them with you, if you only hand yourself to me," he spoke, outstretching his arm as if offering someone to reach out to him.
"So, you're playing god? You, by playing god, believe you have to right to judge all mortal life that walks the worlds?" Max questions, "sorry, Father Pucci, but I can't respect your philosophy, especially when trillions is an underestimation of the genocide you will cause. As a Plumber, I fight for the peace and freedom of all life in the galaxy. What you are doing is excessive peace but no freedom at all. Personally speaking, I'd prefer to shape my world my way, not by your hands."
For a moment, Schala's confidence wavered, and it was almost like she was in a trance.
There was many things she wished she could undo... And many more she wished she could re-unite with; though Lavos had ultimately been defeated, and existence as a whole survived where she came from, there were things she wished could be undone. The fall of Guardia... The loss of her younger brother... The Ocean Palace incident... So on so forth...
But in the end, she stayed her hand... Refusing to reach out to Pucci, refusing to hand herself to him.
"No... I can't. To atone for the sins of my past... I promised to protect the Multiverse from another disaster. I promised to make up for that terrible wish I made so many years ago..." She said, hanging her head.
It looks like her decision was final.
Frankly, she wasn't sure what Pucci's idea of "Heaven" was... But to her, if there was no hate, no desire... No death, no loss, no sin... There would be no happiness, no satisfaction, no life... No gain... No redemption...
Without the bad, there can never be the good, after all... There can only be... Nothing.
It wasn't just all the lives that would be lost if Pucci and his accomplices achieved his goals, even if they were somehow able to re-unite with them in this 'heaven'. She had a feeling this state of being would, if not bring an end to all things, at the very least... Would erase the concept of humanity as a whole.
Though she would never show it, Pucci's threats did unnerve Severa. She wasn't sure if this guy could back his talk up-as far as she knew, Othinus and DIO were the actual threats here. Could he actually pull all he spoke of off?
"You...you can't do anything like that." Her voice was quieter, less brash than usual. It appeared his threat had an effect on her...or was what he promised what did? "You can't bring people back like that. All you are...all you are is talk! All you've done is talk! You...you can't DO anything like that!"
"Chaos is the natural state of the multiverse. I am simply returning us all to that natural form so that we may rise above it yet again and transcend our earthly forms," Pucci said to Schala whe she mentioned the thought of preventing a "disaster." What Schala may have seen as devastation, the dark-skinned priest seemed to see as salvation. He clicked his tongue dismissively at Max, on the other hand, seeing little recourse to say anything, except one thing.
"Your way of thinking is so linear, elder. But through the Lord's endless mercy, I will be patient. Once I attain the power I seek, everything will be made clear."
To Severa, Pucci only became more imposing. While he was circling the group before, he began to close in on the red-headed girl, slowly walking toward her in particular, as though able to detect the swift change in attitude from her.
"There is nothing that the Lord is incapable of, my child. If it is indeed someone that you miss, someone that you yearn for to look upon one more time, someone that you would do anything to see once more, then go on," the priest goaded Severa, his arm still outstretched, "Join me. Perhaps you are open-minded to the miracles of infinite possibility, but... My offer is not limited to just you. As I said before, my arms are open to all who are willing to follow the will of God, if only you'd all open your eyes."
"It would be a shame to add you to the pile of sacrifices as it is."
The World's fists clashed against Ben's makeshift weapons, crudely clashing as though the Stand's own fists were as deadly as blades themselves. However, the more power and momentum he put into his punches, the more DIO was able to deflect Ben's assault entirely, throwing a hard punch through his short barrage right into the hero's face and knocking him back, just in time for the vampire to realize that more weapons had been sent his way.
Without so much as a sound, DIO was gone again just as abruptly as he appeared, Jordshan's rocket hitting nothing and exploding harmlessly for the most part, though the entire mansion shook slightly due to the impact. To that end, Fiamma of the Right clicked his tongue in irritation and looked to her. "Fool! Do you mean to bring this whole mansion crashing down on us?!" He reprimanded her, clutching his glowing right hand tightly, "You'll sooner kill yourself than you'll kill DIO like that."
"He is quite right," DIO said, affirming Fiamma's words as his voice now suddenly came from everyone's side, "Perhaps not all of you are witless baboons. Only most of you, certainly if you were to come at me in such a droll manner."
"It's all useless, useless. Go on, try harder!" DIO invited, before his gaze shifted to Jolyne, his smirk only growing wider as his eyes twinged with curiosity, "Father, you say? My, my, Jotaro! You've gathered your own child and mine to fight against me? An amusing sentiment, but it's still not enough! Children are not meant to be on the battlefield, after all," he exclaimed, mocking both Jolyne and Giorno, and more than that, pretty much most everyone else attempting to go after him, it seemed.
With DIO seeming to move too fast and too rapidly, Fiamma of the Right grit his teeth slightly, finding that he was too fast for Fiamma's own offensive powers to have any effect. Still, he did note one thing he found interesting, but was it...?
"There's something... strange about this situation. Something is not right..." The magician murmured, though what exactly, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Though she would never show it, Pucci's threats did unnerve Severa. She wasn't sure if this guy could back his talk up-as far as she knew, Othinus and DIO were the actual threats here. Could he actually pull all he spoke of off?
"You...you can't do anything like that." Her voice was quieter, less brash than usual. It appeared his threat had an effect on her...or was what he promised what did? "You can't bring people back like that. All you are...all you are is talk! All you've done is talk! You...you can't DO anything like that!"
"Chaos is the natural state of the multiverse. I am simply returning us all to that natural form so that we may rise above it yet again and transcend our earthly forms," Pucci said to Schala whe she mentioned the thought of preventing a "disaster." What Schala may have seen as devastation, the dark-skinned priest seemed to see as salvation. He clicked his tongue dismissively at Max, on the other hand, seeing little recourse to say anything, except one thing.
"Your way of thinking is so linear, elder. But through the Lord's endless mercy, I will be patient. Once I attain the power I seek, everything will be made clear."
To Severa, Pucci only became more imposing. While he was circling the group before, he began to close in on the red-headed girl, slowly walking toward her in particular, as though able to detect the swift change in attitude from her.
"There is nothing that the Lord is incapable of, my child. If it is indeed someone that you miss, someone that you yearn for to look upon one more time, someone that you would do anything to see once more, then go on," the priest goaded Severa, his arm still outstretched, "Join me. Perhaps you are open-minded to the miracles of infinite possibility, but... My offer is not limited to just you. As I said before, my arms are open to all who are willing to follow the will of God, if only you'd all open your eyes."
"It would be a shame to add you to the pile of sacrifices as it is."
"You're right, he can't, that's why he's bringing you to them, not the other way around, but I could be mistaken," Max adds to Severa's words, then turns to Pucci, "Better linear than twisted, Father Pucci. I too have many fallen allies I want to see again, but I find reason to cherish the ones that stand in the world of the living. Besides, if my fallen friends and allies knew they were brought back from the afterlife by the likes of you, Father Pucci - you who seeks to destroy all to create a new 'utopia' in your image - they'd be insulted, insulted that their efforts to protect all were in vain. I have too much respect for them to say yes to that."
Turning to Severa, Max says, "Severa, was it? The one you have a desire to bring back - will they like the new world that Father Pucci is planning to bring upon? If you truly care about this person, then I suggest you think about the life they will have after their return."
The World's fists clashed against Ben's makeshift weapons, crudely clashing as though the Stand's own fists were as deadly as blades themselves. However, the more power and momentum he put into his punches, the more DIO was able to deflect Ben's assault entirely, throwing a hard punch through his short barrage right into the hero's face and knocking him back, just in time for the vampire to realize that more weapons had been sent his way.
Without so much as a sound, DIO was gone again just as abruptly as he appeared, Jordshan's rocket hitting nothing and exploding harmlessly for the most part, though the entire mansion shook slightly due to the impact. To that end, Fiamma of the Right clicked his tongue in irritation and looked to her. "Fool! Do you mean to bring this whole mansion crashing down on us?!" He reprimanded her, clutching his glowing right hand tightly, "You'll sooner kill yourself than you'll kill DIO like that."
"He is quite right," DIO said, affirming Fiamma's words as his voice now suddenly came from everyone's side, "Perhaps not all of you are witless baboons. Only most of you, certainly if you were to come at me in such a droll manner."
"It's all useless, useless. Go on, try harder!" DIO invited, before his gaze shifted to Jolyne, his smirk only growing wider as his eyes twinged with curiosity, "Father, you say? My, my, Jotaro! You've gathered your own child and mine to fight against me? An amusing sentiment, but it's still not enough! Children are not meant to be on the battlefield, after all," he exclaimed, mocking both Jolyne and Giorno, and more than that, pretty much most everyone else attempting to go after him, it seemed.
With DIO seeming to move too fast and too rapidly, Fiamma of the Right grit his teeth slightly, finding that he was too fast for Fiamma's own offensive powers to have any effect. Still, he did note one thing he found interesting, but was it...?
"There's something... strange about this situation. Something is not right..." The magician murmured, though what exactly, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
A flash of green light was shone as Rath crashed into the wall near Ermes
"Ugh..." the young hero got up, "Ermes, was it? You can go ahead and use my weapons, I've got other plans."
Ermes would find that Ben had left behind an entire coffin and DIO's throne to improv as a weapon.
"Toppo, cover me," Ben says, "it's time for me to take a backstage for now."
He smacked his Omnitrix down, turning into another being.
"Clockverk!"
A mechanical being appeared. If The World was to freeze time again, this being known as Clockwork would be able to move in it, for it was a being of time as well - a Chronosapien.
"Zis better verk..."
Clockwork began to launch green time rays at several allies. He starts off with Jotaro & Giorno, then Fiamma, then Mason, then Toppo, then Jolyne & Ermes, and the rest, one by one.
Those that would be hit by the rays would be able to move in a total of 40 seconds of frozen time. While such traits were active, Clockwork's key on his head would rotate, an indication that the feat could only be performed while he was active.
With a flick of his finger, DIO deflected one of Mason's energy bullets with lightning fast reflexes, ignoring whether or not it abode by the natural laws of physics as one might have understood them. As for the other bullets, they too were all deflected, not by DIO himself however, but by the golden shadow that rose from within his body, the same one that rose from within Jotaro and Giorno as well.
His very own Stand.
「The World」
An imposing golden titan of pure power punched at the air faster than the human eye could possibly comprehend, the bullets being snuffed out with each punch.
"To interrupt the monologues of I, DIO... You must truly be a feckless cretin," he spat distastefully toward Mason, before Jotaro and Giorno leapt forward, eliciting a sadistic grin from the man's chiseled features. DIO wasted no time in meeting the two Stand users who came after him, The World floating in front of him to meet Star Platinum and Gold Experience, fists poised and ready.
The vampire's battle cries matched his old rival's and his son's in intensity and passion, amazingly able to keep up with the barrage launched by the two Stand users on two separate fronts. However, all good things came to an end.
Perhaps too soon, the punch rush abruptly stopped, cut unfortunately (from one point of view) short as suddenly, faster than anyone could imagine, Jotaro and Giorno suddenly found themselves punching at empty air, just as Toppo's Justice Flash hit nothing and Ben, in his Rath form, suddenly found himself leaping at such empty air (assuming he didn't exactly end up jumping right into Jotaro's and Giorno's punch rush instead by accident).
With a furrowed brow, put on guard for once, Fiamma of the Right tensed up. "Where did he go?! He was just right there...!" He exclaimed, before looking down at his glowing right hand, "The power... I can sense it from--!"
"From over here, no?"
DIO's voice was suddenly heard from behind the entire group as the large man himself stood at the doorway, as though warding himself away from Libra's prayer, not that the vampire ever ventured to find out if such "purification" would truly affect him.
"When did you--?!"
"How sad... to be so blissfully unaware of the power of The World," DIO tutted, "You'll all have to do better than that. As they would say... catch me if you can, no? Fuahahaha!" He exclaimed, taunting everyone as though deliberately egging them on to come at him again.
"Hmmm interstings... You could give Dypso a run for his money" Toppo muttered to himself, letting his energy rise again. Raising a fist and entering a battle stance, Toppo let his God ki come to the surface, and his crimson aura burn to the surface.
"Slay! Evil! Immediately!"
Toppo rushed DIO with all the speed he could muster, tucking his arms and legs inwards to become a large, bearded canon ball, assisting Ben in his flank. Should he dodge the clockwork beams, Toppo would be there.
"You might be fast, foe, but you are outnumbered! Sooner or later, you will be overwhelmed!"
"Chaos is the natural state of the multiverse. I am simply returning us all to that natural form so that we may rise above it yet again and transcend our earthly forms," Pucci said to Schala whe she mentioned the thought of preventing a "disaster." What Schala may have seen as devastation, the dark-skinned priest seemed to see as salvation. He clicked his tongue dismissively at Max, on the other hand, seeing little recourse to say anything, except one thing.
"Your way of thinking is so linear, elder. But through the Lord's endless mercy, I will be patient. Once I attain the power I seek, everything will be made clear."
To Severa, Pucci only became more imposing. While he was circling the group before, he began to close in on the red-headed girl, slowly walking toward her in particular, as though able to detect the swift change in attitude from her.
"There is nothing that the Lord is incapable of, my child. If it is indeed someone that you miss, someone that you yearn for to look upon one more time, someone that you would do anything to see once more, then go on," the priest goaded Severa, his arm still outstretched, "Join me. Perhaps you are open-minded to the miracles of infinite possibility, but... My offer is not limited to just you. As I said before, my arms are open to all who are willing to follow the will of God, if only you'd all open your eyes."
"It would be a shame to add you to the pile of sacrifices as it is."
Jiren released his tense fingers. The priest's proposition was intriguing, to say the least. All this talk of sacrifice for a common, good goal. It was starting to sound like... Justice. For a moment, he was filled with the fire that had burned to a cinder so long ago. Maybe...Just maybe, he had misjudged the priest.
"We... We'll need proof. Show me you have this power... Show me you can raise the dead... then tell me more of this... Heaven"
❝ NONSENSE. ❞ That was all she declared, letting an enchanted red blade appear in her grasp.
❝ That goes against the natural cycle of life and DEATH. I cannot allow such deeds to be done, PUCCI. Cease this nonsensical talk or I shall resort to forceful ACTION. ❞ Tensing up, she narrowed her eyes at the priest, fully aware that these was merely temptations made to overwrite what reality has cemented into place. Almost like trying to solve a mystery novel through supernatural means, these plans to bring back the dead as Pucci says was no different, and Dlanor could not let this happen. She couldn't allow it.
Willard, on the other hand, took a look over at their group. A few of them were slowly interested to this promise of the dead being brought back to life. He couldn't exactly blame them, it's a natural response to a loved one's passing. That inevitable weakness leading towards the corrupt illusion of the Witch... This scenario was no different.
❝ ... so what good is it going to do us if we think too hard on this guy's proposal? I don't remember being dragged along to hear a priest's sermon turn into a half-assed sales pitch. ❞ Willard groaned, not letting himself be the slightest amount of curious on the offer. Despite making it obvious that he wasn't buying it along with Dlanor, he didn't reach for his sword. It wasn't like he was sleeping when Pucci mentioned something about sacrifices, but he didn't want to get straight into the initiative like Dlanor was prepared to.
Russia stared at both the stairs for a long time, and watched as the others went to their decided location. He looked at the downstairs floor, and was warded away by the feeling of power. If he went there, they would surely be something powerful. The other option was the one with the dark, cold, malicious feel, just like his own. The person in there was surely be evil, right?
That just meant there won’t be any guilt when he dies. Russia made his way upstairs.
———————— “Zhat’s is true. This man has special powers. Aftzer all, he did summon something to fights for him.”
Russia stayed back from Dio, espically when he did his thing with the stands and shot deflections. If he tried to attack, not only will he miss, but those bullets might potentially hit him back. Still, he kept his gun in a position that allows it to be shot as soon as he pulls the trigger.
But for now, this man was too powerful. “Say, Comrade Jotaro. If’s you have seens and fought him before, then what is the strategy to beat this man? Or at least, does he have any powers?” @CrunchyCHEEZIT@Ver @Updtairs
In all honesty, Markus and Simon were awestruck. This man was so powerful, that those with superhuman powers were tosses to the side like nothing. Markus felt he had to do something, even though he was completely useless besides his gun. He scanned the area looking for the best way to go about his plan of action, before being pulled out of his thoughts by a touch on his wrist. It was Simon.
"Markus, i-it's not safe! You can't- we can't. It's best to let the others handle this," Simon said, clear panic in his eyes. Markus looked at him, taking his hand and pressing theirs together firmly, their skin washing away to reveal their milky interior. They connected again.
"Simon I can't sit here and let the others fall, we must fight together," Markus said to Simon through thought, before letting their hands down and grabbing his gun, Simon grabbed his handgun- and they charged.
"O... K... you guys must enjoy your new organization a lot."
Ben seemed to be silenced for a while when the girls just mentioned that they were in jail.
"I'm sorry, still picking up names," Ben sheepishly laughs as he converses with Leivinia, "a Magic Cabal? Can't say I've heard of that concept before. Are they like cul- clubs? Yeah, I meant to say clubs."
It was pretty obvious he wasn't.
"Earth cuisine? You mean there's alien cuisine here?" Ben asks Toppo. "Just try the food here, Toppo, great stuff. Sausages, Beef Lasagne. No smoothies, but the fruit punch here's great too!"
As Jiren asks, he replies, "it's more of an outfit than a significant uniform. Granted, I do change it - three iterations, maybe more. I always say that it's the person that makes the hero, not the gadget, or the outfit, for that matter. I like to show heroism through action.
I like the sound of these 'Pride Trooper' guys. How many of you guys are there?"
He turns to the girls again.
"You guys are Stand Users and you're surprised by the concept of living, breathing aliens? Remind me to not transform in front of you."
He would forget his own advice very soon.
Ben sees Giorno.
"Hey, Giorno. How was life since the time crisis thingy?"
"Is he the type to cause trouble?" Max asks as he walks with them to the Buffet Area, where he saw...
"Hey, Ben, sorry if I'm interrupting anything."
"Hey, Grandpa, meet my new friii-" Ben's eyes shifted from Mason to the likes of Leivinia, Jolyne & the like. "Acquaintances."
"Good to meet you all, call me Max. I see you've got some variety. Anyways, Ben, I've got you some equipment. I decided to keep it small and compact."
"You know I don't need them."
"You know, you don't bring your hoverboard around anymore," Max says as he hands a circular disk to him. "Some days you want to pick a flier, other days you might want to use this. Also everything else. Elemental Magic Blasters & Physical Blasters, designed to reduce recoil. And a retractable pole."
Max winked to Ben, "the guys said we could do whatever we wanted with them."
"Ooooh," Ben replies as he activates his Omnitrix and smacks it down. In a flash of green light, a small little being, remniscent of gremlins of folklore, stood where he once stood.
"Jury Rigg! Ahahahaha!" the little gremlin laughs as his grubby hands played with the newly-recieved weapons. "Break break break! Break break! Fix fix fix! Fix fix fix fix! Ahahahahaha!"
After he was done, the weapons seemed to look the same. Just what was done to them?
"More like, he likes to cause mischief for someone his age." Chise corrected, moreso herself than anything. "He likes to tease most people as well." She added as an afterthought. Really she's seen him tease Elias more than anyone else, but she could only imagine the number growing once getting in contact with the multiverse.
A mysterious individual named Ollerus approaches the Coalition, along with select representatives from the United Universes and ODMA, with a lead on the shadowy Revanchist organization, namely three of its members that he personally knows; the Magic God known as Othinus, and two certainly ambitious men named Dio Brando and Enrico Pucci, the former of whom seeks to complete an artifact called Gungnir, which Ollerus has one part of before loaning it to the Coalition, and the latter who seeks a specific version of the Arrow that only Giorno Giovanna, one of Ollerus's associates, has in his possession.
Accompanied by the likes of Giorno, Fiamma of the Right, and Touma Kamijou, among others recruited from their own and Giorno's own world, Fiamma of the Right holds a rough ability to track down Othinus's whereabouts, hoping to enlist the help of the multiversal organizations gathered at the emergency summit called in order to defeat Othinus.
While Fiamma of the Right begins using his power to search for Othinus's whereabouts, the representatives of the organizations are left to convene with each other, process the information, and arm themselves accordingly. During this period, it is settled that the Coalition will hold on to the Gungnir part given by Ollerus while Giorno holds on to the Arrow, believing this will split apart the enemy's attention should they catch wind of their activities.
"Everyone, I have an important announcement to make. Fiamma of the Right has finally pinpointed what he believes to the position of Othinus in the multiverse. Please report back to the Briefing Room immediately."
The booming voice of Kyoko Kirigiri in the intercom would get everyone's attention on Knowhere, wherever they might have been or whatever they were doing at that moment in time. It seemed that the mission was finally good to go, and there was no time to waste if they intended on carrying it out now.
As you all gather back into the Briefing Room, Fiamma of the Right takes the center stage this time instead of Ollerus, clearing his throat as he took his turn at speaking.
"Well, then. I hope you've all prepared accordingly for this certain adventure. Failure to prove your worth for this venture may have... dire consequences, to say the least," the man in red said with a wry expression, which probably did little to ease any tension in the air. Still, he went on after a brief pause, raising his right hand to reveal a red glow.
"I shan't bore you with the details of how it works, but as Ollerus said before, I alone hold the power to track Othinus's whereabouts -- at least, based on the sheer power she exudes, and more than that, I am able to transport myself and all of you to her general vicinity. Of course, there's little telling for accuracy, considering I've tried to isolate every reading of great power within the multiverse, but I'm sure that we'll at least be on her trail once I create a portal to her position. Are you all ready?"
"They don't look very ready."
"A crying shame they're the best we've got then."
"Guys, come on."
"With all that said, while you all act as the field team, Mr. Kunikida and I will be keeping in contact with you from here, monitoring your progress to make sure everything goes according to plan, but be prepared for anything. Use these to keep in contact with us, and these if you ever might need," Kyoko said, seeming to ignore the casual wisecracks from the magicians as she gestured briefly toward Doppo next to her, who began handing out ear pieces to everyone for easy communication to Knowhere once they were out in the field, before also giving out return panels as well.
"We don't know just what kind of force we're dealing with here, or what the rest of the Revanchist, let alone Othinus, might have planned or be capable of."
With an acknowledging nod to the lavender-haired young woman, Fiamma of the Right's hand began glowing more vibrantly crimson, before swiping his arm across, creating a decently sized portal in the air.
WHOOSH!
"Let us be on our way then, shall we? Follow me."
With that, Fiamma stepped into the portal, followed by Touma and Ollerus, beckoning everyone else to follow suit. As you would all do so, officially stepping into the darkness of uncertainty, you would all find yourselves in a completely different locale.
Stepping out of the portal, which promptly disappeared as soon as everyone had stepped through, the new location they found themselves in was... perhaps unexpected to some. A stark shift from a futuristic space station at all may have been jarring, but to this place was certainly less than up to par. In fact, if there was a phrase to describe the place they were in, one could call it like an old, rotting mansion, with a large hole in the wall that let in the evening sunlight, obscured some by the clouds. Cobwebs and dust littered the place as though no one had stepped in this place for years, which wasn't helped by the old, musty smell of decay.
On one hand, it was perhaps not something one would expect someone who fancied herself a god to be around, and yet on the other, there certainly was an aura to this place that oozed pure evil to its core. Even with the imposing sunlight outside, there was an undeniable aura of malevolent intent through the air, like the spirits of long forgotten time were watching their every move. There was no doubt about that. This place was evil, and such evil was still here to this day.
Jotaro, if no one else, would have certainly been able to remember this place well.
"This was the closest I could hone in on Othinus's location. If she's not here, then surely something is. Something just as evil and powerful as she is. I can't even tell you which one to hope for," Fiamma spoke, looking around the place as though mildly impressed with the interior design of the mansion. Such a shame that something so intricately designed had to be reduced to this state.
Fsssssh.
"Report. Can you hear me?"
After a brief static sound in your ear pieces, Kyoko's voice could be heard coming from them, confirming that they were indeed in operating condition.
"Oh, that's loud," Touma commented with a furrowed brow, "Yeah, looks like this thing works alright."
"That's good to hear. As I said back at base, Doppo and I will be keeping an eye on your activities. We'll be here to guide you if we can help it, but we may have to maintain radio silence for the most part just in case the enemy might have something that can be able to trace this source," she communicated back.
"Understood. Hopefully, we'll be able to make do," Fiamma of the Right said, copying out with that, before pocketing his hands, looking around with a pursed lip.
"Now then. Seeing as how there's little telling how big this estate might be, it may be in our best interests to split up. After all, if you're all supposed to be the peak of the multiversal organizations' abilities, then splitting up won't be such a daunting task now, would it?" He asked, almost as though mildly mocking the group.
Indeed, there did seem to be two notable routes to go down for the group to split apart to.
One notable route was to take the upstairs route. There was a certain chill, a cold wind that ran around as anyone would even so much as look in that direction. A dark aura that seemed to be the cause of the entire mansion's eerie air. Something that one could almost describe as... menacing.
The other route one could take was downstairs. Certainly, while the other area had more menacing intent behind it, this route seemed more... mystical. One could say that the other area held a malicious air of pure evil intent, while this one held a bizarre, raw mien of pure power. Either way, you were likely bound to find something whichever you chose.
Both Chise and Ruth went upstairs, Where those fighting DIO were, and stayed a good distance from the initial fighting. Mostly to gauging the man's strengths and abilities.
Growling softly, Ruth began taking on his original form.
The Church Grimm released quite a bit of magical energy, to the point that the fur on his body moved as if there was a breeze in the room. He didn't move to attack, however, upon hearing Fiamma's comment.
"What do you mean?" Chise asked, turning to look to the Magician. The Mage in training kept her wand in one hand, ready to use it if need be, though she'd have to be careful about how much energy she used or else she would be of no use to anyone.
Rita wasn't even sure how she could help in this fight, but she did know that Fiamma of the right was right. There was something that they were missing. It was like Bowser and the throne. It seemed that Dio was trying to keep his eyes trained on attacking him, while something else was going on in the background. Rita looked around the room to see if there was something that was off or different that they were missing.
@Ver@Alex Azure@Jeremi@Crow@CrunchyCHEEZIT@Josh@Atomic Knight@Hood Rat@dark@Hahli Nuva@Cromartous@Space_Candy@Takumi@Upstairs Phil Connors
While Phil had originally agreed with the man, the more he listened, the more he was reminded of Lucas. Lucas who had treated them like toys and playthings and nothing more. A man who had played God. It was with that slow realization that he realized that Father Pucci sense of reasoning was entirely warped. " The last thing your God would want you to do is to repeat his mistakes and use it to justify your madness. He did those things as last resorts when he believed there was next to no good and no chance of anyone listening to him. If I remember my mythos correctly, he has already forgiven us and given us chances. Playing God is more dangerous than you take and to team up with someone who wants to become a God, I dare to say is disobeying him. First Commandment ' I am the Lord, your God, you will not have strange Gods before me.' Wouldn't you say letting Othinus become a strange god before you and one above your God would certainly be blasphemous and against your teachings?"
"You say all this while working with Magic God Othinus. Yet Gremlin and Othinus stand on the opposite side of your 'Heaven.' In fact, I see no reason for you to be working with them."
Leivinia didn't bother keeping her gaze on Pucci as he walked around. Remaining relaxed as if she were merely talking to a friend, the only sign the magic cabal boss was actually taking the situation seriously enough was the fact that her wand was still out.
"Do you actually think that Othinus will create that kind of 'Heaven' for you? The world will be hers, not yours or god's. Tell me, why work for her? Do you understand the mindset behind those who willingly team up with a magic cabal? Take it from I, the leader of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight. It's always a selfish purpose."
"........" For once, Severa managed to stay quiet. Bring them back? Could he REALLY do something like that? To see her again...to save everyone Grima tore down...was he really capable of that all?
Severa did think about his offer. But what Leivinia said gave her room to pause...
Libra was still unsure of what he could do in this situation, save for healing if someone got hurt. In this case, he would heal Ben in case that crash into the wall did any real damage, then wait on standby in case other attacks on DIO failed.
The World's fists clashed against Ben's makeshift weapons, crudely clashing as though the Stand's own fists were as deadly as blades themselves. However, the more power and momentum he put into his punches, the more DIO was able to deflect Ben's assault entirely, throwing a hard punch through his short barrage right into the hero's face and knocking him back, just in time for the vampire to realize that more weapons had been sent his way.
Without so much as a sound, DIO was gone again just as abruptly as he appeared, Jordshan's rocket hitting nothing and exploding harmlessly for the most part, though the entire mansion shook slightly due to the impact. To that end, Fiamma of the Right clicked his tongue in irritation and looked to her. "Fool! Do you mean to bring this whole mansion crashing down on us?!" He reprimanded her, clutching his glowing right hand tightly, "You'll sooner kill yourself than you'll kill DIO like that."
"He is quite right," DIO said, affirming Fiamma's words as his voice now suddenly came from everyone's side, "Perhaps not all of you are witless baboons. Only most of you, certainly if you were to come at me in such a droll manner."
"It's all useless, useless. Go on, try harder!" DIO invited, before his gaze shifted to Jolyne, his smirk only growing wider as his eyes twinged with curiosity, "Father, you say? My, my, Jotaro! You've gathered your own child and mine to fight against me? An amusing sentiment, but it's still not enough! Children are not meant to be on the battlefield, after all," he exclaimed, mocking both Jolyne and Giorno, and more than that, pretty much most everyone else attempting to go after him, it seemed.
With DIO seeming to move too fast and too rapidly, Fiamma of the Right grit his teeth slightly, finding that he was too fast for Fiamma's own offensive powers to have any effect. Still, he did note one thing he found interesting, but was it...?
"There's something... strange about this situation. Something is not right..." The magician murmured, though what exactly, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Gold Experience's assault ended as quickly as it came out, once DIO vanished from Giorno's sight. The boy clenched his teeth, recalling his Stand to protect himself but realizing that his father wouldn't make any counterattack. Spinning around to face him at the sound of his mocking voice, Giorno almost let a hint of his bubbling rage spill out onto his face - that is, until his other father's voice intruded his mind.
. . .He's right. One blow from Gold Experience will be enough to slow him down. But, his Stand is far faster than anything I've ever seen. I can't get a solid blow on him. . .!
The mocking and bravado only goaded the son into charging at his father head-on once more, but he knew that course of action would be useless. The World can only be bested if caught off guard. . .or, if someone had an ability similar - if not identical - to it. The mafioso backed up a few steps to join Jolyne and Ermes.
"Girls, if your Stands have any amazing abilities, now is the time to bring them out," the boss said with a disturbing mixture of calmness and flaming urgency in his voice. He gave the room a once-over again, seeing for any objects in the room that would help in getting Gold Experience's ability off. . .and, perhaps, Scary Monsters'. However, when the boy looked around the room, he realized something was missing.
". . .Jolyne," Giorno asked, now sounding more confused than anything. "Where's your father?"
Hah, wow, how many times has she been asked that, huh?
However, Giorno wasn't wrong. Jotaro seemed to vanish into nothingness as soon as their assault on The World ended. From the intensity of their brief Stand-off (heh), Giorno didn't notice Jotaro moving to some hidden position. How could a man that large move so quickly? It was as if he. . .
. . .he. . .
Then, it hit Giorno.
And, evidently, it also hit DIO.
ORAAAAAAA!
CRRACK!
In the middle of his monologue, a punch with the speed and intensity of a gunshot smashed into the backside of the vampire's right leg, blowing him onto the floor face-first if he didn't react quickly. Whatever could've hit him from behind then. . .wasn't there. It simply vanished. And from thin air, in front of DIO himself, a towering man in a flowing white coat and cap suddenly appeared from absolutely nowhere, blinking into existence with Star Platinum looming in front of him, staring down at DIO and holding its fists in a manner that should bring back memories for the old enemy.
"Good grief. . .don't tell me you forgot, DIO. Did all that time you spent dead make you forget the main reason you lost?"
Jotaro Kujo took a step forward, digging his hands into his pockets and shaking his head casually. A brilliant, golden aura surrounded the large man, looking almost identical to the one that shrouded DIO himself whenever he brought out The World. The man seemed completely sure of himself, emanating an aura of power similar to DIO; but one of justice and pride as opposed to malice and evil.
"Does that mean. . .the same type of Stand?!"
"That's right. The ability of The World and Star Platinum: The World is. . .to stop time!"
The declaration shook the room. Anyone who wasn't a brain-dead idiot could've figure it out themselves at this point, as far as Jotaro was concerned, but the revelation of his old enemies power ringed true to every combatant in the room. "To tell you the truth. . .it took me awhile to get used to it. Taking the one thing that made you powerful and using it against you. My daughter's right, you are pathetic. No wonder you had to team up with Othinus to get anywhere."
"But, that's fine. Alliances break all the time."
"In fact, I'll be breaking a lot of things today."
As the words left Jotaro's mouth, so did Star Platinum's hail of fists launch forward to the disoriented enemy before him.
"God does not make mistakes, foolish child. It is humans who cannot learn from the lessons he puts out for us," Pucci rebutted Phil, and later Severa as he went on, "Forgiveness is eternal, precisely because sin is eternal. Don't you see? DIO and I are the only ones with the right -- the responsibility -- of attaining Heaven for all! To carry out God's will! To sacrifice the few for the great many, and for that few to become one with the many when the time comes... I am nothing but merciful!"
When Jiren began demanding proof of such divine power, the man only wagged his finger. "All in good time. True connection begins with faith. But if you must, then let me tell you about Othinus; even she, as she is by herself right now, is able to raise the dead. You three know well of the Einherjar," he said, pointing the same finger right at Leivinia, Ollerus, and Touma, "They know of Othinus's power to raise the dead. But what a blasphemous power it is, a resurrection without the Lord's blessing that corrupts, sullies their soul. But once I attain the Arrow, I will have the full power of the Lord to carry out his will."
"For someone working with Othinus, you sure are quick to speak ill of her," Ollerus only said, speaking in tandem with Leivinia, "What's going on here?"
"It is precisely as the little girl says," Pucci responds, gesturing toward Leivinia, "It is all for a selfish purpose. Think of our partnership as one that lasts only for as long as it is convenient. Both of us are aware of it; we both seek the same thing for our own goals. It is like a race against time, but also one in which we must help our neighbor. A cooperative competition. She is no god of mine, simply an abominable witch whom I only worked with because DIO, in his infinite wisdom, has seen something I did not. Potential."
However, when Dlanor and Willard spoke up, the man tilted his head slightly. "You two... Yes, I remember you. You and those cursed, blasphemous witches who brought me into that death game of yours... It was you -- that Bernkastel, that Beatrice -- who opened my eyes to the greater multiverse, who turned fate so that I was able to reunite with DIO. Perhaps I should be thanking you, but if you intend to oppose me..."
"Then I have no choice."
From Pucci's body, a green shadow emerged. His Stand, as some would have been able to describe it.
"C-Moon! Come!"
It looked at everyone warily like a feral, yet restrained, animal, waiting and watching. Facing everyone intently, he opened his arms. "I can imagine you all tire of talking in circles such as this, so here and now, I will give you one and only one chance. Join me, or oppose me. I can only pray that you make the right decision."
Severa recoiled in disgust as C-Moon appeared. "What IS that thing?! That has got to be the grossest, ugliest zombie thing EVER! No WAY am I joining you if you're working with something ugly as that! Everyone knows people with ugly henchmen are the bad guys, every time!"
Awfully shallow, but hey. At least now Pucci's offer didn't interest her.
Drawing her sword, Severa glared Pucci down. "I don't know what that creepy ghoul is, but I'm taking it down, and you along with it! I'm sick of your dumb mind games!"
"God does not make mistakes, foolish child. It is humans who cannot learn from the lessons he puts out for us," Pucci rebutted Phil, and later Severa as he went on, "Forgiveness is eternal, precisely because sin is eternal. Don't you see? DIO and I are the only ones with the right -- the responsibility -- of attaining Heaven for all! To carry out God's will! To sacrifice the few for the great many, and for that few to become one with the many when the time comes... I am nothing but merciful!"
When Jiren began demanding proof of such divine power, the man only wagged his finger. "All in good time. True connection begins with faith. But if you must, then let me tell you about Othinus; even she, as she is by herself right now, is able to raise the dead. You three know well of the Einherjar," he said, pointing the same finger right at Leivinia, Ollerus, and Touma, "They know of Othinus's power to raise the dead. But what a blasphemous power it is, a resurrection without the Lord's blessing that corrupts, sullies their soul. But once I attain the Arrow, I will have the full power of the Lord to carry out his will."
"For someone working with Othinus, you sure are quick to speak ill of her," Ollerus only said, speaking in tandem with Leivinia, "What's going on here?"
"It is precisely as the little girl says," Pucci responds, gesturing toward Leivinia, "It is all for a selfish purpose. Think of our partnership as one that lasts only for as long as it is convenient. Both of us are aware of it; we both seek the same thing for our own goals. It is like a race against time, but also one in which we must help our neighbor. A cooperative competition. She is no god of mine, simply an abominable witch whom I only worked with because DIO, in his infinite wisdom, has seen something I did not. Potential."
However, when Dlanor and Willard spoke up, the man tilted his head slightly. "You two... Yes, I remember you. You and those cursed, blasphemous witches who brought me into that death game of yours... It was you -- that Bernkastel, that Beatrice -- who opened my eyes to the greater multiverse, who turned fate so that I was able to reunite with DIO. Perhaps I should be thanking you, but if you intend to oppose me..."
"Then I have no choice."
From Pucci's body, a green shadow emerged. His Stand, as some would have been able to describe it.
"C-Moon! Come!"
It looked at everyone warily like a feral, yet restrained, animal, waiting and watching. Facing everyone intently, he opened his arms. "I can imagine you all tire of talking in circles such as this, so here and now, I will give you one and only one chance. Join me, or oppose me. I can only pray that you make the right decision."
"I don't want to come to this Father Pucci, but I guess I have no choice," Max responds. Taking cover, he sets some coordinates for his Null Void Projector, opening a portal that lead to the core of a star! The blaze of this core unleashed a burning, unstable solar flare upon C-Moon....
"I think 'Henchman' is a huge understatement. I have a gut feeling that Father Pucci & C-Moon are as good as one and the same!"
The World's fists clashed against Ben's makeshift weapons, crudely clashing as though the Stand's own fists were as deadly as blades themselves. However, the more power and momentum he put into his punches, the more DIO was able to deflect Ben's assault entirely, throwing a hard punch through his short barrage right into the hero's face and knocking him back, just in time for the vampire to realize that more weapons had been sent his way.
Without so much as a sound, DIO was gone again just as abruptly as he appeared, Jordshan's rocket hitting nothing and exploding harmlessly for the most part, though the entire mansion shook slightly due to the impact. To that end, Fiamma of the Right clicked his tongue in irritation and looked to her. "Fool! Do you mean to bring this whole mansion crashing down on us?!" He reprimanded her, clutching his glowing right hand tightly, "You'll sooner kill yourself than you'll kill DIO like that."
"He is quite right," DIO said, affirming Fiamma's words as his voice now suddenly came from everyone's side, "Perhaps not all of you are witless baboons. Only most of you, certainly if you were to come at me in such a droll manner."
"It's all useless, useless. Go on, try harder!" DIO invited, before his gaze shifted to Jolyne, his smirk only growing wider as his eyes twinged with curiosity, "Father, you say? My, my, Jotaro! You've gathered your own child and mine to fight against me? An amusing sentiment, but it's still not enough! Children are not meant to be on the battlefield, after all," he exclaimed, mocking both Jolyne and Giorno, and more than that, pretty much most everyone else attempting to go after him, it seemed.
With DIO seeming to move too fast and too rapidly, Fiamma of the Right grit his teeth slightly, finding that he was too fast for Fiamma's own offensive powers to have any effect. Still, he did note one thing he found interesting, but was it...?
"There's something... strange about this situation. Something is not right..." The magician murmured, though what exactly, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"You're right, he can't, that's why he's bringing you to them, not the other way around, but I could be mistaken," Max adds to Severa's words, then turns to Pucci, "Better linear than twisted, Father Pucci. I too have many fallen allies I want to see again, but I find reason to cherish the ones that stand in the world of the living. Besides, if my fallen friends and allies knew they were brought back from the afterlife by the likes of you, Father Pucci - you who seeks to destroy all to create a new 'utopia' in your image - they'd be insulted, insulted that their efforts to protect all were in vain. I have too much respect for them to say yes to that."
Turning to Severa, Max says, "Severa, was it? The one you have a desire to bring back - will they like the new world that Father Pucci is planning to bring upon? If you truly care about this person, then I suggest you think about the life they will have after their return."
A flash of green light was shone as Rath crashed into the wall near Ermes
"Ugh..." the young hero got up, "Ermes, was it? You can go ahead and use my weapons, I've got other plans."
Ermes would find that Ben had left behind an entire coffin and DIO's throne to improv as a weapon.
"Toppo, cover me," Ben says, "it's time for me to take a backstage for now."
He smacked his Omnitrix down, turning into another being.
"Clockverk!"
A mechanical being appeared. If The World was to freeze time again, this being known as Clockwork would be able to move in it, for it was a being of time as well - a Chronosapien.
"Zis better verk..."
Clockwork began to launch green time rays at several allies. He starts off with Jotaro & Giorno, then Fiamma, then Mason, then Toppo, then Jolyne & Ermes, and the rest, one by one.
Those that would be hit by the rays would be able to move in a total of 40 seconds of frozen time. While such traits were active, Clockwork's key on his head would rotate, an indication that the feat could only be performed while he was active.
Gold Experience's assault ended as quickly as it came out, once DIO vanished from Giorno's sight. The boy clenched his teeth, recalling his Stand to protect himself but realizing that his father wouldn't make any counterattack. Spinning around to face him at the sound of his mocking voice, Giorno almost let a hint of his bubbling rage spill out onto his face - that is, until his other father's voice intruded his mind.
. . .He's right. One blow from Gold Experience will be enough to slow him down. But, his Stand is far faster than anything I've ever seen. I can't get a solid blow on him. . .!
The mocking and bravado only goaded the son into charging at his father head-on once more, but he knew that course of action would be useless. The World can only be bested if caught off guard. . .or, if someone had an ability similar - if not identical - to it. The mafioso backed up a few steps to join Jolyne and Ermes.
"Girls, if your Stands have any amazing abilities, now is the time to bring them out," the boss said with a disturbing mixture of calmness and flaming urgency in his voice. He gave the room a once-over again, seeing for any objects in the room that would help in getting Gold Experience's ability off. . .and, perhaps, Scary Monsters'. However, when the boy looked around the room, he realized something was missing.
". . .Jolyne," Giorno asked, now sounding more confused than anything. "Where's your father?"
Hah, wow, how many times has she been asked that, huh?
However, Giorno wasn't wrong. Jotaro seemed to vanish into nothingness as soon as their assault on The World ended. From the intensity of their brief Stand-off (heh), Giorno didn't notice Jotaro moving to some hidden position. How could a man that large move so quickly? It was as if he. . .
. . .he. . .
Then, it hit Giorno.
And, evidently, it also hit DIO.
ORAAAAAAA!
CRRACK!
In the middle of his monologue, a punch with the speed and intensity of a gunshot smashed into the backside of the vampire's right leg, blowing him onto the floor face-first if he didn't react quickly. Whatever could've hit him from behind then. . .wasn't there. It simply vanished. And from thin air, in front of DIO himself, a towering man in a flowing white coat and cap suddenly appeared from absolutely nowhere, blinking into existence with Star Platinum looming in front of him, staring down at DIO and holding its fists in a manner that should bring back memories for the old enemy.
"Good grief. . .don't tell me you forgot, DIO. Did all that time you spent dead make you forget the main reason you lost?"
Jotaro Kujo took a step forward, digging his hands into his pockets and shaking his head casually. A brilliant, golden aura surrounded the large man, looking almost identical to the one that shrouded DIO himself whenever he brought out The World. The man seemed completely sure of himself, emanating an aura of power similar to DIO; but one of justice and pride as opposed to malice and evil.
"Does that mean. . .the same type of Stand?!"
"That's right. The ability of The World and Star Platinum: The World is. . .to stop time!"
The declaration shook the room. Anyone who wasn't a brain-dead idiot could've figure it out themselves at this point, as far as Jotaro was concerned, but the revelation of his old enemies power ringed true to every combatant in the room. "To tell you the truth. . .it took me awhile to get used to it. Taking the one thing that made you powerful and using it against you. My daughter's right, you are pathetic. No wonder you had to team up with Othinus to get anywhere."
"But, that's fine. Alliances break all the time."
"In fact, I'll be breaking a lot of things today."
As the words left Jotaro's mouth, so did Star Platinum's hail of fists launch forward to the disoriented enemy before him.
As if on cue both Stone Free and Kiss emerged from their respective Stand wielders. "Maybe he ducked out. Dad really loves to do that." But that had not been the case as Jotaro emerged ready to bring the pummeling unto DIO. "Shit...he's really wailing on him..."
Ermes meanwhile just in case this wasn't enough slapped a lip shaped sticker on the throne that quickly formed another exact copy next to the real one. She wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but it was good to be prepared.
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